The air in Class 1-D was thick with expectation. After the midterm results, most students walked in with lighter steps, some even smiling for the first time in weeks. They had survived the first trial. No one had been expelled. Even Sudō, who had been inches from failing, had scraped by thanks to Horikita's merciless tutoring.
But survival wasn't the same as victory.
We were still in Class D. At the bottom.
I leaned against my chair, arms folded, listening to the hum of chatter. Students speculated about how many points we would earn this month. Some were giddy, others cautiously optimistic.
Naïve.
Points didn't come from hope. They came from power, from strategy, from actions no one else dared to take.
The door slammed open.
Sudō stood there, face red with fury, fists trembling. Behind him, three Class 1-C boys smirked like hyenas.
"You bastards!" Sudō roared. "Don't you dare spread lies about me!"
The 1-C boys put on masks of innocence. "We were just minding our business, sensei. He attacked us without warning."
Chabashira's smile was cold. "Very well. This will be investigated. Until then, class points are withheld."
Groans erupted. The fragile optimism shattered.
I didn't interfere. Horikita would fight to prove Sudō's innocence, Ayanokoji would pull strings from the shadows. That story would unfold as it always had.
My role was elsewhere.
As the class argued, I noticed her.
Airi Sakura sat hunched at her desk, bangs hiding her eyes, flinching at every raised voice. She wasn't worried about points or Sudō. Her fear was quieter, deeper.
I had seen it before. Not the fear of exams. The fear of being watched.
And then I saw him.
A man loitering near Keyaki Mall, pretending to scroll on his phone. But his eyes never left Airi. The clerk from SIVCAMERA. His smile too wide, his stare too long.
My jaw tightened.
This wasn't just politics. This was predation.
That night, I gathered my group in my dorm. Yukimura, Akito, Haruka, An, Mei, Airi, Okitani, and Ijuin.
I told them what I had seen.
Akito slammed his fist into his palm. "A grown man, stalking her? That's sick."Haruka put her arm around Airi, who trembled. "Why didn't you tell us earlier?""I… I didn't want to bother anyone…" Airi whispered.
I leaned forward. "This isn't something you face alone. If the school overlooks it, then we handle it ourselves."
Yukimura adjusted his glasses, grim. "You're suggesting a trap?"
"Exactly," I said. "We catch him in the act. And then we bury him."
For three days, I shadowed him. The clerk followed Airi at a distance, thinking no one noticed. I recorded everything—angles from stairwells, benches, corners.
On the fourth day, he made his move.
Airi stepped out of the mall, bag in hand. The clerk approached, smile dripping false warmth.
"You looked really cute in the store," he said, blocking her path. "Want to come hang out? Maybe model some products?"
Airi froze, hands shaking. He reached for her sleeve.
I caught it all. Video evidence—harassment on school grounds.
The next morning, I walked into the Student Council office with Airi at my side.
Nagumo smirked. "A first-year? What business do you have here?"Manabu's gaze was colder. "Speak."
I set my phone on the desk and pressed play.
The room filled with the clerk's lecherous voice, Airi's trembling refusals, his hand reaching for her arm. When the clip ended, silence hung heavy.
Manabu's eyes narrowed. "…This man is not a student.""Correct," I said evenly. "He's an employee. He targeted Sakura. This is a violation of the school's safety guarantees."
Nagumo whistled. "You've been busy, kid."I ignored him, meeting Manabu's gaze. "I'm not asking for favors. Just protecting a classmate."
For a long moment, Manabu studied me. Finally, he nodded. "The administration will be informed. That man will never set foot here again."
Within days, the clerk vanished from campus. Officially, nothing was said. But whispers spread enough.
That evening, Airi approached me after study group, her steps hesitant.
"…Miyamoto-kun."I turned. "What is it?"Her hands twisted together. "…Thank you. For helping me. If you weren't there…" Her voice cracked.
I placed a steady hand on her shoulder. "You don't need to thank me. Protecting each other comes first."
Her eyes widened, then softened. For the first time, she smiled. Small, fragile, but real.
Later, in the dorm, my group reflected.
Akito clapped my shoulder. "You've got guts, Miyamoto. Looking out for us when no one else would."Haruka grinned. "Our shadow bodyguard, huh?"Yukimura's tone was cool, but respect flickered in his eyes. "Three steps ahead, as always."And Airi… she stayed quiet, but her gaze lingered, filled with trust.