Chapter 17: Definite Uncertainty【P1】

Jiro

[Political Science Elective Selection Exam.

Submit a core belief that is theoretically verifiable and can exist within the current legal framework.

Failure to enter before day’s end results in an automatic fail. Press confirm to match with a partner from the pool of submitted students.]

Huh.

I swipe up on the screen, but the interface remains stubbornly sparse, offering no further instructions.

A belief?

If you have to call it a belief, does that not mean you already doubt it is true?

So…

What do I have no doubts about?

Masaki

“Shin, are you finally ready?” My thumb hovers just over the glowing submit button.

“Wait, wait, almost.” Shin glances up from his screen after every word typed. “Um!”

“Just make something up! The longer we wait, the larger the pool gets. We need to submit it right now!”

Sora lounges on a hallway bench beside us, staring up at the high, cathedral-like ceiling. “Masaki, I thought you were supposed to be the smart guy in our group. Even I know timing this is impossible. Give up.”

I do not look up. “Heh, never. Not while there’s still a chance.”

Beside her, Daiki sits staring blankly at his screen with the grim expression of someone reading a breakup text. A match.

“Okay. Ready.” Shin crouches in front of me, his eyes darting between my phone and his. “3, 2, 1—”

Our thumbs strike the screens in unison.

A loading bar spins, mocking the school’s supposed state-of-the-art infrastructure with its sluggish pace.

This delay is ruining everything.

The wider the gap between our submissions, the lower the probability of—

[Submission successful. Your assigned counterpart’s belief is—]

“Um. Masaki.” Shin slowly lowers his phone, tilting his head up. “You didn’t happen to submit your belief as... ‘anime characters deserve equal rights to humans’, did you?”

“It was that loading screen! It totally ruined the timing. I got matched with someone whining about equal wages or something. Boring!”

Sora giggles. “I believe, you two are idiots.”

Sayoko

[Submission denied. Rephrase your entry or submit a new one.]

How dare they.

Is the point of a belief not that anything is allowed? What is this for a receding, impoverished—

Nene

Oh?

An uneven enrollment this year.

I get to play again.

What shall I torment an unfortunate student with this time? Definitely something that cannot be easily researched in a few days.

My fingers hover over the keyboard as increasingly devious concepts take shape.

I type out my thesis and hit enter.

The loading bar spins, certainly taking its sweet time. Are the system administrators sleeping or something?

[Submission denied. Rephrase your entry or submit a new one.]

Pfff. Like that has ever stopped me.

I tap the submission box to add text to my entry.

[We both know I will not change it. Better believe it.]

And, submit.

The screen practically jumps straight to the confirmation message.

[Submission successful. Your assigned counterpart’s belief is—]

Sayoko

I try alternative wording.

[A restorative, non-violent approach to carceral punishment can, under specific circumstances, condition the—]

[Submission denied. Rephrase your entry or submit a new one.]

But, I did not even submit it yet.

Anza

“What did you get?” I bounce around Toma. Though he does not resist, I cannot see the screen. “Tell me!”

“Anza, this is all a joke.” Asuka huffs, walking ahead of us. “I got some lame-o who thinks pineapple belongs in ramen. Easy win.”

“But I still want to see!” I snatch Toma’s phone, skim the text, and shove it back into his hands before he can react. Hm. Not worth it.

“Hey, give it—” Toma stops as he grips his phone. “Um. Personal items?”

“Eh, Sorry.”

He furrows his brow, guarding his phone in his breast pocket. “Then at least tell me what yours is about.”

“Something as lame as yours. Something about that the government should pump Glacia-9 Prima through the water grid instead of regular water. What even is Glacia-9 Prima? I hate that we can’t access the internet in this place.”

Sayoko

Fine.

[All puppies deserve a loving, warm family. ]

The loading screen instantly fades away.

[Submission successful. Your assigned counterpart’s belief is: “Humans supersede animals and should not be considered within the animal kingdom.”]

What kind of animal submitted this?

Mihaku

Saori plays with a coaster on her desk. She does not exactly inspire reliability.

“Hm.” She rolls it back and forth. “I don’t see how this is our problem. You haven’t exactly been so friendly to us in the past—

I lean back in the chair across from her desk. “But also not enemies.”

“—And, well, is he wrong? Triads have been more rampant than I’ve ever seen them be. That doesn’t really bode well for your inauguration speech, does it? Maybe it is indeed time for the next generation.”

“They have been. Innovative, to say the least.” I pick up a pen from the desk and flick it toward the coaster. “But I’m certain Hasumi will place someone far friendlier in my stead. This is a deal, not a friendship.”

“This place is like a block of cheese. Rumors have been flying about you, and I can’t risk being associated with them. What do you plan to do about that, huh?”

“Admit guilt.”

“Great start to living the rest of your school life in detention, but actually—”

“That is the plan. Admit I did.”

“Eh?”

I stand up and walk around her messy office. What is in these boxes that allows them to be stacked five high?

“Suppose you heard a rumor that this clean office is stuffed to the brim with gold—”

“The words on the papers may be, but I don’t think these boxes are—”

“—if you said that it isn’t, you’d be on the defense, fighting an uphill battle. Now suppose you said that it is?”

“You…”

“The offense has to become a defense. Nothing to fear if you just believe.”

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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 17: Definite Uncertainty【P2】

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

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