After sunset, all those who had gathered at the Momoyo Hall, whose goal was to protect everyone's smiles, to defend the Cherry Blossom Festival from destruction, and to fight the delinquent children of Street Mouryo gang and their unseen mastermind, convened to plan their next move.
"Then what exactly should we do about the mastermind behind this?" asked the graceful Yamato-Nadeshiko, Mimori.
"There is one most practical thod," I replied: "First, head out onto the streets. Then find the Street Mouryo trouble-makers, and surround them all at once."
The poster-girl of the Momoyo Hall, Shizuko, refined the idea: "Although with just the Festival Operations Departnt this large operation would be impossible, now that the Inner Discipline Club is with us, it becos feasible!"
Tsubaki, the "sleeping beauty" fad across Hyakkiyako, softly voiced her concern: "Surround them… and then what do we do after that…?"
"Of course," Shizuko said naturally and resolutely, "we imdiately defeat them all, then capture everyone! Next, force them to reveal who the true culprit is."
She added firmly, "If necessary, we must not hesitate to use extre asures!"
"A President with a backbone! Let's even use pinky-finger-cutting punishnt on those villains!"
Pina, with her Yakuza-style spirit, added her support.
At that mont, the Head of the Shopping District, Date owru, for reasons unknown, summoned to the eting suddenly slamd the table.
"Wait just a minute! You are students, are you not? How can you propose such extre asures!?"
Every attendee showed expressions that were hard to describe. Even Pina hesitated and spoke up: "U-um… now that I think about it, President, I do feel this is a bit too extre…"
"Why are you acting as though that was my idea!?" Shizuko snapped back.
Date owru, with a displeased expression, interrupted: "Listen, everyone, I ca here in the middle of a busy schedule because many shop owners filed complaints. I have no ti to entertain impractical sches such as this."
According to Date owru, the actions of Street Mouryo gang had already caused economic damage to the rchants who had carefully prepared for the festival. As the head of the shopping district, he had co once more to urge Shizuko and the others in charge of the festival to quickly solve the problem.
Shizuko looked slightly embarrassed, but suddenly she brightened and asked: "Head, hearing you say that... do you perhaps already have a better idea?"
"I…"
Date owru stroked his long white beard, silent for a long mont, unable to produce a plan, but firmly opposed the current one:
"At least this plan of yours absolutely will not do. Fighting a large-scale battle on the streets late at night will only disturb nearby residents."
That reasoning clearly failed to convince Shizuko. She argued: "But right now we have no other way, do we? The climax of the Cherry Blossom Festival is the day after tomorrow, we must find the culprit before then. Even if your prediction is true, we can still only apologize to the disturbed residents afterward."
Date owru narrowed his brows and glared at Shizuko. "Hmph… can you guarantee the plan will definitely succeed? Even if you manage to catch those delinquents, can you guarantee you'll get any useful info from them? If all you get is chaos and no results, the residents affected by the noise won't lightly accept your apology!"
Now the debate carried the air of stubborn argunt.
"I–I said it already!" Shizuko said each word slowly, though panic crept into her tone. "We no longer have ti to waste! You fossilized old-geezer!"
"Wh-what!? What kind of attitude is that!?"
Imdiately the atmosphere turned tense.
At that mont, Tsubaki, with worry in her voice, said: "Also... if at the fireworks show at the end of the festival the Street Mouryo gang rioters go wild again that won't just be a disturbance…"
Shizuko sighed, nodding lightly. "If that really happens, then we in the Festival Operations Departnt will be held accountable…"
Date owru softened his tone, saying in a calr voice: "I understand the pressure you must be under. I ca here to help solve this problem, but I also have my position to consider."
He reasoned gently: "Take so ti, calm down, and think again. There must be a better thod. If worst cos to worst, we can do this tomorrow in the dayti, still in ti. And, as students… don't resort to torture for confessions."
Shizuko clearly hesitated.
At a mont like this, a leader needed to step forward.
"About the identity of the mastermind."
I, who had remained silent and observed since earlier, drew everyone's attention as soon as I spoke.
"Actually, I've already got a hunch. At least it allows us to narrow down the range considerably."
"What?!" Date owru was so surprised he accidentally pulled out one of his whiskers, then winced in pain before blurting out anxiously, "If you already have a theory... th-then say it quick! Young people these days, huh…"
"Even if I have a guess, I can't be 100% certain. Still, Shizuko's plan remains the simplest viable one."
Date owru's tone turned frosty: "I told you that idea isn't reliable."
The difference between and Shizuko is that I have no desire to debate stubborn old-fossils like Date owru.
No matter how big a ss Street Mouryo gang makes, the ones who'll be blad first are the Festival Operations Departnt. As shopping-District Head, Date owru hardly stands to lose anything. So of course it's easy for him to criticize while staying safe.
In truth, Shizuko and the others only included him in the eting out of respect.
Once you remove that layer, what ans does Date owru really have? Even if he objected, does the Festival Departnt need his approval to decide?
If he truly had a better workable plan, fine... but just opposing everything is nothing but harassing the kind-hearted students who want to fix things.
I felt a lot of resentnt brewing toward him.
The girls of the Inner Discipline Club mostly seed to feel the sa.
It's not just innocent Kaede, even Tsubaki's earlier soft words had already revealed her own leanings.
As for Mimori... well, that goes without saying. Right, dear?
When my gaze t the pink-haired student's eyes, I couldn't tell whether she detected what I was thinking.
And more than that…
Was this fellow's opposition to Shizuko's plan really just what he claid it was?
I remained doubtful.
That's also why I hadn't joined the earlier argunt.
Regardless, ignoring Date owru's complaints, I continued:
"From our information so far, the mastermind behind this has several clear characteristics..."
"First, substantial financial resources. With personal funding alone, he's able to hire dozens, or potentially far more, from Street Mouryo gang. That's no trivial amount of money."
Date owru seed to quickly forget his earlier displeasure. He nodded repeatedly: "That's true. Even as head of the shopping district, I couldn't possibly raise that kind of money on my own."
I continued, ignoring him: "Second, prominent reputation. Money alone might get Street Mouryo gang to follow orders, but it wouldn't be enough to make those rebellious brats truly respect soone, or follow him loyally. During the fights, they still repeated slogans as though being under his banner, that's proof of an existing prestige behind him."
"What?! Is that so!?" Date owru gasped, accidentally pulling another whisker and wincing. "Well, that's good… With that, the pool of suspects shrinks significantly!"
"Pinally, the most critical point," I said, scanning the group seriously. "It's obvious this is not the first ti for this 'master.' If what Street Mouryo gang claid is true, then whoever is behind the sabotage of the Cherry Blossom Festival has already committed many more cris in secret."
"…Huh?" Date owru blinked. Then: "Oh! T-that's really… well… horrifying. You must catch the culprit as soon as possible."
Where did all these words co from just now?
"Already this many clues?" Shizuko thought aloud, noticing how things added up, she couldn't help her face lighting up. "Then we can at least narrow the suspect range by a lot!"
"But even if we identify the mastermind, that doesn't guarantee we can catch them," I warned Shizuko. "And we can't rule out the possibility the Street Mouryo gang themselves are lying intentionally."
Date owru hurriedly interjected: "On the contrary, I think your direction is quite viable! As expected of Schale's teacher, you truly are clever beyond rumors!"
Even if he praised , it didn't change anything.
Still… although I strongly doubted it, might it really be, as Shizuko and Pina said, that Date owru is just a stuck-up old fool, cold-faced, but with a warm heart, a true tsundere…?
Honestly? That thought makes feel nauseated.
Shizuko mulled it over for a mont, then following my reasoning, proposed another idea:
"Head is right. No matter what, if we gather sufficient evidence that shows the mastermind has a criminal record or is already wanted… then even the Yin-Yang Club shouldn't be able to stay uninvolved, right?"
Another card to play?
That was a path I'd previously overlooked. Having already been rejected once by the Yin-Yang Club, I hadn't thought to ask again.
Though they might reject us again, if we had a legitimate justification, it could very well be worth a try.
Shizuko switched to her "custor-service smile and tone," and sweetly said: "Thanks so much, Sensei."
"No problem. I'm only doing what I should. Now... without delay, let's start our deductions. I don't know much about the current state of Hyakkiyako. What ideas do you all have?"
Shizuko nodded, then frowned in thought. "Hmm… if we're talking about criminals known in Hyakkiyako…"
"Ah! I thought of soone!" Pina said excitedly. "If you ask who the most infamous criminal in Hyakkiyako is... it has to be that one, right?"
She lowered her voice and spoke in a mysterious tone: "Last I heard, she carried out indiscriminate destruction all across Kivotos like a ghost! So mysterious and terrifying that even the General Student Council trembled in fear. Their most elite force had to be deployed to arrest her, sending her to a correctional facility… but she recently escaped!"
…Huh?
From that all-too-familiar description, a bad premonition rose in .
Everyone else seated there looked similarly startled.
Pina couldn't stay mysterious any longer. She finally revealed the na:
"That's right! She's one of the Seven Prisoners, the one nicknad [The Fox of Calamity], Kosaka Wakamo!"
With a bang,
Date owru slamd the table in excitent. "Yes! It must be the Fox of Calamity!"
Shizuko's eyes brightened. "Yes, if it's Kosaka Wakamo that makes perfect sense! She'd have the prestige to rally Street Mouryo gang, the criminal record, and the sa destructive style!"
Kaede's eyes glead. "Oh! The legendary Fox of Calamity! If we're really facing soone like that... this is huge! We're fighting soone like in those ani stories!"
Tsubaki cocked her head, puzzled. "But... why would Wakamo try to destroy the festival?"
Shizuko thought for a mont. "Her previous acts also had unclear motives... maybe she just enjoys destruction itself!"
While the group erupted in lively discussion, already almost certain Wakamo was the pri suspect, I quietly closed my phone.
Just in case, I had briefly contacted Wakamo via Momotalk. If she were innocent, she wouldn't lie to . I was confident she wouldn't lie about this. She said it wasn't her. And I was confident she wouldn't lie to about sothing like this.
But even though I knew the truth…
what excuse could I offer to deny this theory?
I couldn't exactly say,
"Oh, I'm actually quite close with the infamous delinquent Kosaka Wakamo, and she personally told she's not the mastermind."
At that mont...
"Um, everyone. As far as I know, the Fox of Calamity always leads her operations personally, and never delegates everything to others."
The one who said this was not , but Mimori.
I subtly nodded toward the pink-haired girl in thanks, though she seed entirely unaware.
Once she said that, everyone looked at each other, recalling the rumors about Wakamo and indeed, it matched Mimori's statent.
Thus, even if Wakamo's suspicion wasn't fully cleared, it had significantly decreased.
"Besides the Fox of Calamity… who else could it be…"
Shizuko murmured, falling deep into thought.
Date owru looked around. Seeing everyone thinking, he cleared his throat and said gravely:
"Well… I still think it's the Fox of Calamity. After being captured and placed in the Correction Bureau, it's normal she'd adopt a more cautious style afterward!"
His point had so logic, but seriously? Bad-mouthing her in front of ?
Trying to muddy the waters... honestly, Date owru looked more suspicious than anyone!
Though admittedly, that was only my irritation speaking.
In reality, I knew perfectly well that an ordinary shopping district Head couldn't possibly have the funds to hire so many people, nor the motive to destroy the festival, nor the prestige to command delinquent students…
unless he had so hidden identity, which we had no reason to assu.
Still… we couldn't completely rule out the possibility that Date owru had so connection to the real mastermind.
"…I think I have an idea."
Shizuko finally spoke, as if sothing had clicked in her mind:
"If we don't limit ourselves to criminals originating from Hyakkiyako, but expand the scope to criminals who acted in Hyakkiyako, yet whose school, identity, or even whether they're a student is completely unknown… Such a person does exist."
Shizuko paused, then continued:
"Soone far more mysterious than the Fox of Calamity. Soone whose true identity even Chronos couldn't discover, soone who always moves from the shadows, soone hailed as the criminal mastermind of all Kivotos…"
Soone in the group already seed to realize it.
Shizuko took a deep breath, then slowly revealed the na:
"The Smug Professor."
Bang!
Date owru slamd the table with exhilaration:
"Yes! It must be the Smug Professor!"
Pina gasped, face serious:
"So it's the legendary Smug Professor? That makes perfect sense! Only a villain of that caliber could recruit such loyal followers in secret!"
Kaede's eyes sparkled again:
"Oooh! The urban-legend Smug Professor! They… really do sound more like an evil mastermind than the Fox of Calamity!"
So who the hell is this "Smug Professor"?
Completely lost, I pulled out my phone to look them up.
"It certainly sounds like their style… But what would the motive be?" Tsubaki wondered.
But Shizuko waved her hand dismissively:
"The motive doesn't matter, we can investigate that after solving the incident. The important thing is that the Smug Professor is currently the most plausible suspect."
"Well… that's true…"
"And there's not a single contradiction!" Shizuko smiled brightly. "Since there's no proof it isn't the Smug Professor, let's report this directly to the Yin-Yang Club!"
As expected of the Momoyo Hall's poster girl, Shizuko was a strategist willing to use any ans necessary.
Just as she said: as long as the incident looked like the Smug Professor's handiwork, and couldn't be disproved, then the actual truth didn't matter.
What mattered was leveraging that to force the Yin-Yang Club to act.
Shizuko stood up joyfully:
"I'll contact the Yin-Yang Club right now! With such a notorious wanted criminal involved, I refuse to believe they'll stay idle!"
"Hold it!"
However, Date owru suddenly jumped to his feet:
"Shizuko! Falsifying information like this is not acceptable!"
"What do you an, falsifying?" Shizuko tilted her head innocently. "I don't understand. If the mastermind we catch isn't the Smug Professor, then the intel must have been wrong. I'm a victim too~"
Date owru fell silent for a mont, then slowly nodded.
"…Since you've made up your mind, I have nothing more to say. It's late, I still have business, so I'll take my leave."
"Ah... Chairman, safe travels!"
After sending Date owru out, Shizuko returned, exhaled deeply, dropped all pretense, and clenched her tiny fists with gritted teeth:
"In any case! Once we trick the Yin-Yang Club into helping, we'll find the real mastermind imdiately! Then I'll return every last bit of stress I suffered straight to him, I won't forgive him unless I beat him into mush!"
I joked, "Done pretending already?"
"D-don't sweat the little details!"
The poster-girl said, "Anyway, let's call it a night. The Head had a point: a large-scale battle with Street Mouryo gang at this hour would disturb the residents. And everyone's tired today, right?
"Let's rest, wait for the Yin-Yang Club's reply, and prepare thoroughly tomorrow before starting the operation."
Finally with the outsiders gone, I spoke:
"Shizuko, everyone... I have sothing to tell you."
"Huh? Please go ahead."
"Tomorrow, during the day, I have a eting with Izuna, the ninja-like girl who was accompanying Street Mouryo gang. So I won't be able to join your operation."
I concisely explained my relationship with Izuna, her being deceived by her employer, and my intention to extract information about the mastermind from her.
The girls did not object, only expressed concern for my safety.
Once I promised to contact them imdiately if anything went wrong, my cute students raised no further complaints.
And so, after temporarily parting ways with the Inner Discipline Club and Festival Operations Departnt, I headed back to Schale alone.
anwhile....
in the Yin-Yang Club's room.
A girl with squinting eyes, holding a folding fan, spoke with great amusent:
"Niha~ Chise, Tanuki-san says she found the true culprit?"
Chise put away her phone, paused, and recited:
"Sabotaging the festival… mastermind is… Smug Professor."
"…Huh?"
The composed smile of the Yin-Yang Club President,
Amachi Niya,
froze on her face.
---
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