Chapter 42: Don’t Abandon Me

Reading Settings

Translator: Soafp

---

Ever since middle school, I hadn't been the type to get close to people.

Most of the time, if I talked to someone, it was only with Miko in between us. And once I ended up half-cutting ties with her, I became blatantly isolated in class.

I noticed that she often looked at me during class and lunch breaks. Did she think that if she kept doing that, I'd eventually talk to her? It was far too childish a way of thinking.

Then, one day:

I was ignoring her gaze like usual when Ayano came over, grinning lazily.

“Oh, look. It's Hatsukade, the one dumped by his childhood friend.”

“…”

“Why are you so quiet? Oh, right, that must be awkward. You've got someone you're in love with right here in class.”

The classroom fell completely silent.

After the fake confession, I heard myself being talked about everywhere, but usually it was just people whispering and mocking me. This was the first time someone had said something directly to my face.

“So what?”

“Pfft, what's with the tough act? Come on, don't get so mad. That was just a prank. Or are you so shocked about being rejected that you're just putting up a front? In that video, you looked super happy when Miko confessed to you!”

A small laugh rose from somewhere.

Probably someone who had been on the rooftop that day.

Still sitting in my chair, I silently looked up at Ayano.

“W-What!?”

A guy like that was utterly meaningless to me.

If he wanted to laugh, let him laugh childishly.

I didn't care about people like him in the slightest.

Or at least, that's what I thought at the time.

“S-Stop it, Ayano-kun! Don't keep bullying Subaru!”

Miko said that to Ayano.

“Bullying…? I just teased him a little.”

“Subaru looks troubled, and this isn't right.”

“You're overreacting. You agreed to the fake confession as a punishment game too, didn't you, Miko?”

“That's… true, but…”

In all the years I'd been with her, I had almost never seen her stand up to anyone or talk back.

I watched silently as she spoke earnestly, sweat forming on her forehead.

“I really think it wasn't okay. And I didn't know you were filming a video either.”

“Videos are fine, aren't they? It's only going around the class. Don't take such a stupid prank so seriously. Look, Hatsukade is acting the same as always, isn't he?”

“The usual Subaru isn't like this at all.”

“Huh, I don't get it, but is that some kind of childhood-friend bond thing?”

“Just stop it, okay? Let's delete the video!”

“You're asking only me, but what if someone else downloaded it already? Then there's nothing I can do.”

I didn't know what Miko was thinking, protecting me like that. Maybe she was trying to dilute the mocking atmosphere that had spread through the classroom.

From that day on, she went around telling people not to make fun of me.

She told everyone who had been on the rooftop to delete the video. Even to people who hadn't been there, she said it was bothering me and they should stop.

Maybe a few people actually listened.

But in the first place, people with common sense wouldn't have joined in on something so pointless.

Her defense of me only poured oil on the fire.

Because she kept bringing me up so often, the fake-confession incident didn't die down; instead, it grew with exaggerated rumors and spread on its own.

After a few weeks of that, someone said:

“Isn't it unfair that only Miko gets off easy? It's like she's acting as if she didn't do anything wrong.”

Before long, Miko's own position became precarious.

She wasn't ostracized like I was, but she was starting to be treated like a bit of a problem herself.

One day on the way home, Miko spoke to me for the first time in a while.

Her face looked like she was about to cry as she clung to me.

“I didn't think that confession would lead to something like this…”

“…”

“I'll definitely make sure you can go back to your normal life, Subaru… so please, don't abandon me.”

Why did it end up like this?

Why did she do that kind of thing?

What was lost couldn't come back, no matter what.

The people you should be facing aren't those worthless classmates—it's me.

I wasn't hurt because people were laughing at me.

I couldn't forgive it because you were the one who betrayed me.

As long as that remained, the anger smoldering inside me wouldn't disappear.

What exactly was getting in the way of us?

Ayano?

He was especially persistent, after all.

Then… I'd just erase him.

---

I planned it carefully.

I thought about what timing and what actions would deal the maximum damage to him.

Incredibly, despite his personality, Ayano was in a “popular kid” position in class and apparently had a lot of friends.

Well, those relationships were probably all shallow and superficial anyway.

The chance came after a few weeks.

Today was the class observation day.

The day when students' parents watched from the seats while we had lessons in the classroom.

I had confirmed in advance that my father wouldn't be coming.

If it was only my mother, there was no one left who could stop me.

The lesson began, and the male homeroom teacher posed a question to the class.

But before he could even finish speaking, I stood up.

“…What is it, Hatsukade? It's not your turn to answer.”

“I'm sorry. But I thought there was a more urgent problem that needed to be solved right now, so I interrupted.”

The teacher frowned.

“What problem is that?”

“…Regarding bullying within the class.”

The air rippled with a rustling sound.