The Person Persecuted by Kujo

In front of the girls' restroom in the school building.

The smell of disinfectant was exceptionally pungent.

Manabe Shiho pressed her back tightly against the cold tiled wall behind her, her fingernails digging almost into her palms.

Why?

Why was this happening?

I haven't done anything wrong, so why am I being cornered by this guy now?

Manabe Shiho, the leader of the gyaru group in Class C, was currently facing the most dangerous person in her own class.

Kujo Makoto.

Kujo had a terrible reputation in Class C.

Because not only had he managed to woo the class's most well-behaved honor student, Shiina Hiyori, just days after school started.

In terms of physique, he was no match for the strongest person in the class, Albert.

In terms of character, he was no match for the class bully, Ryuen.

Even Sakagami couldn't do anything about Kujo.

All signs pointed to Kujo being the true mastermind behind Class C.

Hadn't everyone noticed that Kujo didn't even have to attend class?

Wasn't that the hallmark of a high-level delinquent?

Rumors had long been circulating in the class.

Ryuen was merely his puppet.

And now, facing Kujo head-on, Manabe felt that those weren't just rumors.

"Why are you so afraid of me?"

Usually, Manabe would be with her group of friends, using their numbers to bolster her courage, allowing her to stir up trouble outside the classroom.

But alone, suddenly facing someone as dangerous as Kujo.

Manabe lacked the confidence.

Even though Kujo hadn't said a word yet, she had already confessed every bad thing she had done recently to him.

Kujo looked bewildered; was he really that scary?

Wang Meiyu from Class D liked Hirata Yosuke.

Kushida Kikyo from Class D had learned of the situation and wanted to help Wang Meiyu.

Karuizawa and her group from Class D had also found out and supported setting up Wang Meiyu and Hirata Yosuke.

Manabe had learned the news from Kushida.

But it seemed someone in Class C also had a crush on Hirata Yosuke from Class D.

After all, he was an excellent boy; whether in terms of appearance or other aspects, Hirata was considered a high-value asset in the grade.

So, Manabe wanted to cause trouble.

Karuizawa's group found out.

And so, they started arguing.

"Wait. Who is Karuizawa?"

Kujo keenly sensed the anomaly caused by the butterfly effect.

Shouldn't Karuizawa be choosing to fake a relationship with Hirata at this point to maintain her gyaru persona, becoming his nominal girlfriend?

Karuizawa was a fake gyaru, not a real one.

How did she get involved with a real gyaru like you, who is covered in accessories from head to toe?

In the original story, Karuizawa's life before enrollment had been traumatized by a group of gyarus.

Now you're telling me that someone so afraid of gyarus took the initiative to seek them out?

Even if she brought people with her, Kujo felt it didn't make much sense.

As for leaking information about the girls in her class to another class, tying that to someone like Kushida Kikyo.

Kujo felt that was perfectly reasonable; it sounded like the kind of absurd thing she would do.

The matter of Wang Meiyu liking Hirata Yosuke seemed to be a thing in the descriptions of the original story.

Quickly, Kujo weighed the pros and cons.

"Let me confirm, is Wang Meiyu an international student?"

Manabe was stunned, looked Kujo up and down, and then spoke bluntly, dropping a bombshell:

"You already have a good girl like Shiina, and you want another one? It seems you're not such a good guy either."

Without waiting for Kujo to reply, Manabe looked at him as if he were trash, finally pulling out her phone and reciting a string of numbers with resignation.

Manabe knew that the circles among delinquents were chaotic, and she knew the rules.

Although her words just now had been offensive, Manabe pretended she had never said anything at all.

Just think of it as paying protection money.

She was crystal clear on that.

Kujo did not rush to leave, continuing to ask Manabe:

"If Ryuen ordered you not to reveal any information to me, what would you do?"

Manabe cursed Kujo in her heart, but on the surface, she forced herself to stay calm and replied:

"I wouldn't say a word, even if you beat me to death."

Kujo said to Manabe again:

"If you don't talk, I'll hit you."

Manabe truly cowered, and she said to Kujo sullenly:

"I'll tell you everything."

Hearing this, Kujo rubbed his chin and asked curiously:

"Aren't you afraid Ryuen will have you expelled?"

Manabe thought for a moment and said:

"Then I'd intentionally mislead you, tell you something else..."

Manabe realized that this was because Kujo didn't believe what she had said before.

After figuring that out, Manabe hurriedly bowed to apologize to Kujo; even though she hadn't lied, she still had to apologize.

Although bowing to apologize wasn't a big deal in Japan.

Kujo was already used to it, but he really couldn't bear to look.

"Although you aren't very bright, I more or less understand Ryuen's thinking now."

After all, sending such a smoke screen out to do work, the paralyzing effect it could bring to the opponent was evident.

Even if she were expelled, Kujo figured Manabe would continue to hang around in her own unique circles.

Or rather, even in a corporate setting, Kujo felt she would only be an excellent office pantry employee.

A staff member who spreads gossip but is loyal to her friends.

That should be quite common here in Japan.

Kujo sighed, then he warned Manabe:

"Don't go spreading today's events around. As for you, don't cause trouble for Hiyori later."

Manabe understood.

From now on, that Shiina, no, Lady Shiina, would be her big sister.

Kujo left.

Manabe sat on the ground in a state of relief, in that uniquely Japanese seiza-like position.

But before she could even return to the classroom, Ryuen was already waiting for her halfway there.

"What did that guy want with you?"

Good heavens.

Are you two sure you aren't teaming up to mess with me?

"You don't think I can't tell when you're lying, do you? Don't look at me like that, I didn't send anyone to follow you. You've seen that guy, haven't you? Anyone who has seen him should understand; look at you, you're still trembling all over."

No one knew what Manabe and Ryuen talked about afterward.

On the other hand, Kujo sought out Hirata Yosuke from Class D.

When he asked Ichinose to organize the Student Council, Kujo only mentioned the names of Kushida and Horikita, but in reality, the person who truly held influence in Class D was the boy named Hirata who was running toward him from not far away.

In the original story, Hirata served as the early leader of Class D, possessing the support of the majority of the class.

Therefore, if he wanted to get the entire Class D to take action, the other party's existence was indispensable.

And as the most popular boy in the grade, Hirata could be said to have readily agreed to Kujo's meeting, even rejecting a date invitation from a girl in the same grade before leaving.

"Quite popular, aren't you?"

Watching Hirata hurry over, Kujo couldn't help but tease him.

Hirata's reaction was just like the main lead of a teen romance drama; he laughed brightly.

Faced with such an easygoing attitude, Kujo felt the gap between people, and he decided to get straight to the point.

The reason Kujo had come over this time was to persecute the other party.

"Hirata, do you still remember me?"

The sudden question left Hirata at a loss, and he began to look Kujo up and down, scrutinizing him carefully.

It seemed he and Kujo did not know each other?

Hirata shook his head:

"I'm sorry, Kujo-kun, I..."

Kujo interrupted his apology and told a lie on the spot:

"I am a childhood friend of the person you hurt back then."

Hearing something so unbelievable, Hirata stopped in his tracks, completely unable to process it.

"What did you say?"

Kujo refined the lie once more:

"Do you remember the boy you stood by and watched suffer back in middle school?"

Without a doubt, Kujo's instant opening move left Hirata completely stunned.

Hirata's pupils gradually turned hollow, and he clutched his head with both hands, as if he had finally recalled the nightmare of those years.

To think there was someone with such poor psychological resilience.

Kujo sighed and continued:

"Do you understand now? You have no right to call me 'Kujo-kun', because you aren't worthy."

Considering that the place where they were talking was bustling with people.

Hirata was quite popular throughout Advanced Nurturing High School.

Kujo had no choice but to threaten him while dragging Hirata toward a more secluded area.

Along the way, he even had to explain to passing students that Hirata was feeling unwell and that he was just helping him out.

Regardless, it was truly troublesome; he should have said it later if he had known.

"So, what do you want me to do?"

Hirata had completely given up resisting at this point.

He slumped onto the ground, his back leaning against the wall, his bangs completely obscuring his eyes.

Kujo clicked his tongue.

"If I beat you up, would you feel better? Who are you putting on this show for? Have you thought about his feelings? Have you thought about the feelings of all the students you bullied afterward?"

In the original story, Hirata had a close friend in middle school who was frequently bullied, and he had once ignored his friend's plea for help, choosing to remain a bystander.

Later, that bullied friend chose to commit suicide; although he did not succeed, he lost the opportunity to continue attending school.

The bullies not only went unpunished but even began looking for their next target.

Hirata blamed all the guilt on his own failure to intervene at the time, and it was right then that he suddenly had a realization.

Afterward, he used violence to control the entire school, becoming the only person in the whole school who bullied others.

Until he arrived at Advanced Nurturing High School, Hirata had wanted to change his past self countless times.

He wanted to become someone the students of Class D could rely on.

He wanted to earn the trust of everyone in Class D.

He wanted to completely change his past self.

And because of that.

After learning about the school's rules online, he was the first, and the most diligent, to take action for his classmates.

Because Hirata was once accustomed to using violence to rule over others.

He felt no fear when facing those in Class D who were also accustomed to using violence.

He had even more experience dealing with the disobedient and uncooperative people in Class D; as long as he persuaded them one by one and shamelessly followed them around, it would work.

Even if he was misunderstood as a pervert, Hirata didn't care at all.

At least during the first month, he still felt that everything was going smoothly.

Everything he did was for the sake of everyone in Class D.

But, has it finally come to an end?

Yeah...

Someone like him was never worthy of redemption in the first place. What was he still thinking about at this point?

"Do it, beat me until you're satisfied."

Hirata was already in despair, just mindlessly repeating the request for Kujo to strike him.

Watching Hirata like this, Kujo crouched down and said to him:

"Stay at this school and do not drop out; that is your punishment. I have recorded everything we just said, including your past, and someone suitable will come to help you later."

"Why?"

"Because I believe you have the ability to change Class D. I won't do anything to you. If you feel guilty toward me or toward him, then try to change this school, just like you did in the past—doing things to protect your most important companions, only this time, not with your fists."

"I don't understand."

"The first person to drop out of this school will be the one you call a companion."

"..."

"Oh, right. Later, Ichinose will come to your class to hold a study session. You should have Horikita look after the students with high grades; she excels in all subjects and can help those who are good at studying but have weak spots. Let Kushida look after the students who are failing everything; those ignorant guys have no defense against her. As for you, just look after Horikita and Kushida. They both have miserable pasts just like you."

To be precise, only Kushida had a past similar to Hirata's.

Horikita Suzune had been placed in Class D for entirely different reasons.

But Hirata didn't know this, and it didn't matter even if Kujo had said something wrong.

Until Kujo left, Hirata didn't show any reaction.

The students placed in Class D at this school were all people with such pasts.

If no one saved them, they would remain "defective products" forever.

In the original story, Hirata collapsed during the expulsion exam at the end of his first year.

The reason was Yamauchi's expulsion.

Even though Yamauchi had betrayed the class, Hirata still regarded him as a companion.

And in the end, Ayanokoji saved him.

After Kujo walked away.

It started to rain.

Even though his pants were soaked and his hair was sticky, Hirata chose not to get up.

Picking up his phone, he dialed Chabashira's number.

"Teacher, our Class D wants to organize a study session for the midterm exams. Yes, sorry to trouble you to come to the classroom. Okay, thank you."

"Hm?"

"My voice? It's nothing, Teacher. I... I'm just chopping onions."