Trinity's Epilogue - 12

After returning from the Black Market, I had some time to reflect.

The all-out battle when fighting the thugs and the long-range battle when fighting the security guards.

Certainly, the weapon was definitely more effective in close-quarters combat, but I was better at long-range combat.

 

 

Even though it was a good attack matchup, there's something called intuition.

I felt like aiming at the opponent from a distance was more suited to my aptitude than fighting with an AR in close quarters.

Maybe I just don't like getting hit from the front, or maybe I get a thrill from one-sidedly dominating others.

Did the previous Kanshi feel the same way? Is that why she carried an AS50 instead of a K2?

 

 

I don't know if I entered Kanshi's body or if the character Kanshi was overwritten in this world to match my character.

But through this battle, I could understand why it was said that the previous Kanshi carried an AS50.

It's strange to be talented with a sniper rifle but engage in close-quarters combat with an assault rifle.

 

 

I tried holding the AS50.

It's not heavy or awkward. Rather, it felt like I had been using it for a long time, it fit perfectly in my hand.

I didn't feel this when I tried it before. It's a strange feeling. A weapon I've never used feels familiar.

I casually aimed at the fruit on the desk, and it moved naturally as if I had done it many times.

 

 

"Phew..."

 

 

But I can't give up the romance of close-range guerrilla warfare...

Besides, since it's the weapon I had when I first woke up here, I'm quite attached to it.

It's a bit strange to be attached to a weapon... but it means that it's quite familiar to my hand.

Aptitude or romance.

 

 

"Why worry about it? Just carry both."

 

 

Is there a rule against carrying two guns?

I don't remember there being one.

 

 

Anyway, combat doesn't always go as planned.

No matter how much I want a long-range battle, there may be situations where I have to engage in close quarters.

To prepare for such situations, wouldn't it be right to carry both the K2 for close-range combat and the AS50 for long-range combat and high damage?

Seems reasonable, right?

 

 

Thinking that, I hung up the K2 and AS50 side by side and went to bed.

 

 

 

**********

 

 

 

After the Black Market incident, peaceful days returned to us.

I don't know how much time is left until the Eden Treaty story, but it's a peace that won't be long.

But I shouldn't let the worry about the future conflict from enjoying the present peace.

 

 

There's no room for me to intervene in the remaining problems of Abydos. I don't want to either.

It's a place that will function properly without me, so there's no need to get involved and get caught in a whale fight.

I'll live a normal life here with Hifumi until a problem arises in Trinity.

 

 

"But why are there two guns now...?"

 

 

'Normal' things are normal, so everyone knows them, so there's no obligation to answer.

It's extremely normal for me to carry two guns.

Therefore, I have no obligation to answer that question.

 

 

"The Black Market incident yesterday was a big deal. Who knew we'd end up robbing a bank after going to buy Peroro goods."

 

 

"Kanshi! Shhh! That's a secret! And don't change the subject!"

 

 

"Ah, right. I forgot. Sorry."

 

 

"You're not going to answer about the guns?!"

 

 

It's probably a normal life.

A life where I get caught up in strange incidents and worry about the gazes of those around me.

But I think part of the reason for these gazes is my fault for carrying two guns...!

For Kanshi, who has Hifumi as a friend and a past as a loner, even this is a normal life to be grateful for.

 

 

I looked at Hifumi, who was trying to speak casually to me, although it was a bit awkward.

Her pure and clear eyes looking at me are better than the gazes of those around me.

It makes me feel better too.

 

 

As expected, it's better to have a few close friends.

Why should I care about people talking behind my back when I'm busy focusing on the good things in this world?

And is there a need to correct the thinking of those who talk behind my back? If they want to make fun of me, let them. I won't care.

 

 

"What did you do about our absence yesterday?"

 

 

I ignored the gazes of those around me and only talked to Hifumi.

It was the most important thing to ask after the Black Market incident yesterday, and it was the most appropriate question for the current topic.

 

 

"Ah, Nagisa-sama said she would take care of it, I mean... she said she would take care of it... Ugh, I'm still not used to it."

 

 

"Not used to it."

 

 

"Ah, yes. I'm not used to it."

 

 

Hifumi is cute when she's flustered.

I knew Nagisa would somehow take care of Hifumi's absence, but it's a bit unexpected that she took care of mine too.

Is it because I'm Hifumi's friend? Or is it related to Nagisa being in my MomoTalk?

It's not a problem that can be solved by thinking about it.

 

 

"Ah, that reminds me! I brought this!"

 

 

As if she remembered something, Hifumi clapped her hands and started searching through her bag.

What came out was one of the Momofriends... I've seen it somewhere, but I don't know the name... it was a keychain of something.

 

 

"It's Mr. Nikolai!"

 

 

Ah, that was it.

The one Nonomi likes, the one with the philosophical yet strange setting.

But why that all of a sudden?

 

 

"I promised to give you a doll as an apology for dragging you to the Black Market... I mean, I promised to give you one. So I was thinking about what would suit Kanshi the best... and I thought that since you're the top student at our school, the intelligent Mr. Nikolai would be a good match..."

 

 

"Ah, I see... Thank you."

 

 

I received the strange keychain that Hifumi gave me.

As I said before, if the person receiving the apology refuses when someone is apologizing with a sorry heart, it's hard for both the giver and the receiver, so I didn't refuse Hifumi's favor and accepted it right away.

 

 

But.

 

 

"I feel like I heard something I shouldn't ignore?"

 

 

"Maybe it doesn't suit your taste? Or was it wrong to compare Kanshi to Mr. Nikolai in the first place?"

 

 

"No, that's not the problem, the top student?"

 

 

Wait, I'm the top student at Trinity?

Wasn't Hanako the top student of the first years?

Besides, only a few people know that Hanako is the top student. Hifumi only found out that Hanako was good at studying when she found Hanako's test paper during the Make-Up Work Club story.

In other words, the class ranking at Trinity is kept private.

 

 

"Y-Yes. I think you were tied for first place... You told me, Kanshi? That you got a perfect score on the exam..."

 

 

Ah. I told her. And since we were tied, it was Hanako and me.

If the whole school knew I was the top student, it wouldn't make sense that the kids were ignoring me like this.

Rather, they should have been clinging to me like I was the cause of Hanako's boredom with Trinity.

But at least I know why Nagisa's MomoTalk is saved on my phone.

I'm the top student. And after fighting yesterday, my combat power isn't low. Nagisa couldn't have been unaware of my information, so she probably planned to make me the successor to the Tea Party after we became close.

 

 

Of course, I have no interest in politics, and I'm just a student who wants to live a normal life in this world, so I have no desire to get involved.

Besides, if a loner like me became a member of the Tea Party, that day would be the day a coup d'etat occurs in Trinity, just like in Red Winter.

 

 

"I don't know who you're tied with, but Kanshi is famous. I think you were originally going to tell only me, but unfortunately, someone with a loose mouth was sitting next to you..."

 

 

......?

So, if I interpret that statement in context.

Does the whole school know that I'm the top student?

 

 

Then am I being ignored by the kids even though I have the title of top student?

How much of a loner was I when I didn't have it that I have no one next to me even after getting the title of top student...

Considering Trinity's characteristics, if someone as pretty and good at studying as Kanshi appeared, there would have been a lot of people lining up to make connections...

 

 

Wait a minute, then... what if I lose my top student title now?

 

 

'Ha, now you've lost the one good thing about you. Weren't you playing around too much?'

'Well, getting top student in the first year was probably just luck.'

 

 

I can clearly see that I will be directly bullied, not just indirectly, and my future school life will be ruined.

Stu... study. I need to study... I don't know much about the knowledge here...

 

 

"Hifumi."

 

 

I spoke to Hifumi in a low, serious voice.

 

 

"Yeah, eh? Wh-Why?"

 

 

"I'm going to live in the library from now on, so if I'm not here, come find me there."

 

 

Fortunately, Trinity's library is very famous in the story.

It was said that there was no book that wasn't there. I'll be able to study as much as I want.

I'm not the type to like studying.

I'm good at it, but it's the result of a combination of coercion and talent.

 

 

I didn't plan on studying when I came here, but now I have a compulsion.

To live a normal life in this 'academy city', you have to be good at studying.

Not just good, but good enough to be the top student at a prestigious school.

 

 

It's embarrassing to say, but I definitely have talent.

Plus, I have the knowledge from studying over there.

I can easily solve simple math or language problems.

The study I need is common sense about this world.

 

 

"Then, Hifumi. I'm going to go study first."

 

 

"Eh, eh?! Wa-Wait a minute! Kanshi~"

 

 

Nagisa-sama said Mika-sama called Kanshi...

Kanshi needs to go see Mika-sama...

 

 

Unfortunately, Hifumi's words didn't reach Kanshi's ears.

 

 

 

*****************

 

 

 

Several days have passed since I started living in the library.

Of course, living there doesn't mean I actually slept there, it just means that I'm in the library all the time except for school hours.

Now I can answer most common sense questions, and the stares I got in the library at first have decreased a lot.

But I don't think I can get a perfect score with just being able to answer, and I think I need to reinforce my existing knowledge of math, so I'm still stuck in the library.

 

 

[Hayashi Kanshi. If student Hayashi Kanshi is on campus, please come to the Tea Party. Once again, if student Hayashi Kanshi is on campus, please come to the Tea Party.]

 

 

But... the announcement hit my ears while I was studying.

I was finally able to focus on my studies, but the world won't let me study.

 

 

Without knowing why I was called, I headed to the Tea Party, saying the words that kids who can't study say.

There, Nagisa, Mika, and Hifumi were waiting.

 

 

"Kanshi... Hello...?"

 

 

"Greetings. Kanshi-san."

 

 

"Hi, Kanshi! Judging by the time it took you to get here, you were in the Great Library? Were you studying? If so, I'm a little sorry."

 

 

Hifumi, Nagisa, and Mika in order.

Mika says she's stupid every day, but honestly, it's creepy.

How can she pinpoint my location based on the time it took me to walk here?

Of course, it's based on a reasonable deduction, eliminating the places where a student named 'Hayashi Kanshi' could have been, and calculating based on the rumor that 'Kanshi seems to be going to the library a lot these days', but it's still a little scary.

 

 

"The reason we called Kanshi-san here is because we have a favor to ask."

 

 

"By the way, Kanshi! Why are you carrying two guns these days? One is an assault rifle and the other is an anti-materiel rifle. Are you preparing for both close-quarters and long-range combat? Isn't it uncomfortable?"

 

 

Ignoring Mika, who was at her usual hyperactive self, Nagisa opened the topic of conversation.

 

 

"First, Hifumi-san came to me to ask for a little help for the Abydos students."

 

 

"Ah... Yes. We have a bit of a connection... It would be heartbreaking if something bad happened..."

 

 

Ah, is it that time already?

It's true that there have been rumors lately that Gehenna students have been causing trouble in the Abydos district.

She's probably talking about the Problem Solver 68 and the Prefect Team incident.

There's been a lot of talk about how Gehenna students are 'scumbags without any sense of ethics' or 'they act without thinking', but it wasn't a big concern for me since I was busy studying.

 

 

It was just the story that was supposed to happen.

I didn't know that Trinity was badmouthing Gehenna so much behind the scenes because of that incident.

Anyway, no one talked to me as usual, and Hifumi seemed to be worried about Abydos but didn't seem to have much interest in Gehenna, so I let it go.

Besides, the library is a no-talking zone, so once you enter, you can't hear anything around you.

I can feel the stares, though.

 

 

"We also thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to have the Sensei of Schale owe us a favor, so we're thinking of joining in."

 

 

If I remember correctly, I think she said something like she would help Hifumi a lot, so Hifumi should repay her.

That's how she ended up as the head of the Make-Up Work Club.

But why was I called here? Hifumi was the one who asked for the favor, and I don't see why I should be called here?

Do they want to feel the wrath of someone whose studies were interrupted?

 

 

"You look like you're wondering why you were called here."

 

 

Mika comes closer with a smile.

Honestly, I'm a little uncomfortable with Mika because she's the friend who was framed as the mastermind in the story I know.

 

 

"Well, it was Nagi-chan who handled Hifumi-chan's absence, but it was me who handled Kanshi-chan's absence~"

 

 

"I wanted to take care of it on my own... but I didn't have enough authority to excuse a student of Kanshi-san's level without a reason. So in the end, I had to ask for Mika's help."

 

 

No, what am I that it's hard to handle my absence?

Does that mean it's hard to change two unauthorized absences into authorized absences?

It would be one thing if it was one person, but it seems like it's too much to suddenly excuse two people.

I can understand that there's no problem with Hifumi's absence, but I don't understand why there's a problem with excusing me.

Even if I'm the top student, we're equal students. Nagisa must have chosen the wrong words.

 

 

"If you give something, you should receive something in return, right? So Hifumi-chan should repay Nagi-chan, and Kanshi-chan should repay me. Nagi-chan, is it okay if I talk to Kanshi-chan separately for a bit?"

 

 

"That's fine. Rather, it's too noisy... ahem, I also had something I wanted to talk to Hifumi-san about separately..."

 

 

"You aren't just going to insult me, are you? Do you trust me? I trust you?"

 

 

"Will you shut up and get out!"

 

 

In the end, she was kicked out.

 

 

"Hmph... I got kicked out in the end..."

 

 

Thanks to the story, I know the relationship between Mika and Nagisa well.

They're just close friends who know everything about each other.

And one of the few people Nagisa can be honest with.

 

 

From the front, she just looks like a pure, suspiciously high-tensioned, good person.

Someone who would never do anything bad... that kind of person.

 

 

"There's only one thing I want to ask of Kanshi-chan."

 

 

But I know that there are all kinds of schemes behind that smile.

Honestly, as a pink-haired character, when she appeared in the story, I thought I should get her right away if she became playable.

Besides, I really like the character's art style, it's so cute. I still think so.

But seeing her backstab the kids makes me afraid of what Mika will ask of me now.

 

 

What will she say?

 

 

"Give me your MomoTalk ID!"

 

 

Huh?

 

 

"You exchanged MomoTalk IDs with Nagi-chan, so why not with me!"

 

 

Saying that, Mika snatched my phone and added her own MomoTalk.

 

 

"There, done! Now Kanshi is my friend too!"

 

 

"Ah... Yes..."

 

 

Now I have Hifumi, Hanako, Nagisa, and Mika in my MomoTalk.

I met Abydos often, but I never got the chance to exchange MomoTalk IDs.

So now there are four people on my MomoTalk screen, which used to have only two.

 

 

Mika is jumping up and down with joy.

I want to be happy too, but considering Mika's actions in the story, I shouldn't just take her actions at face value.

Is that also a calculated action? Or is it a genuine action from the heart?

It's impossible to guess.

 

 

"Then, Kanshi-chan. See you later!"

 

 

Mika leaves with a smile.

 

 

"Ah, right. Nagi-chan will probably send some Trinity students to Abydos to help, do you want to go too, Kanshi-chan? If you do, I can use my authority to include you."

 

 

The reason she's saying that now is obvious.

You're involved with Abydos, aren't you? You seem pretty close. Shouldn't you go help?

Everything else was unclear, but I could understand that.

 

 

"No, thank you. It wasn't that deep of a connection. Just hearing the news is enough for me."

 

 

"Hmm... I see. But just in case, I'll prepare an absence form for that day? And you said you wanted to hear the news? If you don't use that absence form, I'll tell you the news of that day through MomoTalk."

 

 

If you want to go see it, go see it.

But you said you wouldn't participate, so don't do anything that stands out, okay?

With that, Mika goes to Nagisa, having said her piece.

 

 

It felt like a storm had passed.

It was completely unexpected.

 

 

"Kanshi, are you done talking with Mika-sama? I just finished talking with Nagisa-sama too..."

 

 

As I finished my conversation with Mika, Hifumi also finished her conversation with Nagisa.

I left the Tea Party room with a heavy heart.

What on earth does Mika want from me?

 

 

 

 

 

 

*************

 

 

 

In the end, the day of Abydos vs. Kaiser came, and some of the Trinity students went to help.

I looked at the absence form Mika gave me.

If I use this, I can legally skip school today and watch the story of the Abydos students.

 

 

However, I didn't use the absence form.

The story will go well without me.

It's a story that went well without the character Kanshi in the first place.

 

 

I'm not that interested in the story either.

I didn't feel the need to participate. As I said before, the first reason is that I don't want to get involved in their affairs.

The second reason is that it's a shame to miss the famous scenes, but it's also meaningless to ruin them by participating.

Besides, if I see the kids saying things like 'You're back' in front of me, my hands will curl up so much that I'll be sucked into a space-time storm and return to my original world.

 

 

As a side note.

Later, I heard from Mika that everything seemed to have worked out properly.

Even though I knew it was a history that would happen, maybe it's because it's one of the connections I made here.

As soon as I heard the news, I felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

 

 

 

**************

 

 

 

[Sensei]

 

 

"What is it, Arona."

 

 

Schale's office.

There was Sensei, who had finished his work in Abydos and returned to rest, and Arona in the tablet.

 

 

[There is a new update. Would you like to update?]

 

 

"What kind of update? It's not a virus or anything, is it?"

 

 

[No... it's not like that... a file was sent directly from the General Student Council president...]

 

 

[It's called the assistant teacher system?]