Volume 1, Chapter 1: Intro - Welcome to my dream-like school life

“Ayanokouji-kun, are you ok?”

It came. It came again. The feared situation.

As I was pretending to sleep, that person came.

It was the appearance of the devil, which forced me (who was taking a nap) to wake up to reality.

In my brain, Shostakovich’s 11th symphony was playing. The song perfectly described my current predicament: the feeling of utter hopelessness as people are chased by devils and as the end of the world quickly approached.

Even with my eyes closed, I could tell.

I could feel the alarming presence of the devil right next to me as it waited for its slave to wake up…

Now, as a slave, how do I escape this situation…?

To avoid danger, use the computer in the brain to instantly come up with the answer.

Conclusion… Pretend not to have heard anything. I am naming it the ‘pretend sleep’ strategy. My predicament will be solved with this strategy.

If the person talking was kind girl, she would overlook it after saying, ‘Well, it can’t be helped. I will forgive you because I’m sorry ☆’.

Even a pattern like ‘I will kiss if you don’t wake up, ok? Chuu~~’ is also OK.

“If you don’t wake up in 3 seconds, you’ll face punishments.”

“… The hell do you mean by ‘punishments’?”

In less than a second the ‘pretend sleep’ strategy was foiled and I succumbed to the threat.

Still, I refused to raise my head and continued to resist.

“Look, as I expected you were awake.”

“I already know of your scariness if I make you angry.”

“That’s good. Then, do you have some time?”

“… and if I say I don’t?”

“Well… I can’t force you, but I will be cranky if you don’t.”

She then continued.

“And if I’m cranky, I will be a major obstacle to Ayanokouji-kun’s normal school life. Hmm, for example, countless thumbtacks on your chair, spraying water on your head whenever you enter the bathroom, and sometimes stabbing you with a compass needle. That kind of behavior, yup.”

“That’s just plain harassment! Also, that last one seems strangely real, as if I remember already being stabbed!”

I reluctantly woke up and sat up in my seat.

A girl with long black hair and sharp, beautiful eyes looked down on me from the side.

Her name is Horikita Suzune. High school class 1-D, my classmate.

“Don’t be so scared. That was just a joke. I won’t pour water on you from above when you’re in the toilet.”

“The thumbtacks and the compass needle are more important! Look at this, this! You can still see where I was stabbed! How will you take responsibility if it becomes a lifetime scar?”

I roll up my sleeve of my right arm and show my upper arm to Horikita.

“Where’s the evidence?”

“Huh?”

“Where’s the evidence? Are you saying that I am the culprit without any proof?”

Of course, there is no evidence. Even though the only person who was close enough to stab me was Horikita, and even though she was holding a compass needle in her hand, it’s hard to say it definitively…

I had something important to confirm, though.

“Do I really have to help out? I thought about it again, but after all…”

“Hey Ayanokouji-kun. Regretting your decision while you’re desperate, or while you’re suffering… Which one do you like more? Because you pulled me from my responsibilities, you should be held accountable. Is that right?”

Horikita offered only two ridiculous, extreme options. Apparently, it seems that she will not allow a compromise. It was a mistake to make a contract with the devil. I decided to give up and obey.

“…So, what am I supposed to do?”

I asked while trembling in fear.

I won’t be surprised when I hear what she’s asking from me.

I don’t know how things turned out like this, but I remember when all this started.

I met this girl exactly two months ago.

Was it on the day of the entrance ceremony…?