My stepmother's burden is my ex-girlfriend.

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What should we talk about in this situation? After thinking for a moment, I immediately realized that this is a fairly common heart-to-heart talk scenario.

Speaking of nights on school trips, of course we have to mention...

"...Are you getting along well with Mizuto?"

They started talking about relationships.

But this is the only topic of conversation that Asuha-in-kun has been having lately, so I had to bring up the name of a guy she doesn't really like, who happens to be my boyfriend.

After I opened my mouth, I wondered if I had said something wrong. But Asuha-in-class didn't seem offended and said:

"I think he's a nice person... and he's willing to understand my feelings."

“I-I see…”

Although it's better than being complained about for being rude and hurtful, hearing that my boyfriend is nice to other girls still makes me feel a little complicated...

"But I still can't really date him."

"Huh?... Oh, I see?"

"Yes. Although he is very intelligent, he seems a bit impolite, and his intelligence makes me feel like everything about me is seen through, so I'm afraid I'll feel very uncomfortable around him. But the thought of him usually acting cute with Dongtou's magnificent chest makes me feel physically uncomfortable."

The criticism was deemed utterly worthless...

And that last sentence was just your imagination, wasn't it?

"Although I don't think he's the kind of person who thinks with his lower body, his words and actions seem to have hidden meanings, making him the type that girls can easily misunderstand. Irito-san, you'd better be careful not to fall for his tricks."

This is the first time she's been so talkative.

I still think that guy must have done something to her... and he also inexplicably laid down three rules for me, telling me not to tell Asuhain-kun about our relationship...

Later, we reflected on what had happened that day and talked a lot.

As we chatted, my conversation with Asuhain gradually dwindled, and my eyelids began to droop.

As I let the comforting sleepiness embrace my consciousness, I realized I hadn't slept this well in a long time.

Thinking back, I went to bed with worries on both the first and second days. On the first day, I was worried about the pool incident, and on the second day, I was troubled by my relationship with Asuha-in... So, this is the first time in the past three days that I've fallen asleep with such a contented feeling.

--Oh, by the way...

Just before drifting off to sleep, a question flashed through my mind.

—In the end…who was that figure who escaped from the pool…?

Volume 11 Anyway You Won't Understand Chapter 4 The Fourth Day of Deriving the Conclusion

Mizuto Irito◆Who is the Voyeur?

To put it simply, I haven't yet figured out who spied on my secret rendezvous with Yui.

This is because there is only one fact that can be confirmed regarding the prisoner.

The prisoner hid in a locker in the women's changing room and escaped our pursuit—meaning the voyeur was a woman.

Even if the target is limited to second-year students of Luolou High School, there are still about one hundred people—if female guests who happened to be staying at the same hotel at the time are also included, the number of suspects would be countless.

only……

By simply adding one more condition—one more clue—to the assumption, the situation becomes quite different.

That's all I've noticed.

If one condition is met, it's like magic that a single criminal can be identified from among more than a hundred suspects.

If my assumption is correct—yes, then I can say this:

—I'm almost 90% sure I know who that figure is.

So the next step is to turn this assumption into reality.

I personally am not obsessed with catching the criminal, but this matter will probably leave a grudge in the girl's heart for the rest of her life—more importantly, if my assumption is correct, this school trip will also leave a bad memory in the criminal's own heart forever.

Although it doesn't suit my personality, someone has to do it.

The result is the most important.

Let's make this once-in-a-lifetime high school school trip a good ending and leave with wonderful memories.

It's nothing, there's no need to feel too much pressure doing this.

I had already set up the trap beforehand.

Then all we have to do is wait and see, and the information we need will be delivered to us automatically.

Am I right?

Yoshino Yako.

Why is there so much description of Irito Mizuto's costume this time?

The last day of the school trip—the fourth day—was the only and final activity, which was a visit to Shuri Castle.

Looking at those typical photos of solemn red-tiled gates, I vaguely assumed it would be located in a place like Heian Shrine, but in reality, the surrounding area is almost entirely residential, and Shuri Castle seems to be situated on a slightly higher hill in the middle of them.

However, there seem to be landscape-related regulations around Shuri Castle, and the streets are almost uniformly decorated with white walls and vermilion roofs, which can be considered the biggest feature of the area.

Our excitement as a study tour group from Luolou High School reached its peak when we saw Lawson. The Lawson sign, which we always remembered as blue, was now vermilion. The blue lines above the entrances of regular branches had also been replaced by red roof tiles; at first glance, I didn't even realize it was Lawson.

As a local resident of Kyoto, a city famous for McDonald's brown sign, it's impossible not to be excited to see a design that's even more localized than the one in Kyoto.

Climbing up the open slope flanked by stone walls, the bright red castle gate gradually comes into view. This seems to be the entrance to Shuri Castle Park—the Shureimon Gate.

Students entered the city gate in order of their classes. They were generally in groups here, but once inside, they seemed to be able to disperse slightly and explore freely.

Our group of six walked along the stone city wall. We hadn't walked far when we saw a gate leading into the inner part of the city wall. Unlike the previous Shouli Gate, this gate was simply a hole in the wall, and the wind lions sitting on either side were entirely gray.

Passing through this gate, you enter a space surrounded by walls that curve like ocean waves. A paved path extends forward through the verdant lawn, leading to a staircase and another small gate. This time, the gate is painted a beautiful vermilion.

We climbed the steps, passed through the small vermilion gate, and a city wall, at least five meters high, appeared before us. The road stretched straight to the left, leading to another set of steps and a gate.

"Aren't there too many steps...?"

Isana spoke in a somewhat weak voice.

My legs are a little sore from walking, so I said:

"After all, it's a castle located on a hill... there must be a lot of steps and ramps."

"Oh my god..."

Izana seemed to be struggling. To be honest, I felt the same way.

Climbing the steps and entering the gate, you'll find yourself in a small square. Seeing a large group of tourists gathered on my left, I wondered what was going on. Apparently, it seems you can get a panoramic view of the street scene from the waist-high city walls.

"Wow! We've climbed so high! Let's take a picture! Kawanami, it's your turn now!"

"Alright, alright."

Kawanami was automatically chosen as the photographer and handed over her phone to help take pictures. The four girls leaned against the castle wall and used the distant view of Naha City as a backdrop to take photos. Minami was fine, and Yui was already used to having her picture taken, but Isana could only make the standard V-sign with her legs turned to the side, and Asuhain's expression was a bit stiff.

I didn't want to join in, but in the end we had to take a group photo, and Kawanami practically dragged me into it. Even though I don't really like taking pictures.

After passing through another gate, a large paved square and the largest city gate of all the gates appeared before us.

Hōjinmon Gate—this is a grand, orthodox castle gate so tall that one must look up in awe. The roof, walls, pillars, and all other components are uniformly painted a vibrant vermilion. It leads to the main hall of Shuri Castle; simply put, it's the main entrance, but it's also a building in itself. Even if someone told me this was a castle, I might very well believe them.

Opposite the city gate, there should have been a solemn and majestic main hall, painted in vermilion and gold, but it was completely destroyed by fire a few years ago and is currently being rebuilt. Indeed, a large tin-roofed building depicting the former appearance of the main hall can be seen opposite the city gate.

We've only just finished half the journey so far. And of course, there's the return trip, so it's only halfway there.

"Ouch..."

In a corner of the plaza in front of the Hōshōmon Gate, Isana squatted down, panting heavily.

"Climbing hills, going up stairs, climbing hills, going up stairs... this is going to kill me, a homebody..."

"You're so useless! You can't even walk this short distance?"

Even when her nemesis Kawanami harshly criticized her, Isana couldn't react much. She said, "It's okay... Life doesn't always require climbing hills..." She grasped a profound philosophical truth and then squatted down, gazing up at the vermilion Hōshōmon Gate.

Seeing her like this, Jie said to Nan:

"Would you like to rest for a bit? This place is spacious, so you don't have to worry about blocking anyone's way."

"all right."

And so, everyone decided to wander around the square for a while.

This works out perfectly for me too. If I just wait here... she'll definitely catch up.

I pretended to wander around the paved square and quietly left the side of Yui and Isana.

After a while, the other students caught up with us one after another. These included—

"……well."

See, here they come.

I heard someone call my name, so I turned around to look.

Standing before me was Yoshino Miko, with an outrageous hairstyle and clothes that revealed her midriff.

Her daring outfit, which exposed her shoulders, stomach, and thighs and clashed terribly with the historical site and artifacts, gave me a look that seemed either timid or suspicious—in short, hardly a friendly one.

Fortunately, I happened to be walking under a tree planted in the corner of the square at that moment, so I didn't have to worry about being seen by Yui or Isana and arousing their suspicion. I casually said to Yoshino:

"What's up?"

Yoshino frowned slightly, probably thinking I was good at playing dumb.

"You have the nerve to ask me what I want? You're the one who had someone pass on those kinds of messages to me."

"I said that because I meant well."

"You said 'also,' which means it's more than that, right? What exactly are you trying to tell me? I never imagined you'd be the kind of person who uses leverage against others."

"I didn't threaten you at all; you're the one who thinks you're being threatened."

I shrugged and said.

"Besides, what can that incident be used to threaten you? -- It was just breaking the team leader's cell phone."

"...!"

Yoshino pouted in annoyance.

I continued with a wry smile:

"By the way, I don't have any concrete evidence for that, and I wasn't really sure to begin with; it was just speculation—but seeing your expression now, I'm finally certain. You... dropped your phone in the water and broke it, didn't you?"

"How...did you know?"

"There are three reasons—but do you really want me to explain them?"

"I'd better be convinced if you don't want to hear the reasons!"

Then there's no way.

"First, Jie called you on your cell phone the next morning, but you didn't answer."

This was the time I accompanied Yui to question Yoshino about the stolen manual. Yui was worried about being impolite to suddenly appear in someone's room, so she tried to call Yoshino first to explain her purpose, but Yoshino didn't answer. If the phone was already broken at that time, then it makes sense.

"Secondly, ever since that day, your group has inexplicably become very eager to act alongside our group. It's the same in American Village; you've been staying very close to Jie and the others, isn't it because if the teacher urgently needs to contact everyone via cell phone, you want to receive the message from Jie and the others?"

Moreover, when Yui talked to her in the morning, she promised to "help if she encounters difficulties," so she probably plans to ask Yui for help when needed.

"The third point is the clothes that are hung out to dry in your room the next morning."

"clothing……?"

"That's the same outfit you wore after dinner on the first day."

“…………!”

Yoshino's expression twisted slightly. If she hadn't wanted anyone to know, she was being incredibly careless—letting a boy into her room so easily was definitely unwise.

"It goes without saying that everyone brought enough spare clothes for the entire school trip—a four-day trip—so there's no need to do laundry. If there's an unexpected need, it's because of some accident—yes, like accidentally getting soaked and your clothes are unwearable."

How did you get so soaked?

Something must have happened the night before that perfectly matched this situation.

"Yoshino—did Asuhain push you into the pool?"

Yoshino tried his best to keep his expression unchanged.