Brilliant high school wasn't very large.

The gymnasium, the club building, the rooftop—Ayatsuki Ayaka ran through all the places where Aozawa might be, but she didn't find him anywhere.

She then took a turn in the small grove and unexpectedly discovered Arakawa Reina eating her lunch on the grass.

"Class president, have you seen Aozawa?"

"Ah, no."

Arakawa Reina hurriedly shook her head, pushing her glasses up as she said guiltily, "I don't even know Aozawa, so how could I possibly know where he is?"

Her heart raced furiously. She was terrified Ayatsuki Ayaka had discovered the connection between her and Aozawa. Ah, it wasn't like they could be described as having a relationship. It would be more accurate to say they shared a little secret. Trying to explain this made Arakawa Reina realize that the more she tried, the more complicated it became. Luckily, she hadn't actually voiced these explanations; she was just wildly thinking about it all in her head.

Ayatsuki Ayaka stared at her and said, somewhat surprised, "Class president, your chest is quite big."

"Haha, it's not that big."

Arakawa Reina awkwardly covered herself and quickly changed the subject. "Weren't you looking for Aozawa?"

"'Oh, right. Sorry for bothering you.'"

"'No problem,' Arakawa Reina hurriedly responded."

Ayatsuki Ayaka turned and left. The only place I haven't checked is the men's restroom, she thought.

However, Ayatsuki Ayaka stopped in her tracks, lost in thought. There are restrooms in the academic building and some outside as well. Which men's restroom could Aozawa be in?

At that moment, Ayatsuki Ayaka remembered she had her phone.

She quickly took out her mobile phone from her school uniform pocket, which was tied around her waist, and sent Aozawa a message: "Aozawa, I have a bit of an emergency. Where are you?"

She tapped send with her index finger.

Ayatsuki Ayaka stared at her phone screen. Seeing no "read" tag clearly meant Aozawa wasn't in the men's restroom.

If he were using the restroom, he definitely wouldn't be without his phone.

I have a bit of a detective's intuition! Ayatsuki Ayaka suddenly realized, feeling slightly proud she could deduce such things.

She fell into distress again. If Aozawa isn't in the men's restroom, where could he be?

After thinking it over, Ayatsuki Ayaka ran to the academic building to see if Aozawa was sleeping in any of the classrooms.

She didn't find Aozawa in any of them, so she went outside the academic building and continued her systematic search.

The midday weather was very hot, but the thought of finding Aozawa spurred Ayatsuki Ayaka on, totally undeterred by the heat.

When she felt thirsty, she bought a bottle of orange juice to replenish her body's fluids.

When it was almost time for class, Ayatsuki Ayaka finally heard a DING from her phone and took it out to look.

"Sorry, I was napping before. What did you need?"

"Huh? I've searched all over the school and couldn't find you," Ayatsuki Ayaka replied.

"Haha, I was taking a nap in my secret base. I'm not telling you where."

I wasn't actually at school; I used Schrödinger's Cat to go out and play, Aozawa thought, feeling a bit uneasy. Luckily, the person looking for me is Ayatsuki Ayaka; she's easy to fool.

"Oh, no wonder I couldn't find you. Where are you now?"

"'Wait a minute, I'll be right there!'"

Ayatsuki Ayaka didn't continue chatting on the phone, put it away, and sped up toward the academic building.

Soon after, she saw Aozawa waiting at the entrance of the academic building and quickly approached him. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she panted.

She exhaled deeply.

Aozawa turned and saw her wheat-colored skin glistening with sweat, her pale red cherry lips slightly parted, exhaling puffs of hot air.

Her heaving chest made her look particularly mature.

"'It's okay,' Aozawa said. 'You didn't have to run so fast.'" As he spoke, he reached out to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

Ayatsuki Ayaka's body stiffened. She almost retreated in fright, yet she forced herself to restrain her shyness and quietly enjoyed the sensation of Aozawa's fingertips brushing her forehead.

Her heart fluttered chaotically.

Yes! Such an intimate gesture definitely meant he was interested in her! Though Ayatsuki Ayaka appeared serene on the outside, her heart was roaring like King Kong within.

Aozawa withdrew his hand and smiled. "What did you need to see me for?"

"'Oh, actually,' Ayatsuki Ayaka blurted out, 'I wanted to borrow 150 yen to buy a bottle of orange juice.'" I can't borrow too much; what if Aozawa doesn't have it? That would be embarrassing. But he should definitely have 150 yen, she thought.

"'Do you really need to borrow it?' Aozawa replied, somewhat speechlessly. 'If you want orange juice, I'll treat you. Consider it thanks for always treating me to vegetable juice.'"

"'You're really rich!'"

"..." Aozawa was speechless. Is she just trying to flatter me? he wondered. But looking into those twinkling eyes, he could sense no deceit. Admiring eyes don't lie. Is Iroha's family that poor? A feeling of guilt rose in his heart; he truly felt sorry for having her pay for their dates before.

The two entered the academic building. In the hallway, Aozawa bought her a bottle of orange juice. "Next time you want orange juice, just find me," he said.

"'Yes, thank you!' Ayatsuki Ayaka said solemnly." This is the first canned beverage Aozawa bought for me! It has collector's value. I definitely won't take a sip until it's close to expiring; I'll preserve it. Or maybe, when Aozawa and I confirm our relationship, we can drink this memorable bottle together! she thought, feeling a bit reluctant to drink the orange juice.

"'Hehe.' Ayatsuki Ayaka cradled the orange juice, a satisfied smile on her face, her two little dimples looking adorable."

I really want to poke them, Aozawa thought, but he suppressed the urge. He made small talk with Ayatsuki Ayaka as they walked up the stairs side by side.

Upon entering the classroom, he was greeted once again by Phoenix Academy Maggie's somewhat gloomy gaze.

"'I heard from Tetsuji that you were napping alone at noon,' Phoenix Academy Maggie said, her gaze somewhat gloomy. 'So how did you end up sleeping with Ayatsuki Ayaka?'"

"'Hey, that sounds really ambiguous!' Aozawa exclaimed, rolling his eyes. 'I just bumped into Iroha at the entrance of the academic building, and then we came in together.'"

The way Phoenix Academy Maggie phrased that makes it hard not to misunderstand, Aozawa mused. But on second thought, she might have said it on purpose. If I respond like last time, I'll probably earn that 'conceited little prince' nickname again.

He decided to change tactics. "Maggie, are you sure you're not a tsundere?" he asked.

"'Don't assume that just because I'm a young lady with blonde hair, I'm a tsundere,' Phoenix Academy Maggie retorted. 'I don't even have twin ponytails.'" I'm not the same lady I was before. Thanks to Yoshikawa Sayuri and Nomura True Wave, I understand a bit about otaku culture now. In school manga, blonde, twin-tailed characters are often tsundere, but I'm not one of them! Phoenix Academy Maggie thought, very clear in her mind.

"'I pursue authenticity. Insincere words don't interest me.'"

"Haha."

Aozawa chuckled. Good thing I didn't ask outright and took a more roundabout approach, he thought. "It seems you've become an excellent otaku," he said. "I'm very pleased."

"'Don't talk as if you're such an otaku yourself.'"

"'I once was,' Aozawa said." I can't even remember the last time I watched anime, he thought, his face filled with wistfulness. It's not just because of my transmigration; even before that, I'd gradually lost interest. I used to think I'd love anime forever, that I'd never leave the fandom. But nothing is eternal. Keeping a passion for anime for over ten years is already rare. The more I watched, the pickier I became, and fewer shows caught my eye. Looking back, there isn't a single anime now that I'd want to binge-watch overnight.

"'You make junior high sound like it was ages ago,' Phoenix Academy Maggie teased, noticing his profound expression."

"Haha."

Aozawa chuckled. It really has been a long time, he thought, but he didn't explain.

DING DONG DONG.

The class bell echoed through the silent campus. The sky outside the window was a brilliant blue.

"'Ah, class is starting. We'll talk later.' The blonde girl in front of him didn't continue the conversation and turned to face the front."

For some reason, being in this classroom feels like an incredibly cherished memory, Aozawa thought, his heart suddenly filled with peace. I want to capture this.

Without hesitation, he took out his phone and snapped a photo of everyone in the classroom, capturing mostly the backs of his classmates' heads.

The teacher appeared at the classroom door.

Aozawa used Time Suspension. A gray filter covered the classroom, giving him enough time to put his phone away.

Time resumed its flow.

Color returned to the classroom as the first class of the afternoon began.

「Inside Okubo Police Department, at 4:40 p.m.」

"'Your request to cremate Mayers has been rejected by the higher-ups,' Morimoto Chiyoda said in a grave voice. 'That body is too valuable to be cremated. However, considering your feelings, they've decided to allow you to cremate this lock of his hair and the clothes he was wearing at the time.'"

Yuzuki Suzuko looked down at the clear plastic bag. It contained blue clothes with a lock of blonde hair sandwiched in the middle. "Thank you for your trouble."

"'It's no problem. Please accept my condolences.'"

"'If I really cried for Mayers, that guy would probably just laugh loudly at my tears,' Yuzuki Suzuko said, shaking her head. 'He wasn't the type whose death would make people feel regret. From a normal perspective, his death should be celebrated. The world is rid of one more dangerous individual who did whatever he pleased and completely disregarded the law.'"

"'It's good that you can think that way.' Morimoto Chiyoda breathed a sigh of relief." A lot of people died last night, but in my eyes, they were all inconsequential. Still, I have to put on a sorrowful face in front of some family members to avoid unnecessary trouble, she thought.

"'I'll be leaving now.' Yuzuki Suzuko bowed and turned to leave."

"'Did Mayers really not leave behind any information?' Morimoto Chiyoda suddenly asked. 'Was he content to be killed by Dio, leaving us with no way to find Dio either?'"

"'That's just the kind of man he was,' Yuzuki Suzuko replied without turning back. 'He loved causing trouble for others, even in death. Normal logic doesn't apply to Mayers. I knew him; he was extremely arrogant. He'd rather his killer remain at large, proving he lost to the strongest person in the world, than see them caught.'"

TSK.

Morimoto Chiyoda didn't say anything more. It was time to leave work and make dinner.