Chapter 48: “Friends” is nothing but a Relationship of Mutual Convenience

Anmiya Marina had been raised under extremely rigorous standards since her earliest childhood.

Everything was for the sake of the family lineage, and she would not hesitate to sacrifice herself if it meant paving the way for its success.

While children from other families were still enjoying their innocence, Marina had been completely stripped of the right to act like a child.

She was required to function like a high-precision machine, never allowed to make a single mistake.

She did not resent this upbringing, nor had she ever questioned it.

She simply performed the role assigned to her with indifference; even emotions were redundant—or rather, emotions only got in the way.

As long as she maintained a sweet smile on the surface, those around her were easily deceived.

Even if her heart and words were at odds, as long as she spoke them, others would believe her.

Therefore, she only needed to execute her duties step by step.

In Marina’s eyes, her peers appeared utterly childish.

Even those who were slightly older were mostly ignorant and naive.

She only needed to ensure her behavior was beyond reproach, her social handling was comprehensive, and her words were humble and polite.

With a smile fixed on her face, that was enough.

With those traits alone, she could easily blind everyone.

Everything was to fulfill her duty…

To an observer, it might have seemed like she was killing her own “self.”

However, Marina herself lacked even that awareness.

To her, the very concept of a “self,” along with the thought itself, did not exist.

Matsuyama Shoko, whom she had initially regarded as her greatest rival and obstacle, turned out to be no cause for concern.

Shoko was already a straggler who posed no threat.

Ultimately, it was because her abilities were too poor: her personality was straightforward and irritable, her emotions were written all over her face, and her upbringing was insufficiently polished.

As time passed and various flaws were exposed, Marina quickly determined that she was not a threat.

But what Marina despised most was how Shoko had become immersed in that “playing-house-style friendship game.”

The people around her were divided into only two categories: those who were useful, and those who were not.

So-called “friends” were merely relationships of mutual exploitation for convenience.

Those who could understand and admit this were at least tolerable.

Someone like Matsuyama Shoko, who held naive fantasies about “friends” and cherished them, could never become Marina’s opponent.

Therefore, she had long since ceased to be a threat.

The real problem was the dark horse who hadn’t originally been on her watch list but had suddenly burst forth: Ishikawa Yuka.

The intelligence she had received beforehand clearly stated that Ishikawa Yuka was nothing to fear, yet reality proved to be exactly the opposite.

What on earth was the provider of that information looking at?

Ishikawa Yuka was incredibly shrewd.

Although she always pretended to be a ditz, it was absolutely a facade.

Her level of calculation was so deep that even Marina felt inferior.

It was an intuition; it didn’t refer to academic grades, as there were plenty of people with better grades than Marina.

The key was that Ishikawa Yuka was unfathomable.

She was likely just like Marina, hiding her true self and playing a false role.

Her usual foolish talk was nothing more than camouflage, an attitude designed to lower the guard of those around her.

Beneath that disguise, she was always plotting several moves ahead, arranging everything into a grand design.

Marina had planned to use the conflict with Matsuyama Shoko to suppress her, but it failed.

Not only that, but Ishikawa Yuka used the momentum of the attack against her, utilizing Marina’s own schemes to win the trust of those around her and expand her influence.

It didn’t matter what the small fry thought; as long as she controlled the Upper Five, the Lower Seven, and the Ōka Association, she could get away with even the most outrageous behavior.

The private gossip of ordinary students couldn’t harm her in the slightest.

Marina had intended to drive a wedge between her and the Ōka Association, but it had backfired, and Ishikawa Yuka had instead won even more people over.

The first to be brought to heel was Matsuyama Shoko.

Marina had wanted to incite a fight between them so they would both suffer, but the result was the exact opposite.

Matsuyama Shoko easily submitted to Ishikawa Yuka and became her follower.

Next, Marina tried to exploit the incident where Ishikawa Yuka threw Nogami Hiroki, which also ended in failure.

Although rumors spread among the students for a time, because Nogami Hiroki himself ended up spending more time with Ishikawa Yuka, their close relationship was instead highlighted.

The only ones still criticizing Ishikawa Yuka over the Nogami Hiroki incident were the girls who admired him and saw Yuka as a stumbling block, and a portion of people jealous of the Upper Five’s Ishikawa family.

Others judged by the closeness of the two that the so-called violent incident was perhaps not serious, with some even viewing it as mere horseplay between close friends.

The greatest miscalculation was that the attempt to spread word of the violent incident actually facilitated the proximity between Ishikawa Yuka and Nogami Hiroki.

For some reason, since that incident, members of the Nogami and Kurohara families—and indeed the entire Nogami faction—had begun to grow close to Ishikawa Yuka.

The Kohara family was the most obvious example.

Why had it turned out like this?

Marina’s plan should have been foolproof.

Anyone else would have been driven to the point of being unable to attend school.

Yet when facing Ishikawa Yuka, every tactic produced the opposite effect.

No… that wasn’t right…

It was that Ishikawa Yuka had exploited Marina’s schemes, turning even adversity into a favorable situation.

Behind that ditzy face lay a highly calculated strategy.

Things could not continue like this… if she could not fulfill her duty, the consequences would be catastrophic.

She had to find a way to pull Ishikawa Yuka down from her pedestal.

Yes… no matter the cost…

“G-G-G-Good morning, Ma-Ma-Ma-Marina.”

“Yuka? What’s wrong?”

“Eh? N-Nothing is wrong, really.”

“……Is that so?”

One morning, Ishikawa Yuka came to greet her as usual.

Engaging in conversation every day was naturally part of her calculation, meant to show the class that she could influence both the Shoko faction and the Marina faction.

But she was clearly acting strange this morning.

Marina’s mind whirled as she pondered what Yuka was plotting now.

The other girl clearly looked like she had “something on her mind,” yet she claimed “nothing was wrong.”

What could that possibly mean? What was her goal?

Marina cautiously considered Yuka’s purpose based on her past words and strategies, responding with care.

“Yuka… if something is wrong, you can tell me anytime, okay?”

“Just chatting or whatever, I’m always willing to listen.”

“After all, we… are friends, right?”

“Ah…”

Ishikawa Yuka had indeed said such things before, claiming that if they were friends, they should listen to each other’s worries.

How laughable.

If a problem could be solved by telling someone else, then it wasn’t a problem worth worrying about in the first place.

And if it was a situation that couldn’t be resolved within one’s own circumstances, seeking help from others was meaningless.

Since confiding in others wouldn’t ultimately solve the problem, it was merely an added risk of information leaking; it was futile—no, it was even worse.

It was better to stay silent and solve it oneself.

But Ishikawa Yuka had definitely said that before.

It was likely not her sincere intention.

If it were Matsuyama Shoko, it might just be a superficial gesture, but Ishikawa Yuka should be different.

She said those things to get close to the other person, to fish for their weaknesses and exploit them.

Therefore, Marina would pay her back in her own coin.

She wouldn’t do something as stupid as baring her troubles or weaknesses to a rival.

Ishikawa Yuka was likely the same.

So, with a hint of provocation and a “back at you” sentiment, Marina had said, “Say it if you can.”

That was how it should have been… but Ishikawa Yuka’s shoulders suddenly relaxed, and she wore a soft expression.

“……Hehe. That’s true, isn’t it.”

“Yes. It is.”

How well she could put on a show.

The attitude just now and her current expression were surely calculated.

She wouldn’t be fooled.

Afterward, she was naturally invited to lunch.

Lately, Yuka had been hanging around with the “conquered” Matsuyama Shoko and her lackeys; what exactly was she planning?

Vigilance was necessary, but one cannot catch the tiger’s cub without entering the tiger’s den.

So, Marina accepted the invitation.

After finishing lunch at the cafeteria, the two headed to the Ōka Association Salon.

Marina knew full well that eating together was just an excuse; the real play was the conversation that would follow once they were alone.

What did she want to say? What was the matter?

“So… what did you want to talk about?”

Marina did her best to hide her tension, asking with a facade of calm.

The current Ishikawa Yuka had already gained control over the Nogami, Kurohara, and Matsuyama factions and lineages, forming a massive power.

There was no hope of winning a head-on conflict.

Even if she could skillfully pull Nogami and Kurohara into neutrality, the combined forces of Ishikawa and Matsuyama were enough to be a handful.

“I’ve always wanted to become friends with Marina. But I was wrong.”

“Eh? Um…?”

The other girl lowered her head, looking as if she were about to cry while whispering those words…

Marina didn’t understand the meaning behind them.

What exactly did Ishikawa Yuka want to say?

How could they possibly be friends?

They were rivals standing in opposition; they were enemies.

How could enemies become friends?

However… the surface act had to be maintained.

Making enemies on all sides for no reason was a foolish act of suicide.

Matsuyama Shoko had nearly done that.

Although she was indeed loved by some, she had invited the resentment of many more.

That was the behavior of a fool.

If one was to do it, it should be done more skillfully… pretending to be a friend or companion to avoid making unnecessary enemies.

If possible, one should even maintain a certain level of closeness with the enemy.

That was how one could probe for internal information.

That was Marina’s “way of making friends.”

“Marina told me ‘we are friends.’ We were already friends long ago.”

“But in my heart, I unilaterally built a wall that didn’t even exist, arbitrarily believing we hadn’t become friends yet.”

“I am truly sorry! Marina already treated me as a friend, yet I chose to feel distant and believed there was a barrier!”

“……Not true…”

Listening to Ishikawa Yuka’s words, Marina could barely control the urge to grab her own head.

What friends? Distance? Barrier?

Of course they existed! Because she and Ishikawa Yuka were enemies!

How could she show a weakness to an enemy?

Everything—deceiving those around them, even deceiving the enemy—was just a temporary measure for exploitation.

Whether it was Marina herself or Ishikawa Yuka, they were both just winning people over, recruiting allies, and utilizing them.

This “playing-house-style friendship game” made her nauseous!

“Please lift your head, Yuka…”

She made the bowing Ishikawa Yuka look up.

She had absolutely no idea what the other girl was plotting or what her intent was.

Marina thought desperately but could find no answer.

Did Yuka think she could use this “friendship game” and a tearful offensive to fish for information from Marina?

Or did she actually believe she could turn Marina into a subordinate, just as she had with Matsuyama Shoko?

That was absolutely impossible.

Ishikawa Yuka should know very well that such tactics were useless against Marina.

Then, what was the purpose of this farce?

She didn’t understand.

“Yuka… well then… shall we officially become best friends starting now? Wouldn’t that be fine?”

“Marina…”

What should she do? What was her goal?

Without understanding the other’s intent, she couldn’t respond.

Saying too much might lead her into a trap, but she couldn’t offer zero reaction.

“I’m sorry, Marina. From now on… I will never doubt the distance between us again.”

“This time… let’s truly become best friends.”

“……Mmhmm.”

Could it really just end like this?

What was the point of all this?

Was someone eavesdropping somewhere? Was it being recorded?

No matter; her own responses had been correct.

Everything was handled seamlessly.

This should be fine for now…

“Ah! Right! Well then, to celebrate us officially becoming best friends… let’s go out and play next time?”

“Eh… mm… okay… sure.”

There it was! Was this the real goal!?

Indeed, being invited in such an atmosphere made it very difficult to refuse.

If all of this was just a setup for this invitation, it was truly impressive.

Creating a situation that couldn’t be refused before setting the trap.

In that case, the real main event would be during the “going out”?

What exactly was she planning to do?

No matter how Marina thought about it, she was destined never to guess correctly.

****

On the way home from the day they made the date…

Marina had been thinking about it all the way, yet she could find no answers.

Whether it was about Ishikawa Yuka’s “playing-house friendship game” or the invitation to go out, no matter how she thought, it didn’t make sense.

If one knew nothing beforehand, it would be difficult to respond perfectly to every situation.

The invitation to go out was likely for that purpose.

Did Yuka want her to make some kind of mistake?

Or would there be other people present?

Or did she plan to have someone witness it secretly, or even film it?

She had to remain absolutely vigilant and ensure everything was foolproof.

It was indeed a hassle.

But wasn’t this the norm?

Every day she handled everything perfectly in an environment where no mistakes were permitted.

She had been raised and trained exactly for that.

She was always subjected to these surprise tests to verify her adaptability.

No problem. She would just handle it like she usually did.

Perhaps she could instead use this opportunity to gain an advantage.

The moment the opponent makes a move is also the moment they reveal an opening.

As long as she could handle it skillfully and exploit it, she might very well end up in a favorable position.

“…………”

She gazed at the scenery flowing past the car window…

For some unknown reason, in the car on the way home that day, Marina felt her chest tighten, and a strange sense of suffocation gripped her.