NTR Kousuke

Chapter 157

Chapter 157: Tanaka-kun's Deduction.

After reading the three letters and thinking for a moment, Tanaka-kun slowly opened his mouth.

"This is a tough one."

"You think so too?"

Tanaka-kun nodded.

Lately, he's been living for his hobbies, but even so, Tanaka-kun is smart and has high academic ability.

Even for Tanaka-kun?

Still, I wanted to hear Tanaka-kun's first impression.

"Well... the intent here is to appeal to Kousuke-kun, right? Even if it's a negative one."

Yeah, I nodded.

Tanaka-kun said he wanted to think a bit more, so he asked me to tell him what I thought.

He said, since there are things only those involved would know.

I listed out what I thought when I received the letter.

I prefaced by saying it was only my guess.

☆ ☆ ☆

My deduction.

Motive.

A message directed at me.

A warning? A slander? A prediction?

Is it trying to make me suspect the people named in the letter?

Wanting me to protect Airi-senpai?

When was the letter put in?

It definitely wasn't there by lunchtime on the day before yesterday, at the opening ceremony.

The next day, the entrance ceremony was a holiday.

I found it this morning, before the face-to-face ceremony.

So it's assumed to be between the day before yesterday's noon and this morning...

The school was open all day the day before yesterday afternoon and yesterday too.

The gym was being used for an event so club activities were off, but other clubs were still going, and anyone could have put it in, both the day before yesterday and yesterday.

Three letters.

Did one person put in all three letters?

Or did three different people put one in each?

The drop locations, envelopes, and stationery are all different... but it's possible someone purposely used different things to send three letters.

Hypothesis: Three different people wrote the letters.

In that case, there's no consistency to the messages and the purpose is unclear.

Hypothesis: One person.

If you link the messages,

Is it asking me to look out for Airi-senpai and be wary of Osada-san and Nagase-san?

Is the one who benefits Airi-senpai herself, or someone who's worried about her?

Is there something implied about Osada-san or Nagase-san?

Either way, since information is limited, it's all speculation.

That's where I stopped.

☆ ☆ ☆

"Kousuke-kun, did you ever think I was the one who sent the letters?"

Tanaka-kun asked anxiously, and I couldn't help but laugh.

"Now? If I can't trust you, Tanaka-kun, I'd give up already!"

Tanaka-kun looked happy.

"You know, since I don't get along with Nagase-san, I figured I'd be a prime suspect for sending letters that would make you wary, Kousuke-kun. ...But I didn't put in any letters."

I nodded at Tanaka-kun's firm denial.

"Kousuke-kun and Sho-kun are my absolute top priority, you know? I'd never do something like this. I don't know if I'll be any help, but I'll keep an eye out too and think it over with you."

☆ ☆ ☆

Tanaka-kun's deduction.

There's no contradiction in your deduction just now, Kousuke-kun, and I think it's fine to admit what we don't know.

It's possible the goal is to confuse you or drive you into doubt and suspicion.

I'll tell you what came to mind just now as we talked.

As for when the letters were put in, I'm sure it was around that time.

Here's something I thought of.

Anyone can put a letter in the shoe box.

Why? Because "Saito Kousuke, Class 1" with the attendance number is posted at the class assignment by the entrance, so you can figure out the shoe box number from that, right?

So anyone can put a letter in the shoe box.

You could also figure out the locker by checking the attendance number, but I think it's harder than the shoe box. If someone from another class is hanging around, it'd look suspicious.

Especially since it's the special advanced class with a lot of attention, right? If someone checks the attendance number and comes to the locker, that's kind of scary. So I think it's harder to put a letter in the locker.

And then, the last one—the letter on the desk.

I was wondering if the person who put the letter on the desk is actually in our class.

...Because, unlike the locker or shoe box, there's no name or number on the desks—they're all the same. Unless you know which is Kousuke-kun's seat, you couldn't put it in.

If it's someone from another class, they wouldn't know where Kousuke-kun sits.

After a few days, as people move between classes more, it might not be clear anymore.

But? On the day of the opening ceremony, it was HR → opening ceremony → dismissal. Entrance ceremony was a day off, and the letter was in the desk by the morning of the face-to-face ceremony, so the only ones who could have checked the seats on the opening ceremony day are people from our class, right?

After I finished listening, I said just one thing.

"Makes sense, but I don't think we'd change seats right after the opening ceremony. So I bet the seats are still in attendance number order..."

"...As expected of Kousuke the strategist... there's nothing more I can teach you..."

"Talking possibilities, I think Tanaka-kun's theory is pretty convincing. It's easy to put a letter in the shoe box, but the class locker, especially the desk, is a lot harder. Especially since nothing's in the desk yet, it's hard to be sure it's my seat. Plus, I leave right after school, so there aren't many people who'd know where my seat is right now."

Of course, it's not enough to be certain.

Tanaka-kun nodded.

"That's the most likely. And about the one-person theory... I still think it's tough. For example, at first, I thought maybe Nagase-san was the culprit. Pay attention to Airi-senpai, be wary of Osada-san, and then warn about herself so you wouldn't suspect her... but if 'be wary of Nagase-san' works, that's too obvious, right? There's no point in giving yourself a negative image just to give someone else one. Same if it was Osada-san—there's no point in running a negative campaign if you end up looking bad too. And if Airi-senpai was the culprit? Maybe she's trying to draw attention to herself by giving the other two a bad image? That could make sense... but she's not the type to do that. Besides, it's way too clumsy."

"Yeah, if you ask who benefits, it'd be Airi-senpai or someone worried about her."

"But with such an obvious nudge, it just makes a bad impression, right? ...That's why I think the three letters are probably from different people..."

That's what I thought, listening to him.

So, what's most convincing is—

The letters were put in sometime from the afternoon of the opening ceremony the day before yesterday to this morning, before the face-to-face ceremony.

Probably three different people?

I don't know the purpose, but overall, they're all warnings or notes of caution.

Maybe someone in our class is the one who sent a letter.

That's all.

I felt a lot better after talking to Tanaka-kun about it.

Since Tanaka-kun said he'd keep an eye on the class and everyone around, I'll stay extra alert starting tomorrow.

We've only just become second-year students, but I have a feeling all sorts of things will happen this year too...