"The teacher is really late today."
"Is she sick?"
"I bet it's just like last time—she got drunk and overslept."
The mornings in Class 1-B were always lively with youthful chatter. Their homeroom teacher, Hoshinomiya-sensei, was a laid-back and quirky woman, so most students treated her more like an older sister than a strict authority figure. Perhaps it was thanks to a teacher like her that Class B maintained such a bright and cheerful atmosphere.
But Ichinose Honami couldn't shake a strange feeling. Shiranami Chihiro, who sat in the front row, looked unwell and had her head down on her desk since she arrived. And Shibata Sou, usually sociable and punctual, hadn't shown up at all. Ichinose had asked several of his close friends and even messaged him personally, but there was no reply.
Still, before their teacher arrived, there wasn't much they could do. As usual, Honami stood up to calm the class before the lesson started. Though casual chatter helped lift everyone's spirits before class, it wouldn't do for Hoshinomiya to walk in and find the room in chaos.
"Good morning."
Just as the classroom quieted down, Hoshinomiya finally arrived. Contrary to everyone's assumption of her being hungover, she appeared unusually serious—so much so that some students wondered if she had been replaced.
"Thank you, Ichinose-san," she said, having noticed Honami trying to keep order. After taking a deep breath at the podium, she addressed the class:
"There's something important to announce. Yesterday, there was an altercation on campus. It seems that Shibata Sou got into a conflict with a student from Class C. To be direct, Ryuuen Kakeru of Class C has accused Shibata of physically assaulting him. That is why Shibata isn't in class today."
The classroom erupted with noise. Class B instinctively took Shibata's side, claiming it was clearly a scheme by Class C.
Looking weary, Hoshinomiya let Honami calm everyone down again before continuing.
She explained that the altercation had indeed occurred, and based on the situation, Shibata could face suspension and a deduction in class points.
"Excuse me… but why is this being reported before a conclusion has been reached?" Honami asked, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
She didn't believe Shibata was the type to start a fight. Given that the other party was Class C, she couldn't help but suspect this was another setup. The image of Kitagawa Ryo surfaced in her mind, but she quickly cleared it. Right now, as Class B's leader, anyone targeting her class was her enemy.
"The complaint was filed by Class C. Ryuuen claims he was assaulted unprovoked. But when the school investigated, Shibata denied it completely. He insists he never touched Ryuuen."
"Then why not just check the security footage?"
"The fight happened on the third floor of the Special Building, which doesn't have surveillance cameras. So we can't verify what happened that way."
Class B students began speculating:
"Why would Shibata even go to the Special Building out of nowhere?"
"Aren't you in the same club as him?"
"I am, but yesterday he said he had something to do and left early. C-Class students have been pestering him lately, so I wasn't paying attention."
"This has to be a trap set by Class C. They've been harassing us since May."
"If it weren't for Honami stopping us, I would've snapped at those thugs ages ago."
Seeing the discussion grow increasingly heated, Honami quickly turned back to Hoshinomiya.
"You met with Shibata-kun, right? Did he tell you anything? Details about what happened, perhaps?"
"I did meet with him yesterday. He insists it's a setup. He says Ryuuen harmed himself in front of him. But..."
Hoshinomiya tapped her lips in confusion.
"He won't say—or maybe he can't say—why he went to the Special Building in the first place. This hole in his story puts him at a serious disadvantage. Class C claims Shibata invited Ryuuen there and then attacked him over some petty dispute. While they at least have a plausible motive, Shibata has none."
"So the case is essentially one-sided right now, since Ryuuen is actually injured."
"Is there any way to prove Shibata-kun's innocence? I believe in him. I know he wouldn't do something like that, and I think the rest of us agree."
Honami quickly caught onto something more pressing:
"I'm worried this might affect his ability to take the midterms."
In this school, midterms and finals held immense weight. Missing an exam for anything less than a severe illness meant an automatic fail.
And failing meant expulsion.
"Yes, and that's the biggest problem. With the exams so close, the school wants to resolve this quickly."
"How much time do we have?"
"Two days."
Hoshinomiya held up two fingers, concerned as she noticed Honami wobbling slightly from the shock.
"Ichinose-san?"
"I'm fine. Right now, our top priority is proving Shibata-kun's innocence. We can't let him miss the exam and get expelled."
Steeling herself, Honami took a deep breath and began organizing the class:
"The incident happened just yesterday. Even though the Special Building doesn't have cameras, we might still find eyewitnesses. Please ask around—friends in other classes, upperclassmen, anyone who might have seen something. If you find someone, contact me immediately."
"Also, we can post about it on the school forum under Class B's name. Mention there's a point reward for anyone who can provide information about the incident in the Special Building yesterday."
"Kanzaki, please speak with Shibata again and try to get more details. I'll approach Class C and see if there's any chance they'll withdraw their claim."
"That's all for now. Any questions or additions?"
Even under pressure, Honami remained calm and composed. Kanzaki Ryuji and the rest of the class nodded in agreement, fully supporting their class leader.
-------------------------------------
Sakura Airi kept her head down as always, hunched over, trying not to attract any attention as she quietly made her way out of the classroom.
Even though almost an entire day had passed, she still couldn't forget what she had witnessed yesterday in the Special Teaching Building—a C-Class student engaging in self-harm in front of a B-Class student.
It was the worst possible timing.
Secretly working as a model on the internet, Sakura Airi had only been looking for a good spot to take selfies. She had never expected to stumble upon something so intense. It was the first time she had seen someone hurt themselves without hesitation. Judging from the blood on the long-haired boy's right fist, his blow had been brutally hard. Compared to the childish scuffles she'd seen in elementary school—boys tugging at each other's shirts or pinching arms—this was on an entirely different level. The B-Class boy had looked frozen, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Despite her fear, Sakura Airi had subconsciously captured the scene through the lens of her digital camera. As the shutter clicked silently, even she didn't understand what she was doing. But the moment she realized the danger of her actions, she wanted to run.
Only, her legs wouldn't move. It was as if she were bound in place.
I have to get out of here.
The last thing she wanted was to be dragged into this mess. If she were discovered, her relatively peaceful school life could turn into a nightmare.
Thankfully, she managed to escape before the two noticed her.
"Ah..."
Maybe because she was distracted, Sakura Airi didn't notice the group of boys walking toward her. She was jostled slightly—not enough to fall, but enough for her digital camera to slip from her right hand, hitting the ground with a loud thud before rolling a short distance.
"Sorry about that."
Realizing he had bumped into her, Kitagawa Ryo stepped forward and picked up the camera.
"Want to check if it's broken? I'll pay if it is."
"It's fine, it's fine."
She instinctively reached to turn the camera on, but when she looked up and saw Kitagawa Ryo's face—arguably the last face a D-Class student would want to see—she instantly shrank back like a startled animal, quickly hiding the camera behind her.
"I-I have to go."
"No need to be so scared. If it's broken, I'll make it right."
Ryo replied, still chewing gum. If he hadn't been from C-Class—and if relations between C and D weren't so terrible—maybe Airi would've accepted his offer. After all, in that moment, he seemed totally harmless: easygoing, almost charming.
"No, it's my fault for being careless. Sorry."
Suddenly, Airi caught sight of the long-haired boy she had seen yesterday. Even though his face was bandaged and his arm was in a cast, the moment he sensed her gaze, his eyes locked onto her with the same intense pressure as before.
"I-I really have to go!"
Just as she was about to bolt, her flustered movements and the surrounding commotion began drawing attention from other students in the hallway.
"Hey hey, skipping class early in the morning to block D-Class's hallway? C-Class sure seems confident about this midterm, huh."
With Matsushita Chiaki and Satou Maya by her side, Karuizawa Kei arrived to confront the situation head-on. She took a bold step forward, her stance laced with threat and provocation.
Unlike her usual look—with a jacket tied lazily around her waist—today Kei wore it loosely on her shoulders. Her light blue undershirt, a non-standard color for their uniforms, made her stand out even more. And right now, she was openly mocking Kitagawa Ryo, the guy who had recently been the talk of the entire first-year class.
The gazes that had been fixated on Airi now shifted to Kei, like spotlights redirecting their focus.
"I didn't block your D-Class friend. Her camera fell, and I was just offering to pay for it."
"But Kitagawa, have you considered how much pressure your presence puts on D-Class students? The last one who talked to you, Horikita Suzune, got labeled a traitor."
Kei curled her lip and stepped up to pull the frozen Airi behind her. Yamada Albert and Ryuuen Kakeru gathered behind Ryo. Kei, nearly two heads shorter than Yamada, had to look up to talk to them. Still, she didn't flinch, instead pulling out her phone.
"Compensation? Fine. Pay me. Ten thousand points for repair fees. C-Class can afford that, right?"
"Sure, that's not too much."
Ryo calmly nodded and pulled out his own phone to initiate the point transfer. Other students who had gathered hoping for drama sighed in disappointment. D-Class students, however, were surprised at Kei's boldness.
"Points received. You may leave."
Kei waved her hand, turning sharply and letting her honey-blonde hair flick past Ryo's nose.
"Don't worry, I'll get that ten thousand back next month."
Ryo tossed back his own parting shot and left with the rest of C-Class. As the crowd dispersed, Airi finally let out a long-held breath—only to be seized by the wrist by Kei.
"Ah..."
Airi was terrible at dealing with outgoing girls like Kei. She'd heard horror stories in middle school of girls being bullied for the smallest offenses.
"We've been classmates for over a month, but we haven't really talked. I'm Karuizawa Kei. Just call me Kei."
Unlike her tone with Ryo, Kei now spoke gently, full of kindness.
"Let me take you to the mall to get your camera fixed. It's broken, right?"
"Mm..."
Unable to flee or stay silent, Airi could only nod quietly. Kei found her reaction amusing and let out a soft laugh. Calling on her friends, a group of five or six girls headed off to the electronics store.
Clearly led by Kei, the group welcomed Airi as she tentatively joined their chatter. Matsushita and the others picked up on the vibe and started talking about light topics, helping Airi ease in.
The school had a small but well-stocked electronics store, seemingly in partnership with the academy. Despite its size, it carried everything a student might need.
"The repair counter should be at the back."
Kei, clearly familiar with the place, led the way.
"I wonder if it can be fixed right away."
Airi clutched her camera, nervous.
"You really love cameras, huh."
"I want to do a photo shoot too."
"In swimsuits?"
"Chiaki, you're terrible!"
Laughter erupted. Airi worried she might have said something wrong, but the others didn't seem to mind. She awkwardly offered:
"If it gets fixed, I can take pictures of everyone."
"Definitely! I want to wear my new skirt."
"The one you haven't worn since you bought it last month?"
"Don't kill the vibe!"
"Ugh, I want points to buy new clothes."
Their casual conversation eased Airi's nerves.
They handed the camera to a clerk at the back of the store. The man's eyes lingered on their faces and chests in a sleazy way. Airi shrank away, but Kei glared at him.
"Look up one more time, and I'll report you to the school for misconduct. Watching idols on the clock, huh?"
Panicked, the clerk quickly closed a browser on his computer and lowered his head.
Five minutes later, he reported that the drop had damaged some internal parts, causing the camera to malfunction. Fortunately, since it had been purchased after enrollment, the warranty covered free repair.
It would take two weeks. He asked Airi to fill out a contact form.
"I remember you never remember your number. Let me fill it in."
Before Airi could write anything, Kei had already filled out the name "Sakura Airi" and a phone number—not Airi's.
Though confused, Airi didn't stop her. The clerk, not daring to look up, stared at the number like it was a treasure.
Back on their way to the dorms, Matsushita Chiaki exclaimed:
"B-Class is offering point rewards for info on yesterday's incident!"
"I want in! B-Class must be rich."
"New clothes..."
"We still have debts next month."
The conversation moved on. But Airi, stiff with tension, seemed to make a decision.
"A-actually... I saw it."
-------------------------------------
"Yamada."
The tall, burly, mixed-race student looked up from his tray in confusion at Kitagawa Ryo.
His leader wore an unusual expression—like he was struggling to keep from laughing.
"If someone sends you weird pictures tonight, just video call them. Shirtless."
Ryo patted Yamada's shoulder and peeked down his collar at his thick chest hair.
"Hmm... pfft hahaha."
Yamada scratched his head. He still had no idea what his leader was scheming.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To Read Advanced Chapters, and support this novel, please join me on [email protected]/geats2000