Our Equal-Opportunity Bullying

Every month at this school felt like a race against death. Everyone seemed like a gambler.

The former Class A had fallen behind after just two months, nearly sounding an alarm for them. The contrast was enormous. In the first month, they had been so confident.

The students of the former Class B were cheering. Whatever else might be said, graduating from Class A really did come with many benefits. For them as a whole, the next step wasn't to attack but to defend—and that was much easier to handle than going on the offensive.

The Class B homeroom teacher remained as indifferent as ever, doing things the same way she always did. Reeking of alcohol, she showed up in class to announce the wonderful news, then nearly fell asleep at the lectern while bowing to everyone in Class B.

Class C hadn't changed positions, but its unity had improved tremendously. They'd all become Ryuen Kakeru's people. Tragic.

Class D was even worse. Forget unity—the place was about to explode.

Sudo Ken. Beihai remembered that red-haired guy well enough. After all, he'd picked a fight with the second-years in the very first month of school. It was the same old story: Sakura's distinctive hierarchy. You were lucky if your seniors didn't beat your ass black and blue.

But that wasn't the point. The point was that Sudo was a hotheaded idiot. His temper was like a powder keg—one spark and he'd blow.

Now, faced with the homeroom teacher's explanation, Sudo couldn't calm down or think things through. All he could do was keep insisting he'd been wronged.

Maybe that earlier fight where he'd taken on three guys had been a misunderstanding, maybe he'd been framed. But now, if he ran into them again, he really might elbow one of them.

"Quiet. Whether or not it happened exactly as you say, those three Class C Basketball Club members have already reported you to the school. They've accused you of attacking them at the club and injuring them."

As soon as Sudo Ken heard that, he was up in arms, nearly doing an impression of a crow flying across the desks.

"I was acting in self-defense! Those three bastards came looking for trouble first."

Sae Chabashira was getting a headache. I've been explaining this for ages, and you're still going on about how you were wronged. What good does shouting about it do?

"But no one witnessed it, and there's no evidence. Either accept your fate and face judgment, or find a way to prove your innocence. The Student Council will be involved, and the punishment will be a deduction of points."

Hearing that, Sudo Ken had something else to say.

"What evidence? I already told you I was framed. Isn't that enough?

If I could really take on three guys at once, I'd be the real-life Darius. Who could stop me from dunking on them? I'd already be on the national team."

He sounded genuinely wronged. After all, taking on three people at once—what was he, some martial arts expert?

Unfortunately, it did no good. In Class D, only two people wanted to help him: the good-natured Yosuke Hirata and the fake angel Kikyo.

Everyone else was piling on. "I knew he should've dropped out back then."

"Now he's dragging down the whole class."

"I always thought he should've dropped out sooner, before he could drag everyone else down."

"Exactly, exactly. I thought so too."

"I saw it coming."

"Same here."

Class D had gone so long without earning any points that the students couldn't buy anything useful or even eat a decent meal.

They needed someone to take their frustrations out on, and it didn't matter who. So they bullied Sudo Ken with complete equality, and now they wanted him gone.

Sudo Ken naturally couldn't stand the atmosphere. Everyone in class was looking at him with disgust. Even his good friend Haruki Yamauchi didn't dare meet his eyes.

Haruki Yamauchi wasn't being a coward; he was taking evasive action in an emergency. After all, his name had been on the list the last time they'd talked about expulsion. If he stood up for Sudo now, the others would definitely dig up the old dirt.

Then the bullies would have succeeded in turning one victim into two.

Even the handsome guy who kept to himself couldn't resist mocking him. More precisely, he told Sudo to get some self-awareness: hot-tempered and bad at thinking things through, he was an unstable factor no matter how you looked at it.

You know you were wronged, but what good does shouting about it do? I get it, okay?

"You'd be better off dropping out as soon as possible. You're not handsome at all."

The people around him stared like thorns, and his friend's refusal to acknowledge him only made him angrier.

He raised his leg and kicked over a desk, then strode straight out, declaring he'd find the evidence himself.

Or maybe he'd find the three culprits and elbow them, just to blow off some steam.

So what role did Beihai play in this argument? He was doing his homework. He didn't care.

It wasn't Honami Ichinose who was in trouble, so Beihai had no reason to worry. He wasn't short on points, either. Besides, he had a feeling that, if it came down to it, he could always live off someone else.

He also understood the importance of sustainable development and wouldn't drain the pond to catch all the fish. It was better to make plenty of friends and few enemies, avoid offending people, and keep the kindness flowing like air-conditioning.

Airisu Sakura was fidgeting beside him. She seemed to know something, after all, but her unease was quickly interrupted by another feeling.

"Here's your homework for today. Make sure you finish it, then hand it in for me to check. I'll explain anything you get wrong or don't understand."

Beihai's voice reached her ears, accompanied by several worksheets.

All right, now she didn't have to worry at all. All that remained was a numb acceptance of the worksheets.

Kiyotaka Kiyotaka remained silent on the surface, but he was already turning things over in his mind. He remembered their earlier conversation on the bench. That was right: Sudo had been brought back and hadn't been expelled, but he was like a ticking time bomb, ready to go off with a bang and give everyone a big surprise!

It really was surprising. Without thinking, Kiyotaka's gaze drifted toward Suzune Horikita. He genuinely wanted to see her expression now.

"Are you trying to laugh at me?"

Her cold, pleasant voice reached him, and Kiyotaka immediately sensed trouble.

He still remembered what had happened on the bus. She'd been looking down at her book, but she'd noticed him watching her after only two seconds.

"Huh? No. I was thinking that if we wanted to move up to Class A, it might be better to keep the class intact."

"You're right. And Sudo has excellent stamina, which could be useful in athletics. So you're going to protect him, then?"

Suzune Horikita showed no intention of ending the conversation. Instead, she seized on his words and pressed further.

Kiyotaka's nose felt a little hot. He almost regretted turning around. Why had he said anything at all?

"No. Actually, I don't want to move up to Class A."

Suzune Horikita didn't answer. Instead, she picked up a pair of compasses and got ready.

"You do."

"I don't—"

Pain shot through his arm. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

Beihai and Airisu Sakura packed up their things and walked out of the classroom with their schoolbags. What a pair of bickering frenemies.