A week later, Yui continued attending school as usual. In class, only Haruka initiated conversations with her. Though many students had crowded around her on the first day to chat, by the second day, it seemed they had all but forgotten her existence.
Since watching those video clips, Yui had paid more attention to Kaguya, though the two still hadn't exchanged a word.
"I still don't know what to do…"
Currently, Yui was still holding onto the recorder and the photo. She considered returning them to Kotsuki but hadn't found a reasonable explanation for how she got them.
"The Captain hasn't contacted me either."
"Katsuya-san… Katsuya-san…"
Haruka's voice pulled Yui out of her thoughts.
"What's up?"
"Um… it's time for P.E. class. Everyone's already gone, but you've just been sitting there zoning out," Haruka reminded her.
"Oh… sorry, I was just thinking about something."
"Is something bothering you?"
"Not really…" Yui thought to herself. *Is she fishing for information?*
"I still don't know who ordered Amane-san to approach me. I initially suspected Shinoma-san, but it doesn't seem to be her. There's still someone lurking around, and that feeling of being watched hasn't gone away."
"Could my identity have been exposed? If the Captain handled it, I'd feel secure, but it's best to stay cautious."
"As for Amane-san, I've observed her relationships but found no clues. This person is likely experienced at this sort of thing."
To be honest, Yui didn't dislike Haruka much, even if someone had instructed her. At first glance, Haruka seemed straightforward compared to others—likely from an average background, making it plausible she'd be manipulated.
"Forget it, I'll just keep observing," Yui quickly dismissed her thoughts about Haruka and turned her mind to Kaguya instead.
"Katsuya-san, why aren't you changing?" Haruka interrupted her thoughts again.
"Oh… I'll change later…"
"Are you shy about others seeing you? You're always the last one to change."
"Um… maybe," Yui replied.
What worried her most were the scars on her body. To Yui, they were a soldier's badge of honor, but to these high school girls, they'd likely be terrifying.
"Especially that huge scar on my waist…"
Haruka seemed dissatisfied with the vague answer but didn't press further.
After Yui finished changing, P.E. class began. The teacher instructed everyone to pair up for warm-ups. Normally, Haruka would proactively pair with Yui, but today she teamed up with another friend. With an odd number of students in the class, Yui was inevitably left unpaired.
Anticipating this, Yui quickly approached the teacher to partner up, but to her surprise, Kaguya was heading toward her.
"Does she want to say something?", "Or has she found out about the recorder?"
"Should I avoid her first?" Yui's mind raced with possibilities and responses, but in the end, she stood still, waiting for Kaguya to approach.
"Katsuya-san, right? Would you mind warming up with me?"
Yui was slightly taken aback by the offer. It was a simple request, but given the secrets she held about the Shinoma family, she felt a twinge of guilt facing Kaguya.
Others began glancing their way, as if witnessing something unusual.
"Sorry, I'll warm up with the teacher, so you can find someone else," Yui declined.
The response surprised everyone.
Kaguya fell silent, her head dipping slightly. Though her expression was hard to read, Yui could sense her displeasure at being rejected. Without a word, Kaguya turned and walked away.
Suddenly, Yui felt an unfriendly gaze from a distance.
"So that person's here… This feeling… I can't be wrong. They seem deeply interested in what happens around Shinoma-san."
"Is this some kind of special affection? If so, who could it be?"
"Shinoma-san is famous for her family background and beauty, so it's not strange if someone likes her. But if they're fixated on me, that's definitely odd."
When it came to special feelings, Yui could think of one person she hadn't met—the student council president. Even from their brief overheard conversation, Yui sensed the president harbored unique feelings for Kaguya, though the exact nature remained unclear.
Throughout the rest of the class, Yui's mind kept circling these thoughts, so much so that she couldn't focus on the basketball.
"Katsuya-san, you're losing focus!"
"Oh… sorry," Yui apologized as the teacher called her out.
Currently, the class was playing basketball, as both boys and girls at this school participated in the same sports activities, and many girls were skilled athletes.
Yui wasn't particularly good at it—her technique was lacking due to no formal training—but in terms of speed, endurance, and reflexes, she outshone most students, even the boys.
Her athletic ability left a strong impression on others.
"Hey, isn't she the one who blocked Fuji-senpai's shot?"
"Yeah, yeah, I was there!"
"Really? I wouldn't have the guts!"
Whispers spread, and Yui overheard them but didn't pay much mind.
"Just blocking one ball, and they're making such a fuss? If they hadn't mentioned it, I'd have forgotten already."
As Yui's thoughts wandered again, a basketball suddenly flew toward her face. Despite her distraction, her hand reacted instinctively, catching it. She wondered why they'd passed to her when she was so closely guarded. Deciding not to overthink it, she dodged lightly to trick her opponent, then took a shot from outside the arc.
Swish!
"She just threw it and scored…"
"Amazing, Katsuya-san!"
Others expressed their admiration.
"Um, thanks," Yui replied politely, unsure what else to say.
After P.E., Yui and another classmate were assigned to clean the storage room. Since it was the last period, everyone else prepared to leave, leaving only the two of them.
"Sorry, Katsuya-san, could you help me with this? I've got something urgent—next time, I'll treat you to lunch!"
Yui nodded, and the other girl left, leaving Yui alone.
Yui began organizing the storage room. After a few trips, she finished, but as she tried to leave, the door wouldn't budge—it had been locked from the outside.
"Oh… so there's this trick too?"
"Who could it be?" Yui considered briefly but quickly gave up guessing.
"What now?" She scanned the room for anything useful. "Should I call for help?" She tried shouting, but after a few unanswered cries, she abandoned that idea.
"If this was intentional, that won't work."
Yui rummaged around and found a few usable items. She inspected the door.
"This door isn't too sturdy—there are signs of rust. With full force, I could break it… But that'd cause a lot of trouble and cost me money to replace."
She quickly dismissed that option.
"There aren't enough tools to pick the lock, and from the door's movement, it seems blocked by something. Even picking it wouldn't help."
She gave up on that too.
"It's too dark in here—I can't see well. Oh… there's a small window, but it's way up high." Yui approached, jumped, and grabbed the window frame. Peering through the tiny opening, she eventually returned to her spot.
"Looks like I'll have to send a distress signal and wait."
With that, Yui grabbed a piece of cloth she'd found, bit her finger to draw blood, and scribbled a few simple words on it. She rolled it up and tossed it out through the small window.
Finished, Yui knelt down, resting her hands on her knees, closing her eyes, and entering a meditative state.
"In times like this, the Captain says meditating keeps the mind calm and steady." Yui sat motionless, lost in meditation.
After an unknown amount of time, a sound of the door unlocking came from behind her. "Oh, you're Katsuya-san, right? I found your distress cloth and came to check. Are you okay?"
It was a male teacher, his voice laced with concern, but Yui didn't respond. After a long pause, she slowly opened her eyes, stood, and turned around.
"Sorry, I was meditating so deeply I got lost in it."
"…Meditating? In this situation?" The teacher couldn't hide his surprise.
"Yes, meditation helps me block out the outside world, so it might have seemed long to you, but to me, it was just a blink."
"Oh, really? You seem pretty calm about it."
"Yes."
"What if no one had found you?"
"Then I'd have no choice but to break the door."
"You could do that?"
"Possibly, but I avoided it to prevent trouble."
"Hahahaha, you're interesting!" The teacher burst into laughter at her response.
"Oh, uh, thank you, sir," Yui said, unsure why he was laughing but offering a polite thanks to move on.
"So, this was your writing?" The teacher held up the cloth.
"Yes."
"What did you write it with?"
"Blood," Yui answered calmly.
"Seriously?!"
"Yes."
The teacher looked utterly shocked but soon regained his composure. "Alright, head home now. It's very late. This was clearly intentional—I'll look into it."
"Then I'll take my leave," Yui said, bowing before heading to her classroom to grab her bag.
"Nothing's missing—was this really just an accident?" Yui checked her phone. "Oh… it's almost ten at night."
She hadn't realized it was so late. Hastily packing up, she left, but as she reached the school gate, she spotted a familiar face.
"Shinoma-san…?"
Not far off, Kaguya stood alone, her face etched with worry about something. Yui had a hunch what it might be and approached.
"Shinoma-san!" Yui called out.
Kaguya flinched at the sound.
"Ka-Katsuya-san…"
"What are you doing here alone? It's really late."
"It's none of your business."
"Um, if there's nothing wrong, you should head home."
"I said it's none of your business!" Kaguya's voice rose, her patience fraying.
"Suit yourself."
Yui replied indifferently but remained beside Kaguya, not moving. After a while, Kaguya couldn't hold back and shouted,
"Why are you still here?"
"It's none of your business," Yui echoed Kaguya's words, causing Kaguya's face to flush with anger.
"Fine, stay there then. I'm going home!"
Kaguya stormed off, and Yui followed at a distance.
After a stretch, Kaguya turned and snapped, "Why are you still following me?"
"I'm not following you—I just happen to be walking behind you."
Yui's response only fueled Kaguya's irritation.
"Hmph, do whatever you want."
And so, one led while the other trailed, walking along the deserted street. Eventually, they reached Kaguya's home…
"Is this a house?"
Yui gazed at the grand mansion before her, slightly awestruck. Though she'd infiltrated large estates before, the sheer magnificence of this one caught her off guard.
"Enough, I'm home now, so you can go."