The incident in Class 1-D had caused quite a stir.
Even the third-year students had heard about it. Rumor had it that the commotion was so loud, the neighboring class could hear it clearly. The faculty had since taken a keen interest in the matter.
But none of that really helped. The atmosphere in Class 1-D remained tense and hostile. After all, before the wallet went missing, only one person had stayed behind during P.E. - Shouko Nishimiya.
And to make matters worse, she didn't exactly look well-off.
She couldn't even properly defend herself.
There were still two periods left before the end of the school day when Yui Yuigahama pulled her chair over with a cheerful smile and sat down.
"Yukino, I heard all about it!"
Yukino Yukinoshita instinctively shifted away from her. She'd never been one for overly intimate physical contact, and lately she found it even more uncomfortable.
But Yui seemed oblivious, pulling out her phone and flashing a secretive grin. "This is top secret," she mouthed silently, pointing to her phone.
Yukino: ?
She raised an eyebrow. If it's that secret, why are you sitting so close?
Yui's texts began pouring in one after another:
Yui: I heard about Nishimiya's situation! If you and Yumiko want to solve this, the only way is to find out what happened to the wallet, right?
Yui: If we can figure out where the money went, we can clear her name!
Yukino: …You're that sure she's innocent?
Yui: I know Iroha Isshiki, remember? She vouched for Nishimiya with total confidence. And honestly, I trust her gut. Ehehe.
Of course. The social butterfly of Sōbu High knew everyone.
Yukino didn't want to dwell on that. Not yet. Not before today's final step in confirming things. She wasn't ready to decide whether to take action or not.
She frowned and typed:
Yukino: Did you finish the practice problems I gave you yesterday, or are you just goofing off again?
Yui: Sensei Yukino have mercy QAQ
Yui had a nagging feeling that something had been off between Yukino and Yumiko these past few days. The tension between them seemed to come and go in waves.
And yet, when the two of them walked into the classroom earlier, neither of their expressions had shown a hint of emotion.
Yui: Ugh, even if you won't say it, I'm gonna figure it out eventually!
Yukino: If you manage that, remind me to buy a lottery ticket.
If this were a drama, the next step would be obvious: reveal the truth, clear the girl's name, and confront the accusers. But real life wasn't a drama. Even if you proved the truth, that didn't mean the wrongdoers would burst into tears, apologize, and reflect on their actions.
Shouko Nishimiya had been isolated for one main reason: she had the misfortune of being "noticed" by the two most influential figures in Class 1-D, both male and female. Meanwhile, she couldn't find a place in any group.
If those dynamics weren't resolved, the same kind of thing could easily happen again even worse next time.
And the timing of the missing wallet couldn't have been more suspicious. Even Yukino had to admit that without pouring in hours of effort, it would be difficult to determine what really happened to the money.
But Yukino was never one for inefficient effort.
She preferred going straight for the result.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Class 1-D still buzzed with the same lively energy as always. Everyone chatted freely about the things high schoolers were supposed to care about fashion trends, pop idols, video games, and basketball stars. The air was full of laughter and excitement.
Everyone, except for the girl with cherry blossom-colored hair, who sat rigidly in the back row, head bowed slightly.
She had soft, voluminous hair the color of spring petals. Under the mellow afternoon light, her hair might have even shimmered with a gentle halo.
Her face was even softer than her hair delicate and kind.
She looked like a cherry tree in spring, showering petals with every breeze, filling the air with the fragrance of youth.
A girl like that should have been the darling of the class, surrounded by friends, admired by boys. But at that moment, she sat alone in the corner, as if she didn't exist at all.
"That's what happens when you let weird people into class. The whole vibe gets ruined."
The voice came from a girl with fashionable brown hair, styled and dyed to match the reigning queen of Sōbu High. Her nails, her outfit, even her makeup showed obvious attempts to imitate that same elite style.
Some people in the lower grades even called her "Mini-Miura."
Good thing Miura hadn't heard that nickname she would've stormed in to confront her on the spot.
After all, at Sōbu High, there was only one person who could out-argue Miura: Yukino Yukinoshita. Everyone else wilted in her presence.
These girls were the archetype of the loudmouth clique laughing loudly, making bold statements, always surrounded by sycophants.
"I mean, seriously, is there no screening process anymore? Just letting anyone into Sōbu? What do they think this place is a garbage dump?"
"I wouldn't even care about other stuff, but if someone's got bad morals, that's just hopeless. Heehee."
A tall boy named Yuji Yoshida joined in with a laugh. "Hey now, say stuff like that and she might start crying again."
"Oh right! If she cries, the teachers will come running, and then we all get lectured. Who wants that?"
The girl with cherry-colored hair bit her lip, trying her best to remain silent.
Here, even having red eyes was considered a mistake.
How strange.
Shouko Nishimiya felt like a saltwater fish suddenly dropped into a freshwater lake, or maybe a land tortoise thrown into the ocean.
Laughter burst out again someone must have told another joke at her expense.
The collective malice around her flowed like a river, and even the slightest hesitation would sweep her away completely.
"Shouko Nishimiya, Miss Hiratsuka is looking for you."
Lately, Miss Hiratsuka had been praised for her excellent performance and, as a result, was burdened with a ton of responsibilities by the school's leadership all under the guise of "giving the young ones more to do."
Shouko looked up and saw Iroha Isshiki, the girl from her class, smiling gently at her.
Startled, she stood up quickly, mumbling a thank-you while also signing it in Japanese Sign Language.
As she left the classroom, she heard quiet voices behind her.
"Iroha, you shouldn't get too close to that walking disaster."
"Of course not. Ha..."
Shouko lowered her head nervously and followed the familiar path to Miss Hiratsuka's office.
But the familiar teacher wasn't there.
Instead, a stranger stood inside a girl who looked as if she had been carved from crystal and snow, translucent and breathtaking.
She looked up slowly and, enunciating each syllable clearly and carefully, spoke her name.
"Shouko Nishimiya?"
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