Hirata continued his story, his voice hollow as he floated in the lake. At that time, in his grief and rage, he had come to a conclusion: his friend's suicide attempt was everyone's fault. The bullies were wrong for their cruelty. The bystanders were wrong for their inaction. And the victims... they were wrong for not fighting back.
I, who have never been in a fight, could defeat so many of them just by channeling my anger, he had thought. The ones who were bullied felt far more pain than I did. They should have hated the bullies more than I did. Why didn't they resist? They had the courage to die, but not the courage to fight back?
And so, he beat them all. The bullies, the bullied, the bystanders—anyone involved in an incident, he beat them. He became a force of nature, suppressing the entire grade with his own brand of violence. He became the sole bully, the only one with the "right" to torment others, and in doing so, he paradoxically eliminated all other forms of bullying. The grade fell into a state of terrified peace.
The "good times" didn't last. The school was forced to intervene, and Hirata was punished, though the incident was kept off his permanent record. He realized then that his method was wrong. He didn't want a world with only one bully; he wanted a world with no bullies. He decided that the fault lay not with individuals, but with the "atmosphere." In high school, he would start fresh and create a perfectly harmonious class where bullying could never take root. That was why he had come to this school.
"You know, you didn't have to try so hard to get in," Ren said after Hirata finished his tale. "I was completely reckless and still got accepted. I suspect this school's admission standard is based on species diversity. People who are too normal can't get in."
"I see," Hirata said with a self-deprecating smile. Ren said, "To think that you, Hirata Yosuke, were a 'school bully'."
"I suppose that's what I was in the eyes of others," Hirata admitted.
"You suppressed an entire grade on your own. You must have practiced boxing."
"No, just soccer. That's what's so strange. If I could do it, why couldn't they?"
"You underestimate yourself," Ren said. "Your punch was fast enough to trigger my stress response. You have a talent for it. You should consider boxing."
"Never mind that. I don't like violence."
"You don't like violence, yet you used it on me?"
"That was just an impulse..."
"You're too extreme," Ren stated bluntly. "You're either too soft or too hard. It's completely abnormal. ". Hirata asked, his voice filled with a desperate hope, "If this happened to you, what would you do?"
"My friend getting bullied? What do you think?" Ren paused for effect. "Of course I'd laugh at him! Hahahaha! He's so stupid he's getting bullied!"
"???"
Splash! Hirata lost control of his breathing and flailed in the water, choking on a mouthful. After a moment, he recovered and swam to the shore, pulling himself out. He took off his soaked shirt and wrung it out. "I don't think you said that just to shock me. Explain it, Ishikawa."
"I'd laugh at him," Ren repeated, "and while I was laughing, I'd teach him how to solve the problem himself. You can protect him for a while, but you can't protect him forever. It's better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish."
"And how would you teach him to fish?" Hirata asked.
Ren showed a crooked, dangerous smile. "By using any means necessary to fight back. It's never too late to learn how to box, but humans are advanced animals because we know how to use tools. Pepper spray, stun guns, batons, tempered rulers, feces bombs... any legal, easy-to-use prop is fair game. And if that's not enough? Then you unplug the network cable."
"Unplug the network cable?"
"Flip the table. Make a huge fuss. Record everything. Send it to the teachers, the principal, the Board of Education, social media, the police, the news... send it everywhere. All! Must! Die!"
"But... that way of doing things feels similar to what I did," Hirata said, confused.
"I never said you did a bad job," Ren replied. "A great man from my country once said: 'Peace survives when it is sought through struggle, but it dies when it is sought through compromise!' Changing the world isn't a dinner party. It can't be done without bloodshed. And because of what you did, didn't the bullying at your school stop?"
"Isn't that because the school strengthened its management?"
"The school acted, but the students were more afraid of 'activating' another Hirata Yosuke. You made them afraid," Ren explained. He could see a flicker of pride in Hirata's eyes. "Although you failed to save your friend, you saved other people's friends. What you did was meaningful. You can't help everyone. The world isn't perfect."
"So what should I do?"
"Do whatever you want. Just don't force perfection, and don't regret your choices. Frankly, if your incident had happened in my country, you'd be bragging about it for the rest of your life."
Ren checked his watch. "Fifty thousand points of our time are up, by the way. Your story alone cost thirty-six thousand."
"You're really keeping a running tab?!"
"Of course. We're talking business, not feelings," Ren said coolly. "You get what you pay for."
"I have to admit," Hirata said, a genuine smile returning to his face, "spending the money is worth it. Your words aren't as harsh as usual. I feel much better."
"Want to talk for the remaining forty thousand?"
"I should probably save some money for food," Hirata said.
"So, we're done?"
"Let's talk for another ten thousand," Hirata decided. "My wish remains unchanged."
Ren frowned, but Hirata quickly explained. "Don't get me wrong! I understand now that I can't force my ideal on everyone. I won't do that anymore. I just hope to get closer to that wish, to at least get a glimpse of it. I hope you can help me... or at the very least, just don't stand in my way. Please."
Hirata's tone hardened slightly. "Even if you plan to drop out, you don't have to destroy the unity of the class. If your actions hinder my goal, I will be forced to stop you. And that means preventing you from dropping out."
"Are you threatening me?"
"No. Just stating the inevitable result."
"That's not how it works," Ren countered. "I have plenty of ways to get expelled. And to get back at you, I'll completely destroy Class D before I go."
"Then let's make a deal," Hirata said, trying a new tactic. "Starting next month, as long as you're still in this school, I will give you 80,000 points every month. And if you need help with anything—even breaking a rule to get expelled—I will assist you, as long as it doesn't violate my bottom line. This is a deal."
Ren thought for a moment. With his new reputation, he couldn't cause trouble inside the class anyway. Hirata's offer was a good one. "Alright," he shrugged. "I'll try not to 'actively' destroy the non-existent unity of Class D. But if anyone provokes me, I will 'passively' fight back."
"No problem," Hirata agreed.
"As for the living expenses, forget it," Ren said. "I don't think I'll be here long enough to collect. But don't forget your end. When I need you, you have to help me. That's the deal."
Hirata nodded. "Understood. A transaction."
"No feelings," Ren confirmed.
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