Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093094101424177/episodes/16818622176141371288
Orimoto Ryoka. Second-year high school student.
Carefully trimmed chestnut-colored hair. A face that inspires friendliness. She has a gentle personality and is trusted by both male and female teachers alike.
However, there are rumors that she is a member of the Sera Harem and is envied by some of the girls.
In any case, there is no doubt that she is a well-liked female student.
(…What’s going on here?)
As mentioned earlier, Orimoto is a popular figure at school.
Even someone like me, who is clueless about romance and worldly matters, has heard of her as a person of integrity. Yet, the sight of her screaming at the school gate in the morning is somewhat peculiar.
“Why?! Why is everyone ignoring me !”
Orimoto’s heartfelt lamentation echoed unusually loudly in my ears. What on earth is going on?
I tilt my head and look around.
“Hey! Hey!”
Just a casual morning scene.
Nothing more, nothing less.
So, this is just the usual scene, where the popular kids hang out together, and people like me, who are more reserved, just go about our days quietly.
Originally, Orimoto is the type of person who would be classified as popular, and that’s a fact that both she and others acknowledge.
At least, she’s not the kind of girl who’s alone.
It’s strange to see someone born with such advantages being ignored in the morning.
But she clearly stands out.
“This is weird. My mom and dad…”
Still, we live in different worlds.
As the protagonist, Sera Keiichi’s childhood friend, she has a glorious status, and with her beautiful appearance and academic excellence, it’s unclear how many good deeds she must have done in a past life.
There is no doubt that she is the school’s representative beauty, while I am just a library committee member. There are countless invisible barriers between us.
“What is this? What is going on…!”
That’s why I don’t get involved.
The other day, I witnessed the tragic scene of her being rejected by Sera, but that’s all. We are still parallel lines that never intersect.
If someone like me, who is so ordinary, were to approach her and ask, “What happened?” she would definitely back away.
That’s not my place.
It’s better for Orimoto’s friends to handle it.
(…Besides, I don’t want any trouble.)
Orimoto’s failed confession is sure to be a hot topic. I’ve heard that the girls are vying for Sera’s affection, hoping to become his girlfriend.
If Orimoto drops out of the race, the competition might get even more intense.
“What’s happening to me…?”
In that state, there’s no room for someone like me to get involved. Besides, I’m not interested.
I don’t even dream of connecting with her. I don’t plan to. I’m the type of person who’s happy just living an ordinary life.
“What should I do…?”
At the school gate.
Exhausted from screaming, Orimoto muttered softly, her face shadowed. Her expression was a mix of coldness and seriousness, with no trace of humor.
But as mentioned earlier, it has nothing to do with me.
I walked past her and moved away.
I never imagined that Orimoto Ryoka would be ignored like this.
After all, it’s that Orimoto Ryoka.
While there were curious glances at her as part of Sera’s harem, she had always been popular.
The scale of the bullying was too large, yet the rumors of her downfall spread too quickly.
There was a sense of unease, but that was all.
I am who I am, and there is no change in that.
To say I have no interest at all would be a lie, and I can’t deny that I’m curious, but it’s not my problem.
“Please ! If I did something wrong, I’ll apologize ! So please don’t ignore me ! Please?”
But.
Is it really bullying?
There was no sign of it until recently.
When I turned around halfway, I saw Orimoto still looking down. A sense of melancholy emanated from his back.
─────
It’s a bit too serious to be a joke.
I was certain of that when I stepped into the classroom. An unshakable question mark floated in my head.
“…Where’s the desk?”
I sat down at my seat for now.
Then, I glanced over at it. It’s gone. The thing that should have been there is gone. What was strange was that, at least for now, I was the only one who noticed the oddity. The desk was gone.
Orimoto Ryoka’s desk and chair were also gone.
It was as if they had never been there in the first place, completely vanished. The faint scent of rain seeping in through the window lingered in the air.
The teacher had recently rearranged the seats on a whim, and I had luckily ended up in the back by the window. It’s a seat with a great view of the entire classroom.
Orimoto should have been in the center of the classroom.
Therefore, during breaks, I remember that a circle of conversation would form around Orimoto’s seat.
However, now there is a plain-looking female student sitting in the center seat.
That’s strange.
(Well, maybe not.)
Given Orimoto’s personality, I don’t think she would be upset just because someone else was sitting in her seat.
Nevertheless, it’s even harder to imagine that girl, with her plain aura, would occupy Orimoto’s seat on her own.
Moreover, she’s sitting there as if it were her own seat. I rub my eyebrows and try to recall my memories. No, that’s right, that’s Orimoto’s seat.
I hurriedly count the desks and find that one is missing. That’s right, that girl was sitting behind Orimoto.
“No one’s going to say anything, huh?”
That’s what you’d normally say.
For example, Sera, who is currently fooling around with his friends. Or the female student who was part of the harem crew coming over.
Nothing. Nothing at all.
I naturally accept this sense of unease.
It’s funny, but there’s no sense of humor in the air. That’s what made it especially funny.
As I was being consumed by my doubts, Orimoto quietly entered the classroom. The atmosphere remained unchanged.
…No one spoke to her.
“──!”
Having noticed something, Orimoto frowned and rushed out of the classroom. Her actions were faster than the thoughts that flashed through my mind—to chase after her or worry about her. I couldn’t tell if anyone else had noticed her back besides me.
─────
Orimoto didn’t return until lunchtime.
To be precise, it was more accurate to say that Orimoto’s figure appeared in my field of vision as I wandered around during lunchtime, and I could see that her face was wet with tears.
Perhaps because of the gloomy atmosphere, the courtyard was quiet—she was the only student there.
“I can’t take this anymore. What is this? I don’t understand. What should I do…? Can’t you see?”
The scent of rain grew stronger.
Oriben’s face, slumped lifelessly on the bench, lacked any vigor. The commotion that had been going on since this morning showed no signs of improving, and she seemed to be suffering.
“Even when I talk to them, they ignore me. What, do they hate me that much? I don’t understand…”
What was Sera doing?
Even if he rejected her, he should at least offer some support to his childhood friend who is suffering. This is an abnormal situation.
(…I’ll skip eating here.)
I don’t care where I spend my lunch break.
The classroom is a little uncomfortable.
I’m alone. Definitely.
I didn’t have the courage to eat my lunch quietly while the other students were chatting.
“It’s hard. It’s painful. ….Keiichi.”
Every time her sobs shook my eardrums, the awkwardness in my chest grew.
I had heard Orimoto’s sobs every day.
An indescribable sense of guilt, no, that’s not it. This was pure, helpless despair. There was nothing I could do. I wasn’t in a position to listen to her story.
Suddenly, a female student appeared.
She was holding a garbage bag. Ah, if she crossed here, it would be a shortcut to the incinerator. The girl was running in a hurry. —And then she fell.
“Ah.”
My voice, Orimoto’s voice, and the girl’s voice overlapped.
Was it because of Orimoto’s good looks?
Or was it because of the girl’s carelessness?
The sound of the garbage bag crushing.
Fortunately, the garbage bag acted as a cushion, and the girl got up unharmed. However, it was only natural for Orimoto to get up from the bench as well.
She wiped away her tears and bowed her head.
It was clear that Orimoto was there, and the girl who tripped over her foot was at fault, but the fact that she apologized voluntarily showed Orimoto’s personality.
“Oh, I’m sorry ! Are you okay?!”
Something strange and suspicious happened.
Orimoto’s words echoed hollowly in the courtyard. Normally, the female student who received the apology would have shown some kind of reaction. That’s how it should be.
However, after getting up, the female student looked around suspiciously, her eyes darting between the ground and her surroundings. She acted as if Orimoto wasn’t even there.
It was a bit rude and extremely inconsiderate. It made me feel uncomfortable, even though I was a stranger.
“Hey, wait a sec—”
Ignoring Orimoto’s attempt to stop her, the girl who had fallen ran off with a garbage bag in her hand. Instantly, a quiet atmosphere began to spread.
It was as if she didn’t exist. Or perhaps she was being treated like a sore spot. In other words, she was being ignored, which was tantamount to bullying.
It felt like this wasn’t something that could be dismissed as a joke.
I suspect it might be happening on a national scale.
Was it Sera’s doing, or was it some of the girls who resented Orimoto? The answer is unclear, but the reality is there. Orimoto Ryoka is being tormented.
The girl ran around the corner and headed toward the incinerator. Orimoto watched the entire sequence of events.
Then, Orimoto sat down on the bench, exhausted, and clenched her fists on her lap.
Even from the sidelines, there were no words to describe the pain. If this were all an act, even a great actress dancing barefoot would be enough.
It was now lunchtime. Only a few hours had passed since this morning. In that short time, many strange things had accumulated.
No one mentioned Orimoto, who had not returned to the classroom. Even the teachers pretended not to notice.
Not only the desk, but also the locker was gone.
It had vanished as if it had never been there in the first place. It seemed as if that was the correct answer.
It was also strange that there had been no confirmation of absences during the morning homeroom, making me wonder if I was the one who was out of sync.
“…No way. That’s ridiculous.”
The idea that she wasn’t there was shallow and foolish, yet it felt like a delusion detached from reality.
Her ignoring–Orimoto Ryoka–continued the next day and the day after that.
Her pale complexion grew more gaunt each day, reminding me of a sick person, and even I began to think that this couldn’t go on.
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Is the protagonist an idiot?
Is this gus a COWARD and IDOT or WHAT!? WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!?