Classroom of the Elite, A Hypocritical Gray Life

I used my spare time to read another supernatural story, this one titled "Footsteps in the Hallway." After finishing it, I let out a long sigh and listened carefully to the noisy footsteps echoing outside the classroom.

If the footsteps in ghost stories were anything like these, there would be absolutely no reason to be afraid; after all, it's far too lively out there. But even if it were exactly as the book described, it would still be incredibly boring. If only there were truly powerful demons and ghosts in reality, then life wouldn't feel so mundane and dull...

What am I thinking? Isn't this peaceful daily life exactly what I wanted?

I cleared the chaotic thoughts from my mind and glanced to the side to check the time as dusk approached.

Come to think of it, the stories always take place at dusk or at night, so why have I never encountered anything? I'm always out under the streetlights during every dusk and night. As one of the few people who leaves school latest every day, I've always remained safe and sound.

It's not that I stay until this hour every day to run into some once-in-a-millennium demon or ghost, nor am I doing anything shady; I simply hate trouble. I hate being caught in the middle of a crowd.

From the moment the school bell rings for the first time, the ceiling starts to vibrate with restless, rapid-fire movement, followed immediately by a tide of people flooding the school gate. I should clarify: I don't mind a bustling, chaotic situation, but being a part of it myself is an entirely different matter.

Therefore, I chose to linger for the sake of that long-lasting peace, though I also harbored a sliver of luck that I might catch a glimpse of supernatural power.

However, so far, I've only stumbled upon other people's secrets and acts of violence.

All of which were just human affairs.

After clarifying the usage of Ichinose's words, "Please remember to wait for me after school," I decided to leave the classroom first. You might not have caught it yet, but the underlying meaning of that sentence was a hint for us to meet up separately. In other words, Ichinose didn't want others to know our whereabouts.

Setting aside whether she was shy or not, this actually made things easier for me. It wouldn't be too conspicuous, and I could easily explain it to Shiratori and the others.

In fact, if the students of Class B were to discover me alone with Ichinose even once, the rumors about our relationship would spiral out of control. The situation is already bad enough; although they haven't openly teased me, the malice behind my back is as clear as day.

Furthermore, the most important point is that Ichinose hasn't made any clarifications regarding this matter. My one-sided explanation would only muddy the waters and might even lead to further misunderstandings.

Thinking of this, I couldn't help but speed up my movements and quickly left my seat. However, the moment I took my first step, Ichinose grabbed me.

"Did Raku forget what you promised me?"

"I didn't forget." So, please let go already.

"Then wasn't it agreed that we would go together?"

"..."

I see. It seems I was just being narcissistic. There was no "splitting up to meet later"—I really did split my own head from my body.

"I thought Ichinose meant for me to wait for you over there..."

"Let's just go together. I want to resolve this matter as soon as possible."

"I-is it that urgent?"

"Yes. Actually, if this matter isn't resolved, I don't think I'll be able to eat or sleep peacefully for even a single second."

Resolving a matter... why does that sound so strange? Does it really have anything to do with a confession?

Filled with confusion, I followed Ichinose to the back of the gymnasium. Once we arrived, I began to look around. There were several spots nearby suitable for hiding, the blind spots for security cameras were countless, and the area was rarely visited by people.

Terrifying!

The best spot for a confession and the best spot for a violent brawl had converged into one. I could already smell the scent of blood in every sense of the word. Setting aside whether Ichinose would confess to me, at the very least, she definitely wouldn't lay a hand on me. Even if that ruthless streak were truly hidden in her bones, sorry, but I am extremely skilled at running away.

"This is the place." After confirming, Ichinose turned around, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

"A confession--"

Has it finally come? I struggled to suppress the trembling in my heart and faced Ichinose with a calm expression.

"I am going to be confessed to by someone else here."

"..."

"..."

Huh? Was it really up to me to take the initiative? Then--

I also took a deep breath, thinking about how to respond to Ichinose's expectations. However, what happened next caused a state of stunned silence—a rarity for me in a hundred years—to reveal its mysterious presence.

"This might sound a bit strange, but please, Raku, take a look at this letter first."

"..."

What does this mean? She wanted me to take the initiative, yet she handed me a love letter first? Have confession rituals evolved to be this complex? Or did I misunderstand something?

"Um, this letter..."

"A lo-love letter... A love letter someone wrote to me..." Under my insistence, Ichinose was forced to explain.

A love letter written to Ichinose by someone else... Ha, haha...

I knew it. How could a school-idol-level goddess confess to an ordinary student like me? Everything was just my own fantasy. After finally having a dream-like development straight out of a romance novel in reality, I didn't expect to fail so thoroughly this time.

Even though my heart was aching terribly, I didn't show it on my face. Instead, I put on a calm facade and reached out to take the love letter from Ichinose's hand. This was probably the last shred of a man's dignity.

"But is this really okay? Letting me read a love letter someone wrote to you."

"If Raku hadn't read it, I don't think you would have believed me no matter what..."

Believe... what can I even believe at this point?

I presumptuously opened the letter and read through the work. There was no problem with the content; it detailed when the writer started caring for Ichinose, when they realized their feelings, and their decision to confess.

So, where is the problem? And what is the favor Ichinose wanted me to do?

After reading the content two or three times, I still couldn't see what was wrong. Then, I began to pay attention to the peripheral details of the letter.

No signature... which means the person confessing is unclear, though this handwriting does seem familiar...

"This letter... could it have been written by Shiranami?" Although it was hard to believe, Holmes was correct. Reasoning is nothing more than clarifying the various possibilities that could occur, then carefully examining, screening, and eliminating them one by one. Eliminate all that is impossible, and whatever remains, no matter how incredible, must be the truth.

"Has Raku already figured it out? It's that girl, Chihiro."

As a human being, Ichinose, is your "lethality" perhaps a bit too powerful?

"If I may ask, what is it that you want, Ichinose?"

"I want to reject Chihiro's confession this time... I have always looked at Chihiro as a younger sister and a friend, but I don't know if we can maintain our current relationship after this happens. I want to avoid hurting each other as much as possible, so I came to ask Raku for help."

"...I understand the gist of the situation. However, you should be well-versed in handling these kinds of confessions by now, Ichinose. Do you still need help even with that?"

"I'm not well-versed at all; this is the first time I've encountered a situation like this."

"Has no one ever confessed to you before, Ichinose? Back in middle school?"

"Ab, absolutely not! That's why I came to ask Raku for help."

That's a lie, isn't it? Could it be that Ichinose went to an all-girls school before? How could something like this... No, if this kind of thing can't be explained, then the relationship between Ayanokoji and me really won't be clear.

"The problem is, I don't have any experience either. Or have you already thought of a countermeasure, Ichinose?"

The current situation is two people with zero romantic experience sitting together, deliberating on how to end a romance from the very beginning at an equal cost. A plan to reject a confession without hurting the other person—based on my current understanding of Shiranami, that is an impossibility.

Then, I heard the plan Ichinose proposed.

"Um, I've already thought about it... I... I would like to ask Raku to pretend to be my boyfriend. Is, is that okay?"

"...Sorry, I didn't hear you clearly."

"Could you please be my boyfriend, Raku..." Ichinose gathered her courage and said it again.

So in the end, I still got confessed to, even if it's just a pretense.

Chapter 29: Those Who Are Hurt

Why do humans feel hurt?

When I began to ponder this question, I suddenly realized that even after thousands of years, the human mind has failed to undergo any metamorphosis. In these two full millennia, all we have changed is the form of expression; the fundamental meaning has not changed at all.

The reason humans feel hurt is that there exists a "small self" within everyone's heart, and this determines the root of being hurt.

Whatever you care about becomes your weakness.

Whatever you do not care about may still impose limitations upon you.

Humans are such fragile things; no matter which way you turn, there is trauma.

The reason for being hurt is that we care, and the reason others are hurt is the same. You care about the feelings of others, and in order not to hurt them, you end up turning yourself into the victim.

Thus, the tragic cycle of this world appears, and the human heart gradually loses its way once again.

Perhaps, if everyone thought about minimizing the other person's pain as much as possible, it could be easily resolved. Of course, choosing to turn oneself into a cold-blooded creature, like someone else, is also a viable method.

When avoidance becomes reality, then no matter what, you cannot be defeated, right?

So, it's quite simple, isn't it?

1

"Actually, I've done a lot of research recently and found that [having a partner you are currently dating] is the one thing that can minimize the hurt others receive."

Without personal experience, she simply listened to the hearsay of others.

One must know that human emotions are often most hurtful when they are fraudulent. Even a direct rejection cannot compare to the cruelty of deception.

"...We aren't a couple in the true sense. Starting from our normal relationship and status, this lie will be exposed sooner or later. Won't the hurt Shiranami receives be even worse then? She might even start thinking things like, 'Ichinose went as far as finding some random boy to slander her own purity just to reject my confession.'"

"Some random boy... but Raku and I are often mistaken for a couple in class anyway, so it won't be discovered..."

At least in the near future, Shiranami shouldn't harbor any suspicions about this.

However, I did not intend to follow Ichinose's script; I also needed to make her understand a few things more clearly in the future. Since I want things to be ordinary, then an open action that masks my true purpose is necessary.

Thinking of this, I stepped forward, forcing Ichinose back against the tall wall of the gymnasium.

"Raku?"

"Actually, I wanted to say that your plan is full of holes, Ichinose, so I have a suggestion."

"What suggestion..."

I slowly braced my hand against the wall beside Ichinose, my arm slightly bent, closing the distance between her and me. It was to the point where our faces were almost touching; I could feel the warmth of her breath, the pounding of her heart, and the nervousness of her swallowing.

"That, Raku..." Ichinose hurriedly placed both hands against my chest, making a gesture to push me away, but she did not explicitly refuse.

"Pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend might be difficult, so I suggest—let's date."

"Eh?"

"I mean that I like you, Ichinose." I considered that I used the most sincere attitude I could muster in my life to say these words, yet in return, there was absolutely no ripple in the depths of my own heart.

"Don't joke around at a time like this, Raku..." As she said this, Ichinose turned her head away, not daring to look me in the eyes, and the hands pressed against my chest unconsciously clawed at my sleeves. I pinched Ichinose's chin, forcing her to meet my gaze.

"Joke or not, it doesn't matter. Perhaps the first time I saw you on the bus, I fell for you, Ichinose. So, please be my girlfriend."

Faced with my sincere attitude, Ichinose finally began to waver. Her eyelids fluttered incessantly before me, and her gaze darted about in panic. I could feel that she was trying her best to stop my body from leaning in, yet those small hands clutching my collar were pulling me even closer.

There are many ways to confess, and among them, the wall-pin confession has the highest success rate, bar none. This is because the assertive nature of a wall-pin radiates a unique charm while simultaneously creating a sense of pressure.

This pressure easily triggers a sense of "panic" within others, causing their heart rate to accelerate. Furthermore, because the human subconscious cannot distinguish the cause of this reaction, it is highly likely to misattribute it to "romantic attraction," leading the person to accept the confession.

In other words, a response given during a wall-pin cannot be considered a factual one. At best, it is merely an animal instinct.

"C-can you give me some time to think about it?"

"No, I want to hear your answer right now."

"H-how could you..."

"So, what does Ichinose think?"

"I-I'm sorry... I don't have those kinds of feelings right now... at least—"

"Isn't that just fine?" After receiving the "answer," I let go of Ichinose's chubby cheeks and stepped back with ease. "Ichinose just needs to be as straightforward with Shiranami as you were just now."

"..." Ichinose had yet to recover from the performance just now, staring at me in a daze.

"Sorry, did I scare you?"

"That just now was..."

"Consider it a rehearsal before the actual performance."

"T-that's too much. Who in the world rehearses something like this!" As she said this, Ichinose glared at me with a weak, huffy expression.

"I'm sorry, I didn't intend to make Ichinose go through something like this. But in order to experience the disparity in mindset, I had no other choice."

Behind the gymnasium was a wide path, and along the side of the path were tall, lush green plants.

"Having gone through that rehearsal, Ichinose should at least be able to feel how difficult it is to say 'I like you' or 'I'm sorry, I don't like you'."

"Those who fall in love are eager to express their feelings. However, not knowing what kind of outcome awaits them after a reckless confession, they become terrified. Thus, they can only transform their unrequited feelings into daydreams that haunt their thoughts, while simultaneously simulating intimate scenes in their minds."

"This can only be a temporary strategy. As the saying goes, paper cannot wrap up fire; those with unrequited love will eventually utter the words of a confession. But, will that simple confession really gush out like water that can no longer be contained within a wooden bucket?"