Chapter 89: When the Gears Turn

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Translator: Soafp

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On Tuesday morning, the classroom was unusually noisy. It wasn’t just because it was the start of the week. The “rumor” that had been whispered about since last week was finally becoming reality.

The students’ attention all shifted toward the entrance of the classroom. Standing there were the transfer students from Hibiki Entertainment Academy—Kagura Shinomiya and Marin Kousaka.

“Good morning, everyone! From today on, we’ll be attending here!”

Kagura greeted, her usual cheerful tone immediately causing a stir in the classroom.

“She really came!”

“Wasn’t it just a rumor that she was transferring…?”

“Wait, is this because of the movie?”

This school had already been chosen as a filming location for the movie Two and One, and many speculated that this was one of the reasons for their transfer.

Then, Marin stepped forward. In contrast to Kagura, she smiled calmly and bowed politely.

“I’m Marin Kousaka. I would be happy if I could get along with all of you. Nice to meet you.”

Her graceful demeanor only heightened the excitement in the room, and the students couldn't hide their nerves mixed with excitement, seeing her as the embodiment of a “movie actress.”

However, the homeroom teacher cleared his throat and stood in front of the class to calm things down.

“Alright, alright, settle down! Now, let's assign seats for the two of you…”

He glanced around the classroom, but the moment Kagura and Marin exchanged glances, they both pointed to the seat at the very back of the room.

“Teacher, we'd like that one, please!”

The room erupted again.

“Wait, the one in the back…?”

“That's right next to Aizawa's seat!”

Some of the students, who had been curious about the relationship between Hajime and Kagura and Marin, immediately turned their gaze toward him.

“Hey, aren’t you two acquaintances with Aizawa-kun?”

“What kind of relationship do you have?!”

Under the spotlight, Hajime remained silent, staring out of the window. The clear blue sky was a welcome sight.

(I want to go home…)

Unaware of his thoughts, more drama unfolded.

“Teacher, I don't think we should just give in to the transfer students’ requests.”

Miyabi stood up, her tone calm but firm.

“I agree with Amano-san. I think the teacher should make the decision.”

Said Aoi, who stood up beside her, offering her strong support.

At that, Kagura shot a glare at them.

“Well well, it looks like the ‘bold sisters’ have become quite outspoken.”

Marin also nodded strongly in agreement.

However, Aoi quickly responded.

“We’ve been toughened by a lot of things.”

Miyabi also smiled calmly, her confidence apparent.

“I’m not going to just stay quiet anymore.”

The exchange felt like sparks flying between them, and the class watched in silence, holding their breath. The teacher was now completely overwhelmed, fumbling to calm the situation.

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The scene then shifted to a quiet hospital room.

In a hospital in Tokyo, the morning light softly illuminated the white curtains.

On the bed lay Kyoko Aizawa. She had a light bandage on her forehead, and her arm was wrapped in a bandage.

“Honestly… why do you always do such reckless things?”

Kyoko’s mother, Shoko Aizawa, was sitting next to the bed. She had a calm demeanor but a stern air about her.

“It’s not that big of a deal.”

Kyoko said with a light laugh, but Shoko didn't smile.

“Leaving the hospital to help your brother—it’s not something an ordinary sister would do.”

“Have I ever been an ordinary sister?”

Kyoko replied lightly.

Shoko sighed.

“…Really, I wonder who you take after.”

“At least not Dad.”

Kyoko shrugged, brushing off her mother's words.

Shoko chuckled quietly in disbelief and muttered,

“You should take better care of yourself.”

The room was filled with the peaceful atmosphere of the morning.

Staring out the window for a moment, Kyoko remained silent. Then, with a small sigh, she finally spoke.

“Hey, Mom…”

Shoko looked up from her chair next to the bed.

“Yes?”

Kyoko hesitated, choosing her words carefully as if making a decision.

“Suz Suzumaru…”

The moment the name was spoken, Shoko’s expression slightly darkened.

“Five years ago, she passed away…”

Kyoko started to say, but Shoko gently interrupted, her voice soft.

“Kyoko… that conversation…”

Shoko seemed uneasy, but Kyoko wasn't going to back down.

“It's important. For me, and for Hajime… Why did Suzumaru die? Do you know anything?”

Shoko sighed deeply.

“Yes… I knew the day would come when I'd have to tell you.”

Shoko said slowly, as if bracing herself.

She hesitated for a moment but then spoke as if she had made up her mind.

“Do you remember when Suzumaru moved away?”

“…I remember Mom telling me that she got caught up in some incident…”

Shoko lowered her eyes as if retracing a distant memory.

“I still remember that day well… It was a muggy summer afternoon… The police and ambulances came, and the quiet residential neighborhood was in chaos… Amid all that, Suzumaru was carried out on a stretcher in a pitiful state. I can’t forget it.”

Shoko sighed lightly before continuing.

“Someone who was there said that Suzumaru seemed to have been attacked by someone.”

The mere mention of this made Shoko’s face twist with pain. Kyoko looked at her mother with concern, but Shoko shook her head slightly and said, “It’s okay,” as if to reassure herself.

“Suzumaru’s family was quite well-known, right? After the incident, they moved away quickly to avoid the rumors. But a few years later, I heard from a friend of mine. Suzune had committed suicide…”

After saying that, Shoko quietly hung her head.

Seeing her mother like this, Kyoko couldn’t help but feel that Shoko was hiding something. But at the same time, she was afraid of learning the truth.

For a moment, Kyoko opened her mouth but closed it again. Then, as if making up her mind, she asked in a strained voice, “…Why did Suzumaru…?”

At those words, Shoko’s shoulders trembled slightly, as though she had been asked the question she feared the most.

Silence fell. Eventually, Shoko, as if resigning herself, spoke in a subdued voice.

“…Suzumaru… was apparently pregnant.”

The atmosphere froze.

The morning light filtering through the hospital window made the white curtains sway coldly.

The silence in the hospital room stretched, and a heavy air filled the space.

Kyoko stared at her mother, her chest heavy with emotions that she couldn’t quite process.

Should she hear more about this, or should she leave it here?

A sense of hesitation quietly filled the room.

In the distance, the sirens of an ambulance could be heard.

And with that, the scene shifts to the hustle and bustle of Shibuya.

The ambulance passed by, and people streamed through the intersection. In the middle of it all, Sasahara Konatsu and Sanae Koda stopped and looked up at the large screen above them.

Breaking news was being displayed.

“Emergency news: Two days ago, after a police investigation in the city, actor Subaru Koda was arrested early this morning.”

“Subaru Koda, who is suspected of involvement in threats and assault on a minor, and other separate incidents…”

The screen showed Subaru Koda being escorted by police while flashes of cameras went off.

“…Well, I thought this would happen eventually.”

Sanae muttered without surprise, her tone calm.

“My brother's been an idiot for as long as I can remember, so this was bound to happen.”

Despite his words, she continued to stare at the screen with a detached expression.

Meanwhile, Konatsu was glaring at the screen with intense focus. A mixture of irritation and regret was evident in her eyes.

“…Damn, that good-for-nothing… I should have stomped him into the ground more…”

Konatsu muttered through clenched teeth.

Originally, she had planned to use Subaru Koda to set a trap for Kagura and Marin, to torment Hajime. But the fact that this plan had fallen apart made her silently seethe with anger.

At that moment, a sense of unease crawled up Konatsu’s spine. Something about Sanae’s behavior was off.

“…Hmm?”

Konatsu furrowed her brow. Sanae’s fingers were trembling faintly, as if frozen, and her breathing was shallow. Her lips were barely moving as if whispering something unintelligible.

“…What…? Sanae, what’s wrong?”

Sanae wasn’t looking at the large screen. Her gaze was fixed on a completely different direction.

Her usual carefree expression was gone, replaced by one of sheer terror. Her eyes were wide open, but unfocused, as though her mind was lost in a horrifying past event, completely overtaken by fear.

“Sanae! Snap out of it!”

Konatsu grabbed Sanae’s shoulders and gently shook her. This was nothing like the usual flippant Sanae. Now, she was unnervingly quiet.

“Konatsu… A-ack… that…!”

Finally, as if returning to reality, Sanae pointed a trembling finger toward the front.

Konatsu followed the direction of her finger with her gaze, her movements automatic. She felt a creeping unease grow in her chest.

Through the crowd, she saw a man standing ahead — someone who seemed calm and composed, likely in her twenties.

But the moment she saw his face, a distant memory surged back into Konatsu’s mind.

A hot summer day. The scorching smell of the asphalt. The sound of cicadas fading away, and the world around her distorting.

The young man with a crazed smile, holding a knife in front of her and Sanae.

Her body froze as if paralyzed. Sweat ran down her back, and her throat tightened.

And now…

The man standing in front of her was the spitting image of that youth from all those years ago.