"......"

As the middle-aged man realized that his identity had been exposed, his eyes widened in surprise. Since it had come to this point...

At that moment, the middle-aged man took off his mask with one hand, revealing the face of Ryuto's vice homeroom teacher, Ishida Chikara. Although he wasn't wearing glasses and the surroundings were dim, it was still clear enough to see.

"Let me answer your question first. I am Ris Brown."

Saying so, the middle-aged man closed his eyes and slowly opened them again, locking eyes with Ryuto.

"I understand that a killer wouldn't normally ask for someone's true name like this, but how did you know it was me? I disguised my voice pretty well, so it couldn't have been because of that."

Upon hearing this, Ryuto let out a deep sigh and responded with an inexplicable gaze.

"Maybe it's just intuition...?"

"Intuition..."

Muttering to himself, the middle-aged man unconsciously frowned, clearly puzzled. After all, this answer was quite ambiguous.

Then, Ryuto, with a slightly helpless tone, raised another topic.

"You used to be a teacher, right?"

"Why do you say that?"

"Because whether from the perspective of a killer or a teacher, it makes sense."

Ryuto paused for a moment, speaking with eyes filled with reminiscence.

"First, as a killer, I remember when we first met. I asked you for an explanation, and you readily agreed without hesitation. Generally speaking, most people wouldn't do that, especially not a killer."

"I see. So, it seems that I'm not qualified as a killer."

The middle-aged man lowered his head slightly, speaking with a profound meaning.

But Ryuto simply shook his head, eyes still closed.

"No, it's not that you're not qualified as a killer. Your unwavering commitment to completing missions is proof of that... If I had to give a reason, it would be that you were just an exceptional teacher."

"......."

"It's precisely because you were such an exceptional teacher that you couldn't refuse someone's inquiry. You could say it's a professional quality... And your teaching methods were simple and easy to understand. Even someone like me, who has always trailed behind, could understand after just hearing them once."

Saying so, Ryuto couldn't help but smile bitterly.

However, this deepened the middle-aged man's confusion, and he voiced his doubt directly.

"But I never taught you, so it couldn't have been because of my teaching style."

"Of course not. We've only had one conversation at school, but it was enough to be sure."

"......"

"This is another aspect of you being an outstanding teacher. If you were just good at teaching, you would've been an ordinary teacher. But you forgot your identity as a killer and directly approached me, asking a seemingly unrelated question. Could it be that the quality of being a teacher was at play?"

"......"

The middle-aged man remained silent.

"It's precisely because you had the task of monitoring me as a target that, as a killer, you were suppressed by the teacher within you. You had a clear understanding of my situation, and because of your sense of responsibility as a teacher, you couldn't ignore the unfair treatment I, as a struggling student, faced. That's why you involuntarily came to talk to me, because you believe that students should be treated equally. I must say, as a killer, you are excellent, but as a teacher, you are even more exceptional."

Ryuto sighed again, expressing his understanding.

The middle-aged man, who had been silent all this time, could only manage a bitter smile.

"A teacher... I never expected to be evaluated like this by a high school student... You truly are an incredible student."

Muttering to himself, the middle-aged man sighed.

After a moment, he spoke again.

"While your deduction is correct, there's one thing that isn't quite right, and as a teacher, it's my responsibility to point it out."

"Oh... I'd really appreciate it if the teacher could clarify."

"I did used to be a teacher, but before that, I was indeed a soldier, or rather, a mercenary. Oh... you don't seem surprised at all. I guess you expected even this!"

Facing Ryuto's calm expression, the middle-aged man showed a happy face, with a sense of excitement that couldn't be concealed in his words. This is a teacher, isn't it? It brings back so many nostalgic feelings, the middle-aged man couldn't help but think to himself.

At this moment, Ryuto suddenly spoke up.

"Don't you want to hear my answer to your question from yesterday...but first, you must tell me your reason for being an assassin."

"Is this a trade...or a threat..."

The middle-aged man confirmed with a somewhat vicious expression in response to Ryuto's request.

In the face of the pressure from the middle-aged man, Ryuto just smiled.

"You said it, so be it, Ishida sensei, no, Mr. Lis."

"Haha, did you intentionally call me that? That's quite clever, well, I'll consider it as an indulgent request from a student!"

"Well, thank you very much!"

"But this will take a long time. Is it really okay even if it's like this? Moreover, isn't it better to ask the instigator behind me first, instead of asking me for my reason as an assassin? I recall that modern people value efficiency the most, don't they?"

"Is that so? However, unfortunately, I am quite an unconventional modern person, so it doesn't matter."

Ryuto spoke and spread his hands open, showing a bitter smile.

"By the way, let me ask you something first. Why are you interested in this? I think you can roughly anticipate it, this is not something worth showing off."

"..."

Facing the middle-aged man's mocking, Ryuto unusually did not answer, but looked at the middle-aged man with a complex expression. The middle-aged man also had the good sense not to pursue further. Instead, he slowly lowered his head and searched his memory that he wanted to forget but couldn't, recounting it with a heavy tone.

The almost forgotten memory became clear again at this moment. The empty space was as silent as death. Although the man's voice was not very loud, it was heard very clearly.