When I was wandering down the hallway, I overheard Loud Mouth and Little Smart whispering about the class leader.
"What's up with her today? She actually fell asleep in class, and then she blew up at Haruya… it's nothing like her usual self."
"I heard she fought with her little brother last night," Little Smart replied. "She was so upset she couldn't even sleep."
"A fight? Doesn't her brother usually listen to her?"
"That was back in elementary school. Ever since he started middle school, he's gotten more and more rebellious. I heard he went out last night to get into a fight with someone. No one knows the details—she won't say anything."
Noticing I was walking behind them, the two lowered their voices. Loud Mouth shot me a "get lost" glare.
Hey now—class leader, this isn't fair. Why are you furious at me just because your brother got into trouble? Don't tell me you've just decided all guys are trash?
When the bell was about to ring, I didn't dare enter through the back door. She sits next to it, and after the disaster this morning, I didn't want to step right into her kill-zone. So I slipped in through the front.
The moment I opened the door, I saw the class leader sweeping around the lectern, head lowered, broom in hand. Since she hurled a blackboard eraser and a triangle ruler, I guess she felt responsible for cleaning the mess.
Gong CaiCai whispered something to her—probably offering help—but the class leader shook her head.
"I'll do it myself. It was my fault."
Her voice was back to its usual calm—but threaded with sadness. Her figure, bent over and sweeping quietly, looked strangely self-punishing. As she leaned forward, her long hair spilled down, covering her mouth and nose. Only her eyes were visible from where I stood.
And those eyes… they looked so sad. Dark circles from lack of sleep, mixed with the quiet ache of someone blaming herself for losing control. Under the sunlight from the windows, I caught the glint of something at the corner of her eye.
A tear?
No way. Aren't you the iron-willed justice devil of our class? If even you cry, what's going to protect the weak now? Didn't you just swear you'd become a detective and bring scum like me to justice? A detective's tears won't scare criminals!
I stepped carefully over the threshold. She definitely saw me—but she didn't say a word. It felt like she had fully withdrawn into her own world, and my existence no longer mattered.
Math class was only forty-five minutes long, but it felt like forty-five days. The class leader didn't sleep—she just leaned on one hand, squinting at the blackboard with panda-eye exhaustion, brow furrowed as if linear functions were some ancient cryptic code.
Xiao Qin was also staring at the board… with a weirdly blissful expression.
Seriously, could you two not stare at linear functions like they're thrilling mysteries? You're making the math teacher nervous! Especially Xiao Qin—you get headaches doing basic factorization, so don't pretend you understand any of this! What are you even happy about?! If you were a little more studious, shouldn't you be crying by now?
Girls are terrifying. You can't predict their thought processes at all.
The room stayed unnervingly silent. Tension settled over the whole class. Every so often someone would sneak a glance toward the back row. I couldn't tell if they were looking at me, the class leader, or both.
Even the teacher seemed confused. The discipline was too good—it made him hesitant to say anything.
I barely survived until the class finally ended. But the nightmare wasn't over. The blackboard had been wiped clean, and yet—
Xiao Qin was still staring at it.
Still holding her pen.
Still copying.
Copying WHAT?! There's NOTHING THERE! Are you trying to scare me to death?!
The class leader walked out immediately, head down, like she had something urgent to handle. I crept out through the back door—not because I wanted to follow her. Absolutely not. I didn't care where she went or what she planned to do.
And if she did cry, it wasn't my fault.
Honestly—why won't these girls just listen? I was simply offering them a job to earn easy money, and somehow they twisted it into me soliciting sexual favors in broad daylight. Why is it so hard to be a decent human being these days?!
After second period, we had a break between classes. If you skip radio exercises, you get a full thirty minutes of freedom. I hopped over the back wall and headed toward the small bookstores nearby, wondering if any of them stocked a simplified version of the Bible. Even though recruiting a student committee member to copy for me was now impossible, I still needed the book. I wasn't about to screw up a request from Amy.
Not because she holds some special place in my heart—but because if I failed, her ridicule would be unbearable.
At the end of the snack street, there was a semi-basement bookstore that mainly sold reference books. Rumor said it also stocked H-manga and adult films in a hidden compartment.
Half the same trade as my family, if you think about it.
The music from the radio exercise drifted from the school yard. Seeing me enter during this time slot, the owner sized me up, clearly assuming I wasn't here for innocent study material.
"What kind of films do you want? I've got everything."
Wow. Do I look that much like someone here for adult films? I'm not bragging, but I've got tons of that stuff at home already!
"I'm here for a book. Do you have a simplified version of the Old Testament?"
"…Eh?"
"The Holy Bible. Old Testament. The first half. Do you have it?"
The owner blinked.
"I've got a series called Darkness Bible, full collection, special editions, doujin versions—hey, kid, don't leave!"
I must have lost my mind coming to this degenerate place for the Old Testament.
Eventually, I bought ten checkered notebooks from a stationery store instead. When I returned to the sports field, there were still ten minutes before class. Not knowing what to do, I stuffed my hands in my pockets and stared at the drifting clouds.
"Stop spacing out and go apologize!"
I was stunned someone dared talk to me like that. I looked down—it was Loud Mouth.
"Oh? You've got guts. Who exactly do you want me to apologize to?" I put on my hoodlum face, but it didn't affect her at all.
"The class leader, obviously! You made her furious!"
"I'm not going! I didn't do anything wrong!"
I refused to back down.
Loud Mouth pinched her face together dramatically. "Do you know where she went after class? She went to find Teacher Yu."
"Huh? Why? Even if she tattles, I'm not afraid."
Loud Mouth sighed.
"She didn't go to complain. She went to resign."
Resign?
She wanted to quit being class leader?
Was it because she broke classroom discipline and attacked a classmate, so now she thinks she's unqualified? But if she quits, who's going to stand up for justice? No one in Class 3 has been bullied—and that's all thanks to her!
Or maybe it's connected to last night. Maybe because her brother ignored her and went out to fight, she feels like she failed both as a sister and as a class leader. Maybe so badly she wanted to just give up on herself.
Stop joking. No one is more suited to be class leader than her! If she isn't the class leader, I wouldn't even know what to call her!
No matter how hard things get—bite down and push forward!
"So… did Teacher Yu accept her resignation?" I tried to keep my voice steady.
"Of course not." Loud Mouth burst out laughing. "If Shu Sha stops being class leader, Teacher Yu won't be able to control this class at all! Honestly, she looked even more desperate than you do right now."
"I'm not desperate! Stop talking nonsense."
But hearing the class leader would remain in her position made me feel strangely relieved.
"Go apologize," Loud Mouth insisted.
"Why should I? She didn't quit!"
"Hmph, if you wait until she actually resigns, it'll be too late."
She lectured me like a grandma: "I'm serious. She really wanted to quit this time. She only agreed to stay because Teacher Yu begged her."
"If she wants to resign, let her resign. My apology won't change anything. And besides—it wasn't even my fault— OW! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
Loud Mouth pinched my arm. Hard.
You dare put your hands on me? Aren't you afraid I'll fight back? And damn, that hurts!
"Haruya, why are you so childish? You can't even comfort a girl you made cry?"
She still hadn't released her pinch. I swear she was twisting deeper the more I resisted.
"Quit joking! I don't think of Shu Sha as a girl!"
"Oh?" She tightened her grip. "Then what do you think she is?"
"What else? The class leader!"
She pinched even harder.
STOP PINCHING! YOU FUTURE JUDO CHAMPION, MY SKIN IS GOING TO RIP OFF!
"I don't care how you see her—go apologize."
"I won't! I've never apologized to anyone!"
"Stop pretending to be tough. Is it harder than fighting five guys at once? Just help her next time she carries teaching tools. Or treat her to fast food. Don't you have plenty of money?"
Plenty of money, my ass. All my "funds" are Amy's money for the Bible-copying job! My allowance is nowhere near what they think!
Still… hearing her talk, I realized everything in class must've been a misunderstanding. I never said anything vulgar. It must have been the loyal dog's embellishing that made the class leader snap.
It seemed Loud Mouth wouldn't stop pinching me until I gave some kind of promise.
"It's already Friday," she said. "I'll give you one week. If you haven't apologized by next Friday…"
She wiggled her right hand like a lobster claw ready to strike again.
Tsk. Fine. I'll find a chance to help Shu Sha carry something and mutter "don't be mad." Whether she hears it or not, an apology is an apology.
Compared to that, Xiao Qin's condition was far more concerning…