Chapter 15: Hasebe Haruka's Suffering
I, Hasebe Haruka, when introspect myself, I see the flaws within me.
And from that perspective, I might be considered as a 'bad' person.
But it's not something like, doing exactly what we are told not to do.
For instance, running a red light, knowing it's wrong but doing it anyway. Or taking extra change from a cashier by mistake and not returning it—whether it's a small amount or large, it's still dishonest.
Littering the streets or spitting on the sidewalk may seem minor, but they show a disregard for others.
However, these actions alone don't define me as a "bad person."
....
It is a past I can't share with anyone. A past which I was supposed to have abandoned long ago, but still, I dragged it with me all the way to high school, and forfeited the idea of making new friends.
I convinced myself I'd be happier alone, creating a world free from connections. When I discovered Advanced Nurturing High School, I thought it would provide the solitude I desired.
In my mind, solitude was a sanctuary, a place where I could avoid the judgment and expectations of others.
But solitude is a double-edged sword.
On one hand, it offers peace and freedom; on the other, it can be a prison, trapping us within our own minds, forcing us to confront the shadows we try to escape.
In my case, I found both. The silence allowed my thoughts to echo endlessly, and I began to question whether isolation was truly what I needed or just a way to hide from the world.
But....
Unexpectedly, I found myself making friends—Kiyopon, Yukimu, Miyachi, and… Airi. I felt the vibrancy of youth once more.
Their companionship was like a light in the darkness, warming the cold corners of my heart.
Friendship taught me that we are not defined by our mistakes alone but by our capacity to grow and change.
They made me realize that human connections, despite their complexity and potential for pain, also hold the power to heal and transform.
But then, in a single, heart-wrenching day, that fragile happiness was ripped away.
The once comfortable place I had found myself in, was shattered apart in a few seconds, all in front of me.
It was as if the universe had conspired to remind me of the impermanence of all things, that happiness can be fleeting, and the past, no matter how deeply buried, can resurface to haunt us.
I almost shouted at Chabashira sensei, when she declared the results of the in-class voting special exam, held just a few hours ago.
The one who would get the most criticism votes in this exam, would be expelled, unless he/she pays the required amount of 20 million private points.
But, for our class, collecting that many points was not possible, so there was someone, who was guaranteed to be expelled from our class after the result declaration.
Up to that point, I thought, 'that someone' would be Yamauchi Haruki, since he was conspiring with class A to expel Kiyopon.
Yesterday, Horikita-san was the one to expose him, and categorically told the whole class to put their criticism votes for Yamauchi.
Even if something unforeseen activities would have taken place behind our back, I was sure of the fact that, there was no way that, someone from our group would get the highest number of criticism votes.
That's why, I can't accept such outrageous result in my wildest dream.
***
The whole class fell into chaos, when Chabashira declared the name of the student who got the most number of criticism votes in class C.
SAKURA AIRI - 20 Criticism Votes
Naturally, the first to protest was Hasebe Haruka.
However, Chabashira remained firm, even after such complaints from her students. She was not particularly concerned about who was expelled from her class. Even if she was confused by such result, all she did was re-evaluation, and immersing herself in this amusing development.
"Hasebe, I know that it's quite unexpected, but I have gone through the rechecking process, and this is the final result." Chabashira declared with an indifferent tone.
"B-But how can this be possible? Everyone should have casted their criticism votes for Yamauchi-kun. How is it Airi?" Hasebe asked, her voice trembling with mixed emotions.
"Unfortunately, I can't answer that. This is the result that you people have obtained, and no further change would be followed through. Sakura, I want you to meet me after this at the staff room." Chabashira said her piece.
For a second there, she was compelled to peek a glance at Yamauchi, but restrained herself and left the class.
Afterwards, the first one to fall into despair was Hasebe, not Sakura. She held her head with her trembling hands, and fell on the floor.
Akito Miyake helped her to sit on her seat.
The whole class was whispering among themselves. This was not only unexpected, but it was too tragic for a harmless girl like Sakura.
Moreover, even if most of them, had indeed voted their criticism votes for Yamauchi, they were not completely sure who were the ones that voted for Sakura.
Therefore, they couldn't completely digest the situation of their class.
Amidst the chaos, Yukimura broke the ambiguous silence.
"Horikita, wasn't it decided that Yamauchi would be expelled? How come this happened?" He asked, frustration was clearly visible in his expression and demeanor.
"I....have no idea myself. It might have been one thing, if Yamauchi-kun would have gotten some praise votes from other classes, by any means. But, I am failing to see, how in the world, Sakura-san got the highest number of criticism votes." Horikita was also confused.
As the emerging class leader, the most amount of strain was on her in this situation, as the decision, or the suggestion she made the day before seemed to have failed.
She ran through different cases leading to this result in her head, but couldn't find any definite answer. It seemed like a labyrinth to her. She was too much immersed in her own thoughts that she couldn't hear her classmates' anguish, Yukimura's complaints, and the cry of the two, most affected female students, Hasebe & Sakura.
Everything turned silent around her, as she visualized her class falling apart, after all the difficulties she went through to put them together.
"....ita. Horikita."
Breaking her line of thoughts, an expressionless student sitting beside her, spoke up.
"Are you okay?" He asked with his usual indifferent tone.
"Yes, I am alright." She replied, but her expression was nothing sort of alright.
"No no no no! I can't accept this!" At the same time, Hasebe, shouting at the top of her lungs, looked at Horikita as well.
Then, she got up from her seat desperately, and walked towards Horikita.
"Horikita-san, aren't you the class leader? Please tell Chabashira sensei that our class wants a re-election. Don't you also think that Yamauchi-kun, somehow, manipulated the results? Or else, how would Airi get that many criticism votes? Don't you think so? Isn't that right?"
It was truly the cry of a desperate individual. Even if she knew that such things were impossible and out of the question, she stubbornly held on to any straw she could find at that moment.
And Horikita Suzune was also aware of it. But, not a single word came out of her mouth, as she sat in her seat silently, averting her eyes from Hasebe's crying face.
On the other hand, the student at the center of this whole turmoil, had no words to speak too. Sakura Airi was indeed weak minded, so she couldn't retort to this, and accepted this as her fate.
The sorrow of leaving her group, just when she was getting accustomed to her high school life, was too much for her to bear.
She embraced the already-frail body of Hasebe and cried to her heart's content.
Their classmates looked at the sorrowful scene, but couldn't utter any comforting or protesting words, because, inside their hearts, they all knew that if the voting process was accurate and everything was rechecked, just as Chabashira said before, then it was definitely some of them from their class, who were the reason of Sakura Airi's expulsion.
In the midst of such ruckus, Yamauchi Haruki, having done what was needed to protect himself, swiftly made his departure from the class.
The shadows cast by the setting sun stretched long across the floor, emphasizing the sense of impending darkness that hung over Class C.
The atmosphere was thick with tension, each student acutely aware of the fragile nature of their bonds and the bitter truth that one of their own had orchestrated Sakura Airi's downfall.
Horikita Suzune was deep in her own anxiousness, and impatience.
Despite the atmosphere, Koenji, with his overly-confident demeanor left the class too.
All that was left inside that four walls, was despair, suspicion, anguish, unacceptance, frustration, and sadness.
Eventually, the other students left one by one, leaving the affected students only, inside that classroom.
Sakura Airi, having calmed down a bit, was unable to confront the-still-despairing Hasebe, and decided to meet Chabashira at the staff room first. So, she left the classroom without telling anything to her friends,
But as she was walking towards the staff room, someone called out to her.
"Airi, wait a moment."
She turned behind, replied nervously to her pursuer with teary eyes.
"K-Kiyotaka-kun?"
"Yeah. It's just me here. Just hear me out for a minute."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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wondering_boson_04 Sorry for no updates till now, some personal problms. I hope to be able to update regularly from now on. By the way, year 2 volume 12 of cote is going to be published next month. What are your thoughts on this upcoming volume?
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