Chatting with Suzune Horikita and Kiyotaka Ayanokōji during class was no problem.
After all, at times like this, Natsuki Subaru had nothing else to do besides sit at his desk and contemplate life. Finding something interesting for himself wasn't a bad idea.
However, when it came to free time after class, Natsuki Subaru didn't want to waste his time here.
"Natsuki…"
Seeing Natsuki Subaru stand up, Suzune Horikita subconsciously wanted to call out to him.
Although she hadn't quite been able to understand the thought processes of Natsuki Subaru and Kiyotaka Ayanokōji since a moment ago, Natsuki Subaru had proven one thing to her.
And that was, neither Natsuki Subaru nor Kiyotaka Ayanokōji seemed as simple as they appeared.
Unfortunately, Natsuki Subaru paid no mind to Suzune Horikita's voice, quickly disappearing from her line of sight.
Left with no choice, Suzune Horikita could only turn her gaze back to Kiyotaka Ayanokōji.
"…"
Kiyotaka Ayanokōji looked at Suzune Horikita, wanting to say something.
But after thinking about what Natsuki Subaru had said earlier, it wasn't without reason.
Ultimately, he decided to wait and see what Suzune Horikita wanted to do.
At the very least, those few simple sentences exchanged with Natsuki Subaru had been quite insightful for Kiyotaka Ayanokōji.
"Horikita-san."
"There's something I'm curious about."
Choosing his words carefully, Kiyotaka Ayanokōji asked with some seriousness, "Is befriending people like Haruki Yamauchi and Kanji Ike really that conspicuous, and not 'ordinary'?"
"…"
The corner of Suzune Horikita's mouth twitched.
Although she had barely had a formal conversation with Haruki Yamauchi or Kanji Ike, their small group was not far from her, and she could occasionally overhear their conversations.
The content was basically outrageous, not topics a normal person would discuss.
And if Suzune Horikita, who had only heard a few snippets, could conclude that Haruki Yamauchi and the others were not normal, how could Kiyotaka Ayanokōji, who was often part of the conversation, not understand?
For a moment, Suzune Horikita didn't know where to begin.
...
The Library.
Natsuki Subaru and Hiyori Shiina met to read together, like a daily routine.
Basically, for the past two weeks since school started, whenever there was nothing special going on, Natsuki Subaru and Hiyori Shiina spent their free time this way, with their conversations mostly revolving around books.
Overall, the atmosphere was very harmonious.
However, today, Hiyori Shiina's expression seemed a bit conflicted, as if there was something she wanted to tell Natsuki Subaru but didn't know how to say it, or was hesitant about something.
"Shiina-san."
Natsuki Subaru looked at Hiyori Shiina's conflicted expression and smiled gently, saying, "Although I don't know what you want to say, your face is full of stories, Shiina-san~"
After half a month of getting along, Hiyori Shiina's weight in Natsuki Subaru's mind had been steadily increasing.
If Hiyori Shiina had an affection meter at this moment, she would be surprised to find that just by being with Natsuki Subaru, even if they did nothing and just focused on their own things, Natsuki Subaru's affection for her would occasionally jump up a little.
To be more specific, it was as if a notification saying 'Affection +1' was constantly popping up above Natsuki Subaru's head.
However, due to Natsuki Subaru's experiences, the upper limit of his affection was very high. Even with the constant '+1' notifications, the distance to maxing it out was still long and arduous.
Of course, that wasn't to say there were no changes.
For instance, compared to the very beginning, Natsuki Subaru could now see Hiyori Shiina as a 'normal person'. Although she still lacked any color, just...
...being able to be a symbol of 'normal' in Natsuki Subaru's eyes was, in itself, a mark of specialness.
"Compared to you, Natsuki-kun, I'm still a far cry."
"I've read so many mystery novels, but at critical moments, I still easily 'show my timidity'."
Hearing Natsuki Subaru's slightly teasing words, Hiyori Shiina's conflicted mood relaxed a little.
"There's a reason I'm so conflicted, of course."
"Natsuki-kun, can you promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you?"
Hiyori Shiina looked at Natsuki Subaru with a serious expression and said, "Including your other friends, and your classmates. Don't tell them."
Although it might have been a bit late, after half a month, Year 1, Class C had gradually begun to grasp a hint of this school's unusual nature.
They had started to pay attention to their daily behavior.
Or rather, they had known something was wrong from the start, but they didn't know what exactly was wrong. Now, after half a month of probing and exploring, they were gradually understanding the essence of this academy.
As Hiyori Shiina's only friend in this academy at the moment, she was actually a bit conflicted.
Because this involved the competition between classes.
"What is it you want to tell me, Shiina-san?"
Natsuki Subaru sighed slightly in his heart.
Looking at Hiyori Shiina, Natsuki Subaru spoke softly with a seriousness he had never shown before in this world, "I promise, whatever you tell me today, Shiina-san, I will not let anyone else know."
This was a multiple-choice question one was bound to encounter on the path to becoming a 'genuine article'.
Just like with Emilia before.
Before Natsuki Subaru met his end, he hadn't actually considered Ram his final retreat. In his heart, he was certain Emilia would deliver the final blow he so desired.
He would meet his death in the arms of the 'genuine article' he absolutely trusted, Emilia.
However, Natsuki Subaru had never imagined that Emilia would stand by his side unconditionally.
The girl he had once endlessly pursued, now a person who supported him unconditionally—was Natsuki Subaru happy?
Not at all.
All Natsuki Subaru could feel was devastation.
Only Natsuki Subaru himself knew best how many heinous deeds he had committed. But even so, one by one, whether it was Reinhard or Emilia, they all changed.
Reinhard and Emilia, when faced with a choice, made the wrong one.
Reinhard offered pity that should not have been given, and Emilia gave her full support when she shouldn't have. Both of them betrayed their true selves.
___
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