Chapter 4: Voluntarily Forced【P2】

Sayoko

Click.

I aim the ferrule forward and poke the mass, grinding the tip into what should be the hip.

A low, pathetic groan escapes the shifting, gelatinous form.

To an outsider, the rhythmic probing looks like a deep-tissue massage. Appearances truly deceive.

“Wakey, wakey.” I increase the speed of the strokes, churning the human puddle rougher. “I require the information currently residing inside that brain of yours—assuming it was ever in there. Business awaits.”

“Go away...” A muffled voice wheezes into the counter. “I require silence when dying…”

Ordinarily, patience prevails. But my schedule has suffered enough damage for the day.

A practiced motion sends the umbrella level above the heap. It hovers for a beat of theatrical tension—then plunges down with the speed of a guillotine.

Thwack!

The shape erupts upward like a prehistoric lizard crying out for battle. A spine snaps into place and a jaw unhinges to gasp for oxygen—the evolutionary gap rapidly closing to the human species.

She recoils, clutching the bottle to her chest. “W-What! Who—”

Click.

I offer a radiant smile. “Lovely evening, is it not?”

Her eyes narrow into a deadpan stare. They track above my head—though I am not sure why—before landing on the glass. She lifts it, taking a defensive sip.

“And who the hell are you?”

“Sayoko. And you must be Miss Kirishima, are you not?”

“The probabilities lean that way, I suppose.”

She bypasses my eye contact, staring into the drink. “People here know better than to disturb me, especially when drinking. Little—”

“Yes, I must applaud the meticulous way you display yourself to the world. But be more careful with such blatant facades. Hollow promises are empty for a reason.”

“Promises?”

“Come now. How much alcohol do you think the government can stomach to be imported to an island filled with high school students, hm?”

She takes a sip.

“No respect. And petite—”

“I can assure you, I am capable of respect. But let us just say my observations today allowed me to readjust my baseline. Nobody will bat an eye over a little corrective motivation—except maybe you.”

“Corrective!?” she groans, rubbing her lower back. “That thing should require a license to carry. I’m not some piñata for your amusement.”

“That is very sweet of you, but let me do the worrying about qualifications—”

Thud.

Glass meets the wood.

“Keep walking on the edge, and I will show you which side the blade is on. Everywhere you stand in this city counts as school grounds. I could put you in detention for that little arrogance before tomorrow morning.“

“Please.” I lean closer, dropping my voice to a whisper. “Miss Kirishima. The only adults I have encountered inside this campus so far were a handful of teachers and a stray electrician fixing a streetlight. Could that be a coincidence?”

She huffs into the glass, offering no other entertainment.

A chuckle escapes me. “Surely the higher-ups did not abandon a prestigious educator here to wallow in the slums? Who is there left to herd the savage masses?”

I look her up and down. “Though, you make a great start for the peasant archetype yourself—”

Her cheek sinks into her palm as she lets out a soft sigh. “You... aren’t going to leave me alone, are you?”

“I never doubted—” I twirl the umbrella over my shoulder. “—that this academy only recruits the most talented teachers.”

“Tsk. Go bother some other faculty member, or better yet, go to town hall with your eager first-year questions. I’m not a tour guide.”

“What could they tell me that is not already public knowledge? But my advisor who uses loud words and hidden actions to mask her intentions? Now, you are far more likely to possess what I am looking for.”

“You didn’t—”

Sliding the phone from my pocket, I bring up the student profile app.

[Advisor: Nene Kirishima]

I turn the screen—her eyes darting away upon contact.

“I am sure this will not be our last talk, do you not agree?” I give a blind smile while pocketing the device. “Now, where—”

Her exhaustion vanishes as the last drop drains from the glass. A focused look replaces it, validating my hypothesis.

“What are you?”

“The chaos within your fears. Or the order containing them. Your choice.”

She glares at me, drilling into my eyes, only to dull the bit against my wall of certainty before looking away. “You don’t have many friends... do you?”

“A charming attempt at social analysis. At this hour, no less. And in this... place. Or will you surprise me and claim it is the intoxication talking? That suspiciously clear drink—which surely could not be contraband. A regular indulgence?”

“Glacia-9 Prima,” she corrects dryly. “The best water on the island, and a nightmare to import.”

Around us, the music fades beneath a fresh crowd filtering into the venue. The rising noise only isolates the silence in our corner.

“Tell me.” I step closer, whispering, “Who do you fear? Where does the real power on this island reside.”

She stays silent. Swirling ice clinks against glass as her fingers trace the rim.

“The Student President seems to have a lot of friends...”

“Please.” I scoff softly. “My silence is assured—just as having me around will be worth your while.”

The internal machinery moving behind her blank eyes, though it is hard to fathom what requires this much calculation. The blank expression cracks, giving way to a slow smirk.

She slides the glass toward me over the counter.

“Tell you what. Pay for my next round, and I’ll give you a glimpse of what you want. Sound like a deal?”

“Are you suggesting bribery—in public no less?”

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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 4: Voluntarily Forced【P3】

Written by Limited_Infinity. Extras, official publishing platforms and updates are publicly available only on the Patreon page “_Limited_Infinity_”

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