VOLUME 2

Prologue – Haruna… You’re Supposed to be a Genius, Right?

Prologue: Part 1

“Mathematics I”… I really think that part of the reason why I didn’t want to open this book was because of that t.i.tle. If this was “I,” then there was a high probability that there would be a “II” later. Ugh, why do they have to make these kinds of things into a series? For a zombie short on smarts like me, it was something that was impossible to understand.

… And as those thoughts ran through my head, sixth period ended.

Goodbye, “Mathematics I”… there’s somewhere you have to go. Now then… right back into the desk. ¬

Feeling refreshed, almost as if I had just sent an injured, sheltered, wild animal back to the forest, I looked up outside the window… today as well, the summer sky was scorched by a burning sun.

It was June 30th (Friday). It had been four days since Kyouko had escaped.

Kyouko, the one behind the serial murders, had sunk completely into the shadows and her whereabouts were still unclear. I thought that Dai-sensei would be able to find her quickly, but it seemed more difficult than I imagined.

Geez. It really got me down just thinking about that person. I didn’t want to think about the person who had killed me.

My mood changing, I turned my gaze to the inside of the room. Orito usually put his books into his locker and returned home, but today he was restlessly packing his textbooks. At that sight, I suddenly realized that we had exams next week. There would be no other reason for him to actually take the books home with him.

When I began to look at him as if I were staring at some sort of rare creature, Orito felt my gaze and came over, shaking his head resignedly.

He seemed like he was in an incredibly unpleasant mood, and the spiky hair he was so proud of was very disheveled.

“Aikawa, how can you look so unworried?”

As he fussed around to fix his hair, Orito asked me with a serious expression.

“About what?” I asked with a puzzled expression. Orito slowly shook his head, and pushed up his gla.s.ses with his middle finger.

“If you don’t do well on these tests, your summer vacation is going to vanish, you know.”

“Summer vacation isn’t just going to vanish, is it?”

“All you do is sleep during cla.s.s, so you have no idea, do you?”

Seeming as if he were looking down on me, Orito advanced towards me. Did he want to punch me or something?

By “summer vacation vanis.h.i.+ng,” he meant that we would have to take supplementary lessons, right? … That wouldn’t be good.

Leaning my chair back, I stared up at the ceiling. In that position, I turned to gaze out the window.

I didn’t care about my test results. Honestly, I would be satisfied if I could just graduate.

So, back when I first entered this school, I didn’t care if I had to take supplementary lessons or whatever… but…

… If they forced me here at noontime, that wouldn’t be good.

I’m referring to the sunlight, of course.

Letting out a huge sigh, I took out the textbooks from inside my desk.

Welcome back, “Mathematics I.”

TRANSLATOR’S NOTES