「What's up, Yo-chan?」

The English prep room is a room where you can check the cameras all over the school, so..

Nei was watching us come to her.

She made sure that no other students are nearby and unlocked the door.

Going inside, Nei's sitting in front of lots of monitors.

「No, Katsuko-nee gave me an hour of free time so..」

「So don't come here! You could've gone around with Megu-chan and Edie during that time」

Nei said with a gentle smile.

「I also want to see Ya-chan. Here, ice cream.」

「Hmm, thanks, Yo-chan. You can sit here, Megu-chan」

「Okay」

I pull out a pipe chair leaning against the wall and we all sat down to eat ice cream.

「A lot of people are here today and they seem to be having fun」

Nei looked at the parents and guardians who came to the festival today and said.

「Ya-chan, you don't like crowds?」

「Well yeah. I don't like it when there's a crowd」

Nei's usual bright personality is something she made.

Nei was on the verge of a mental breakdown after her twin brother got murdered, and so she used Kyouko-san as her model to create a personality that was bright, energetic, and bold.

The real Najima Yasuko is a docile, quiet, and introverted girl.

「But, we're here. Let's go tour around the school, Ya-chan. Don't just watch from the cameras, look at them in person」

I suggested.

「Thanks, Yo-chan」

Nei smiled.

「But, maybe not now」

Then, the extension phone rings.

「Hello?」

Nei picks up the phone.

「Yes, I'll give it a check too. Yes, got it. I'm with Yo-chan. I'm going out. Uhh, yes, okay Roger that」

Nei ends the call

「Minaho-neesan?」

「Yep! As expected of Yo-chan」

No, Minaho-neesan's the only one Nei talks half-respectfully.

I mean, only Minaho-neesan knows that we're here since she's watching the cameras through the surveillance system underground.

「What's up, Ya-chan? Kudou-san is also here」

Kudou-papa's a man from the other side, and he showed up on purpose.

He's sending a message for us to be careful.

I thought that Nei was in the surveillance room because she had no place to stay, but it seems that Minaho-neesan tasked her to do something.

Something's happening in school right now.

「I can't tell you right now. We're still in a situation where we have to be vigilant」

Nei said.

「To be honest, we don't know how many of them are mixed in with the parents」

We're having a school festival, and there's no stopping the outsiders from coming and going

Our school is a regular co-ed high school.

ραndαsΝοvεl ?οm We're not like Misuzu's school where you can't enter unless you have an invitation ticket, and there's a strict inspection at the entrance.

「So, Minaho-oneechan wants me and Yo-chan to go fishing」

「Fishing?」

「To be precise, we're going to be the bait, for fishing, I guess? We're going to drag some enemies and pick them up」

She meant that we're going to be the bait.

If the enemy's infiltrated the school, then Kudou-papa's probably deployed his group too.

We can stir up the place and reveal which are the enemies.

「Well, give me a moment」

Edie said with a smile.

「We can go out after we finish our ice cream」

That's right. It's a special made ice cream from the cooking club.

「Right. Let's finish eating first before moving, Nei-oneesan」

Megu told Nei.

◇　◇　◇

After we're done eating ice cream, we head out of the English prep room.

「Where should we go around first?」

I open the special event map of the school festival.

「Nei-oneesan, the anime research exhibit seems close」

Megu recalled that Nei's an otaku so she made that suggestion.

「Oh, skip that. Their anime scope is so small」

Nei said.

「They're only into the current anime and popular voice actors. They call themselves anime research circle, so they should at least know Momotaro: Umi no Shinpei!」

「What's that title?」

Megu asks.

「Momotaro: Umi no Shinpei, is a sister film to Momotaro no Umiwashi, the first full-length animation in Japan. It's a film made to raise awareness of the war efforts. There's a great music scene where Momotaro goes to an island ruled by westerners with a Japanese naval paratroop unit and teaches Japanese to the local children」

Edie, why do you even know about that?

You can't even talk Japanese half a year ago.

No, not that I mind.

「Anyway, my preferences don't align with them」

Nei said.

「Then, how about the tokusatsu research group?」

Megu found another otaku-oriented study group on the map.

「Oh, they're bad too. They don't even know the influence of Judo Isshin on the action side, or Daiei's Yokai Taisen on the modeling side when talking about the history of Kamen Rider」

Err.

「The company that made the large-sized stuff monsters for that movie were the ones to make the Kamen Rider monsters. That experience is still alive in the creation of the Shocker monster

I'm getting curious.

「Ya-chan, have you ever talked about that with the people from the anime or tokusatsu research groups?」

I don't know if she'd been in contact with the research groups, but..

「Nope. The truth is, I've only listened to them when they're hanging out in their clubrooms through the surveillance systems!」

Nei said.

「That's why I know that their otaku knowledge isn't that deep」

Oh, I knew it.

「Then, Nei-oneesan, why don't you go and share your knowledge with them?」

Megu said.

「Huh, why? Why would I go out of my way to do something that'll get hated?」

Nei said with a wry smile.

「Yo-chan's the only one who listens to my otaku knowledge without getting bored」

「People who like anime have different interests though. If the topic is in the same genre, it's natural that people will hate it if you're trying to push knowledge that they're not interested in」

Edie tells Megu.

「As for me, I'm interested as long as there's something to learn」

Edie's a genius so she just swallows any knowledge given to her.

「Especially in visual culture. They're a reflection of the customs of the people who produced them. Instead of reading a bad guidebook, you can learn more about the lifestyle, way of thinking, and historical customs, by watching at least ten movies of the ethnic group」

I see. Edie's looking through Nei's collection of movies, manga, and anime with such sense of purpose.

「For example, Japanese anime has a lot of stories about going to the beach, hot springs, and such. This shows that Japanese people have a special sympathy to sea bathing and hot springs」

「Oh, now that you mention that. If they live on land without the ocean, they won't make stories about swimming in the sea. The abundance of hot springs is another feature of Japan」

Well yeah.

I think only a few Japanese borns have never soaked in a hot spring ever since they were born.

「What I don't get is why do Japanese anime always have watermelon splitting at the beach?」

Huh, Edie?

「As far as I can tell, watermelon splitting isn't an activity they do at the beach. It's not something every group do at beaches, like in the anime」

That's true.

I also haven't done watermelon splitting in real life either.

「Well you see Edie, that's what they call the beauty of style」

Nei laughs.

「There's a lot more of that in the past, but there's less of it recently. In anime and tokusatsu until the '80s, they always play the Hagoita on New Year's, and the loser of the game will get their face scribbled with ink. Despite having only so few houses doing that for real」

Using inks when winning Hagoita? What?

Hagoita's a board with a picture someone painted with a cloth or something.

The one they decorate every year with pictures of the year's events and stuff, right?

It's often in the news near the end of the year or something.

What's the game with that thing?

The winner gets to have their portrait for the year? Hmm

「Grendizer was aired in Europe under the title of Goldrack and it was popular, but, for their new year's episode, they were playing Hagoita, so I wondered how the people from the other side thought of that. What do they think when Duke Freed, Koko-kun, and others wore kimonos」

Sometimes, I don't get what Nei's talking about.

Then.

「What do you need from us?」

Suddenly, Edie turned her back and asked.

Then.

A beautiful girl is standing there, wearing a uniform from another school and a backpack behind.

She's a high schooler. She's got long black hair tied up in braids.

Her eyes seem to be brooding over something.

「Excuse me. You're Kuromori Kou-sama, am I correct?」

She's called me with that name.

「No, you got it wrong. I'm Yoshida. Yoshida Yoshinobu」

I forced a smile and said.

I'm Yoshida Yoshinobu in this school.

Kuromori Kou is the name I give I use on the surface when my family is involved.

Also, in my family register, when I got adapted to the Kuromori house, I'm named Kuromori Yoshinobu.

Then, since I also took over Nei's brother's register, and also got adopted to the Kuromori house, I also have the name of Kuromori Keito.

「U-Uhm, I'm sorry to ask but could you follow me?」

I denied that I'm Kuromori Kou and yet the girl still speaks.

「My Lord has parked his car outside the school. Please come and have a discussion with him」

A car outside the school.

Who is this girl's master?

「Oh, sorry, but I'm just taking a break. I can't afford to waste any more time」I think you should take a look at ραΠdαsnovel.cοm

I told the girl.

Then.

「We have a bomb in this backpack」

The girl speaks to me with a straight face.

「In case you don't show up, we'll detonate this explosive. I'll die with Kuromori-sama. No, it'll cause a lot of destruction in the school building so there will be a lot of casualties」

「So they sent a suicide bomber here?」

Nei asks.

「Uhm, if you can't come with me, then.. I may be reluctant, but..」

The girl says while sweat floats on her forehead

I..

「Hmmm, is that your idea? Or is it your Master's idea?」historical

I ask with a smile.

「Do you have the switch? Or does your master have it remote controlled?」

The braided girl;

「Ah, my master has it. Master can detonate it. S-So, there's no way I would spare my life and prevent the explosion

She says with a confused face.

Oh, she's got a small camera attached to the belt of the backpack.

I guess their master is watching from afar.

Oh, there's also a headset attached to her ear.

Her master is listening to our conversation through the microphone.

She's also giving instructions to the girl through the radio every step of the way.

「I have a few things I don't like」

I said.

「First, you're not naming yourself」

I said. the braided girl panics.

「I-I'm Kurose Anju」

She names herself.

「No, I'm angry not at you, but at your master」

I glare at Kurose.

「No, uhm, I can't speak of my Master's name」

I thought so.

「Then, I won't meet with someone who can't name themselves」

「Huh?! No, but, K-Kuromori-sama?」

「I told you, you got it wrong. I'm Yoshida」

「T-That's not it, but..I'm carrying a bomb on me!!」

Kurose-san tries to show off the backpack.

「There's no way there's a bomb there, you know? I hate nonsense jokes like that」

I said.

「Yeah, I get it. This wasn't Kurose-san's idea. You're not someone who'd come up with something like this, and you're not someone who'd willingly go through it either」

She's not someone from the other side.

She came to me with a straightforward tone.

Her behavior doesn't show any cunning or evil.

「So, this trivial threat is your master's idea. Furthermore, he forced you to it, getting you to trouble and enjoying watching us get afraid」

Now that evil is a hundred points.

「That's unforgivable. He's just plain rude and looks down on us. I don't like that」

「N-No, b-but, there really is a bomb here!」

Kurose-san appeals to me with a crying face.

「Is it okay, Yoshi-kun?」

Megu grips my arm and asks.

「No problem, Darling's got it right」

「Yeah, I agree with Yo-chan」

Edie and Nei supported me.

「It's obvious. Her master doesn't have the guts to bring real explosives, even if it's just a prop to scare me. They only speak of threats, but that backpack is empty. Just like her master, there's nothing inside」

I purposely fan the flames.

Either way, her master is listening from afar.

I'm making him a laughingstock.

「Well yeah, if it's a remote-controlled explosive, then they would be afraid to touch it just from the fear that it will malfunction.」

「If they make a mistake and detonate the bomb, it'll cause collateral damage to the public school that's in the school festival, and that's big trouble」

「Seriously, looking down on us. Do they really think that they can fool us with such an obvious trick」

「Right, even a three-year-old won't fall for something like that」

「What's with your master? Did his brain stop growing after three?」

Edie and Nei are making fun of Kurose-san's master so he can hear them.

「Eh, err. U-uhm」

Kurose-san is chaotically confused.

「Tell your Master this. Where are your manners! Also, if you want to meet me, then come here! Don't use your subordinate for something this trivial. That's all!」

I made it clear.

「Let's go, Megu」

「That's right, let's just ignore them, Yo-chan」

「It's not your fault, it's just that your master is an idiot」

We turned our backs on Kurose-san and head off.

Then.

「W-Wait! I'm begging you! Ah?!」

Turning around, Kurose-san is holding her earphone, listening to something.

「Y-Yes! Yes, I udnerstand. Norihiko-sama」

Norihiko, that's the girl's master.

「U-Uhm, My lord said that he's on his way right now」

I see. He got a silly trick up his sleeve, but..

He definitely wanted to see me.

「He wants to meet to a place where there are no other people」

Kurose-san listens to the instructions on her earphone and tells us.

「My lord has seven bodyguards apart from me. Therefore, Kuromori-sama is allowed to bring the same number of guards with him」

Allowed? Why is he so bossy?

「Also, the Takakura shrine maidens aren't allowed to approach within 300 meters of my Lord. He said that he'd meet with Kuromori-sama if the conditions are met」

「No thanks. It's not like I want to meet with your Master either way」

I said.

「He's the one who wants to meet me, right? I didn't make any promises with your Master. I have no intentions with someone that rude」

I walked up to Kurose-san and approached the small camera on her shoulder.

「If you want to come, then do it. Come here/ However, only two bodyguards. It's annoying to have a bunch of bodyguards walking around at a fun school festival. Have some common sense」

I said, then opened the school festival map.

Err.

We don't even know who the other party is so it's dangerous to call them to the principal's office.

She doesn't know that the whole school is under the Black Forest's control.

We shouldn't give them hints then.

If that's the case.

「Nobody uses this room during the school festival」

Megu points at the map of the school building.

Yeah, the emergency broadcast room next to the principal's office isn't usually in use.

That's the room where Endou attacked Yukino last May, and I eventually raped her.

「Oh, I'm in the broadcast committee so I have the key」

Edie gives out an easy lie.

「This room is soundproof so we can have secret conversations here」

「Kurose-san, remember. It's this room. You're here right now」

I show Kurose-san the map and give instructions.

「Ah, yes. I can see it」

Kurose-san understood it right away.

Oh, she belongs to the bodyguard families.

Guards mainly check out the places to follow in advance.

They're accustomed to looking at maps and getting a sense of what the space looks like

「Good, come to this room after five minutes I won't wait for more, so dash for it. You hear?!」

I look at the camera and said.

「Go, you should meet with your master now」

Edie told Kurose-san.

「Oh, right. I understand. Thank you」

Kurose-san bows her head to Edie.

Then, she bows her head.

「U-Uhm, I'm sorry for the trouble.」 We will see you later」

She hurries and leaves.

「Wait, Kurose-san」

I stopped Kurose-san at that moment.

「W-What?」

Kurose-san turned around in surprise.

「Which family are you serving?」

The way she's behaving, I can tell that she has the elegance of someone from the nobility.

Her uniform is different so she's not from Misuzu's school.

But..

The school for young ladies only has the ladies of nobility.

The sons of nobility, and their bodyguard, should be attending a different school.

Just like Kurose-san.

「That's..」

Kurose-san paused for a moment.

Then, after confirming that there's no point in hiding anymore..

She whispered.

「I'm a servant of the Ishigami house」

Oh, I get it now.

Ishigami house should be a relative of Motoko's Kuromiya house.

I see. So that's how it is.