The Solidarity of the Malteses

Zeno sat across from me. It was only then that I realized why the other team members had been so quick to agree to this meeting.

They must have heard that the person they were intimidated by—Zeno—couldn’t make it, so they skipped out to spite me. But why? I thought we were becoming friendly. I distinctly remember them saying I was surprisingly okay. But why… Ah. I froze.

—Um, still, three lines is really too little, so how about going to the library to supplement it a bit? —Ah, yes. I’ll go when I have time. —And sources are really important. But since that senior is busy with graduation, how about the two of you go to the library and find some sourced materials? —Yes, we’ll go when we have time.

I recalled the lukewarm reactions of my teammates when I asked them to improve their data. They must have been offended by the extra work and revised their evaluation of me yet again.

No, but seriously, where is their conscience? How could they find data that pathetic and…! My blood boiled. When I didn’t answer, Zeno asked again.

“Where are the team members?”

“I don’t know.”

“Should I go look for them?”

“…It wouldn’t be much help even if they showed up.”

Unaware of their scheme, I had actually tried to do a good job this time. I downed the rest of my coffee as if it were hard liquor. At this point, I felt like my life was cursed.

Why is it that everyone else handles group projects so well, but I’m the only one who can’t? I buried my face in the table again. Zeno asked:

“What do you plan to do about the presentation materials and the script?”

“I’ll just make them.”

“Then the presenter?”

“If I just do the presentation too—”

“Are you saying you’ll do it all yourself?”

Ah, I snapped out of it. I quickly lifted my head. Zeno was looking at me with his usual calm eyes.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It’s a group project, but I was being selfish…”

I bowed my head repeatedly.

“I’m truly sorry. Should I go look for the team members now?”

I didn’t know where they were, but if I wandered around the dorms, I might find one or two of them. As I stood up, Zeno shook his head.

“No, it’s fine.”

Zeno spoke as he opened a book.

“You’re right. It wouldn’t be much help even if they came. I don’t want to waste time on something like that either.”

“…”

“It seems more efficient for the two of us to do it instead.”

Scanning the materials, Zeno spoke reliably.

“Let’s start by re-investigating the data the other members were supposed to handle. As you said, it’s abysmal.”

Suddenly, my eyes welled up. I spoke in a trembling voice.

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me. Aren’t you the one suffering the most anyway?”

“Still, thank you.”

“…”

Zeno, who had been staring at me in silence, looked down.

“I’m sorry.”

“Huh? What for, all of a sudden?”

Zeno confessed.

“Actually, this is my first group project.”

“What?!”

I couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Wow, you must have taken only really good classes in your first year.”

Zeno nodded.

“Even I think my timetable luck was good in the first year.”

I asked, just in case.

“Ah, is that why you turned down the suggestion to be the leader?”

“Yes. I thought it was right for someone with experience to do it, so I declined. I didn’t know it would turn out like this.”

Zeno looked at the empty seats next to him with a complicated expression.

“If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have refused.”

“…”

“I’m truly sorry. Even without experience, I should have read the room. If you want, I’ll ask Professor Berte right now if we can change the leader. And I will definitely report the insincere attitude of the other members. Then the professor will take action.”

When several people gather, there is bound to be trash among them, but there are also always good people. I rubbed my eyes with my fingers and spoke.

“I’m really grateful you’d do that. But you mustn’t tell the professor.”

“Why? Aren’t professors there to stop students who cause harm to others? No matter if you’re the leader, in the end, you’re just a student like the rest of us.”

I nodded vigorously in agreement.

“And it’s not like I have a high social status, either.”

“Right. So she won’t listen.”

The guilt on Zeno’s face deepened. He bowed his head to me once more.

“I’m truly sorry. As I thought, I should talk to the professor now and I’ll take over as leader—”

“No, no. I understand how you feel, Zeno. How could someone without experience be the leader?”

I said it again.

“You really don’t have to tell the professor.”

“…I don’t fail to understand your desire to solve this within our group since it’s our business. But is that for the best? And isn’t it only natural for insincere people to be penalized?”

“Yes, I think so too. But I’m telling you not to say anything because it’s obvious that we will be penalized as well, not just them.”

“Why? We haven’t done anything wrong.”

“This is a group project. No matter what we say, the professor will only say things like, ‘That’s the leader’s role,’ or ‘Try to coordinate well as the leader.'”

“No, didn’t I just say? If a fellow student gives a warning, would they even listen?”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Everyone knows the truth except the professor. I spoke seriously.

“And crucially, Professor Berte already has a prejudice against me.”

“…Because you hit a team member in the first year?”

“Yes. So no matter what I say, she’ll think it’s my fault.”

“Where in the world is there a professor so narrow-minded and short-sighted?”

I replied gloomily.

“There are tons of them.”

“…Just what on earth did you go through in your first year?”

I bit into a cheese stick as I spoke.

“Tell the youth and romance of being a freshman to go to the dogs.”

“No, I’m asking what on earth happened with the professors.”

“Intelligence and character don’t always go hand in hand.”

Phew. As I exhaled with the stick held between my fingers like a cigarette, Zeno watched me warily and asked:

“In the first year… you hit them because there was a reason, right?”

“…Yes. I know that one-sided violence is wrong under any circumstances. I know.”

I nodded as I finished the snack.

“I was very immature. I should have endured it more.”

Zeno spoke as soon as I finished.

“This situation is also violence.”

“Huh?”

“It’s obvious they all decided not to show up on purpose; that is also strictly a form of violence. I think I know without you telling me. Did that person back then act like this too?”

Something welled up inside me at those words—words that no one but my friends had ever said to me. My eyes grew hot again. I ate another snack and said:

“They were even worse.”

“…”

“That’s why I… I really came to hate group projects. But since the members aren’t cooperating this time either, I start thinking maybe there’s something wrong with me. Like Professor Berte said, the most important thing in a group project is cooperation, but no matter how hard I try, the members won’t cooperate.”

“I’m truly sorry. I should have realized sooner what group projects were like.”

“No. I’m the one who’s sorry for not performing the leader’s role properly.”

“I’m more sorry.”

“No, I’m even more sorr—”

Huh? I paused in the middle of our apology battle with Zeno. No, wait a minute. The people who did wrong are someone else entirely, so why are we apologizing to each other? Neither Zeno nor I did anything wrong!

The moment that thought hit me, heat flared up. When I suddenly bowed my head and fell silent, a puzzled Zeno asked:

“What’s wrong?”

“No, wait. Hold on.”

I snapped my head up abruptly. Zeno flinched.

“The people who did wrong are someone else, so why are we apologizing to each other?”

“…Are you angry?”

“Yes, I’m suddenly furious. But how did you know?”

“Your face looks exactly like Della’s after a bath. It’s not for nothing that your nickname is ‘Maltese’.”

“So my angry face is also like a Maltese. Anyway, the important thing right now is…”

I pressed my palms onto the table and asked.

“What should we do about them?”

“Aren’t you the leader? Do as you wish.”

“I want to do what I’m thinking, but I want to shed my old image, you see?”

“What image?”

“From ‘Crazy Maltese’ to ‘Bodhisattva Maltese’.”

“What’s a Bodhisattva?”

Ah, people in this world don’t know that word. I corrected myself.

“I want my nickname to become ‘Saintly Maltese.’ And to do that, I must coordinate the team members well as the leader and finish the presentation successfully.”

“How?”

“If you had disliked me, Zeno, I would have just done it alone. But if you’re on my side, the story changes. I don’t need to walk on eggshells.”

The rest of the team members have a similar social status to me. In a class-based society, it’s best to do group projects with people of similar status. I grinned.

“Zeno, I’m definitely not going to suffer alone. We’re all going to suffer together.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, but give me any task.”

“Yes, I’ll be sure to do that.”

A sense of comradeship had blossomed between us in that short time. After stuffing the remaining coffee and snacks into my mouth, I left the cafe with a determined face. But as soon as I opened the door, I ran into Ronia, who was carrying a thick encyclopedia under her arm.

“Oh, hi. Ronia.”

“Hi.”

“Are you here to study?”

“What about you?”

“To have a group meeting.”

Ronia looked back and forth between me and Zeno, then placed a hand on my shoulder.

“Hang in there.”

“Thanks.”

“Ah, right. By the way…”

Ronia whispered in my ear.

“I happened to see something earlier…”

My eyes gradually widened as I listened intently to Ronia’s words.

The next morning, I took out the glasses I used for studying.

“I’m going to eat alone today.”

“Lunch and dinner too?”

“Yeah. I have something urgent to do.”

Ronia and Michael spoke at the same time.

“What are you up to this time?”

“Be careful. If anything happens, come back immediately.”

Ronia looked at Michael with annoyance.

“Hey, your ‘husband’ isn’t going to a battlefield, okay? She’s just going to eat alone.”

“But I’m still worried.”

“Ugh, seriously, if you’re that worried, just live attached to her side.”

Michael said dejectedly.

“I want to, but our departments are different.”

“What?”

“It was like that until we entered the academy.”

“What?”