Chapter 8: What If My Friend Gathered Information?

「So, about the results of my digging...」

「You already found something? I figured you were just about to start.」

「There's no time like the present. Even me, who's slow to get to studying and homework, I'm quick when it comes to this stuff.」

「Heeh, I'm genuinely impressed. How on earth did you find out?」

Honestly, I was surprised.

I knew his social circle was wide, but I didn't know he could get other people to move this quickly. If I didn't have his help, how much time would this have taken?

「That said, this is still just scratching the surface. But right now, it's time to gather any information, so we've gotta take what we can get. And with that, there's one thing I found out.」

「What is it? Tell me already.」

「Don't be in such a rush. So, about Togawa-san, there were quite a few people who saw her walking around with Kiyama. I thought it wouldn't leave much of an impression since it was just the two of them walking together, but surprisingly, people remember.」

I see. It's true that for people who aren't interested, a boy and girl being together doesn't leave much of an impression.

「But the ones who saw them were all first-years and third-year senpais, there's no testimony from anyone in our grade. You know what that means?」

「...They don't want to be seen by their peers? If people in the same grade, where they have a lot of acquaintances, saw them, rumors would start up immediately. So they met near the first or third-year classrooms, or in a different, less crowded building, so they could play it off if they were seen.」

「That's probably it. What a sly plan. But in reality, it must have worked, since even I didn't know they were a suspicious pair until now.」

I don't know whose idea it was, but they really pulled one over on us.

But that strategy was a success. If I hadn't found out by chance, I would have stayed deceived.

「So, that's all for now. Well, I don't mind, since we need any information we can get right now.」

「If it's just information about the two of them, then that's it, but...」

「But?」

He's still holding onto some information? To gather this much in such a short time, he's a really impressive guy.

「It's about Kiyama. He's famous for his good public image, to people who don't know him well, he's good-looking and smart. On top of that, he's well-liked by the teachers. He seems like a perfect person, but... there are actually quite a few people who secretly dislike him.」

「Is it because he's perfect? No, if it were something like that, you wouldn't be making such a big deal about it.」

「Of course not. ...You know he's in line to be the next student council president, right?」

Kiyama apparently does such excellent work that he became vice president in his first year.

That's why everyone says he's the next student council president, everyone in our grade knows that.

「There's a guy in the student council named Taki. And he hates Kiyama. When I asked him why──it seems he witnessed one of Kiyama's match-pump schemes.」

「Match-pump? What did he do?」

「Apparently, he had some guys under his thumb intentionally cause trouble. And then he would solve it himself. That's how he won the trust of the people around him. His father is apparently an elite at a foreign company and has enough money to hand out gifts to the neighbors. Taki saw him handing out that money.」

「This Taki guy must be a serious person. …But he knows that if he acts alone, he'll just be crushed. He's smart enough to get into the student council, so he must understand that there's nothing he can do.」

「Let's get revenge for his sake too. Taki is being very cooperative.」

No matter how perfect someone seems, there's always a flaw somewhere. …so that's what it is.

Looks like luck is on my side.

No, Laila gave me this opportunity. I'm glad I didn't kill myself.

We promised to meet in the room next to the student council office after school and started eating our lunch.

...The combination of cold cocoa and warm consommé soup is actually pretty good. It's just right for my messed-up stomach.

The lunch break ended in a flash, and afternoon classes began.