Chapter 39: Morishita Ai's Words (Part 2) (Patreon)

Chapter 39: Ai Morishita's Words (Part 2)

...

The conversation in the corner of the cafeteria continued, Ai Morishita's voice flat and even.

"When she collapsed earlier, it was probably her congenital heart condition. A weak heart can't support the body for long, which is why she needs a cane."

"Before coming to Advanced Nurturing High School, she probably never attended a proper school, so she has some strange expectations about what school should be."

"She's always been surrounded by adults who flatter her, so when she uses polite speech, it isn't real respect -- there's actually a touch of contempt in it."

"On top of that, she's never really failed at anything, so she's extremely confident -- she genuinely believes she's a genius. Sakayanagi is talented, sure, but her family background also gives her a safety net that lets her do whatever she wants."

"In an ordinary family, a child with a heart condition wouldn't turn out so spoiled."

"She might still be at that age of grandiose delusions -- the 'chuunibyou' phase, so to speak -- where she thinks she's the one true genius. If another genius shows up, she'll probably try to prove herself by beating them."

Ai Morishita picked up the milk tea beside her tray, took a small sip, and stopped talking about Arisu Sakayanagi.

"Next is Katsuragi. He cares a lot about how he's treated in the interim interviews. He's steady and serious, a bit grown-up for his age, and he values friendships -- he's willing to get along well even with someone like Totsuka."

"Probably something to do with his family -- something must have happened to his parents, though he likely still has other relatives."

"As for Totsuka, honestly I don't know how he ended up in Class A. Mr. Mashima mentioned before that when this school used to sort students into classes, Class A was the best, Class B next, Class C after that, and Class D the worst."

"Considering the S-System probably ranks people by coordination, judgment, initiative, personality, and so on -- Totsuka would probably make a great scapegoat out in society~"

"Then again, people like that also tend to betray their boss. I have a feeling Totsuka will betray Katsuragi eventually."

"Next is Seigi Hashimoto. A name like Seigi -- 'Justice' -- usually reflects the parents' hopes. Families connected to law enforcement tend to pick that kind of name -- lawyers, inspectors, that sort of thing."

"It's also possible his family suffered some injustice, but judging by how Seigi Hashimoto spends money and how he looks at things, his family probably isn't badly off. I've also seen him trying to hit on girls from other classes."

"He's a pretty textbook rebellious kid. Same with Masumi-chan -- her fingers are beautiful, so she's probably trained in music and art."

"A family that can afford to give a child an artistic education isn't poor, and naturally they'd be stricter about that child's upbringing too."

"I get the feeling Masumi-chan has a lot of pent-up stress. Kids from well-off families with overly strict upbringings tend to act out -- sometimes even breaking the law -- just to feel that thrill of rebellion."

"Then there's the Gluttony Forest Witch~ Hard to read, honestly, but her acting is excellent -- probably very few people could see through her performance."

"She feels like an agent trained by some special organization."

"Yoshida clearly cares about her -- he keeps looking her way. I'd guess the more he thinks about her, the more he'll end up falling for her."

Ai Morishita went on describing a few more students. Even though it had already been a week since school started, she still hadn't managed to identify everyone in Class A.

Soon enough, the talk turned to Class B.

"The Gluttony Monster in Class B is a real handful. Like I said before, Class A is the best, Class B next."

"If someone like Totsuka can get into Class A, there's no way it makes sense for Ichinose to end up in Class B -- she scored first in the whole grade on the entrance exam, she's cheerful and straightforward, great at organizing things, kind-hearted, and adored by everyone in Class B."

"From what I've observed, she cares a little too much about other students. Most of the time she's bare-faced -- not in the habit of wearing makeup -- and she lives extremely frugally. She probably comes from a single-parent household, raised by her mother."

"Given how good she is at looking after other girls -- that big-sister sort of vibe -- she probably has a younger sibling at home. A little sister, most likely."

"And she's excessively friendly, which looks like a form of overcompensation. A good student like her acting this way usually points to some psychological trauma in the past."

"She probably did something that went against being a 'good student,' and now she's trying to atone for it by helping others as much as she can."

"Honestly, even if a good student like her did something illegal, it was probably just theft, assault, or voyeurism -- and given her family's poverty, theft is the most likely."

"That guy named Kanzaki -- like Sakayanagi, he carries himself with a refined air, clearly trained in etiquette. He probably comes from an old, wealthy family. But his personality is indecisive -- he lacks resolve."

"Judging by his build, he was probably trained in all sorts of things since childhood, both academics and physical training. But given how he single-mindedly just assists Ichinose, he doesn't have much initiative, and he lacks a real sense of responsibility."

"The fact that he can't serve as Class B's representative just proves there's something off about his personality -- his social skills are lacking too."

Ai Morishita's read on Class B's Ryuji Kanzaki was spot-on.

In the original story, he'd noticed that Ichinose and her classmates were too naive and softhearted, and he'd wanted Class B to let go of that kind of wishful thinking -- but in the end, he barely changed anything.

When Ichinose was struck down, he did nothing.

When Ichinose was betrayed and used, he still did nothing.

"As for Chihiro Shiranami, she seems to lean a bit toward liking other girls. Her personality's too weak -- she can't resist a cool, righteous woman like Ichinose."

Ai Morishita hadn't met many Class B students, so after mentioning a few more, she wrapped up the topic of Class B.

Next came Class C.

"Class C's Kakeru Ryuen is a handful -- the type who cares only about results and doesn't care what means he uses. Honestly, he fits this school perfectly."

"Strength is everything -- or to put it plainly, results are everything to him."

"Underhanded, violent, whatever -- to him, the winner is all that matters."

"But his own abilities are limited, so he has to resort to dirty tricks -- and once those tricks are exposed, they're easy for someone to turn back against him."

"He's like a snake -- and a snake hiding in a dark corner is a completely different kind of dangerous than one out in the light."

"Then there's the Gluttony Great Fairy... she's incredibly troublesome. I'd say she only cares about her own little world -- or rather, she has her own unique set of standards."

"So she doesn't care about Kakeru Ryuen's dirty tricks at all. She's a total chaotic-good type."

Ai Morishita then mentioned a few more people from Class C before wrapping up that topic too.

After all, she rarely crossed paths with Class C students, and she wasn't fond of hanging around with the delinquent crowd Class C attracted.

"That's about it for Class C. The real story is Class D."

"Hmm, how should I put it... Class D's problems run even deeper."

"There's that Gluttony Jellyfish who looks like a little angel, and the guy who's basically everyone's mom."

"They're basically toned-down versions of Ichinose, and the more that's true, the more it shows just how deep the hidden landmines run in both of them."

"They didn't end up in Class B -- they ended up in Class D instead..."

"Let's start with the Gluttony Jellyfish. She probably went to the same middle school as Horikita's little sister, and something happened there back then. Judging by how Horikita's sister reacts to her, they probably weren't in the same class."

"So she keeps forcing herself past the discomfort to approach Horikita's sister, even though Horikita's sister doesn't even remember her -- she just senses that the other girl dislikes her, so she doesn't want anything to do with her either."

"Then there's the 'mom' guy. Like Ichinose, he shows serious signs of overcompensation. I don't know the specifics beyond that."

"Then there's the gyaru clique -- though honestly, there aren't many real gyarus in it. Especially the blonde ponytail one -- she plays the tough gyaru act, but it feels fake. When she's mouthing off at other guys or girls, her confidence doesn't really hold up."

"Actually, she's even weaker around girls. Given that kind of avoidance, she probably went through some serious bullying from other girls -- and I mean seriously bad."

"So she puts on the act of being the aggressor just to protect herself."

"Then there's the busty pink-haired girl. Her style's a bit dowdy and she's kind of introverted, but she's actually really pretty. Oh, right -- there's something off about a clerk at an electronics store in the shopping district, too."

"He seemed to recognize the busty pink-haired girl. From his reaction, she's probably someone with a bit of a fanbase."

"Maybe she's part of an underground idol group, or maybe she does print modeling -- the latter seems more likely, since the former usually demands a certain personality and social skill set."

There were plenty of standout personalities in Class D, and Ai Morishita had a lot to say about them.

But when she got to the last one, she suddenly hesitated.

"And then... that guy named Kiyotaka Ayanokoji. He doesn't feel human somehow."

Ai Morishita scratched at her hair.

"He gives off the same vibe as that android from the Alien movies."

"He's in great shape, with impressive physical ability. His entrance scores were exactly 50 in every subject -- probably deliberately controlled, just like that girl named Chiaki Matsushita."

"He couldn't possibly be some artificial human raised by a special organization, could he? And his instincts are razor sharp -- I get the feeling he's already noticed me watching him."

Once she finished, Ai Morishita glanced at Satoru Anjouin a little warily.

Anjouin's feelings right now were, to put it mildly, complicated.

The original story did mention that Ai Morishita had a sharp eye for people -- but what was going on with the one sitting in front of him now?

Was this some kind of super-charged version?

Watching her take another sip of milk tea to wet her throat, Anjouin found himself asking.

"Has your observation skill always been this sharp?"

"Mm-hm. You can figure out a lot from micro-expressions, little physical details, and how someone acts. Sakayanagi can probably profile people's personalities too, you know."

"..."

If anything, this world was simply full of people with extraordinary gifts.

Take Anjouin himself -- his dynamic vision was remarkably good, letting him read people well too.

"I don't think it's that great a skill, honestly, because I can see through people's true feelings way too easily."

"The girls in the Morishita faction don't actually want to get stronger through you -- they just want to latch onto the Anjouin family."

"And a lot of the guys who come near you are just jealous of your insider status. They don't actually respect you -- even when you teach them seriously, deep down they still hate you."

"Seigi's even worse -- nothing but lies, honestly disgusting. Just like that Gluttony Jellyfish, who hates Horikita's sister to death but still shamelessly keeps trying to get close to her."

"Just walking down the street and glancing around a bit, over by the shopping district alone, I spotted two people cheating on their partners, and one who might be embezzling money."

By then, Ai Morishita had already cleaned her tray of rice, meat, and vegetables.

Her powers of observation were so sharp that she'd realized most people in this world didn't match on the inside and out -- couples who put on a show of being loving even as their subconscious avoidance and rejection played out right in front of her, plain as day.

"So this is the kind of world you live in -- one full of lies."

Anjouin had found Ai Morishita a little unsettling at first.

But hearing her sigh like that stirred up something close to pity in him.

Especially since she was only fifteen or sixteen, and already had to face the ugly side of the world so early.

Anjouin's words cut into her like a blade, straight to the heart.

Her nose stung, unbidden.

She tugged the corner of her mouth into something like a smile and said quietly, "Yeah. A world full of lies -- that's why being a happy little fool sounds so nice."

"So, what about me? You didn't say anything about me when you talked about Class A earlier."