COTE: The White Room War

Vol 2 SS: Hirata Yousuke 1

Year 1

Season 1

Volume 2 - "The Whistleblower"

SS: Hirata Yousuke 1

Hirata Yousuke POV

I helped Sudou-kun study with me, Satou-san, Manabe-san, and Yahiko-kun. We passed the midterms.

Luckily, Sudou, who was stubborn at first, gave into my pleads and joined the study session.

Hasebe-san was the one who decided the study groups for almost everyone as she works alongside me to tutor our classmates, but Amasawa-san went her own route and proceeded to teach her own group consisting of Karuizawa-san, Miyamoto-kun, Matsushita-san, Hondou-kun, Okitani-kun, and several others.

The class dissolved into utter madness as she hurled merciless insults left and right towards them. Friends of those learning under Amasawa-san attempted to intervene, despite their fear of her, shouting at each other and what not.

Several of the boys ended up fighting one another over their disagreement for what to do. Some said to others that they should just sit down, shut up, and try to learn from Amasawa. Those rebelling against the transfer student took that personally.

The girls looked to me to do something, but I panicked, clutching my head, hyperventilating. "No... Not again!" I bolted out.

"Hirata-kun?!" Karuizawa-san shouted, alarmed that I ran away.

I would later hear how the Disciplinary Head Yamada Albert was the one who stopped the beatings, and that Amasawa simply giggled when Chabashira-sensei showed up as many accused her. She wasn't punished because she was "simply pointing out the ineptitude of these defects" without using any cuss words, despite her condescension.

The fighting was only one incident at the start of the week of the midterms, the kind that resulted in no expulsions but several suspensions of up to three days.

But it was enough to trigger my PTSD, so unable to react, I fled the scene before it even resolved.

Later, many of my female classmates expressed their concern for me. I apologized to them for the fact that I couldn't do anything, that I wasn't strong enough.

They replied by telling me that it's not my fault.

My stress keeps building.

I hate myself.

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.

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As the midterms came to an end, I got permission from the school Director to leave the campus for the weekend only. Unfortunately, I had to tell him the circumstances for why I wish to leave, and he replied that while students aren't allowed to leave to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and other gatherings, he'll make a special exception for me considering today's solemn significance. Director Sakayanagi had to confirm whether said significance is true or not.

June 19th.

Summer is that time of year again, the one where I begin feeling extreme bouts of anxiety mixed with sadness, and it's all because of this very day.

Riding the train, I handed a police officer on patrol the slip the Director gave me as proof of my visit. The train ride was a few miles long as it drove off the island containing the school and towards mainland Tokyo, past downtown, and then into slightly more rural parts.