Chapter 9: An Uneasy Atmosphere, a Powerless Me

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Translator: Soafp

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After finishing my phone call with Kagura and Marin, I explained the situation to my homeroom teacher and hurried toward the classroom.

Just before the afternoon classes were about to begin, I stepped into the classroom, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, only to find it filled with the murmur of students.

Although it had been some time since the lunch break ended, no one seemed to be going back to their seats.

A few students had gathered together, talking, and there was an uneasy atmosphere surrounding them.

“…So, where did it really go?”

I heard the anxious voice of a female student.

As I made my way to my seat, I observed the group at the center. It was Miyabi and Aoi.

Their expressions were strange, furrowing their brows and looking troubled.

“When I came back from the cafeteria after lunch… it was gone…”

Miyabi said uneasily, and the classmates around her exchanged looks, murmuring, “Eh…?”

Apparently, the book that Miyabi had been holding had disappeared during the lunch break.

Had it been stolen, or did she leave it somewhere…? But I knew very well that Miyabi wasn't the type to be forgetful. It was probably the former.

“Hey, did anyone see anything?”

Aoi asked as she looked around, but the only responses she got were people shaking their heads.

“Really, it was gone when you noticed?”

A voice spoke up.

Miyabi, clutching the hem of her skirt anxiously, nodded.

“Yeah. I had left it hanging by my desk, but when I checked, it was gone.”

“But for Miyabi to lose it… I can’t believe that. It must’ve been stolen, right?”

A whisper spread through the group, and the mood in the room grew even more tense.

I quietly made my way to my seat, glancing at the two of them out of the corner of my eye.

Neither of them looked my way. No, they probably noticed me but chose to ignore me.

Maybe they don't even want to see my face…

A slight pain tugged at my chest.

I glanced briefly out the window.

The cold wind was shaking the branches of the trees, and the clouds had grown even thicker.

I had a strange, bad feeling.

Suddenly, the atmosphere in the classroom went cold.

With a loud creak, the door swung open, and everyone turned to look.

“Alright, alright, class is starting. Take your seats.”

Came the voice of our homeroom teacher, Murayama-sensei.

He was a middle-aged man, usually not very strict, but when it came to lessons, he was surprisingly meticulous.

As the teacher wrote the page number on the blackboard, everyone reluctantly took their seats.

In the end, the conversation about Miyabi's book ended without resolution, and the room fell silent.

Aoi still seemed like she wanted to say something, but with the teacher's entrance, it seemed she had lost the opportunity.

I quietly opened my textbook.

The sky outside had darkened more, and the sound of the wind could barely be heard.

“Alright, let’s continue from where we left off last time.”

Murayama-sensei's deep voice echoed through the classroom.

As the sound of chalk scraping the blackboard began, the previous chatter faded away, and the room fell completely silent.

I tried to focus on the lesson, but Miyabi and Aoi’s sad faces kept lingering in my mind.

Aoi, arms crossed, still looked displeased.

She probably wasn't satisfied with this situation either.

Unable to focus on the lesson, I absentmindedly took notes while looking up at the overcast sky once more.