A Game Of Fox And Raccoon Dog Wits!

The very night I heard the news from Toko-senpai, a message arrived from Karen.

(Karen): About that trip with my friends I mentioned before—it’s set for November 1st to the 2nd.

(Yu): Oh, really? Have a great time.

I replied with only that. Toko-senpai had instructed me: “Do not ask who she’s going with or where she’s going.” According to her:

“If it’s an affair trip, simply being asked ‘where are you going’ makes them wary that they’re being suspected. That wariness turns into a feeling of ‘this is a hassle,’ which pushes Karen’s feelings further away.”

Similarly, I was told “asking for a souvenir is a no-go.” Apparently, cheating couples often get caught because of souvenirs. I mean, if two people disappear at the same time and bring back souvenirs from the same place, everyone’s going to notice.

It’s crucial to remove those psychological burdens, avoid making her suspicious, and eliminate even a single factor that could cause her feelings to drift.

(Karen): You should go somewhere too, Yu-kun. The university is on break for a long time, after all.

Is she suggesting I go out so her own guilt feels lighter? Or does she want to keep tabs on where I am?

(Yu): I’m fine, I’m going to the university festival. Our circle has a food stall, too.

(Karen): The festival won’t be doing anything special, right? Besides, everyone else will be at the stall anyway. Won’t you just be in the way if there are too many people?

I wonder why she hates the idea of me going to the festival. Does she want to avoid me getting suspicious because Kamokura won’t be there at the same time? Or is she trying to confirm that I’ll definitely be at the festival so she can feel safe?

(Yu): Maybe so. But it’s my first university festival, you know? I want to soak up the atmosphere.

After a brief pause, a reply came from Karen.

(Karen): Got it. Well, have fun for me too. Just tell me your impressions of the festival later.

She was definitely trying to track my movements. She probably intends to check how long I stayed at the festival later. At this rate, she’ll likely ask her friends what I was doing there.

But if this is a sign of Karen’s wariness, did I screw something up? Did she realize that I suspect her and Kamokura are having an affair?

(Yu): Okay. You have a relaxing time yourself, Karen.

(Karen): Yeah, thanks. See you later then.

(Yu): See ya.

With that, I closed the messages with Karen.

For the next week, Toko-senpai and I pretended to notice nothing, quietly watching over Karen and Kamokura. I had worried that “Karen might have sensed something,” but it seemed there was no problem. The two of them were so hyped up about the upcoming trip that they met not just on Mondays and Thursdays, but on Saturday as well.

During that time, Toko-senpai and I refrained from direct contact. This was because she said:

“It’s better not to move much right now. We need to let them feel secure and build up their anticipation for the trip.”

However, we made sure to stay in touch—but only at pre-arranged times. We had decided not to contact each other carelessly outside of those windows, as I might be with Karen or she might be with Kamokura.

But…

I was already starting to care more about “Toko-senpai being with Kamokura” than “Karen being with Kamokura.”

October 31st.

This was the day of the internal university viewing for the festival. It would open to the public on November 1st. Tomorrow was finally the day Karen and Kamokura were scheduled to leave for their tryst. And if everything went according to plan, it should be about time…

My phone vibrated. It was from Toko-senpai.

(Toko): Succeeded in getting T to cancel the trip as planned.

(Yu): Understood. I’ll let you know if I get a reaction from K.

(Toko): It seems T contacted K to cancel the trip behind my back a little while ago. I expect K will contact you very soon.

(Yu): Will she really reach out that fast? She was planning to go on an affair trip with another man until a moment ago. If it were me, I’d hesitate.

(Toko): She’ll probably come. Trust my intuition on this. And let me remind you—do not be cold to K. I know you’re angry, but suppress it. Be gentle, empathize with her, and listen to what she has to say. Make sure to give her an ‘absolute sense of security.’

(Yu): Understood.