Chapter 113: Hayama Hayato's Chain Letter Request!
Evening settled over the clubroom as the noise from the athletic field gradually faded and the sun sank toward the horizon, leaving only its final glow.
Today's Service Club study session was also nearing its end.
Luke looked over the English vocabulary on the page, estimated how many words he could still remember, then closed the notebook and waited for club activities to finish.
Beside him, Yui and Yukino had already begun chatting.
As usual, "chatting" meant Yui constantly asking questions while Yukino gave short replies.
"Speaking of workplace experience, where are you planning to go, Luke?"
Yui suddenly asked.
Luke watched the second hand moving around the clock and answered directly, "A theme park."
"Hmm~ That's similar to what we discussed."
Yui nodded.
Similar?
That was entirely Miura Yumiko's suggestion.
Besides, their "discussion" was probably just Yumiko making the decision for everyone. Luke understood the structure of their little group quite well.
"Right, what about workplace experience? Where are you going, Yukinon?"
Yui turned toward Yukino.
"I'll probably join a think tank or enter a research field, so I intend to choose something related to one of those."
Yukino gave an answer perfectly suited to her image.
She had not made a final decision yet, but neither option sounded remotely like somewhere Yui would choose.
"Oh, oh!"
Yui nodded lightly, though it was unclear whether she had understood anything.
Luke began packing his bag, only to feel someone secretly tugging at his sleeve.
"What is it?"
Seeing Yui quietly pulling at his clothes, he unconsciously lowered his voice as well.
Yui cautiously glanced at Yukino, then leaned close to Luke's ear and whispered as though terrified Yukino might hear.
"U-um… what's a think tank?"
'So you didn't understand. Then why were you nodding like that?'
Luke rubbed the ear she had assaulted.
"A think tank is…"
"Yuigahama-san…"
The room was too small, and they were sitting too close together. There was no possibility that Yukino had failed to hear.
She sighed in surrender and pulled Yui back.
Yui's pupils trembled violently as a deep sense of unease washed over her.
"A think tank is an organization that…"
Yukino began giving Yui a complete and detailed lesson on what think tanks were.
Yui listened seriously, occasionally responding with "Mm-hmm."
One minute passed, then another.
Yukino continued explaining the work of a think tank, while Yui gradually transformed into the hand of a clock, swaying left and right with a blank expression.
"Mm-hmm… Mm-hmm…"
"…And that covers the complete role and structure of a think tank."
Before anyone noticed, fifteen minutes had passed by the time Yukino finished.
"Oh."
Yui answered weakly and turned her empty face toward Luke.
"Heh."
Seeing her lifeless eyes and expression of someone questioning the meaning of existence, Luke could not help finding it amusing.
No wonder Yui had whispered the question to him instead of asking Yukino directly.
She understood Yukino remarkably well.
"Do your best!"
Luke patted Yui's shoulder and encouraged her.
'Hiratsuka-sensei's request depends entirely on you! What fearless determination!'
Yui froze.
"Eh?"
Ignoring the confused Yui, Luke glanced at the clock. Club activities had already ended.
The athletic clubs outside were also beginning to put away their equipment.
At the same time, Yukino closed her book, signaling the end of today's club session.
"Another day of accomplishing absolutely nothing in the club."
Luke muttered while lifting his bag.
"…Wonderful."
Just then, a crisp and rhythmic knock sounded from the clubroom door.
"Tch."
Luke looked over speechlessly.
'Who has this little sense of time? Club activities are already over.'
"Come in."
However, Yukino immediately responded.
Luke helplessly sat back down.
"Excuse me."
The cheerful-looking boy who entered noticed Luke's expression and automatically offered a polite smile when their eyes met.
The handsome brown-haired boy was Hayama Hayato.
However, Luke's attention mainly fell on the blonde girl following behind him.
Miura Yumiko looked strangely uncomfortable, though Luke could not tell whether it was because she had entered unfamiliar territory or for some other reason.
"Yui~!"
Upon spotting someone familiar, Yumiko released the strand of hair wrapped around her finger and walked toward Yui.
"Hayato, Yumiko."
Yui smiled, then asked in confusion, "You didn't go straight home today?"
"We need your help with something~"
Yumiko answered, moving between Luke and Yui before lowering her gaze toward him.
"So I… came along."
"Here, take this chair."
Luke pulled out a chair from behind him.
"Sorry for coming so late. There's something I'd like to ask your help with."
Hayato approached the Service Club members.
"May I sit here?"
Yukino nodded.
Hayato naturally pulled out the guest chair and sat before them.
"Sorry~ My club was so busy that I couldn't get away. Activities will be suspended before the exams, so everyone insisted we finish today's training. I really apologize."
Luke ignored his explanation and idly caught the curled end of Yumiko's blonde hair between his fingers.
He slowly straightened it, let it curl again, then repeated the process.
"Thank you for introducing yourself," Yukino said coldly.
Luke somehow felt that her attitude was three degrees colder than usual.
He wound Yumiko's curled hair around his finger again.
While speaking with Yui, Yumiko turned around and kicked his shin in annoyance.
Luke helplessly released her hair.
"Tell us directly why you came, Hayama Hayato-san," Yukino said.
Hayato did not lose his smile despite her attitude.
"Hiratsuka-sensei told me that I could ask the Service Club for help if I was troubled by something, so I came here."
"Yes, that is the Service Club's purpose. Can you tell us the nature of your request?"
"Well, it's about this…"
Hayato's smile faded, and his expression grew serious.
He took out his phone and showed them its contents.
Yukino and Yui leaned closer to examine the screen.
As a member of the Service Club, Luke also leaned in to look at the cramped display.
"I have them too…"
Yumiko told him.
"Oh."
Luke returned to his seat and watched Yumiko take out her phone.
Her wallpaper briefly appeared—a photograph of her with Yui and Hina.
She then opened several messages in her inbox.
[Tobe is a member of an Inage delinquent gang and once caused trouble for Nishi High students at an amusement park.]
[Yamato is dating three girls at once. He's complete trash.]
[Ooka deliberately played violently during a practice match to injure another school's ace.]
Several messages of uncertain authenticity appeared before Luke.
He was not familiar with any of the three, so he could not tell whether the contents were slander or the truth.
However, all three were members of Hayato's group.
If the usually busy Hayato had gone out of his way to visit the Service Club, the accusations were probably not very credible.
"Ah!"
Yui suddenly cried out while looking at Hayato's phone.
"What happened?"
Luke poked his head out from behind Yumiko's blonde hair and asked curiously.
Hearing him, Yui took out her own phone and searched through her messages.
Yumiko also leaned over and glanced at it.
"They're the same messages…"
It turned out Yui had received identical emails.
"These are the classroom rumors I mentioned the other day…"
Yui explained.
"A chain letter?" Yukino asked.
A chain letter was a message passed repeatedly from person to person.
It usually ended with some threatening line like, "You're not human if you don't forward this," pressuring others into sending it onward.
As the message continued spreading, the resulting avalanche grew larger, sometimes causing the same letter to arrive over and over.
In short, it was extremely troublesome.
"Yes… Ever since it began circulating, the mood in class has become tense. I'm angry that my friends are being slandered like this too."
Hayato spoke with a troubled expression.
This kind of attack resembled shooting an arrow from the shadows.
Once someone was struck, they could not find the true culprit and could only allow suspicion and distrust to grow until the negative emotions finally exploded.
"So…"
Hayato's voice became firm.
"I want to stop this from continuing."
"No wonder the classroom has been so quiet during breaks lately. The unfamiliar atmosphere was strangely comfortable."
Luke recalled today's classes.
It had indeed been like that.
"Right. I'm not asking you to find the culprit. I only want to stop the situation from getting worse."
Hayato pressed his palms together.
"Can I ask you to handle it?"
"I hate the atmosphere in class too. It's awful."
Yumiko looked at Luke as she spoke.
Before he could say anything—
"It'll be fine~ Those two can solve it."
Yui hurriedly pulled on Yumiko's arm and comforted her.
Luke stared speechlessly at Yui as she dragged his girlfriend away.
'Your trust feels good, but your actions are irritating.'
Also…
'Be careful of Yuigahama.'
"I-I know."
Yumiko answered Yui, then looked helplessly toward Luke and pressed her lips together.
She reached into her pocket, took out several candies, and secretly handed them to him.
Luke accepted them.
They were lychee flavored.
'Please help again.'
Yumiko silently formed the words with her lips.
"So we only need to resolve the situation, correct?"
After thinking for a while, Yukino spoke.
"Yes, exactly," Hayato replied.
"Then we need to identify the culprit."
"Oh, then I'll leave it to—huh?"
Hayato's stunned expression was unmistakable.
That completely contradicted the request he had just made.
"Why would we need to do that?"
"Chain letters trample on human dignity. They are among the lowest forms of behavior."
Yukino's voice turned sharp.
"The sender hides their name and face while using every possible form of slander solely to hurt others."
"The people who spread the malice may not always act with malicious intent, but they are equally guilty. Curiosity or misguided kindness still allows the malice to expand."
"If we want to stop such behavior, we must eliminate it at the source. My source for this information is personal experience."
After finishing, Yukino wore a deeply disgusted expression.
"…So you experienced it personally."
Luke sighed sympathetically as he unwrapped a candy.
"Yes. Heh. I truly cannot understand what Sagawa-san and Shimoda-san believed they would gain by doing something like that."
Yukino sneered as a dark aura seemed to spread around her.
Everyone except Yukino stiffened.
"In short, anyone who commits such a vile act should naturally be eliminated."
Her words were strangely terrifying.
"You should quit this club…"
Yumiko whispered to Luke.
"President Yukinoshita would retaliate."
Luke whispered back as the round candy clicked against his teeth.
"She might have me sunk in Tokyo Bay."
Yukino continued addressing Hayato.
"I will find the sender and speak to them so they won't repeat it. You can decide what happens afterward."
"Do you have any objection?"
Hayato remained silent for a moment, then nodded with difficulty as though making a major decision.
"All right."
"When did these messages begin appearing?" Yukino asked.
"Probably last weekend… right, Yui?"
Hayato answered, and Yui nodded.
"Did anything unusual happen in your class last week?"
"Nothing particularly special, I think."
"Mm… Everyone talked and laughed like usual."
The two answered.
Yukino then glanced at Luke.
"What about you, Luke?"
"Me?"
Luke swallowed the crushed candy.
"Isn't asking me rather pointless?"
He searched his memory anyway but could not recall anything unusual.
"That's true."
Yukino agreed and nodded.
"I keep telling you to talk with us during breaks and eat lunch with everyone~"
Yumiko once again extended the same invitation she had been making recently.
"I'm not familiar with them. It's too troublesome."
Luke gave his usual answer.
"By the way, have you chosen your workplace experience destination?"
Yui stared at the two of them, and an idea suddenly struck her.
"Oh, right! It's the workplace groups! Yes, yes, that must be the reason!"
"Hm?"
Everyone looked toward Yui in confusion, unable to understand how she had reached that conclusion.
Under their gazes, Yui scratched the back of her head and laughed awkwardly.
"R-right. Think about it. Whenever friends outnumber the group limit, someone always has to be excluded."
"That can damage friendships, so sometimes people might do something childish…"
As she spoke, Yui's voice gradually weakened, and her expression became gloomy.
"So someone might do this to ensure they can join their friends' group."
Luke finished the rest of her thought.
The others looked surprised, seemingly unable to imagine such a motive.
Yukino looked at the unusually downcast Yui and cleared her throat.
"Following Yuigahama-san's reasoning, since the people targeted by the chain letters are your friends, who were you planning to choose as your workplace experience partners?"
"Hmm… Now that you mention it, I haven't decided yet. But I would probably choose from those three."
"Sigh. I understand now. There is only one truth."
Yui sighed sorrowfully, her gloomy expression becoming even more desolate.
"To join your group, someone is trying to remove the extra member…"
Luke nodded.
"That motive is plausible."
"So the culprit is one of those three," Yukino concluded.
Hayato hurriedly rejected the idea.
"B-but all three were included in the chain letters. Something must be wrong."
"Heh. How naive…"
Yukino sneered.
"If a culprit cannot avoid suspicion completely, they would hardly leave themselves entirely untouched."
As she spoke, Yukino adjusted the book in her hands.
Oh.
Today, she was reading a mystery novel.
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