The next day after school...

"Ichika-san! Thank you very much for inviting me today!"

"Don’t worry about it~! I also wanted to chat with you, Tsubasa-chan~!"

I had invited Tsubasa-chan to my room.

But... the purpose this time isn’t just to casually hang out with her...

"I’ll get straight to the point, okay? If you’re thinking of expelling Kiyotaka-senpai to avenge Matsuo Eiichirō-kun, you should stop."

"W-What!? Why... why do you know about that, Ichika-san!?"

I’m sorry... I really do feel bad for Tsubasa-chan as she cries out in anguish.

But you know? Since my goal this time is to free Tsubasa-chan... from the shackles binding her, I had already decided that I wouldn’t hold back...

"Hey, Tsubasa-chan? If that story is true... then the ones you should hate aren’t Kiyotaka-senpai, but the White Room adults, right? So why are you directing your hatred toward Kiyotaka-senpai?"

"........."

With those words I desperately threw at her... Tsubasa-chan fell silent... it seems like she finally realized that her objective had contradictions in it because of what I said.

"...I know that already."

...Or so Ichika-chan thought, but that was far too optimistic...

"I KNOW THAT WITHOUT YOU TELLING ME!!! I had already started to realize it... but if I admit that! Then my... my reason for existence will disappear... I... I!!!"

Maybe my question was the wrong approach, because suddenly... Tsubasa-chan lunged at me...

"W-Wait... Tsubasa-chan! Calm down!"

"I AM!!! MATSUO!!! I DIED BECAUSE OF AYANOKŌJI KIYOTAKA!!! IT’S ALL HIS FAULT!!!"

I had heard about it from Kiyotaka-senpai in the original world, but... Tsubasa-chan in Eiichirō mode is actually pretty strong.

Of course, she’s nowhere near me as someone from the White Room, so I can easily defend myself, but... because it’s her, I couldn’t bring myself to counterattack.

"I WILL... DEFINITELY EXPEL AYANOKŌJI KIYOTAKA!"

"Tsubasa-chan... you can’t do that..."

"I’LL EXPEL HIM!!"

"You can’t!!"

"I’LL EXPEL HIM!!!"

"I said you can’t!!!"

As I continued blocking Tsubasa-chan’s attacks, I desperately tried to reach her.

'I absolutely... can’t let Tsubasa-chan go down the wrong path! I have to do something!'

As I kept taking her attacks... she eventually started to tire, her breathing grew heavier and her attack speed slowed down.

And then... her attacks stopped.

"Haa... haa... why aren’t you fighting back?"

"Because there’s no reason to. No reason... to fight you, Tsubasa-chan."

"I am Matsuo Eiichirō!!"

"No! You’re Nanase Tsubasa!! My precious friend..."

"Then what am I!? This is proof that I’m Matsuo Eiichirō!!!"

Saying that, Tsubasa-chan raised her fist toward me...

It happened so suddenly... I couldn’t guard in time, so I tightly shut my eyes, bracing myself for the pain that was about to come...

But... that fist never came down...

"No... I mustn’t hurt Ichika-san... because I... I!!!"

It seems that within her mind, Tsubasa-chan’s true personality was resisting Eiichirō’s persona...

Could it be... that the time she spent with Ichika-chan over the past few months is what caused this change?

"Tsubasa-chan! Calm down now... you’ve unconsciously created Matsuo Eiichirō’s personality! I don’t want to see you suffering from revenge anymore!"

"Hah! Must be nice for you, right!? You, who grew up in the isolated facility called the White Room, have never experienced losing someone important! Do you think you can understand my pain!? Don’t joke with me!!!"

That’s true... maybe I can’t understand the pain of losing someone important...

But you know? Kiyotaka-senpai and I carry a much greater burden than you do.

"I’ve never even seen my real parents’ faces since the day I was born... I was what you’d call a test-tube baby..."

"...What?"

"And according to the people from the White Room... I was created on a whim by some company president..."

Hearing about a past she never could have imagined... the anger that had filled Tsubasa-chan just moments ago completely disappeared.

"I never received any parental love... and was forced into the White Room curriculum day after day... if I was deemed a failure, I’d be discarded... and even if I achieved good results, I was never praised... honestly, I lived not knowing what I was even living for..."

"........."

Tsubasa-chan said nothing... no, it had become an atmosphere where she couldn’t even interrupt.

"And the one thing that gave meaning to my life... was Ayanokōji Kiyotaka! If he hadn’t existed... I would’ve either chosen death myself or become a broken person..."

Even my emotions... I didn’t develop them to be seen favorably by others, but for Kiyotaka-senpai’s sake.

"Kiyotaka-senpai, who went through an even harsher curriculum than me, is an even more pitiful existence! He completely lost his emotions and was left only with the mindset that as long as he wins, that’s all that matters..."

Though honestly... I don’t know how Kiyotaka-senpai himself truly felt about it.

"So don’t just assume that others can’t understand your suffering!!! Compared to the burdens Kiyotaka-senpai and I carry... your suffering, Tsubasa-chan, is still something you can bear!!!"

"Ichika-san..."

After I finished speaking... Tsubasa-chan kept her head down for a while, but eventually... she lifted her face...

"Ichika-san... you and Ayanokōji-senpai were carrying burdens far heavier than mine... and yet, I selfishly assumed otherwise... I’m ashamed. The ones I should truly hate... were the White Room adults and myself, for misdirecting my revenge..."

"Tsubasa-chan..."

It seems my feelings finally reached her!

"Tsubasa-chan! From now on... I want Kiyotaka-senpai to enjoy a peaceful school life, and at the same time... I want him to develop feelings for me! So... would you be willing to cooperate with me and Kiyotaka-senpai from now on?"

As I said that and held out my left hand... Tsubasa-chan, as if she had already made her decision...

"...I promise."

And as she said that... she firmly grasped my hand.