2-2

Again, what an exaggerating statement. I’d never wish to die because dying is to end, you won’t be able to gain anything by ending your story. However, Alice’s self-justified character won’t allow her to speak nonsense. Just how Ms. Claire’s trials had meaning, Alice’s word was no different.

“If I’d wish for dying, I wouldn’t even bother to go along with Ms. Claire, and you. Also, school. So, what information can you give me?”

Looking at me in positive vibe, she answered,

“Oh? You’re already relying on me? Your leader’s point is going down.”

Leader’s point? What the hell is that? I don’t need your acknowledgement to function as the president.

“I told you yesterday, I trust you as my vice. So just heed my order and tell me what you know.”

“You’re such a dictator… well I don’t really hate it.”

She paused, swapping her outdoor shoes into indoor shoes. Naturally, I would also do the same because that’s how Japan’s schools nationwide have been practicing. We wanted to wear shoes in the building but at the same time, we wanted to make sure it’s not too dirty. Thus, the creation of two types of shoes. It saved us from hassle of cleaning. We don’t really have people to do the cleaning job so students themselves have to do it instead.

After we’re done, we walked side by side to our classroom located at block A. So then Alice decided to continue her talk,

“Your reputation in school is not as clean as it seems. Well, it’s never clean in the first place.”

“Ha? What do you mean?”

“Rumors say you’ve made a girl cries by two-timing on them. Perhaps, worse rumors surrounding you selling girls’ naked picture for load of money. You convinced them to make you take the pictures by making false promises. Oh, maybe last but not least, you’re part of human trafficking organizations and came here to lure your victims in.”

I was shocked and had huge dumbfounding moment. But she explained it like a teacher teaching her students ABC. Without having me the chance to reply, she continued,

“Well, I think that last one was just false accusation. It’s too dark to be true and there was no case regarding missing students.”

It’s so clear that I’d definitely heard these, and there’s one thing I was made sure, Alice never held back!

“I understand now what you mean by I’d wish I’d die.”

People tell lies and when that lies have been told, spread convincing and long enough, it might as well become the truth. If it’s a good lie then it wouldn’t really matter but if someone’s been struck by these horrible lies, there’s no way that person can live normally.

It takes effort to pacify false rumors regarding someone in your area and if it stays too long, it may become someone’s worst experience. Humans are uncontrollable, God knows where these lies can lead to.

We are also cowardice, we tend to stay away from what we seem a danger. In this case, people would most likely stay away from me and hinder me to clear things up. I’m just gonna lose if I let it be.

But I am not going to let it be.

“Spreading bad rumors is so like scums would do, don’t you think?”

Alice suddenly turned low, her voice was somewhat trembling with animosity. I didn’t expect her to express her anger first so I could only murmur a questioning “huh…?” She then continued,

“Creating false information and spread it for the sake of bringing people’s down. The nature of its objective itself is horrendous. What’s fun with seeing others suffer?”

As creepy as the unwanted rumors could spread, her furious aura leaked from her body. When I started feeling the mental chill, she looked at me with her lips curved up.

“—What do you think of these scums?”

I think I had cold sweat for a moment there.

“What’s up with you? If you want to talk about morale, go to the church or something.”

Heard, she mumbled, “So, that’s your answer…”

I took a peek at her from the corner of my eyes, then turned back looking at the hall ahead. Soon, we took our first step to climb the stair.

“Whatever with those guys, I’m not gonna back down so easily.”

The unpleasant aura she emitted promptly disappeared as she took a deep breath.

“Right, this small case is easy for you to settle.”

On the 2nd floor lied a row of 2nd year classes, starting from A to S from the right and B to D from the left. Paused momentarily near the entrance of class 2-A, Alice raised her hand.

“—I’m looking forward to it, President.”

I hadn’t yet entered my classroom not because of any reasons, but to predict what the situation was gonna be like when my classmates saw me coming. Without me realizing, I was in very deep thought to which I was watching Alice sliding the door’s open and swiftly entered her classroom. It didn’t register to my brain what Alice’s expression looked like when she waved at me.

But my subconsciousness did raise me an odd wonder…

“…What the hell was that smile…?”

Knowing I would just block the way standing here, I decided to open my classroom’s door.

ZUSH! I felt tremendous loads weighing down my spirit. Peeking around, I noticed people were glaring at me in disgust, fear and even ego. It was so heavy that I felt like vomiting. However, there’re certain individuals who didn’t even care about me, much less playing along with the toxic circumstances.

One guy with very long side bang was pretending to sleep, one guy with disinterested eyes was playing with his phone and one girl with long ponytails stared dead at the windows. There were some additional people who wouldn’t join to the rumors trains but based on my prediction, those guys wouldn’t even make up third of the class.

This is harder than I thought…

As I walked towards my seat, I couldn’t avoid to hear the whisper between those gossipers. It was unpleasantly audible that I felt like needles been piercing through my eardrums. The more I kept hearing, the deeper the pain.

I stood before my own seat, staring at it and I found nothing unusual. As shitty as the situation went, I guess the students were mannered enough to not conduct bully on others. Though, I couldn’t decide to have a seat just yet so I looked around again. When my eyes met the gossipers, they quickly averted away. My observing eyes unintentionally caught what’s written on the whiteboard, and I remembered there was someone who recently got elected as the class rep. That person was the one with disinterested eyes, playing with his smartphone. Judging by the vibe around him, I didn’t think he’s the type to be a class rep.

Why was he elected though?

Somehow staring at him while in deep thinking had alerted him as he gave a brief glare before returning to his smartphone again. The look he gave was definitely “Don’t get me involved in your shit.”

Well, it doesn’t matter. For now at least I know he’s not the one I should be confronting.

Good timing was really hard to find, it’s best to follow your hunch. It’s the best that I should speak up now, later won’t put me in a better place. So I took a deep breath, locking sight into the group of gossipers, I asked in a very stern voice,

“If you have something to say to me, say it out loud to my face. I’d gladly listen to your complaints.”

They didn’t expect my direct remarks so that’s why I didn’t get an immediately reply. Surely before someone in their group had made up their words to say, the class was filled with awkward silence. Not even a flinch of faltering, I made an eye contact with each of them just to hint them that I was dead serious.

“—What’s wrong? I thought I heard someone’s talking about me, it’s about me of course I’d be interested to hop in.”

There was still a silence.

This is why humans are cowardice, they would do anything they want if they don’t feel in the risk of getting harmed. Cowards tend to meet the other cowards, they’d expect things always go their way. ‘I am fine, I will just gossip and nobody’s gonna care.’

But sorry yeah, I’m unable to not care. Unlike our class rep.

Among the cowards, a voice finally be heard. The voice sounded so arrogant that if I punch the owner’s face, nobody should complain.

“Hey you…”

The hoarse voice also sounded like it was trying to purposely pick a fight.

“—After all the shits you do, could you not be so cocky? Know your place, criminal.”