Ever since I confessed, she has been acting strange. - CHAPTER 4: THE DUEL BETWEEN THE YOUNG LADY AND THE SINGER

Chapter 4: The Duel Between the Young Lady and the Singer

Episode 18: Attack and Defense

After winning the recent sports tournament, both the boy’s and girl’s teams of our class – First Year Class A of Tenjōin Academy – were rewarded with tickets to one of Japan’s top theme parks, Wonder Festival Land.

With these tickets, I, Eito, and that thieving cat, Habaki Otoha, planned a day out together.

…To be honest, I would have preferred to go alone with Eito. That would have been for the best, no doubt.

I had anticipated Otoha’s moves in advance, so I had to make a strategic decision to make it a three-person trip. But this time, the setting is none other than a theme park date.

I can compromise on most things. But when it comes to a theme park date, I refuse to settle.

I want to be the one who wins. I want to be the best.

“I lost to Eito last time…”

I had mustered up the courage to ask for a reward, but in the end, I was completely outmaneuvered by Eito.

Thinking about how that thieving cat would keep showing up in the future, I knew I had to make my move now.

“…………”

I organized my thoughts, made up my mind, and just as I reached for my phone –

An incoming call.

The name on the screen: Habaki Otoha.

I was about to call her myself, but to think that she would be contacted.

“What is it? You should rest early to prepare for tomorrow, right?”

“We need to talk. I thought you were thinking the same thing.”

“I guess so. I was just about to contact you myself.”

It seemed like she had no intention of going along with my plans quietly either.

“About tomorrow’s date. We both want some time alone with Eito.”

“…Fine. But I’m the one who makes the rules.”

“That’s my line. First, let’s-”

After that, we exchanged our opinions and finalized the rules.

Of course, I had prepared my own thoughts, but it seemed that Otoha had come up with her own cunning strategies as well. It took less than five minutes to settle everything.

“I’ve sent you the written rules. Check them.”

“…Confirmed. No problems.”

“Now the only thing left is to decide who goes first.”

“……………………”

A short silence.

In my mind, I pictured two samurai standing face to face, swords drawn, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

“……Let’s say it at the same time.”

“Got it.”

“Ready to go.”

“First move.” – “Second move.”

Another pause.

But this time it wasn’t the same kind of tense silence as before. It wasn’t about measuring each other’s intentions – it felt more like Otoha was trying to decipher my strategy.

“Oh? Are you really that surprised that I chose to go second?”

“Not really. Seion, you always act like you’re on the offensive, but you end up playing defensive.”

“……………………”

Just the other day, I had tried to take the initiative – only to be completely outmaneuvered by Eito’s ‘teasing’ and forced onto the defensive.

“……Well. I suppose? I might have been a tiny bit off the mark so far.”

“A tiny bit…?”

“Hey, don’t you dare put a question mark on that.”

She probably tilted her head in that elegant yet adorable way of hers. It was easy to imagine her looking absolutely beautiful and cute at the same time.

“Unfortunately for you, I’m always ahead of the curve. A true pioneer.”

“Sure, sure. Let’s go with that.”

There was a bit of bravado in my words, but it wasn’t just bravado.

The truth was that I had tried all kinds of ways to approach Eito. But every single one of them had ended in failure – no, in complete counterattacks. That was why I had to change my strategy. To change my approach.

If taking the initiative had only led to failure, then I would do the opposite – I would deliberately wait and strike from behind.

I would steal victory from the shadows.

“So it’s a duel. Fair and square.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

☆

“Huh? I go alone…?”

“That’s right.”

It was the day that Ojou, Otoha-san and I were supposed to go to Wonder Festival Land together.

During breakfast, Ojou suddenly dropped this unexpected statement, making me widen my eyes in surprise.

“But, Ojou, you were looking forward to this trip too, weren’t you?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I’ll join you in the afternoon… since I’m going second.”

“? I’m not sure I understand, but if you’re coming in the afternoon, I should probably contact Otoha-san and…”

“That’s fine. I already got Otoha’s permission.”

“When did that happen?”

“Last night, just a little chat.”

That was really a “when did that happen?” moment.

“What? You look pretty pleased with yourself.”

“No, I was just thinking it’s nice to see you and Otoha-san getting along.”

“……………………”

She gave me the most indescribably unimpressed look.

“Anyway, just go to the rendezvous point first. I’ll catch up with you in the afternoon.”

—-And so,

I left the mansion early and made my way to the designated meeting place in front of the train station.

Since it was a holiday, the area was crowded with people. Normally, this place would be full of students in their uniforms, but today, almost everyone was dressed in casual clothes.

“…Eito.”

The clear, bell-like voice made me instinctively turn around.

“Otoha-san. Good morning.”

“Good morning. And, sorry to keep you waiting.”

“Not at all. I just got here myself.”

“It’s still an hour until the meeting. Why are you here so early, Eito?”

“Ahaha. I was really looking forward to today, so I guess I got a little too excited.”

“You were looking forward to it?”

“Of course. Spending a day off with a woman like you, Otoha-san-anyone would be excited.”

Including the young lady, no doubt.

“………Yeah. I was looking forward to going out with you too, Eito.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Today, Otoha-san wore a hat on her head, had her hair tied up, and wore a pair of non-prescription glasses. Even though she was on hiatus, she was still a well-known figure. This was probably a disguise.

“It’s been a while since I saw Otoha-san in casual clothes, but today’s outfit is wonderful as well. I suppose it’s part of your disguise, but I think it’s impressive how you chose something that complements your cool aura and wear it so effortlessly.

“Thank you. That makes me happy.”

Otoha-san let out a genuinely pleased, gentle smile.

She must have been really looking forward to today. That’s why it’s such a shame that Ojou had to cancel at the last minute. Even when I asked her what the urgent matter was, she didn’t give me a clear answer. If it was something I could have done for her, I would have gladly done it instead.

“My apologies. I believe you’ve already been informed, but Ojou had something urgent come up today…”

“…It’s fine. I’ll take the first turn.”

“? Uh… I see…”

First turn? Second turn?

Somehow, both Ojou and Otoha-san seem to be on the same page today.

I have no idea what they mean, though.

“Oh, that’s right. Otoha-san, would you mind waiting here for a moment?”

“What’s going on?”

“I just need to take care of something. I’ll be right back.”

“All right.”

All right then. First, I should contact my colleagues who serve the Tendou family. Since Ojou will be joining us later today, I should finish this quickly.

☆

Today was his lucky day, the man thought with a grin from the shadows.

By sheer coincidence, he had spotted a girl who looked exactly like the “Songstress in Hiatus”, Haneha Otoha. No-there was no “looked like” about it. His journalistic instincts were screaming at him. This girl was undoubtedly Haneha Otoha.

When she first announced her hiatus, the public had been in an uproar. Then came the news that she had transferred to a certain academy, and that too spread like wildfire. For a brief moment, reporters swarmed the school, but soon after, a corruption scandal involving a major politician broke, and the public’s attention shifted elsewhere.

The world wasn’t the kind of place to stay fixated on a singer who had retreated from the limelight.

However, rumors persisted that the politician’s scandal had been staged by the Tendou Group as a distraction to protect Haneha Otoha. Whether this was true or not was anyone’s guess. What was certain was that the Tendou family wielded an influence that could shake the entire industry.

At the same time, rumors abounded about the Tenjoun Academy, the school she attended.

Some said that there were people with extraordinary abilities among the students.

Others claimed that the academy was powerful enough to influence even the political world.

Even his colleagues had warned him, “Don’t get involved with that place lightly. It was well known that the media who had once tried to storm the Academy for coverage were later dismissed as nothing more than reckless fools who didn’t know any better.

(Ridiculous.)

He scoffed inwardly.

What a ridiculous notion. It was just a single corporation, just a single academy. How much power could they wield?

The man had brought down numerous companies and celebrities with his articles.

Not out of any personal grudge. He just enjoyed watching people fall. He delighted in seeing those blessed with wealth, talent, and influence brought to their knees.

And he never hesitated to use any means necessary. Fabricating stories? That was just part of the job.

Habane Otoha ‘s break… What if the reason was that she got a boyfriend?”

His gaze was fixed on the disguised Hanehane Otoha and the well-groomed young man at her side.

Everything about the boy – his posture, his manner – was impeccable. The type of person the man despised most.

“No, that’s not enough… Maybe the singer fell in love with some guy and started spending money on him… No, as long as I have the right photos, I can twist the story any way I want…”

Just as he was about to capture the two of them on camera –

-he noticed that the boy was gone.

“Huh? Where did he-”

Crunch.

A sickening sound of something being crushed echoed through the air.

“W-What…!? M-My camera…!”

His beloved camera lay shattered into tiny fragments, as if it had been crushed in an instant by an unimaginable force.

“D-Damn it… What the hell just happened?”

Then he noticed – his memory card, where he had stored the data, was gone.

Next came the sound of cracking, like something hard being methodically crushed. The eerie, distorted sound sent a shiver down his spine.

And when he looked down, he saw the remains of his memory card, shattered beyond recognition, scattered at his feet.

“Hii-!”

Panic gripped him.

He ran.

He didn’t know what he was running from.

But the raw, skin-crawling killing intent behind him left no room for thought.

He just ran.

He was running.

He ran.

And he kept running-

“Gah-!”

A sudden impact.

His body was dragged into the narrow alley.

Someone was pinning him against the wall. He could feel the crushing pressure of their grip, but his vision was blocked – he couldn’t see their face.

It was like being caught in a vise.

He tried to move his head, even a little, but it wouldn’t budge.

Sweat trickled down his face. Cold. Sticky. Fear.

Then…

“-■■■■”

A whisper.

His real name.

His true name.

The voice was distorted, mechanically indecipherable. Neither male nor female.

A shiver ran down his spine.

Then the figure whispered again.

His address.

His parents’ names.

His childhood home.

The coffee shop he visited every morning.

Even the brand of bottled tea he bought at the grocery store yesterday.

Bit by bit, they unraveled his life.

The sheer depth of their knowledge sent a suffocating chill up from the pit of his stomach.

“Stay away from Habaku Otoha.”

“………..gh-!?”

The words froze him.

And then-

Darkness.

As consciousness slipped away, the last thing he heard was a voice.

“…Yes, it’s me.”

“…Mm. Deal with it as usual.”

“No, he wasn’t after Ojou.”

“Yes. I’ll leave it to you.”

And before he completely lost himself –

A memory.

A warning from an old friend.

“Stay away from the Tendou family. The house has a guard dog.”

Why did he remember the Tendou family now?

He had no idea.

And with that, his consciousness sank completely into darkness.

☆

“Sorry to keep you waiting.”

After finishing a small errand, I quickly returned to Otoha’s side.

“Was it… work?”

“No, it wasn’t.”

Otoha looked apologetic. Even though she was on hiatus now, she was still a singer. She probably hadn’t had many opportunities to go out and have fun like this.

In preparation for today – a day that even the young mistress was looking forward to – I had taken a quick look at Otoha’s past schedules. They were packed, leaving her little time to enjoy a real day off.

That’s why I wanted her to have fun today. I didn’t want her to feel that she had to be considerate about such things.

If an unwelcome intruder tried to get in the way – well, he’d just have to be dealt with.

More than anything else, the young mistress would surely be saddened if an unwelcome intruder interfered with her friend.

“I have made some preparations to ensure that you can enjoy today to the fullest, Otoha-san.”

“Preparations…?”

Otoha tilted her head cutely in curiosity. In response, I extended my right hand to her.

First, I opened my palm to show her that it was empty. Then – snap – I produced a flower out of nowhere.

“Here you go.”

“Wow. Thank you.”

Otoha-san accepted the flower with sparkling eyes.

“This is… my favorite flower. Did you know that?”

“You mentioned it once in a magazine interview. I happened to see it in a store nearby, so I picked it up.”

“So that magic trick was the ‘preparation’ you were talking about?”

“Yes. Today is about making sure you have a great time.”

I’m glad. That one of the many skills I learned for the young mistress turned out to be useful.

I’m glad. That the research I did to make sure Otoha-san had a good time today came in handy.

I’m glad. That the nearby store happened to have her favorite flower in stock.

“Shall we go?”

“……Yeah.”

With that, we set off, changing trains to reach Wonder Festival Land.

From here, it would take about thirty minutes on a single train. Not too long, but not too short either.

Since it was a weekend morning, the train wasn’t packed to the brim, but there were still quite a few people.

Except for the journalist earlier, no one seemed to recognize the girl next to me as Habane Otoha, the famous singer. It seemed that her disguise was working perfectly.

“This car is quite crowded… There aren’t any seats left. Otoha-san, would you like to change to a less crowded one?”

“No, that’s okay. But can I hold you instead, Eito?”

“I don’t mind. Ah, Otoha-san, there’s an open hand strap over there.”

“I don’t need it. I’ll hold on to you instead.”

“I think the strap would be more stable, though…”

“…I’d rather hold on to you.”

“Is that so?”

As I tilted my head in slight confusion, Otoha-san leaned against me.

Maybe she wasn’t very good with hand straps. In that case, I’d have to support her properly.

Today, I would do my best to make sure that Otoha-san had a good time.