Descending Mihara Hill, Yagi's words kept spinning in Saki's head. ——You only understand when you're about to lose it. （I haven't given up yet） Saki looked down at her feet. Cold night air rose from the direction of the Asahi River. Her school skirt swayed slightly. She hadn't given up. Not on Tatsuya. Not on the contest. She'd just been scared, trying to run from everything. But——even if she ran, Yagi's words would chase her down. （Tomorrow. I'll go to Tower Grants） Saki didn't stop walking. She headed home. --- The next morning. Still in her uniform, Saki walked not toward Minase Station, but toward Tower Grants. School was north. Tower Grants was a high-rise apartment building in Minase City's central ward, eight minutes by car from Minase Station. On foot, it took thirty minutes. She went anyway. Her knees trembled slightly. （Scared. Genuinely scared） But her feet didn't stop. When she entered Tower Grants' entrance, two men in black suits immediately blocked her path. "[serious]No entry without authorization" "Um, I want to see Tatsuya" "[serious]May I have your name?" "Saki. Shimizu Saki" In that instant, a low voice echoed from deeper inside. "[gentle]Miss, please come through" She turned. A large man in a suit stood there. Probably in his fifties. Intimidating face, deep wrinkles carved between his brows. But his eyes toward Saki were oddly gentle——Gonzo, an executive of the Kurogane Alliance. She'd seen him the first time she came to Tower Grants last week. The two black suits slipped smoothly to the side. Gonzo pressed the elevator button and spoke quietly, still facing forward. "[gentle]The young master is on the thirty-first floor. You might be a bit surprised" "[surprised]Surprised?" "[gentle]……He's weak in the mornings" She could imagine. The elevator doors opened on the thirty-first floor. She walked down the wide hallway alone and knocked on the door. "——Who" His voice was sleepy. "It's me. Saki" There was a long silence, then the door opened. Tatsuya came out. His silver slicked-back hair was disheveled. His eyes were only half-open. He was wearing proper clothes, but his shirt's first button was still undone. The moment he saw Saki, his sleepy blue eyes——snapped wide open. "[surprised]……What are you doing here" "Will you let me in?" Tatsuya said nothing and opened the door wide. The room was spacious, and the morning view of Minase City spread out from the windows. A historical novel lay open on the table in front of the sofa. Probably something he'd bought at Book Palace. Saki didn't sit on the sofa. She stood in front of Tatsuya. （I have to say it. I have to say it properly） "[serious]What I said last week. That I didn't want to be dragged into your world——that was a lie" Tatsuya's expression shifted slightly. But he said nothing. He was listening. "[serious]I was just scared. The Kurogane Alliance, the men in black suits, everything was too big. I couldn't face it properly……I was trying to run away. I'm sorry" She bowed her head. She felt his gaze on the back of her head. Tatsuya was looking at her. For a while, it was quiet. Then Tatsuya, unusually, looked away toward the window and spoke. "[serious]……I was wrong too. I tried to protect you my way, not yours" His voice was barely audible. Clear enough to hear, but small enough that pretending not to hear would have been possible. The small scar on his left cheek was faintly visible in the morning light. Something in Saki's chest tightened. Not anger, not relief——something softer. （Tatsuya's apologizing. That Tatsuya, who decides everything himself） "[gentle]The contest. I want to win with my own strength. I won't borrow your power" Tatsuya's face looked lonely for just an instant——really just an instant, but Saki saw it. Then slowly, it changed to a vague smile. "Got it. But let me cheer you on" "[serious]……I guess that's okay" The two of them laughed a little. Saki had no idea at this point just how massive that cheering would become. --- She arrived at school just before first period started. When lunch break came, Saki moved. She cornered classmates one by one and spoke to them directly. "[serious]That screenshot was fake. You don't have to believe me. But I'm not running away" First: Miho. "[sad]Sorry, I'm in a hurry" She left without meeting her eyes. Second: Aya. "……Yeah, well" Her gaze stayed on the floor. That was all she said before leaving. Third and fourth. Similar reactions. Saki stopped at the edge of the hallway for a moment. She bit her back teeth once and started walking again. （I'm not like the me who couldn't speak when Reina said you and Tatsuya don't match） Fifth: Yui, who sat by the window and was usually quiet. "Hey, Yui——" Yui didn't run. She looked at Saki's face carefully, then spoke in a small voice. "[whispers]……Honestly, I knew you weren't that kind of person" Saki's throat grew warm. She held back tears and just said, "Thank you." Sixth was Kouta. "[serious]I mean——that writing style didn't seem like you, right? It was too formal or something" He said it while scratching his head. That was the turning point. One by one, the kids who met Saki's serious gaze head-on began to change their attitudes. Not everyone. Some were still avoiding her. But the air in the classroom was clearly different from yesterday. After school, when she stopped by Tomo Cafe, Master Tomo served her hotcakes and said: "[gentle]Your face is different today. Much better than yesterday" That was the warmest thing anyone had said to her all day. --- Late afternoon. As she walked down the hallway to leave, a voice called from behind. "[gentle]You okay?" She turned. Ryou was standing there. Black hair with red streaks, golden eyes narrowed gently. "[serious]……Yeah. I'll do my best tomorrow" They started walking side by side. The two of them merged into the crowd of people heading toward the school gate. Ryou's way of speaking was as natural as always, his face didn't look like he was lying. That made Saki feel a bit more at ease, and she found herself honestly telling him what had happened today. Then. Ryou's phone slipped smoothly from his pants pocket. It fell onto the asphalt, the screen lighting up as it landed face-up. A notification preview flashed into Saki's eyes for just a moment. ——Ryou, just as planned. Looking forward to tonight too——Reina Ryou quickly crouched down and picked up his phone, turning off the screen. Saki's feet stopped. Ryou turned back with "Huh, what's wrong?" His face was unchanged. Natural. The same face with a dimple on his left cheek when he smiled. That dimple and the text on the screen——crashed together in her head with a sound. "[serious]……Hey, do you know Reina?" Her voice was quiet. She was surprised at how calm she sounded. Ryou's eyes wavered for just an instant. He didn't deny it. He started to say something, but before he could—— "[serious]Never mind, don't answer" Tears were about to come. She bit her back teeth and held them back. Ryou's warm hand. Kind words. The words "I believed in you." They all seemed so real——if it was all a lie underneath, how frustrating would that be. But. （I won't cry. I won't break） Saki lifted her face and looked straight ahead. "[serious]Tomorrow's contest, I'm fighting my way. That's it" She said only that and started walking. She thought Ryou said something, but she didn't listen. With her own feet, one step at a time, she moved forward. --- At the same time. Tower Grants, thirtieth floor, executive conference room. Seven executives of the Kurogane Alliance, ranked as Uchigashira in the organization's hierarchy, sat around a long table. Tatsuya, who usually sat, was standing today. Unusually. Gonzo waited quietly. The other six kept their mouths shut. "Tomorrow's contest" Tatsuya began speaking. "Mobilize everyone who can get into the audience" The executives exchanged glances. The contest——Minase City First Middle School, commonly called Ichi-chu, the Minase Middle Charisma Grand Prix. The gymnasium held about six hundred people. Tatsuya continued. "But——" A pause. "Don't do anything. Don't make a sound. Just be there and watch" Silence fell. Gonzo carefully opened his mouth. "[serious]……You mean, cheering?" "That's right" All the executives simultaneously imagined the same picture in their heads. A gymnasium filled with black suits. Over five hundred people sitting silently. Not a single voice. Just watching——that sight. No one said anything. Gonzo cleared his throat once. "[serious]……This should remain confidential from the young lady, yes?" "Obviously" Tatsuya's ears were slightly red. Gonzo looked around at the executives once more, then nodded quietly. ——Everyone nodded, their expressions subtly complicated. Gonzo continued his report. "[serious]And one more thing. Regarding the Five Houses matter" Tatsuya's eyes changed. The sleepy air vanished, replaced by a cold blue light. "[serious]The Violetta Trading Company's invasion of Minase City——it connects to the report from the first story" "……I see" That message Tatsuya had checked on his phone while on a date——"Movement on the Five Houses matter"——had been information about the Violetta Trading Company's invasion of Minase City. The full picture revealed itself here for the first time. While walking beside Saki, he'd been simultaneously handling an organizational crisis——Tatsuya had been carrying both all along. "I'll hear the details later" "[serious]……After tomorrow's contest?" Tatsuya paused for a moment, then answered quietly. "Yeah" Gonzo's eyes narrowed slightly. His expression held equal parts exasperation and warmth. --- Night. When Saki got home, her older sister looked up from the living room. "[excited]Oh, welcome home. You have the contest tomorrow, right? What about your outfit?" Saki paused for a moment, then said: "[serious]……I can't do something flashy like Reina. But I want to wear something that's me" Her sister didn't hesitate for a second. "[excited]Then let's make it" She pulled out the sewing machine and dragged out a pile of fabric scraps from the closet. Saki helped, spreading out the material. "[serious]This length okay?" "[excited]Make it a bit shorter. You've got nice legs" "[angry]Come on, don't say stuff like that!" When she tried to draw a line with scissors, it curved. Her sister laughed from the side, saying "Wait, wait," and straightened it. Saki laughed too. The finished outfit was simple and plain. No flashiness at all. But the time the two of them spent together was sewn into every stitch. "[gentle]That's so you" Her sister smiled. Saki smiled back. She returned to her room and got into bed. She slowly rewound the day in her head. Tatsuya's face at Tower Grants. His voice saying "Let me cheer you on" with that vague smile. Yui's small voice. Kouta scratching his head. Ryou's phone screen. Her own feet walking forward. She'd been scared and running away. But now——with the same fear, she wanted to move forward a little more. It wasn't calculation. She couldn't quite name this feeling. Tatsuya's "Got it" face came back to her. That lonely look in his eyes for just an instant, changing to a smile. （I——Tatsuya——） The rest of the words wouldn't come. Saki closed her eyes. What version of herself would appear on tomorrow's stage——that was all that felt a little exciting right now.