Part 90: Super High-school Level Update #80

Kirigiri-san walked in silence...

And I followed her in silence.

The place she led me to was...





The locker room...!?
Does that mean what you want me to do has to do with...!



...Yes. It's about Alter Ego.
But... didn't you say Alter Ego is of no more use to us...?



I never said it's of no more use. I merely said its role was over.
That said, it seems right now it's not us who require its services, but that it wants something from us.
...Eh?



It asked me to bring someone.
It said it had a request for us...

Alter Ego... has a request...?





...Good morning.
Um, I see Kirigiri-san and Naegi-kun... Is it just you two?



Kirigiri-san's fingers tapped on the keyboard.

"Are two people not enough?"



No, it's fine! Two people is perfect!



What does he want...? I can't imagine anything he needs from us...



...Let's ask.

Kirigiri-san quickly typed another sentence.

"What do you want us to do?"



Um, you see...
I want you to take me somewhere I can connect to the network...



...Eh?

I exchanged glances with Kirigiri-san.



Then, Kirigiri-san typed an answer.

"Why?"





Um...
You said that my role is over, didn't you?
But... for that to be all I ever do...
For that to be my entire role...



...I don't want that!
I want to do more for everyone...
I want to work with everyone so you can escape this place!



I'm sure... that my master would have wanted the same...
So... in order to do that...
In order to solve this school's mysteries...



I have to connect directly to the school's computer network!



B...but... if he does that...
It would be suicide...
There's no way the mastermind wouldn't notice. He'll take the laptop away from us.
What do you think, Kirigiri-san?



............



I know it's dangerous...
But I insist. I must do it.



It's true, I'm scared. but it's alright.
I don't really understand it myself.



When I think about helping everyone, I feel brave!
You probably think this is nonsense coming from an artificial intelligence, but it's true!
So... it's alright.
For everybody's sake, I won't get scared!!



Before I knew what I was doing, I found myself listening attentively.

His voice was so full of vigor...
So full of bravery...

And also so fragile...



Hey, Naegi-kun... I think it was you who said it...?
...That humans and programs aren't that different from each other.
Y...yeah...



Dealing with Alter Ego sure is confusing, isn't it?
I don't quite get it myself...
I'm not even sure Fujisaki-kun, his programmer, understood it completely...
But there's one thing I can say.



Alter Ego is, without question, a friend.
Kirigiri-san...



To tell you the truth, I didn't want to make him do too much.
If I had asked him to do something dangerous, the mastermind would likely notice...
But...



...Naegi-kun, let's do it. Let's connect him to the network.
B...but...!



He's a friend. We can't just ignore his feelings.
His feelings... of wanting to fight along with his friends...



If you were in his place, could you stand just sitting there doing nothing?
...Seeing everyone else fighting and just watching from the sidelines?
Could you live with yourself? Could you still call yourself everyone's friend and live with yourself?
............



...Are you having trouble with the idea?
You really don't have to worry about me...



I want you... to believe in me.
I want you to believe... that I can help you.



So please let me do it!
............



I think... if we take him to that place we may even manage to escape the mastermind's attention...
"That place"...?
Try to remember. There was one other place except this locker room where there are no security cameras.

A place with no security cameras...



The hidden room on the 2nd floor / The A/V room / The music room

The hidden room on the 2nd floor you told me about...



You're right. I didn't see any cameras over there...
That's not all. I think we can connect Alter Ego to the network in that room.
There are cables and a network jack.



Nevertheless, the fact there are no cameras there doesn't mean it isn't dangerous.
We can't be sure the mastermind isn't monitoring the network itself...
Besides, the mastermind might see us carrying Alter Ego, or even entering the secret room.
If that happens, it will all be over in a second.
You're right...



Nevertheless, I think we should let him do it. I mean...



It's also the only way we can hope to find new information...
............
Kirigiri-san...
In that case, let me carry him over there.
I can hide the laptop under my hoodie. There's no way to hide it under your own clothes, is there?



Thank you. Please do...
Well, let's start.
It may get a little cramped, but I'm sure Alter Ego can endure it for a little while.



We set out in preparation.

We closed the laptop's lid and hid it under my clothes...

Ahaha...! I feel like that should be tickling!
You shouldn't raise your voice like that!
...I'm taking you to a place with network connection now. You can't speak until we get there.
Your command has been confirmed.
S...sure...

Amazing... hearing him speak like a machine would just sounds wrong...



Naegi-kun. There's are all sorts of cables inside the drawer in the desk that's in the hidden room.
So we might find a network cable in there somewhere...



That's assuming the mastermind didn't take it all from there.
We'll never know if we don't go and check.



You're right... Let's go.





And we're off. The teleport function is locked off for this scene, so we have to make our way there by foot.





I guess the game just doesn't want us to miss some people on the way.



Uwaaa! Naegi-chi!!
What's wrong...? Why are you so surprised?



N...nothing is wrong! I'm not doing anything! Aha... Ahaha...

Something... feels strange about him.

Well, not that that's any different than usual...



Well, I'm going back to my room now, so please excuse me!!
I'll see you around...! Aha... Ahahaha...!

Let's get going again.





Bi-bi-ba-bi-ba-bi-boo-bi~!



I can't get this song out of my mind!!



Bi-bi-ba-bi-ba-bi-boo-bi~!
...What are you doing?



I'm living!
I see...



I'm going to my room! I'm going to live like an adult in my room right now!!
Bi-bi-ba-bi-ba-bi-boo-bi~!!









Hey, Naegi-kun...





Are you sure all the files are gone? I can't accept that!
Go check properly once more!
Eh...?
Go now!! I'm going to wait right here, so don't think you can escape!

Oh, I see... she's putting on a performance...

She's doing a fine job... I almost thought she's mad at me again.



What are you idling around for? Go, now!
Y...yeah, I got you...



Check thoroughly, please.
I'm counting on you.







Right...! First, let's look for a network cable...!





According to Kirigiri-san, there should be cables in the drawer.

Let's see...



...Found it. I think this is a network cable.
All that's left is to connect Alter Ego to the network with it!

I started working immediately.

I took out the laptop hidden under my clothes, and connected it to the network.



That should do it.





Um...



Yeah! I think I can get through!



Leave the rest to me! I'll definitely find something useful!
Maybe I'll even manage to get through to the outside world. If I do, I may be able to call for help!



...So please wait.
Believe in me and wait!



Before leaving the hidden room, I decided to type in one last response on the keyboard...

"We'll definitely get out of here together! You and us, we're all friends!"



Friends...?
Can I really... be your friend...?



Thank you...
Thank you, Naegi-kun...







...So how did it go?
Um...
Um, it went well. But there weren't any files left behind after all...

I started speaking without thinking, so my reply was a mix of the real and the pretense.



I see...
I guess there's nothing we can do, then. This room is of no more use to us.
Goodbye.



Kirigiri started walking away, without even continuing her performance.

Ah, wait, Kirigiri-san!?



...What is it?
Um... Is this where we go our different ways?
Of course. There's no reason for me to stay with you anymore.
I... guess that's true, but could you at least not be so blunt about it?



Do you want me to waste time making small talk before saying goodbye? You're really troublesome sometimes, Naegi-kun.
T...that's not it...
There are things we need to discuss, aren't there? For example, what we should about Oogami-san...



I agree, something must be done on that front.



But at this point in time it would be impossible to convince everyone to trust her. No one is willing to listen.
So... what should we do?



If we manage to find some new information the situation may change. That's the only thing we can bet on.

So that's another reason why she was so eager to help Alter Ego...



There's nothing we can do now but wait... and trust our friends.

She's right.

There's nothing else we can do...



After parting with Kirigiri-san, I returned to my room.



............
That was tiring...

I lay down on my bed...
Carrying Alter Ego around was more stressful than I thought it would be, and left me dead tired.

That's why... I was soon...



Drowsing off...