(Note that this is a work of fiction. Any names and events are all fictitious. Happy Reading!)
She quickly turned away, for a split second before she could turn, she was smiling. I have a bad feeling about this.
Before we left our classroom, Sakaguchi-sensei told us that the tests results will be posted tomorrow.
Inside the teacher's office. Sakaguchi-sensei was checking the tests one by one, when the principal had knocked and came in.
Surprised to see the principal, they greeted her.
"Sakaguchi-sensei, out here, I need a word with you"
Sakaguchi didn't hesitate a bit and was in a hurry when he heard her said that.
He clumsily reached the door out and shut it.
"I will check Kaneko Seth's test papers"
'Huh? Why is the principal personally asking for a class F student's test papers'
He didn't have any idea why. He racked his brain to come up with an answer, and he came to a conclusion that...
'Is Kaneko-kun like 'them', like the others? No, no, he couldn't possibly be. But, I heard from Aoyama-sensei that he got a perfect score on his mock test. Ugh! I don't know what to believe!'
"Sakaguchi-sensei, did you hear me?"
Still lost in his thoughts, the principal, called out to him as he dozed off.
"Ahh, right, wait a second Miss Principal"
She's the owner, acting director and principal of the school, in short, she's the one behind all of it all. Managing the school, implementing those rules and regulations. Those money system and the Battlegrounds. She's responsible for all of it, of course, she can't do it alone. She has others backing her up.
"May I ask why the Principal's personally checking Kaneko-kun's test papers?"
"It's because, he's my favorite"
Sakaguchi-sensei handed out Seth's test papers to the principal. He has no idea what the principal mean by saying that.
'Gahhhh! That was scary! I thought she's gonna fired me too, like what she did to Kurosaki-sensei'
Sakaguchi-sensei went back to the teacher's office to collect his thoughts.
--
"Tadaima" (I'm home)
"Okaeri, Kaneko-kun" (Welcome Home)
I was welcomed back by Auntie. She was wearing an apron and holding a knife.
"You're cooking Auntie? Let me help you"
"Okay~"
-
After I ate my dinner, I rest for a few minutes and took my bath. This day have put a lot of strain on my mind. My head was hurting, so I drank a pain reliever and went back to my room.
"Phew! What a tiring day" I muttered.
I brought our old television with me. I hope it still works. I plug it in and tried turning it on. It was making a static noise when it was opened. There's no signal, so I can't see what was happening. I plugged the wire and look for a signal and was lucky to fix it.
It was muted, I don't have the TV's remote so I used the button on the TV to raised the volume. It was at a news channel.
"Today, as of 5:12 PM, a body was found dead inside a black bag. The ballisticx examinations says that the victim was shot dead and has stab wounds. A type 26 revolver, koishikawa arsenal, 9 mm Japanese revolver. He was identified as Kurosaki Eiji, a former teacher at Hopes and Dreams Private Academy. He was fired a day after the school yeat starts. Reasons for firing him was said to be confidential"
'That's horrible. I wonder why he's killed'
My instincts tell me that it has something to do with our school, to Hopes and Dreams Private Academy.
I was just trying to watch something nice, but something like that came in.
"Knock, knock"
Someone was at my door.
"Who's there?" I asked first, what if it's the tiny evil, I wouldn't open it.
"It's me, Kaneko-kun"
It was Auntie's voice. What does she wants?
"It's me, Kaneko-kun, who?"
"Geez, Kaneko-kun, it's not a joke"
'I was just kidding'
I opened the door. Auntie was on her pajama. It was dark inside my room, the only source of light was from the television. It was not clear, but I could see the color and shape of her underwear. I averted my gaze and asked what she wants.
"You've had your first test, right?"
'Hah... good thing, that's what she wants to ask. Wait, she's your Auntie you idiot! Don't expect anything!'
"Yeah, why'd you ask? Is there something wrong?"
It was written on her face but she denied it.
"N-no, it's just that I know about how that school works. You shouldn't involve yourself too much"
'Why is that? If she say it like that, I can't help but think of what had happened to Kurosaki-sensei. What she said made me think that something bad is happening behind the scenes'
"Don't worry, Auntie. I'll be careful"
She's moving on a weird way, like she's feeling itchy. I tried touching her arm but Auntie didn't let me.
"You can't... touch me right now. B-by the way, Kaneko-kun, you smell really good"
"I just got out of the bath"
"H-heh... I see. I'll be going now, goodnight, Kaneko-kun"
"Sure, goodnight"
After she leaved my room, I turned on the lights and turned off the television.
'I need to wash my uniform'
I took all of my used clothes when I saw that my underwear was gone. I'm sure that I put it along with my other used clothes. Did I misplaced it? I hope, no one's sniffing them.
"Hah! Hah! The smell of a young man! How I miss this strong smell!"
---
That news was the first thing I heard from the students of Hopes and Dreams Private Academy. News like that does circulate too fast. Everywhere, it was their topic, giving their own opinion, as to why he was killed.
I reached my classroom. I expected as much. Them too, were talking about it. Some of my classmates seems to be close to Kurosaki-sensei. He was a 2nd year teacher and recently transferred to 3rd years.
I sat down and saw Tachibana-san. Why was she smiling? I didn't hit her head or something. She must have eat something bad, for her to smile without reason. She was looking at me, so am I the reason? Can't expect anything like that from girls.
I found every girls as bipolars. They are like, having a split personality that switch anytime they want. To those, who are experiencing this kind of thing, I suggest you don't compliment a girl, when you're half-assing it.
"You're grinning like an idiot, Tachibana-san"
She won't stop from grinning. She must have really ate something bad. That's what she get for being a glutton.
"Did you know" she suddenly spoke when I turned my head away from her. "Kurosaki-sensei, did you know why he's fired?"
'Does she know something? Or is it one of those rumors'
"Nah, don't have the slightest idea"
She leaned closer to my ear, because I didn't bother looking back at her.
"He was investigating the school and making a documentary about this school's system. They found him roaming around the school late at night. Documents and report papers were found with him and as a punishment, he was fired and warned not to pry into this anymore. But, he was really persistent and continued what he was doing. So, 'they' had to silent him"
'Hmm... some of it was a lie and some of it was somewhat true. She sure knows a lot, huh'
"So, why are you telling me all this? You want reward?"
She nods her head two times.
"Then go to the police station, tell them that and ask for your reward"
She's pouting and she looks cute, doing that.
"I'm sure you haven't forgotten what we agreed, when we're alone, when it's just the two of us"
'Me of all people would not forgot things. Although there are times like that'
"What did we agreed on? Ahh... about that. I'm to take off everything I am wearing when I am alone with you. Right, I have not forgotten. But, isn't your request a little perverted?"
"That's not what we agreed on!"
She was like a child hitting me with her hands.
Sakaguchi-sensei entered the classroom. He's so many things to say to us. About our test's results and about Kurosaki-sensei.
"Rise, bow"
It was the class president's duty to lead her classmates. That too, is one of her duties she needs to do every subject.
"Take your seat" he puts down his things on top of the table and sat down. "Quiet down. I'm here to tell the results of yesterday's test"
He picked up the list, it was written on a bond paper.
"For top one it's our class president, Haruka Kei. For our top 2 scorer, it's Akihiko Daisuke. Our top 3 scorer is Osamu Katsuo"
My classmates whose name was called, were happy. They couldn't hide it they've gone noisy. Sakaguchi-sensei had to make them quiet. He continued on calling out the names of the top scorer of our lousy class.
"... for our top 10, it's Kaneko Seth. Congratulations, all 10 of you for being our top scorer. This is just the beginning, the real tests just about to begin"
We were standing in front of the others. I could hear what they are saying about me, and about their bets. Money's everywhere in this school.
"That concludes our first topic. As for the top 200 scorer, you can see it outside the teachers' office. So, moving on, I can assume that all of you have heard about what happened to Kurosaki-sensei, your former PE teacher"
I have a saying, 'Good things, don't last too long, but bad records does'
"I became sad when I had heard of his death. He was, Kurosaki-sensei was a good teacher. I guess, good guys really have short life span"
Questions from my classmates are inevitable.
"But Sensei, we weren't told why Kurosaki-sensei was fired"
One questions and others will follow, supporting others question. It won't stop, not until it's answered.
"It was controversial, but he was not really fired. He chose to resign out of nowhere, without a particular reason"
"Ehh? Is that really the reason? That sounds fishy"
"Shhh! You're third year students now. You should know by now what should be and should not be said. It's written on the rules and regulations"
'Something really is not right. Not that I am gonna pry into the matters. I might ruin my daily lives, if stick my nose where it does not belong'
The bell rang, Sakaguchi-sensei was in a hurry when he heard that and told us that we have two hours of free time. We were also told not to loiter around the hallway, but free to go to the toilet anytime we want.
I stood up, she stood up. I sat down, she sat down. Tachibana-san's gonna follow me around. I changed her impression and how she approached me in just a day.
"You're really not gonna leave me alone huh?"
"We have an agreement"
'I'm regretting things that I've done yesterday'
"But we didn't agreed on you, following me around, just to be alone with me. What are you now, a stalker?"
I stood up, she was gonna say something when I hurry and leave the classroom, on my way to the rooftop.
By the way, I bought a sandwich at a convenience store. My breakfast was not enough, although, it should be enough for me. Tachibana-san must have infected me of her illness, called gluttony.
I made haste, but it was not enough to leave her. She knew where I am going, so I changed course and went to the library.
I arrived at the library, but there's no Tachibana-san behind me.
"Where the hell did he go!? Ahh... that guy!"
I entered the library and there, I saw the same girl I saw at the library, near my place.
"Hey, it's you. I hope you haven't forgotten about you sandwiching me"
~