NTR Kousuke

Chapter 155

Chapter 155: The First Letter

Yesterday's entrance ceremony was a day off, so I spent it relaxing. Today is the face-to-face ceremony.

It's an event led by the student council where current students and new students meet face to face.

When that's over, we get our textbooks for the year and have our physicals, and that's it for today.

It was supposed to be just a nothing-special event day that would end around 12:30...

I go to school with Tanaka-kun and open the new shoe box I still haven't gotten used to.

...Folded copy paper? I'm not sure what it is, but there was a piece of paper inside...

I quietly slip it into the pocket of my slacks, and, chatting with Tanaka-kun, head toward the classroom...

(...What? What is this?)

Even though I'm feeling uneasy, I keep a straight face as I head to the classroom.

I arrive at the classroom and take my seat.

We don't have any classes yet. I hang my bag on the desk and, since my sports bag with club equipment and freshly washed basketball shoes from the holidays is bulky, I put it in my locker for now...

...Another letter... This time it's a plain white envelope...

As I take off my coat and put it in the locker, I also slip that into my slacks pocket...

What's with this? I can't help but wonder if the person who put these in is watching me, so I naturally glance around the class.

Nagase-san notices my gaze, gives a big smile, and waves.

Following Nagase-san's waving eyes, Ninomiya-san and Takahashi-san also look over at me.

The boys in class also look at me, like, "Nagase-san just waved! Who at?!" kind of feeling.

It's hard to tell just from people's eyes...

I came on the same train as always, but about seventy percent of the students are already here.

Would it have been different if I'd come when there were still only a few people in class?

No point in overthinking it. I don't even know what's in the letters, so trying to figure it out is pointless, I think as I sit down at my seat.

When I pull out my chair, I spot something white in my desk—which should have been empty...

I touch it like it's nothing... It feels like smooth paper.

I really have no idea what this means.

Is this some kind of trend? This kind of thing?

I slip the third letter into my pocket and, still acting casual, I look around again, but I just can't figure it out.

Stuff like this—doesn't it bug you like crazy?

If it's a nice letter, that's fine... but I honestly can't think of any reason why I'd be getting one.

While I'm mulling it over, our homeroom teacher comes in and morning HR starts.

The teacher explains today's schedule and some reminders,

Homeroom teacher: "Alright, let's move to the gymnasium!"

I have no time to check the letters as I move to the face-to-face ceremony and join the event.

...But my mind is totally elsewhere.

What's with these letters? I just couldn't get it out of my head.

I seriously should have just checked the letters' contents in the restroom or an empty classroom...!

After about an hour and a half of welcome speeches, new student joy speeches, the student council's introduction, and various announcements, we sing the school anthem.

I really want to read the letters before the physicals start.

I at least want to skim them!

Thinking that, I realize I'll have to change into short sleeves and shorts and move around during the physicals, so I need to change. I have to read them before that! That's when—pon, someone taps my shoulder.

"Hya!"

Nagase: "Wah!"

Nagase-san, don't startle me like that?

Nagase-san gets startled by my surprise and lets out a weird yelp herself.

That really freaked me out...!

Nagase-san smiles brightly and says,

Nagase: "Kousuke-kun! How was my speech at the face-to-face ceremony?? Did you see your fearless second-year representative up there?"

"...Yeah, it was great."

That's a lie.

I didn't listen at all...

I vaguely think she must have been up on stage as a student council member.

Nagase-san looks annoyed.

Nagase: "Jeez! I was looking right at you on stage, but you gave me no reaction! I thought for sure someone would call me out, like, 'Hey, you're supposed to be greeting the new students but you only have eyes for Kousuke-kun!'...? Kousuke-kun? What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"

"...Huh? Oh. I'll be fine after a little rest."

I apologize to Nagase-san, who asks if she should walk me to the nurse's office, then grab my change of clothes and head into the locker room, quickly change, and take all three letters into the shower room next door.

...No one actually uses the showers for physicals.

Just in case, I head to the very end stall and pull out the letters.

There are a couple things I'd been thinking about during the face-to-face ceremony.

Broadly speaking, there are two.

Is it something good or something bad?

Who, and for what reason?

Those two.

I have absolutely no clue about the contents.

If it's something good, it's like a thank you or a love letter—a letter given with positive feelings.

That stuff can be a hassle, but it's not harmful.

Bad stuff... like the harassment or slanderous letters Sho got before. Or being lured out for a beating, or getting a fake love confession... that kind of thing.

...Sho said that right before spring break, he got called out and when he went, there were actually seven people waiting for him and he was seriously freaked out. That guy just has protagonist energy, so he can never live a peaceful guy's life...

And then, who and for what purpose?

If it's signed, you can pretty much guess if it's goodwill or malice.

When it's unsigned, that's when it gets impossible to tell—signed or not, even if it's something good or bad, an unsigned letter instantly becomes an irresponsible message unique to being anonymous.

I keep telling myself it's pointless to try and deduce anything, but I can't help thinking about it like this.

There are three letters.

One is a folded piece of copy paper.

One is a plain white envelope (with a piece of paper inside).

One is a white letter envelope, you know, the kind with a little envelope icon on it.

I decide to open the folded copy paper first.

On it was written,

"Take heed of Tendou Airi."

...Just that one line.

Was this printed out on a computer?

There's absolutely nothing distinctive about it, nothing I can use as a clue.

But I can't just ignore it.

"Take heed"? "Of"?

"Take heed" means to keep in mind, to be careful, right...?

If it had said "be careful," it would mean "watch out for Airi-senpai."

But "take heed of" is more like "I want you to pay attention to" or "please look after," right?

There's no way it means "be on guard against Airi-senpai," not grammatically.

It's more like "please watch over Airi-senpai," right?

If it was about me, I could handle it somehow.

But... the idea that something could happen to Airi-senpai, who's always been so kind and close to me—I can't stay calm thinking about that!

Who in the world sent me this message, and for what purpose?

Right at the start of the new school year, I was already filled with a vague sense of dread...