Chapter 17: Visiting on someone who is injured

“Ouch!”

Ruiko was being treated in the infirmary. The medical insurance teacher was out with a cold, so a female member of the insurance committee was treating her instead.

Although there were clear signs that she had been assaulted, the girls, not wanting to get into trouble, did not pry.

This is probably the kind of school health committee member who ignores Ryosuke with the group.

“It hurts, I know. …… I’m sorry for it”

“Eh? I-I’m totally fine?

Feeling sorry for worrying her, she reflects on the pain she had caused.

However, the hard part is yet to come. …… with someone who is so violent and willing to do something like that again, it could happen again right under Ryosuke’s nose.

(Ryosuke-kun, I know you don’t like to talk to me…… but I have to talk to you properly, okay…..?)

She knew that she could not talk to him. Even so, in order to protect Mai, Ruiko thought she had no choice but to do so…

—-And that’s exactly when it happened.

“Mai!!!”

Ryosuke rushed to the infirmary.

He was unable to answer the phone due to his PE elective class, so he did not notice anything unusual until he read Mai’s e-mail.

The health committee member left the room as if to replace him. …… something that is always done without a second thought.

Then Ryosuke was relieved to see Mai unharmed, and next checked on the student council president lying on her bed.

On the small desk by her bedside was a tattered headband, which Ryosuke didn’t miss.

“Is it true that …… Mai almost fell down the stairs and the student council president covered for you?”

“……Eh?!”

“Yes, it’s true!”

Ruiko was puzzled by the totally wrong information, but she soon realized that Mai had sent a false e-mail.

Mai did not want the incident with Kirishima and the others to become known.

However, the reason was not to protect Kirishima and her friends.

Mai had been saved from torment in the past, and she didn’t want to be saved again for the same thing. …… She was afraid that he would think that she was a woman who would never grow up.

“I….see…..”

But there was no way that such a lie would get through to Ryosuke.

The reaction of Ruiko when she told him she ‘fell down the stairs’, the muddy handband on the desk …… and Mai’s three-part play.

From these, Ryosuke judged that the student council president was not injured from falling down the stairs.

“I see…… be careful next time, okay?”

He did not try to force her to tell him even though he knew it was a lie. He was not able to use a strong tone of voice to confront Mai, who is dearer to him than anyone else.

Still, if the situation was dire enough, he would force his way out of it, but…

“………??”

─ ─ The student council president is here.

She must know what is going on from her reaction earlier. He thought it would be better if he could hear the true story from her without having to force Mai to ask.

He sent Mai to class first because he had to run an errand.

If one of them has something to do, they do not wait for each other. This is a consideration that has been decided upon by the two of them.

The person who has to wait for the other to finish the errand is in a hurry to finish it, and the person who is waiting for the other to finish it is anxious if it will be finished soon.

So, it was a decision made out of consideration for each other, and thanks to this ……, Ryosuke easily succeeded in getting a moment alone with Ruiko.

“I have a question,……, what happened to Mai?”

“…… That.”

As long as Mai didn’t speak, Ruiko wasn’t sure if she was allowed to tell him about it.

But when she thought about it deeply and calmly, she didn’t think she could keep quiet just because she was told not to. …… That’s not bullying at all – that’s genuine violence.

What would have happened if I hadn’t walked by ……?

And the assault on me stopped because it turned out that I am the student council president — so if I wasn’t the student council president, what would have happened ……?

And perhaps that idea is correct. If Ruiko keeps her mouth shut at this point, the violence against Mai will only escalate because Mai would never sell Ryosuke …… out.

Then Kirishima will contact her when she is unable to be with Ryosuke, as she did today.

The thought of that horrified Ruiko.

She decided that she should tell Mai later, even if Mai would hate her for it.

“Actually,……, I saw Kirishima-san and the others at the back of the school building a while ago…”

Ruiko told them the details of the situation.

…………

…………

“I see, I see, I see”

“Y..es…”

While talking, she could feel the black murderous atmosphere emanating from Ryosuke,…… who was not a stranger to the subject.

Even so, Ruiko told the whole story to the end.

Ryosuke is sitting in a chair.

While listening to the story, he kept smiling and shaking his head repeatedly. However, behind the smile, there was a hatred so intense that Ruiko, who still has feelings for Ryosuke, was cowed by it.

What Ryosuke now harbors is the ultimate in murderous intent.

Not only against Kirishima and the others who attacked Mai, but also against himself for not being able to save her when she was in danger.

Ryosuke intends to act immediately.

Even though all four of them, including Kirishima, have already left early, he has no intention of waiting until tomorrow. They have injured someone who is more important to him than his own life,……, and he has no intention of letting Kirishima spend even a single night in peace.

Luckily, he knows where Kirishima lives.

On several occasions when they were close friends, he had visited her. It’s not far from the school, so even if he heads over after school, he can still make it there in the evening.

The reason he waits until after school is because Mai would be worried if he skipped two classes in a row. Therefore, he had to attend the classes that were about to start.

(Anyway, I will not miss today. I’m going to make her realize what will happen to her if she gets her hands on Mai.)

He takes a deep breath to calm his simmering anger.

Ryosuke regrets bitterly that he …… should have destroyed Kirishima earlier.

His hatred for his sister, his contempt for his father, his hatred for the student council president, his anger at his younger sister,…… such things didn’t matter at that moment.

Now it is time to focus all the negative emotions on Fumika Kirishima .

And what he will do is quite simple: …… make Fumika Kirishima get what’s coming to her!

—-Kīnkīnkānkōn (chime)

The chime is ringing, signaling the end of the fifth period.

Heading to class so as not to be late —- but first, there was something I had to do.

I stood in front of the student council president and bowed deeply.

“Thank you for saving Mai.”

If it weren’t for this woman, I wouldn’t have been able to notice that something was wrong with Mai. I thought I would never have another chance to thank the student council president for saving Mai …… this time, but I can’t thank her enough for saving Mai.

And I don’t think Mai ever spoke.

The only reason she called me was because the student council president was hurt. …… If she was the only one affected, she wouldn’t have said anything to me.

That’s the kind of girl Mai is. …… She’d rather hurt herself than worry about me.

I love Mai, but I want her to change that way of thinking. I get so upset when she falls that my heart leaps out of my chest, you know?

“I-I don’t need you to thank me. I don’t deserve to be thanked by you. ……”

“I’m not like you. I don’t take kindness for granted.”

“….I….see….”

Mai’s benefactor… she’s a very good person at heart.

And she never apologized easily or spoke to me casually. …… She is very caring.

I’m sure she truly and sincerely regrets it. Even now, she’s holding her chest and looking pained …… my words are sticking in her chest, I’m sure.

This person will probably never make a mistake again if I forgive her here.

And from now on, she will always be there for me, gently and kindly. …… For some reason, I had this confidence.

My eyes, which have been watching this person for many years, are not feigned.

I guess I should forgive the student council president now then.

…….but after all she feels sorry right?

I’m not ready to forgive her at all.

Because I keep hearing in my head, all the outbursts that the student council president has tormented me with …… what did she say?

[Stay away from the student council because it’s filthy.] Electing you to the student council was the biggest mistake of my life?] [You are a criminal who doesn’t deserve to go to school?]

Those are just a few of the many horrible things she has said to me, Student Council President. I don’t know how anyone can forgive you for that. Do you know how much I’ve been hurt?

Thank you for saving Mai.

Because of you, Mai didn’t get hurt, and I learned that Kirishima was the ringleader… but I can’t forgive you, I absolutely can’t anymore.

I’ve been suffering all year.

What was supposed to be a fun high school life has turned into a hell. …… I was playing with my friends, participating in student council activities, having fun at the school festival, and all of that has been taken away from me.

The student council president,…… you took that away from me, didn’t you?

Don’t tell me that you are not the only one to blame.

While you were happily preparing for the cultural festival, Mai and I were relegated to the edge of the gymnasium.

Student council president was aware of it, but ignored it for a long time.

Absolutely no one will ever understand the emptiness of that moment, the frustration of involving Mai. …… At least not you.

“……Student council president,……I can’t forgive you.”

“………Yes,…… I know,……”

“—-However, as a matter of principle, I will return the favor. Regardless of whether I forgive you or not, I will definitely return the favor you have done for helping Mai no matter what.”

“Yeah,…… thank you,…… you’re so kind.”

Don’t call me “you” like you used to! Don’t call me “sweet” when you don’t even know what I’m thinking! I liked you, I respected you, I trusted you, but you betrayed me!

My head is all messed up.

Someone please make me feel better.