Right after the athletics carnival was the mid-sem exams, and thanks to my remedials and cramming, I somehow made it back as far as 16th place. I let out a secret sigh of relief. With this, the teachers should trust me again.
But Enjou and Kaburagi are at the top as always. This time it was Enjou that was 1st place though.
I bet it’s because of that, right? Kaburagi was too busy training for the cavalry battle. I wonder what on earth makes him so obsessed with that.
Our next class was in another room, so I was walking with the friends in my class when I noticed a girl walking our way with her head hanging.
Hm? Wasn’t that girl in my remedials? What was her name again?
As she got closer, I noticed a group of girls laughing from behind her. When the girl noticed, she left with hurried steps.
“What was the name of the girl who just walked past us, again?”
“Who knows. I’ve seen her face though.”
“That girl is in the same class as Ayame-san, isn’t she? Remember? The one who messed up during the great skipping rope event.”
“Aahh, that girl.”
“Great skipping rope event? Speaking of which, I do believe I heard something about a big failure in Ayame-san’s class for that event.”
“Apparently she practised quite a bit, so Ayame-san was frustrated as well, wasn’t she.”
I see. So that’s the girl who stacked it?
The girls behind her seemed to be in the same class. I wonder if she’s finding it uncomfortable to be there.101Please respect copyright.PENANAmC9H220Ss8
“Ah, Mochida-san. She’s being isolated in class at the moment.”
At lunch break, I tried asking Oomiya Ayame-chan about the earlier girl, while we were eating together.
“Isolated? Why?”
“Everybody practised really hard for the event, so when she messed up at the very beginning and disqualified us, she earned a lot of ire. My class had quite a bit of confidence that we would do well, after all.”
Ehh~ Because of something like that?
“When it happened I was angry as well, but of course I am not angry any longer. Only, the problem is that it wasn’t just the skipping. She stumbled during the three-legged race as well, and even injured somebody else.”
“She injured somebody?”
“It was simply a scrape on the knees, but the issue is that the injured girl belongs to Tsuruhana-san’s group.”
Tsuruhana Maki. The leader of the gyaru group, huh. What terrible luck to injure a girl from that group.
I did the three-legged race too, but the girl I was paired with said “Reika-sama! Let us pace ourselves loudly!” and pulled me along, so we managed to run smoothly until the end.
If I remember correctly, one of the contending classes for top suddenly dropped in rankings. So that was Mochida-san, huh~
“Ever since then, Mochida-san has been eyed by Tsuruhana-san’s group.”
“Is she being bullied?”
“I wouldn’t say that. But I do hear them bad-mouthing and blaming her.”
Isn’t that bullying then?
“All this just because of the athletics carnival?”
“I understand what you mean. To us, simply watching Kaburagi-sama and Enjou-sama’s exploits is enough, but Tsuruhana-san’s group is a lot more athletic, and seem to be enthusiastic about sporting events like that.”
Aahh~ Yeah, there are girls like those too, huh.
The girls around me started to heatedly discuss the Two Tops.
“The dead heat during the relay!”
“Enjou-sama was so cool during sprint!”
“But the coolest really was the Emperor during the cavalry battle. He was so skilled~”
“Speaking of the cavalry battle, the Student Council President was wonderful as well, wasn’t he.”
WHAAT!?
“Yes, certainly. I had no idea that the middle school StuCo President was such a dreamy person. Tomoe-senpai, wasn’t it.”
“Yes, Tomoe Senju-senpai. He joined the middle school as an External, and his grades are always in the top three; a model student. He’s skilled in basketball too, you know.”
“He’s a little scary when he’s silent, but once he smiles he’s cute.”
“I know exactly what you mean~!”
OH MY GOD!
When did I get all these rivals!? And some of them know even more than me!
Pretty much the only thing I’ve ever done for him is smuggle him some sweets from the Pivoine after the athletics carnival.
When he thanked me with a smile, my heart fluttered so much. I really wanted to bring him some more stuff, but then I realised that with my personality, I might really be tricked by some bad guy, and turn into his wallet, so lately I’ve been a little uneasy.101Please respect copyright.PENANABMx8OXbzsr
In order to give her the Snow White Akizawa-kun photo, I met up with Sakura-chan for the first time in a while.
Shockingly, we were chatting and drinking tea at a stylish open cafe. Having tea at a café? It’s like we’re totally friends! So nice!
I’ve been keeping in touch with her through lots of emails, because our schedules haven’t lined up, I haven’t been able to see her recently.
I only went to her house once during the summer break. That day I told her to keep our conversation a secret from Akizawa-kun, and did nothing but talk about Senpai.
“So since then, you’ve made no progress? That’s hopeless. You even had a chance to get close to him during the athletics carnival.”
“But…”
Getting closer to him, is actually pretty difficult you know?
Sakura-chan is tough when it comes to love, so if I let her be she’ll just keep lecturing me.
I changed the subject.
“Audibly badmouthing them? Yes, that does happen a lot, doesn’t it.”
“Mn.”
I decided to tell her about Mochida-san.
She’s been on my mind since then, and I tried observing her, and it turns out that she probably was being targeted after all.
They weren’t openly bullying her, but would whisper stuff while walking past her, before snickering to each other. They were clearly hurting her.
“It happens in my school as well, but I don’t suppose there’s much you can do about those things except wait them out.”
“I see.”
In my old life, there was a time when people suddenly started ignoring me. They wouldn’t even tell me why. But after a while, the target would change, and they would speak to me as well.
I guess this sort of stuff happens no matter the age or world, huh.
I feel bad for Mochida-san, but we’re in different classes, and don’t know each other at all, so it would be hard to help her.
But at the moment they’re just harassing her with sharp words, so I guess it might be fine?
Sakura-chan was really happy about the Snow White photo.101Please respect copyright.PENANAKPx6r9tM8Q
After I left the Cafe, I went and looked at some cute accessories with Sakura-chan at a miscellaneous goods store.101Please respect copyright.PENANAYbreaax7OB
Having a look at misc. goods stores on a day off? It’s like we’re totally friends! So nice!
Anyway, while we were in the area, Sakura-chan suddenly said she wanted to go to a nearby shrine to a marriage god.
I wasn’t really into it, but Sakura-chan wanted a charm no matter what, so I decided to follow her.
Sakura-chan got ‘middle blessing’. I thought it was a plenty good result, but she said “I don’t know about that. Takumi still isn’t decisive about us, you know,” with a frown.
I brought Senpai’s face to mind, before pulling a charm. Bring it on! My first charm since ‘future blessing’!
“Hii!”
Shockingly, it was ‘curse’. It’s my first time getting a curse. So they really exist…
Sakura-chan peered in from the side, and then immediately backpedalled. Stop that! Stop treating me as cursed!
‘The awaited person, will not come. The things you lost, you will not find. Chance of proposal is far off. Very dim prospects.’
“Ummmm, when you get a bad fortune, apparently you’re supposed to tie it to a tree with just your left hand, okay?”
“…Really?”
“Y-, Yeah.”
I folded up my terrifying fortune, and tried to tie it just like Sakura-chan said.
But it was harder than expected.
It was so hard that I messed up and it fell on the ground.
Should I purify myself and go home?
I thought the situation with Mochida-san would return to normal after a while, but it dragged out unexpectedly.
Sometimes she would be called out and have complaints said to her face, and other times she would have her things hidden. Not full-blown bullying, but things like whispering “You’re so damned gloomy.” or “You’re ruining the mood.” and then snickering to each other.
They sure seem to be having fun, I thought.
As for Mochida-san, it would have been fine if she just ignored them and lived normally, but she became more and more timid, and more and more gloomy, and just made herself needlessly vulnerable.
Once humans start feeling negative, there’s almost no end to how bad it gets, huh.
I only have whatever impression I formed of her during the remedials, but she already seemed like quite a plain girl at the time. I guess she was the easily bullied type to begin with.
Even Aoi-chan is good at studying despite her quietness, and apparently she’s actually good at sports too, and since she’s an energetic girl that likes the outdoors, girls like her don’t get targeted for bullying so much.
Mochida-san, on the other hand, is bad enough at academics to have to go to remedials, and from her results at the athletics carnival, I assume she’s bad at sports too, and on top of that she looks plain. Just full of openings.
I heard she has friends, so she probably isn’t completely isolated, but I wonder when this will cool down.
But well, even if I’m thinking about that, she’s a total stranger from another class. Not only that, it isn’t even full-blown bullying, so I had decided to just watch from the side, when one day, I went to the infirmary and met her by chance.
I hurt my finger with a papercut, so I went to get a bandaid, and met Mochida-san, since she was there to get medicine for stress-related gastritis. Uwahh…
I startled her when I entered the room, and she began trembling all over with a frightened expression.
Sorry for looking so scary.
Mochida-san looked worse for wear than when I saw her during the remedials, and she was skinnier too.
Apparently she’s even more sensitive than I expected.
“Gokigen’yoh, Mochida-san. Is the nurse in? I am here for a bandaid, but…”
“…Ah, she had something to attend to, so she left just now…”
“My, is that so. Then would it be fine if I simply enter?”
It’s just a cut on my fingertips, so it isn’t a big deal, but it hurts so I wanted a bandaid.
My friends all told me “Reika-sama, please quickly treat your hand!” too. They actually wanted to come with me to the infirmary, but I thought it was a bit much for such a small injury, so I turned them down and went by myself.
I’m glad I did. Imagine how much worse it would be if they were here.
I grabbed one of the cotton balls soaked in disinfectant with some tweezers, and then sterilised my fingertip.
I wasn’t using my good hand though, so it was quite hard and clumsy.
“Mochida-san, could I trouble you to help me with the bandaid? I do not think it would go well using my left hand.”
“Eh-”
Mochida-san had been sitting there with her head hung, and her hands over her stomach. When I called out to her, she looked up at me in surprise.
I held out the bandaid to her.
Although she was timid, she took it from me, and taped up my finger.
“Are you all right, Mochida-san?”
“Eh-”
“You do not look well.”
“Ah-, …yes. I’m fine…”
“I see.”
The world isn’t filled with heroes who’ll save people from their crises. In the end, you have to take care of your problems yourself.
But I think that you still need emotional support for that.
“Hey, Mochida-san. Won’t you become my friend?”
“Eh-!”
It probably wouldn’t be possible to have her join my group. She’s just too different. If I asked it as a favour, I think the other girls would agree, but it would be hard because they would still have nothing to talk about.
“Greeting each other in the mornings, and emailing each other on our phones. That kind of friend. Ah, which reminds me, do you in fact have a phone?”
“Y-, Yes.”
“Then won’t you exchange your mail address with me? Message me when you have nothing to do, or when you feel like talking, for example. I mightn’t be able to answer straight away, though.”
When I was given the silent treatment in my old life, it was during break times and lunch times that I had it the hardest.
Because I couldn’t talk to anybody, I spoke to imaginary friends in my mind.
If Mochida-san has somebody to talk to, maybe things will be easier on her.
And if people know that I’m on good terms with her, the way people see her should change.
“Umm, I am actually somewhat aware of the situation you have found yourself in. But I do not think that it would be best for you if I confront them directly. It would probably only add oil to the fire, and you too would not appreciate being outed as a bullying victim in front of everyone, correct?”
“…”
“So please hold on for a while longer. Just do things with your head held high. There isn’t any reason to hang your head. And perhaps, trim your fringe a little? I think it might make your face look a little brighter. If you have complaints, then I will listen, so message me. All right? If after all of that, you still find it too much, then at that time I will definitely help you.”
Mochida-san began to cry. Large tears dropped from her face.
I just stayed quiet, and stroked her skinny back.101Please respect copyright.PENANAHiP1vrhTIT
Starting the next day, I began intimately greeting her whenever we passed in the hallway.
My friends all looked shocked, so I explained to them that she helped me with my bandaid in the infirmary. One of the older sister-types in my group said “It looks like Reika-sama has been in your care. Thank you very much.” like she was my guardian or something, so we all had a good laugh.
Later on she sent me faint-hearted messages like “They talked about me behind my back earlier” and “Everybody laughed at me. It hurts.”
Hmmm~ When you mistake the school for the whole world, things like that really hurt, huhh.
She told me before that she liked to draw, so I decided to try advising her to find some hobby friends on the internet and outside of school.
As the days passed by like that, one day, I came across the gyaru-group in the hallway.
Tsuruhana-san looked at me, so I silently looked back.
I don’t know what the future holds, but right now I’m higher in the school hierarchy, and the leader of the biggest girls group in our grade.
Right now, I can’t lose.
I glared at her, and with my gaze I asked her, “Do you intend to pick a fight with me?”
I could feel the air around my friends becoming belligerent as well.
After a while, it was Tsuruhana-san who averted her gaze first, and her group simply continued down the hallway.
…I won.
T-, That was scary. I’ve never been good at dealing with flashy girls like her. Thank goodness they backed down.
The girls around me got angry, saying things like “What’s with her attitude!” but she’ll hear you guys, so please stop.
I’m a coward, so fights are scaryy…101Please respect copyright.PENANAeuvnNKEEmb
After a while, Mochida-san grew gradually more cheerful, and she started being able to talk to her old friends again.
From what I could tell, she was gaining her weight back too. It looks like my weight-gain advice has been working. The trick is to snack before sleeping.
I hear that the badmouthing from Tsuruhana-san’s group has been dying down as well.
About a month later, the messages from Mochida-san finally stopped altogether.101Please respect copyright.PENANAV2JFAYRZpi