This story takes place before the first chapter.
The perspective is that of the chemistry club advisor.
“Good morning. Are you making progress with your homework?”
Although it’s spring break today, it’s also a club day, so I was dragged along too.
After all, the only thing to do is prepare for the recruitment of new members, so I don’t really think it’s necessary for me to be here.
…Well, I guess today is definitely going to be interesting to watch.
“I still haven’t finished my math.”
“Lie.”
See, there it is.
“You haven’t finished your math? More like you haven’t finished anything else either, right?”
Suzumoto said with a sly smile to Hariu, who reluctantly reached into his pocket and handed over a star-shaped chip to Suzumoto.
…Yeah.
“Good morning. I just received a message from Kadomi saying he’ll be late.”
President smoothly lied as he entered.
Kadomi had gone to buy a drink from the vending machine a while ago, but to Toriumi and Kariya, who arrived after Kadomi left, this was unknown.
“Is that so? Overslept, maybe?”
“You got tricked.”
President grinned, and Kariya held his head in despair.
“You should have known President would set you up. Don’t worry about it!”
Toriumi laughed as he patted Kariya’s shoulder.
And then, Kariya handed a star-shaped chip to President.
…Yeah, well, today is that kind of day… No! Why has it turned into a competition?
Though I expected it, today is about “those who cannot detect a lie will find it difficult to survive in the chemistry club,” so it seems we’re having a lying contest in conjunction with April Fool’s Day.
It started the moment I arrived, so they probably decided on the rules beforehand.
I quite like their efforts in this direction.
“If you fail to detect a lie, the one who was deceived has to hand over a star to the deceiver. Conversely, if your lie is detected, the liar has to hand over a star. Each person starts with three stars. Losing all your stars means you lose.”
“Furthermore, anyone without three stars by noon today will have to face a penalty game this afternoon!”
“By the way, exchanging stars for reasons other than lying or being lied to is also allowed! Even bribing is permissible!”
…Ah, yeah… well… that’s… yeah, never mind.
And then, they started the club activities as if everything was normal.
“So, are these flyers okay?”
Maito seems to have come up with several flyer designs and laid them out on the table.
“How did this illustration end up like this. Why is it exploding?”
“It’s just the facts.”
Right, President caused an explosion before.
“I don’t think the chemistry club should be represented by such a cool logo.”
“Should we make it a bit more casual?”
Well, it’s just a flyer, so it’s probably fine.
“…The activity dates are wrong.”
“Where, where?”
“…Star.”
What, really!?
…Kadomi managed to swindle a star from Maito.
Wow, things like this do happen.
It’s surprising coming from Kadomi. Kadomi of all people.
…Well, knowing him, he’ll probably be swindled back later.
“So, we’re agreeing to prepare these attractions for the club recruitment period, right?”
It seems we’re going for a more flamboyant approach this year.
Experiments like flame tests, burning nitrocellulose, and igniting vaporized diethyl ether that’s been poured down a metal slope.
I mean, it’s flashy.
Flame tests are mostly a matter of throwing things in and seeing what happens, and diethyl ether requires almost no preparation other than bending a metal plate, but nitrocellulose needs to be prepared in advance. And if left alone, it becomes damp and harder to burn. Plus, if the reaction doesn’t go well, it’s also hard to burn.
If they’re going for flashiness, they have to make it properly. So, they’re diligently making nitrocellulose based on recipes passed down by seniors.
…Actually, a bit of moisture might make the fire more visible and flashier.
If it’s made too well, it burns up in an instant.
“Um, where did we put the cotton wool?”
“In the back of the chemical storage, rightmost drawer.”
Maito, who’s working on the “just throw it in” aspect of the flame tests, answered Toriumi’s question.
…Though, there’s still a lot to do, like picking up empty cans from the trash, cutting washed cans, and flattening the edges. It’s a dirty job that no one but Maito wants to do.
Or rather, knowing that no one else would want to do it, Maito took it upon herself.
“Ah, found it. Thanks, Maito-san.”
“Lie! That’s impossible! I moved all the cotton wool this morning!”
“Ah, got me.”
Toriumi came back and handed a star to Maito. So, he countered a lie with a lie? That’s sophisticated.
But now, Maito has three stars again.
Those with four stars are Suzumoto, President, and Kadomi. Those with only two are Hariu, Kariya, and Toriumi.
…Hagasaki and Katori haven’t made their move yet, which feels ominous.
These two seem to be strong in bluffing games.
…Ah, maybe they’re trying to win without fighting by maintaining their three stars?
“We just need to dry it out the day after tomorrow, then?”
“So, is that the end of today’s club activities?”
“Looks like we’ve finished everything we needed to do.”
When I came back from the staff room, aside from Hagasaki losing a star to Maito, nothing much had progressed.
…Surprising, why did Hagasaki get caught by Maito?
“How about playing Daifugo?”
Without waiting for everyone’s response, Toriumi started to take out and shuffle the cards.
“By the way, did you finish your classical literature homework?”
“Eh, what’s that?”
“Wait, did we have that?”
“Lie.”
Katori smoothly caught Hariu and Kadomi, countered by Hagasaki.
That’s enough for a plus one.
“Hey, am I in reach?”
“Yes, you are.”
Hariu is down to one star, so one more loss and it’s game over.
Yeah, I’m betting he’ll definitely be out of the game.
“Then, I’ll play an eight and go out with a four.”
“I’ll play double tens and go out with a seven.”
“I’ll play a two.”
“Ah, I’m using the Joker.”
“That’s harsh! Then, I’ll play the three of spades!”
“Ah, that’s harsh.”
“You know the three of spades hasn’t been played yet, are you dumb?”
Well, the one who’s a bit dumb and unaware is Hariu.
“By the way, what are we doing for the penalty game? Did we decide on anything?”
“Everyone wrote one idea on a piece of paper, and they’re all in this bag!”
Ah, you wouldn’t want to write something too harsh considering you might draw it yourself, but then you wouldn’t want to write something boring considering others might draw it.
“Can I see?”
“You can, but please don’t read them out loud.”
“Yes,” Toriumi handed over the bag, so I looked inside.
“…Wow.”
Yeah, I won’t say anything.
“Teacher, you’re saying it out loud.”
Well, this much should be fine.
“Yo, just got back from the restroom and saw a window was broken.”
“Lie.”
“No, seriously.”
Maito swindles a star from Hagasaki.
…What is it, does Hagasaki have a weakness against Maito?
“The window was broken, so I thought I should inform a teacher for now.”
“Is that so, yeah, thanks.”
Well, then I need to go report that.
Off to the staff room again.
When I came back, Hariu had been eliminated.
“Ah, as expected?”
“What do you mean ‘as expected’, Teacher!”
And I could tell Kadomi had been eliminated, but Hagasaki was eliminated too.
“…Why you too?”
“I don’t know.”
Maito is grinning with five stars, so probably Maito got him again.
…I’ve seen an unexpected side of him.
“By the way, I have eight stars.”
Ah, President is safe then.
“But really, how did so many stars change hands in such a short time?”
“Just some small talk.”
…President, you know, he has all sorts of knowledge that no one else has.
“Saying that sodium glutamate has a higher lethal dose than salt easily caught them off guard. I made a good profit from failed counters.”
…Wait, is that true?
Huh, didn’t know that.
“And then when I mentioned Beethoven’s deafness was due to lead poisoning, that got them too.”
Ah, I knew that one.
…So, it’s actually surprising that only three were eliminated.
“Then Maito went on a spree with some obscure useless knowledge.”
“Katori threw in some niche knowledge…”
…Yeah, it’s getting more mysterious.
“As a result, I went to the restroom and came back with three stars, and Kariya is left with two.”
Ah, I see.
Suzumoto and Kariya chose the escape tactic. Smart.
But in a few minutes, if Kariya doesn’t get at least one star, he’ll be sent… not to a separate room, but he’ll be subject to a penalty game.
“By the way, my underwear is pink today.”
So that’s what Kariya started saying. What’s he talking about? But then.
“What a coincidence, mine too.”
Maito said that, causing everyone’s thought processes to apparently halt.
Clever.
…Let’s try to guess what’s going on in their brains right now.
“Does he actually own anything pink!? No, but knowing him, he might have bought something just for today!”
Probably.
Everyone’s probably forgotten about Kariya’s underwear by now.
“…Lie.”
As a result, after much deliberation, Suzumoto managed to say in a strained voice,
“Hmm, then I’ll also call Lie.”
“I’m fine.”
“Then, I’ll call Lie too.”
And then.
“Unfortunately, it is true, gentlemen. Hand over the stars.”
“And since no one called me out on the lie about my underwear, you all owe me stars.”
…Well, yeah.
I don’t quite get it either, but maybe, women’s underwear is sold in sets of three, and perhaps one of them is pink? No, I don’t know.
“Now I have seven stars,”
Kariya was beaming.
“I also have seven stars,”
Maito was also beaming.
…And then, despite the remaining time, Suzumoto has one star, and Toriumi has two stars, which is quite the comedy.
After all, neither Suzumoto nor Toriumi managed to gain any stars.
Well, that’s inevitable given the rules of this game.
In this game, when you attack, “being caught lying” results in losing a star, but “telling the truth” means your stars remain intact. Moreover, if you manage to trick someone, you can gain stars from them.
And cautious Suzumoto always falls into this trap, while Toriumi, even if he tries to attack, ends up breaking even due to time constraints.
“Now, let’s move on to the auction time. The time limit is 10 minutes from now. Let’s start.”
I don’t think we need to replicate this part.
But, I am curious about what kind of negotiations they’ll have, so I’ll enjoy watching.
“…Maito, you said you prefer bamboo shoots over mushrooms, right?”
Suzumoto has already started negotiating with Maito.
“It’s in my bag, feel free to eat.”
“…How about one star and one bag of bamboo shoots?”
Ah, she took the bait.
“…I only have one bag.”
“Then you’ll buy the rest from someone else?”
Looks like the negotiation is settled here.
“Maito-san! I’ll do anything that’s not worse than a penalty game for one request in exchange for three stars!”
Hariu offered himself up for sale.
…Probably, that’s something Hariu wrote. Think more about what you’re willing to draw.
“I refuse.”
Well, of course, she refuses. Other people’s misfortune is sweet, after all.
“Then, Kariya!”
“Um… then, here are three stars.”
Wow, really?
“Yay, thank you! I love Maito!”
Well, Maito probably wouldn’t make him do anything too outrageous, probably.
“…President, won’t you sell me a star?”
“No, I won’t.”
“What about Katori?”
“Um, no.”
Suzumoto has been having a hard time negotiating. Well, can’t be helped.
“Is Kadomi-kun okay with it?”
“…Yes, I am.”
Straightforward.
“How about Hagasaki?”
“The only one who has more than three extra stars is Maito.”
That’s right.
“I don’t want to negotiate with her.”
…Well, probably straightforward.
“What about Toriumi?”
“Well, since it’s a special occasion, I guess it’s fine.”
Really? That’s quite bold.
“Alright, then it’s over. Those who didn’t get at least three stars are sent to another room.”
…Ah, looking closely, this bag is labeled “Another Room.” It’s oddly elaborate yet not.
“…’End sentences with “nyan”…’ nyan”
“Ugh, it’s not fun if the quiet Kadomi-kun draws it.”
Looking at Maito’s disappointed face, it seems like Maito wrote this.
Yeah, well, it wouldn’t be interesting if Kadomi-kun drew it. He doesn’t talk much.
He’ll just become even quieter.
“‘A 10-minute shoulder massage for the teacher,’ huh? Hmm, did I draw a lucky lot?”
Again, using me as part of a penalty game.
Well, it’s fine.
“Come on, give it your all.”
“Alright.”
As I sit, Toriumi starts massaging my shoulders. It’s a mixed blessing.
“Teacher,”
I noticed Hagasaki standing in front of me.
“I like you.”
Behind me, Toriumi makes a strange noise and seems to be choking. Hey, the shoulder massage has stopped.
“…Can I see the paper?”
Taking the paper from a serious-faced Hagasaki and looking at it, as expected, it said “Make a declaration of love.”
Why does it have to be in front of me!
“Well, yeah, um, I quite like you too?”
Engaging in such trivial matters, or getting swirled up by Maito’s charisma. He really has a likable personality.
And then Suzumoto also drew a paper.
“…Hey, about this ‘Youngest Child,’ what am I supposed to do with it?”
“Just call everyone ‘big brother,’ I guess.”
Ah, Toriumi wrote this, huh?
“I see. Understood. Big brother.”
And then Toriumi became breathless again. It was noisy behind me.
“Hey, big brothers, shall we go have lunch soon?”
Suzumoto, without a hint of embarrassment, calls everyone (including Maito) ‘big brother’ with a straight face.
“By the way, since you were bought by big brother, I should listen to what big brother says, big brother.”
All this ‘big brother’ talk is noisy, but it probably means Hariu and Kariya, most likely.
“Um… so… please take out the trash.”
After some hesitation, Kariya, looking at the full trash bin, said that. Hmm, that’s kind.
“Yay, okay!”
“Hey, big brother, isn’t that a bit unfair?”
“I think it could be a bit… stricter, nyan…”
See, there are complaints from the poor guys.
“Well, it means you have the negotiating skills to take stars!”
And then Hariu disappeared with the trash bag.
“Let’s do this again next year.”
Katori spreads out lunch with a happy smile.
“It’s a rematch, then.”
…So we’re doing this again next year.
“Next year, it’ll be even more fun with the freshmen coming in.”
“So, we’re already seniors, huh.”
That’s right. So maybe you should act a bit more senior-like, with some dignity… but then, saying that would make it less fun, these guys.
By the way, the tragedy of not having new members join is just three weeks away.
For the record, this is “everyone’s idea of a well-balanced punishment game.”
Maito: “Provide one dark history.”
Suzumoto: “Develop an evil eye.”
Hagasaki: “Go buy bread.”
Tsuge-President: “Play the strategy game below and give your thoughts on it (deadline in one week) (the rest is omitted).”
Kadomi: “Give a 10-minute shoulder massage to the teacher.”
Hariu: “Borrow and wear Maito’s uniform (If Maito draws this, draw again).”
Katori: “End sentences with ‘meow.'”
Toriumi: “Make a declaration of love (the target does not matter).”
Kariya: “Youngest Child.”