A few days after she joined the student council, I saw her again near the school gate.
It was morning.
Students were entering the campus in groups.
I was walking toward the gate when I spotted her.
She was chatting with a few girls from her new friend group.
I turned slightly and raised my hand.
"Good morning."
She walked right past me.
Completely ignoring me.
Like I wasn't even there.
She continued chatting casually with her friends.
One of the girls glanced back at me and asked,
"Hey, who was that?"
Himari didn't even hesitate.
"A fatherless brat."
For a moment…
The world went silent.
My entire body started shaking.
My fists clenched tightly.
My vision blurred slightly.
If no one else had been there except me and Himari…
I swear I would have destroyed everything around us.
But I forced myself to walk away.
That evening, I saw her heading toward the science lab.
Something inside me snapped.
I followed her quietly.
She entered the room first.
The moment she stepped inside, I rushed forward and shut the door behind me.
The loud sound echoed through the empty room.
She turned around.
Her expression instantly changed.
"What do you want now?"
She walked toward me slowly.
"You're an illegal child of your mo—"
SLAP.
My hand moved before my brain could react.
The sound echoed sharply across the room.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Then her anger exploded.
She grabbed my collar tightly.
"How dare you—"
Before she could finish, I punched her in the stomach.
She collapsed onto the floor, gasping in pain.
Tears filled her eyes.
I stood over her, breathing heavily.
"Apologize," I said.
"For what you said."
She shook her head weakly.
"I… I was telling the truth…"
My fists trembled.
"My father died six years ago."
My voice shook with anger.
"And now you're saying things like that."
"Can you even imagine how I feel?"
She whispered through tears,
"Quga told me that—"
"YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!"
My shout echoed through the lab.
For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then I slowly calmed down.
I reached out and grabbed her hand, helping her stand.
"…Sorry," I said quietly.
"I shouldn't have hit you."
Then I stepped toward the door.
"From now on… don't think about me."
"You and I…"
"…don't exist in the same world anymore."
Just before I left, she spoke.
"I'm sorry."
I didn't turn around.
"What am I supposed to do with your sorry?"
"Should I eat it?"
She tried to explain.
"My friend said—"
I cut her off.
"You call them friends?"
"They're parasites."
"They'll use you and throw you away once they're done."
Then I walked out.
I skipped school for three days after that.
Three days later, Himari came to my house.
She wanted to apologize.
At first I was annoyed just seeing her.
But when I looked at her face…
I realized something.
The whole thing had been a misunderstanding.
So I forgave her.
But I also submitted an application to the headteacher.
I requested a transfer to another classroom.
And just like that…
The chapter called "Himari" closed forever.
We never met again.