After the post was made, Steven's reputation was tarnished once again. Not only Charlotte but the entire school suspected that he was the one behind it, and that it was an attempt to absolve himself of any responsibility for what he had said.
"Are you okay, Bonnie?" Charlotte had noticed my distant thoughts.
"I'm fine, Charlotte. Thank you. You know… I just… I don't think Steven was the one who made that post."
"Bonnie… I know you got a bit close to Steven on the first day, and it seems like he saved you from a dangerous situation, but in this school…"
"I trust him, Charlotte! I trust him, I trust Carol, and I trust you…!"
"... Alright, tell me why you think Steven isn't the one who posted that text."
"Isn't it likely that the author of the text is actually the person who drove Steven's friend to commit suicide? I mean, Steven seems like a really smart person... It's impossible that he would declare he was going to try to find the culprit and then make a post like that, right?"
"So, what you're saying is that this person is trying to silence Steven so his plan to expose them doesn't go forward? That his strategy depends on him having good credibility?"
"Exactly, Charlotte!"
"I see… Well, I think that's possible, but Steven being the author still sounds more plausible to me. Sorry, Bonnie."
"Oh… I understand…"
There was something more to it... Not just the post, but certainly the manipulator also provoked such a strong popular reaction.
I tried to say something else, but then the bell rang, and all the students organized themselves and slowly headed to their classrooms.
"I'll only help Steven with you if you tell me why you transferred to this school in the middle of the semester, Bonnie! I'm still curious about that!"
She said this and quickly entered the classroom, leaving me behind. I started to follow, but then I felt like I was being watched. When I looked back, I saw William, the school coordinator.
Was he watching me…?
When I entered the classroom, I saw Steven. Like the day before, he was sitting behind Jack, who seemed uncomfortable with his presence. Looking around, I noticed that the students were constantly looking at my friend with disdain, but surprisingly, Andrew seemed calmer today.
I sat behind Charlotte and looked into her eyes. They sparkled with curiosity about why I had transferred to this school mid-semester.
"You know, Charlotte… I…"
Suddenly, Sandra started teaching, interrupting my conversation. The class was about biology. It's not a subject I hate, but it's definitely not my favorite. I looked at Charlotte, and she seemed extremely confused by Sandra's explanations, as if she were dealing with something incomprehensible. In fact, she was like this in yesterday's classes too, so I wonder if her future grades will hurt her… Maybe I should help her study sometime.
After the biology, chemistry, and history classes ended, Professor Sandra began teaching literature. I'm always surprised by how many subjects she teaches…
"Very well, dear vessels of power. For your first literature class of the semester, you'll do a paired project on poems. Each group will write a poem about a topic of their choice. Do your best!"
This wasn't exactly what I was expecting. It almost felt like a writing class, but I was happy. I could finally continue the conversation I was having with Charlotte and clear things up.
"And I'll be the one choosing the pairs!"
That disappointed me tremendously.
"Peter and Andrew."
"Larry and Carol."
"Tina and Sam."
"Bonnie and Jack."
Jack… It's not like I have anything against him—after all, he might just be shy or unfairly judged like Steven—but...
After Sandra assigned the pairs, the students started moving to their partners' desks. I did the same since Jack stayed in his seat without moving a muscle.
"H-Hi. Everything okay, Jack?" I tried my best to sound as friendly as possible.
"Yeah. Let's get this over with."
"Uh… Sure. So, what should our poem be about?"
"Doesn't matter to me. You choose."
Perhaps it would be good to see how he thinks about a subject that is important to me. The topic I have in mind may also create opportunities for me to help Steven.
"How about a poem about… trusting others?"
Jack looked at me with his red eyes and neutral expression. He took a moment to respond but then answered in a slightly louder tone than usual, "Trusting others?!"
I blushed a little because Jack said it loudly enough for the other students to hear our conversation.
"Y-Yeah… Trusting others," I wondered if he did it on purpose to embarrass me… If that was the case, what Charlotte said about him was probably true.
"I see. I'll do half, and you do the other half."
"Wouldn't it be better if we worked on it together…?"
"No. Trust me."
After saying that ironic phrase, he quickly wrote his part of the poem.
The folly born from the fear of confronting the truth,
the weak refuge of the ignorant about what rules the world,
but which, at the same time, will lead them to ruin and destruction.
The naivety of the young and the influence of the elders,
the cries of suffering and bitterness of those who believed and were fools,
but which, to the opportunists, will bring joy and satisfaction.
This poem was more negative than I expected… Was this how Jack viewed trust…? I have to change his mind…!
"W-Wow, Jack. Haha… You write well, but are you sure you didn't mix up the theme?"
"The theme is trust."
"Oh… And why did you write something so negative…?"
"Tch! Don't bother me."
After saying those cold words, Jack got up and went to the bathroom, leaving me alone to finish the other part of the assignment. I stared at the paper and tried to think of something good to write.
This is much harder than I thought, especially because of what Jack wrote.
I started writing. I'm not very good at it, so my part of the poem was a bit below average, just like Jack's. The difference was that I was giving it my all, while he didn't seem to care about the assignment. While working on it, I kept hearing malicious rumors about Steven throughout the classroom. He was doing the assignment with Dave, who wouldn't even look at him.
Suddenly, Larry, who was sitting behind me, said, "Sorry, Bonnie, I accidentally overheard Jack. You're doing a poem about trust, right?"
"Oh… Yeah…"
"You've got that word on your mind, don't you, Bonnie? From the first time I saw you, I could tell trust was something that suited you, and it's something really hard to have, especially in this school. I admire you for that!" He said with an encouraging look.
"Thanks… It's true, it's not easy…"
He smiled at me and went back to writing his poem with Carol, who seemed very excited about the activity. Jack returned from the bathroom and sat down slowly.
"I did my part of the poem… Do you think it's okay like this?"
"Whatever."
Jack took a phone from his backpack and put earbuds in his ears.
I sighed and slowly walked to Sandra to hand in the assignment. She nodded at me and took the paper I gave her, and then I walked back to my desk, looking at the other students.
After sitting down, Jack looked at me with a strange expression, still wearing his earbuds. He kept staring at me and finally said, "That look. Are you scared?"
What…? Jack read my mind, just like Steven had done a few times.
"W-Well… Honestly, yes. I'm worried about what Steven said about the 'manipulator' who drove Craig to suicide. How will Steven find out who it was? And who was it…?"
Jack kept staring at me for a bit longer. I felt uneasy and slowly moved away a little. Suddenly, he put his hand on his face, as if disappointed, and said, "You're terribly stupid."
"Why do you think I'm stupid, Jack…? Do you think it was all a story made up by Steven?"
He looked at me with a disappointed expression again. "No. That's not it."
Before I could ask, the bell rang, and Jack quickly grabbed his backpack and left, leaving me alone to tidy up the desks. I started arranging my desk carefully so it wouldn't scrape the floor and make noise. I used all my strength to lift it.
Uuurgh…!
Even though I managed to lift it for a few seconds, I started to lose balance and had to put it back down quickly. Larry soon came to help me.
"Thanks, Larry…"
"No problem, Bonnie. Want to come eat with us again tonight?"
"I'm not sure if I'll go…"
"I get it. Don't feel pressured—you'll go if you want to, okay?"
"Oh, yeah, thanks."
"Bonnie! So you might not come tonight? That's a shame," Carol had joined the conversation.
"Yeah…"
"So, Bonnie… I've been thinking about something since this morning… Can I give you some advice?"
"Of course, Carol…"
"You know, I'd recommend you not get too close to Steven. He's... the most likely to be the manipulator he's talking about, right?"
"I-I think… I'm sure… he's not the manipulator. I'm certain of it."
Carol seemed like she wanted to say something else, but Charlotte appeared suddenly.
"Bonnie! Let's continue the conversation we were having earlier! I'm super curious!"
She quickly grabbed my hand and headed outside to the school courtyard with me.
"Charlotte… Won't this upset Carol?"
"She knows I have to go to the music club soon, so I'm sure she'll understand!" She laughed as she looked at me.
"So, Charlotte… You still want to know why, don't you…?"
"Yes! Absolutely!"
"It all started in my old school..."
Bonnie's School Year Beginnings:
Another day at Agniuny's girls-only school. I sat in my chair as usual and started talking to my friend.
"Good morning, Emily!"
"Good morning, Bonnie. How are you?"
"I'm good, and you?"
"Haha, I'm even better!"
"Even better…? What happened?"
"I got this amulet from my boyfriend! Look!" She showed me a red amulet, looking very proud.
"Wow… That's great… It's really pretty."
"Hey, Emily! Who's this boyfriend of yours? You always talk about him, but I've never seen him!" It was Jessica, joining the conversation.
"Of course you haven't seen him! We only meet at school, and there are no boys here."
Emily was a beautiful person with black eyes and red hair, energetic and popular, but also a bit rude. I wasn't entirely sure why I got along with her, and it was probably the same for the rest of our class.
The teacher entered the classroom and quietly taught at the board while the other girls chatted. Bailey and I were the only ones who noticed and copied the material being presented.
"Hey, Bonnie! Copy this for us, as always. I promise I'll reward you later."
"Okay…"
After a while, classes ended. We were dismissed, and slowly, I and the other girls packed up our things and prepared to leave.
"Thank you so much, Emily!" The girls said at the same time. I started walking out of the classroom.
"Hey, Bonnie! Where are you going?!"
"Emily…? I… I'm going home…"
"No way! You're coming out with us, Bonnie!" Emily came closer and said in a low voice, "So I can give you the reward I promised, remember?"
"Oh… You don't have to, Emily…"
"No, I insist! Let's go!"
Emily grabbed my hand, and we, along with the other girls from the class, walked out of the school.
"You need to stop being so naive, Bonnie. Emily is always using you!"
"Don't worry, Bailey… I don't mind not getting the credit, so it's okay with me…"
"Hey, Bonnie! Where are we going to eat?" Emily leaned on my shoulder.
"Uh… I don't know…" Unconsciously, I started walking the usual path I take home, passing behind the school.
"Eat? No, we're just going to grab some drinks!"
"Tch… Okay, okay, Jessica…" Emily, strangely, just agreed.
We sat on the benches in the courtyard behind the school, and the other girls talked for a long time.
"Hey, Bonnie! Your reward!" It was Emily, offering me a juice. I happily accepted the juice and, after drinking it, went to throw the bottle in the trash bin behind the school.
Usually, the school's waste and recyclables are thrown into it through the school's piping system, so I decided to use it to dispose of the juice bottle.
After returning to the courtyard, I found the girls saying goodbye. I decided to say goodbye too and started walking home.
"Welcome back, honey!" It was my dad, greeting me at home with a smile on his face.
"Hi, Dad! Thank you!"
"Everything okay with you, sweetie? Want your dad to pick you up with the car tomorrow?"
"No need, Mom… I like walking…"
After greeting my parents more properly, I went up to my room and did my homework. Even though I felt a bit out of place at school, I felt great at home. My family was amazing, and I would always remember my parents' words of kindness and trust.
"You should be good to others, no matter the situation."
…The next school day…
I entered the classroom and found Emily and the other girls, as always. I sat in my seat and greeted her.
"Good morning, Emily!"
"Hey, Bonnie! Everything good with you?"
"Everything… And you?"
"All good too."
Emily continued talking with the other girls while I stared at the classroom ceiling. Most of my days were like this, so I was used to spending most of my time lost in my thoughts.
"Let's start the class, girls!" The teacher had arrived, but my classmates didn't seem to care much.
"You'll take notes, right, Bonnie? As always!"
Strangely, Emily's voice sounded much louder than usual, which allowed the teacher to hear her easily.
"So that's why none of you bother to take notes, is it?"
Emily and the others made genuinely scared expressions, as if they'd been caught red-handed.
"W-Wait… It's not exactly like that…"
"My patience has run out. Behavior like this will not be tolerated in this school. Go to the coordinator's office. Now."
I was surprised by the sudden change in atmosphere. Everything was happening so fast that I couldn't process it well.
"W-Wait… But in that case, only Bonnie and Bailey will stay in the classroom…!"
"Nothing fairer. Rules are important in this school, so just because most of the class broke them doesn't make them invalid."
Emily and the other girls seemed a bit incredulous but went to the coordinator's office without complaining. I wonder what happened there…
While taking notes, I noticed Bailey moving strangely behind me, as if she wanted to touch something. When I realized, she was reaching for Emily's belongings.
"H-Hey…! What are you doing…?"
"Tch…! Stay out of this, stupid!"
The teacher was facing the board, writing, so she didn't notice. Suddenly, Bailey raised her hand.
"Teacher, can we take a break so we don't get too far ahead of the other girls? At the pace Bonnie and I are going, we'll finish the whole year's content in just this class, haha."
The teacher smiled and nodded.
"I think you're right. Since you two have been so well-behaved all year, I'll allow a two-minute break to go to the bathroom or refill your bottles."
The teacher had always been very empathetic with Bailey, apparently because she was the daughter of old friends.
"Thank you so much. Your bottle is always empty, teacher… Can I refill it too?"
"Of course. I appreciate it, Bailey."
Bailey slowly left the classroom with both bottles in hand. While she was gone, I kept thinking about what had happened.
After a while, Bailey returned, gave the teacher her bottle back, and sat behind me again. The teacher continued lecturing for a while until she suddenly started feeling unwell.
"Girls… Excuse me for a moment… I need to go to the bathroom…"
The teacher left the classroom, and now only Bailey and I were there.
"Bailey… Why were you…?"
"Shut up. This is none of your business."
Bailey quickly tried to grab Emily's materials again, but I managed to stop her by holding onto them.
"Please… Tell me…!"
"Fine, idiot," Bailey said with a malicious smile as she explained, "I'm taking back my materials that I lent to Emily. She said I could take them today, so that's what I'm doing."
Was that… true…?
"Okay… Sorry for interfering…"
Bailey looked at me with disdain as she returned to her desk. We stayed silent until the teacher returned and dismissed us, saying classes were over.
I slowly packed my things and went to the coordinator's office to look for Emily.
"Emily… I wanted to confirm something… Is it true that you allowed Bailey to take the materials she lent you…?"
Emily looked at me with a disapproving stare.
"Of course. Why? Were you doubting her?"
"No… It's just, to be safe, I…"
"Stop making excuses, Bonnie. Tch! Get out of here. Oh, and while you're at it, throw this in the trash for me."
Emily handed me a small, torn straw wrapper and left. I stared at the paper for a while.
I walked home, passing by the trash bin behind the school, and threw the small torn paper into it. Thinking about it, maybe I wasn't much different from that trash. Small, torn, useless, and discarded. All I wanted was to help and trust others, and I couldn't even do that…
Suddenly, a huge amount of trash fell from the school's piping into the bin. I got a bit startled.
*What…?
I decided not to think too much about it and went home. Today had been a disaster for me…
"Welcome back, honey!"
"Thanks, Dad… Thanks, Mom…"
"What's wrong, sweetie?"
"Nothing… I'm fine…"
I went up to my room and fell asleep.
…The next school day…
When morning came, I got ready slowly and had breakfast. My mom seemed a bit off, and for some reason, my dad hadn't gone to work yet.
"Dad… Mom… Is everything okay?"
"Sweetie, is there something you want to tell us?"
At that moment, I had no idea what was going on. I shook my head in denial.
"No… What happened?"
My dad stayed with his back to me. I could feel he was angry, though I didn't know why.
"Sweetie, we'll take you to school today."
"Huh…? O-Okay…"
The atmosphere in the car was scary. I wanted to know what was happening but, out of fear, decided not to ask.
After finally arriving at school, the scary atmosphere suddenly disappeared, and my parents waved at me. Yes… There was nothing to worry about. It must have just been my perception altered by sleep.
When I got to my classroom, Emily seemed upset. She looked at me with disgust while whispering to the other girls.
"G-Good morning, Emily… You seem a bit angry…"
"Yeah. Someone stole my amulet. I wonder who… Right, Bonnie?"
"What? No, I never... I'd never..."
"Bonnie Kindness, please come to the principal's office."
All the girls looked at me with disdain as Emily walked with me there. It was all so fast...
"Bonnie, you're really the worst kind of person!"
Wait… I didn't need to worry. I hadn't done anything wrong, so surely everything would turn out fine. Yes, that's how it would be…
I walked slowly to the principal's office while the people around me accused me with their eyes. The day had barely started, and it was already so intense… I wasn't processing the information properly…
When I arrived at the principal's office, my shock grew even more. My parents were sitting there, looking disappointed.
"Miss Bonnie, tell me. Did you steal Miss Emily's amulet?" The principal looked at me with a sharp gaze.
"H-Huh…? No… Of course not…"
My parents lowered their heads.
"Miss Bonnie, then how do you explain the situation caught on camera of Emily finding the amulet in the trash bin where you threw it?"
The trash bin…? I hadn't thrown any amulet in there… and the paper I threw in the bin was much smaller than the amulet…
"I didn't throw Emily's amulet in the trash bin, Principal… I only threw a small straw wrapper…"
The principal sighed.
"That's impossible. The school's trash bin is emptied near dismissal time to avoid overloading, and Emily was the second person to approach the bin after you threw something in it. The cameras caught her retrieving the amulet from there, which means someone threw it in before. Additionally, the amulet was very dirty, unlike when it was seen in the classroom on the cameras, where it was completely clean. Emily didn't have the opportunity to dirty the amulet at any point, which means it's impossible for her to have dirtied it herself."
"But… I didn't do that…"
"Bonnie, apologize!" My dad snapped, demanding an apology with a furious look.
"I… I…!"
How was this possible? This situation… I knew I hadn't done it, but everything was against me…!
"Apologize, sweetie."
"I-I…"
"I-I'm sorry… Emily."
After those events, I was expelled from my old school, and my parents lost all the trust they had in me. Somehow, Emily's parents settled things with mine, and fortunately, the repercussions of these events weren't significant.
Then, I managed to pass the admission test for the "Power Makers" boarding school and joined this school. My parents decided to put me in a more serious place because they thought they had been spoiling me too much. I had no idea what awaited me there…
"Wow, Bonnie. That's really weird…"
"Yeah, but I definitely didn't do anything with Emily's amulet… I…"
"It's okay, Bonnie," Charlotte hugged me. "I believe you."
I hugged her back, and a few tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Thank you…"
"Bonnie, I'll help you clear Steven's reputation! You told me why you came to this school mid-semester, so I'll keep my end of the deal too!"
"I really appreciate it, Charlotte… You've been so good to me… Thank you."
Charlotte smiled and checked the time.
"Oh…! I lost track of time talking to you, Bonnie! I need to get to the music club…!"
"L-Let me help you!"
I helped Charlotte organize her materials, and she rushed off to the music club.
I was truly happy to have someone to count on again. I would definitely help my new friends, and nothing would stop me from trusting them. No matter my situation, no matter who I had to face, or who the manipula…
"Miss Kindness, I need you to come with me."
I looked back and saw William. He still had his tired and serious expression. What could he want…? Maybe to instruct me about some school rules or something like that…
"Oh… Sure…"
I walked with William to the coordinator's office, located at the highest part of the boarding school. I climbed the stairs slowly, feeling watched the entire time. Even though I had decided to help my friends with full determination, the fear the "manipulator" instilled in me was still present.
We finally reached the office. William opened the door, letting me enter first.
"T-Thank you."
William sat in his chair and stared at me for a few seconds.
"So… Why did you call me here…?"
He sighed, put his hand on his head, and looked deep into my eyes.
"You're going to help me, Kindness."
Help…? William needed my help…?
"And what do you need, William…?"
He stayed silent for a while before looking at me seriously.
"Steven Honleast."
S-Steven…?
"A young man who craves power above all else. Who manipulates everyone behind the scenes all the time and possesses near-unmatched genius."
What…? What was the coordinator saying…?
"That boy… has been meddling in important school events, and I still don't know what his goal is. That's why I want you, Miss Kindness, to keep me informed about him."
That… What was William…?
"T-That's wrong, sir…! Steven is a good person…!"
William sighed and looked at me with a disappointed expression.
"Kindness, do you know who Steven was classmates with in elementary school?"
"Well, Steven told me about him… The student who committed suicide, Craig, right…?"
"As I suspected. Kindness… Everything you went through at your old school… wasn't it a bit strange?"
"Y-Yes…"
"And what if I told you someone framed you on purpose?"
... Bailey…?
"Emily Wickerson… Putting the amulet in a box in the cafeteria near dismissal time wouldn't be difficult for her. After that, the janitors just needed to do the rest…"
"No… That's not possible…!"
"Do you know who Emily is?"
My thoughts were racing, and I could already sense what was coming next… No…
"Your arrival at this school was manipulated, Kindness. Emily Wickerson is Steven Honleast's former classmate."