My Measurement: The Villain Desires a Satisfying Payback

He wasn't in school.

He's in Conston; the Measurement of Truth confirmed that.

...But, it also confirmed that Sophie Asanami is not lying.

I thought that meant her information was wrong and she was only deemed as telling the truth because she genuinely thought she was telling the truth, but that also turned out to be incorrect.

No. Sophie's information―the information that 'Space is in the same school as us'―She definitely isn't lying about that. Right?

「Yes. The individual 'Sophie' is telling you what she knows as the truth」

Well, hold on, that's a little different. Just because she knows it as the truth doesn't mean it is the reality of the situation. What she believes is not necessarily correct, after all.

So, let me get this straight.

Space is currently in the Conston facility, but Sophie still counts as telling the truth when she says that Space is currently in our school because she believes she is telling me the truth, even if the information isn't actually correct.

Therefore, what she is telling me, although it is technically the truth for her, is false information in reality.

That's it, right?

「No. The information belonging to the individual 'Sophie' is not incorrect」

Fuck, what?

Are you broken?

「The question is not understood」

Ugh, shut up.

He's in Conston, so Sophie Asanami's information about Space going to our school is wrong?

「No. The information given to you by the individual 'Sophie' relating to the individual with the alias 'Concept of Space' going to your school is not incorrect」

Then... What the shit? Space is in Conston, right?

「Yes」

And he hasn't got a clone, right?

「He does not have a clone」

Okay.

...Sophie's information is that Space is currently in school. Yes?

「Yes」

And that information is correct. Yes?

「Yes. The information belonging to the individual 'Sophie' is not incorrect」

But he is not in school, he is in fact in Conston. Yes?

「Yes」

Then how the fuck is that information correct, you bastard?

「The information belonging to the individual 'Sophie' is that the individual with the alias of 'Concept of Space' should be attending Weinstell High School; this information is correct because the individual with the alias 'Concept of Space' attends Weinstell High School」

Oh, are we finally getting somewhere? So, he 'should' be in school but isn't, huh. Well, of course he isn't; he's in Conston.

Why did you have to play around with me like that, asshole?

「The question is not understood」

Anyway, why is he--

Ring~!

Rudely interrupting my thoughts, the school bell resounded, signifying the end of lunch.

Was it always so quick to pass? I didn't even get to eat my...

"Mmh~! Woww, it's good~!"

"..."

Raising my gaze, my eyes landed on the scene of Sophie Asanami eating my own lunch in front of me with an expression as if nothing in the world was wrong.

...Hey.

You.

Does your impertinence know no bounds?

Grab-!

"Ah-!? Oi~! I was eating, ya know??"

"My lunch, my rules. More importantly, you said you didn't know who he was. How?"

"Huh? Well~ I don't know what he looks or sounds like 'cause I ain't ever seen him, buuut... He should be using a secret identity, right? I was never able to find that out, though. To be honest, I don't even know if Space is a boy or a girl. It's been tough~"

...She's not lying. She really doesn't know who he is.

"But, Truthie-kun, you should know what name he's using without a problem, right?"

That should certainly be the case, yes.

However...

"Do you know what class he's in?"

"Well~ It's obvious, ain't it? 3-B―your class. It's his mission to keep an eye on ya, right? Prolly wants to bring ya back if he can, too, huh. Even I know that much, ya know? Ya don't need to keep testin' me with this kinda stuff."

...Is that so.

That is... Interesting.

I wonder just how long Space has infiltrated my class for...

"You should get going."

"Ehhh~? When're you gonna tell me about the plan? I wanna get that guy as soon as possible."

"Have patience. There's no rush. Plus, he's not even here right now."

Or at least, he shouldn't be.

"Whaaaat~?! Where is he?!"

Ignoring her as I packed the lunch back into my bag, or well, whatever remained of it, I turned around and started walking towards the rooftop exit.

"Oiii~! Where're ya goin~?"

"Were you so busy stuffing your face with my plundered food that you didn't hear the bell? Meet me here after school or our deal is invalidated."

Not listening to whatever she was trying to say after that, I promptly left the rooftop and made my way to class.

Using that time as a substitute to fill my stomach as the words of the teacher went through one ear and out the other, I thought about the recently-procured information.

The Concept of Space.

He's in this school―this very class, huh.

My eyes scanned the students of the room around me.

Izumi Yamazaki, sitting at the front of the class.

Tatsuki Iwamoto, sitting on the centric right side of the class.

Yuu Shimura, sitting at the back-end right side of the class.

Shizuko Aikawa, sitting in the middle of the class.

Souta Takeuchi, sitting at the back-end left side of the class.

Tarou Fushigimi, sitting beside me to my left.

Even Haruka Hayashi, the teacher of the class.

Like a hawk, I observed the facial expressions and mannerisms of all the people I've interacted with most since the start of the new school year. If his purpose was to observe me and take me back to the Playground, then he would most likely be a person close to me, after all.

Of course, however, they all acted completely normal.

Not a single person in this classroom―even the people other than the ones I emphasised―seemed any different to normal.

...This is completely fucked.

Once again, I anticipated the answer of a certain question as I placed my elbows on my desk in front of me, interlocked my fingers, and leaned forward, resting my forehead against my hands.

I asked for the second time, but this time, with more particularisation:

―What identity is the individual under the alias 'Concept of Space' using to disguise himself during his time in Weinstell High School?

An answer promptly appeared in front of me.

「The individual under the alias 'Concept of Space' is not using a false identity or disguise during his time at Weinstell High School」

Fuu... Shit.

Ordinarily, I wouldn't have thought his lack of a secret identity was a problem. That would mean he is using his real name here, after all.

In that case, all I would need to do is ask what his real name was.

But...

「The 'real name' of the individual under the alias 'Concept of Space' is 'Saburou'」

――Needless to say, there was not an individual in my class called Saburou.

No, what the Measurement of Truth is telling me is that he doesn't even have a surname, like me. I mean, of course he wouldn't have one; he's from a secret facility just as I am, after all.

Anyway, that meant there was no one in the entire school whose name was 'Saburou'.

Fuck... Is he really observing me from my own class?

「The individual 'Saburou' is not currently in Weinstell High School, Class 3-B」

Huh...?

Wait, what?

He's not...? No, wait, shit, of course he's not here.

He's in Conston right now. It's not possible for him to be here at the moment.

Shit, it's a complete no-brainer that he isn't going to be anyone that's here right now...

I had overlooked that simple fact...

With a jolt at the sudden realisation, I raised my head and began frantically scanning the room for any students who weren't present.

What...

No clones.

That means it can only be someone who isn't in this classroom right now, right?

「Yes. The individual 'Saburou' is not currently inside the classroom」

...There was only one.

It was someone I had completely forgotten about because I focused too heavily on the fact that he was in my class.

Someone who I had interacted with on numerous occasions since the start of the new year.

Chihiro Suzuki was missing from her seat.