COTE 2V01 - Prologue

Prologue: The Secret Operation

Let’s go back to the incident about 2 months ago, on a certain day in February.
In a meeting room of a certain educational institution in Tokyo Metropolis, Tsukishiro, the man who seemed in his 40s, was reading aloud the information displayed on the screen and explaining about the situation.
Besides, there was a teenager who listened to him quietly. He/she was a 15-year-old teenager who will go on to a high school soon.
However, his/her true identity wasn’t an ordinary teenager.
He/she was a person who grew up in a secret educational institution called the White Room where he/she was provided with a special education.
“Those are all the detailed information of Ayanokōji Kiyotaka and 156 people of the 2ND grade students. You have memorized them all, right?”
Tsukishiro disclosed all the information of those students that the school has collected for over 1 year, and displayed them on the screen in the meeting room.
Not only their full names, date of birth, and school of origin, but also their parents and siblings, and from their grades since childhood to their friend relationship.
Generally, it was a confidential meeting where they were discussing all kinds of detailed information that even the homeroom teachers of those students couldn’t see.
“I believe that you have known it, but it's important for us to make Ayanokōji-kun drop out of school and bring him back to the White Room within April. Since we can't afford to delay the plan any longer, you know. However, please execute it smartly. We should never make the matter public. Since we have concerns that it will put a stain on that honorable Sensei's name…… if our movements were being heard by the government, you know.”
The White Room's student, who received the explanation from Tsukishiro, slowly raised his hand.
“In short, I shouldn't do anything that attracted people’s attention recklessly, right?”
“That's right. That's why it can only be done by someone who could sneak into this school as a student. I will also back you up as much as I can, but I won’t be able to act recklessly, since I guess Sakayanagi's faction will be more cautious in the future.”
It seemed he/she has understood the whole situation, but he/she showed some dissatisfaction on his/her face.
There’s no way Tsukishiro would overlook it.
“I don't understand why you made a face like that, you know.”
Tsukishiro stared at Ayanokōji's photo displayed on the screen behind his back for a moment, and looked him/her in the eyes once again.
“Are you not pleased with him…… Ayanokōji-kun who was highly praised as a masterpiece? Not only was I sent here, but he also interrupted the experiment and even had forced you out, the person from the White Room that finally had resumed its operations. I have to say that it was really excessive and generous treatment. Perhaps there’s nothing more humiliating for someone who had grown up in the same educational institution, right.”
Tsukishiro continued to explain to him carefully while emphasizing that point.
It was Tsukishiro's intention, who tried to make him/her show something more than his/her true ability by burning his/her competitive spirit.
Ayanokōji Kiyotaka is a masterpiece.
He was instilling something into the hidden emotions in his/her mind every time he explained to him/her in that kind of words.
Tsukishiro has shown a flawless approach, but he only misjudged the emotional part.
About what had been bitterly indoctrinated to the people who grew up in the White Room.
‘Become someone who could exceed Ayanokōji Kiyotaka.’
There’s no way an outsider who didn’t grow up at that educational institution could even understand his/her feeling of ‘hatred’.
His/her hatred sometimes built up so much beyond control, and it triggered him/her to runaway.
“I had prepared the stage. I want you to show your full potential later. The information you were looking at was comprehensive. You won't have any kind of trouble to make him drop out of school, if you have this much ability, right?”
Tsukishiro, who had finished his explanation and manipulated him/her with provocation, turned off the screen power button.
Inside the meeting room, which was engulfed in darkness for a moment, was engulfed in dazzling light shortly after the ceiling light was turned on.
“Well. Let's end our meeting now, if you didn’t have any questions. Since my time is very precious.”
He/she turned his/her back and tried to leave the meeting room as if nothing had happened after he/she heard that remarks.
Tsukishiro was slightly felt uncomfortable by his/her calm attitude.
His intuition told him that there were incorrect words within his explanation.
However, he couldn’t take back the words he had already said.
“For one thing── I forgot to confirm it with you.”
Tsukishiro called out to stop that person, who was about to leave the meeting room, and spoke to him/her from behind.
“I suppose you didn't keep any secret from me, right?”
Tsukishiro was well aware of the fact that people in an organization wasn’t necessarily having the same opinion, even though they were people on the same side.
Their task wouldn't work out well, if their initial ideas didn't match.
It was in order to confirm that matter.
He/she just slightly nodded and walked away calmly without turning around.
Tsukishiro darkened the meeting room once again and displayed the image on the screen after he/she had left the meeting room.
It was the entire data of ‘Ayanokōji Kiyotaka’, which was documented in the White Room.
“I don't like using this kind of words lightly…… but he is a monster, you know.”
Not to mention the level of his academic ability, even the level of his physical ability put an adult to shame.
He has enough experience and a proven track record of gaining a victory easily, even though he was competed with a professional in direct combat.
“The battle between the White Room's students…… I wonder what would be the outcome, if they competed with each other properly.”
Of course, Tsukishiro has prepared and devised his plan properly in order to win.
Even so, there’s no such thing as an absolute victory.
“Whether he will be hunting or he will be hunted. It's a competition between kids, but it seems it will be interesting.”
Tsukishiro, who was an adult, didn't panic. He only executes the mission, which was assigned to him thoroughly without being panicked.