Mayonaka no X Giten 15

Midnight Cross Method 15

p1: ========================================
[insert]: She’s surprisingly good at sports❤
#15: After-school Simultaneous Equations

p2: ========================================
Of course.
/ If we meet, I’ll make sure to kill that person.
I’ve already lost two things dear to me; vengeance is my right.


“Kill”…?!
…You… You’re kidding… Is there really something going on with you, Class Rep?

p3: ========================================
…That’s right… You’re already fairly certain where they are, right?
Then let’s… when we meet them face-to-face in two days.

What’s she saying? I can’t quite make it out…
[sfx]: Scooch

*Crunch*
!!

Who’s there?!
Shoot!!

There’s… There’s nowhere to hide!
Do I risk it all and run…?

p4: ========================================
[sfx]: Dash!

?!

Kamiya..kun?!
H-Hey, Class Rep.
I… I can’t escape!

I have to pull this off,
and somehow get the information from her!!

p5: ========================================
Kamiya-kun, what are you doing out here?

Well…
You seemed out of it when you said hello this morning, and I was worried, so…

I… I did?
She’s a bit shaken…?
Uh, well, maybe I was just imagining things, or…

Hey, don’t tell me
you overheard me talking on the phone just now?

?
/ You were on the phone?
[insert]: ?
It’s nothing. Never mind.
If she’s asking me that, she must’ve not wanted to be overheard.

…Class R—An’no-san,
/ you really do seem out of it. Are you worried about something?
!
/ Wh-Where’d that come from?! Since when have you been concerned about m—

p6: ========================================
Weren’t you kind to me earlier?

Y-You mean back then?
[flashback]: {
Don’t think you can just say whatever and fool me!
We always seem to wind up together, so I’ve known you for a long time.

[upper left]:
So…
/ umm…
Don’t cry?

[bottom]:
D-Don’t worry about it!
/ I mean, I… I’m the class representative, right?!
}
But that wasn’t really anything special…

You talking to me then
/ really saved my life.
So… You know.

This time, I was hoping I could help you.

p7: ========================================
I’m sorry, but I can’t talk about it yet.

But when it’s all over, I promise I’ll explain.
/ Don’t worry. It won’t take that long.

[sfx]: Fwah
And then I’ll give you…

A proper apology.

…

…An apology?

p8: ========================================
An apology for what?
…It’s almost like…

Like Class Rep did something for which she has to apologize to me.

Dammit…
[sfx]: Sigh

Letting my imagination run wild’s only going to depress me.
I should go home and organize my thoughts.

p9: ========================================
?!
[sfx]: Twitch!

…

Was it just my imagination?

p10: ========================================
For now, let me write down everything I’ve learned so far.
[sfx]: Scratch

[paper]: {
Cross Act Participants

Known:
Kamiya Hiroki
Mikuriya Mikuni
Kirishima Sachi

Unknown
}
…That’s about it, I guess?

p11: ========================================
[sfx]: Scratch
And then… there’s a new participant to add.

Let’s call him “Y.”

We know that Y borrowed An’no Shion’s body
to participate in the Midnight Cross Method.
Which means…

The simplest explanation is that Y and An’no Shion know each other.
[paper, above the equals]: Know each other
[paper, under An’no]: An’no Shion
[sfx]: Scratch

And additionally, she was willing to switch bodies with the person.
That means they must be close friends.

p12: ========================================
I can’t deny the possibility that she was forced to exchange bodies with someone…
[sfx]: Mngh!

[background]: National Judo Bronze Medalist
But it’s hard to imagine her, of all people,
being forced to do anything.
[sfx]: Blam!

In which case, Class Rep must have a dark side,
one I know nothing of.

And I got a glimpse of that during the phone conversation I listened in on today.
I’ll make sure to kill.
Vengeance is my right.
fairly certain where they are
Then let’s… in two days

Then there’s the last thing she said to me:
And then I’ll give you a proper apology

p13: ========================================
…Hmmmm.

An’no Shion had a motive to murder your sister.

…Hmmmmmmmmmm…
[sfx]: Scratch

Two days later
And so?
/ Did you find out anything investigating An’no Shion?

p14: ========================================
She… is suspicious.
[sfx]: Snap
…Maybe.

“Maybe”…?
…So? What do we do?

She made arrangements to meet with somebody today.
Then let’s… when we meet them face-to-face in two days.

And from the sound of it, the person she’s meeting is pretty dangerous.
[sfx]: Slide

Okay…

p15: ========================================
…And you’re suggesting that the dangerous person
might be this “Y” person here?

[sfx]: Nod.
…Yeah… I guess I am.

Then today, we have to tail An’no Shion and meet them, whoever they are.
About that…

I know.

You want to trade bodies first, right?
…Are you sure?

p16: ========================================
We have to, right?

You’re her friend. If you tailed her,
/ she’d find out immediately.
[insert]: Kamiya-kun?

And if worst comes to worst, you might be needing Silent Confession.

…But Mikuriya, I might be exposing your body to even more danger.
You idiot. Who said anything about you going alone?!

I’ll be following you from a distance.
/ And if anything happens, I’ll charge in to help!
[sfx]: Pat

p17: ========================================
Thank you.
/ That’s… really reassuring.

I-I told you before,
/ this is to protect my body!
[insert]: Don’t make it into something big!!

Oh! I see.
/ Of course that’s what you meant!
[sfx]: Pissed

Argh!
/ Let’s hurry! School’s already let out, right?!

p18: ========================================
[insert]: See you tomorrow. / Take care.

[sfx]: Slide

Off I go…!

p19: ========================================
<no text>

p20: ========================================
…This place feels deserted…

If she catches me out here, it’s going to be hard to come up with an excuse.

[sfx]: Stare

Don’t worry. I’m right behind you.
Keep following her.

p21: ========================================
…Yeah. There’s no stopping now.
[sfx]: Chah

?!

Dammit!
[sfx]: Dash
Where’d she go?!

[sfx]: Turn x2

If she went anywhere, it’d have to be in here…?

[sfx]: Softly…

p22: ========================================
…Might you have some business with me?

[sfx]: Push!

…She noticed me!
[sfx]: Whoosh!

p23: ========================================
Heh.
/ The way you move—
/ you’ve trained in some martial art, haven’t you?

However…!
[sfx]: Dash!

[sfx]: Pow x3

I’m pretty confident myself.
[sfx]: Slide
She’s certainly…

Certainly strong!!
[sfx]: Clatter!

p24: ========================================
…You…
You’re the Mikuni-san from back then?

p25: ========================================
Why’s she know my name? Because I’m an idol?
No—her reaction didn’t give that sort of impression.
But why, then?

…Why are you here?

Wait—are you the same person inside as during that party?

“Party”?
Could she be talking about the Midnight Cross Method?!

What do I do? At this rate, she’ll capture me.
Mikuriya, where are you?! This would be a really great time for you to show up!

Shion, I’ve got him!!
L-Let go of me, old man!!

p26: ========================================
This here…
[sfx]: Wrench!
is the man who stole your precious panties!!

Y-You’re…
/ Aono Shin-san?!

[insert]: A fated reunion?!
Mm?