[Sudden change]

The location remains the same, at the share house where Nishino and his friends live. 

In the living room of the house, everyone is face to face with Gabriella, one of the residents who shares the same house. Exhausted, she returns home and is greeted by Nishino, Rose, Francisca, and the Chairwoman. 

At any rate, they sat down in the dining room to discuss the situation. 

Sitting in the chairs are four women. 

Nishino, who dares to be a lady first, sits behind the Chairwoman, who sits opposite Gabriella. The only reason why they were arranged in such a way is because Shimizu took the chair that Nishino was sitting in first. 

Sandwiched between Gabriella and the Futsumen, the Chairwoman is at her most uncomfortable. 

"May I ask you for more details?" 

Francisca spoke out in response to the Gabu-chan. 

In terms of position, she is next to Gabriella. 

The remaining diagonally in front of her is Rose. 

"I don't really understand why, even I don't understand why." 

"...... What does this mean? " 

The others also have serious expressions on their faces and listen to Gabriella's voice. 

They were probably concerned about her uncharacteristically weak reaction. In fact, just a week or so ago, when they met at school, Gabu-chan had shown confidence in her persuasion. Today, however, she appears unreliable in her speech, leaving one to wonder.

"The orders I give them are not being reflected in the system." 

"Are you saying that the orders are not coming down to the person in charge? "

"That's the short answer." 

"I don't know what channels you used to get through to them, but were there any negotiations or notifications? With all due respect, if it went through your father, it could have been misinformed in some cases." 

"I took advantage of the position I had inherited from my grandfather. My father may have heard about it, but he had nothing to do with it. Therefore, it is inconceivable that the instructions were not conveyed to me." 

From the Chairwoman's point of view, this is an exchange in which she has no idea what is going on. However, she just tilts her head and wonders what she is talking about, thinking that it is not right for her to raise her own voice of question at this moment. I just kept my mouth shut and watched the exchange between Francisca and Gabriella.

On the other hand, I somehow pictured the situation in my mind, Nishino and Rose. 

The latter, in particular, could not remain silent. 

"So, I mean, what was supposed to happen?" 

"This old lady was supposed to get a call from her boss." 

"Indeed, I have not received any instructions in the past few days." 

"I knew it......." 

Apparently, a mistake had been made somewhere in the message delivery. 

Gabu-chan frowned when she saw Francisca's reaction. Perhaps her original plan was to have already completed the process. She seemed to be getting impatient with her daily life that had moved away from her. 

"I have returned today to make this report as soon as possible." 

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"Are you leaving Japan again? " 

"Yes, I plan to. I'll be heading to that place soon." 

"In that case, would we be able to accompany you?" 

"I understand. Please come with me." 

Gabriella agrees with Francisca's proposal. 

Rose, on the other hand, raised her voice. 

"Wait a minute, Francisca. No way we are ... " 

"What are we supposed to do here now? Or do you think that you are just going to enjoy your life as a student when you are always being saved by [Normal]? " 

"I wish you wouldn't talk like that." 

"Then come with me. This is when people like you can come in handy. You haven't done much recently, so I'm afraid you're going to have to be of some use to us." 

"Hey, if that's the case, I'll just go over there myself and... " 

"I'd really rather you didn't do that. It'll make things even more complicated." 

" ......" 

Nishino also raised his voice, but was immediately dismissed by Francisca. 

He had to shut his mouth early. 

He is a Futsumen who cannot come on too strong, partly because the problem stems from his own personal situation. Gabriella is trying her best to help, even getting her hair and clothes dirty. Witnessing this, it is likely that his momentum has been considerably reduced. 

Even his usual cynicism seemed to be ringing out only today.

"Then I am sorry, but we must leave immediately." 

"I understand. My legs are already prepared. Please come with me." 

"Yes." 

Francisca took a beer out of the fridge, and as far as she was concerned, she got up from her dining room chair before she had time to do anything else. Then, using the phone she had taken out of her pocket, she proceeded to arrange for a cab. 

With her boss at her back, Rose made a light remark to Nishino. 

"Nishino-kun, if you ever get lonely, you can call me anytime, okay? " 

"Aah! Sister, that's not fair! " 

"...... Sorry to bother you with something so trivial." 

Nishino muttered a few words in front of the group, which was starting to get more and more lively. 

It was a rare occasion when an apology was honestly uttered by the Futsumen. 

Soon after, Gabriella, Francisca, and Rose left the share house. They were rocked by a cab with a premium guide light on. Nishino and the Chairwoman quietly saw them off on the street in front of the house.

When the sound of the taxi's exhaust was no longer audible, they left. 

"Um, Ni, Nishino-kun! ......" 

"What ? Chairwoman" 

Shimizu called out to Futsumen, who turned on his heel to face the front door of his home. 

She continued her words hesitantly. 

"I'm sorry to be so silly, but I forgot my scarf at the host club. I just wanted to check if it's okay to just head to the store in this situation........" 

"I'll call the store and have them deliver it to the Chairwoman's house." 

"Well, you don't have to go that far! I'll go get it myself!" 

"Then I'll check back later. Can I get back to you at school? " 

"Yeah, thank you " 

Having said all that, Shimizu suddenly realized that she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

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The last train has already passed. 

If Francisca had been with her, she would have offered a cab. But she had already disappeared into thin air, accompanied by Rose and Gabriella. And unfortunately, the Chairwoman's wallet doesn't hold that much money. 

Her financial situation is very modest, as she has a job in preparation for exams.

"Chairwoman, I'm sorry for keeping you up so late today." 

"I didn't go out for Nishino-kun's sake! I just went along with that Francisca because she said it was a big deal for the cram school teacher, nothing more, nothing less!" 

"Yes, I know." 

"And, uh, well, it's tonight......" 

In this situation, the Chairwoman has no choice but to stay at Nishino's house. 

It is a reasonable distance to her home. If she walked, the sky would begin to turn white by the time she arrived home. Considering that tomorrow is a weekday, she was reluctant to walk all night. 

Also, since I had dressed up fashionably, I was wearing high-heeled shoes. It seemed difficult to run home. If she had been wearing athletic shoes, Shimizu would have run without a doubt. The strength of her legs, trained daily by the swim team, was a feat of strength. 

This is a share house, so there are usually girls living here too. I'm just visiting for a little while, but nothing special is going to happen. So you don't have to worry about anything if you spend the night in this house. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get a good night's sleep. 

The list of excuses is growing rapidly in her mind. 

The possibility of staying over today had been informed to the family in advance by the Chairwoman. 

The only thing is that the Futsumen responded to her by answering in an indifferent manner. 

"Oh, I'll call a cab right away. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to wait a little bit. If you need to explain to the parents, I'll have Francisca call them. I haven't heard the details, but the woman must have forced the Chairwoman to bring her here, right? " 

" ............ "

Shimizu felt like a fool for thinking these things on her own. 

◇ ◆ ◇

The next day, Nishino decided to head to school as usual. 

He was reluctant to miss school because of Gabriella and Rose's efforts on his behalf. This was due in part to the fact that he had promised to talk to Shimizu at school the next day about what Shimizu had left behind. 

He was thinking of leaving early in the afternoon after contacting the Chairwoman. 

And so it was to the classroom of Class 2A that he arrived. 

Having refrained from the morning greeting exercise, Nishino went to his desk. 

Normally, Rose and Gabriella would arrive within a few minutes. However, the girls left Japan late at night and are absent from school today. The quiet morning time, which had not been visited in a long time, made Futsumen feel indescribably emotional as he prepared for his first period class. 

Meanwhile, the Chairwoman arrived at school. 

She sees Nishino's figure in the classroom and her heart pounds for a moment. What popped into her mind was a handsome man disguised by makeup. As if to drive the image out of her mind, Shimizu made an effort to cheerfully greet the students in the morning as she headed for her seat. 

Naturally, the other two men greeted her back, but she brushed them off. 

Immediately after taking her seat, the Chairwoman suddenly noticed something strange. 

It was when she was about to move the textbooks and notebooks he had brought home to her desk. The pack of wet wipes that she usually leaves in her desk was missing. They were Shimizu's personal belongings, which had been useful when he spread out his lunch at lunchtime and in other situations. 

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"...... I wonder if anyone used it." 

She looks into her desk and mumbles a few words. 

All of her close friends know that she keeps wet wipes on her desk. The Chairwoman has always informed everyone that is free to use them. She has been able to use the desk on numerous occasions in the past.

If that's the case, well, I don't mind. 

The Chairwoman, who doesn't mind lending her own things, stops to think about it. 

Then, as she looked into the desk, a student called out to her. 

"Chairwoman, what's going on? You've been peeking into your desk." 

"........." 

It is Nishino. 

He is a Futsumen who immediately called out to Shimizu after noticing her behavior. Since last week, he has had more contact with Shimizu, and has become much more familiar with her. The fact that they have started attending the same cram school probably has an effect on them, regardless of their own awareness. 

As the Chairwoman, I can hardly stand it. 

"It's nothing." 

"Really? Oh, and about the scarf, they said they would check on it later today and get back to me. Sorry to keep you waiting, but we need a little more time. As soon as I get the news, I'll let the Chairwoman know." 

" ... I understand. Thank you." 

The Chairwoman looked at Nishino's normal face and munched on it. 

While he always likes to use cynical phrases and to push others away, Nishino is also a very polite and attentive person when his classmates ask him to do something or to do something for them. This attitude reminded Shimizu of last night's hostess. 

The thought of a one night stand with a handsome man came to her mind. 

It was the face that she had mistakenly treated him as handsome. 

Shame naturally wells up in her. 

However, she had no reason to blame the other person, but rather, she had no choice but to giggle, as she had put him through a lot of trouble. She quickly takes her eyes off him and gets ready for her first period class. 

Meanwhile, Risa came to school and began to tangle with her. 

Soon the doorbell rang to signal morning homeroom and the day began. 

◇ ◆ ◇

That day, the Chairwoman felt something unusual just after returning to Class 2A from another classroom after the fifth period class. As she began to prepare for the next class at her seat, she noticed that some textbooks and notebooks were missing from her desk. 

No matter how hard she looked, she could not find the materials for the next class. 

" ........ " 

Shimizu remembers her own behavior from the start of the day to the present. 

Shimizu was sure that she had put her textbooks in her desk. 

For the Chairwoman, who takes her textbooks and notebooks home with her every day, changing them is a daily routine that has become ingrained in her. Although she had some accidents along the way, such as being accosted by a handsome guy, she remembered that she had done her duty. 

And so far, while in the classroom, she had often kept its presence in the corner of her eye as she took the notebook in and out of the classroom. I could say with certainty that I had brought it to school from home. 

81

That's why the Chairwoman tilts her head in doubt. 

Why are textbooks and notebooks missing? 

Then I suddenly remembered the wet wipes that had also disappeared. 

The presence of someone other than herself, who would have put her hand in the desk. 

" ......... " 

Although he thinks it is impossible, the Chairwoman cannot dispel his doubts. Once during the festival, the proceeds had disappeared from her locker. And finally, she found out the identity of the mastermind, Rose. 

The smart Chairwoman learned that anything can happen in this world. 

Sometimes, a Futsumen can turn out to be a handsome guy with a good vibe. 

So she left the classroom with her phone in hand. 

She headed for the rooftop of the same school building. 

Even though there was no wind blowing outside, it was chilly and there were no students to be seen. After confirming this, she quickly operated the phone in her hand and called up her address book. Finding the person she was looking for, she immediately pressed the call button. 

The line was connected after waiting a few calls. 

" ... What is it ? " 

It was Rose's grumpy voice coming through the speakers. 

She sounded as irritated as if she had just woken up from sleep. 

However, the Chairwoman did not care about this, and energetically spoke up. 

"Some of my personal belongings have gone missing from school...could this be Rose doing something again? If so, I would like you to stop it right now. If I'm wrong about something in our relationship, can you just tell me right here and now? " 

"What are you so excited about that you suddenly decided to call me?" 

"I'm not getting excited!" 

"I think you saw me leaving the share house yesterday. I wish you would at least make the effort to go to the next class before making a phone call like this!" 

"What could you have done differently, asked another girl to do it or something? " 

"What's the point of me doing that? " 

"...... Are you sure you're not Rose? " 

Rose tried to be as nonchalant as possible in her response. 

In response, the Chairwoman felt an unpleasant sweat drip down her spine. If the caller really was not the culprit, it was a serious situation for her. That would mean that someone else had taken it. 

For a student in the top caste on campus, this was the first time in her life that someone had stolen her personal belongings. She felt her heart pounding in her chest as soon as this fact crossed her mind. 

"You really do have a very happy personality, don't you?" 

"Wha, What ? " 

"Relationships are fragile. If you're upset over something as trivial as someone hiding your personal belongings, you won't make it in the future, will you? The world is moving at a remarkable pace even while you're sitting here like this."

"Isn't that because you're a bastard, Rose?"

"Oh, my God, that's terrible. I can't believe you just said that." 

"Because it's true, isn't it?" 

"Then how did you get your things stolen? "

"........" 

82

I am the Chairwoman, which is painful when you put it that way. 

I am just now beginning to be concerned by Rose's words, a crime committed by a classmate. Someone she knows herself may have stolen her personal belongings out of malice. Thinking this way, the mentality of the Chairwoman, who is not used to being hit, creaked greatly. 

"You Japanese female students are eager to confirm their friendship every day. So to speak, it is the inside out of anxiety. It's like admitting that it's easy to break with just a trivial misunderstanding. And immediately start in a hurry like this. " 

"Well, that doesn't mean it's necessarily broken yet!" 

"Let me give you some advice, you don't see the world as if you don't know it. What is important to maintain a smooth relationship is whether or not we can benefit each other. Without this, you can't have a good relationship." 

"Huh? That's not what friends are for!" 

"What a silly girl. Can't you see that these words you just said are a true reflection of your current position? The fact that you say those words means that you are in a position to benefit one way or the other." 

"..... No, that's not..." 

"People will leave you as soon as you are no longer worth hanging out with. The years of being friends don't mean a thing to them. That's what friends are for, right? Didn't you know?" 

"........." 

I tried to deny Rose's words, but could not come up with a good rebuttal. The Chairwoman herself is in a reasonably privileged position on campus, and in the past has often been flattered and resented by her classmates. 

She is not so thoughtless as not to understand the reasons for this.

"I just knew." 

"What ? " 

"Something worth pursuing, even at the cost of all the disadvantages." 

"........" 

There was a change in the tone of voice coming from the other end of the line. 

A murmur with an air of ecstasy. 

As the Chairwoman, this was the expected flow of words that somehow followed. 

"Him, you know, my flesh desires him." 

"No, um..." 

"Only when I think of him am I free from the irrepressible disease that torments this body. Yes, I understand that it is a very precious thing to work so hard for someone other than myself, without getting anything in return!"

"Now that I know that Rose is not the culprit, I'm going to hang up! "

What followed from the other end was just as Shimizu had imagined, a love story. 

In a panic, she pulled the phone away from her ear and pressed the button to end the call. On the other end of the line, she heard a wait a minute, I've heard your story, now listen to mine, that's what you're talking about, said the raging blonde Lolita. 

The Chairwoman put the phone in her pocket. 

Just after I finished the call, I suddenly saw the blue of the sky. 

I raised my head and looked up above me.

There was a clear autumn sky without a single cloud. 

" ....... "

This is in contrast to Shimizu's dreary mind. 

She is now starting to think a lot about the caste system on campus. No matter what anyone says, Nishino, Rose, and Gabriella are never afraid to go their own way. The Chairwoman once again feels envious of all the eccentric acquaintances she has made in recent years. 

83

"She suddenly contacted me and then unilaterally hung up on me. She really is a helpless little girl, isn't she? Why can't she realize that her classmates are also shunning her because of her behavior?" 

Looking at the terminal where the call had been completed, Rose muttered.

She is standing in a foreign land, far away from Japan. 

Her appearance is wrought with wounds. 

Her blouse, a formal design reminiscent of a trip to another place, is covered from top to bottom in blood. Furthermore, there are holes here and there that look like bullet holes. The bleeding seems to have stopped, but under the clothes, you could catch a glimpse of wriggling flesh. 

"Rose, can't you be a little smarter?" 

"I hope you don't have the luxury of being able to just hide and watch." 

In her other hand, she holds a large caliber pistol. 

The location is an area reminiscent of a suburban residential neighborhood. 

Relatively large houses are scattered throughout the lush neighborhood. 

It is just after sunrise (local time), and the area is not popular. One can see the lights on in the houses in the neighborhood, probably due to the sound of gunshots that were heard one after the other. However, no one was seen visiting the scene of the crime. 

This is not a strange sight in a country that is known for its gun violence. 

An overturned truck and a car with its hood dented by a tree can be seen nearby. It seemed that the girls had been attacked while traveling by car. The bodies of the dead men were lying on the ground around them.

"Isn't manual labor your job? I hope you're fulfilling it. "

"I thought you cleaned up everything." 

"I wish I could put myself in the shoes of the person who has to clean up the mess." 

Putting the phonein her pocket, Rose walks over to Francisca.

84 

The pistol in his dominant hand remains in place.

"By the way, what was that phone call about? " 

"A female student came crying to me after her classmate hid her personal belongings from her." 

".......What do you mean ?"

In the meantime, a cab approached us on the street. The vehicle, which showed nothing unusual, headed straight for the girls who were exchanging words on the street. It came to a stop right next to them. 

Immediately after, the rear door of the vehicle opens. 

Gabriella appeared. 

She sees the two girls, their clothes in disarray, and speak out. 

"Just as Obasan had imagined, you have been attacked." 

"I still think the cause is not you, but us." 

In departing from the nearest airport, the girls intentionally split into two cabs. In the meantime, they had been pursued by an unknown truck, and in order to deal with this, they had left the main road and traveled to their current location. 

Looking at the overturned truck, Gabriella asks.

"Do you have any ideas?" 

"I'm going to check it from now on." 

"Is that so" 

Francisca said, tucking the pistol in her hand into her pocket. 

Her attention turned away from Gabriela and toward the fallen men. 

"Whatever it is, I need to take a shower once."

"I'm going to finish cleaning up here, so Rose, please go to your usual spot and get ready. From the looks of it, the people who used us are of dubious background, and if we move to a more populated area, they won't be likely to attack us out in the open."

"I understand."

"Obasan, what should I do ?"

"I'd be happy if you could work with her over there."

"Hey, Francisca, I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from taking care of the kids."

"It seems that my sister wants to join those who are killing them there."

"...... Hey, hey, what are you thinking in this situation!"

Rose's casual remark triggered a mysterious power from Gabriella. In an instant, she was unable to move a limb or even the tips of her fingers. The mouth, the only part of her body that was free, immediately erupted in a cry of condemnation. 

Watching them, Francisca let out a small sigh.

85