Chapter 163 | Rumors
I was called into the student guidance room by Miharashi Touge-sensei.
A few days ago, there had been the incident where I threw Imoko and some delinquents off the rooftop.
And now…
“Blood March… that sounds ominous,” I said, realizing it was anything but a distant issue for me. I was right in the middle of it all.
I thought everything had been “cleaned up” nicely…
“Well, that’s just a rumor circulating among students. The truth is that two days ago, the rooftop was covered in tomatoes,” she explained.
“Tomatoes…?”
It turned out that the delinquents were not shot with live ammunition; rather, one of my collaborators—Ichika from the Niekawa family—had been throwing tomatoes from above.
The sound of a tomato splattering on someone's head had echoed quite loudly when it hit.
Since they were soft tomatoes, fortunately no one died from it.
Still… to think about how someone managed to throw tomatoes across rooftops from a high-rise building—it seemed really bizarre…
Afterwards, Saburou threw those delinquents off the rooftop while Jirouta caught them below. This sequence of events formed what people now referred to as “the Blood March Incident.”
“In school, Ueda, everyone thinks you knocked out a delinquent and threw him off the roof,” Miharashi Touge-sensei said with an eyebrow raised.
“…………”
How did things turn into that?
Had someone seen what happened?
“Ueda, you didn't actually punch any delinquents and throw them off, right?”
“I didn't.”
Well… I certainly did something close enough but hadn't actually laid hands on anyone directly.
But still… It wasn't like I could claim complete innocence either.
Even though I acted for Rika’s sake, part of me wondered if this was truly justified. Maybe…I had gone too far…
At least if I told Rika about this incident, she'd probably be furious with me.
…But it couldn't be helped. Rika mattered most to me, and those who hurt her would never be forgiven—no matter what anyone else thought.
…That's right; it didn't matter what others thought. Yeah.
“Ueda… well…”
Miharashi Touge-sensei gently patted my shoulder.
“I don't believe you did anything directly.”
“S-Sensei…”
She seemed to emphasize that “directly.” Even if she might not know all the details yet; she likely suspected my involvement somehow.
Despite this suspicion though… She didn’t seem inclined to push further or make this into a bigger issue than necessary.
That realization made me feel guilty for lying to her somewhat.
“That's all for today.”
“Is that okay?”
“Yes; I just wanted to confirm these rumors,” she replied casually.
“I see…”
I stood up and bowed my head slightly in gratitude.
“Ueda.”
She spoke seriously as her expression shifted again,
“I'm not going to judge or blame you for anything—nor will I pursue this topic further. You don't have to say anything you don't want to…but…”
Her voice softened as she continued,
“It might be best if you tell your important person about what happened.”
“…!”
“Hiding things can weigh heavy on your heart? Especially when you don't want to lie to someone important.”
“That is…”
She was right about that…
Keeping quiet about this incident from Rika felt heavy on my conscience—even more than slightly troubling; it was outright painful!
“Excessive righteousness can sometimes come across as violence. If you're worried about being misunderstood or disliked, explaining things properly might help.”
“…………”
“Think carefully.”
With that last piece of advice given kindly but firmly alongside another gentle pat on my shoulder, Miharashi Touge-sensei left the guidance room behind her.
“S-Sensei… were you watching?”
The question slipped out before I could stop myself since she seemed so certain about my involvement in everything happening lately…
“Nope,” she answered plainly at first before adding thoughtfully,
“But during this age of Reiwa, who knows where anyone is watching from? Just be careful when acting out there.”
With a casual wave goodbye indicating our conversation was over, Miharashi Touge-sensei walked away completely leaving me alone once more within those walls.
It remained unclear whether she’d seen evidence of what I’d done or not—but even without consequences here today…it felt like an unspoken warning lingered heavily in its wake…
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