Chapter 151 | Lost My Temper

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After I left the staff room…

At a brisk pace, I headed for the classroom.

“…Imoko!”

Imoko Nakatsuagawa.

My ex-girlfriend had been spreading malicious rumors.

Groundless rumors…well, not entirely, but!

Still!

Spreading unconfirmed information, hurting Rika…hurting my precious Rika’s reputation, is unforgivable!

Damn it!

“Shin-chan…!”

Someone grabbed my hand.

Turning around, I calmed down…a little.

Rika, sweating profusely, was holding my hand.

“R-Rika…”

“Thank goodness…I thought I lost you…Shin-chan, you were walking so fast!”

Rika smiled.

That’s when I realized how angry I had been.

So angry that I couldn’t hear Rika calling me.

“S-sorry…! I ignored you…”

“No, it’s okay.”

Rika was smiling.

It didn’t seem forced. I think she was genuinely happy.

“Shin-chan, you were angry for me, right?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I see…hee hee, I’m happy about that.”

“Rika…”

She can smile even though her reputation is being damaged.

…She’s really gotten stronger.

Before, during the pregnancy scare, she looked so anxious, so fragile that I felt I had to protect her.

But now…she’s grown enough mentally to calm me down when I’m angry.

“Rika, you’re so mature. I’m still so childish.”

“No, that’s not true. It’s not that I’m strong. Dahlia talked to me, you know?”

“Dahlia…?”

“Yeah. She told me you need to be strong too.”

I see…Dahlia.

She really is a good kid, my little sister.

“Shin-chan, it’s not good to act on impulse when you’re angry.”

“But…Imoko is damaging your reputation…”

“It might be…a misunderstanding, right?”

“Rika…”

A misunderstanding…?

Well, it’s not impossible. I only saw her enter the hospital, and judged based on that alone…

But…

“I think Imoko is probably spreading the rumors maliciously.”

I don’t think she needs defending.

She’s guilty as far as I’m concerned.

“But…I don’t want Shin-chan getting isolated in class because you’re angry.”

“…”

“I’m okay. I was a delinquent. I was already an outcast. But you’re different, right?”

“…I was bullied too, I’m practically already isolated.”

“Even so, I don’t want you causing trouble and getting labeled a delinquent too…I don’t want that, Shin-chan.”

“Rika…”

She’s protecting me, making sure I don’t get labeled a delinquent.

Not Imoko, but me.

“Thank you…Rika. I’m sorry.”

I’m overcome with the urge to hug her.

But remembering we’re at school, I stop myself.

“No, it’s okay. If it’s a misunderstanding, we can just clear it up. It’ll be alright. If we talk it out, they’ll understand. Our classmates aren’t stupid.”

“…I wonder.”

The word “mob mentality” exists for a reason.

“It’ll be fine. The misunderstanding will definitely be cleared up. Everything will work out, without a hitch.”

“…”

A part of me thinks she’s being a little too optimistic.

But that’s not it.

Rika isn’t being optimistic, she’s trying to encourage me.

Telling me it’ll be okay.

…She’s thinking about someone else before herself, about me.

It makes me happy…but at the same time, frustrated.

I decided to protect Rika.

“Right?”

“Yeah…you’re right.”

“Then, let’s go.”

With a lingering sense of unease, we headed to the classroom.

…But.

“…My desk…”

“…is gone.”

Rika’s desk was the only one missing.

Looking around, I saw the smirks on my classmates’ faces.

“H-hey…where’s my desk?”

Rika anxiously asked those around her.

But no one answered.

“!”

“Rika…what’s wrong…!?”

On the blackboard…

‘Congratulations on the birth of your baby, Matsumoto-san! ★’

…it was written in huge letters.

It was clearly not the work of just one person.

It was a congratulatory message, written with malice, in the handwriting of all our classmates.

“…”

Graffiti on the blackboard.

And her desk hidden…

No one could stay calm after something like that.

“This is horrible…why…would they…”

“Huh? You don’t need a desk, do you, Matsumoto-san?”

My ex-girlfriend, Imoko Nakatsuagawa, appeared.

Right now…my irritation level was through the roof.

“Because, Matsumoto-san, you’re pregnant, right? You’re taking a leave of absence? Or dropping out? If you’re leaving, you don’t need…gah!”

Slap!

“Ouch…what was that for, Shinji!?”

…I think anyone who hits a woman is the worst.

But anyone who hurts someone’s precious girlfriend is even worse than the worst.

“That was too much!”

“Shut up.”

“Eek…!”

Imoko cowered.

My classmates, looking at me, were sweating nervously.

“…”

Turning around, I saw Rika holding back tears.

This is it. I’ve had enough.

“…You hurt someone precious to me.”

I pulled out my phone.

“You spread malicious rumors…you wrote malicious graffiti on the blackboard, and you hid her desk…you clearly hurt Rika, someone precious to me.”

Buzz. Buzz.

A LINE notification.

They’re listening, aren’t they?

“I won’t forgive Imoko Nakatsugawa, or anyone else in this class.”

I checked the notification on my phone.

‘GG, GO?’

They’re asking for the go-ahead.

‘Please, Grandpa.’

‘GG, going now.’

Imoko, her face pale with fear, looked at me.

“W-what are you doing…?”

“Nothing that concerns you. Let’s go…Rika.”

“O-okay…”

I took Rika’s hand and left.

The classroom was dead silent.

Turning around, I said to everyone,

“I’ll apologize in advance. Sorry. My grandpa…he tends to go overboard.”

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