Back in the classroom, Kanroji Nanami gritted her teeth and walked up to Katsura Kotonoha.
"Here, Katsura-san. Thanks for lending me your phone."
"Mhm. I'm glad I could help," Kotonoha replied with a smile, showing no sign of holding her earlier snide remarks against her.
Nanami gave her a complicated look, swallowed the urge to cry, and went back to class. Now she truly didn't dare target Kotonoha again. Kasannoin Kyouichi's miserable state was still vivid in her mind.
After the first afternoon period ended, Nanami gathered Koizumi Natsumi, Kumi Mori, and Obuchi Minami on the rooftop to discuss countermeasures. Once she described Kyouichi's condition, Kumi Mori—pretty with a yellow hairband—went weak in the knees and slumped to the ground.
"Nanami, you're not joking, right? Your basketball senior ended up in the hospital like that? And he can't be a man anymore? How is that even possible for a person to do?"
Obuchi and Koizumi were shaking, faces pale.
Nanami was terrified too, but she still nodded. "Would I lie? I saw him with my own eyes and called the ambulance myself. He said he'd punish us—think of something, fast! How do we get rid of his anger?"
"This… doesn't this have nothing to do with us? You're the one who started bullying Katsura. We only went along!" Obuchi couldn't help blaming Nanami—the boat of friendship capsized again, just like that.
Nanami bit down and glared at her, stung. "You didn't stop me, did you? He said you're accomplices and you'll be punished too! Instead of blaming me, shouldn't we be figuring out how to get through this crisis? I don't want to die—and I really don't want to end up like senpai."
Even if Kyouichi's fate had been because of her, next to her own life, that boyfriend didn't seem so important anymore.
Hearing that, long-haired Koizumi raised a timid hand. "What if we apologize? Go to Katsura-san and say we're sorry?"
Nanami ground her teeth and looked at her. "And how exactly? Tell her everything we did and beg forgiveness?"
Obuchi burst into tears, wiping her face. "There's no other way. And we just echoed you! Most of it was your jealousy of Katsura-san! If you hadn't grabbed her phone, none of this would've happened!"
"Yeah—this is all on you!" Kumi Mori added, shooting Nanami a reproachful look.
The boat of friendship had already sunk. A "friend group" formed around jealousy and bullying was never deep to begin with—just a pack of inferiors getting their kicks from vile rumors and petty cruelty.
Nanami's heart hurt hearing her "good friends" talk like that. "Fine, fine, it's all my fault. I'll confess to Katsura and apologize. But you're telling me you did nothing wrong?"
She wiped her eyes and looked at Koizumi. "Natsumi, weren't you the one who kept saying her thighs were 'too pretty'—that they must've grown that way from men playing with them? And you, Mori—didn't you say her chest was abnormally big and she was obviously doing enjo-kōsai? And you, Obuchi—don't think I don't know. You envied me dating Kyouichi-senpai and used my name to spread rumors about Katsura!"
Claiming "Nanami said it"—then once it spread, pinning it on her as the ringleader. In truth, they all had a hand in it.
Watching through "God's-eye view," Hayashi Maki silently enjoyed the "besties' catfight." That's more like it. You bully my Kotonoha and still have the gall to bask in your "friendship" and "youth"? Shameless.
He decided to find a way to transfer Katsura—she couldn't stay in this place. Scanning the scene, he spotted several "red names"—sinful souls. Without hesitation, he tapped the air; hellfire appeared out of nothing and reduced those red names to ash. Find a threat—kill it in the cradle.
At the same time—
Two girls—one petite, one with an ahoge—stared wide-eyed at a lump of char on the ground.
"Ahhh! Itō… got burned to ash!"
"And Sawanaga… how scary! What happened?"
Sekai Saionji's legs shook. Beside her, the tiny Kiyoura Setsuna was just as pale, but she hugged Sekai, gently soothing her friend.
Hayashi Maki's hellfire had erased two "red names": the infamous Makoto Itō and the notorious blond Sawanaga Taisuke. Within hours, word of the deaths had spread across the school. The police arrived to investigate the charred remains, and their conclusion shocked everyone: divine punishment. It matched the method of the serial killer who'd been struck down by "heaven's fire" previously.
Students couldn't help believing Itō and Sawanaga had been hidden scum who deserved it. Nanami's quartet were nearly scared out of their wits. To them, it was clearly a warning from that Hayashi Maki guy.
No—apologize. They had to apologize to Katsura Kotonoha and beg forgiveness.
So, after classes ended—
As Katsura was about to head home, Nanami and the other three blocked her path. "Katsura-san, please come to the rooftop with us. We have something important to say."
"Eh?" Kotonoha flinched and lowered her head, trembling. "I… I might not have time."
She didn't want to be bullied—so of course she didn't want to go.
"Please—it'll only take a moment."
"…Alright."
Startled by their intense looks, she agreed. On the rooftop, anxious, she watched Nanami bend at the waist and bow deeply.
"I'm sorry, Katsura-san. I spread those rumors about you being a slut—because I was jealous of your looks and figure. I'm truly sorry. Please forgive me. If you need to vent, you can hit me."
She bowed her head again, looking "sincere"—but her clenched fists betrayed her unwillingness. The other three, taking their cue from the boss, tossed pride aside and started apologizing too.
"I-I'm sorry, Katsura-san. I was jealous of your perfect chest and spread rumors you were a enjo-kōsai girl whose boobs were rubbed bigger by countless men. I'm sorry—I was wrong. Please forgive me, uuuu…"
"I'm sorry, Katsura-san… I…"
The four girls cried as they apologized and begged forgiveness—each statement more explosive than the last. Kotonoha was taken aback—and anger flickered across her face.
She couldn't understand how people could be so cruel. In class, they were always friendly—sometimes even greeting her warmly. She'd never imagined the rumors were spread by them.
But why apologize now? Why beg her forgiveness?
"Uuu… we'll never target you again or be jealous. Please, Katsura-san—show mercy and forgive us."
The four of them sobbed. They were terrified. That heavenly fire had to be that someone's doing. They didn't want to end up charred. They weren't apologizing because they realized they were wrong—only because they feared death.
Kotonoha took a deep breath and didn't rush to say "I forgive you." These days her pressure had been immense—daily torment with no one to confide in. She hadn't done anything wrong—why did everyone look at her like that?
"Kanroji-san, and Koizumi, Mori, Obuchi—why are you apologizing all of a sudden?"
Nanami wailed, wiping tears. "Don't play dumb, Katsura-san. Your boyfriend, Hayashi Maki, is so powerful—he sent Hanayamain-senpai to the hospital and had several people struck by heavenly fire. Don't tell me you don't know!"
"If you'd told us you had such a strong boyfriend, why would we dare be jealous?"
"We did wrong, sure—but we don't deserve to die, do we? Katsura-san, can you forgive us?"
The four looked at her with pleading eyes. Kotonoha stiffened—then suddenly understood. Warmth welled up in her chest, spreading through her whole body.
So the reason they apologized—the reason they admitted fault—was thanks to Hayashi-san.
~~~
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