Interlude: A Break from the Ordinary

—After the festival, a conversation between some classmates.

"You know… now that it's over, it feels like the whole thing was basically the Mei show."

"Yeah, she completely stole the spotlight for both the food stall and the play…"

"Even winning the grand prize doesn't feel real… It's like we just did what we were told, and before we knew it, it was over."

"…I mean, honestly, were we even really needed?"

"I thought so too. It's like, she could've done everything by herself without us even trying."

"She never even consulted us in the first place, you know? We just had decisions forced on us."

"It's like she thinks, 'There's no need to talk to the common folk,' right? Like, 'You wouldn't understand even if I told you.'"

"Then she should've just done it all herself from the start. It's so stupid."

"Somehow… I'm suddenly starting to not care anymore."

"I know, right? Being around Kiyosato is just one exhausting thing after another."

"Then maybe we should just stop getting involved with her? It's not like she'd have any trouble if we left her alone."

"True, she looks like she can handle everything on her own just fine. She's not normal."

"She's not ordinary like us, so that's fine by me."

◆

—During cleanup, a conversation between some classmates.

"By the way, how is Mei always so calm?"

"Even when Matsubara collapsed, she was the only one acting like nothing happened…"

"Isn't that a little too cold? We'd all been working so hard together, you can't just switch gears that fast. A normal person couldn't."

"…And on top of that, she just casually took over the lead role right after."

"Maybe she actually wanted to do it all along? Like, 'Oh, perfect timing, lucky me.'"

"And for some reason, she had the lines memorized perfectly, too. It's possible."

"Hey, you don't think… the reason Mattsun was worked to the point of collapsing was also…"

"True… It's possible she used her position to push all the hard work onto her."

"No, that's going too far… is what I'd like to say, but I can't say it's impossible. Because it's Mei, after all."

"She's not normal, is she?"

"She's always weirdly perceptive, you know? It gives me the creeps sometimes."

"What if she's actually been controlling all of us this whole time?"

"Ugh, that's the worst. It’s like, 'We're not your toys, you know?'"

"She's a total freak. If that's true, I don't want to get anywhere near her."

◆

—At a nearby cafe, a conversation between some classmates.

"And what the hell was that public confession…! Ugh, it was seriously the absolute worst…!"

"Zomu-kun, why would he do something like that…"

"You know, there was that rumor about all the drama, right? I bet he was trying to get one up on Oomori."

"And Mei's to blame, too! She didn't have to take the lead role when the situation was already so messed up!"

"Anyone could have predicted it would turn out like that. A normal person, anyway."

"It's like she basically made him confess to her. And then to reject him on top of that? I just don't get it."

"Maybe she wanted to play the tragic heroine? Like, 'Oh no, I've been publicly humiliated, poor me.'"

"Or maybe it's the opposite, like 'Oh, I'm so popular, what's a girl to do~?' She probably just wanted to boost her own status."

"And she did it knowing how we feel…! It's too cruel…!"

"Besides, she mixes her public and private life way too much. It's like, 'What are you doing, getting all caught up in your own drama and ruining the play?'"

"There's no defending that. We just got caught in the crossfire, plain and simple."

"...You know what? Can't we just ignore her from now on? At this point, she brought this on herself."

"I agree. And to be honest, I've thought she was shady for a while now."

"Me too, me too. Like, can anyone really be that much of a 'good girl' all the time?"

"She definitely has a hidden side. Don't you get that feeling from girls like her?"

"Seriously, I just wish she'd disappear somewhere…"