Part 9

"Fuu...".

When I returned to the lobby of our dormitory, Katsuragi was there sitting while sighing deeply. He immediately noticed me and stood up.

"I was waiting for you. Sorry for making you accompany me on something strange today" he told me.

"No. I was the one who insisted on following you. I'm just about sorry for not being of any help to you".

"No such thing. It was probably impossible from the start, I have no choice but to give up". He must have been intending to deliver the present to his sister at all costs, but since it is prohibited by school regulations, it seems Katsuragi has given up.

"If you would like to, please eat it with your friends. I don't really like sweet things". Saying that, he handed me the bag containing the present. But, I didn't take it.

"It's wasted on me".

"I see. I suppose you wouldn't be happy even if I gave you something that was originally intended for someone else". After saying that, Katsuragi slightly lowered his head as he moved to return to his room.

"Katsuragi". I said that and stopped that man.

"What's the matter?".

"Perhaps I might be of some help to you. I've thought of a way to deliver that present to your sister".

"I was rejected by the student council, the ones closest to the student body. I doubt there's a solution for that".

"That's only because you don't have the determination to break the rules. If you disregard the rules, there is a way".

".....I'm not making any risky moves". I suppose that's impossible for someone serious like Katsuragi who also happens to be the leader of Cla.s.s A. Especially if it happened to be advice from a lower cla.s.s, he wouldn't just obediently listen to it.

"I think it'll be worth hearing me out, though. More so if giving that present is an important thing for you".

Even though it was the summer vacation, Katsuragi had repeatedly gone to the student council room to obtain permission to deliver his present. I understand his feelings in this matter are not half-hearted.

"Is this something we should be talking about in a place like this?". Katsuragi pointed out the eyes of the people around us as well as the surveillance cameras.

"I guess so. This isn't really the place, do you want to come to my room?". People usually go in and out of my room on a daily basis anyways, there would be no problem even if I brought Katsuragi in. Katsuragi and I both head towards the dormitory rooms.

Fortunately, leaving aside cla.s.smates, we didn't even encounter a single student as we arrived at my room. I opened the door to my room and turned on the lights.

"Please come in".

"It's a rather clean room, or more like, there's nothing in here. It reminds me of the day we enrolled".

"I get that often". Then after taking our seats, I turned on the air-conditioning and poured tea into cups.

"And? You were talking about school regulations or something earlier".

"For example, if you were trying to deliver a present from the school. It's not something easy to do. Because delivery to outside the school grounds is prohibited in general. You won't be able to access the post office either".

There is a post office located on the school grounds, however, it's more or less a place only teachers make use of. Students do not enter it. It's obvious even if we ask them, we would be rejected. That is why Katsuragi went through the student council to try and obtain permission and make arrangements.

However since they rejected him too, he's concluded it is impossible to deliver the present physically.

"That's a fact, right? If there are no means of delivering it, there's nothing that can be done. Or are you saying there's another way to deliver a package?".

"There is. Just boldly carry the present outside the school grounds without thinking deeply about it".

"Don't be stupid. Who would be capable of doing that? It surely isn't an employee of the school, right?".

The only ones who are free to enter and leave the school grounds every day are the employees who work at the various shops located on the school grounds. In other words, if we make use of such employees, it becomes a simple task to deliver the present. But there is a large obstacle for that.

"The people who work at this school do so under strict regulations. They won't incur risk by listening to the requests of students like us. On the other hand, they would most likely report ones like us who try to break the rules". If that happens, Katsuragi would most likely receive a severe punishment.

"Of course not. There are no people from the outside we could trust". I thought so, that's what Katsuragi's eyes seemed to be saying.

"You're not saying you can leave the school grounds without permission, are you?".

"Naturally that's not the case. I'm aware leaving the school grounds without permission will lead to a serious punishment".

Of course, the entrances and exits are all strictly monitored, and by some miracle, even if we managed to slip past, it would lead to expulsion if we get found out.

Even if we wanted to violate the school regulations, the risks are far too high.

"Indeed we can't make use of the employees, but if it's a fellow student, that's another story".

"Student? That's pointless. If there isn't a significant enough reason, students cannot leave the school grounds".

"But there are exceptions too that would inevitably be involved with those significant reasons".

"Exceptions.....? If they could leave the school grounds...it can't be---".

The smart Katsuragi naturally reaches such a conclusion quickly.

"Club tournaments, huh?".

"That's how it is".

No matter how isolationist this school is, there are some things that cannot be avoided. A good example of that would be club tournaments. For those tournaments conducted outside the school grounds, there would be no choice but to leave the school grounds and head to the venue on the outside.

"Indeed, if that is the case, it would be possible to bring things outside the school grounds. But, the school should also be aware that there is a risk of such a thing happening. There would surely be inspections of the baggage".

"Obviously. But there are a lot of ways to slip past that, aren't there? Unlike the doping tests conducted at the Olympics, it's not like they search every inch of your body".

"That's true but...".

Katsuragi seems to be giving it some thought while looking straight ahead at the same time.

"Adding onto the risk of bringing it out, the burden that would be placed on the student carrying it out is not a simple thing. But judging from your tone, Ayanokouji, you're saying there is a person you can leave it...to?".

"That's exactly right. But to convince them, it's necessary for you to visit them yourself".