School Caste and Mind Control App

18 Strange Stiffness

The sixth period ended.

There was a short break before homeroom, so I decided to check my likeability.

I finally got it, but I haven’t had a chance to use it.

I might just forget about it if I leave it for tomorrow.

“First…”

I’ll check Mami’s likeability.

Since I’ve helped her a few times, at least she shouldn’t have a bad impression of me.

It would be a good indicator of high and low.

When I tapped the item, it said, “Please keep the person you want to view in your sight.” When I did as instructed,

“60”

It displayed a very ambiguous number.

If the upper limit was “100”, it wouldn’t be low at all. Judging from this number, I guess she sees me as a friend.

“Well, that’s about right.”

It’s not bad considering we don’t have much contact.

I wonder what kind of number it would be if she hated me.

Would it be a minus, or would it be output as a low number?

I guess I’ll find out when I look at Misato.

I started browsing again, and

“91”

“…Huh?”

I doubted my own eyes at the unexpectedly high measurement.

I tried it several times, but the result didn’t change.

“Why?”

My head was filled with question marks, and I came up with an answer in desperation.

That is, if this favorability browsing itself is nonsense.

It’s not referencing the areas that Ryugo is imagining, and therefore, there’s a difference in perception between the app and me, resulting in such a high number.

“…What the hell is this?”

Or maybe the upper limit is much higher than “100”.

“That’s the only possibility, right…”

Next, I select Madoka.

I’ve lost my sense of direction with this favorability browsing, but this should give me the whole picture.

And the number that appeared was,

“115”

“Yeah. That’s probably what it is.”

……Masami must really hate me.

I headed to the hospital where Ira was apparently sent, even though I felt a chill run down my spine after learning something I didn’t want to know.

Makoto seems to be getting examined at the same place, by the way.

I do realize that breaking his finger on the spot was a bit too much, but if I hadn’t done that, we would have ended up in a fistfight.

As usual, the weather was scorching hot.

A heat wave.

Humidity that made it impossible for sweat to dry.

The reflection from the concrete.

This is the natural sauna that the climate of Japan offers. I wanted to jump into a cold bath right away.

“Tanuki-kun. There’s an ice cream shop over there!”

Madoka, who always spoke with such dazzling brightness, and

“……”

Surrounded by two unresponsive and silent Misatos, I walked.

I felt like three people were unnecessary just to deliver some printouts to the hospital…

“Ice cream sounds good. Let’s get some.”

It was just what I needed to cool down my overheated body.

I decided to go along with the suggestion.

It’s not like I have anything urgent to do anyway.

“It’s hot, so that sounds perfect.”

“Alright, then let’s get three.”

But then Misato muttered,

“I don’t want any.”

She’s as curt as ever.

Ryugo took out his wallet and checked his change.

“Then let’s get two. I’ll buy one for Enka too.”

“N-no, it’s fine! I’ll pay for my own!”

“Oh? Then let’s go buy them together.”

We approached the food truck parked in the park and checked out the menu. There were photos of colorful ice cream, and just looking at them made me feel cooler.

A friendly-looking woman was handing out three-scoop ice cream cones to some children who had come to buy some.

While Enka was still glaring at the menu, Ryugo spotted an ice cream that had been trending online.

Yes, that’s the one.

“I’ll have the eel flavor.”

“Huh?”

“And for toppings, I’ll have the natto, please.”

“Huh?”

What was brought out was something that looked fairly ordinary, if you only considered its appearance: cream-colored ice cream with brown beans on top.

If someone told you it was milk with azuki beans, ninety-nine out of a hundred people would believe them.

“Mmm, it’s delicious.”

“…I can’t even imagine what that tastes like.”

“Why don’t you try some?”

“No…I don’t think I’m that adventurous…I’ll just have chocolate ice cream…”

“Oh? But this is good.”

I finished it all while receiving stares from Enka that were like those of someone watching a dog happily munching on a bug it had found.

It’s too bad it didn’t taste that strange.

We arrived at a fairly large university hospital.

It had a remarkable reputation worldwide for its cutting-edge medical technology and minimally invasive surgeries, and it received support from various circles.

Or so I had heard on TV before.

We got directions to the ward from the reception and headed to the inpatient ward.

The wood-paneled floor and slightly pinkish walls gave off a sense of warmth. It was a design that was intended to put anxious patients at ease.

We walked south from the lobby and took the elevator to the eighth floor.

Apparently, the private room at the end of the hall was the one where Aira was.

“Hey there~”

As he slid open the door,

“Ugh.”

Aira, lying in bed, got up with a look of obvious disgust on her face.

She was wearing a hospital gown, so the extent of her injuries couldn’t be seen, but she must have been pretty banged up. She looked like it was even a struggle to lift her arm.

Her private room was decorated like a luxury hotel.

The floor was covered in a plush carpet. There was an expensive-looking sofa and table. An LCD TV was mounted on the wall.

The window was large, offering a panoramic view of the city.

There was even an expensive-looking painting on the wall that she didn’t recognize.

Was this really a hospital room?

“Ow… Why is even Raccoon here…?”

“Ho ho ho, what are you saying, Aira-san? Aren’t we classmates?”

“Annoying…”

“Well, actually, I just wanted to see your pathetic state.”

“Please just die already~~~~~~~~~~”

“Anyway, what’s with this room?”

“It’s a special private room, you know? I bet a poor person like you wouldn’t know about it.”

“What did you say, you bastard?”

“There were even bigger rooms available. But I declined, since I’m only staying for a day or two anyway.”

“You’re acting like you’re doing me a favor or something. It’s really pissing me off.”

“Hey, Misato~. Can you kick this idiot out?”

As Aira looked on in disgust, Misato handed her some papers she had brought.

“I’ll be back soon, so bear with it.”

“Awww.”

“Aira-san.”

Enka gently placed her bag next to the bed.

“Here. You must not have been able to take these home because you went to the hospital right away, right?”

“Oh. It’s fine. I don’t do homework anyway.”

“That’s not good. You have to do the work you missed in class.”

“Yes, ma’am…”

Aira grumbled, but she didn’t disobey Enka.

As always, I’m impressed by Enka’s ability to make that princess behave.

Does her natural kindness melt even frozen hearts?

Or does she have some special method?

“Are your injuries okay?”

“I’m fine. Well, my dad is talking about suing the school, but I told him to stop because it’s embarrassing. I just fell down the stairs because I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Wait a minute.”

Unable to let it pass, Ryugo spoke up.

“Did you really fall down the stairs?”

“Huh? …No, I don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember?”

“I woke up collapsed on the stairs… I think I hit my head and lost my memory temporarily.”

It’s suspicious, but if that’s what she says, there’s no way to investigate.

“Anyway, if you’re done, go home. Go hoooome!”

“Oh, okay.”

Even though it’s a private room, if she keeps yelling like this, we might get yelled at too. I’ve heard what I wanted to hear, so let’s get out of here.

I might as well check Aira’s likeability while I’m at it.

’72’

I confirmed that the theory that Asami dislikes me has been further reinforced, and I wonder what kind of face I should make when I talk to her from now on.

If only there were some kind of standard, I’d be able to judge it, but if only numbers are displayed, I’ll be at a loss as to how to interpret them.

“Aira-san, get well soon.”

“We’re going home.”

“Mmh.”

With Aira’s curt reply, which lacked any gratitude, Ryugo and the others were about to leave the hospital room when,

“By the way.”

“Hmm?”

Aira suddenly brought up a topic, and they stopped in their tracks.

“The doctor at the hospital said…”

She stopped abruptly after saying that much.

Her words cut off as if a video had been stopped, and she froze. The focal point of her wandering gaze was unknown, and she stared blankly into space.

Time stood still for a moment.

Ryugo, who had been waiting for the rest of the unfinished story, realized after a few seconds that something was wrong with her.

“Aira…?”

He narrowed his eyes and focused on the change in her.

There was no proof. There was no proof, but… the moment when she suddenly spaced out like that, he scrambled that maybe…

–It was a reaction to being hypnotized.

Of course, there was a greater chance that it wasn’t that.

He himself had experienced his movements freezing as a result of trying to search his memories. However, he couldn’t rule out the one in a million chance.

“Aira-san?”

Enka ran up to her and peered into her face.

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Ah… no, it’s nothing.”

Aira looked like a baby that had just woken up.

She was moving her mouth like a fish.

It was as if she had forgotten how to speak.

“…Never mind. Forget it.”

After a while, she muttered as if she were being absent-minded.

“We’re done, right? Is there anything else?”

“No. We’ll be going home. Take care, Aira-san.”

“Yes, yes. You don’t have to say it twice.”

“Hey, you two. We’re in the way, so we’ll go.”

Enka pushed us out of the hospital room.

There’s so much I don’t understand.

What’s going on?

The other possessor was using Makoto.

Did Aira really fall down the stairs?

Who was calling her?

Then I realized

The strange, heavy pressure in my stomach

“Enka…can you tell me?”

Ryuugo asked solemnly, and Enka’s bright eyes suddenly filled with anxiety.

“Huh?…What? Raccoon-kun?”

“You know, don’t you?”

I was so nervous, I started sweating.

I swallowed hard, my throat dry.

Misato seemed to notice the tension.

She turned her attention to us.

The cold air in the hospital stung my neck, and my body tensed up as if it were about to explode.

The noise of the hospital seemed distant.

“……”

I asked.

“Excuse me, I really need to poop. Where’s the bathroom?”

The ice cream I had earlier had given me an upset stomach.

I apologized to the two of them, who looked like they were about to collapse, and rushed to the bathroom with my butt about to explode.