When I opened my eyes, what I saw was a bustling classroom.
Sinclair, the owner of this memory, sat by the window in the back row and had become the center of the noisy classroom.
And, as in the previous two missions, the inner voice of the prisoner, the trace of memory, came through.
"···Recess, when classmates gather together, is always noisy."
"Adults would sometimes watch us from a distance and smile with satisfaction."
Considering Sinclair's age... was this a scene from a past that was years old at most, or months old at least?
"But adults would not know."
"That if you look a little closer, that noisy time is mixed with jealousy, showing off, superiority, and cunning."
"That children are that crafty."
Hm. So this was the usual bragging of Nest students.
It was familiar conversation, the sort I'd felt a few times myself back in school.
"Rahul from the next class says his father is personally going to perform his arm prosthetics procedure. And it's the latest technology, too, one they haven't even properly unveiled yet?"
"You know that actor from the magazine? Did I tell you she's getting her eye procedure done by my mother? There were so many people waiting that she came in person with her manager and begged."
Usually, conversations like that varied a little depending on which Nest you lived in, and more specifically, which district.
Sinclair lived in Kalf Village. I'd heard it was called a holy land of prosthetic bodies, so it made sense that the children's bragging would naturally lean that way.
"At the words my friends toss out one by one, I grow anxious."
"The eyes staring at me as if to ask, 'Don't you have anything?' seemed ready to turn into ridicule and contempt at any moment."
As Sinclair thought that, the expression on his memory-self gradually became more flustered.
Kids around that age really do seem to think they have to fit in, no matter what.
In truth, it probably wouldn't have been a big problem even if he hadn't bragged about anything.
"T-this is a secret, but..."
Unlike my mild unease, Sinclair began to speak in a slightly trembling voice.
Well, of course. It was a memory.
The instinct that made him speak even while knowing he'd regret it was a world apart from the reasoned self that would later look back on the moment.
"I swallow hard."
"Maybe the question of whether I had anything wasn't directed at me after all."
"But I must not escape their peculiar gazes."
"Because I knew full well I'd be cast aside the moment I slipped."
Tsk. Just from the level of Sinclair's own household, it was easy to guess that it wasn't the sort of thing they could casually throw away.
Even the occasional scraps of information were enough to make him a famous figure in class, so why was he so anxious?
Of course, considering his still-immature age, that was only natural.
"My father... made an agreement with P Corp. He saw the technologies they're developing now and decided to support them fully."
Whoa... That was bigger information than I expected.
If that was true, then once rumors started leaking out, all he'd need to do was act vaguely meaningful and he'd become the center of the group in no time. So why did he do that?
"Oh my God, what was I thinking when I blurted that out?"
"The fear of not falling out of their favor made me speak too soon, and that brought disaster on myself."
"Or maybe it was a reckless burst of childish vanity, an impulse mixed with the low desire to look good among my peers."
"Father's face came to mind, the one that had earnestly told me, 'This is a secret agreement between corporations, so you must never tell anyone else.'"
Hm. Strictly speaking, if his information were to leak, it could indeed become dangerous, but the act of saying it itself wasn't that big a problem.
More precisely, the information was definitely dangerous. It just wasn't much of an issue because the person he told was another student.
"Wow... is that really true, Sinclair?"
"P Corp, as in that Wing?! Wow... I'm so jealous."
What would those kids know? They were just immature children like Sinclair.
Even if they understood it, they'd probably forget on the way home.
What would children who only knew how to use their family background to elevate themselves know about the danger of information?
It would be dangerous if those words somehow reached their parents, but as long as Sinclair's information was tied to a Wing, the odds weren't very high.
Even if they were immature and couldn't manage themselves, if the word Wing was in it, they'd know it was information that could become dangerous in one way or another if spoken aloud.
"The center of the conversation changed to me in an instant. I can feel the interested gazes of the children around me."
"Pride. It was a rather sweet taste."
"Perhaps I acted while wrapped up in petty vanity."
"Come to think of it, Sinclair! You'll be getting yours soon too, right? The prosthetic-body procedure?"
"O-of course. They said they'd give me the newest model..."
What was the newest prosthetic body back then... Ah, the newest prosthetic-body data in my head is from two years ago.
"If they had only paid even a little attention to my expression..."
"They would surely have noticed my displeasure."
"But fortunately, there was no one who noticed such a thing."
By the time Sinclair's thoughts had gone that far, time suddenly accelerated.
Let's see. This is... class time?
It's been a long time since I graduated, so I don't really remember the timing.
"Only after recess ended, when no one was left around me, did self-reproach finally come crashing down."
"I was told to keep it secret... What if Father finds out?"
What Sinclair was worrying about wasn't all that important.
Sure, information related to a Wing was very important information, but if it was something he couldn't handle, they wouldn't have told him even if he was their son.
They probably expected him to use it as bragging material among his friends.
In any case, the person involved was probably anxious.
"Ah..."
"Blood was already seeping from my fingernails."
"The habit of biting my nails whenever I was anxious had finally brought trouble."
"I had tried to fix the habit by cutting my nails as short as possible..."
"But I don't think I knew I'd end up biting the flesh instead."
Drip... drip...
"Looking at the drops of blood falling onto the desk, I had that thought."
"Once I graduate, I'll get the prosthetic-body procedure..."
"Then I'll never have to get hurt again, never have to see blood again."
"But... is that really..."
That was when a figure familiar to us, and yet utterly hateful, appeared in the memory.
"You... you're bleeding."
Whistle!
"A small shadow falls across the desk with a bright, cheerful whistle."
Her white-and-yellow two-tone hair was unforgettable, especially with that whistle that left such a strong impression.
"The one who spoke to me was a classmate I barely interacted with, someone I could only remember by name."
Right, Kromer.
So that's what their relationship was at this point? Just classmates?
Anyway, Kromer suddenly leaned her face in close to Sinclair and spoke to him.
"I-I mean, wh-what?"
"Hey, what you said earlier... was it true?"
Ah. So there was the person Sinclair's information would be dangerous for.
"Y-yeah... it's true."
"I knew it. Your father really must be amazing, huh? Right?"
"Yeah, well... I guess so."
Indeed, if he was at the level of a master in K Corp prosthetics and had even made a direct agreement with a Wing, then he was unquestionably a major figure.
And that information had gone to the head, or future head, of a certain department in N Corp...
Moreover, if he'd gone so far as to keep the agreement secret, he didn't seem like the sort of person who would attract much attention either... which meant even the escort force...
Ah, so that's how it was.
Somehow, the pieces of an uneasy guess clicked together like a puzzle.
Since he hadn't put on any protection that would stand out, it would have been easy to kill him without sending in many troops.
If someone like Guido were still under her command now, it wouldn't have been difficult at all.
He'd tear through the clumsy escort hidden out of sight without a second thought.
"At the unexpected praise, I grow embarrassed."
"As if my father's excellence were somehow my own virtue."
"But... why did you make that face?"
"W-what?"
"You know... you were thinking that just now, weren't you?"
Then she lowered her head and whispered so softly only I could hear.
"That it's filthy."
"My eyes widen."
"There was the shock of having my inner thoughts exposed,"
"but I had no idea how this stranger had noticed what I thought I had hidden so carefully."
"H-how did you know?"
"Instead of denying it brazenly like I should have, I stupidly asked back with a look of having been caught off guard."
"Heh... because... I was thinking the same thing as you."
"M-me?"
"People who understand each other can see many things."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Kromer."
"After that,"
"I ended up talking with Kromer from time to time."
All right, let's sort this out a bit.
...So.
From our innocent Sinclair's perspective, this is the setup where the good-looking kid who never stood out in class is actually his one and only kindred spirit?
...Is this bastard seriously making a romance comedy right now?