The next day after the explanation of the specific rules of the sports festival, we had our morning homeroom. Just like yesterday, the atmosphere in the class was not very cheerful. The reason for this was the absence of three of my classmates. Just like the other day, they were absent again today. It's not uncommon for anyone to miss school due to illness or health problems. However, in the case of these three students, I think everyone is thinking that they are all absent for other reasons.
In the case of consecutive absences, it is usually necessary to go to the hospital in the Keyaki Mall to have a medical certificate written. On the other hand, as long as you have a medical certificate, it's not a big problem. In other words, even if you don't have a fever, the hospital will take care of you for a couple of days if you complain of any kind of ailment.
However, according to what Chabashira-sensei said in homeroom, none of the three students had been examined at the hospital.
Two of them, except for Kushida, have been in touch with the hospital, but it is unclear how long they will be allowed to stay there. The problem is if the three of them continue to be absent after tomorrow. Haruka's absence was related to Airi's withdrawal from school. Mii-chan's love for Yōsuke was exposed. Kushida was absent due to the fact that her true nature had been revealed. None of them are related to illness.
I wondered what would happen if this continued for three days, five days, or a week. It's no wonder that the school would start investigating and not think that these absences were just a coincidence. As Chabashira-sensei said, it will eventually start to have a big impact on the class points.
Furthermore, some cracks are beginning to appear in places that are not visible to the eye. Mii-chan is not the only casualty of Kushida's exposure. Ike and Shinohara, the two new couples in a relationship, have also been caught in the crossfire, which is a source of concern. In fact, they don't seem to be talking to Kei, Matsuhita, or Mori, who are said to have been bad-mouthing Shinohara.
It's hard to exclude the possibility that this is the same reason why Shinohara hasn't spoken to students such as Satō, although they weren't called by name.
Even though the groups they usually interact with are different, the class has always had strong horizontal connections among the girls. It would be obvious that this is now creating a complete gap. It's time to start deciding the members of the class to play team games to score points, but we haven't reached that stage yet in this class. If we try to divide the class into teams at this point, the internal division will be even worse. Knowing this, Horikita was unable to step forward. On the other hand, it is also impossible to bring about a rapprochement on this occasion. Not only Horikita, but also Yōsuke is well aware of this.
Time flies, and morning homeroom comes to an end. Shortly after, a message arrived on my tablet.
[I need to talk to you. Please follow me.]
It was a short message from Chabashira-sensei.
Not long after the teacher left the classroom, I left my seat as if I were going to the bathroom. The advantage of sitting at the end of the hallway was fully demonstrated, and no one saw me. As I rounded the corner of the corridor to the staff room, I spotted Chabashira-sensei standing with her back to the wall.
"It's unusual for you to call on me in this way. Is it an urgent requirement?"
For a moment, I thought it was about the three being absent, but it didn't seem that way.
"Yes, it is. There's something I need to tell you. It's about Sakura."
"About Airi?"
Already a week had gone by since Airi had left this school. Is there something that I need to know now?
"When she left the school, the school naturally followed the procedures. Packing up her belongings, collecting her private points. Well, that's what they call the necessary post-processing."
She was straightforward in her expression, but slurred her words a bit. It was probably due to her emotions about the fact that one of the students in his class was missing.
"Items pre-purchased in the school are basically the property of the students, and it is up to them to decide what to do with them. There will be no problem in leaving them behind or taking them with you. The official acceptance of the expulsion will take place in the staff room. In any case, an unexpected thing happened during that process."
"Unexpected thing, sensei?"
"Yes. After the unanimous special exam, we found evidence that Sakura used about five thousand of her private points, and we're still trying to decide what to do with them."
"The private points of the expelled students will be stripped away, right?"
"Yes. But, as I said before, this can only be done after an official acceptance. However, the school believes that this is also an extremely gray area. For example, the school doesn't allow the transfer of private points to a specific student."
"Yes, I suppose so. If I were to transfer all my private points after my expulsion was decided, it could be a problem. But you're saying Airi transferred five thousand points to someone else?"
"No, that's not it. Sakura had..."
I was told about the unexpected use of her private points. In the midst of the explanation, I realize that I'm more involved than I thought.
"That's why I thought I'd talk to you, the person involved. Of course, you are under no obligation to take on this case. If you refuse, I'll handle it myself."
Airi's action in the very short time after her expulsion was confirmed. With a certain premonition in my answer, I decided what I should do.
"It's not that big of a sum, please leave to me."
"You mean you'll pay it?"
"That won't be a problem, will it?"
"It will be private points that you used for convenience, so the school won't see it as a violation."
"I understand."
I got a statement from the teacher confirming that it won't be a problem.
"I'd like to ask you one thing, is this also something you're involved in?" Chabashira-sensei asks, giving me a slightly probing look.
"No, sensei, it's not. I'm sure it's a conclusion you came to after thinking about it yourself in that limited time."
Of course, even I don't know the details of that right now, but I'm sure that as time goes by, the answer will naturally come to light.
"Anyway, even though it's a small problem, it's good news for me that one of them has been cleared up. I'm not all that happy about the situation in the class." As a homeroom teacher, she couldn't help but look worried about the class. "What's with those eyes?"
"Nothing, sensei. It's true that the class is unstable right now, as you said. I was going to forcefully correct some of it, but I guess that may not be necessary."
"What do you mean?"
"For now, please watch over them. Watch each student grow and develop."
Chabashira-sensei looked a little unhappy, but nodded quietly.