CH 33

A few days have passed since then.

I had an unusual time for the first time in a while, but it didn’t take long for me to get back to my normal routine. Either my emotions are frozen or I don’t feel anything for putting people down. Even I don’t know anymore.

Let me reflect for a moment on what happened next.

First, many teachers rushed to the library to make sure we were safe. Among them was our homeroom teacher, Shichinomiya sensei, who was looking at us with a serious face that was different from usual.

The books in the library were scattered all over the place, as if a typhoon had just passed through. Some of the books were torn or had Shinkai’s footprints on them, so it would be necessary to replace them with new ones using the budget. However, the library would be off-limits for a while.

After a short interview at the scene, Shinkai went straight home. She was not so much tired as she was unable to hide her fatigue from the teacher. So they sent her home as soon as possible in consideration of her stress level.

Incidentally, when it came to discussing whether or not to call Shinkai’s parents, she was the first to refuse.

[I can’t bother my parents any further…….]”

Shinkai said so and rode the bus straight home. However, I remained at the scene for a while because I was judged to be less exhausted, and I was interviewed in more detail. After the interview, I went straight to the staff room. I was escorted by Shichionomiya sensei

“Is everything all right, Shiina kun? Your cheeks have a bruise on them.”

“Yes, I’m fine. Rather, I’m glad it’s only this much.”

Just as Shichinomiya sensei had said, my cheeks that had been punched by Kai were dyed blue instead of red. As expected, it’s better not to try to get attacked poorly. It hurts more than I thought. No matter how much training I’ve had, it’s impossible to block out the human sense of pain. I’ll borrow a compress from home, since I don’t need to go to a hospital.

“Well, for now, just sit here and wait.”

“Yes.”

I wondered if it was another staff member’s chair. She gave me a chair that she had brought from a random place and told me to wait. Yes, the teachers at this school are sitting in very nice chairs.

Soon after, Shichinomiya sensei returns with a report paper. She’s probably tired from the day’s work, but she doesn’t try to hide her exhaustion and starts talking to me. The teacher asked me the same question she had asked me many times before.

“Um, then, the first-year students were attacking Shinkai san.”

“Yes, and……”

“Shiina kun, who fell asleep in the library, was caught up in it…….”

Sensei growls with a difficult look on her face. I feel like it’s a bit of a convenient story, but depending on how I deceive it, it’ll be somehow manageable. After all, I didn’t tell a single lie.

“Well, I know what’s going on anyway. The first-year students’ names are Riku and Kai, right?”

“At least, that’s what they called each other.”

“Okay. If you know that far, you’ll be able to identify the other destination…uhm, I wonder if I can identify it somehow.”

It was as if she was about to throw everything to the other teacher for a moment right now. Suddenly, I saw Sensei’s pouch open and something that looked like a piece of paper was peeking out. There were 3 coupons for a nearby pub. I see, was Sensei a heavy drinker?

“Then, Shiina kun, you can go home. I’ll call your step sister just in case.”

“My step sister?”

“Yes. I happen to know that girl’s number because of some kind of fate.”

The troublesome Shichinomiya sensei and meticulous step sister…what kind of combination is this? At least I can’t see a vision of these two getting along. For better or worse, I think their personalities are more opposite than mine. But I can guess why she mentioned my step sister’s name here.

I’m sure that she intends to entrust my step sister to take care of my aftercare if I’m under stress. She’s quite a bold teacher. Perhaps she has had opportunities to entrust me with business matters in the past.

Good grief, my step sister must be going through a lot of trouble. I wish Shichinomiya sensei would learn from me who cares about my step sister ! (←The man who holds 80% of the causes of Haruka’s troubles)

“It’s getting dark, so be careful going home-“

“Yes, good-bye.”

This is what happened that day. By the time I left, the sun had completely set and I had no idea where Riku and Kai had run off to. But I returned home more alert than usual in case I was attacked at night. At any rate, I didn’t feel any suspicious glances, so I think I’m safe.

I don’t know if they might be taking it out on someone else right now, but that’s none of my business. Well, I secretly retrieved the piece of paper on which I had written the lie when Kai hit me, so there would be no evidence of my involvement.

When I got home, I was subjected to persistent questioning (almost forced interrogation) by my step sister. I walked into the living room and the first thing she said was.

“Are you involved in some kind of trouble again?”

My step sister stared at me with a stern look in her eyes. I had a déjà vu for some reason……

I sat across from her and explained what had happened today for about an hour and a half. When I finished telling her everything, she said to me in exasperation.

“You’re always getting into trouble, aren’t you? The more you are injured, the worse it gets. Maybe it’s time for you to go see a spirit exorcist.”

Apparently, my step sister thought I was possessed by an evil spirit or something, so she shifted her chair slightly and moved away from me. Yeah, as usual, isn’t it just too cruel?

……Well, this is the distance between me and my step sister.

And that day I put a compress on my cheek (they only had the one for shoulders) and spent the night. I haven’t had an injury like this since I was in elementary school, so it feels a little fresh. I went to bed with a light determination to get up early tomorrow and do some stretching.

The next morning, after doing some light stretching as I had declared, I headed to school. When I headed to school, yesterday’s incident had already become the talk of the school, and the class was even more noisy than usual.

“…Hey.”

As I was rubbing my healing cheek (which is very resilient), my neighbor, Yukihana, looked in my direction. Is she concerned about my cheek, or is it some other requirement?

“…..Do you know what happened yesterday?”

“I just arrived at school, what do you think I know?”

“…..Yeah. It was useless to ask you, who has no friends.”

You’re a thorn in my side, my neighbor. I don’t know, I feel like she is somewhat similar to my step sister. The fact that she can say things that hurt the other person without hurting yourself is a talent in a way.

“……”

But, I wonder why. I was somewhat caught up in the expression on Yukihana’s face as she took her eyes off of me. Her face, which is always expressionless, had a cloudy haze just today.

It’s as if she’s extremely worried about something…….

About a year ago, when I was in danger, her face looked just like my step sister. At that time, my step sister still had a sugary sweetness in her. It was so long ago that I had forgotten about it, but there was kindness in her as well. Otherwise, she would never have been able to become the student council president.

And that morning’s homeroom consisted of a light explanation of yesterday’s incident. Of course, the identity of the victim and the assailant was not revealed, and we were cautioned to offer any information if we had any witnesses. Well, those two would be narrowed down from now on.

The day ended without incident.

※

One week after the incident. There were some changes at the school.

It happened in the morning.

(……Oh)

As I was walking to school, there was Nanase Natsume, her dazzling blonde hair waving in the air. She used to walk around scared of the pressure of the students around me, but in the last few days that has calmed down immensely.

Thanks to that one incident with those two, the number of people following Nanase has dropped dramatically. It was an incident that made it clear, for better or worse, what would happen if they messed around with girls. Rather, it seems that several students were interviewed and given direct instruction.

Our student guidance is famous for being quite strict. It seems that the boys who had been following Nanase had been given a grand lecture. Well, I didn’t join hands with them or feel sorry for them because they had it coming to them.

For better or worse, the incident I caused seemed to have brought some benefits and some bad luck to the students attending this school.

And here’s the thing that even I didn’t see coming.

(Riku and Kai are….not here.)

I was patrolling the first grade classrooms during lunch break. Of course, I was checking to see if those two were there.

Incidentally, the joint project between the Public Morals Committee and the Student Council was held off as I had planned. The school didn’t seem to think that the students would be harmed, so they immediately scrapped the plan. The meeting was settled with the teachers who were available patrolling the school.

However, Riku and Kai, who were in a sense the target of the project, have not been seen since then. Rumor had it that the school had received a notice of withdrawal by mail. As you can imagine, I had not expected this turn of events.

(I can’t believe those two would honestly drop out of this school of their own will. Perhaps there was some other intervention?)

But the event has already passed. It would be very difficult to know the truth now. The fact that I let them go so easily at that time has now become my revenge and left the only element of uncertainty for me.

But I decided to forget about those two once and for all. There’s no point in devoting any more resources to people who don’t exist. If they appear in front of me, then that’s the time. I will not be defeated by those two people.

“……Ah.”

When I returned to the second grade hallway, someone’s eyes suddenly met mine. I’m not sure who it is, but it’s the victim of this time, Sakura Shinkai.

But I don’t talk to her. And she didn’t have the courage to talk to me either. I walk away, ignoring her.

-Maybe his uneven temper will expose my past.

I’m sure Shinkai would think so. I don’t plan to do that because it would be too much trouble, but I’ve got something very effective to use as a threat.

I’m sure Shinkai will try to avoid getting involved with me as much as possible. If she do that, I won’t be able to threaten her.

To be honest, I didn’t think it would go this well. I would not let her know who I really am, and I would create a shackle to bind her. Now I won’t have to be afraid of Shinkai Sakura for a while.

(Well, this situation won’t last forever.)

I’m sure I’ll end up in trouble again. My father said I was born under such a star.

No matter how much peace I create, it will be destroyed by me. If that’s the case, then there should have been no peace from the beginning.

I walk toward Shinkai Sakura and pass by her.

“……”

“……”

There’s no conversation between us. Because I don’t have to say anything. Or maybe we were just avoiding talking to each other. But that’s okay. She’s no longer an obstacle in my life.

And it will always be the same. Yukihana, Kisaragi, Nanase……I don’t understand their feelings, and they can’t understand mine either. I don’t have the human heart that everyone has equally.

(……Ah)

But for now, let me just say this in my heart. I was so busy with myself that day that I didn’t properly part ways.

Goodbye, my one-winged partner.

Chapter 2: The One-Winged Journey Complete