A group of teachers who’d heard the commotion helped diffuse the situation. They took Yoshino to the infirmary since the school nurse was on duty and would ensure she got appropriate care. I tried to go with her, but they rebuffed me: “We can take it from here. Just go back and finish your shift.”
We closed the haunted house temporarily to fix the damaged section of the set. By the time our repairs were done, it was time for the afternoon shift to take over. I wanted to visit Yoshino and see how she was doing, but the group leader and I had received word that the second-years wanted to see us.
They’re probably upset because we caused that uproar, I thought, nervously following the classmate of Chiaki’s who’d come to take us to Class 2-A.
Walking through the classroom curtains, we found ourselves in a dimly lit interior. It shone with a pink glow interspersed with colorful splashes of an indirect neon glimmer. The lighting filled the classroom with a nightclub-like atmosphere that seemed almost inappropriate for high school.
“Come here, Hazuki,” a voice called out way in the back, and I spotted a completely transformed Chiaki. Smoky eyes peeked out from under his wavy wig’s long bangs. The makeup overemphasized his features; it was more like stage makeup than what a normal girl wore. His lipstick—deep red, to match his dress—was slathered on just like a Hollywood actress’s, but it balanced out his large eyes well. He sat cross-legged, and a shapely, completely hairless leg peeked through the high slit that ran up his skirt.
Looking around the classroom, I noticed all the boys cross-dressing wore similar garish clothes and makeup. Some purposely showed off their muscular physiques, while others forewent wigs altogether, sporting their usual short hair. “This is…incredible, Chiaki.”
My brother’s bright-red lips curled into a smile at my impulsive remark. “We went for a drag-queen look instead of copying girls we knew. Don’t we look fabulous?”
Even his tone was high-pitched. I had a feeling he’d decided to go all-in once he knew no one else in our family was coming. Even his flirty gestures were on point—he must’ve spent a lot of time rehearsing and getting into character.
“These little guys seemed to be just itching to leave,” Chiaki drawled. “So, the girls and I made sure to take special care of them.”
He was referring to a group seated around a table at the very back of the classroom. I recognized them as the boys from my group leader’s junior high. They’d gotten a huge kick out of watching the incident with Yoshino unfold, even going as far as taking pictures of the ensuing chaos. When teachers showed up, they’d tried to flee the scene, but Chiaki and his friends stopped them first.
The boys appeared pale and shrunken as the glamorous drag queens surrounded their table. Tono-senpai was in the mix too—his slicked-back hair and black suit and tie looked especially intimidating.
“Since you so kindly joined us, why not at least stay for a drink? It may not look like it, but we don’t serve alcoholic beverages.”
“Perhaps these little kids would like sweet warm milk or something?”
“We’ve got quite the show prepared. I do hope you’re looking forward to it.”
The Class 2-A boys seemed almost giddy with delight. It was hard to believe they were only a year older than our group leader’s friends, who looked like small children in comparison. Tono-senpai noticed my yukata loosening, and he gave me his jacket to cover myself before disappearing somewhere.
“So, boys, how do you know Yoshino?” Chiaki continued.
“We just went to the same junior high. It’s not a big deal,” one replied. “It isn’t like we came here for her anyway. We just wanted to see our old baseball team captain.”
“These guys weren’t invited in the first place!” a different boy protested. “They just started tagging along out of nowhere!”
The guys from the baseball team were already throwing each other under the bus. They squabbled like whining puppies until a single glare from Chiaki silenced them.
“All right,” he said. “It isn’t fair to keep anyone here who wasn’t involved. If that’s the case, you’re free to leave.”
At Chiaki’s prompting, the boys our group leader had actually invited rose from the table and walked away. As they passed their former captain, I heard them apologize; all he gave them in return was a silent nod. He knew exactly what had happened in Yoshino’s past; I was confident he hadn’t invited any of her bullies.
Only three boys remained—the same three in the group that had encountered Yoshino. They were apparently also the ones who’d snapped pictures from the crowd afterward.
“First off,” said Chiaki, “how about you delete those pictures?”
“We didn’t take any.”
“Don’t you lie to me!” Chiaki bellowed threateningly.
That seemed to do the trick. Looking terrified, one boy showed my brother his phone. I saw a snapshot of me cradling Yoshino. Her yukata was open, revealing her legs and a glimpse of her undershirt. He must’ve had his finger on the shutter the whole time; the entire camera roll was full of similar pictures.
“Did you upload any of these?”
“No.”
“Did you send any to a group chat?”
“No.”
Chiaki and the other second-year boys examined the phone. Thankfully, it seemed like they’d captured the troublemakers before they distributed any photos. The upperclassman deleted the images one after another.
Then, grimacing, Chiaki watched a video they’d taken. Yoshino’s screams echoed through the hallway as I desperately gave chase, calling after her. Our voices mixed with peals of laughter from the cameraman. There was no doubt about it—these had to be the boys who’d bullied Yoshino in junior high.
“Since you deleted all the photos, can we go now?” one boy asked brazenly, seeming completely calm and collected. “It’s not like we go to this school, so we won’t see her again. That’s good enough, right?”
The malicious laughter in their video kept ringing in my ears. Just hearing it quickly conjured images of the torture Yoshino must’ve experienced all those years.
“Why did you bully her?” I couldn’t help but ask.
“No real reason. It was just a way to kill time,” he answered nonchalantly.
At that moment, Tono-senpai returned carrying a tray of drinks. He silently set glasses of water in front of the boys, then returned to where Chiaki and his other classmates sat.
“I know this wasn’t always the case, but these days, you get in serious trouble for bullying,” Tono-senpai said. “Didn’t you think about the consequences to yourselves?”
“It’s not like my parents could do anything about it,” the boy replied.
“Why would you say that?” Tono-senpai asked calmly, keeping his emotions in check.
The boy heaved a big sigh. “Because Somei and I are siblings.”
I was so taken aback, I couldn’t help butting in. “What’d you just say?”
“To be more specific, we’re half-siblings. We both take after our moms, so we don’t look much like each other. We definitely have the same dad, though.”
His unexpected confession silenced the entire room—us and his own friends alike.
He was still using the same nonchalant tone, but I spied his feet tapping nervously under the table. “It didn’t seem like Somei had a clue, but I overheard Dad discussing it with my mom one night while they looked at a student list for my class. I never knew Dad was on his second marriage until then.”
“Why would that make you bully her?” I pressed.
“Why? Because I’m the victim here. I was shocked to learn my dad was divorced. Plus, I was pissed that they hid the fact I had a sibling from me.”
Our group leader mumbled the boy’s name under his breath. The bully’s surname was common, so unless she knew his full name already, Yoshino’s mother probably wouldn’t have realized he was her ex’s son—not even if she saw a class list.
Yoshino had suffered horrible bullying without even knowing why. This boy had traumatized her until she was too terrified even to speak in front of men, and the mere sight of his face had sent her into a panic.
“The school called my parents in after Somei transferred, but Dad didn’t say anything. At home, we just pretend she doesn’t exist. What’s wrong with that?”
He seemed so unapologetic. I was completely dumbfounded.
Yoshino had always longed for a sibling. She often mentioned how jealous she was of Chiaki and me, how maybe her life would’ve been different if she grew up with a brother. And yet, here he was, the flesh-and-blood brother she’d always longed for was the one who’d caused her so much anguish.
No one in the room knew what to say after the boy’s shocking revelation. His expression turned triumphant as he took in our stunned reactions.
Tono-senpai broke the long silence. “So, that’s how it went down. Thanks for putting your cards on the table.”
He started to hand the bully’s phone back, but just before the boy took it, Tono-senpai let go. The phone splashed into a glass of water, and the boy gave a small yelp, leaning to fetch it out.
But Tono-senpai grabbed his collar and pulled him close. “You, the victim?” he whispered. “Don’t make me laugh. The one you should be upset with is your own father. Yoshino didn’t do anything wrong.”
The bully kept glaring at Tono-senpai, although the color drained quickly from his face. “That girl was just coming to school without a care in the world. She didn’t have a damn clue.”
“If it bothered you so much, why didn’t you tell her what was going on? I’m guessing you stayed silent because you felt inferior to her, huh?” Tono-senpai was dressed like a bouncer, but there was something almost feminine about the way he was talking. Maybe the glitzy café atmosphere was affecting him too.
Since this boy and Yoshino were in the same school year, their mother’s pregnancies—and other interactions with their father—must’ve overlapped. If word of their father’s dalliances got out, it wasn’t out of the question that people would spread rumors about the man’s son. Neither child was to blame for their parents’ actions, but this boy couldn’t deny that he was the product of his father’s affair.
“Did you bully Yoshino because you were scared of being bullied yourself?” Tono-senpai whispered in the boy’s ear.
He seemed to have the bully’s motives completely figured out; the younger boy’s pale face flushed red instantly.
“You sorry excuse for a man,” Tono-senpai snapped. He released the boy’s collar and watched as he tumbled to the ground and then sat back up on the floor. “Go back home and suck your mommy’s tits,” Tono-senpai seethed at the boy, with a coldness in his eyes I’d never seen before.
Yoshino, my heart cried out her name. Yoshino, the one you love is protecting you.