That 197, with all sincerity and true intent

The next morning, as promised, I woke up clearly before six o'clock, changed into my school uniform, and arrived at the school gate where we were to meet.

There, standing perfectly still like a mannequin, was — Tenmi Tsuzuri.

"A... Ah..."

We both made awkward faces.

I don't really feel like I did anything wrong, though.

It would probably be best to avoid careless remarks here. Silence is golden.

...but it seemed I was the only one thinking that.

"Mr. Warrior. I have one question."

"What is it?"

"You abandoned your comrades yesterday—despite having the power to save them. Are you truly aware of what you've done?"

Oh no. Pure, unadulterated logic. The kind you can't argue with.

That said, if this world were entirely governed by logic, it should be much more peaceful.

"Isn't Miss Tsumuri just as guilty for not fighting?"

"That... is true, but in the first place, I'm not the type of person who takes front-line action or wields power directly."

Even so, wouldn't I be better off than a girl who wakes up one morning to find the world has collapsed? — I've absolutely hated dealing with anything through violence ever since a boy in my second-grade class broke my front tooth.

Hah, refuted.

The battle was much more intense when fought on an anonymous bulletin board. That 'FF13' is a masterpiece—its sales figures prove it.

For a moment, Tazuki kept her gaze lowered to the ground.

"I... I thought..."

"?"

"You reminded me a little of Kamizono Yuki."

"Kamizono?"

Who's that?

"My... the person I once... had feelings for."

Ah.

So he's a man, then.

Even if someone says I resemble a man, it's still a bit complicated...

"But actually, you're completely different."

Yes...

I don’t really understand, but am I being mocked just because I lost in a race with Ressha?

I don’t like this… We’re supposed to be teaming up with her for about six hours from now, working together to face Yoku-san, right?

I can’t imagine having a proper conversation if we’re still at odds like this.

That’s the problem—Okinaga Rinne.

Honestly, that’s a bit too much for me.

I’m not usually that attached to my classmates, but Rinne’s different.

I don’t dislike her.

Even though she was at the center of the class, she never tolerated bullying the weak.

She was surprisingly kind to people like me—those quiet, otaku-type students.

I think someone who’s considerate is undoubtedly a rare and precious talent these days.

I let out a deep sigh—making a decision I rarely make—and resolved to do something.

I decided to try convincing Sotatsu and deepen our mutual understanding.

If there's even a 1% chance that Rinon will win by doing this...

Still, how exactly does one come to feel affection for another person?

That's quite the challenge. It's one of those topics I've rarely thought about before.

Letting out a deep sigh, I exhaled slowly.

"Tsumuri-san."

"---What is it?"

"To be perfectly honest, you may be expecting me to be a correct, kind, and noble person—but that's a big misunderstanding."

"Eh..."

I can sense it intuitively. I was probably never a good person even before I lost my memories. You only saw me as a "good person" because I was dealt a strong hand—simply because I had enough to spare, enough to give away. In the end, I only pretended to be good, choosing what benefited me most.

Then, after a long pause, Tazuri answered like this.

"I can't quite believe that. The way you once infiltrated the Ichihon Geidai community seemed like simple goodwill."

"Surely there was no genuine kindness at all. I must have thought something like... 'If I do you a favor now, it'll surely come in handy someday.' And indeed, you're proving useful right now—exactly as I planned."

It's a strange feeling, almost surreal, to find myself undermining my own supposed good deeds.

"More than anything, I ultimately stick to the principle of not doing anything that doesn't benefit me."

This was something I wanted her—and not just her, but Mr. Asada, and everyone else—to truly understand.

I am not a champion of justice.

"But honestly, I don't see myself as a heartless person. If there's someone who truly likes me as I am, losing that would wound my heart. That would definitely be a loss for me, so..."

A barbecue with my neighbor Mr. Tanaka pops into my mind.

The wound of losing him hasn't truly healed, to be honest.

Perhaps I've been angry at this world that exists as if Mr. Tanaka's presence had never mattered at all.

"If such a person were to appear before me... I might just risk my life for them."

"Is that so?... But isn't there anything more precious than one's own life?"

Actually, that kind of thing is pretty common in this world. That's why humans can't stop fighting. If life were truly the most important thing, wouldn't everyone avoid doing things that deliberately put it in danger?

Tsumuri's expression was complex, as if she was unsure how to react to it.

I'm speaking frankly, that's all.

It's because, based on my experience, superficial "correct words" rarely truly attract people.

People are drawn to others—well, at least that's how I see it—because of their inner distortions, their quirks and peculiarities.

That's why this is truly heartfelt, from the bottom of my heart.

"But just because of that, the important things—"

"Yes."

Suzuri gave a faint, wry smile in reply.

"They're not something you can find when you need them."

"That's exactly it."

And with the line, "Hyaahhhhhhhhh, sorry I'm late! Sorry I'm late!" (delivered in a flat tone), Oda Rinne appeared.

"Ah, you're a hero, you're a hero, good morning!"

"You're fifteen minutes late."

"That's why I said sorry!"

Rinne let out a surprisingly hearty laugh—unlike a typical beautiful girl—cackling, "Guhahaha!"

"Anyway—both of you. You didn't fight while waiting, did you?"

I briefly locked eyes with Satori.

"No, not really?"