COTE: Epidemic

Something changed

– Please wait a little longer. New seats are almost vacant. In the meantime, enjoy these wonderful cookies that we provide for free.

Our working day will end soon. Many of us are tired after a grueling day at a cultural festival. We still have some time left to serve the remaining guests, after which everything will finally be resolved.

I am sure we are in one of the top positions in the ranking. We may not be the very first, but our class has definitely achieved a lot today thanks to the efforts of each student. Even Haruka and Akito eventually joined us and helped, so everything is fine.

The situation is clearly better than one would expect.

– Ah..! Hey!! Does anyone here know how to do artificial respiration?!

Suddenly, a student ran to the second floor, clearly alarmed by something. There was something red on his cheek and shirt, like a jet of ketchup. If you combine these factors with his words, then perhaps he is responsible for some special event associated with something non-standard.

He is one of the freshmen, so this is most likely not what Nagumo's class planned with its horrors. They probably have an event related to medicine or something similar involved.

– Please help! A man needs help there!

Many turned around at the screams of this guy and also most of the people fell into a stupor because of his words. To be honest, it's pretty good acting. I'm almost ready to believe that something critical really happened there. Is it possible that this student has joined an acting club?

– I'm sorry, could you stop? You can scare our customers away with your screams.

Horikita, who had just taken a break, decided to stop it. Of course, she probably shouldn't have interfered with the advertising campaign of other classes, but now she's just a student on a break who doesn't interfere in anything, but only acts according to her own ambitions.

– Do you think I'm fucking kidding?! There really needs help!

– Then let's go.

Apparently realizing the seriousness in the tone of this situation, Horikita headed after this student, who was almost running down the stairs. People around me started whispering and talking to each other, discussing what had happened. Now we need to act, otherwise everything may turn out to have some bad consequences for us.

I gave a silent signal to Kushida, who was nearby and heard everything, and she immediately began her acting performance at the highest level. People who decided to leave first changed their minds thanks to Kushida, who was able to influence others. Leaving it to her, I decided to check the situation on the floor below.

When I came down, I saw that the situation was somewhat worse than one might have expected. People were in a state of panic, students were running back and forth in confusion. It seemed that something serious had really happened.

– Ayanokoji-kun!

While I was thinking about the current situation, someone called out to me. She was a pretty girl with silver hair color. Her kimono was a little disheveled, but it only gave her a certain exotic look.

– What's going on here, Hiyori?

– Several people lost consciousness in our cafe. Looks like they're having a heart attack!

Did Ryuen decide to poison them?

– Several people?

This puzzled me a bit. I would say that such a coincidence seems even a little strange that several people died at once due to a heart attack in one place. To be honest, the chance of such a case is incredibly low.

–  I need to go. Please be careful.

Leaving me these words of sincere concern, she went further in the direction where there were many people. She had a basin of water in her hands all the time. I don't know why she would do that, but I probably shouldn't deal with it.

In any case, my training could have helped in this situation, but now there was no need to reveal myself to others. Moreover, the school medical staff has just entered the second floor, so everything is likely to be fine. In any case, nothing depends on me here anymore.

At least, this decision was correct, as an unpleasant truth soon became clear.

***

According to todays news reports, local outbreaks of an unknown disease appeared in some areas of Tokyo, which quickly attacked people. It wouldn't be anything unusual or bad if this disease wasn't so close to us. Moreover, I still have some suspicions about what happened at the cultural festival today.

I was already in my dorm and getting ready for sleep when suddenly someone called me. This phone number was not familiar to me, but, driven by my curiosity, I answered the call.

«Kiyotaka. May I assume that you are already aware of what is happening?»

– I should have known it was you.

It turned out to be a very unpleasant call. This voice was probably the most familiar to me. I've heard it since I was a kid.

«Pack your things, Kiyotaka. Soon my people will take you away.»

– Do you really think that I will calmly execute this command?

He should be well aware that even in the current weak circumstances, I still sacrifice a lot if I choose a White Room. Moreover, so far there is no tangible evidence that I am in any danger at all.

«In such a situation, we need to act quickly. My people have already taken Yagami and Amasawa from the fifth generation. It's your turn now.»

He was right about only one thing. This situation requires quick and deliberate action. That's why I can't waste my precious time on this person.

– These two? I didn't think you were worried about their fate. Moreover, wasn't Amasawa excluded from the White Room?

But still I was interested in it. That's why I couldn't contact this girl anymore. Although there was not too much benefit from it.

«She is, but these two products are still sane in terms of their abilities. Of course, they're not good enough compared to you.»

As always, he mentions his main idea that I am superior to everyone around. Even if that's the case, it's already starting to bother me. After all, is it really that hard to leave me alone for at least three years?

– You really mistakenly believe that I will choose a White Room in exchange for my quiet life.

«Come on, Kiyotaka! It's a matter of common sense.»

– Really? I would say that this is only partly true.

No matter how you look at it, but any such case is convenient for this person, because this is just another opportunity to return me to that place. It is even possible that this person is responsible for such an incident. I'm still sticking to that probability.

– Anyway, I'm staying here.

Before he had time to answer anything, I successfully hung up the phone and was no longer in the mood to talk on the phone with this person. Our small and almost useless discussion was over.

Even if everyone in this school dies from a sudden epidemic, I still have to keep my peaceful life at all costs.