When I looked at her, I saw a human—a real flesh-and-blood person. I felt ashamed about the way I’d dismissed her as just another teacher who happened to be short and a woman.
I knew one thing for sure. She was not our enemy. For all we hated her, she was in the same boat.
“…What the hell?”
Ookuma was long gone, and there was no one else around. I could leave, but I found myself still sitting there in the quiet preparations room.
My feet felt heavy, but my heart was even heavier. It felt like the dim classroom had filled with oil and I was trapped at the bottom. A sick feeling welled up inside me, and I didn’t have to wonder why.
This sucked. I hadn’t heard a grown-up cry since my mother broke down during the divorce eight years ago.
Adults only cried when they were pushed to the brink. Like when they felt they had to choose divorce, no matter what it did to their kids. When they had nowhere else to turn; when reality clashed so hard with their ideals that they didn’t know what else to do; when their reason failed them and passed over into raw emotion—only then did their tears flow.
And who was it that drove Ookuma that far into a corner?
We had. This was on us.
We’d spent our summer vacation trying to outdo Nanaougi and venting all our frustrations with Saigou High’s awful summer program. And as a result, we’d brought trouble crashing down on Ookuma’s head. We’d pushed her until all she could do was cry, until her emotions burst through the dam of her reason.
I know. I get it. I should just blame the school for everything. I should laugh it off and tell myself that it serves her right.
Kurumi and I had vowed to take revenge for our personal grievances and bring a warped kind of justice to this school. And to do that, we’d followed our instincts and done as we pleased.
Even now, I didn’t doubt the things we stood for or the methods we’d used one bit.
Ookuma had joined in the verbal abuse. She’d done bad things, too. We weren’t about to let a few tears stop us. We couldn’t afford to.
…And yet none of that made me feel any better.
That was probably because I knew what we were doing wasn’t black and white.
I thought I’d understood that. I’d come here to eavesdrop on Nanaougi and figure out what she was after, but what I’d wound up hearing had upset me more than I ever expected.
God, I’m still so weak.
I longed to run back to Kurumi and lose myself in a kiss. It was all I could think about.
“…Guess I’ll head back.”
I got up and took a deep breath to settle myself down.
For now, I’d pretend I hadn’t heard anything.
Back on my feet, I stepped into the hall…and found a little notebook lying on the floor.
I picked it up. It was a standard planner, like you might find anywhere.
What was it doing here? Did someone lose it?
Planners like these had a place to write your name, in case they got lost. It wouldn’t take me long to track down the owner. I figured I might as well return it.
Without any further thought, I flipped open the notebook…and instantly regretted it.
“Hoo boy.”
A chill ran down my spine. If only I’d left the notebook where I’d found it.
Now I couldn’t just look away.
From the lost planner, you ask?
…No. From the human being named Kanae Ookuma.