Liar, Liar - Volume 1 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue

It was Monday afternoon, the day after my Game with Kugasaki. I was absent from class, resting at one of the island’s hospitals. At least, I probably should have been. I was actually back home in my own bed.

I had been taken to a hospital right after the Game ended. Fortunately, the diagnosis was just a collection of light injuries. My numerous lacerations made me look pretty beat-up, but there was no blunt trauma and there were no fractures. I didn’t need to stay at the hospital, but I definitely had to rest for a few days. So I’d been lounging in my bedroom since the morning.

“…I have some tea ready, Master.”

There was a quiet knock on the door. Himeji entered, wearing her usual maid outfit. She strode up to me leisurely, placed a teacup on my side table, then held her tray against her chest, her silver hair bouncing a bit.

“It’s hot. Would you like me to blow on it for you?”

“Huh? N-no, that’s fine. I can do that myself.”

“But the doctor said you needed to rest as much as possible.”

“I might ask you to if I was too injured to breathe, but…”

I sat up and took the cup Himeji had brought. She’d been acting like this since the day before, by the way. At first, she’d glared at me, saying, “I wish you wouldn’t make me worry so much” and so on, but now she was practically glued to my side. She even wanted to join me in the bath. I’d had to get Kagaya to intervene to stop that. This was all my fault, so it really wasn’t my place to complain, but…

“…It’s good.”

The straight tea had a light sweetness to it. Himeji gave me an ever-so-slight smile.

“Oh, a get-well gift arrived from Mr. Kugasaki earlier. I was expecting some kind of prank, but it’s just a fruit basket. I’ll peel some of the contents for you later.”

“Kugasaki did that? Huh. Guess even he’s got his sensible side.”

“‘Sensible’? Master, would you like to read the letter the basket came with? Because it’s an epic handwritten narrative that runs to over a hundred pages.”

“Ahhh, um…hmm.”

“I have prepared a summary of the letter, written from my perspective. It’s four sentences long.”

“I love you, Himeji.”

The focus and willpower required to write something long enough for a light novel contest in a single night amazed me. Reading it would probably break me, though. I read over Himeji’s summarized version with great appreciation (my maid was way too talented).

As I reflect on the results, I suppose I must accept that you are worthy of being a Seven Star. However, there is no need to debate whether you outclass my goddess. She is the greatest, the loftiest, the one and absolute. And you…well, you are my rival, at least.

“…”

“…Um, I know this sounds pretty smug of him, but I think Mr. Kugasaki meant all of this as praise. He can be rather…full of himself. Much like Rina.”

“Hmm… That’s fine, I guess, but it sounds like he’s going to stick around and bother me.”

I’d have to find a way to dodge his next Game request. I didn’t plan on losing to him, of course, but dealing with him would definitely be a tremendous hassle. Avoiding a rematch for now was best, if only to reduce the Company’s workload.

I slowly shook my head as I thought this over.

“…Hmm?”

Suddenly, the device by my pillow vibrated. I looked at the screen and saw a text message waiting for me.

“Um… Oh?”

I reached out to check it, but I must have touched the display wrong, because it switched to another screen, my profile. Immediately, I noticed something weird. The star count had previously only included the red star from Saionji, but now it had company. Another star. And by the looks of it, it was Kugasaki’s blue star. I’d thought there was no way for me to gain more stars since the system thought I was a Seven Star, but this proved that assumption wrong.

“…”

I squinted a little. Oh well. The provost probably knows what’s going on. I’ll ask her later.

As for the message, it read, Are you at home, Shinohara? I just happened to be passing by, but I could pay a quick visit if you like. Not that I’m worried about you or anything!

“It’s been a little while, huh, Shinohara? How’re you doing?”

A few minutes later, Saionji was in my room.

She wore the same hoodie from two days earlier to disguise herself, which was fine by me. When I told her that only Himeji and I were in my dorm, she flipped her hood back, exposing her flowing red hair. After a moment, she removed the hoodie entirely. She had on her usual Ohga School uniform beneath. Having her in my room felt like a pretty fresh experience.

“Why are you here?” I asked, eyes turned away. “I told you in my message, didn’t I? It’s nothing serious.”

“Yeah, I heard. But I can’t trust you to tell the truth, can I? I wanted to see for myself… I’m glad you’re okay.”

She sat down right by me, to the left of the bed. “I’ll go get some tea for you, Rina,” Himeji said, as if suddenly remembering. Then she left the room.

Immediately after she was gone, Saionji leaned over and brought her face close to mine.

“You know, Shinohara…there’s something I want to say to you.”

“There is? What?”

“First, about your talent… You’ve been hiding your skills, huh? In yesterday’s Game—in the final comeback, at least—you didn’t use any cheats at all. I don’t think anyone else picked up on it, but that was a One Star pulling off the upset of the year. Honestly…”

“‘Honestly’ what? Are you here to praise me or complain?”

“It’s complicated. Had I been in your position, I seriously doubt I could’ve won. So yes, I think you’re really great… But if I butter you up too much, I feel like it’ll go to your head.”

“…How honest.”

I laughed at Saionji. She frowned a bit, but didn’t seem angry about it.

“So? Is there a second thing?”

“Huh? Oh, right. About yesterday… You only got enthusiastic about continuing the Game after listening to me, right?”

“Yeah, I guess.”

I nodded, not understanding where this was going. Saionji gave a devilish giggle.

“What was that all about? Are you falling for me because I’m trying so hard for my best friend? Did your heart skip a beat? Come on—tell me, tell me, tell me, Shinohara!”

“Sh-shut up…”

Saionji peppered me with questions to the point that I had no choice but to confront my honest feelings. For all her obnoxious prodding…she was almost right. It annoyed me so much. This girl was beyond irritating.

That, and also:

She’s so obnoxiously insightful, too… Ugh.

Why did she feel the need to press this topic? I was fairly certain she was just picking on me, but this was a pretty touchy subject.

To be honest, there was a reason Saionji’s lies resonated so much with me. They painted her as a nice person, yes, but that wasn’t all. When she’d talked about the kidnapping…it had kind of overlapped with my circumstances. It reminded me of why I had come to this island—those memories of the girl I was searching for. And that link made my emotions well up.

But did I…really have to say so much to this girl, whom I barely even know?

I didn’t want to tell Saionji about it…or anyone, really. How could I admit with a straight face that I had come to the Academy chasing after this childhood acquaintance who was my first love?

“Anyway, what about you?” I deflected.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…if you’re just trying to help a friend fulfill her wish, why hatch the kidnapping plot? Don’t tell me it’s because you’re a genius again.”

“Oh, um… Heh-heh! I can’t tell you that part. It’s related to my first love!”

“…………Huh. Hey, can you get me the eraser on my desk?”

“Sure… Hey! Why are you so disinterested? Aren’t you going to ask any follow-up questions?! That was such a deadpan reaction that I gave you the eraser and everything!”

“Yeah, but…do I really need to hear about your first love? I think my time is better spent grinding down the corners on this eraser.”

“Oh, quit lying! You definitely need to! It’s a huge X factor! The story of my first love’s a billion million times cooler than you’ll ever be!”

“If you wanna talk about it that much, just say so… But even if it’s two billion million times cooler than me, I’m not interested in hearing about someone I don’t know, okay?”

“Ohhhh. Are you getting jealous, Shinohara? Heh-heh! You don’t like it when I talk about other boys, do you?”

“Why do you sound so confident about this all of a sudden? In that case, my first love—that childhood friend I mentioned—was several hundred million times cuter than you. So get off your high horse already.”

“What?!”

The moment I said that, Saionji’s ruby eyes shot wide, then quickly narrowed into a glare. Obviously, I was exaggerating a bit for the argument, but she was definitely a cute girl. That’s the only way I can describe her because the precise details of her appearance were hazy to me. I was sure she’d match up well against the charming (if only in her face) Saionji.

Not that it even mattered.

Hmm… Our shared lies mean we’ll have to keep working together from now on…and that worries me. We couldn’t possibly be more incompatible.

I let out a small sigh. We were partners in crime, sure, but we constantly antagonized each other. It was too much. Maybe that more admirable side of Saionji’s, the one she’d shown during my Game with Kugasaki, was just a bonus outlier.

“Ugh… It’s so humiliating to have you treat me like an idiot, Shinohara.”

Ignorant of my thoughts, Saionji puffed out her cheeks and shook her head. I responded with narrowed eyes. She glared right back, and the two of us stared at each other point-blank. Then, as if on cue, we turned away.

That’s when Himeji chose to return. She froze at the door after opening it, not moving an inch as she took in the scene. Then, for some reason, she glowered at us.

“Um… You two sure get along well, don’t you?”

““Get along how?!””

I trusted Himeji more than anyone on the island, but I had no idea how she had come to that conclusion.

SHINOHARA’S MASTER PERFORMANCE MAKES IT FOUR

In a match held yesterday afternoon that captured the attention of over twenty thousand viewers, the so-called Phoenix, Five Star Seiran Kugasaki, took on Hiroto Shinohara, the Academy’s newest Seven Star.

…The results hardly need to be repeated here. Capitalizing on his momentum after handily defeating the Empress, Shinohara once again dispatched a powerful threat. Despite the unforeseen accidents he faced during the Game, his comeback—conducted live in front of packed stands—stunned all who saw it into silence.

With this breathtaking victory, Shinohara has now won four straight Games in his first week on the island, a breakneck pace that’s unprecedented in over twenty years of Academy history.

Between his devilish methods and his detached attitude during play, Shinohara’s style has already earned him a legion of passionate followers. Let’s delve further into the method that’s proven so successful for him…

“…Yep. Sounds like a whole big thing.”

Natsume Ichinose offered her thoughts on the newest article on LNN. She was in her office at Eimei School, a place normally forbidden to students.

“…”

A girl in a maid uniform entered the room. This girl wasn’t one to display her emotions much, but right now, she was clearly in a bad mood. She offered a polite greeting upon arriving, but hoped to abstain from any further conversation.

“It’s been a while since we last met, Ms. Evil Vixen. Sorry to keep you.”

“…Do you think adding ‘Ms.’ to it makes it polite or something?”

“No. I’m merely feeling envious of the relationship my best friend and my master are cultivating before my eyes. I don’t have time to consider your feelings as well.”

“I see. I called you at a bad time, then? Sorry about that. Anyway, take a seat.”

“…All right.”

Shirayuki Himeji followed the provost’s instruction and sat on the sofa. It was soft, but a little too high-end for Shirayuki to feel comfortable.

“Um… So why did you ask for me? I think all the post-Game cleanup has been taken care of.”

“Yes, it certainly has. Just think of this as a little information exchange.”

Ichinose spoke slowly as she placed a teacup of unknown make before Shirayuki. The maid beheld it with her clear blue eyes and took a sip to be polite. The tea was so unreasonably good that she cursed the unfairness of it. She’d have to ask Ichinose her secret later.

Grinning as though she’d read Shirayuki’s mind, Ichinose sat on the opposite sofa, crossing her legs alluringly.

“So, Shirayuki, here’s a question for you. Your master, Hiroto Shinohara, has won four Games. What do you think his rank is? His real one, not the pretend one.”

“Huh? Well…his star count can’t increase as long as he pretends to be a Seven Star, so shouldn’t he still be a One Star? I doubt winning four times has suddenly made him a Four Star.”

“Heh-heh! Wrong on both counts. Hiroto Shinohara’s official rank is currently Two Star.”

“…How?” Shirayuki asked. It defied possibility. The system believed he was already at the top. There was no way he could acquire more stars.

“It was news to me, too. This recent Game is the first time it’s happened. I guess Unique Stars operate differently. When he beats someone who possesses a Unique Star, he takes it from them.”

“I see.”

“And naturally, that creates some contradictions. The system forbids Shinohara from gaining any more stars, but he also had to claim Kugasaki’s blue star. This triggered a special case. If a player who can’t earn any more stars beats an opponent with a Unique Star, one of their normal stars is converted into a Unique Star matching the color of their opponent’s. They don’t earn more, but they get an upgrade.”

“…I see. But he…”

“Right. That’s the thing, Shirayuki. Shinohara should be ineligible for that, too. He’s a One Star—and his one is a Unique Star. He doesn’t have any normal stars. This violates all the cases the system can account for, so he was simply awarded another star. Heh! It’s the most outlier of outlier cases. Now Shinohara’s a Two Star with a pair of Unique Stars.”

“…Right.”

Shirayuki seemed less than impressed with Ichinose’s impassioned explanation.

“Ha-ha! What? Not interested? Because I find this tremendously exciting.”

“Regrettably, I possess more restraint than you. Yes, having two Unique Stars is rare, but even as a Two Star, he’ll still need the support of the Company to keep going. So I’m not sure why you’re bringing this up with me, to be honest.”

“No? Well, take this to its logical conclusion. He’s a Two Star with no normal stars. What if he wins a Game against another Unique Star holder?”

“Um… If this happens again, he’ll be a Three Star with three colors.”

“Right. And what if he does it four—no, five times?”

“You mean, what if he’s an all-color Seven Star and he gains one more? B-but…”

Shirayuki, a little unnerved, tried to refute Ichinose. Now Shirayuki understood the other woman’s ferocious smile. Yet no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t think of anything past the “but.” To collect so many Unique Stars was unheard of. However, as a pure theoretical, even a Seven Star could use that special case to earn more stars. The result would be an Eight Star, something never seen before.

Something aggressive crossed Ichinose’s expression when she detected understanding from Shirayuki.

“That’s how it looks to me, anyway. You’ve heard the rumors going around the island, right? For example, any student who goes above and beyond in star hunting will be named heir to the Saionji family, and their corresponding provost will be promoted to director. No Seven Star has reached the necessary heights, so it’s all conjecture, but what if an especially talented student decided to go past Seven Star?”

“…Are you saying my master could do this? That… I don’t see how it’s possible.”

“Don’t be so quick to dismiss the idea. He might be cheating his way through this, but he’s won four out of four. And one of those was against the Empress, and another was against Seiran Kugasaki. It’s sending shock waves up and down the island. Heh… Do you think that’s all coincidence, Shirayuki?”

Ichinose’s follow-up strike silenced Shirayuki, and the maid sank into contemplation.

Come to think of it…

It was true the Company used cheating to keep him from losing, but he hadn’t accomplished anything that would be seen as beyond a Seven Star. In other words, he only used powers he would’ve possessed were he an actual Seven Star.

The talent he’d displayed at the end of Self-Styled Game #27 was completely beyond what Shirayuki had imagined. The flexibility and creativity needed to use cheats to his advantage… If that was where his true powers lay, there was a chance Ichinose’s theory could become fact.

“…Are you saying you foresaw all of this? Is that why you invited my master here?”

“Heh. Who knows? I definitely wanted him on the island badly enough to falsify his test scores. His admissions exam really was awful, but I’m not expecting good grades from Shinohara. His true value lies elsewhere.”

“His true value? Then you brought him because…”

“Yes! I’m using him to further my own designs…but please don’t misunderstand. I’m not using him for anything evil, and I’m sure Shinohara’s already realized my intentions.”

“…You think so?”

“I do. You could say we’re using each other. He has a reason for coming to the island, and he wants to stay here, even if it means faking his social status. Meanwhile, I want to keep a disrupter on Shinohara’s level. We have a common mission.”

“…”

Shirayuki let out a small gasp. Ah, perhaps I’m still underestimating him. Until a few days ago, I didn’t think anyone could stand equally against this vixen.

“Unfortunately, for all I’ve said, not everything has gone perfectly.” Ichinose chose her words carefully while scrutinizing Shirayuki, maintaining the suspense.

“After all, if that Eight Star theory turns out to be correct, Shinohara’s going to gain many enemies as he builds his star count. Some of them are already moving to take him down, and it’s just a matter of time before they make themselves known. For all we know, he might falter someday, and he’ll never accomplish what he came here to do. The pressure might crush him. There are a lot of obstacles in his way. So what will you do?”

Ichinose shot a testing look at Shirayuki. Her smile indicated how much she enjoyed this, and her attitude could have convinced someone she knew and saw all. Shirayuki almost buckled under the strength of that gaze. However, there was no real issue. Her answer was already set in stone.

With a deep, deep breath, Shirayuki met Ichinose’s eyes and spoke with voice unwavering.

“There’s need to worry. I will always be by my master’s side…no matter what.”