The Class Clown takes a break from his role, and the Enigma begins to move.

***

I sought a connection. A true friendship, so to say. With such thoughts in my mind, I kept looking over the class, shifting my gaze from person to person.

It was the beginning of the third year of middle school. Classes were just reshuffled, and the social dynamics hadn't yet settled in. People were in the process of establishing connections and creating friendships. I watched my surroundings, trying to spot anyone who caught my eye. There was a person who grabbed my attention. He was constantly by himself, not interacting with anyone, isolated. That wasn't too surprising in and of itself — by that point, no one was yet comfortable around others. However, this person had so few social interactions I was sure he was doing it on purpose. But he wasn't just ignoring the class. Often, he would glance at his surroundings, intently watching people's behavior.

And so, I approached him.

"Hey, integrating into a new environment is a hassle, isn't it?"

He replied to me with a confused, annoyed yet curious stare. That was the moment I knew we would get along.

***
Furukawa Itsuki

Now, let's talk about today. You guys went to karaoke, right? So, did anything interesting happen?

"..."

The voice, flowing in my ear from the other side of the phone, was, as usual, chillingly calm. After making a light pause to gather its thoughts, slowly, it began its tale.

***
Maegahara Shosei

That day, I was invited to go to karaoke. He wasn't a big fan of those, and my friends from middle school also weren't too fond of them. Since I usually tagged along with whatever my companions decided, I'd never been to karaoke before. To put it simply.

I'd never once decided where to go. 

When I would go to places I wanted to go to, someone else always made the first call. The only thing I'd ever proactively sought were connections. After establishing those, I always latched onto them, sticking with others as they decided our destinations. Always tagging along, never deciding my own fate. It was supposed to be for achieving my dream, but I wondered if that could ever be the correct thing to do.

That thought was unpleasantly stuck in my head.

Suddenly, I realized I was drifting in my thoughts. Immediately, I shook them away. I had to focus on the present. Specifically — on how to dispel the awkwardness...

Yes, the awkwardness. Oh, don't get me wrong — It's not like they were the ones being awkward — I was. My body fidgeted restlessly, and I couldn't contain my nervousness. Everyone else was enjoying themselves. Maeda-san was singing, and the rest of the group was cheering for her while having small talk.

From the corner of my eye, I saw Ishikawa-san approaching me. He seemingly noticed my discomfort and decided to check up on me.

"How are you doing, Maegahara-san? Feeling restless?"

"Y-yeah, I guess so. This is my first time, so I'm feeling nervous," I replied uncomfortably.

"Right, you've never been to karaoke."

"Uh-huh, probably just takes getting used to the atmosphere. Don't worry about me — go have fun. It's your turn soon, isn't it?" I reassured him.

"Oh, you're right. I sort of forgot. Well — I'm off, Maegahara-san," he said and began walking away. Then he, reminded of something, turned around and left some thoughtful words.

 "Oh, by the way, It's fine to just listen and enjoy the snacks. You don't have to force yourself to sing if you don't want to."

He waved his hand and headed to the microphone. I caught myself thinking that that attentiveness was very Ishikawa-san. Unsurprisingly so.

I actually didn't mean karaoke when I said first time, by the way. That alone wouldn't make me anxious. Well, I did say I was nervous since it was the first time, and I didn't lie. After all, it was definitely my first time hanging out with the group. 

I kept fighting against my awkwardness as I listened to Ishikawa-san's singing. I expected it to be outstanding since his specs are so high in every area possible, but — surprisingly enough — he was pretty average.

Next came Nakano-san and Kato-san's turns. Nakano-san's performance sounded like he was clowning on purpose, but, from his own words, he was trying his best. Did he mean trying his best at being a clown? I mean, he was less singing and more screaming at the top of his lungs... Meanwhile, Kato-san was pretty decent. Oh, and Maeda-san as well. They weren't professional level, but they were still pretty good.

Finally, my turn came. After some deliberation, I also decided to give it a try. I stood up, microphone in hand, and opened my mouth. 

And then I sang.

***

"Hahahahaha!"

Nakano-san's loud laughter rang out through the karaoke box.

"Haha... Finally, dude, I found someone who's just as bad as I am! Were you even trying? No, that's not even the question here. Frankly, I don't believe people can sound this bad even on purpose. In other words — you're actually a genius! A genius of failure!"

It was true that my singing just now was horrendous. However —

I didn't want to hear that from Nakano-san of all people! I mean, he also sucked!

While I was busy escaping my shame by reminding myself that I was not alone in my incompetence, I glanced at everyone's reactions. Maeda-san was awkwardly looking away, her lips shaking as she struggled to keep herself from laughing. Ishikawa-san had a stiff smile on his face, and Kato-san covered her mouth with her hands as she laughed with tears in her eyes. Hey! Even though your laughter isn't as loud as Nakano-san's, it's somehow even more painful, you know!?

"A-at the very least, I don't think I'm as bad as Nakano-san..."

"Huh? No way, dude, you were, like, super bad. Hilariously bad. Legendarily bad. You sucked."

"I didn't know you had that much spite in you, Nakano-san..."

"Well, you know, dude? I rarely get to clown on others, so this is my only chance. Muwhahaha!" His obnoxious laughter kept up for a couple of seconds until he stopped as if he had a divine revelation. Then, he closed his eyes for a moment. Finally — he opened them with a face of enlightenment.

"I see... so I was good at singing, after all... Thanks for showing that to me, Sho-Sho," he said and showed me a thumbs-up. Damn, was he always this annoying...?

Finally, Kato-san stopped snickering away (did she really laugh throughout all that exchange...?) and reigned Nakano-san in.

"Now, now. Akira-kun, you sucked at least as badly as Maegahara-kun."

That shocked him as he reeled back and stared at Kato-san wide-eyed in disbelief.

"What?! No way! He was so bad I don't even believe that level of badness is achievable! Dude, I don't believe I was just as bad!"

"If anything, you're even more hopeless. Maegahara-kun was just completely off rhythm and off pitch — but you sound like a sonic weapon prototype in the making, intent on destroying our ears with your singing. Also, stop saying bad so much..."

"Whaaaaaat!!! So, I'm worse, huh...? Worse than even Sho-Sho...," Nakano-san muttered and slumped.

"Is that what got you depressed?! Not the sonic weapon comparison?!"

 While I was busy feeling exasperated at Nakano-san's reaction, a comforting voice cut in from the side.

"Well, Maegahara-san, Akira-kun, it's fine," said Maeda-san, her tone soothing and pacifying. Then, with a bright smile on her face, she added.

"None of your nightmarish cacophonies even count as singing anyway. So there is no point in comparing them," Maeda-san finished, her face the very picture of carefree delight.

That's not reassuring in any way! If anything, that's just an insult!

Ignoring my broken spirit and Nakano-san mumbling to himself as if possessed by a ghost, Maeda-san turned her attention to the Ice Queen, who stayed silent most of the outing.

"Yukino-chan! It's your turn to sing! Come on, you're the only one left."

"No, thanks. I'm not in the mood."

"You're never in the mood! Just one song! Please, show those dunces what real singing looks like!" Maeda-san pleaded and pointed at Nakano-san and me.

"Sorry, guys, I have to answer a call," he said as he left the room in a hurry.

As the door closed, everyone stared at it for a few moments. Somehow, the mood became heavier. I was slightly confused by the sudden shift in the air and looked around, puzzled. But in a second, the weight previously occupying the room disappeared.

Maeda-san resumed her attempts at convincing Suzuki-san to sing. Those attempts were simply shrugged off, and the dynamic continued for a while. Ishikawa-san took the microphone and began the next song. Everyone laughed and smiled as if the atmosphere prior was just a figment of my imagination. I still felt uncomfortable about it but decided to focus on enjoying myself, struggling not to show any signs of concern on my face.

"Maybe, I should try one more time...," I mumbled, thinking of attempting another song. Sadly, Maeda-san heard my mutter and desperately interfered.

"Don't, please. I beg you. I'm serious right now. The first time was kind of funny, but I won't survive the second one."

"Maeda-san, you're surprisingly brutal... You're usually not as blunt as Suzuki-san, but that makes it more painful when you speak up..."

"Thanks. It's a talent of mine."

"You're proud of that?!"

What's wrong with that happy smirk...? It's sort of cute, but that makes it even more annoying...

"Of course. I'm a girl harsher and more thoughtful than anyone, you know? That's why I will say it —"

Suddenly, her tone became dry, and all traces of lightheartedness disappeared from her expression.

"Don't worry about Akira-kun. It's not something for you to concern yourself with."

"Eh?" I made a sound of surprise as her words caught me off guard. She didn't wait for my answer as she stood up and left to sing the next song. Leaving me with a single thought in my head.

Maeda-san is surprisingly sharp, huh?

***

Soon, I left the karaoke box to go to the bathroom. My feet carried me into the hallway as I tried to recall where the toilet was. As I looked around, I saw Nakano-san sitting on the couch. I thought about calling out to him but stopped myself in surprise. His face was twisted bitterly as he stared at the phone. I'd never seen such an expression from him, and that fact stopped me. Unsure if I should raise my voice, I watched him in silence.

Soon, Nakano-san lifted his head and spotted me. His facial features shifted in a mix of surprise and weary resignation. He took a deep breath and addressed me in a sober and quiet tone.

"What's wrong, Maegahara-san? Going to the toilet?"

"Yeah... Still, 'Maegahara-san', huh?"

His form of address bothered me, and I brought it up. He stared at me and nodded, a wry smile on his face.

"Uh-huh. Not in the mood to be the clown. Especially when there is no point."

His calm voice rang surprisingly loud in my ears. I watched him in silence, deliberating his words. Discovering his unexpected side made me recall everything he'd said up until that point.

'I found someone who's just as bad as I am!' and 'I don't believe I was just as bad!' was what he'd said. If you think about it, he was basically contradicting himself. He was doing that on purpose, trying to bait someone into making fun of him. Performing a role in this little play of social dynamics.

 While I was deep in thought, Nakano-san scratched his head and headed back to the room. On his way there, he left some parting words.

"Don't worry. I am a clown at times. That much is not a lie. It's just that... I simply change depending on the mood... Isn't everyone like that?"

His final question echoed for a long time. 

I was wondering if it was directed at me. That thought sent unpleasant chills running down my back. I couldn't focus on the karaoke for the rest of that outing as Nakano-san's question kept relentlessly reverberating in my head.

And that's how my first karaoke visit came to an end.

***
Furukawa Itsuki

"..."

Huh? Yeah, I guess the cultural festival is starting soon. What about it? Is something wrong with that?

They brought up the cultural festival. The coldness of the tone, way more chilling than usual, gave me a bad feeling.

"..."

...What? What do you mean by that? Didn't you say you weren't going to interfere? What happened to that?

What they said ran contrary to their initial promise. The speaker said they wouldn't interfere nor help Shosei, but this would undoubtedly affect the bet.

"..."

I don't understand. Are you trying to ruin Shosei's efforts? What are you planning?

I couldn't understand their train of thought — couldn't find a single thread of logic in their words. I asked for details of their plan, but even that didn't help me.

"..."

Huh? That doesn't even make sense. If you do that — he's not the only one getting in trouble. I thought they were your friends... This will not end well.

If anything, it made it worse. My confusion and unease deepened as the voice kept going with its explanation. What they planned to do was equivalent to trying to crush the group. There was possible salvation waiting beyond the struggle, but I didn't believe it was achievable.

"..."

......Seriously, what's wrong with you? You're a completely broken human being. And what's with that reasoning? 'Love' and 'care'?  There is no way it's anything as pretty as that. Because at this rate —

You will ruin all of them.

And that's how the festival of malice began.