Chapter 57: Trust and Fear

"Hey, everyone. I’m back."

After finishing her call with Kirihana Suou and the others, Azusa returned to the Supplementary Lesson Department.

The one who came to greet her was Urawa Hanako.

Asiri still hadn’t fully recovered, and Hifumi had no choice but to stay with her. Naturally, that left Hanako to welcome Azusa back.

"Welcome home, Azusa-chan. How did it go?"

"They were… really happy. Everyone’s still the same as always."

"I see… I’m glad to hear that."

"Yeah."

Hanako let out a small breath of relief at Azusa’s usual calm tone.

She hadn’t trusted Azusa completely—not entirely. She knew there was something.

Something Azusa hadn’t told them… no, something she couldn’t tell them.

"……"

Then why was she feeling relieved right now?

If she considered everything—including Nagisa’s report—there was a strong chance that the “traitor of Trinity” was none other than Shirasu Azusa.

No—she could practically take it as a fact. So then, why?

"…Heh."

Hanako smiled to herself, half in self-mockery.

Ah, that’s right. She wanted to believe.

She wanted to believe in everyone who had reminded her of the youth she’d nearly given up on.

Everyone who had treated her—not “Urawa Hanako the honor student,” not a means to gain connections—but as a simple, equal friend.

That’s why she wanted to believe.

No, she had to believe—in that beauty.

"Welcome home, Azusa-chan."

"…? Yeah. I’m back."

Azusa looked puzzled by the gentle words that slipped from Hanako’s relaxed smile.

Hanako didn’t explain, half teasing, and simply started walking toward their usual classroom.

"Azusa-chan!! Welcome back!!"

"…Yeah, I’m back."

"Congratulations!! I’m so glad you passed the test!!"

Asiri, practically bursting with energy like she’d chugged an energy drink, rushed in noisily. Azusa sidestepped the incoming tackle, thinking that couldn’t possibly be the case.

"Yowch!? T-that’s so mean!!"

"…Sorry. My body just reacted on its own."

"That makes it worse!?"

Maybe it was because she’d just been talking with Suou, but Azusa had gotten oddly used to handling this kind of energy.

She instinctively kept just enough distance to escape if needed, staying alert.

"A-ahaha… Welcome back, Azusa-chan! Did your friends like the test results?"

"Yeah. They were about as excited as Asiri is right now."

"Figures. I kinda expected that from your friends."

Koharu, who had been quietly listening in the back, replied with a weary sigh of exasperation.

"…Anyway, everyone’s here now, right? So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"

"Ah… um…"

All eyes turned toward Asiri, making her flinch. She looked toward Sensei for help, but Sensei only shook his head. It seemed she’d have to handle this herself.

"Uh, um…! So, the thing is…!"

Her heart pounded violently, ready to burst.

She hadn’t felt this tense since that huge argument with Mayumi.

"S-so… um, you see… I…"

Why am I doing this? she thought. I want to run. I want to run away. I want to disappear.

She’d even considered downing an energy drink to hype herself up, but that had done absolutely nothing. Damn it all, she cursed inwardly.

No, it’s my own fault, she countered in her head, shaking it off. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to face everyone.

She couldn’t bring herself to meet their eyes.

"It’s okay."

"Eh…?"

The voice that reached her came from Hifumi.

"A-ah, sorry! I don’t actually know what’s going on or anything like that… but, you have something you want to tell us, right? Something that’s hard to say, but you still want to?"

"…"

Asiri looked down and nodded quietly.

"It’s okay. You’ve helped us so much, Asiri-san! There’s no way we’d start hating you or getting angry now. We believe in you!"

"…I see."

Not hated? Not angry? No, that probably wasn’t true.

What they’d done this time wasn’t some small matter.

They’d invaded someone’s privacy—recorded it, remembered it. It was selfish, arrogant, and incredibly inconsiderate.

"…Yeah. Thanks, Hifumi-chan."

"N-no, I’m sorry if that sounded preachy…"

"It’s fine…"

Still—she wanted to be honest.

If they were willing to accept her, if they believed in her, then she wanted to answer that trust.

Could she truly keep believing in Azusa, in everyone, despite the fear, disgust, and contradictions she once carried?

What had she been so proud of before? That wasn’t the point.

If you want to believe, then you have no choice but to. If you call them your friends, your companions through joy and pain alike—if even a part of you feels that way—then that’s already trust.

Only after they trusted her could she finally learn to trust in return. It was far too late, really.

She wanted to believe.

They chose to believe.

That was everything.

"You know..."

If you want to believe, then believe.

Believe in the person who believes in you, and in turn, believe in the person you choose to trust.

There’s no need for any sort of “answer.”

Even if betrayal awaits in the future, even if everything falls apart, that emotion you once felt—that’s everything.

"I… no, we…"

Finally arriving at her conclusion, she began to confess her deeds, one quiet word at a time.

"So, let me get this straight… Asiri—and your friends too—you were once part of something called Arius?"

"Yeah… a long time ago, someone there helped us. But then the school collapsed, and that person disappeared."

"And to find some clue about them, you decided to search among the ‘traitors of Trinity,’ right?"

"Y-yeah…"

Her heart still beat faster than usual, but much calmer now. Asiri let out a long breath.

Talking about Arius in front of Azusa was risky, but she couldn’t think of a good excuse.

Besides—she could already feel it.

Azusa didn’t care about revenge against Trinity. There was no logic behind it—she just knew. Deep down, she believed it.

That’s why she showed a little bit of her true self.

Of course, she avoided mentioning the internal conflict or her sister’s death—those parts were too cruel to speak of.

It wasn’t about trust or distrust; it was her way of being considerate.

If Azusa had really been a student from Arius, hearing what Asiri had lived through would’ve been too much of a shock.

Someday—if the day ever came when she could talk about it—she wanted to share it then.

"I get that you’ve been through a lot… I really do… but still!"

Koharu’s voice began to sharpen, anger rising beneath it.

"But that doesn’t mean you had to set up cameras in our bedroom!? In places that could’ve been used for… for something pervy!!!"

"Eek!! I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry!! Please forgive me!!"

"No!! Death penalty!! I’m not gonna calm down unless I shoot you right here, right now!!"

Hanako tried to restrain the rampaging Koharu with a soothing “there, there,” while Azusa held her back from behind in a full-on lock.

Asiri, for her part, sat formally on her knees, crying loudly—but seemingly ready to accept whatever punishment came her way.

"O-our bedroom!? You filmed that place!? W-we even changed clothes there sometimes!!"

"I have no excuseeee!!"

Koharu’s anger still hadn’t cooled despite Asiri’s frantic apologies.

But really, it wasn’t disgust or hatred that fueled her voice. Asiri could feel that much—and it made her feel a little relieved.

"Come on now, Koharu-chan, please calm down."

"H-how am I supposed to calm down!? After something like that!?"

"I see… so that’s what happened. And by ‘that,’ exactly what kind of thing are we talking about?"

"W-what kind of thing—well, you know what kind of thing!"

—How many times have we gone through this routine now…?

Asiri thought that to herself, but she didn’t say it out loud. Hanako was clearly trying to defend her.

"She was spying! Spying, I tell you!! What if she used the footage for something lewd!?"

"Something lewd, you say…? Well, if your concern is about privacy, that’s understandable. But that doesn’t seem to be the case here, does it? After all, the cameras weren’t placed in the baths or the restrooms. If anything, that’s rather… good, isn’t it?"

"G-good!? I-I don’t even wanna think about it!!"

Hanako smoothly talked Koharu into silence, then gave Asiri a small, secret thumbs-up.

"Still… while there are some grounds for leniency, I also understand why it’s hard to forgive."

"Yeah… I know…"

There was no denying it. Whatever punishment awaited her, Asiri was ready to accept it quietly.

If she didn’t have that resolve, she never would’ve done something like this in the first place.

"T-then!"

At that moment, Hifumi suddenly spoke up.

"How about this—let the Supplementary Lesson Department cover the cost of the celebration party?"

"…Huh?"

The words were so unexpected that Asiri let out a dumbfounded sound.

Honestly, she had been fully prepared to get punched instead.

"I-I just thought… since everyone passed, maybe we could have a little celebration… i-is that okay with everyone?"

"Yes, I don’t mind."

"…F-fine! I’ll allow it, just this once!!"

"…Yeah. No problem."

"Everyone… why…?"

Surely, each of them had their own feelings about it.
After all, their private lives had been completely exposed. There was no way they didn’t.
Even so, such forgiveness—this degree of generosity—was something Asiri had never expected.

"…Is it really okay? I… I betrayed you all…"

"It’s true, I didn’t feel great about it… but more than that, Asiri-san, you helped us, didn’t you?"

"…!"

"You spent your time for our sake, supported us during the exams. And you even played with us at the pool, in swimsuits… Was that really just to find the 'Trinity traitor'?"

"N-no, it wasn’t!"

Asiri’s reply came out rushed and panicked in response to Hifumi’s words.

"…That’s not true. It’s not… like that…"

That part—just that—was different.
Even if they called her a traitor, even if they hated her, she couldn’t let that part be a lie.
Because those moments were, without a doubt… the truth for her.

"It’s alright. We understand."

"…"

"So, let’s call it even, okay? I think that’s fair… A-at least, that’s how I feel!"

"It’s fine. I agree."

Azusa stepped in, reinforcing Hifumi’s suddenly timid voice.

"And… me too."

"…?"

"…No, it’s nothing. Anyway, I don’t mind either."

"M-me neither! …B-but, delete all the video data, okay!?"

"…R-right."

Ah, so that’s what it was.
All this time, she’d just been afraid.
Selfishly afraid of being hated. Of being abandoned. That was all.

That’s why this ending—this impossibly convenient, happy ending—made her so unbearably happy.

"…Everyone!!"

"…?"

"Thank you… so much!!"

That day, for the first time since joining the Supplementary Lessons Department, Asiri laughed through her tears.

The convenient ending—the credits rolling—was so dazzling, so joyful.
Even if she’d been selfish all along, believing in them hadn’t been a mistake. That’s what they made her feel.

And just how deeply that filled her heart—perhaps even Asiri herself would never truly understand.

『…I see. So that’s your end roll, Amagawa Asiri.』

…And then, a drifting consciousness watched.

『No mistake about it… If I borrow her words, this would be a “happy end.” The Supplementary Lessons Department overcame hardship, and Shirasu Azusa can continue her studies.』

No one else would ever notice it.
No one, except Sensei—who dreamed of this world.

『…But, just as foretold. Up until now… and surely, from here on as well.』

His voice carried a trace of sorrow, a quiet weight of pity.

『No one knows what lies beyond the end roll… Ironically, her own words have proven themselves true.』

His gaze swept over everyone in the room—before finally resting on Shirasu Azusa.

『And that’s why… vanitas vanitatum, all is vanity. That is the truth of this world.』

Without anyone noticing his presence, that consciousness quietly drifted away.

"…"

And then, something began to stir deep within Shirasu Azusa’s heart.

She had planned to come clean.

To tell everyone that she, too, had been keeping a secret. That she was actually a student of Arius Branch School.

That maybe—she could even help Asiri find the person she’d been searching for.

But the very moment she opened her mouth… something seized her heart. A sharp, trembling unrest tore through her chest.

She was afraid. Afraid that everyone would fear her. Afraid they wouldn’t accept her.

She knew—they were all kind people. Surely, they would accept her.

There was no logic to it. Even so, she was simply… terrified.

"Azusa-chan?"

"—!? W-what?"

"About the celebration—would the day after tomorrow work for you?"

"Th-the day after tomorrow…?"

Suou had said that the day after tomorrow would be the day they launched their attack on Kirifuji Nagisa.
He’d told her not to join any celebration if there was one planned, and had made the strategy on that assumption.

She remembered thinking how things had turned out just as Suou said. She was about to decline, when it suddenly hit her—

If she disappeared on the very day of the attack on Kirifuji Nagisa, wouldn’t that make her suspicious?
Wouldn’t she end up having to hurt her precious friends…?

The dark thoughts wouldn’t stop.
Fear consumed her—fear, fear, and more fear.

───…Azusa. Please, be more selfish.
───It’s alright that way. I’ll make sure to handle everything else.

At that moment, she remembered Kirihana Suou’s words.

"…Yeah. That’s fine."

Leaning on those words… was something she could no longer avoid.