"Ding-a-ling-ling~"
As dusk fell, the Shuchiin Academy bell was as unmelodious as ever, but this bell, which marked the end of class and going home, was music to the students' ears!
"Hey, Yu, how do you understand this problem?"
"This is a typical trick question. Try to solve it following the ideas I just explained. Don't overthink it; trick questions are made to make the person taking the test overthink and start worrying."
In the classroom, Nakano Yu wasn't in a hurry to leave. It wasn't that he didn't want to go home, but Kiyoura Setsuna had come to him right after class with a question.
And the reason Kiyoura Setsuna suddenly came to him for help was Nakano Itsuki.
While comforting Nakano Itsuki, Nakano Yu learned that the girl had misunderstood his relationship with Kiyoura Setsuna. Although it now seemed a bit ambiguous, they weren't holding hands, nor exchanging spit; they were just good friends.
Yes, friends who had only known each other for one day, yet were extremely close.
After explaining everything to Nakano Itsuki, Nakano Yu even introduced Nakano Itsuki to Kiyoura Setsuna. For some unknown reason, the two started chatting, and then Nakano Itsuki mentioned that he had always been first in the class at Sobu High School.
And then Kiyoura Setsuna began asking him questions.
"Oh~"
Hearing that, Kiyoura Setsuna looked as if everything had suddenly become clear to her. Before Nakano Yu could say anything else, she bent over by herself and started working on the problem.
Nakano Yu calmly sat and watched. He wasn't in a rush to go home. As for Nakano Itsuki, right after class, Fujimaru Chika had pulled her to play board games, and their relationship already seemed quite good.
But what surprised Nakano Yu a bit was that Kiyoura Setsuna actually called Fujiwara Chika "Secretary Fujiwara." It should be noted that Fujiwara Chika was still a first-year student, and logically speaking, there shouldn't even be a board game club, yet it existed.
Because of this, Shinomiya Kaguya, a first-year student who had become the president of the Student Council, and Fujiwara Chika, a first-year student who had become the secretary of the Student Council, seemed as if they were forcibly placed in those positions.
If that was the case, then the Student Council should have been understaffed, right? So how did Fujiwara Chika still have time to play board games with Nakano Itsuki? Shouldn't Shinomiya Kaguya have been dragging Nakano Itsuki by the collar and forcing her to process documents?
"Nakano Yu, do you think this is correct?"
Just as Nakano Yu was thinking about this, Kiyoura Setsuna had already solved the problem. Slightly nervously, she handed him the notebook with the solution and asked him.
"Hm, not bad. Kiyoura Setsuna is really diligent. But, do you have any goal for studying this hard?"
Returning to reality, Nakano Yu glanced over, confirmed that her solution method was correct, and nodded with a smile, praising her.
"It's fine. A lot of what the teacher says in class is hard to understand."
Kiyoura Setsuna also smiled while speaking, but then paused and didn't answer Nakano Yu's later question. Just when Nakano Yu thought his question might have intruded on Kiyoura Setsuna's privacy, the girl replied:
"Actually, it's not really a specific goal. I want to join the Student Council of Shuchiin Academy, so my grades need to improve and I have to become better to be able to join."
"Why do you want to join the Student Council?"
Hearing that, Nakano Yu found Kiyoura Setsuna a little strange. But then he thought and realized that most students who graduate from Shuchiin Academy become elites in various industries. It wasn't uncommon for ordinary people to change their fate after graduation and achieve great things.
He had always looked at problems from a distance and overlooked this point.
But just as Nakano Yu accepted this as completely normal, Kiyoura Setsuna's next sentence completely stunned him, leaving him speechless:
"Because the current president of the Shuchiin Academy Student Council went abroad for further studies, I want to… apply for the position of Student Council President."
"Ha?! Kiyoura Setsuna, are you aware of what you're saying? Are you planning a coup d'état?"
Kiyoura Setsuna's words sounded so shocking in Nakano Yu's ears that he almost bit his tongue. Composing himself, the young man looked at her with a stunned expression.
"Hm? Why do you say that?"
Seeing Nakano Yu's intense reaction, Kiyoura Setsuna, on the contrary, was confused and asked him.
"If I remember correctly, didn't the former president directly hand over the position to Shinomiya Kaguya after resigning and going abroad for further studies?"
Rubbing his forehead, Nakano Yu felt something was off, but still recounted what he had heard over the past few days about how Shinomiya Kaguya had taken over as Student Council President.
However, Nakano Yu's words, spoken as something completely normal, had a completely different meaning in Kiyoura Setsuna's ears. The girl closed the notebook and said:
"Yu, you probably don't know, since you just came to Shuchiin Academy. After the former president resigned, the position of Student Council President remained vacant. Even now, the Student Council only has Secretary Fujiwara and Treasurer Ryuju, and there is no new president at all…"
"Wait?! What do you mean there's no new Student Council President? Then what about Shinomiya Kaguya?"
Hearing Kiyoura Setsuna halfway through the sentence, Nakano Yu frowned deeply, interrupted her, and asked.
"Shinomiya… Kaguya?"
Hearing that, Kiyoura Setsuna showed a puzzled expression and tilted her head. Her gaze seemed to ask Nakano Yu: "Who is Shinomiya Kaguya?"
"Kiyoura Setsuna, are you joking with me?"
Seeing her serious expression, Nakano Yu was quite incredulous, thinking Kiyoura Setsuna was teasing him.
But seeing her serious expression and slightly furrowed brows, Nakano Yu realized that Kiyoura Setsuna was not joking.
"The eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family, Shinomiya Kaguya."
Still unwilling to give up, Nakano Yu mentioned the Shinomiya Financial Group, but Kiyoura Setsuna's response made him fully understand what had happened:
"Shinomiya? Yu, are you talking about the Shinomiya Financial Group? Doesn't the Shinomiya Financial Group only have three young masters? It seems there's no eldest daughter. What's wrong with you, Yu? Suddenly you've become strange."
While speaking, Kiyoura Setsuna stood up, placed her palm on her forehead, and then on the young man's forehead, carefully checking his temperature. Only then did she confirm that Nakano Yu did not have a fever.
"Don't worry, Setsuna-san, I'm fine. I must have confused the Student Council President of Sobu High School with the one from Shuchiin Academy."
Regaining composure from the surprise, Nakano Yu gently removed the girl's hand and said with a soft smile, as if the questions he had just asked were truly the result of his confusion.
However, at this moment, Nakano Yu perfectly understood what had happened.
If everyone had forgotten Shinomiya Kaguya just like Kiyoura Setsuna, then perhaps…
Shinomiya Kaguya had disappeared from this world!
Just as Nakano Yu realized this, a system voice rang in his ear:
[Ding! Daily task updated!]
[Daily Task: World Forgetting — Memory-Eater Syndrome!]
Task introduction: When someone leaves one world and steps into a world that shouldn't exist, everything about her will be accepted by that world. At the same time, she will disappear from her original world, including everyone's memories of her, quietly and without a trace…
Task objective: Amnesia Syndrome!
Task reward: Chance for roulette draw +1
Ding! Task location: Shuchiin Academy Student Council Office.
"It seems that thing outside can't see me."
Standing inside the Shuchiin Academy Student Council office, Shinomiya Kaguya carefully moved the curtain just slightly and observed the terrifying monster outside.
The monster showed no interest in the building she was in; it was biting an abandoned house over there, making no move toward her.
Shinomiya Kaguya felt a certain relief because of that; after all, she didn't want to get mixed with the debris of buildings and be swallowed by such a monster.
She had to go back! She still had friends, family, and Hayasaka Ai was still waiting for her to return!
Thinking of this, Shinomiya Kaguya's expression was extremely gloomy.
Shinomiya Kaguya clearly knew that she might not be able to return. Not to mention that she didn't even know where she was, she also had no idea how she got here.
She only remembered that she was processing documents alone at school, and it seemed that someone had said a few words to her.
When she looked up again, she was already in this cursed place.
By the way, who was she talking to back then?
It looked like a girl? No, no, no, it was a boy!
Wrong? It looked like it was a girl, and their relationship had been very good!
Sitting on the ground, Shinomiya Kaguya held her head in her hands. The girl's mind was in complete chaos, entirely unable to remember who she had been talking to before coming to this world.
"Think fast, Kaguya, think! If you remember, you can go!"
Slapping her head, Shinomiya Kaguya desperately tried to recall, but no matter how hard she tried, her mind remained blank.
After a brief struggle, Shinomiya Kaguya suddenly stopped moving, blankly raised her head, looked at the ceiling, and murmured:
"What was I supposed to remember? My head hurts so much, I… forgot something?"
"Who… am I?"
"See you tomorrow, Yu, bye~"
At the entrance of Shuchiin Academy, Nakano Yu waved to Kiyoura Setsuna as they parted. After watching the girl leave, his expression gradually cooled.
Nakano Yu didn't go home, but instead turned and returned to Shuchiin Academy.
Passing by the Shuchiin Academy bulletin board, Nakano Yu slightly stopped. Yesterday, Shinomiya Kaguya had been first on the board, but now there was a name that Nakano Yu had never seen before.
Even the notice that Shinomiya Kaguya had taken over as Student Council President had completely disappeared.
"Looks like I'm the only one unaffected."
Nakano Yu murmured. Earlier, he had sent a message to Fujiwara Chika asking if she remembered Shinomiya Kaguya, and Fujiwara Chika's reply was no surprise to Nakano Yu:
"Shinomiya Kaguya? Who's that? The name sounds familiar, but… I don't think I know her."
That's right, even Fujiwara Chika had forgotten the existence of Shinomiya Kaguya.
"Amnesia Syndrome, huh."
Muttering this, Nakano Yu headed toward the floor where the Shuchiin Academy Student Council office was located.
This task called "Amnesia Syndrome" could be considered the most bizarre task Nakano Yu had ever encountered. Quietly erasing all traces of one person's existence in the world, including other people's memories of that person, this power was probably connected to the rules, right?
Truly, quite interesting!