Starting in class C: not completely defective.

Interim: princess

I've always had a good relationship with my father, if you look at it from a certain angle. He always respected my abilities, and I always respected his seniority.

Relationships are curious, aren't they?

They can be good. They can be bad. They could be a mixture of both.

And there were so many different types of relationships, weren't there?

Boyfriend and girlfriend. Husband and wife. Parent and child...

Siblings. Especially if they were twins.

It was rather curious. I hadn't ever known professor Ayanokouji's wife, as I had only met the man himself a few times. But I would bet money that she looked remarkably similar to Ichinose Honami.

It was a funny story how I found out, actually...

There were many meetings going on at night during the special exam. Strategies being formulated, and alliances forged and severed.

If there was a single person that wasn't capable of subterfuge, I would have said that person was Ichinose Honami, of class 1-C.

Imagine my surprise when I noticed that Ichinose got out of bed at 01:00 exactly, like she'd scheduled a meet up.

Hashimoto had told me that many of the boys had gone to secret meetings during the late hours, and Masumi had said that a few meetings had taken place during activities, so it wasn't exactly a rare occurrence.

What piqued my interest was the fact that it was Ichinose, someone who was so kind and caring. She wasn't like how Kushida had been; a wolf in sheep's clothing. She was genuinely kind.

Which just tugged at my brain more.

After she had left the room, I silently picked up my cane and followed her.

I saw her strawberry blond hair turn a corner, and I made chase, but made sure to stay out of her vision.

We were outside when she finally stopped walking.

It was truly freezing. Couldn't she have picked somewhere with heating to hold this clandestine interaction?

In the shadows, I saw a small group of people. I could only make out the looming mass of Albert Yamada, of class A. Which meant that the dragon probably wasn't far away. And if he was here, then I'd wager...

"Ayanokouji...why did you call us here?" Asked a girls voice. I'd wager that was Ibuki Mio, who was also in class A.

So, my hunch was right. It was him.

"Earlier this afternoon...two people tried to kidnap me. They were employed by my father and, in extension, the white room," he said.

Oh? Professor Ayanokouji certainly was bold, trying to retrieve him from under the school's nose.

A few small murmurs from the other people in the group fluttered around.

"That's only the beginning. One of the would-be kidnappers tried to abduct me from hospital back in September," he continued.

If he had been sent out on multiple missions, I would guess that it was Samuel Akito, professor Ayanokouji's best man.

"And the other...I felt like I recognised her. I felt like I had fought her before. Although it was far more refined, strong and efficient than it was a few months ago, she had the exact same figure, fighting style and tactics of Kushida Kikyou," he said.

A few gasps and mutters echoed around the small courtyard. A small involuntary gasp emanated from my own lips.

I had expected Kushida to be festering away in a cell, either at prison, a juvenile detention centre, or a straight up insane asylum. I had been told she was completely incoherent after she stabbed Ayanokouji.