I still rember that day vividly.
As a mber of the "5th Generation," I chanically went through the White Room's curriculum. That was my daily life. That was the norm.
Even when I try to recall my mories, all that cos to mind is a blank, white room from the past. I had already vaguely sensed it—that this facility wasn't normal.
This facility's educational philosophy was to produce artificial geniuses. To see how much they could elevate ordinary people to the level of geniuses. To see how far they could surpass geniuses. It was nothing more than an experintal ground.
"Ahh... Aaahh..."
Combat training was one of the curriculum programs.
A boy from the sa "5th Generation" writhed in pain, clutching his stomach after taking my attack.
"St... stop..."
"Sorry. It's an order, after all."
Holding back wasn't allowed in combat training. I delivered the finishing blow to the suffering boy. I felt no guilt. That emotion had long since disappeared. Or maybe I never had it to begin with.
"The test is over. Ichika Amasawa, return to your room."
A white-coated adult, one of the White Room staff, gave my evaluation, marking the end of today's curriculum. Well, even if I went back to my room, there was nothing I could do on my own anyway.
"..."
On my way back, I passed by another 5th Generation student. He was muttering sothing under his breath like a delirious chant, which would seem bizarre to an outsider—but for soone who knew the circumstances, it was a different story.
"Kiyotaka Ayanokouji and Yagami Yato... huh."
Words I heard every single day since coming to this facility.
'Beco an existence that surpasses Kiyotaka Ayanokouji.'
'Beco an existence that surpasses Yagami Yato.'
How many tis had I heard those words in my life so far?
The two masterpieces of the White Room. Until now, no one had ever surpassed their records.
No matter how well I perford, my results were always compared to those two "4th Generation" masterpieces and discarded like scraps of paper.
But none of the other kids believed it.
They thought it was all a lie to motivate us.
That there had never been any masterpieces to begin with.
Honestly, I didn't care either way. Whether those masterpieces existed or not, I just did as I was told. There was a fatal flaw in my humanity.
That kid I passed by earlier was just another pitiful soul, tornted by the existence of soone who might not even be real.
"Thinking of it as preferential treatnt would be better, though~"
Compared to the 4th Generation, I think we had it pretty good.
High-achieving students in the "5th Generation" were allowed to interact with others, but the "4th Generation" was forbidden from even making contact with anyone, let alone holding conversations.
If you kept up with the curriculum under those conditions, your mind would break in no ti.
"Fuaaah... Ti to sleep."
The very next day after such carefree thoughts—
My, no, the entire 5th Generation's sense of reality was completely shattered.
.......
One day, the curriculum was suddenly interrupted, and all of us fifth-generation students were taken to a particular room by the adult staff.
Normally, this would have been our training ti—gathering like this and moving as a group had never happened before.
"We've heard rumors spreading among you," one of the staff mbers said. "That Kiyotaka Ayanokouji and Yagami Yato... these two don't actually exist."
The door to the room opened, and all of us were led inside.
"Below us, in the training grounds, the two surviving masterpieces of the fourth generation are carrying out their curriculum. Every single one of their records is worthy of being called the ultimate prodigies."
Silence fell, the air growing heavy.
None of us fifth-generation students wanted to accept those words.
None of us wanted to hear what ca next.
And yet, rcilessly, the words were spoken.
"Kiyotaka Ayanokouji and Yagami Yato... they do exist."
None of the children reacted to the truth delivered by the staff.
No—perhaps they simply didn't want to believe it.
Because believing it would an everything they knew would crumble.
A large window in the room allowed us to observe the training grounds below. We were all told to look, and so, hesitantly, the fifth-generation students peered through the glass—directly witnessing the two figures for the first ti.
That was when I, too, saw the so-called "masterpieces."
"No way... no way..."
"Lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies, lies—"
"Amazing... this is too much...!"
The monotonously produced results. Every single one of them defies common sense.
The reactions of the 5th generation students vary.
So avert their eyes from reality.
So go mad from the sheer shock.
So have their minds broken.
So worship them.
And then––––––so harbor hatred.
With cool expressions, not a drop of sweat, simply chanical.
The sight of the two effortlessly completing the curriculum. Their eyes held no trace of vitality.
"...?"
The other kids were reacting in all sorts of ways, but there was sothing else that caught my attention more than that.
"Um, I understand that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka is the son of the Director. But... who is Yagami Yūto?"
In this White Room, the one who holds the highest authority is the father of that one masterpiece, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka.
I know that. I understand it.
I could instinctively tell that he was special.
––––––But what about him?
Yagami Yūto. The other masterpiece.
What makes him special?
How is he different from the rest of us?
Faced with the flood of questions filling my mind, the staff mber answered without shifting their gaze.
"Yagami Yūto is the sa as all of you. He is not the Director's child like Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, nor was he born with innate talent. Just an ordinary person. Just a human."
"Just... a human...?"
That... is the sa as us?
Him, one of the masterpieces?
I couldn't take my eyes off Yagami Yūto.
I wanted to know––instinctively––everything about him.
How he moved, how he acted, how he spoke, what his voice sounded like. What kind of person he was.
"––––––––Ah."
For an instant, just a fleeting mont.
I thought our eyes t through the mirror.
It must have been a coincidence. Impossible. And yet...
"Huh? ... I'm smiling? Why am I...?"
The reflection in the mirror showed my face––wearing an expression of pure, heartfelt joy. A smile I had never made before.
"Ah, I'm smiling? Right now, from the bottom of my heart... for the first ti in my life...!?"
Even as the smile ford, a single tear spilled over.
"I'm happy! So happy!! I'm smiling! My heart is rejoicing!! Yagami Yūto...! It's because of him...!?"
I felt my chest tighten.
I felt my heart yearning for him.
I felt my pulse quicken.
I felt my face grow hot.
For the first ti, I had felt it. A truly human emotion.
Now, I couldn't look away from him.
The voices of the 5th generation, even Ayanokouji Kiyotaka––none of them mattered anymore.
Him. Only he could captivate my entire being.
I wanted––––––everything about him.
I wanted to give all of myself to him.
For the first ti in my life, I felt like I had found my reason to live.
.......
That day, I was allowed to return to my room without any further training.
My mood was at its peak. Even my usual plain white room seed to glow. Normally, I would go straight to sleep upon returning, but today's impact had been too overwhelming.
"Yagami Yūto... Yūto, Yūto-kun ♪"
His face wouldn't leave my mind. At first, I didn't understand this feeling, but I quickly realized—it was love.
I had only seen him once, and he probably wasn't even aware of my existence. But as ti passed, my feelings for Yūto-kun only grew stronger.
"But... as I am now, I can't et him."
This facility runs on ritocracy. The winners remain, the losers are discarded.
I wanted to get closer to him. So, I resolved to push myself harder than ever before—all for the sake of standing beside Yūto-kun, to beco his equal. Even if the gap in our abilities was vast, I just wanted to be near him, even a little.
"If I beco one of the so-called 'masterpieces'... maybe then I can go see him?"
After all, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was training in the sa facility as Yūto-kun. If I beca a masterpiece too, maybe I could go there. Maybe I could stand beside him.
Since my performance in the White Room was already exceptional, when I asked to observe Yūto-kun's training, the staff—mistaking my request for heightened ambition—allowed to watch.
"So cool... ♪ So cool, Yūto-kun... ♪"
Even just seeing him through the mirror made my face flush and my lips curl into a smile. The thought that these emotions belonged to him and him alone filled with indescribable joy.
.......
The Day the White Room Was Attacked
Around the ti the number of 5th-generation children had dwindled, the White Room was attacked.
Of course, we followed the staff's instructions and evacuated. But deep down, I didn't care. Nothing interested except Yūto-kun. The attack, the escape—none of it mattered. The only thing I could say for sure was that I wanted to see him.
"Haah... how boring."
I wasn't exactly enthusiastic about the evacuation, so I lagged behind the other 5th-gen kids as I walked along the escape route, hands clasped behind my head, watching the White Room collapse around .
And then—
"...Eh?"
I saw sothing unbelievable.
"––––––Yūto... kun?"
Soone dashed past at an incredible speed.
I only caught a glimpse, but I knew. I had imagined him in my mind countless tis, thinking of him over and over.
Maybe he noticed calling his na—because for a brief mont, he stopped and looked at .
The other kids had already evacuated. Only I, the straggler, remained.
Why? Why is he here? Shouldn't he be evacuating? Huh? I had so much I wanted to say... but no words ca out.
"...How do you know ? Who are you?"
His voice—I was hearing it for the first ti.
Our eyes t clearly for the first ti.
In his pitch-black pupils, void of any emotion, I saw my own reflection. His attention was on .
That fact alone made so happy I had to bite back tears.
"Ah... uh..."
My emotions were a tangled ss. I couldn't speak properly.
"...Never mind."
After a single glance, he turned to leave.
"Ah... ah...! W-Wait...!"
I wanted to talk to him more. I wanted to be near him. After finally eting him, after finally hearing his voice—he was leaving, rcilessly. No, don't go...!
I reached out, but his figure was already growing distant.
And then—
"––––––I love you!!"
Right before he disappeared from sight, I scread out my feelings.
I didn't know if he heard .
But I absolutely refused to let this be our goodbye.
......
After the White Room was attacked, we were transferred to another facility. The quality was slightly lower than before, but we continued with the usual curriculum.
"Ehehe~ ♪"
Even during breaks, I couldn't help but smile. Right now, I was in an incredibly good mood.
"I wonder if Yūto-kun heard ? What if he did~? That would've been a love confession, wouldn't it? How embarrassing~ ♪"
The incident from the other day would probably go down in records as a blemish on the White Room's history—but for , it was the best day of my life. After all, I got to talk to Yūto-kun. I got to scream my feelings at him.
Even within the White Room, there had been so changes. While the facility was being restored, we were allowed to learn a little about the outside world. I didn't know what their reasoning was, but for , any extra knowledge was welco.
Lately, it had beco a habit of mine to visit the room where books were kept during breaks. Today, as I was heading there, I overheard so staff mbers talking in hushed voices.
.....
The conversation between the staff mbers reached my ears as I passed by.
"Hey. They still haven't found Yagami Yūto?"
"No. Normally, soone escaping from the facility would be easy to track down... but for so reason, there's no trace of him."
"I can't believe he slipped away during the attack. Wasn't that facility in the middle of nowhere? How did he even get out?"
"No clue. Either way, Yagami Yūto is gone—completely disappeared from the White Room. No leads, no sightings... hell, we don't even know if he's still—"
My breath caught in my throat.
He... escaped?
A sharp thrill shot through , so sudden it made my fingers tremble.
Yūto-kun was gone.
Not just from the White Room—from their control. From everything.
The thought should have terrified . Instead, it sent a strange, giddy warmth flooding through my chest.
Of course he got away.
Of course he vanished.
Because he was like . No—better than . A true masterpiece.
And now... he was free.
A slow smile curled at the edges of my lips as I turned away, the staff's voices fading behind .
I had a new goal now.
I would find him.
No matter what it took.
....
The words struck like a physical blow.
Yūto-kun... escaped?
That ti when he appeared before —was that...?
"No... no..."
I clenched my teeth, fighting back the wave of hysteria threatening to overtake .
A White Room without Yūto-kun had no aning. Everything turned monochro. My chest ached.
"Yūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunYūto-kunIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehimIwannaseehim"
I love him, I adore him, I'm in love with him—
...Yet I can't see him.
"Yū...to...kun...!"
When it beca unbearable, I'd comfort myself like always.
If I didn't, the anguish would swallow whole.
Even without Yūto-kun, the White Room's training continued unchanged.
But quitting wasn't an option. Though part of wanted to shrink away, I maintained top marks among the 5th generation.
I clung to the belief that soday, I'd see Yūto-kun again. That faith alone kept pushing through the brutal curriculum.
Then, one day—
"You two will enroll at Advanced Nurturing High School and bring Kiyotaka back to the White Room from within."
Summoned by the founder, Ayanokōji-sensei, myself and another top perforr received our orders.
Apparently, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka had enrolled at this high school through so sche involving a man nad Matsuo. Our mission was to infiltrate as first-years and force his expulsion.
I understood the task, but motivation eluded .
True, I considered Ayanokōji Kiyotaka special—godlike, even. But without Yūto-kun here, how could I possibly care?
The other student beside seed brimming with enthusiasm, though.
Just as I thought this—
"And know this—the other masterpiece, Yagami Yūto, has also enrolled at this school. Retrieving Kiyotaka takes priority, but Yagami's retrieval is equally non-negotiable. Keep this in mind. The details will be relayed separately."
"——————"
With only those words, the director left.
I... can go where he is.
I can see him.
I can... touch him...?
Stunned into silence, I barely registered the other 5th-gen student leaving with a low, guttural laugh.
"Oh... right. I... I get to see Yūto-kun..."
Alone in the empty room, tears of pure joy stread down my face. I'd never cried like this in my life.
"I have to... beco more charming."
From that mont, preparations began. Studying current trends, mannerisms boys find appealing—anything to make myself more captivating in Yūto-kun's eyes.
"Wait for ... Yūto-senpai♡"
.....
After helping first-year student Amasawa Ichika, who nearly fell down the stairs, I was on my way ho.
That part was fine, but...
"Why are you following , Amasawa?"
"Ehh~? Can't I follow you?"
I stopped by Keyaki Mall on my way ho to buy a cake for Hiyori, who was waiting for , but Amasawa had been tailing the entire ti.
"I had so business at Keyaki Mall too, y'know~"
"Even so, you don't need to follow , do you?"
"Senpai, you're so cold~ You should be nicer to your kouhai!"
"That's not even the issue here."
She kept patting my back as she spoke. Every little gesture of hers felt calculated—like she was deliberately trying to draw in.
What was her goal in following ? According to the OAA, Amasawa's academic ability was an A. At that level, there's no way she'd need to pair up with soone like , who's only average.
"Well, to be honest, I'm super interested in Hikigaya-senpai right now."
"I don't think there's anything about worth being interested in."
As soon as I responded to her unexpected words, Amasawa—who had been behind —stepped in front and pressed a finger to my lips.
"You just caught like a prince when I was about to fall down the stairs, didn't you? For a girl, sothing that fateful doesn't happen every day. Isn't it only natural I'd be curious?"
As a guy, I couldn't relate, but maybe that's how girls felt about these things.
"That was pure coincidence. Anyone else in my position would've done the sa."
"Then the fact that it was you, Hikigaya-senpai, ans it was fate~ ♪"
"..."
That almost sounded logical... or rather, she was forcing it to sound logical.
"I love romantic stuff like this, so hey—how about we pair up for the exam?"
She smiled and held out her hand.
Most guys would probably jump at the offer, but to , it just felt suspicious.
She called it "romantic," but if she really was an A-rank student, she'd have plenty of other options. The fact that she hadn't already settled on a partner was odd.
"Sorry, but I've already got a first-year in mind for my partner. I appreciate the offer, but I can't decide right away."
"Aw, that's too bad~ Well, if you change your mind, let know! We'll probably be talking a lot during the exams anyway, so wanna exchange contact info?"
Having a first-year as an information source would be useful, so I agreed.
"This is my first ti exchanging contacts with an upperclassman~"
"Is that so?"
"Yep! Senpai, you're my first~ ♪"
"My first ti exchanging contacts with an upperclassman, huh?"
She kept grinning while using phrasing that could easily be misinterpreted.
As I dealt with Amasawa, soone bumped into from behind.
Given how crowded Keyaki Mall was, collisions weren't uncommon—but it'd still be polite to apologize.
"Sorry about that, Okabe. Wasn't paying attention."
"Hikigaya...! Tch. What, you got another girl with you?"
Okabe glanced at Amasawa beside before clicking his tongue at —for what felt like the hundredth ti.
I was used to his attitude by now, but his lingering hostility was annoying.
"Hey, hey, it's not Hikigaya-senpai's fault. You were the one who bumped into him, right, Okabe-senpai?"
Just as I apologized and Okabe tried to leave, Amasawa cut in.
"The hell? Who's this first-year?"
"Glaring at won't scare ~ How about you apologize to Hikigaya-senpai? You're the one who crashed into him, right?"
"Shut the hell up. First-years shouldn't be sticking their noses in."
Okabe scowled, but Amasawa ignored him and pulled up his OAA on her phone.
"Even elentary schoolers know the person at fault should apologize~ Can't even do that? Are you really an upperclassman? Oh, wait—maybe it's too hard for soone with an overall D-rank?"
"You little—!! You think you can mock just 'cause you're a first-year?!"
Amasawa's excessive taunting made Okabe clench his fist and raise it at her.
"Cut it out, Okabe. Amasawa has nothing to do with this."
I grabbed his arm just before it could connect.
"Tch... Don't get cocky, Hikigaya. Just 'cause people call you Ryuuen's right-hand man doesn't an you're hot shit. Your act's gonna crumble sooner or later."
He forcibly yanked his arm free and stomped off.
"...You okay, Amasawa?"
Regardless of whether she was a White Room student or not, a girl had nearly been hit by an older guy.
I thought she might be shaken, but instead, she was staring at with an intense gaze.
"...You were so cool just now, Hikigaya-senpai."
"...You've got nerves of steel, huh? Most people would've been scared."
"I'm pretty popular in my class, y'know? I've seen guys like that before—selfish, stupid types."
It was true. Amasawa had a refined appearance and a gentle deanor that would probably appeal to guys.
"Ah! You just checked out my chest, didn't you? Senpai, you perv~"
"That's slander."
I was looking at her, but I definitely didn't stare at her chest.
"Anyway, jokes aside—thanks for protecting . I was this close to getting punched."
"Nah, I should be apologizing. Okabe's from my class, after all."
"Hmm~ Well, let's call it even then."
With that, she turned away.
"If I follow you any further, I'll just be a bother. I'll head back now."
"You were pretty persistent earlier, but now you're leaving just like that?"
"I don't want Hikigaya-senpai to hate ~ See you later, okay? Next ti we et, let's talk more~"
She winked at , waved, and walked off.
"Amasawa Ichika, huh?"
My impression of her was... ambiguous.
I couldn't outright call her black, but I couldn't confidently say she was white either.
Either way, I'd have to stay sowhat cautious.
......
It had been a long day with all sorts of things happening, but I finally made it back to the dorm.
After a bet match, getting to know Ama-chan, and seeing Okabe step down...
Thinking it had been quite the journey, I reached my room door and noticed light seeping through the gap. Hiyori must already be inside.
Unlocking the door, I heard footsteps from inside. Maybe she was coming to greet ?
Holding onto a sliver of hope, I opened the door.
"W-Welco ho, Hachiman! Would you like dinner? A bath? Or... m-maybe... ?"
Hiyori stood there in casual clothes with an apron on, her face tinged with embarrassnt.
"..."
"U-Um... ?"
"..."
"Ah, well..."
"..."
What had just happened was so far beyond my expectations that I was left stunned, completely at a loss.
"O-Oh. Uh, i-it suits you...?"
Regaining my frozen thoughts, I managed to give Hiyori my response.
Then, as her face turned bright red all at once—
"~~~~~~~~~!!!!"
Eyes glistening with embarrassnt, Hiyori dashed away toward the living room...
=================================
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