The morning in Class 2-B unfolded with its usual rhythm. Students settled into their seats, notebooks opened, conversations hummed. But something felt different—a subtle shift in the atmosphere that Riko couldn't immediately identify.
Then Ms. Kobayashi entered, her expression serious. "Sato-kun. Please come with me."
Kaito rose without hesitation, his face betraying nothing, and followed her out. The door slid shut behind them.
Whispers erupted instantly.
"What happened?"
"Did Sato-senpai do something wrong?"
"No way, he's perfect."
Riko's mind, however, was already piecing together the puzzle. Yesterday. The bullying incident. He told the victim to report it and use his name. Her eyes widened slightly. He didn't hide. He reported it himself.
Across the room, Hikari's gaze was fixed on the door, her usual sleepy indifference replaced by a sharp alertness.
After some minutes, the door slid open again. Kaito walked back in, his expression exactly the same as when he left—cold, unreadable, empty of any emotion. He returned to his seat without a word, as if nothing had happened.
Then the lunch bell rang.
Students began unpacking meals and forming groups. Kaito stood, preparing to leave for his usual spot.
The classroom door slid open again—but it wasn't another student leaving.
A third-year student stood there. His name was Takeda Ryuji. His face was twisted with barely contained rage, his fists clenched at his sides. The warning he'd received that morning had clearly not taught him restraint—only where to direct his anger.
His eyes scanned the room, locked onto Kaito's figure just as he was about to step out.
"You."
Takeda crossed the room in three aggressive strides. Before anyone could react, his hand shot out and grabbed Kaito's collar, yanking him back. The sound of fabric bunching under pressure cut through the sudden, dead silence.
The entire class froze. Bentos hovered mid-bite. Conversations died. No one moved.
Hikari was on her feet instantly, her chair scraping back. Riko rose beside her, their eyes meeting in a split-second of shared understanding. Without a word, they both ran—out the classroom door, down the hall, toward the staff room.
"Teacher! A third-year is attacking Sato-kun!" Riko's voice, usually so composed, was sharp with urgency.
Ms. Kobayashi and two other teachers rushed out immediately, the group racing back toward Class 2-B.
But the hallway was crowded with lunchtime students. The teachers pushed through, calling for everyone to move. Riko and Hikari followed close behind, their hearts pounding in their chests. Each second stretched into an eternity.
What's happening in there? Riko's mind raced through possibilities, each worse than the last. He's alone. Takeda is bigger, angrier. We should have stayed—
Hikari's face was pale, her jaw tight. She said nothing, but her pace never faltered.
Finally, the crowd parted. The classroom door came into view.
And what they saw inside stopped them both dead in their tracks.
(End of Chapter 47)