She tried hard to get the eraser out from that narrow gap after that. But it was no use. She had to own up to her mistake and tell one of the teachers.
The next day during homeroom, she’d been called into that classroom and made to formally apologize in front of all the Plus students.
“I’m truly sorry for losing an eraser that belongs to someone in this class,” she said, bowing her head.
Even without looking, she could feel the other students sneering at her. After her apology, the guidance counselor—who’d also come along for the ride—spoke up.
“Well then, Ms. Chika Itohi. As punishment for losing this eraser, you are forbidden from using an eraser for the next week. Not just in class, but for homework and independent study as well. If any traces of you having used one are found in your notebooks or worksheets, your test scores will be reduced as an additional penalty. See to it that you bear this in mind.”
“Okay…”
Chika apologized one last time and gave another deep bow. She had that weird gloomy feeling in her chest again, but apart from that, she actually felt pretty good about herself.
The old me would have gotten mad about this and caused a scene. But now I’m able to admit to my mistakes and accept the consequences. I’m making progress, in my own way.
Things were far from perfect, but at least that was something she could be proud of.
✦ ✦ ✦
Several days later, the atmosphere at school was livelier than usual. That was because it was Bazaar Day, a special occasion that came only once a year.
Stalls were set up across the school, just like at a festival. They sold different kinds of food and drink, but also books, accessories, and much more. On Bazaar Day, all classes ended at lunch, and everyone spent the afternoon enjoying themselves. Every student looked forward to this event, and Chika was no exception.
I’d better get my cleaning done fast today. I can’t wait to go check out the bazaar…!
She headed to the Plus classroom with renewed enthusiasm.
However, when she arrived, the teacher in charge of that class was waiting for her.
“Ah, Ms. Itohi. I’ll need you to retrieve that eraser you lost. That means today. You may not leave until the eraser is back in its proper place. Is that understood?”
“O-okay…”
It was so sudden, so unexpected, Chika had no time to take it in or protest. She could only nod and accept it.
It is my fault for losing it, after all…
But even as she thought this, that strange gloomy feeling welled up in her chest again.
✦ ✦ ✦
The students who were cleaning the classroom with her finished up and went to the bazaar. Chika was left behind to try and retrieve the eraser, just like she’d been told.
But like the last time, there was no way she could get it out from the tiny gap between the wall and the lockers. She tried using different objects to reach it, but the eraser was in such an awkward spot that it just rolled around in place, never moving any closer to her. Try as she might, time kept ticking by with nothing to show for it.
What am I going to do…? At this rate, the bazaar will be over soon…
Exhausted and frustrated, Chika felt a little like crying. But just then…
“Hey. Aren’t you mad?”
…somebody spoke up from behind her.
She turned around to see a girl she didn’t know standing there in the classroom. Her hair was completely silver, and she wore a neon-pink hoodie. Her right eye was covered by an eye patch in that same shade of pink, with a crossed-through heart on it.
This girl had a unique fashion sense, to put it mildly. She wasn’t wearing a uniform, so she probably wasn’t a student there. She must have been visiting the bazaar.
The girl spoke again.
“It’s only an eraser, but because of that, you’re not allowed to go the bazaar you’ve been looking forward to so much. They’re just being mean to you at this point. Doesn’t that make you angry? Don’t you want to say anything about it?”
“Well, I…”
How did this girl know about the eraser? Did she go to this school after all, and Chika just didn’t recognize her? That didn’t seem likely. Either way, there was something strange about this girl…
Putting that aside for the moment, Chika shook her head in response to the girl’s question. She took a deep breath and smiled before answering, “No, not at all. A harsh punishment like this might look mean at first, but that’s the way things are here. And it’s for our own good.”
“Your own good…?”
“Yes. I’m talking about us students who couldn’t make it into the Plus classes, of course. Students who don’t have anything special to commend them for.”
She still wasn’t sure who this girl was or how much she knew about the school’s rules. Maybe she should explain them to her so there were no misunderstandings.
“People without any talents or achievements basically have no value,” Chika said. “This school gives those people a chance to break free from that meaningless existence. Even if we can’t do well on tests or in sports or art or anything like that, we can still cultivate beautiful hearts. That’s why the rules are so hard on us—to help our hearts grow.”
The girl in pink took a moment to mull all this over. Then she smiled. “Oh, I get it. This really is a great school, huh? They don’t just test how good you are at studying; they decide how good a person you are, too.”
“Th-that’s right! You asked me if all this made me angry, right? But anger is an ugly, impure emotion. You have to throw it away if you want to have a beautiful heart. If a student who’s not a Plus gets angry, that’s a serious breach of the school rules.”