CHAPTER 6 Act 1

The school provides an environment for pupils to learn proper etiquette and gain knowledge; yet, one of the factors which interrupts this is the students themselves.

Our school firmly prohibits criminal conduct and vigorously enforces the law, or so I thought.

Unknown to the people outside, there's more to it than this school. Several Families and Organizations were gathered here in one place.

In reality, this school was still running because it kept its mask on, keeping the truth about what was truly going on inside hidden.

There are still areas where the school cannot see behind them, which we term blindspots. But even though the school sees everything, they just play possum. As a result, many students learn to use it and do anything they want.

As a Student Council Representative, one of the individuals in charge of things, it hurts to see some of my fellow students struggle, and I can't do anything about it.

It's easy to follow the rules and do what is right; on the other hand, it's difficult to defy the rules and do what you believe is right.

Overtime, my heart hardens and I cease caring about them. And that is what makes me sure that this is how to be a member of the Student Council.

"There's still class, and you want me to come with you, Hana?"

"Y-yes, Mr. Seid, I'm not the one who summoned you; the Student Council called for you," I said.

"I see; is this something related to the prior incident?"

"Student Council needed to act as soon as possible to avoid slowing things down."

"...Hmm, what else can I do then?"

I was about to get Mr. Seid, but luckily we ran into each other in the corridor. He was going to return to class, but I immediately stopped him.

Teacher Fireil goes ahead of me. She didn't ask any further questions and knew that she needed to be there.

While I'm leading Mr. Seid to the Student Council Room, there's an unsettling silence surrounding us as we move down the hallway. I looked around to see why he wasn't speaking, and I observed that he didn't care about my presence at all. It is aggravating to see, but this is Mr. Seid I'm talking about. Mr. Seid is not the sort to initiate a conversation and rarely speaks on his own. So, to alleviate my discomfort, I'm forced to strike up a conversation.

I cleared my throat and began speaking, "Ehem... I have one question to ask Mr. Seid."

He gave me a sidelong glance before returning his gaze to the front.

"Earlier, was it a reflex or a loss of self-control?"

I was discussing how he acted upon the situation previously.

"Ah, that? Honestly, I have a subtle rage, but I could say it's an impulsive."

So he was actually a bit irritated earlier.

"But it appeared that you didn't express your temper at all, which baffled me."

"I don't know about that. Umm, Hana, is this how you start a conversation with someone?"

"...W-What do you mean? W-well, it's popped up on my mind."

"So you're the type of person that says anything that comes to mind, huh?"

"Hold on a minute, are you assessing me?"

I immediately felt as though he was analyzing me the entire time.

"Aren't we the same? You keep staring at me and reading the mood, something not everyone can do."

"Hoh, you're very sharp. It's not that I couldn't refute it."

He is keenly aware of his surroundings.

"Then, Hana, I also have a question for you."

"S-Stop!" I exclaimed, "C-can you quit addressing my name as if we're friends?"

He keep saying 'Hana' the entire time. It's a little startling at first, but he keeps using it to catch me by surprise. I'm not against it, but I'm not used to being called by my name like that, especially if it's someone outside of my family.

"There's nothing wrong with your name; are you embarrassed somehow?"

He hasn't changed his tone in a while, but I'm pretty sure he was making fun of me just by that phrase.

"N-not even close... It's not like that..."

I quickly avoid my eyes, jittering. I can't go on like this. How can he address people so casually?

"It looks like you are embarrassed for real. That's a cute reaction, Ms. Hana."

"Wha—"

I instantly stopped walking. That caught me off guard that I almost slipped on my feet.

"A-Are you ridiculing me?"

"..."

He, too, stopped and turned around to face me. He then just stared intensely at me, saying nothing. He slowly approached me and intimately pressed me against the wall, which everyone would feel uncomfortable with.

Although I'm aware that he was performing this behavior to diss me in some way, I still can't handle the embarrassment.

"..."

"..."

We had exchanged stares for almost a minute now, and he was still not turning his back.

No, that's not the case. I can tell he's still evaluating my personality. Despite the fact that we meet frequently, he would not have the opportunity to get to know me well. So now he attempts to mislead me and push me to my limits.

"This is frustrating..."

I yelled out my displeasure. I can't maintain this expression on my face.

"Let's end this, Mr. Seid. I lost, so please stop," I said rigidly, staring back at him.

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He gazed at me for a few more seconds before saying, "Alright, but I'm disappointed in how defenseless you can be. Though, you know, it took you more than a minute. Seriously, are you truly part of the Student Council?"

"That's... Stop messing around like that all of a sudden. I-It makes people uneasy," as my voice trailed off.

He's taunting but also testing me. Not only that, he insulted me. This is completely humiliating.

"I'm not messing with you in the least," he said, which made me out of words again. "Anyway, as I said," he continued, "I have one question for you: may I call you by your first name?"

"W-why so formal? And it's more of a favor than a question, no? Is this how you want to get close to a certain person?"

Clearly, it gives me the impression that he wants to befriend me. Mr. Seid isn't the affable type of person, so this struck me as strange and worrisome.

"I felt this method might work for you."

"Method? What is your actual goal, Mr. Seid?"

"I want to know it as well."

"Now I'm more certain about how suspicious you are."

I figured we had to end the conversation right here, so I ignored his question and moved on. He didn't bother to ask me again, so he just followed me quietly.

I let this one slip, but next time I'll catch him off guard. This is the last time I'll disgrace myself in front of him.

We forgot what occurred there, and finally, we came to the Student Council room. I took one more look at Mr. Seid, and he still had a dead-eyed face. He was really calm, which suggests he didn't care.

I opened the door after knocking, and as usual, all eyes were on us.

Teacher Fireil, the President, Ms. Leyand, and the male student who had been present at the scene were all here.

"How are you, Mr. Seid? It's been a long time."

The President welcomed us casually and greeted Mr. Seid. But Mr. Seid had nothing further to say.

"It's funny to believe you're the victim and you've been probed here," Ms. Leyand, the Secretary, shook her head while beaming, but she received no response from him.

They were already aware of what had occurred in our classroom, and I'm sure Teacher Fireil was as well.

"Alright, without further ado, let's get started," Mr. President commands.

I took a seat beside Mr. Seid, and as expected, he maintained his cool as we took our seats.

"Now, Teacher Fireil, as you know, Mr. Seid caused a fuss and was witnessed by everyone; what do you think about that?" asks the president.

"What could I say? It is inevitable."

Teacher Fireil blurts out a few things, as if she doesn't care.

This sort of thing was nothing new to the teachers. Teachers are always drawn to these issues, or sometimes even serious matters, and they are bound to help. For them, this is additional baggage, which has a consequence.

"I just didn't anticipate Mr. Seid to be this quick at making problems," Teacher Fireil continued.

"I realize it's out of my character on the first day we've met Teacher Fireil, but if you expect me to be good throughout the year, you're mistaken," Mr. Seid remarked insipidly but firmly.

"..."

For Teacher Fireil it's surprising, but that's how Hans Seid interacts. Teacher Fireil had no idea what Hans' true nature was since no one had mentioned anything about it.

Similarly, I heard from certain Representatives that they had received information concerning Hans Seid ahead of time. Still, we're not sure who is behind it.

Hans Seid is descended from the Light Family, but he was not a member of it. He's always making a risky move despite the fact that he has no Family to back him up, which is commendable. According to the President's information from the Principal, if Hans was viewed as innocuous, he would treat you similarly. If that's not the case, that'll be a concern.

"Hmm... I'm not expecting any students to be good, Mr. Seid," Teacher Fireil assured him, "I only want them to accomplish what they're required to do. In this situation; I'm sorry to say, but I can't assist you."

Mr. Seid was staring blankly at Teacher Fireil's eyes when the President spoke out.

"Regardless, we already talked earlier, and Mr. Hans Seid, your luck is very impressive, because the victim said he didn't want to file a case against you."

My eyes were wide open in shock. I look at the victim and he appears to want to clean up the mess as soon as possible. There are two things that might be the reason; he's either terrified or unsettled being surrounded by so many people.

"He admits first that he hurt himself and had a scratch on his head, but we confirm that it was due to Mr. Seid's action; then again, he already said he didn't want to file a case, so according to school rules, we should release you."

Mr. Seid stared at the victim but didn't say anything, though it looked like he was contemplating something.

"So, Ms. Frey, this meeting was pointless," Ms. Leyand affirms.

"...Uh, I apologize for any inconvenience," I said.

"Are you not going to say anything, Mr. Seid?" The President questioned.

"Are you feeling happy? Relieved?" Ms. Leyand adds in a quip.

"Is this something you should be happy about?" Mr. Seid said cynically.

Then the guy suddenly interjected, "C-Can I go now?"

"Ah, Mr. Drior, of course you may leave now," Secretary Leyand remarked, assisting him outside.

The stillness is gradually creeping into this room since we left with nothing to say. However, it snaps as Teacher Fireil stands up.

"Too bad, I was going to refuse you a re-exam to recompense Mr. Hans Seid."

But Mr. Seid remained still.

"Test?" I said in confusion.

"No, I'm kidding," Teacher Feireil smiles, adding, "I can't simply do that."

Teacher Fireil grins, as if sneering. I'm not sure why she said it.

"Ah, about that; how's your exam, Mr. Seid?"

The President inquires, but Hans Seid remains mute. So he asks Teacher Fireil about Mr. Seid's test.

"To be honest, Mr. President, he didn't have his paper with him right now, so he can't tell you if he's doing well," she answered.

"Hmm?" The President gave a puzzled tone.

I was about to ask Teacher Fireil why, but she caught me by explaining, "It's because, he didn't pass it."

"E-Eh?" I shrieked out of my chair to my surprise.

Now I know why Teacher Fireil mentioned it before.

"But how?" I ask.

"I don't know," she only replied.

Indeed, Mr. Seid was unpredictable. It's strange why he did that, though.

"Mr. Seid?"

"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. President but these two still have classes, so please excuse them," Teacher Fireil stepped in and got the attention of the President.

"Is that so?"

"Also, can I have a word for you?" She adds.

"If you're okay, then it's fine."

After that, we leave them alone with the procedure. I believe they wanted to talk about what occurred today, so we stepped aside for them. Student Council must ensure that this is the last time the student makes a fuss in everyone's sight. If this behavior was frequently done, I believe others would follow suit. So this action must be taken seriously.

Because of the awkward atmosphere, the short walk is almost a day for me. I'll have to get accustomed to it, particularly being with Mr. Seid.

"Why didn't you just achieve a perfect score, Mr. Seid? I think you can do it without any hitches."

I mulled this over in confusion. I've been wondering about this the entire time, so I take advantage of the opportunity to question him. I'd also want to take the initiative and break the ice between us. But he didn't respond, which made me feel even more uneasy.

"Are you not going to say anything?"

"Ms. Frey, please allow me to ask you; if you truly know me, why not find an answer for yourself?"

"What?"

"Or maybe I might be wrong about something. You stated you knew me the first time we met."

"U-Uhm..."

"How well do you know me?"

"I-I can't say anything specific..."

"If that's the case, then never, ever pretend you know me. Again, perhaps I was expecting too much from you."

He spoke calmly as he walked alongside me. I could see he was serious about it.

"Okay, then why? Why didn't you pass your paper? I'm sorry for bothering you, but I'm interested."

I waited for a few seconds before he answered me.

"What if I told you that someone was observing me from behind?"

I wasn't expecting him to tell me that openly.

"O-oh, are you being watched? The only way to explain this is if you have a stalker."

"Unfortunately, sort of."

"B-but how is it connected to your exam?"

He stopped walking at the moment, looking straight ahead.

From this point on, he was still analyzing me silently, looking to see if it was worth it if he told me everything.

"You don't have to be concerned, Mr. Seid; I don't reveal secrets to anyone."

"Words cannot satisfy my doubt."

"Then you don't have to say it if you don't want to."

"However, I don't care whether you're that person, Ms. Hana Frey, so I'll tell you anyway." He then looked me in the eyes and said, "There's someone out there sending me letters."

"Letters? Wait, aren't those love lette—"

"No."

"...Erm, j-just kidding."

Mr. Seid's stern demeanor surprised me. He denied it, therefore that's not the case. It appears that the problem is more serious than I imagined.

"But how about them?" I continued, "I know letters are interesting, but it might get annoying if you receive them every day."

"You're correct; I get them every day."

"Oh, that... strikes me as suspicious; what, after all, is the content of those letters?"

It might be tough to deal with. If I were him, I'd probably be panicking right now.

"Some odd commands, but it occasionally takes me by surprise since it understands how things happen."

That suggests the person watching Mr. Seid is familiar with him. It may be a stranger, but Hans is more likely to know that person for himself.

"Erm, do you have any idea who it was?"

"..."

"From the looks of it, you're not sure, huh?"

If Mr. Seid doesn't know, then neither do I.

"So, what are you going to do with it?"

"Of course I'm going to find that person."

"But how are you going to find that person? I'm sure you've thought about it."

It took a few seconds and then he answered me, "...by building an Organization."

He then proceeds to walk straight forward ahead of me. That left me blank and speechless.