Kiyotaka Ayanokoji's PoV
I left the library and chased after Kushida. I wanted to thank for her working so hard to get the study group together, and to apologize. Besides, I wanted to do everything possible to get along with such a cute girl, you know?
Whipping out my cell phone, I pulled up Kushida's contact information. Although it was my second time calling, I felt nervous contacting her.
The phone rang twice, then three times. However, she didn't pick up. Did she not notice me calling? Or was she refusing to answer it?
Kushida wasn't around campus, so I continued to search for her. When I got inside the school, I glimpsed someone who looked like Kushida from behind. It was already around six PM, so the only people here should've been involved in club activities. Well, this was Kushida we were talking about. She was probably waiting for one of her good friends to finish club stuff.
I decided to keep up the chase. If she were busy, I'd talk to her again later. Bearing that in mind, I pressed on. I took out a pair of indoor shoes from the cubicles in the hallway, but didn't see Kushida. Had I lost her? I thought I had, until I heard the faint clack of shoes.
I followed her up the stairs to the second floor. The sound of footsteps continued up to the third floor. The next level after that was the roof, wasn't it? Students were free to use the roof during lunchtime, but it should've been locked after class. While I thought it strange, I went up the stairs, trying to hide my presence as best I could in case she was meeting with someone. Then, I stopped partway.
Someone was up there.
I gently leaned against the handrail and peeked through a crack in the rooftop door. Through the opening, I glimpsed Kushida. No one else was with her. Was she waiting for someone?
A rendezvous at such a secluded place... Could she possibly be waiting for her boyfriend? If that were the case, I could end up cornered on all sides. While I agonized over how to sneak away, Kushida slowly set her bag down on the ground.
And then...
Kushida: "Ahhh, so annoying!"
Her voice was so low that it didn't sound at all like Kushida.
Kushida: "She's seriously annoying! God, how irritating. It'd be better if she just died..."
She grumbled to herself, as if chanting the words to some kind of spell or curse.
Kushida: "Ugh, I hate stuck-up, snobby girls who think they're so cute. Why is she such a harpy? A rotten girl like her couldn't possibly tutor me."
Was Kushida annoyed with...Horikita?
Kushida: "Ah, she's the worst! She's just the worst, the worst, the worst! Horikita, you're so annoying! You're so damn annoying! And that.... that Kamishiro! He just had to protect her! That bastard! I'll kill you both!"
I felt like I'd glimpsed another side of this gentle girl, the most popular person in our class. She probably didn't want anyone else to see this darker side.
A voice in my head whispered that it was dangerous to stay here. If she were annoyed with Kotarou too, by becoming her pawn, I'd be putting him in serious danger.
However, an odd question arose. Why had she agreed to work with me if she felt such hatred toward Horikita? Kushida should have understood Horikita's personality and behavior perfectly well by now. She could have refused to help, or just left the study group to Horikita, or otherwise washed her hands of involvement.
Why force herself into the study group? Did she want to get along with Horikita? Or did she want to become closer to another participant?
None of it made sense. I couldn't explain her reasoning.
No. She may have shown signs of this from the very beginning. I hadn't really thought about it before, but considering the state she was in right now, I had a hunch. Perhaps, Kushida and Horikita were...
At any rate, I needed to get away from there. Kushida probably didn't want anyone else to hear her diatribe. Still hiding, I quickly tried to leave.
*Thump!*
I'd kicked the door much louder than I'd anticipated. It'd been unexpectedly loud, really. Kushida tensed and stopped breathing. I'd instantly become her enemy. Turning, Kushida set her sights on me. I'd been seen.
After a brief silence, Kushida coldly asked me something.
Kushida: "What...are you...doing here?"
Me: "I got a little lost. Sorry. My bad, my bad. I'll be going now."
Kushida looked straight at me, clearly seeing through my obvious lie. I'd never seen such an intense gaze before.
Kushida: "Did you hear?" she asked.
Me: "Would you believe me if I said I didn't?" I replied.
Kushida: "I see..."
Kushida briskly walked down the stairs. She placed her left forearm against the base of my throat, and pushed me up against the wall. Her tone of voice, her actions, everything about her was completely unlike the Kushida I knew. This new Kushida wore a terrifying expression, one that I could almost compare to Horikita's.
Kushida: "If you tell anyone what you just heard, I won't forgive you."
Her words were ice, and I didn't think they were an idle threat.
Me: "And if I did tell?"
Kushida: "I that case, I would tell everyone that you raped me," she said.
Me: "That's a false charge, you know."
Kushida: "That's okay. It wouldn't be false."
Her words had heft and power, leaving me unable to reply. As she spoke, Kushida grabbed my right wrist and slowly opened my hand. She pushed my palm up against her soft breast.
Kiyotaka: "What are you doing?" I asked. I hurriedly tried to pull away, but she pushed on the back of my hand.
Kushida: "Your fingerprints are on my clothes. That's evidence of my claim. I'm being serious. Understand?"
Me: "I understand. I really do. So let go of my hand."
*Step*
*Step*
*Step*
*Step*
Kushida: "Who's there!?"
A shadowy figure stepped out of the trees, and the footsteps stopped, meaning those were his.
Me: "Kotarou?"
That was him, my one and only friend, Kotarou Kamishiro.
Kotarou: "Oh? What do we have here? Awww, Kushida, I didn't think you would be a two faced lying bitch! It's funny though, very funny".
He swapped emotions so quickly, I couldn't tell which was his actual feelings. Anger? Hate? Shock? Sadness? Shock? Entertained? (Hotel? Trivago). I couldn't read him.
His eyes were dull, slightly glowing in the moonlight.
Kushida: "If you say anything I'll say that you helped him rape me!"
He slowly reached his hand to one of the tree branches, laughing slightly.
Kotarou: "Me? Rape you? Keep dreaming slut. Too bad though, what would you do if I leaked this?"
He pulled out a camera and I pulled out a small miniature yet high-tech wind proof microphone that was strapped to the inside of my blazer.
Kushida: "W-what!?"
Kotarou: "I knew something was up with your dark expressions, so I got one of my.... connections to place a few cameras around here and start recording and then I sent Kiyotaka with a microphone to find you, expose you all the while the mic was connected to the cameras, all linking up to my network connecting to my phone and laptop. Care to explain? You don't have to, but I have a condition for you not getting exposed".
Kushida: "I-is that true Ayanokōji?"
Me: "Yea"
She went silent for a bit while Kotarou smirked, and walked up to me.
I gave him the mic and he thanked me.
Kotarou: "Well done Kiyotaka, just as flawless as ever, if not more. You're a natural at acting!"
I nodded and he turned to Kushida.
Kushida: "......What's your condition?"
She spoke darkly, every letter and noise was laced with the uttermost malice, all directed towards Kotarou at once. Any normal person would start breathing heavily and having a panic attack under such bloodlust and pressure, but Kotarou just laughed, waving away all of that.
Kotarou: "Cute, very cute. It's not bad, your bloodlust, malice and pressure I mean. You know what? This is my condition. You don't want this publicized to everyone in the school? Fine, but you must work as my Pawn".
Kushida: "Pawn?"
I knew what he meant, he want her to be a Pawn, like one in chess. I understood why she would be a good pawn.
Kotarou: "Yep, having one of the 3 Leaders of Class D as my Pawn would be extremely beneficial y'know? Well, those are your options, pick now"
His voice drew cold at the end of the sentence, making Kushida shiver.
Kushida: "F-fine, I'll work as your Pawn, but one day it's going to be the other way around".
Kotarou: "Yeah right, let's go Kiyotaka, leave the Pawn to fully grasp this situation she's in".
I nodded and followed behind him. Kotarou Kamishiro, the only one I consider a friend, and the only one I'd call my superior.
Timeskip
Kotarou Kamishiro's PoV
I wondered what was going to happen with Class D. Honestly, part of me felt like these were other people's problems. Back in my room, I started to watch some kind of variety show with a feeling of complete apathy. Glancing at my phone, I saw I had a message from the group chat.
The message read, Satou's joining the group. Satou was a particularly high-spirited girl in our class.
Satou: 'Hiya! Ike-kun invited me to join when we were talking earlier.
With nothing to contribute, I didn't respond and continued reading.
Satou: 'I heard about what happened today. Horikita is really frustrating, huh?
Ike: 'I was really pissed at her. Sudou was super mad. He almost lost it. I think he would've hit her.'
Sudo: 'If I see her tomorrow, I might hit her. I was really annoyed with her today.'
Yamauchi: 'Aha ha ha, it'll be a big problem if you hit her lol. That would be overkill!'
Ike: 'Hey, I have an idea. Starting tomorrow, how about we completely ignore her?'
Sudo: 'Ha, I've always ignored her (lol)'
Ike: 'I kind of want to hit her with some payback. Bully her a little and make her cry, you know? Do something like hide her shoes.'
Satou: 'Ha ha, what are you, kids? Lol lol lol but I do kind of want to see her squirm.'
Soon after Satou joined the group chat, Horikita became the main topic of discussion.
Yamauchi: 'Hey, Ayanokouji-kun, you want in on bullying Horikita lol'
Ike: 'Nah, Ayanokouji-kun is all obsessed with her, so he probably can't.'
Sudo: 'Hey, whose side are you on? Ours or Horikita's?'
I supposed everyone's irritation with Horikita was inevitable. If you treated others the way Horikita did, you'd inevitably be disliked. But hitting her would be going too far, and I couldn't understand how anyone might condone ignoring her or hiding her things. That was bullying, and acting like that would leave little difference between them and Horikita.
Sudo: 'Hey, you're both reading the chat, right? Hey! Ayanokouji-kun, Kamishiro-kun, whose side are you on?'
Kiyotaka: 'I'm on no one's side. If you guys want to bully her, I won't stop you.'
Me: 'Same'
Ike: 'So, you're both neutral. That's the craftiest answer lol.'
Kiyotaka: 'Think whatever you want, but you won't gain anything from this. If the school learns you're bullying her, it'll cause trouble for you. Keep that in mind.'
Ike: 'So, you're sticking up for Horikita, huh? Ha ha.'
Because we couldn't see each other face to face, it was easier for them to be jerks. If Ike and I were having this conversation in person, I doubted he'd act this way.
However, by focusing their anger on Horikita, the others were building solidarity. It would be a waste of time to continue pointlessly chatting like this. I decided to bring this conversation to a halt.
Me: 'If Kushida heard about this, she'd probably hate you. Lol.'
After I sent that message, I closed my phone. I received an immediate response but left it alone. Those guys probably wouldn't do anything stupid, and Satou likely wouldn't do anything without the others' cooperation.
I opened my window, listening to the insects buzzing from the nearby trees. Did the kubikirigisu grasshoppers make that high-pitched chirping, I wondered? The gentle night breeze rattled my window.
I'd met Horikita on the day of the entrance ceremony. We'd just so happened to be placed in the same class, and then I was assigned the seat next to hers.
Before I knew it, I'd become friends with Sudou and Ike. On top of that, I'd been caught in the school's trap and knocked all the way down to rock bottom. Horikita had tried to help repair our situation, but her personality had ruined everything, further pushing her into isolation. Now, other people grew excited at the thought of bullying her.
I should've been at the center of this situation, and yet I felt like I was drifting past it.
No, drifting's the wrong word. It wasn't a pleasant situation. I felt like I was in a haze, because I didn't know the urgency of near-expulsion. This was everyone else's problem, not mine, so it just didn't register as important.
???: 'Only a fool wouldn't use his innate abilities'
Those words stuck in my head.
Me: "A fool, huh? No Prof, I'm not the fool, you are. Making me was your worst decision even your own son falls behind me, I guess that makes you the fool.... hahaha...."
As I closed the window, the television's cacophonous laughter pierced my ears.