Chapter 44: Days Gone By

"Good mor—…ning, everyone…?"

A single night had passed since that eventful evening, when everyone’s hidden thoughts and intentions had come to light.

The one who cheerfully flung open the door to the Supplementary Lessons Department’s training camp room was Amakawa Asiri.

"Wh-what the heck!? What’s going on all of a sudden!?"

"Hurry! Let’s go take a shower!"

"Uh… um…"

However—

"Hey, don’t pull my arm like that…!"

Standing there before her was, most likely, Azusa—trying to drag Koharu toward the showers.

"—!!"

In that instant, Asiri’s brain went into overdrive.

"S-sorry for intruding!!!"

"Wait, it’s not what you think!!"

Having reached her own perfectly clear conclusion, Asiri spun on her heel and bolted from the room.

---

"So anyway, starting today, I’ll officially be helping everyone again."

"…"

Koharu, who had reached the same misunderstanding, quickly stopped Asiri to set things straight.
After a bit of effort, the confusion was cleared up, and preparations for the study session could finally begin.

"Why does everyone look so tired—with those dark circles under their eyes?"

"‘You too, Asiri.’"

"Urgh…!"

Asiri winced at the Sensei’s sharp remark.

Of course, she already knew the reason.

Hifumi had stayed up late making test materials.
Azusa and Hanako had talked long into the night.
And she herself… had been eavesdropping on that conversation.

"Ugh!"

The moment the word “eavesdropping” flashed across her mind, she took mental damage all on her own.

It had all been for the mission. She was prepared to be accused—or even punished—if it came to that.
But knowing that didn’t make the guilt any easier to bear.

"‘Are you okay?’"

"Ah, yes, um… I’m just a little sleep-deprived, that’s all…"

Panicking at the thought of being questioned further, she did her best to stay composed.

"Still, everyone’s sleep-deprived… and the only one without dark circles—Koharu—looks unusually exhausted."

"…Even so, we have no choice but to do this!"

Looking oddly fired up, Hifumi stepped to the front of the classroom and stood beside the blackboard.

"Everyone, please look up here!"

"…?"

"Today marks the first day of our Supplementary Lessons Department training camp!"

With animated gestures and a clear, confident voice, she began her speech.

"We might be in a difficult situation—one that could make anyone panic—but there’s no need to overthink it! All we have to do is pass the Second Special Academic Test a week from now!"

"That’s right."

"Exactly."

"…"

The group nodded along to Hifumi’s spirited declaration.

At first glance, she seemed almost overly enthusiastic—but Asiri understood why, after what she’d learned the night before.

If they didn’t pass, every single one of them would be expelled.

And since Asiri was the only one in the Supplementary Lessons Department who knew that fact, the weight of responsibility pressed heavily on her shoulders.

"…"

It was a cruel setup, really.

To force one student to find a traitor among their own—and make them live and study together as comrades until that person was revealed.

It was just like that person had said: “Trinity’s a shady place.”

"Now then… we’ll begin a mock exam!"

Hifumi’s sudden announcement cut through Asiri’s thoughts.

"A mock exam, huh."

"I see…"

"W-wait, a test!? Just like that!?"

"I-I think I get it… kind of…"

Asiri flinched but quickly recovered, realizing what Hifumi was trying to accomplish.

"Studying blindly isn’t efficient. To reach our goal, we first need to understand what we can and can’t do—where we currently stand. That’s our starting point!"

"Yeah… that does make things easier for us."

"With that in mind, I prepared these last night!"

"Ta-daa!" she said proudly, pulling an envelope from her bag with a small, triumphant grin.

"These are last year’s Trinity exam questions—and their model answers! It’s only a partial set, but still…"

Looking a little apologetic, Hifumi began pulling out the documents.

"Oh, right, Hifumi-chan."

"Yes?"

"Heh heh heh… ta-da!"

"! T-this is…!"

What Asiri revealed was a thick bundle of Trinity’s past test papers—some dating back over ten years.

"H-how do you have so many!?"

"Did you forget? We’re the Volunteer Activities Club! Our job is to help students with their problems. Collecting these was part of that! We’ve been gathering them ever since the club was founded!"

She stopped herself from adding, Though that’s not the only reason, and handed the stack to Hifumi.

"Thank you so much! We’ll make good use of these… Anyway, back to the mock exam!"

Hifumi tucked the papers into her bag and continued her explanation.

"Thanks to our teacher’s cooperation, we’ve created a mock test that closely resembles the upcoming Second Special Exam! The format will be exactly the same as the real thing!"

Once the test sheets were distributed, Hifumi returned to her seat.

"Alright, let’s get started!"

"‘Then I’ll keep time for everyone.’"

"Ah, I-I’ll help too!"

"‘Sure, thanks.’"

Everyone got ready.

"‘Alright, First Supplementary Lessons Department Mock Exam… begin!’"

"Oh, it even has an official name…"

And thus, the First Supplementary Lessons Department Mock Exam began.

---

The exam began, and everyone eagerly got started.

"…I see."

Shirasu Azusa. 43 points.

"…Huh?"

Shimoe Koharu. 16 points.

"Oh my…"

Urawa Hanako. 4 points.

"…"

Ajitani Hifumi. 68 points.

"I-I tried solving it too…"

Amakawa Asiri, supplementary. 81 points.

The results were disastrous. Three out of four failed—it wasn’t even funny.

"This is our reality. At this rate, there’s no bright future ahead of us…"

"Y-you don’t have to sound that pessimistic…"

"No, facts are facts. If we want to score above sixty within a week, we’ll have to use our remaining time efficiently!"

"Ooooh…"

At first, Asiri thought she was being dramatic—but overall, it was a solid speech.
Hifumi had managed to make everyone recognize their situation, build a sense of urgency, and clearly explain what needed to be done next.

For Asiri—who wasn’t exactly good at public speaking—there was a lot to learn from that.

"Asiri-san! How many people can you mobilize?"

"Eh!? U-um, let’s see… The club members… I mean, the ones who usually help with maintenance… and among them, the ones who can actually teach… u-um… including me, three at most, I think…?"

"I see… Then a one-on-one lesson format should work! Let’s assign one person each to Koharu-chan and Azusa-chan!"

Hifumi quickly summarized her plan and began giving out clear instructions.

"Hanako-chan, if I recall correctly, you scored pretty high on your first-year exams, right?"

"Oh…? Well, yes, that’s true…"

"Ah, I knew it…"

That line brought back a memory—from the day Asiri had first met Hanako, back when she’d been captured by the Justice Realization Committee.
There had been something she’d wanted to ask her then, but never could. She forced herself to refocus on Hifumi’s explanation.

"Actually, I happened to find Hanako-chan’s first-year exam papers…"

"…"

At those words, Hanako’s expression stiffened ever so slightly.

If she could have, she would have kept that hidden forever.

She didn’t want anyone to fail because of her—but at the same time, she no longer felt she belonged here.
No matter how many people called her a genius, she was done being in a place like this.
Surely, even this strange club was full of hidden motives and ulterior agendas.

Honestly, she couldn’t care less.

That was why she wanted it kept secret. To hide it until the very end.

"I’m still preparing more practice exams, so starting today, I’d like to hold regular mock tests to track our progress."

"…!"

Lost in thought, Hanako realized she’d missed part of the discussion.
She sighed softly, irritated at her own lapse in focus.

"This is probably the best plan we have right now… Let’s do our best! If we all work hard, I’m sure we can pass together!"

"…Yeah. Understood. I’ll follow your lead."

"G-got it…"

"H-Hifumi-chan…! You’re amazing…!"

Then, noticing Asiri’s gaze, Hanako realized her reaction had been noticed. She exhaled through her nose, trying to mask the embarrassment.

"Yeah, really amazing. You prepared all this just last night?"

"Ah, no, no, Sensei helped me too…"

"I see, Sensei did."

Regaining her composure, she turned toward Sensei.

"‘I didn’t do much. This is all thanks to Hifumi’s hard work.’"

"N-no, not at all! A-and actually, I also prepared a reward! Um… here it is!"

"Ah! Aah!! It’s Momo Friends!!"

"…!"

Among everyone, Asiri reacted the fastest to the stuffed toys spread across the desk.

"That’s right! Anyone who scores well will get one of these Momo Friends goods!"

"I-I kinda wish I’d failed the test now…"

It was a rather rude comment, but she said it with sparkling eyes fixed on the prizes.

"Momo Friends…?"

"…What’s that?"

"‘…?’"

"…!!"

Two people had completely lost track of the conversation.

"H-huh…? It’s that trending Momo Friends! You don’t know it…?"

"W-wait, Hifumi-chan, that Momo Friends? Th-there’s no way anyone wouldn’t know that, right?"

"R-right…! I must’ve just misunderstood!"

The two shared an awkward laugh.

Sure, it was popular—but only in a niche, cult-following kind of way.
It had the potential to blow up someday, but for now, most people simply hadn’t heard of it.

"Now that you mention it, I think I’ve seen it somewhere… maybe just a glance?"

"Eh—!? J-just a glance!?"

"Not clearly, vividly!?!"

Hanako’s casual comment made both of them shout in perfect sync.

"What is this thing, anyway? A pig? Or maybe a hippo…?"

"N-no! Peroro-sama is a bird! Look at those majestic wings! That proud beak!"

"Majestic…? P-Peroro-sama, huh! Among fans, there are debates about what kind of bird he actually is! Some even say he’s shapeshifting—or maybe not of this world at all!"

"…Those eyes are creepy. And the name sounds… kinda obscene."

"O-obscene…? Pero…ro… U-ugh! Now that’s all I can hear!!"

"Y-you’re agreeing with that!?"

Despite the chaos, the two were strangely in sync.

And at that moment, both came to the same realization.

There was no doubt about it.
The person standing before her right now… was a true Momo Friends fan.

"So, um, Asiri-san, are you also a Momo Friends fan by any chance?"

Hifumi was the first to ask.

"A fan… Yeah, I guess… I suppose I am…?"

"Huh?"

Asiri’s gaze drifted toward her bag as memories of her sister surfaced.

"That keychain… could it be, Pinky Paca-sama? It looks pretty worn out, though…"

"Yeah… Pinky Paca-chan."

"Wait, so is it ‘-sama’? Or ‘-chan’? Which is it?"

"…"

"…"

"Hey! Which is it!?"

Ignoring Koharu’s outburst, Asiri sank into her memories of her late sister.

"Hey, hey, Asiri! Look at this! Creepy-cute!"

"W-what is that…? Cute…? Creepy… no, scary… creepy-scary…?"

"Did the ‘cute’ just disappear!?"

Ah, right. I used to think this strap was gross at first, didn’t I?

That childhood memory—no, that sealed-away memory—had completely slipped my mind.

It’s still unresolved. It still won’t fade. Those days… back then.

"Found these! Tadaa! Two of them!"

"Whoa!?"

"Was that a scream like you were attacked by a beast!?"

Those fun days would never come back.

"A-anyway! Here, I’ll give you one!"

"Huh…? N-no thanks…"

"Wha—nooo, please, take it! Please! It’s your big sister’s one and only lifelong request!"

"F-fine… but why all of a sudden…?"

"Th-that’s because…"

…No, that’s not quite how it went, was it?

"Asiri, you’ve been through a lot because of me, you know… Look. You’re always alone whenever I’m not around…"

"I’m fine, really."

Life was never easy. There wasn’t even time for small luxuries like fun or hobbies. I still had it better than most.

But my sister… what about her? From the moment she picked me up, she had to become an older sister. She couldn’t just be a child anymore.

"…That’s why! Promise me!"

"Huh?"

"As long as we have these—no, even if we lose them! No matter where we are, no matter when, we’ll always be together! We’re sisters forever!"

"…!"

Even so, she was always kind. Always by my side.
To Asiri, her sister was her entire world.

And though Asiri never realized it, she too had been her sister’s source of salvation.

"And someday, for sure! The two of us will… um, what should we do together?"

"That… doesn’t sound very inspiring…"

…But that world—

"Yeah…"

—was already gone.

"As long as we can live together, that’s enough for me, okay?"

"A-Asiri! I love youuu!"

"Ugh—too tight…! Geez, Sis!"

That world was gone.

"Asiri-san?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah?"

Hifumi’s voice pulled her back to the present.

"A-are you okay? You just kind of spaced out for a second there…"

"O-oh, n-no… it’s nothing."

She quickly tried to cover it up, embarrassed to have drifted into sentimentality mid-conversation. Fortunately, Asiri was used to this kind of question.

"That strap… my sister gave it to me. So it’s not really mine. I got into Momo Friends because of that, actually."

"I-I see…! Don’t worry, no matter what the reason was, you’re still a proud Momo Friends fan, Asiri-san!"

"Hehe… thank you."

There was no need to mention that her sister had passed away and ruin the mood.

More importantly, Azusa was here too.

Asiri trusted her—but she couldn’t afford to let her background slip through careless words.

"Hmm?"

Now that she thought about it—where was Azusa? She hadn’t spoken for a while.

With that thought, Asiri turned toward her.

"Ah, Azusa-chan…?"

"Is something wrong…?"

"…S-"

"S?"

Maybe she choked on something?

Worried, Asiri leaned in to check—

"She’s so cute!!!"

—only to be met with a radiant smile.

It was such a bright, unguarded expression that Asiri could hardly believe it came from the usually composed Azusa.

"Too cute…! What is this… this round, fluffy creature…!! Could it be… the famous long-tailed tit!?"

Unbothered by Asiri’s confusion, Azusa was completely absorbed in admiration.

That same creature—dismissed by her so-called “sister” Suou as creepy, or “creepy-cute” at best, and certainly not dignified—was, to Azusa, pure perfection.

"Those eyes! That unreadable face! You can’t tell what it’s thinking at all…!"

"A-Azusa-chan…?"

"As expected of Azusa-chan! You’ve realized Peroro-sama’s true charm! Yes! That mysteriousness is exactly what makes her adorable!"

"S-she might not be my top favorite, but among Momo Friends fans, there’s no hierarchy…! Azusa-chan, come join us…!"

"My so-called sister called it creepy-cute… but… it’s adorable…!"

"…"

The word creepy-cute, paired with sister, stung Asiri just a little. Still, she couldn’t help but think—of course.

That so-called sister, that sister-like something, used that kind of casual tone—calling Momo Friends creepy-cute.

It was hard to believe that someone raised and molded by those extremists would speak like that.

Once again, Asiri reaffirmed her conviction: learning more about the one claiming to be her sister was the key to understanding Arius itself.

"So, um, Azusa-chan—how about this one?"

That would have to wait, though. For now, she needed to maintain her connection with Azusa.

"What is this one…? Its neck is so long…! And it’s pink…? That melancholic expression—it’s adorable…!!"

In other words, for Asiri right now, keeping the new fan candidate in front of her hooked was a win-win situation.