Episode 57

Source

https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16817330668994179192/episodes/16818093079847530642

The day after I heard that Sumika had revealed her misdeeds to her classmates, I came to school anxiously wondering what kind of reaction I would get if I entered the classroom, and I opened the classroom door as usual.

Then, all of my classmates in the classroom turned their gazes on me at once, and then their gazes slowly drifted away.

Just by looking at their reactions, I could tell that it was true that Sumika had revealed her wrongdoings to her classmates.

I was thinking that maybe she was lying about revealing her wrongdoings, so I was relieved to know that it was true.

Well, there is still a possibility that Sumika is telling a completely different story from the truth.

Anyway, I pretended not to notice the stares directed at me and headed for the seat where Sage and Hanayasu were sitting.

“This is amazing.”

Kento called out to me.

Things have changed completely since yesterday, so it’s no wonder he’s surprised.

“It’s not that amazing. It’s just that I, who was thought to be a bad guy, turned out to be a normal high school boy, and my abnormal state has returned to normal.”

“Well, that’s true. What did you say to Sumika chan? I feel she won’t expose her sins to her classmates unless Eita says something, right?”

“Erm………well, scum, arrogance, don’t get involved with me again?”

“Oh, you’ve said quite a few things.”

“I get that a lot from Hanai on a daily basis.”

“That’s a joke, isn’t it?”

“….I’m glad I said that to her because Sumika came to me and apologized after she felt bad about her outburst against me.”

Even though I think that, when Sumika came to apologize to me, I think it’s better than not apologizing at all, but I did not forgive her.

This world is not so kind that you can get away with just apologizing.

While I was talking with Kento, Sumika opened the classroom door.

Her classmates were looking at her with disdain, unlike the awkward glances they had given me earlier.

Since Sumika herself exposed her own wrongdoings, it is only natural that her classmates look at her like that.

However, I have not forgiven my classmates for believing the false rumors that she spread and looking at me with contempt.

“Here she comes, the big hoax bitch.”

“Such a selfish, self-serving liar.”

“She’s not thinking like a normal human being anymore.

She’s the devil in human skin.”

I don’t forgive my classmates for doubting me, but the reaction to Sumika that I hear in my ears is probably deserved.

I’m not ready to forgive Junka unless she deserves that much.

While I was listening to my classmates talking behind my back, someone approached Sumika and said.

“H-hey SUmika. Is it true that Eita kun’s story was all a lie?”

It was Iijima who slapped me on the cheek.

“……It’s true.”

“W-what the hell, Then I look like an idiot for believing Sumika’s story and slapping Eita kun !”

Before I could look at Iijima for making such a comment, my classmates were looking at me with contempt.

Iijima’s comment made it clear that she had no intention of apologizing to me at all, but was trying to save her own skin.

“….Sorry.”

“—“

Iijima, who was standing in front of Sumika, who apologized weakly, walked towards me .

For a moment I thought she was coming to slap me again, but I guess that wasn’t the case.

“…I’m sorry for believing Sumika’s lie and slapping you. But, it’s not my fault, right? After all, there’s no way I’d know that Sumika’s story was a lie—“

“Like hell it isn’t ! How much pain do you think I went through because of the false rumors that Sumika spread?　You slapped me, and the rest of the classmates believed it was true !”

Iijima’s attitude was so terrible that I naturally shouted angrily at her.

“T-that can’t be helped ! No one would think that Sumika would lie.”

“Don’t giveme that crap ! Then you can say that it’s no problem if you’re accused of being a murderer and sentenced to death, even though you didn’t do it !”

“T-that’s…..”

Thanks to the fact that Iijima’s statement was so terrible, I hear the same insinuations about Iijima as I do about Sumika

“Even if you can’t help but believe it, there’s no need for a  slap.”

“Isn’t she a little bit impatient for trying to protect herself?”

“I guess that’s what they say about friends.”

The insinuations reached Iijima’s ears, and she began to shiver and shed tears.

Iijima may have been hard to deal with, but she deserved it, and she has no right to shed tears.

I’m grateful to my classmates who talked about Iijima, but at the same time I’m angry.

“All the people in the class who assumed it was my fault and talked about me behind my back are all like Iijima. I can hear everything about it, and I can tell by the way you look at me. Even if it’s not as bad as Iijima, it’s because of all of you who talked about me behind my back. What were you going to do if I committed suicide? How painful is it for people to be treated as bad people even though they didn’t do anything… Remember, your easy actions could kill someone !”

My classmates looked away from me in disgust.

I’ll leave it at that for my classmates, since they can’t help but believe the rumors.

Of course, I still haven’t forgiven Iijima.

I’ve made her pay for it, and I hope she will reflect and apologize like Sumika did.

“……Hm?”

I had finished saying what I wanted to say to Iijima, and Hanai grabbed my clothes and pulled them twice lightly.

Then, Hanai shifts her gaze from me to Sumika.

…That’s right. It’s not just me, Hanai, Kento, and even Kohime have something pent up for Sumika.

I was going to condemn Sumika now even without Hanai’s prompting, but I will condemn Sumika not only for myself, but for everyone’s sake.

“Also, Sumika. Even though you apologized, I still haven’t forgiven you.”

“……Of course.”

“I think I deserve more than just an apology. Just like a traffic ticket pays a fine.”

“……”

“So I–“

“Well, it’s a beautiful morning, gentlemen….hm? What’s wrong?”

As Sumika and I were talking, our homeroom teacher, Kimura sensei, came into the classroom.

I called out to Kimura sensei, who had noticed the bad atmosphere in the classroom.

“Sensei, can I have a serious talk?”

“……Yeah. Do so.”

“Sumika—“

And I started telling my teacher everything that Sumika had done to me.

◇◆

During lunch break, we were eating lunch as usual.

I was not sure if it was the teacher’s office or the students’ office.

No, maybe not the staff room, but the student guidance office.

By lunchtime, several of my classmates came to apologize to me.

Not all of them came to apologize, but the situation must have improved a lot nonetheless.

Considering the rate at which rumors about me were spreading, it was only a matter of time before word got out throughout the school that it wasn’t my fault.

I guess it’s not so much that I’m not a bad person, but that Sumika was a bad person.

“Sumika chan hasn’t come back at all. What are they talking about?”

“I wonder. It would be nice if the teachers punished her in some way, but since she didn’t shoplift or commit violence directly, it might be hard to punish her.”

“But she did some pretty bad things, like spreading lies about Eita and throwing away the ring, so I’d like to see her punished in some way.”

“Well, that’s true, but.”

The teachers themselves had never experienced or heard of such a case and were probably having trouble dealing with it.

While we were talking about this, Sumika came back to the classroom.

She returned to her seat and began to clean up the mess under the eyes of all her classmates.

Mai chan went to talk to Sumika.

“What did sensei says to you?”

“……Two weeks of suspension”

Hearing these words, her classmates’ eyes widened and they looked surprised.

“I see. To be honest, I think I should take that……”

“No, you don’t. It was all my fault. I knew Mai was like that, and I put pressure on her so she wouldn’t say anything.”

“I know it’s convenient for you to say horrible things and I couldn’t stop Sumika, but I’ll wait for you.”

“…….Thanks.”

The reason I was able to tolerate Sumika was because of Mai chan’s presence.

As long as Mai chan is here, no matter how much I condemn her, Sumika still has a chance to try again.

However, my absolution of Sumika is not over yet.

Let’s put the finishing touches on it.

Honestly, no matter how much I condemn her, I won’t forgive Sumika for what she did.

Even so, I will not be satisfied unless she receives the appropriate punishment.

And the next moment, the classroom door opened with a mighty bang.

“–Eh, Mom !?”

It was Sumika’s mother who entered our classroom.

I had sent a message to her mother telling her everything that Sumika had done.

I had known Sumika since childhood, and I was friends with her mother.

It may be hard to believe with just a message from me, but her mother would probably be contacted by the school.

That was probably the deciding factor and Sumika’s mother came to school in a hurry.

Sumika’s mother walked into the classroom, walked quickly and silently to her.

And the moment she saw Sumika’s face and their eyes met–.

A dry snapping sound echoed throughout the classroom.

“What are you doing !”

“T-that’s……”

“I heard that you and Eita kun had broken up, but I never thought that you were doing such a lousy thing……”

Her mother covered her face with her right hand and looked stunned and helpless.

“I-I know that I’m the worst, that’s why……”

Snap.

The dry sound echoed through the classroom again.

“Why do you feel like you apologized ! You know how painful Eita kun felt ! It might be better if you repented, but don’t feel satisfied and feel like you’ve been forgiven !”

“I don’t feel like I’ve been forgiven—“

Snap.

The third dry sound echoed in the classroom.

If the teacher had done the same thing, it would have been corporal punishment, and if I had done it, I might have been told I was guilty of the same crime.

But if it had been her mother, it would have been a different story.

There is no one here today who would consider this abuse.

“I’ll listen to the story at home. Now I have to think about how to apologize to Eita kun’s family…”

It is the job of parents to take responsibility for the sins their children have committed.

I really think that parents are very tough beings.

There are sons like me who get hit by cars, and there are daughters who make a situation where the parents have to pay for their sins.

Right now, our parents may still be there to clean up our messes, but we will be adults soon.

When that happens, there will be no one to wipe up our mess, and we will have to atone for our sins ourselves.

I want Sumika to understand that.

Sumika was getting ready to go home before her mother walked in, and her mother forcibly pulled her hand to walk away.

Then her mother came to me before she left the classroom.

“I’m sorry, Eita kun. You used to be such good friends, but I can’t believe this happened…… I’m going to apologize to you again. You apologize too, you stupid girl.”

Saying this, Sumika’s mother grabbed Junko’s head and made her bow her head, then left the classroom.

Now that I think about it, Sumika’s mother was not angry at Sumika for her own sake or for her daughter’s sake, but for my sake.

I don’t think this was the end of it, but it did clear my mind in some way, and I felt that I had closure on the matter.

It was a few days later that Sumika and her mother came with money to apologize, and I had a sense of deja vu that all parents are the same.

The only thing that was a little different from when Kohime and Taketsugu came to apologize was that my mother accepted the money with open arms.

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