Chapter Text
Before the clock strikes 7:00 AM in the morning, other than the student council discussing away their current problem with whether or not Ayano is secretly a murderer or not, the faculty would talk about what's been going on with the school and it's students.
❝Well, the school has been through a bit of a bumpy road for the past couple of days❞ Shiroi Rikitake, the teacher of class 2-2 starts with. ❝A bumpy road? Two of my students were gone for those 'couple of days'.❞ Reina Nabatame, the class 1-1's teacher confronts, hand on her head. ❝Not to mention that there is one student of yours that has been acting strange lately, right, Natsuki?❞ Kaho Kanokogi, teacher of class 3-2 questions Natsuki Aburaya, class 1-2's teacher, who grunts in response.
Karin Hanabusa, teacher of class 3-1, tries to calm the rest of the faculty down. ❝Now now, everyone. No need to cause such a ruckus.❞ she says in a polite manner, ❝I'm sure you're all exhausted, but let's try to at least calm down and talk about what's going on and how we can solve it.❞ That...actually calms most of the faculty.
Key word: most. Why? Because Kyoshi Tachikawa, the gym teacher of this school, is nervous about something, her attempts at hiding it were horrible. ❝Miss Tachikawa, are you alright?❞ Rino Fukahori, class 2-1's teacher, asks Kyoshi. ❝Oh lord, is this about the 'her child that she had when she was a teen that she put up for adoption is a student somewhere in this school' thing again? We've been over this a million times!❞ Natsuki grumbles, glaring at her, which by the way, is not helping the panic attacks.
❝Aburaya-sensei, this is not the time for this nonsense.❞ Genka Kunahito, the guidance counselor, confronts the teacher. But that doesn't stop Natsuki from her tirade. ❝Oh, but this what I'm talking about is nonsense? Like the nonsense she has created by not closing her legs as a teenager, hmm?❞ That earns a gasp-more like a choke-from Kyoshi, clutching her jacket. Nasu Kankoshi, the school nurse, rushes to help Kyoshi stand up. ❝What is wrong with you!?❞ she says, starring into Natsuki like she's glaring at her soul.
❝I'm just saying the truth.❞ Natsuki's blunt response makes Shiromi, from one floor above in the student council room, yell ❝WE CAN HEAR YOU!!! YOU'RE VERY LOUD, YOU KNOW!?❞ so loud that Aoi stares at her in 'how the fuck did Megami make you part of the student council again?'. The headmaster, Kocho Shuyona, stands up from his seat. ❝Natsuki Aburaya, you have caused too much harm for the other faculty members, you know that Mister Saikou's daughter will attend this school after the student council catch the supposed killer, maybe even earlier than that. We will not tolerate behavior like this; I'll let you go with a warning, do not cause such chaos like this ever again. You are dismissed.❞
A moment of silence follows, Kyoshi's breathing evens out, standing up straight. ❝I...should go to the school gate. Morning routine, y'know?❞ she says, walking away from the faculty. When she's gone and out of reach from the faculty room, Rino exhales ❝The sports festival next week is going to ruin her.❞ That everyone in the faculty agrees on. ❝What's going to happen if A-❞
❝Don't.❞ Shiroi cuts off Rino's sentence, ❝Just let her figure this out on her own; she needs to know the easy way.❞
❝Letting her figure out that her mother is her teacher and kept that a secret from her ever since she was born is the easy way? Really?❞ Reina asks. Kaho sighs, ❝And Natsuki, do not repeat what you just did.❞ Natsuki rolls her eyes in response.
Well that meeting was sure...interesting to say the least, at least the student council doesn't have to deal with that in person...except Shiromi snooping in and spying on the faculty like the cheeky bastard she is while Kuroko drags her away from the scene.
...
Normally, Horuda would go to the rooftop and spend her morning there just...reading and drawing. It wasn't really an interesting routine.
But now she's walking towards the incinerator, Umeji right beside her. ❝Are you sure you want to talk to my friends?❞ he asks, just to make sure that Horuda's comfortable with this. She nods, her gaze straight ahead. ❝Y-Yeah...I'm sure.❞
By the time they reach the incinerator, the rest of the delinquents look at the two, ❝Umeji...❞ Gaku starts, ❝why did you...bring this girl here?❞ the question makes him sound like he's suspicious of Horuda.....for some reason. Umeji mumbles a ❝Cause she wanted to...❞ while holding Horuda's hand, gripping it tightly.
Oh, this is very awkward. The fragile girl thinks to herself. She shifts closer to Umeji, her gaze on the floor. ❝Uhm...H-Hi?❞ Why did she agree to this?
Silence fills the area, for a couple of minutes, the only sounds are Shiromi's footsteps, doing her morning routine like always. ❝So,❞ Hokuto tries to start a conversation. ❝uhhh...you.❞ he looks at Horuda, ❝You're in Natsuki's class, right? Class 1-2?❞ Horuda nods her head.
❝The teacher with zero filter whenever she talks?❞ Gaku jumps in. ❝Y-Yeah...she's my teacher.❞ she answers, subconsciously shifting closer to Umeji. ❝W-Why are you asking that?❞
Dairoku whispers something in Hanayari's ear that makes him stiffen in response. ❝Natsuki-sensei used to be our homeroom teacher last year,❞ Hanayari says, hand on his head. ❝She's the worst pain in the ass you'll ever meet. Do not, and I mean, do. not. vent. to. her. She will use that to her advantage.❞ As he says that, he lights a cigarette. ❝Dude...stop with the smoking.❞ Hokuto confronts Hanarayi, which by the way, does not help.
❝What? it's just a cigar. You can't control what I do with my lungs.❞ He grunts. Horuda notices that Osoro isn't talking, just.....staring at her. Weird...
❝Uhm...❞ Oh, lord, what does she say in this situation? Nothing. She notices that she's in a very uncomfortable position; her being extremely close to Umeji, gripping his arm like he might let go, the other delinquents sometimes looking at her with an odd look...
Horuda's grip loosens, ❝I...I need to go!❞ She lets go of Umeji's arm completely, and before she can think about it, she runs away to the nearest door, leaving the outdoor part of the school. She buries her face into her hands, feeling embarrassed. ❝Why did I do that???❞ she mumbles.
From the hallway, Kashiko Murusaki hears Horuda's mumbling, she decided to record her for bullying-of course-and...blackmail! ❝Keep talking, Puresuuuuu~❞ she says in a quiet voice.
Meanwhile, Horuda isn't done with...talking to herself ❝Stupid Horu, stupid, stupid, stupid! Wh...Why did you think that talking to the delinquents was a good idea!?❞ She sits down on the floor, curling herself into a ball. Himari Fujita, the blonde girl from the Gardening club, notices her, but doesn't help her and goes back to watering the plants.
Kashiko stops filming when Horuda checks her phone: It's 8:31 AM. Oh no, she's already late! She sprints towards the rooftop, her legs almost giving out from running six flights of stairs, finding no one there, except Tsubaki Uesugi, redhead from the Gardening club, and Aoi Ryugoku, the enforcer of the student council. Horuda is about to step out when she remembers that Osoro is with the other delinquents outside, so, it's unlikely that she's on the rooftop of the school that quickly.
Is this a trap?
She suddenly hears a camera, and turns around to find a masked student wearing a raincoat, their phone pointing at underneath her skirt. Horuda covers the back of her skirt with her hands and steps back, only to bump into someone from behind.
It was Aoi, ❝Hah! caught you red-handed.❞ She grabs the masked person's ear, ❝...let's see what the guidance counselor has to say about this.❞ She drags the masked parson away, the mask slipping from their face.
A tanned face stares at Horuda, violet eyes and pink/orange streaks of hair on blonde, that's Hana Daidaiyama. She gives Horuda a glare as she is getting dragged. The fragile girl bolts towards the table on the rooftop where she draws and reads. The coward sits on one of the seats, covering her face with her arms. She seems smaller...almost vulnerable.
She doesn't hear footsteps coming closer until Tsubaki tells Horuda that there are almost 10 minutes left before classtime.
She stands up, thanks the red-haired girl, before running towards homeroom, thankfully, she has arrived just in time.
She sits in her seat, and a few minutes later, everyone is in class. The bell rings, and classtime begins.
...
Natsuki clears her throat. ❝Alright, class.❞ she says, pushing her glasses up. ❝Today is something special i have planned for you.❞ She shows the students a piece of paper. ❝You will have a pop quiz today!❞multiple groans are heard from the students.
Horuda stays quiet, her head low. ❝Umetsu, is there something on your mind lately?❞ Natsuki asks, the entire class's gazes are on her. Oh no, why why why why WHY!? ❝N-No, sensei.❞ she says, Natsuki gives her a satisfied smile. ❝Good, now let's begin the test, I expect you all to get an 80% or more on this.❞
A few minutes later the test begins, Horuda chews on the cap of her pen as she thinks what would the answer be. She stops at question 5. The question is a true or false question. Horuda thinks for a few seconds, she puts "Ture" as her answer.
Either way, she'd get the answer wrong. The education system really hates her for some reason... or she's just stupid and doesn't know anything. You can't do anything right, she thinks to herself.
It was barely 9:15 AM when Natsuki announces that she will collect the test papers now. Horuda just finishes the last question when it was her turn to give the test sheet to the teacher. The fragile girl sits back in her seat when a hand grabs her wrist. She looks up to see Kokoro Momoiro staring at her. ❝At lunch time, go to class 3-1, alone.❞ she says, before letting go of her hand.
What the hell is going on? Can someone tell her please? Minutes feel like hours when Natsuki-sensei is finished grading the tests. She hands the students their test answers. Some students are proud of their grades, some were disappointed, someone was telling Natsuki ❝Ah, it's okay. We're in a video game and a fanfiction, this doesn't affect me❞. I think you all know who said that.
When it was Horuda's turn to receive her results, she expected her score would be from 80-70 out of 100, hell, maybe even in the 60s. And she is very wrong.
❝F-Fourty one?❞ The coward asks, shock is visible on her face. ❝Yes, you have gotten the worst grade in this class. I'm truly ashamed to have a student like you. Go back to your seat.❞
The rest of the class was just learning and learning, and then the bell rings, signaling that lunch time has arrived. Kokoro gives her a thumbs up and a smile before leaving the classroom. Should Horuda trust Kokoro and go to class 3-1 alone?
Well, trusting Kokoro won't hurt... Right?
... Right?
Horuda walks towards the stairway, taking a deep breath before going upstairs to the third floor. She can see many students leaving the classroom. Good. The coward reaches class 3-1, pausing at the door that is widely open. There was Kokoro, talking to Kashiko. Horuda moves closer to the wall, spying on the conversation.
❝So, the delinquents, huh?❞ Kokoro asks, Kashiko layghs, ❝Yeah, she's probably trying to gain their trust. I mean, a lonely freak talking to former and still are freaks? Don't you see the similarities, Koko?❞ The bullies chuckle together, Kokoro's sounding a little hesitant.
❝Anyways, you told Puresu to come here alone, right?❞ Kokoro nods. ❝She's falling right into the trap. We just need her to...talk to us.❞ Horuda freezes in place, her legs not moving as she hears what Kashiko says next.
❝Do you think she's going to handle this better or worse than the those five boys that almost committed?❞ She laughs at her own joke, ❝... Probably worse.❞ Kokoro answers, a smile stitched on her face. ❝Also, Koko, there's a video footage of-❞
❝Horuda.❞ A voice makes the timid girl stumble backwards, Umeji holds her wrists to keep her standing straight. ❝You okay?❞ He asks her. Horuda shakes her head in response. ❝S-Sorry that I left that morning...❞ she says, ducking her head down.
❝No need for apologies.❞ the delinquent reassures her, rubbing small circles on her hands. ❝Why are you here outside of my classroom?❞ So class 3-1 is Umeji's class? ❝Uh-Uhm...well, because Kokoro told me to come here...alone-❞
❝Where the hell is she!?❞ Kashiko's impatient voice cuts off what Horuda was about to say. ❝I'm dragging her out myself if that freak doesn't show up in the next two minutes.❞ Umeji's grip on Horuda's wrists tightens, and before she can even speak, Umeji lets go of one hand, only to drag her to the stairs.
❝U-Umeji? What is this? Wh-Where are we going?❞ the timid girl asks in confusion, Umeji sighs before walking downstairs, taking Horuda with him. Thankfully, his grip on her is less painful, but it's still a firm grip. ❝Back to the incinerator.❞ He says, walking towards the hallway of the faculty area and to an open door leading to outside.
The cold wind hits the coward. The moment when both of them reach the incinerator, the other delinquents-except Osoro-stop eating, ❝And if it isn't little miss "Fuck talking to the oh so scary delinquents I'm outta here".❞ Hokuto says, making Umeji glare at him. ❝Sheesh, overprotective much. Sorry.❞ The purple-eyed delinquent rolls his eyes.
Overprotective? I guess that word describes Umeji when around me... in an odd way, Horuda thinks to herself. ❝So, Umeji dragged you out of something, or why the hell did he bring you here again? No offense, buddy.❞ Gaku asks.
❝...❞ Horuda doesn't say anything. ❝You don't have to say anything.❞ Umeji says, making Horuda even more confused about his personality. ❝N-No thanks, I'm not talking about it.❞ She subconsciously clings onto Umeji's arm again... Maybe she feels safe around him. Maybe...
She spends the rest of lunchtime with the delinquents, her hand not clinging onto Umeji's anyone. she wonders what would happen if Umeji didn't see her outside of his classroom. She probably dodged a bullet. She doesn't even realize that time has already passed, and it's past 1:30 PM until the bell rings it's 1:30 ring.
Oh no
She's so dead if she goes inside her class now. The other delinquents, and Osoro this time, walk past the incinerator, and towards the outside path leading to the main gate of the school. Horuda, confused, but follows them, right next to Umeji.
❝Ya know...❞ Hanayari breaks the silence, a used cigarette in between two of his fingers in one hand, his other arm looping around Hokuto's neck. ❝We can just...skip this entire schoolday. Tuesdays and sometimes Thursdays were when Natsuki has her anger issues and probably beats the living shit out of someone who was even one second late to her cl-.❞
❝Dude, you're scaring her.❞ Dairoku's voice is below a whisper, well, he isn't lying. Horuda looks shaken. Osoro speaks for the first time in the conversation ❝Leaving it is.❞ she says. Umeji looks at Horuda, ❝Do you wanna go?❞ she nods her head, holding his hand again. ❝You do realize that you can hold my hand whenever you want to, right?❞
The coward looks up at him, only to see him looking away. ❝It's...not like I like holding you hand or anything.❞ Gaku points at Umeji, his other hand making a circle formation with his pointer finger and pointing at his own head, mouthing the word ❝Delusional❞.
The moment they walk out of the gate, Horuda lets out a sigh of relief. It's almost 2 PM, she walks beside Umeji the entire time, holding his hand tightly as the delinquents part ways, leaving her and Umeji alone.
❝...this...is awkward.❞ Umeji rubs the back of his neck, Horuda nods in agreement. ❝Wanna go back home?❞ he smiles at her, really smiles at her, and for a moment Horuda forgets about everything.
Is this...what having a friend feels like?
❝Y-Yeah, let's go...❞ She mumbles. It took a long time to reach his place, since they had to walk there instead of going by bus. When they do reach his place, Umeji opens the door, and a little girl-Not Akira this time-squeals when she sees them, running towards Umeji, hugging his leg. ❝Umeji! Umeji! You're back!❞
She looks up at Horuda, curiosity in her eyes, ❝Who's she? Is she your friend?❞ she asks, Umeji crouches down to the little one's level, his voice suddenly soft again as he answers. ❝Yeah...she's my friend.❞ Horuda almost chokes on air.
She finally has a friend.
After all these years of being alone and called by a freak...he's her first friend.
And Horuda hopes that it will last forever.
...
♪Tadashii no ga doreka nayande irya
Doremo fuseikai to iu ochi deshita
It keeps me wondering witch answer is right
yet it turns out to be wrong either way) ♪
|| ▷ 「Lost one's weeping - Neru」