Summer’s over already, and the first day back finds our protagonist finding an unknown student’s lost ID. Unsure what exactly to do with it, she seeks out a teacher to assist…
You might recall that in the last run, the protagonist chose to take the ID to Kazuaki instead, seeing as how in that timeline, she (quite understandably) trusted Kazuaki a great deal more. Here, though, we’re calling on Shuu for guidance.
“What is it this time?”
“Umm… I found someone’s student ID, and I thought maybe you’d know what to do with it.”
“Isn’t that something for the staffroom? Why bring it all the way here?”
“It was closer! And they’ve started printing out tests in there already, so I’m not sure I can go in…”
“There is no need for excuses, young lady. Leave it there and get out, please.”
“Yes, sir.”
“… wait, miss Thielle.”
“…?”
“Where did you find this?”
“Umm… it was on the staircase between the first and second floors. On the south side.”
“I see. Hoho, it wouldn’t do to have someone finding it and asking questions… I am indebted to you, miss Thielle.”
“Asking questions…?”
No, no, that’s a question, that’s exactly what he said not to do!
“Nothing you need to worry about. Please, do be careful on your way home.”
What was that all about? He certainly is as strange as ever.
Strange is one word for it. Oh well, off to math class a few days later.
“I can just barely keep up, even though mister Nanaki explains everything so clearly… So this is all easy for you, Sakuya? Wooow!”
“Are you trying to curry favor with me? Hmph…!”
He looks happy, though.
Flattery will get us everywhere.
Tera leveled up! Wisdom increased by 5!
I don’t have anything to do, so I guess I’ll go look around. A whole bunch of clubs have food stalls outside… They looked good when I was coming in, so maybe I’ll go get something for lunch!
No maid birds in this route, sadly.
A familiar silhouette floats by on the other side of the crowded schoolyard.
“Doctor Iwamine…?”
I thought he’d be cooped up in infirmary doing something boring today! Maybe I should ask him to eat lunch with me?
The protagonist is a bold one. We’re given the option to invite him to lunch or “avoid him like the plague,” which seems like the sensible choice. However, this route does not ask us to be sensible.
I have to catch up to him first!
Aah… Did I lose him? Where did he go? There aren’t even any stands set up here, and there’s nothing in the pamphlet about anything outside the main area… The only thing back here is—
“The incinerator…?”
“Who goes there!?”
“D-d-d-d-d-doctor!”
I was following him up until a minute ago, but now he’s behind me!?
Shuu’s powers of surprise are quite finely honed.
“Oh, it’s you. Stalking is a bad habit, young lady.”
“No, I wasn’t… I was just wondering what you were doing!”
Not really helping your case.
“Is it a crime to walk about one’s own school?”
“But there’s nothing back here…”
“There’s the incinerator.”
“Wh-why…?”
“I was placed in charge of the science club’s activities today. I just came back here to get rid of some things that were left over. Unneeded… things.”
“Things…”
How delightfully unclear.
My hunter-gatherer instincts are telling me to change the subject.
“O-oh, right! Sir, would you like to walk around together? I heard the haunted house is—”
“No, thank you.”
At least let me finish inviting you before you refuse!
“As I said, I am supervising the science club. So I do not have time for fraternization.”
“Okay…”
The doctor sidles off to hopefully go back to supervising the science club.
And so I returned to the cafe, scared off by his obstinance and my own survival instinct.
A rare showing from the protagonist’s sense of self-preservation. For a moment, though, the camera moves away from the protagonist to catch a few parting mutterings from Shuu.
“Thielle Tera… If only I could tell how she plans her actions, I could deal with her fairly easily… … how troubling.”
How ominous. However, the protagonist remains blissfully unaware of this, and we find her again a few days later having lesser realizations at the end of school.
I handed in my recorder instead of my math homework!
Frankly, an impressive mixup.
What do I do? Is mister Nanaki still in the staff room…?
Huh?
Two familiar birds are having a muted but stern conversation.
“… and you see nothing peculiar about these numbers?”
“Nothing at all.”
“There is a statistical deviation visible in the data on students from the past few years. I had hoped to get some insight from you, but… It would seem I have overestimated you.”
“Really? Sorry I couldn’t help, then.”
Seems like serious business, and none of ours. However, we feel so strongly compelled to intervene somehow that we must choose a side, and we know where our loyalties lie at this point.
“You should look more closely, mister Nanaki!”
“Hello, Thielle.”
“Even the students disrespect you? Pathetic.”
Well, I hope we feel good about that. Anyway, what did we come in here for?
“Umm, sir. I gave you my recorder earlier instead of my homework!”
“… so you did. Here you go.”
“Here’s the workbook! Thank you, sir! Sorry, sir!”
“Like teacher, like pupil…?”
I’m not sure that the protagonist’s absentmindedness was inherited in such a manner. Regardless, the protagonist doesn’t lose any sleep over the comment over the next month.
As we arrive, the infirmary is surprisingly vacant.
Or not.
“Where’s Sakazaki? Didn’t he come yet?”
“Mister Sakazaki won’t be here today. Or tomorrow, or the day after… hohoho.”
I hate it when he laughs.
“Umm… what do you…?”
“He’s been absent for almost a month, now.”
! I never realized!
He’s been rather conspicuously gone, though, now that Shuu mentions it.
“Did… something happen…!?”
“Who knows? He never was a very good student. No one’s surprised to see him playing hooky again. Hohoho.”
The good doctor seems a little too quick to brush this off.
“… you know something about it, don’t you, sir?”
“Me? Of course not! I know only what happens within this little room.”
That somewhat alluring, slightly evil smile on his face tells me all I need to know. He had a hand in this.
The protagonist’s choice of adjectives is at least as alarming as the smile is.
“You do know something!”
“Sleeping pills.”
“Huh…?”
“What are you standing around for? You’re his replacement, now. Count our supplies and mark down anything we’re low on.”
Congratulations on our promotion!
I don’t think that counts as an explanation. Yuuya skipping school? I never thought of him as that type… And he hasn’t even called me!
“Why did you decide to become an assistant here, miss Thielle?”
“Because, umm…”
It’s quite the big question, and a clever distraction on Shuu’s part. We can say that we like him, or that it simply sounded fun. Regrettably, the former answer is the truest.
“Is that so? What a coincidence. I think I’m starting to like you, too, though I can’t say I thought much of you at first.”
That’s a backhanded compliment if I ever heard one.
He… likes me? Is that good, or bad? My heart’s racing, but I can’t tell if it’s love or fear for my life! I wonder where Yuuya went…?
The reality of our awful choices seems to be finally sinking in to the protagonist, but it’s far too late by now to change the road we’re on. Soon, we’ll find out exactly where that road leads, but it’ll have to wait. Until next time, everybirdie!