I, Ichika-chan, immediately understood my situation... or rather, I was forced to understand it...

'Eh!? Could it be... I really went back to the past!?'

I did wish that I could start over again, but I never expected that wish to actually come true... I absolutely have to make the most of this chance...

And there were two things I was able to grasp by looking around.

First, the place I was in now was seven years in the past.

At this point... there were still quite a number of fifth-generation White Room students besides just Takuya and me.

Also, the fact that none of the others looked anxious meant that the major announcement that once shook the fifth generation in the past... had not yet been made.

And... according to Takuya, the martial arts curriculum was about to begin soon.

'I haven't fought the instructors here in a long time... but I wonder if I can win?'

For the first time in years, I felt strangely excited at the thought of fighting the White Room instructors again…

* * *

"Gwah!!..."

"Ugh..."

Before I realized it... the floor had been stained with blood, and the instructors who had been fighting me were lying collapsed nearby.

"Huh~? Is that it already~? Sigh... how boring~!"

"H-hiii!!"

"W-what are you!?"

The instructors who had been glaring at me so fiercely earlier were now looking at me like they were staring at a monster.

And they looked completely terrified.

"Ichika?"

It seemed Takuya and the other fifth-generation students felt the same way, because I could feel fearful gazes directed at me from all around.

Well, that was only natural.

Until yesterday I had been someone not so different from them... and yet now I had easily defeated those instructors.

The instructors themselves seemed unable to comprehend what had happened after being beaten by someone they believed they could easily defeat just yesterday.

'Sigh... compared to senpai... they weren't anything special...'

It seemed that although I had returned to the past, my physical ability and academic ability were still the same as they had been seven years later.

After becoming a second-year high school student, I had started challenging senpai to combat matches.

Perhaps I had been influenced by Ryūen-senpai, who never gave up challenging Kiyotaka-senpai no matter how many times he lost.

At first, I obviously stood no chance.

Actually, I struggled just to land even a single attack... and then I would get knocked unconscious and carried back to my room. That became my daily routine.

By the end of summer vacation, I had finally managed to land a few hits on senpai and could fight longer than before.

But in the end I would still be knocked unconscious and carried back to my room...

Then around the end of winter vacation—

You've gotten stronger.

Through my fading consciousness, senpai said those words to me for the first time.

He even had the faintest smile on his face.

At that moment, I probably had the face of a lovestruck girl.

After challenging him again and again, on that day I finally succeeded in making senpai fight seriously for the first time.

...Sadly, that also ended up being the last day I ever got to challenge him.

In the end, throughout the entire year, senpai never lost to me or anyone else before graduating from high school.

But you know what?

Senpai proved that the White Room's greatest masterpiece truly was the greatest masterpiece!!

...Compared to him, these instructors... no, these trash—

'They're way too weak... the old me who used to fear them feels like an idiot...'

To the current me, they were no different from babies.

"Hey, why are you all so scared? Try yelling at me like yesterday. Or try subduing me with violence like you always do... go on?"

Even though I provoked them, not a single instructor lashed out in anger.

Their faces were filled with pure fear.

Ahh... how disappointing…

* * *

The next day—

Once again, the instructors lay battered and broken before me.

It seemed that the upper management of the White Room had learned about what happened during yesterday's martial arts curriculum.

The instructors sent today were far stronger than the ones from yesterday.

But in the end that was all they were...

Even they were no match for the current me.

The next day... and the day after that... the days continued like this, beating the instructors during the martial arts curriculum.

At the same time I also began achieving excellent results in other fields of the curriculum such as academics, calligraphy, flower arrangement, swimming and music.

Before long, the instructors began calling me things like—

[The Arrogant White Room Student] and [The Masterpiece of the Fifth Generation].

Among the instructors there were even those who whispered—

"A talent comparable to Ayanokōji Kiyotaka of the fourth generation."

But that was clearly exaggerated... or rather impossible.

And no one understood that better than me.

After all, there was an overwhelming difference in the difficulty of the curriculum we were given.

And the very person saying this—me—had fought Ayanokōji Kiyotaka and kept losing!

◆◆◆◆◆

One day during those days—

"Ichika!! Good morning!"

"Morning, Takuya!"

For some reason, all the fifth-generation students had been gathered in the great hall before the usual lessons because an important announcement was about to be made.

"I wonder what they're planning to do after gathering us like this?"

"Hmm? Ichika-chan has no idea~!"

Well... I do know.

But there's no reason to say it first here.

"Today... there is something important we must tell all of you."

The instructor who arrived began speaking.

Incidentally, I didn't miss the moment when he glanced briefly in my direction.

"The greatest masterpiece of the White Room, Ayanokōji Kiyotaka—whose existence you may still doubt—does in fact exist."

At that sudden declaration, the other students began to murmur among themselves.

But the instructor ignored them and continued.

"I will now guide you to the observation room. There, engrave his abilities into your minds."

Hearing that, the fifth-generation students reacted in three different ways.

Some cried in despair, wondering if all their efforts until now had been meaningless.

Some expressed open hatred, swearing they would defeat him and be acknowledged.

And some admired Kiyotaka-senpai's existence and developed feelings of worship toward him.

...Among them, I alone showed none of those reactions.

The instructor seemed to find that strange and kept staring at me as he continued speaking.

* * *

"Dammit!! Ayanokōji Kiyotaka! I'll never forgive you! Ichika, you feel the same way, right!?"

"Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, huh~! He sounds amazing!!"

On the way back, Takuya and I were talking about Kiyotaka-senpai.

"Huh!? What do you mean by that!?"

"Isn't it obvious? He survived the most difficult curriculum in White Room history, the fourth generation that was personally trained by Ayanokōji-sensei!"

"Aren't you frustrated!? Because of Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, no matter how hard we work we'll never be acknowledged!"

Takuya... I don't know why, but I suddenly felt like helping him too.

"Hey, Takuya? Why do we have to be acknowledged in the first place?"

"W-well that's—!"

"Isn't that just a desire for recognition created by the educational policies here?"

"Wha—!?"

Takuya couldn't find any words to respond.

"So... I don't think you need to push yourself just to be acknowledged. I want to get stronger too, but I have absolutely no intention of becoming stronger than Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. As a fifth-generation student... as his junior... it's enough to just be strong enough not to disgrace that name."

"But—!"

"Besides! Even if the adults don't acknowledge you... I'm here, right? I've always watched your efforts up close, Takuya, and I recognize them! So don't worry about how the adults evaluate you. Let's just grow at our own pace, okay?"

As I said that, I hugged Takuya and gently stroked his head.

"I-Ichika!?"

"Got it? We're not the fourth generation, we're the fifth generation. Maybe it's natural that we can't defeat Ayanokōji Kiyotaka. But there's nothing shameful about that."

Takuya fell silent and looked at me, as if thinking about what he should do from now on.

And then—

"You might be right, Ichika. From now on, I'll aim to become someone worthy of being Ayanokōji Kiyotaka's junior."

"Takuya..."

"When that happens... will you acknowledge me, Ichika?"

"Of course I will! Let's both keep doing our best!"

"Yeah!!"

And just like that... I successfully removed Takuya's hatred toward Kiyotaka-senpai.

"By the way... what do you think of Ayanokōji Kiyotaka, Ichika?"

"I totally fell in love~! I want to become his partner! I want to teach him the emotion called love! And besides..."

"Hmm..."

"Takuya? Why do you look unhappy?"

"I'm not... unhappy..."

And just like that, time in the White Room continued to pass quickly.