The morning light shone upon the main gate of Kagurazaka Academy. It was the fourteenth morning since transferring. Naruhodou Ryuuichi was climbing Judgment Hill, lined with cherry trees, all alone. The first day of the school festival. He'd promised to help decorate the class's café. His smartphone had been vibrating in his pocket since morning. "[excited]Wait, what is this...?" The moment he peered at the screen, his feet stopped. *'Notice from the Student Council: Petitions for the Couple Certification Trial have been filed. Current number of petitions: seventeen.'* "[surprised]S-Seventeen!?" Seventeen. Seventeen. He repeated the number in his head three times. Yesterday, his confession to Mitsurugi-kun had been accepted in the Vérité Court. He remembered that. He'd been happy. He'd cried. But—what was this notification? "[excited]Wait, wait, wait—we're still doing trials!? Isn't it over!?" He shouted halfway up the hill. A passing female student giggled. Naruhodou's face turned bright red, and he hurried through the main gate. —In front of the shoe lockers, silver-gray hair swayed. Mitsurugi Reiji. His narrow, sharp eyes caught Naruhodou. For some reason today, the corners of his mouth were ever so slightly relaxed. "[gentle]Good morning, Naruhodou." "[surprised]Ah, good morning... wait, that's not the point! Mitsurugi-kun, look at this!" He thrust the smartphone screen at him. Mitsurugi glanced at it and snorted. "[cold]Seventeen, is it. That's few." "[angry]It is not few! Why are you so calm about this!?" "[cold]Because you went too far with your theatrics." "[angry]Theatrics... I just fought with my own words!" He wasn't lying. In yesterday's court, he'd thrown away all the evidence and said everything he felt. That was all. That was all, and yet— Mitsurugi smiled, just slightly. The premium smile he'd shown him at Soraniwa. "[gentle]That's exactly why, idiot." Naruhodou's face instantly grew hot. *(H-He called me an idiot... but, wasn't his voice just now incredibly gentle...?)* "[surprised]Your face is getting even redder." "[angry]That's your fault!" —Just then. The hallway broadcast speakers crackled to life. *'Naruhodou Ryuuichi-kun, Mitsurugi Reiji-kun. Please come to the Student Council room immediately. I repeat—'* When they opened the door to the Student Council room, the judge Himuro Saya was waiting. Her cold eyes behind silver-rimmed glasses fixed on the two of them. In her hand was the usual Vérité gavel. "[cold]You've come. I'll be direct." On the desk, seventeen documents were laid out. The petitions for the Couple Certification Trial. "[cold]Today, the first day of the school festival, at 2 PM, these seventeen cases will be consolidated and opened as a Grand Joint Court." "[surprised]Grand Joint Court...?" "[cold]Yes. This time, the two of you will conduct a joint defense." Naruhodou looked up at Mitsurugi standing beside him. The two of them. Standing at the defense bench, together. "[gentle]Any complaints?" Mitsurugi said, the corners of his mouth relaxing just a little. Naruhodou shook his head vigorously. "[excited]None! No complaints! I do have something—motivation!" "[cold]Hmph." Mitsurugi turned his back. But Naruhodou didn't miss the fact that his ears were faintly red. 2 PM. The Vérité Court was enveloped in unprecedented fervor. All eighty seats in the gallery were full. People overflowed into the hallway, a crowd forming even outside the doors. The historical trial record panels on the walls seemed hazy, just for today. "[excited]What an incredible crowd..." When Naruhodou murmured, Mitsurugi beside him snorted. "[cold]It's only natural. It's the couple certification of the academy's prince." "[surprised]Y-You just called yourself a prince!" "[cold]You made me say it." —*Bang.* "[cold]Order." From the judge's seat, the Vérité gavel was struck. "[cold]We hereby convene the Grand Joint Court for the Couple Certification Trial of Naruhodou Ryuuichi and Mitsurugi Reiji. The number of petitions is seventeen. First, we will allow the representative petitioner to speak." The first to stand was Sudou Kyousuke. His reddish-brown permed hair was a little more subdued than usual. Pushing up his thick round glasses, he presented a thick stack of documents. "[excited]'A Report on the Reasons for Data Deviation,' twenty-three pages in total!" The gallery erupted. "[laughing]Twenty-three pages!?" "[laughing]What kind of report is that!" Sudou continued, dead serious. "[serious]I will begin with my conclusion. Emotional authenticity is impossible to quantify. Naruhodou Ryuuichi was the sole exceptional case that my data failed to predict." He took off his glasses and gently wiped them. "[serious]Therefore, I withdraw this petition. It means there are things that data cannot measure." Sudou bowed his head briefly and returned to his seat. "[whispers]...You're not being honest, but thank you." When Naruhodou said it quietly from the defense bench, Sudou pretended not to hear and looked away. But his ears were bright red. The next to take the witness stand was Yatabuki Akane. Her soft, cinnamon-brown hair swayed gently. Her round brown eyes were slightly red. "[gentle]Please give this back to Micchan." What she held out was a single envelope. Inside was just one photograph of Mitsurugi from his childhood. "[gentle]Even though I was by his side for thirteen years—the time Micchan looked like he was having the most fun was when he was talking with you, Naru-kun." Her voice trembled, just a little. "[gentle]It wasn't during a chess club match, or data analysis. It was you, Naru-kun." "[sad]Yatabuki-san..." Yatabuki smiled, crinkling her face. "[laughing]I'm not crying! I always thought you'd be okay, and I still think so now. Take good care of Mitsurugi-kun, okay?" Tears nearly welled up in Naruhodou's eyes. Just then— "[cold]Don't cry. This is a court." Mitsurugi beside him said in a low voice. "[crying]...I'm about to cry because of you!" Naruhodou whispered back. Mitsurugi lowered his eyes slightly. Next, Houzuki Yomi took the witness stand. Her black hair with a bluish tint swayed smoothly. Her crimson eyes revealed nothing today, either. Without a word, she held out a single photograph. In the photo—Naruhodou was being taught chess by Mitsurugi. Mitsurugi, explaining how the pieces moved, was smiling slightly. A single shot someone had taken of that moment. "[gentle]...This is my answer." Saying just that, Houzuki stepped down from the witness stand. As she left, her eyes met Naruhodou's. Houzuki's lips—for just an instant, ever so slightly—curved upward. "[surprised]Huh, she just smiled...!?" "[cold]You must have imagined it." "[angry]She definitely smiled!" "[cold]You imagined it." "[angry]She smiled!" —*Bang!* "[cold]Private conversation during arguments is prohibited." Himuro's Vérité gavel silenced the two of them. The gallery giggled. At the edge of the gallery, Shinonome-sensei quietly stood up. Behind his black-rimmed glasses, his eyes were gently narrowed. "[gentle]I've been shown a fine piece of work." Saying only that, he turned his white coat and disappeared beyond the door. —All petitions were withdrawn. Himuro Saya raised the Vérité gavel high. *Bang.* "[serious]All seventeen petitions of the Couple Certification Trial are dismissed. This court formally certifies the establishment of the couple, Naruhodou Ryuuichi and Mitsurugi Reiji." The court was enveloped in applause and cheers. """Waaaaaah!!""" Naruhodou's knees went weak in front of the defense bench. The moment he was about to collapse— Mitsurugi quickly grabbed his arm. "[gentle]I thought you were going to fall again." "[surprised]Th-Thank you..." His face turned bright red again. "[angry]I wasn't going to fall!" "[sarcastic]...You haven't changed at all since the first day." Sudou muttered. "[laughing]Isn't that what's good about him?" Yatabuki laughed. Houzuki glanced wordlessly at the two of them—and gave a slight nod. Evening. As preparations for the school festival's closing fireworks began, Naruhodou brought Mitsurugi out to the rooftop garden, Soraniwa. Beyond the western hills, the sunset was dyed red. Four benches. The flowers in the planters swayed in the wind. "[gentle]Um, Mitsurugi-kun." "[cold]What." Mitsurugi turned around. His narrow eyes, illuminated by the sunset, shone golden. Naruhodou took one deep breath. "[whispers]I could say it in court, but when it's just the two of us, my heart suddenly pounds... I think that's because these are my true feelings." A nonsensical preamble. He didn't even know what he was saying himself. But— "[gentle]I love you." He said it clearly. Mitsurugi's eyes widened for just a moment. Then—slowly, he smiled. The premium smile. "[gentle]You finally said it, idiot." "[laughing]The 'idiot' is unnecessary!" Naruhodou laughed back. Mitsurugi's hand gently reached out—and took Naruhodou's hand. Warm. The two of them stood side by side, holding hands, with the sunset at their backs. In the distance—*Fwooooosh... Bang!* Fireworks began to rise. Red, blue, gold. Flowers bloomed in the sky, one after another. "[gentle]I wonder if we saw a sight like this in our past lives, too." He murmured, looking up at the sky. Mitsurugi answered quietly. "[gentle]Who knows. But—next time, I'll watch it with you." "[excited]Next time, and the life after that, all of them!" "[gentle]You're shameless." Mitsurugi said it—but still holding hands, he didn't let go. The light of the fireworks illuminated the two of them. The night of the school festival slowly deepened. The sounds of the festival drifting from Hanamichi Street. Distant cheers. Large blossoms blooming in the sky. Naruhodou looked at the silver-gray-haired boy standing beside him. *(Ah—)* *(It's really over.)* *(Everything, properly, is over.)* Deep in his chest, a gentle warmth spread. The hill he'd fallen on his first day as a transfer student. The dream story he'd heard at Soraniwa. The day he'd cried in the Vérité Court. Everything, everything—had been for this day. "[gentle]Naruhodou." "[gentle]Yes?" "[gentle]...Shall we come here tomorrow, too?" Mitsurugi said it, sounding a little embarrassed. Naruhodou nodded firmly. "[excited]Of course! Tomorrow, the day after, forever!" "[gentle]...Hmph." Mitsurugi snorted. But—his hand kept holding Naruhodou's the entire time. The final firework bloomed in the sky. The golden light slowly scattered. Their two shadows stretched long across the floor of Soraniwa—and as the fireworks' light faded, they quietly melted into the night.