Chapter 10 Explanation
#22MotoKanoExplanation
Installation of surveillance cameras in the park.
Even after a day had passed, the proposal that Tachibana-san suggested still seemed like an excellent idea. Sugo-sensei had mentioned that the last time he was in charge of first-year students, they had visited a nursing home. While it wasn’t exactly a fair comparison, in contrast to that rather conventional activity, the idea Tachibana-san came up with was quite unique. Unique ideas like this often garner a lot of appreciation when they succeed.
Because of that, after hearing about it, I was determined to push this plan forward as our class’s extracurricular activity. It would also serve as a personal motivation boost for me.
With that in mind, I took action during the short homeroom session the next day after school.
After Sugo-sensei finished the usual announcements in the short homeroom, he asked if any of us had something to share with the class.
“Yes.”
The moment Sugo-sensei said that and glanced at the class, I raised my hand.
The one taken aback by my sharp, straightened hand was Yamada-san, sitting beside me. And, of course, Sugo-sensei.
“O-Oh. What is it, Iori?”
“It’s about the extracurricular activity.”
As soon as I said that, the class began murmuring. I had once made a bad first impression on my classmates. Even though I was now the vice class representative, they probably thought, “Saito is doing something weird again.”
Ignoring their stares, I stood at the front of the class and opened my mouth to speak.
“Everyone, I apologize for taking up your valuable time after school. I’ll get straight to the point—I asked for this time today because I want us to decide on our extracurricular activity.”
As I spoke, I looked at my classmates’ faces.
One person.
A girl glaring at me with a clearly displeased expression—Tachibana-san. I hadn’t told her that I would bring up the extracurricular activity during today’s short homeroom. After dropping her and her younger sister off at their home yesterday, we hadn’t spoken even once. That was probably why… she was feeling something close to anger at me for acting on my own without consulting her first. It was understandable.
“Hey, Saito.”
“Yes? What is it, Kuishi-san?”
With a bright smile, I responded. Kuishi-san was one of the central girls in the class who often hung out with Yamada-san.
“…Do we really have to decide this today? We still have three months left in the second term.”
“Yes, we have to decide today. In fact, deciding today is already a bit late.”
“Why?”
“Didn’t Sugo-sensei mention it before? In the last class he was in charge of, the later they pushed the decision, the more rushed everyone became when planning the extracurricular activity. Club members had to take days off, and even those who weren’t in clubs ended up working until the final school bell. To avoid that, I want us to decide today. If we can settle on something in a week instead of taking a whole month like last time, we’ll gain three extra weeks to focus on the project.”
“…But it’s not like we can just come to a decision that conveniently, right? Do you even have an idea?”
“Yes, actually. I took some time yesterday to think of one.”
The classroom buzzed. They were probably thinking, “So he actually came up with something?”
But soon after, everyone quieted down. Maybe they thought they should at least hear me out, or maybe they just didn’t want to argue.
Either way, the fact that they were willing to listen was a good sign. It meant they might be open to my proposal.
“The extracurricular activity I thought of is installing surveillance cameras in the park.”
“Surveillance cameras in the park…?” My classmates tilted their heads in confusion.
“Have you all been to a park before? Well, of course, that’s a silly question.”
“Yeah, of course,” someone in the class replied. Everyone here had childhoods, and it wasn’t unusual for kids to seek out parks to play.
“There are several parks around our school, both large and small. Kids run around happily in these places. But sometimes, there are children playing there without their parents watching over them. And lately, there have been more reports of suspicious individuals. Despite that, the installation rate of surveillance cameras in public parks managed by local governments isn’t very high.”
Not very high. I deliberately avoided stating exact numbers—because I didn’t have them. Or rather, I had looked them up but couldn’t find any concrete data. Publicly managed parks didn’t seem to have any centralized statistics available.
But by phrasing it this way, it remained subjective—so even if someone did find data showing a high installation rate, I could still claim, “Well, to me, that’s not very high.”
Not that I expected anyone to dig that deep. Still, better safe than sorry.
It might have been a bit of a propaganda tactic, but my classmates were reacting positively.
“When I was little, an old man approached me and my sister at a park.”
“Whoa, that’s creepy.”
Someone shared a personal story about why surveillance cameras might be necessary. The fact that it was Kuishi-san who said it also helped.
“There are cases where kids manage to get away unharmed, like Kuishi-san did. But there are also tragic incidents where children get kidnapped, and the perpetrators are never caught. If you watch the news, you’ve seen this happen. The police put in all their effort, but the biggest obstacle in catching criminals is the delay in initial action.”
The importance of a swift initial response is well known in both scandals and criminal investigations.
“If we want to prevent delays in kidnapping cases, surveillance cameras are crucial. If a suspect’s face is caught on camera, they can be identified immediately. More importantly, crimes are less likely to happen in areas with cameras.”
“Ohh!” The class responded positively.
“…So, you’re saying we should install cameras in parks that don’t have them?”
“Exactly.”
“Hey, Saito-kun, can I ask something?”
“Go ahead, Moriguchi-san.”
“You’re suggesting we install cameras in parks, but what exactly do we do?”
I had anticipated this question.
“First, we check which parks already have cameras and how many. After that, we plan our next steps. Park management is handled by various entities—local governments, prefectures, even the national level.”
“…I see. So, are we making a request to install them? And who’s handling that?”
“Ah.”
Another expected question.
“Of course, our homeroom teacher, Sugo-sensei, our class rep, Tachibana-san, and I, the vice rep.”
Moriguchi-san’s anxious expression disappeared. Others also looked reassured.
…On the other hand, I couldn’t see Sugo-sensei or Tachibana-san’s reactions.
“So, does anyone have an alternative idea?”
Silence filled the room.
“Alright, then it’s decided. I’ll give more details in next week’s long homeroom. Looking forward to working with you all!”
I didn’t want to drag things out and invite opposition.
With a smile, I concluded the discussion.
Soon after, the short homeroom ended, and my classmates left for club activities or home.