Today was the school’s anniversary. There was no school, but as if Kizen couldn’t miss even a holiday like this, it opened optional supplementary lectures. They were in the nature of supplementary classes taught by the TA staff without a professor, and only the students with the lowest grades were required to attend, while the rest could freely choose to take them.
"Kizen and the students, both sides are out of their minds," Dick grumbled, sitting at his desk and scribbling at an invention. "The Cursology and Venomology classes are already full. It’s the school anniversary, they should take a break, seriously."
Simon let out a small laugh and asked, "Do you have a mandatory class?"
"Yeah. I have to go to Cursology."
"That’s too bad."
Simon was exempt from mandatory classes, except for Necrology, his only weak subject. Thankful for that fact, he stretched his clasped hands. "I’m more excited about the Dispatch Evaluation."
"Me too!"
Speaking of which, Simon made a suggestion. "If we’re going to the Neutral Zone, don’t you think we’ll need to pack various essentials? Want to call Meirin and Kami and go shopping in Rochest together?"
At those words, Dick’s movements came to a sudden halt, and his expression hardened. "What’s wrong?"
"Ah, well, that is," Dick, who was always so smooth-talking, scratched his head with an embarrassed look. "I don’t think I can go with you guys for this Dispatch Evaluation."
Simon paused. "Oh, really?"
"Sorry. I made a prior arrangement with the kids from Class G, so I decided to join them."
At Dick’s words, Simon looked disappointed. "That’s a real shame."
"Sorry, sorry. Try asking Meirin. She said she’d be at the library all day today."
The team composition and report were due by tomorrow. Since it was a team of four, if one person was missing, they had to quickly fill the spot. Simon nodded and immediately changed into his uniform.
He arrived at the library. Thanks to her sky-blue hair that stood out anywhere, Meirin was easy to find. She seemed to be taking a break from studying, chatting with a female student outside the reading room.
Simon approached them. "Meirin!"
Meirin also spotted Simon and turned her head.
"Meirin," Simon said urgently. "Did you hear? Dick is—!"
"Hold on a sec, Simon. I’m in the middle of an important conversation."
"Ah, okay."
He had been in such a hurry that he had almost been rude. Simon obediently nodded and took a step back to wait. Soon, the two girls started chatting again. From what he could overhear, it was about someone else’s love life. Someone was dating someone, but the boy cheated, and the girl cried and got angry, but the boy was so shameless that he showed no signs of remorse, and so on.
Listening to the story, Meirin was enraged. "Isn’t he crazy?"
"I know, right!"
The two girls’ chatter went on and on. Feeling a universe away from their conversation, Simon awkwardly distanced himself and waited.
Twenty minutes later, the girl who had been chatting said her goodbyes and left. Only then did Meirin look at Simon. "What’s up?"
"Ah, it’s about the Dispatch Evaluation." He finally got to the point. "Dick said he’s going with kids from another class for the Dispatch Evaluation. Don’t you think our group needs to quickly recruit another member?"
"Our group?" Hearing that, Meirin let out a ’pfft!’ of laughter. "Hey! What’s with the ’our’?"
"Huh?"
"You were thinking of going with me?"
"...Uh, no?" They had been talking about the Neutral Zone all day yesterday, so he naturally assumed they were going together.
"Gosh, really. Who goes on a Dispatch Evaluation with kids from their own class? That’s so lame. People would laugh if they heard." She waved her hands as if in disgust. "And we’ve been stuck together all this time. This is when you should be making friends with kids from other classes. I decided to go with that girl you just saw and two others from Class H."
"R-really?" Was it the norm to mix with kids from other classes for the Dispatch Evaluation? It was a bit bewildering, but both Dick and Meirin were saying it so casually.
"You haven’t been to see Kami yet, have you?" Meirin asked.
"I was just about to. Do you know where she is?"
"She signed up for the Hemomancy supplementary class. She should be at the Magic Bullet Firing Practice Hall."
Simon immediately arrived at the Magic Bullet Firing Practice Hall, where the Hemomancy class was held. Peeking through the window, he could see a TA in the lecture hall, passionately lecturing with spittle flying. Among the students, he could easily spot Kamibarez with bat wings on her back. Every time she took notes, her wings would flutter, and when an important explanation was given, her ears would twitch. There was a strange addictiveness to watching her.
"Well then, that concludes the supplementary lecture. For those who have also signed up for the afternoon lecture, I’ll see you again in two hours."
"Thank you for your hard work!"
The Hemomancy TA left, and the students poured out of the lecture hall. Simon leaned against the wall and waited for the other students to pass quickly. Near the end, he saw Kamibarez coming out of the lecture hall, hugging her textbook with both arms.
"Kami!"
"Ah, Simon—!" She smiled brightly and came trotting over. Her wings fluttered rapidly, as if she were in a good mood. "What brings you all the way here?"
"Ah, well..." ’Dick and Meirin are going with other kids for the Dispatch Evaluation. We’ll have to find two other people.’ That’s what Simon was about to say, but he cautiously brought up this topic first. "By any chance, Kami, do you have anyone you’re going with for the Dispatch Evaluation?"
"...Ah." At that question, Kamibarez’s pupils darted around. Her expression darkened, and she fidgeted, working her lips, before finally looking down at her feet and standing still.
Simon forced a smile. "It’s okay. You can tell me."
"I’m sorry. I’m so sorry! I actually decided to go with the people from the Sadam club..."
"Really? Well, that can’t be helped."
Simon belatedly realized that he was in a bind. The team report was due by tomorrow.
After that, Simon frantically went around looking for team members.
"Ah, I really, really appreciate the offer! But we decided from the start to do it with our group members. Sorry." He first went to Toto, who was in the same class and the same club, but he already had a group.
"What? You’re looking for team members?" Next up was Jamie Victoria, the class president of Class A. She was so surprised that she grabbed Simon’s shoulders and shook him. "Did you guys fight? What happened? I wasn’t worried about Team 7 at all since you guys are so close!"
"No. We didn’t fight." When Simon explained the situation, she looked stunned. "What do you mean! Of course you’re supposed to go on the Dispatch Evaluation with your group members!"
"R-really?"
"Do you think the Dispatch Evaluation is some fun little picnic? Of course it’s more advantageous to go with your group members who you’ve been in sync with for half a year! When are you going to get in sync, plan tactics, and match your hands and feet with kids from another class?"
Simon looked dazed. He hadn’t thought about that part.
"That’s why I asked if you fought," Jamie sighed and continued. "Unless you’ve had a really serious falling out, most people go with their group members. Me included."
"...Yeah. Thanks for telling me."
"I won’t pry, but if something’s up with Team 7, honestly tell me. Got it?"
"We really didn’t fight."
Whose word was right? Simon walked on, pondering the question. This time, he went to find Claudia, having gotten her location from Jamie. He had gotten quite close to her recently after going through several incidents together.
"No, that’s really not right! Aren’t they being too much?" Hearing Simon’s story, Claudia got angry as if it were her own problem. "Just like the class president said, it’s right to go with your group members. And! If they were going to go with kids from another class, it’s common courtesy to at least tell you in advance! That Meirin girl... I didn’t see Kami that way either!"
"I’m grateful that you’re angry for me, but," Simon continued with a smile, "talking behind my group members’ backs in front of me is a little..."
"Ah, r-right? Sorry...!" Claudia immediately bowed her head and apologized. As soon as she lifted her head, sparks flew from her eyes. "It’s still wrong! This is a problem that requires a definite apology later!"
Even after parting with Claudia, Simon met with several other students. But he just couldn’t find any team members. Almost everyone was pairing up for the dispatch teams with their own group members.
As Simon was walking alone down the hall, he saw four students sitting together in an empty classroom, chatting boisterously.
’...They look like they’re having fun.’ He felt a little lonely. It was the first time he’d felt lonely since coming to Kizen. Simon trudged on. Everywhere he looked, it seemed like students were walking around in groups of four. Seeing them having fun made the empty space beside him feel even more vacant.
’Still, it’s too early to give up.’ He would check on a few more kids from Class A, and if that didn’t work, there was always Kajan, Lorraine, Fitzgerald, and even Serne. He was scared Serne would demand something strange again, but this wasn’t the time to be picky. ’There’s not much time left.’
Simon went up to the third floor, the location Claudia had told him about. She had said that Cindy Vivace, from his class, was studying in empty classroom 302.
’Cindy’s probably with her group members, too....’ Still, he had nothing to lose. Even if not from Cindy, he might be able to get some other information there. Arriving in front of classroom 302, Simon knocked lightly.
"Who is it?" Cindy’s voice came from beyond the door.
"It’s me, Simon. Can I come in for a second?"
"Yeah, come in!"
Having gotten permission, Simon pushed the door open with both hands.
’Pop! Pop!’
Suddenly, party poppers went off from all directions.
"Happy birthday, Simon!!"
’Whoaaa—!’ Enthusiastic cheers poured out as confetti and streamers fell from the ceiling. Before his eyes was a large cake.
’Huh...??’
Simon looked around with a dazed expression. Inside the classroom, he saw Dick wearing a party hat and holding a popper, Meirin clapping with a bright smile, and Kamibarez holding the cake with a smile of her own. Behind them were Jamie, Claudia, and Cindy. What was all this? A birthday? My birthday?
"Don’t tell me..."
"What do you think? It’s a surprise!!" Meirin shouted with a laugh.
Kamibarez, holding the cake with both hands, approached. "Blow them out, Simon!"
As Simon, looking dazed, blew out the candles, another cheer erupted. Dick set off all the remaining party poppers.
"...Ahaha."
The lonely chill that had settled in his chest melted away, replaced by a warmth that had nothing to do with the candles on the cake.
Showered in confetti and flower petals, Simon placed a hand on his chest, finally letting out a sigh and a smile. "...You guys really got me."
Dick cackled and threw an arm around Simon’s neck. "You should’ve been suspicious! You think we’d ditch you for another group?"
"My apologies for tricking you, Simon!" Kamibarez piped up.
The whole thing had been a surprise, with Jamie, Claudia, and Cindy all bribed into complicity with cake.
Simon, the man of the hour, cut into the massive confection and placed slices on plates. It was so large that even after everyone took a piece, more than half of it remained.
"But guys... I have a confession to make."
At Simon’s words, the other three members of Team 7 flinched.
"Wh-What is it?" Kamibarez asked.
"Hey! Don’t tell me you already found other teammates behind our backs!" Meirin exclaimed, her expression suddenly anxious.
Simon shook his head, an embarrassed look on his face. "It’s not my birthday today."
A beat of silence. An awkward stillness fell over the classroom.
Soon, everyone’s gaze turned to Dick.
"Hey, you moron! You said it was Simon’s birthday today!" Meirin shouted.
Dick, looking flustered, stammered for a moment before turning to Simon. "You circled a date on the calendar in our dorm room! You even wrote ‘birthday’ there...!"
"Ah, that’s my mother’s birthday."
The silence returned. Just then, Meirin and Simon exchanged a subtle glance. Meirin grabbed a piece of the cake and charged forward.
’Splat!’
She smashed it right into Dick’s face.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"That was so satisfying!"
Everyone clapped and roared with laughter. Dick, his face a mess of frosting and crumbs, laughed cheerfully and licked the cake from his lips.
"Ah, ahh! I can’t see!" he cried, charging toward Meirin to wipe his face on her uniform.
"Agh! Hey! Don’t come near me!"
"This is my revenge!"
While everyone was laughing and having fun, Kamibarez came up beside Simon. "I’m looking forward to working with you on this dispatch, Simon!"
Simon smiled brightly. "Me too."
A warmth spread through his chest. Even though it wasn’t his real birthday, he knew he would never forget the party everyone had thrown for him.
"Man, I’m kind of jealous. I wish our team had this kind of vibe," Claudia muttered. In response, Meirin ran over and smeared cake on her cheek, and the two immediately started bickering loudly.

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