Chapter: 21. List of Suspected Individuals
After Kanade and Yowatari moved things into the room.
Nagi intended to raid Kanade’s room, hoping to catch him in the act of hiding the small notebook.
But just as she opened the door to step outside.
She accidentally bumped into someone standing in the corridor.
Nagi, stumbling back, instinctively adjusted her posture mid-fall to ensure she landed safely on the floor.
The other party, however, was not so fortunate.
Caught off guard, he fell to the ground, hitting the back of his head.
“I’m sorry, are you okay?!” Nagi, although puzzled that she hadn’t noticed someone outside her door, grew concerned at the dull sound resonating from his head.
“It hurts… huh? Hoshi, Hoshimi-senpai?”
To Nagi’s surprise, the person was none other than the first-year student “Otokiri Rakuyo,” whom she had met at Shirakawa Station today.
He rubbed the back of his head while sitting up from the floor, looking as though he wasn’t seriously hurt.
Nagi remembered he was a student from the “Special Course.” Assuming he had some sort of physical enhancement ability, such a bump would indeed not cause him any substantial harm.
This eased Nagi’s concern but also raised her curiosity.
— Why is he here in Shikikan?
— And right in front of my room?
“Otokiri-kun, why are you here…” Nagi feigned a puzzled expression, probing his reaction.
“I-I accidentally got lost… I didn’t expect to bump into Hoshimi-senpai here…” Rakuyo first displayed a mix of emotions that looked both touched and pleased, then seemed to realize something, and said apologetically, “No, I should be the one saying sorry! I’m really, truly sorry!”
Unexpectedly.
Nagi couldn’t detect any lies from his micro-expressions.
Various small details confirmed what he said was true; he really had just gotten lost in the vast Shikikan.
It wasn’t surprising that someone like him, who had grown up in traditional Japanese architecture, could get lost in such a Western-style building.
But the reason Rakuyo, a student from the Special Course, would come to Shikikan was—
“I feel embarrassed to say this, but on my first day of enrollment, the dormitory I was supposed to stay in had a sudden change, and after being transferred to this dorm, I ended up getting lost inside… Truly unfortunate…” Rakuyo’s face turned red with shame.
“But meeting Hoshimi-senpai here… maybe it’s a blessing in disguise?” he muttered softly afterward.
It seemed he had a habit of talking to himself.
He thought today would be the unluckiest day ever, yet unexpectedly encountered the beautiful senior he had fallen for at first sight in an unimaginable place, and even more surprising, she remembered his name.
Rakuyo felt this was like a scene from a romantic manga.
“Surely, the pretty, cute, and approachable Hoshimi-senpai is the heroine of my youth story! I’m so glad to have joined Ark Academy!” His face was filled with such simple and understandable thoughts.
“Anyway, let’s check if Otokiri-kun is injured,” Nagi proposed.
Just as she was about to help Rakuyo up and check his injuries.
Rapid footsteps approached from below, drawing near.
“What happened?!” It was Kanade and Yowatari.
The two seemed to have heard the considerable noise from earlier and rushed up to the third floor.
Hearing the commotion, Nagi and Rakuyo turned to face them.
At that moment, what caught Kanade’s eye was—
The open door of Nagi’s room.
An unfamiliar boy sitting in front of Nagi’s room.
And Nagi bending over and reaching out to him.
“Click.”
Kanade felt his entire being freeze, as if he heard the crisp sound of ice shattering deep within.
— My, my, my childhood friend is with another man?!
In Kanade’s mind, the covers of those childhood pure love stories he had hidden away seemed to be stained with three conspicuous English letters.
—————–
“I… am moving to Shikikan?”
In a spacious room.
Fuuko looked at the document in her hand with an expression of disbelief.
It was a written dormitory transfer notice.
It stated in black and white that Nishikawa Fuuko was to move to Shikikan, effective immediately.
“Nishikawa-san, are you unwilling?”
“Ah, no! Rather, I am very thankful… But why…” Fuuko said, somewhat confused.
Although she was pleased to be living under the same roof as Kanade.
Shikikan was a dormitory designated for students from the Special Course with “low erosion rates.”
Students like her, who had already awakened abilities, typically shouldn’t be assigned there.
“It seems Higashijo-san has also been transferred there today,” the man sitting opposite Fuuko explained leisurely, “Since Higashijo-san, as No.3, has been allowed an exception to enter Shikikan, I suppose I can make a small exception to support my daughter’s romance?”
“The student council president too!? Thank you, Father~” Fuuko was initially shocked, then broke into a happy smile.
After she happily bounced out of the room.
The man sitting inside sighed deeply.
“….. That should do it, right?”
It was as if he was asking someone, but in the darkened room, there was no response.
—————–
“This is Manami’s student ID.”
At the exit of the Zero District of Artificial Academy Island.
Yako returned Manami’s student ID to her.
At Ark Academy, a student’s ID can serve as a pass.
Moreover, each student is assigned different permissions that restrict their access to various areas.
Just now, Yako had adjusted Manami’s student ID permissions through various operations at the terminal.
“From now on, Manami’s ID can freely enter Shikikan; however, she no longer has permission to enter Noah Hall,” Yako explained, “After all, as a student, one generally can only possess access rights for one dormitory.”
“Mm, I understand, thank you.” Manami put her student ID back in her skirt pocket.
Yako’s efficiency remained as high as ever.
What she had asked for just at noon was unexpectedly completed by evening.
“Then about my luggage that was in Noah Hall—”
“—I’ve already contacted someone to help Manami move to Shikikan~” Yako interjected, her expression showing pride as if to say, “Aren’t I capable?”
“Thank you.” Manami sincerely thanked her and then asked a question that had been bothering her: “It seems quite a few people were transferred to Shikikan today besides Nagi-chan?”
“Well~ I had a tough time accommodating what you requested, so I managed to adjust little Seiryu to Shikikan as well~” Yako crossed her arms, shaking her head in an adult-like manner, “Looks like Shikikan will be lively besides Akane now~”
“…… Is it that Narukami Akane-san?”
“Ah, yes, she is the dorm head of Shikikan… has always been.”
“…… Would Ark Academy allow a student like her to exist?”
“After all, she has a strong desire~”
After the conversation between Manami and Yako ended.
Yako instructed Manami to continue her usual morning practice tomorrow, waving goodbye as her silhouette disappeared.
…..
Once Yako was alone.
She withdrew her lively demeanor and turned back to the Zero District, lifting the terminal in her hand and activating the video communication function.
“Good evening, Tsukiumi-san.”
“Good evening, President.”
The terminal screen held the face of a handsome middle-aged man.
He was the president of Ark Academy.
“How has the task progressed?”
“Mm, as per your instructions, I’ve managed to gather all the individuals on the list at Shikikan under various pretexts,” Yako replied in a robotic tone devoid of inflection.
“Has it gone as smoothly on Hinakajou’s end?”
“Yes, and she volunteered to move to Shikikan without raising any suspicion.”
“Very good, very good…” The president intertwined his hands, resting his chin on them.
“Thus, all students who were allowed access to Noah Hall last night and lacked an alibi have been arranged in Shikikan.”
Last night.
A professor from Tsuki Academy was murdered in Noah Hall.
According to the investigation results from the scene after the incident, there were no signs of forced entry or break-ins in Noah Hall.
This meant that whoever killed the professor had permission to enter Noah Hall.
Eliminating those students and teachers who had a clear alibi last night.
The list of suspects had emerged.
“Hoshimi Nagi, the transfer student specifically requested by Hinakajou to stay in Noah Hall…”
The central system of Ark Academy had issued access permissions to these new students who were supposed to be staying in Noah Hall last night.
From the timing, it matched perfectly.
Moreover, she not only lacked an alibi last night, but also accidentally wandered into the Special Course’s teaching building today.
While at first glance this seemed like nothing more than an accident, it was enough to raise suspicions.
“Tsukiumi-san, what are your thoughts on Hoshimi-san?”
“Hard to say… According to the records, she appears to be a completely ordinary person.” Tsukiumi perused the file on Hoshimi Nagi: “Although there are some records of being involved in extraordinary disasters, it was merely due to being affected by her closeness to Kanade and Manami; she hasn’t been corrupted herself…”
“But—”
“However—”
Yako and the president simultaneously voiced a certain key factor—
“She is just too beautiful.”
“Simply like… the heroine beside the protagonist.”
“Otokiri Rakuyo, also a new student arranged to stay in Noah Hall, has no alibi for last night, and this morning was found to have lost his student ID, which still hasn’t been recovered….”
“What a unfortunate child; everything is just too coincidental.” Yako commented.
“Higashijo Seiryu and Hinakajou Manami, as among the few students in the school, have been living in Noah Hall, but their actions recently, while not particularly strange, can’t be called normal either, and on top of that, they also lack alibis last night…”
“If it were them, they would indeed have enough strength to kill a professor without alarming others.”
“Nishikawa Fuuko, how high do you think the possibility is that she could be the culprit?”
“I can only say it’s not zero yet… Speaking of which, there’s something I find puzzling.”
“You’re being quite careless, Tsukiumi-san.”
“Setting aside those above, why was Kanade also assigned to Shikikan? Could it truly be a coincidence that he was assessed as ‘low-risk’ and ended up as an innocent individual in Shikikan?”
“No, I’m afraid not. This time, no one is here by coincidence or accident,” the president denied.
“Even though Tsukiumi-san presently appears to be just a student with a four-digit ability, but—”
“He’s a ‘candidate for the protagonist,’ and Ark Academy has consistently granted him high privileges.”
“Prior to today, he could go anywhere in Ark Academy as he pleased.”
After the president spoke, he scratched his head.
“Do you think this incident could have been orchestrated by Kanade?”
“Unfortunately, I can’t answer that question, Tsukiumi-san. As president, I can’t casually suspect my beloved students.”
“What if not as president?”
“….. Since he is the ‘protagonist,’ he could do anything unexpected.”
“That is true…”
“By the way, Tsukiumi-san, your transfer notice has been issued.”
“Transfer?”
“Ah, yes, you have been assigned to the student dormitory in Shikikan,” the president replied, “After all, to find the culprit, it’s better to interact with them up close, right?”
“…… So troublesome, can’t someone else do this?”
“I’m counting on you, the reliable Tsukiumi-san~”
The call ended.
The president quietly watched the screen in front of him darken, slowly standing up from his chair.
“Now, everyone who had the chance to enter Noah Hall yesterday… is all gathered.”
“How terrible, Yako-chan actually thinks she is investigating the true culprit.”
Inside the president’s office.
A man sitting on the sofa in the reception area said leisurely, his eyes shimmering with dazzling light in the darkened room.
“I must find those remaining elements…” the president said, walking closer to the reception area where the man sat, his gaze fixed intently on the list of individuals placed on the coffee table.
“That thing must absolutely not fall into their hands.”
“Well~ don’t worry, if anything happens, I’ll help you clear those on the list—”
“—clean them up.”
In the depths of the man’s eyes, silver-white star pupils shone with a brilliance that rivaled the moonlight outside.
