Chapter-03 · EP-054

Episode 54: Kyoya Murasakimura (Part 2)

"I can't forgive you for using violence against us when you're just a commoner!"

Haijima was putting on an act as the victim.

His lines were delivered woodenly, leaving me confused, but from the gathered students, I could hear words criticizing Akaishi-kun as a savage or a delinquent.

Among them, there were also voices blaming me, saying I was the one who picked a fight with the nobles at the entrance ceremony.

They had misunderstood, thinking I was the one who started the fight, when I had only been unilaterally attacked. I had to clear up the misunderstanding.

"That's not true! The one at fault is Haijima!"

"Wah! I'm the victim!"

No matter how much I explained, Haijima shouted louder to drown me out. His cronies also raised their voices.

Akaishi-kun stood frozen, not knowing what to do.

With my best friend Mamoru not nearby, I was also confused and didn't know how to handle it.

Just then, a student, worried about me bleeding, pushed through the crowd and approached.

"Murasakimura! Are you okay? What happened? Did Akaishi do this?"

The person who knew me was my classmate, Ichinose-kun.

I explained to him.

"N-no. Those guys over there, Haijima and his group, attacked me. Akaishi-kun defended me."

"Is that right, Akaishi?"

"Yeah… Sorry."

"Sorry?"

Ichinose-kun asked Akaishi-kun too, but he couldn't explain well either.

Then Haijima spat out words of resentment towards us.

"Don't think you'll get away with this. I'll tell my father and have you all expelled."

"Tch…"

What a despicable man…

"What are you doing?!"

Just then, our D-Class homeroom teacher, Majima-sensei, appeared.

Saved! Just when I thought everyone around was an enemy, our homeroom teacher came to help. Now things would work out… My thoughts were naive.

"Get up! All of you, come to the guidance office!"

Majima-sensei was yelling at me.

Why? Wasn't he our homeroom teacher?

Just then, Ichinose-kun stepped in.

"Sir, please let the injured students go to the nurse's office for treatment first."

I was grateful. Haijima's blow had made me bleed, and honestly, I'd been suffering from a severe headache that was preventing me from thinking clearly. If the headache subsided, I might be able to respond properly.

Then Majima-sensei, concerned about Haijima-san from Class 1-B rather than me, called out.

"Hmm? Haijima-san, are you okay? The nurse's office. Any free students, take him there!"

He treated the lightly injured Haijima with such politeness. A stark contrast to how he treated me.

Even though Haijima-kun had only been punched once by Akaishi-kun and wasn't seriously hurt, and was shouting loudly enough to be full of energy.

So even teachers couldn't go against nobles after all…?

Thinking that, I felt sad.

Just then, Ichinose-kun extended a hand to me.

"Murasakimura, can you stand?"

"Ah, yeah…"

He was different from Majima-sensei. He cared more about me, his classmate, than about the noble Haijima. This was what a friend was. Ichinose-kun's friendship towards me warmed my heart.

I took his hand and stood up, then called out to the dejected Akaishi-kun and headed together to the nurse's office.

---

"You fool! Treatment for Haijima-kun and the others obviously comes first!"

Majima-sensei started yelling again.

Because before entering the nurse's office, Ichinose-kun had told Majima-sensei to hurry up and treat me.

Majima-sensei got angry, saying treatment for the noble Haijima and his group came first.

I stopped Ichinose-kun, who was about to argue with Majima-sensei.

"I'm fine, Ichinose-kun. Later is fine…"

"Are you really okay?"

Ichinose-kun looked at me with a troubled expression.

I forced a smile and nodded.

"Hmph! Making a big fuss over a minor injury. Well then, Haijima-kun, let's go into the nurse's office."

After throwing a contemptuous glance at me, Majima-sensei entered the nurse's office with Haijima and the others.

And we three—me, Ichinose-kun, and Akaishi-kun—were made to wait outside.

"That bastard, he's messing with us…"

Ichinose-kun was angry on my behalf.

Thanks to him, I was able to stay calm.

Just then, Akaishi-kun, who had been silent until now, spoke.

"Murasakimura, sorry. Because I laid my hands on them…"

Akaishi-kun, usually with a sharp, composed expression, was now looking down, very dejected.

"Akaishi-kun, you're not at fault. The ones at fault are Haijima and his group. The teacher will understand if we explain properly."

If Akaishi-kun hadn't helped me, they would have kept tormenting me, defenseless, indefinitely.

"I've always been like this. When I see my friends being hurt, I lose my temper and end up fighting. I know rationally that violence is wrong, but…"

Akaishi-kun, usually a man of few words, began to speak. Perhaps he was actually eloquent. He seemed to have something on his mind, so I asked.

"When you say always, have you had similar incidents in the past?"

At my question, he began to speak slowly.

"Yeah. Several times in middle school. I saw students from my school being extorted by students from other schools, and I ended up injuring them. Or I'd beat up the groups that came for revenge. I might be called a delinquent, but I want you to believe that I've never started a fight myself."

"Yeah. I believe you."

Just like today. He only stepped in to protect me. Akaishi-kun wasn't a bad guy at all. No, rather, he was a good guy who couldn't abandon someone in trouble.

Hearing my words, Akaishi-kun showed a slightly embarrassed smile.

"Thanks. So, every time I got into a fight, it became a police matter, and I caused trouble for the teacher who looked after me. That teacher suggested I become a dungeon explorer to make use of my physical strength, so I enrolled here. And yet… I've betrayed that teacher again…"

"I see. He must have been a good teacher. But even today, Akaishi-kun, you did nothing wrong. Even if they say something, I'll prove it."

"Murasakimura…"

Just then, Majima-sensei and the others came out of the nurse's office.

"I'm done here. You get treated quickly and then come to the guidance office!"

Leaving those words, Majima-sensei and Haijima's group walked off towards the guidance office.

As I stared blankly at their retreating figures, Ichinose-kun called out to me.

"We're going in too."

"Ah, yeah."

Professor Jonouchi looked surprised when we opened the door and entered the nurse's office.

"Ah! You're the one who's seriously injured! Come here quickly!"

Professor Jonouchi grabbed my arm and guided me to a chair.

As she was about to use her Healing Magic, Ichinose-kun called out.

"Professor, sorry, but could you write a medical certificate for Murasakimura before treating him?"

"Huh? That's fine, but will you be okay if I don't treat you right away?"

Professor Jonouchi asked me.

"Yes."

If I were treated, my injuries would heal and the evidence of what they did to me would disappear. Honestly, I wouldn't have thought that far on my own. I was grateful for Ichinose-kun's calm judgment.

Ichinose-kun gave Professor Jonouchi detailed instructions.

"Please check if Murasakimura has any marks on his fists from punching, and also check his body, as he says he was punched and kicked."

"Understood."

Following Professor Jonouchi's instructions, I took off my clothes, exposing my upper body.

"Oh dear, it's covered in bruises."

Apparently, the places where I was hit had bruised. No wonder they hurt.

While Professor Jonouchi was checking my condition, Ichinose-kun excused himself.

"Sorry, but I need to go somewhere. Akaishi, keep an eye on Murasakimura."

"Got it."

"Thank you, Ichinose-kun. You've been a big help."

"Yeah."

He left those words and exited the nurse's office.

After completing the examination, Professor Jonouchi used her Healing Magic on me. Warm light emanated from her palm, and gradually, the pain subsided.

"Doesn't this kind of thing heal instantly?"

I asked the professor while receiving the treatment. It was my first time receiving Healing Magic, and I had thought it would be faster and more instantaneous.

"Potions or people who are very skilled at Healing Magic can sometimes do that, but it doesn't work that well easily."

Listening to the professor's explanation, I learned that even if you had a healer in your party during dungeon exploration, injuries wouldn't be healed instantly. I was also told that potions worked faster. I should probably obtain a potion soon myself.

After about ten minutes of treatment, we thanked Professor Jonouchi and headed to the guidance office where Majima-sensei was waiting.

Rattle…

"Excuse me."

I opened the sliding door of the guidance office, and Akaishi-kun and I entered.

Inside, Majima-sensei sat in a chair with his arms crossed.

I asked him.

"Huh? Where are Haijima-kun and the others?"

"I sent them home already. You guys are late! What took you so long? I thought you'd run away."

"R-run away…"

"It wasn't that serious an injury, so get treated quickly. What were you dawdling for?"

Majima-sensei wasn't his usual self. He was probably angry. But his anger was completely misdirected.

"I don't know what Haijima-kun and the others said, but the truth is that I was ambushed by them and beaten behind the cafeteria, and Akaishi-kun came to my rescue."

"Huh? There's no way I'd believe such a lie."

"It's the truth. I have proof. This is the medical certificate Professor Jonouchi wrote for me. Proof that I was assaulted by them."

I said that and handed Majima-sensei the medical certificate Professor Jonouchi had written.

Majima-sensei silently took it. When he started reading it, I felt relieved, thinking he would understand once he read it.

But I was wrong.

"Haa…"

Majima-sensei sighed, then suddenly tore the certificate apart.

"W-what are you doing?"

"You guys faked this medical certificate. That's a crime!"

"It's not fake…"

"You show no remorse at all. That's enough. You're both expelled."

"Huh?!"

"I said you're expelled! Damn, you're nothing but trouble. That Ichinose guy was with you too, so he's expelled as well…"

"Ichinose-kun has even less to do with this!"

"He got seriously injured exploring with you right after enrollment! Do you know how much trouble I got into after that?!"

"That's just misplaced anger!"

"Shut up! Don't talk back to me just because you're a student!"

This was insane! This person didn't have the character to be a teacher.

Akaishi-kun, who had been silently standing beside me, also spoke up.

"I'm the only one who hit them. I should be the only one expelled."

"You're obviously expelled too. Don't worry."

"That's not what I mean. Please don't expel Murasakimura."

"That's not possible. In a fight, both sides are punished."

"That's why I'm saying Murasakimura wasn't fighting. Besides, if you punish both sides, then you should also punish Haijima and his group, right?"

"Fool! Haijima-kun and the others are nobles! Don't you think it's arrogant for you to punish nobles?!"

"What did you say…"

Akaishi-kun was also suppressing his anger. He was clenching his fists and gritting his teeth.

"What? You got a problem? What's with those fists? Try hitting me. It won't just be expulsion! I'll call the police for assault! Wahahaha!"

Seeing Akaishi-kun reach his peak anger at that tone, I stopped him.

"Don't, Akaishi-kun. Don't hit him. Sir, Akaishi-kun only used his hands to protect me. He's not at fault. If you're going to blame someone for causing a disturbance, blame only me. Please revoke Akaishi-kun's expulsion!"

"No, Murasakimura."

"Wahahaha! So you accept the expulsion! Good. You're expelled. And Akaishi, you're obviously expelled too! All three of you—you, Akaishi, and Ichinose—are expelled!"

"Majima-sensei!"

"Wahahaha! It'll be a relief to get rid of you troublemakers."

Troublemakers… So that's how he saw me. My grades were decent, and I always tried to set an example with my behavior, but certainly, the incident at the entrance ceremony, the first exploration where I caused Ichinose-kun to be injured, and now today's events… I really was a troublemaker.

What Majima-sensei said wasn't entirely wrong, and I felt sad.

Akaishi-kun, realizing there was nothing to be done, dropped his shoulders weakly.

We were in despair.

Then.

Rattle…

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Ichinose-kun burst into the guidance office energetically.

"Ichinose-kun?"

"Ah? Perfect timing. Your expulsion was just decided too…"

"Sir!"

I glared at Majima-sensei as he handed down the expulsion to Ichinose-kun.

Then Ichinose-kun, as if he hadn't heard those words, turned around and said, "Please."

Had he brought someone?

Ushered in by Ichinose-kun was the third-year student council president, Kazuma Kujo…