The Letter In The Desk

“Even so, this is strange.”

Caro said that while they were eating lunch.

“Caro-san, what’s strange?”

Kent asked back.

“I mean your homeroom teacher’s words and actions, Kent-san. Normally, if there were no candidates, the teacher would have someone nominate a person, or decide by drawing lots, right? But this time, the teacher decided it at his own discretion, didn’t he? Isn’t that strange?”

“Now that you mention it, you are right. I also nominated myself because I got caught up in the moment, but the teacher should not have known about the class’s behavior toward Kent-san before that.”

Because homeroom had started when it felt as if he had turned all the boys in the class against him, Kent had thought that flow of events had simply made him the target, but after Caro pointed it out, both Kent and Josette realized there were odd points.

“Big Brother, this smells like an incident.”

“I really don’t think so. Maybe the teacher dislikes me, or something along those lines.”

At this point, Kent did not particularly worry about it, but Rachel’s casual remark would actually turn out not to be wrong. However, that would be a story for later.

“Now then, we have afternoon classes as well, so we should return to the classroom soon.”

“Oh, you’re right. It’s already this late.”

When Josette said that, Rachel looked at the wristwatch on her left arm and spoke.

“I thought it was an unusually shaped bracelet, but what is that?”

Josette showed interest in the wristwatch Rachel was wearing.

“This? It’s called a wristwatch. It’s made so a clock is shrunk down like this and can be worn around your wrist.”

This watch was a cheap wristwatch that Kent had bought through his device, via Emily. However, in this world, it seemed to be a rare thing that did not exist.

“So clocks can be made this small.”

“If you want one too, Josette-san, why don’t you ask Big Brother to bring one out?”

As Josette looked at it with great interest, Rachel turned toward Kent and said that.

“Do you want one too, Josette-san? For now, these are all the types available, but if there’s one you like, I can order it.”

“May I? …Then… I will choose this one.”

“Got it. Here you go, Josette-san.”

“Thank you. I will use it with care.”

Kent showed Josette the screen of his device and had her choose, then handed her the wristwatch she had picked. Josette put on the wristwatch she had received from Kent and looked at it with satisfaction.

“Caro, are you going to ask Big Brother too?”

“I am fine. When I do not know the time, I use this.”

Saying that, Caro took out a smartphone.

“Wait, Big Brother. Why did you only give Caro a smartphone?”

Rachel said that in surprise when Caro showed something that did not fit this world.

“Ah, this. When she went to inspect the territory before, I thought it might be better to leave data behind as images, so I gave it to her as a substitute for a camera. But there are no communication carriers in this world, so she can’t make calls or use the internet.”

“Oh. So it can’t use the internet…”

Rachel said that in disappointment.

“It feels like a smaller version of the thing Kent-san has, does it not?”

Josette said that while staring intently at Caro’s smartphone. Kent gave Josette a simple explanation of the smartphone.

“I see. Even if the communication function? cannot be used, it can still be used for many things.”

After borrowing the smartphone from Caro and trying various operations, Josette said that. Then she stared at Kent with eyes that seemed to want one.

“Okay, okay, just don’t look at me like that. Here, this one is for you, Josette-san.”

“Thank you very much. I will use it with care.”

Josette received the smartphone, a budget model, from Kent and said that with satisfaction. Incidentally, since the shop did not carry any other models, obtaining anything else was itself impossible.

“I actually wanted the one with the apple logo, but I’ll make do. So, Big Brother, mine too.”

“Yes, yes. Then this one for you.”

“Yay, thanks, Bro.”

Rachel received a smartphone from Kent. At that timing, the preliminary bell for the afternoon classes rang.

“Oh no. It’s time. Then, I will see you after school.”

When Josette said that, everyone hurried back to their respective classrooms.

When Kent returned to the classroom, Patty, who sat next to him, was sprawled out on her desk, looking completely exhausted.

“I’m tired.”

“Good work. Were you able to eat lunch?”

“That was fine. I had a lot bought for me at the cafeteria. But the boys kept bringing more one after another, so it felt like I couldn’t eat anymore…”

As she said that, Patty rubbed her stomach.

“The teacher’s late.”

“Yeah.”

The afternoon period had already started, but the teacher still had not arrived. Because of that, private conversations gradually increased, and the classroom began growing noisy.

“Huh? There’s something inside my desk.”

“What’s wrong?”

Kent noticed that something was inside the drawer of his desk.

“What is this… a letter? Let’s see, what does it say? ‘Break up with her. If you don’t, be prepared for what will happen.’”

“Kent-kun, I wonder who this is referring to?”

“Who knows?”

Since it only said “her,” Kent could not tell who the letter was referring to.

“Could it be me?”

“No, that’s not it. We’re not dating.”

“Boo, Kent-kun, that’s mean. So I’m not even counted.”

Patty said that regretfully.

“Sorry, sorry. I was delayed by some business. Now, let us begin homeroom.”

While they were having that conversation, the homeroom teacher came in late. Then homeroom began.

“We didn’t have any classes today, so it felt like time passed even more slowly.”

“It really did. And more than half of it was just pointless talk.”

After school ended, on the way home, Kent and Rachel talked about today’s homeroom.

“I thought it was a meaningful talk, but is that how it was?”

“Indeed, was it not a talk that would be useful in the future?”

““What part of it?””

“Pfft.”

“As expected of siblings, your timing is perfectly matched. I am a little envious.”

Caro and Josette looked at Kent and Rachel with puzzled expressions as they said that. When Caro saw Kent and Rachel react the same way, she laughed, while Josette looked envious of how close they were. Patty watched them with an expression that seemed as if she did not really understand.

“Come to think of it, there was a letter in Kent-san’s desk today.”

Patty thought of something to talk about and brought up what had happened today.

“Big Brother got a love letter. Even though he has this many girlfriends, it still isn’t enough for him.”

Rachel said that while making a large circle with her hands, gesturing as if there were many of them.

“I don’t think there are that many… And it wasn’t that kind of letter…”

Kent told Josette, Caro, Rachel, and Patty, who already knew the letter’s contents, what the letter had said.

“I see. That is a little concerning. But if the letter was in your classroom desk, then the relevant ‘her’ must be someone who attends the academy.”

Josette made that deduction from the contents of the letter.

“In that case… the ones who apply are Josette-san, Caro, and me?”

“Kent-san, were you also dating Rachel?”

“No, that’s not happening.”

“You don’t have to say it that clearly… I’m going to sulk.”

Caro reacted to what Rachel said, but Kent denied it.

“I have absolutely no idea. What about you, Caro-san?”

“I cannot think of anything either.”

Josette and Caro thought about various possibilities, but nothing came to mind.

“Couldn’t it have been someone trying to curry favor with the Duke’s Household?”

“If it were someone who did such gloomy, roundabout things, I would reject him from the start. Well, even if he came directly, I have Kent-san, so I would firmly refuse him.”

When Patty said that, Josette declared it clearly.

In the end, without knowing which of them the letter was referring to, Kent and the others arrived at their part-time workplace, Marie’s bakery.