The next morning, a mood unlike any other hung over the Class 1-D classroom.
Most of the students whispered among themselves, their gazes occasionally drifting toward the red-haired figure at the back of the room as they waited to see how the bullying incident would end.
Ken Sudō sat at his desk, his expression grim.
He gritted his teeth and folded his arms, putting on an "I don't give a damn" act.
But the tip of his foot kept twitching, and the unease in his eyes gave away how anxious he really was.
Lin Mu leaned against his desk, sucking on his first lollipop of the day—strawberry-flavored. That meant one less strawberry lollipop in his stock.
He lazily surveyed the faces around the classroom. Since he was bored, he started scoring everyone's expressions in his head:
Sudō: Putting on a brave face, but panicking like crazy inside. Negative points for acting.
Kanji Ike: Worried, but mostly afraid of getting dragged into it. Genuine.
Haruki Yamauchi: A smug smile at the corner of his mouth. He couldn't wait to see Sudō get into trouble. A scumbag through and through.
Yosuke Hirata: Brow furrowed, thinking about how to help Sudō. Certified good guy.
Suzune Horikita: Expressionless, acting like it had nothing to do with her. Same as always.
Kiyotaka Ayanokoji: Looking like a robot. Could use a little more enthusiasm.
Soon, Lin Mu's gaze settled on the figure in the front row with golden hair that faded toward the ends.
She was looking down at her phone, seemingly checking something.
Almost time.
He silently counted down in his mind.
Class hadn't started yet, and the chatter in the room was growing louder.
Some people began muttering, "This is all Sudō's fault." Others sighed, saying, "There goes this month's points."
A few even