After getting into the limousine, we headed toward the school. As I looked out the window, I watched scene after scene pass by due to the car's constant movement. More accurately, I was catching brief glimpses of the road leading to the school.
The journey felt long, but when we finally arrived, we stepped out of the luxurious vehicle, said goodbye to the driver, and made our way toward the school. As we walked along the path leading to the gate, I noticed the other students heading in the same direction. I let out a quiet sigh.
"It's been a long time since the last time I came here."
Arthur, John, and I continued forward. With every step, my heartbeat grew faster. I was nervous. After all, this was school—a place filled with geniuses, prodigies, failures, and bullies.
Yes, bullies were a special category of people. They were individuals who abused whatever power they possessed. Some relied on physical strength, others on social status, and some on their family names. In many ways, this place was one of the most corrupt environments despite the appearance of virtue hidden beneath its surface.
That was why my heart kept pounding.
The moment I stepped through the gate, I felt the eyes of countless students turning toward me. Whispers drifted from behind my back, making me even more uneasy.
"Look, aren't those Edward and Arthur?"
"Yeah... I feel sorry for them."
"Oh? Why? Don't you know what happened to them?"
"No, I don't."
"Their older sister committed suicide. To make matters worse, their house burned down."
"Really? That's terrible. I'd rather stay away from them if I were you. Their luck must be cursed... they're practically walking bad omens."
Their words flowed into my ears like water pouring into a well. A chill ran through my body, and my anxiety deepened.
John noticed immediately. He moved closer and said,
"Don't pay attention to what they're saying. They probably don't care about your feelings, but that doesn't matter. No one is going to worry about your feelings except you, so just ignore them. It's only temporary. Eventually, the rumors will die down. Wait, did I say rumors? Sorry... I meant facts. Well... I don't know what to call them."
John was trying to comfort me, but he seemed terrified that the word rumors might have hurt me. Ironically, his awkwardness made me feel a little happier.
A faint smile appeared on my face.
Raising a hand to shield my eyes from the sunlight, I looked up at the sky and thought,
"Well then... it's time to return to school once again."
---
A week later, I had grown accustomed to everything.
Surprisingly, no one had bullied me. In the past, even though John and Arthur often stood up for me, I would still end up being targeted by delinquents.
This week, however, had been peaceful.
Still, I knew that peace wouldn't last forever.
After all, I was involved in my sister's death case—or at least, that's what I believed. Whether that was true or not depended entirely on what the future had in store for me.
Speaking of the future, throughout that peaceful week, I found myself thinking about something else.
Perhaps I should learn martial arts.
The more I thought about it, the more reasonable the idea seemed. No one knew what dangers might arise during an investigation. The whole situation was extremely risky, and I wanted to be prepared for whatever lay ahead.
No matter how many times I considered it, the conclusion remained the same.
Learning martial arts was a good idea.
And so, after much deliberation, I finally made my decision.
I would join the martial arts club and begin training.