The Heroines All Regretted It

"Alright everyone, copy down this question."

Hiratsuka stretched and yawned.

Her students, clearly terrified of her domineering presence, immediately put their heads down and started copying.

Bzz bzz—

Her phone vibrated twice on the podium. She picked it up and shook her head slightly.

Another matchmaking text.

Sigh...

With a sigh, she walked over to the window to take the call. Before the other side could say anything, she politely rejected it.

Lately, the men she'd been set up with were... just sad.

Either balding old guys or young salarymen with no ambition whatsoever.

After hanging up, she sighed again.

"Please, Kami-sama, send me a young, handsome husband. Preferably younger than me."

Knock knock knock—

Someone knocked on the door.

Hiratsuka turned and saw a tall, good-looking young man in a Shuchiin uniform standing at the door.

She froze.

Was she hallucinating?

Did she just summon a guy straight out of her wish?

The entire class stopped writing.

Dozens of eyes all turned toward the door in unison.

First shock, then confusion.

Everyone was wondering—

Who the hell was this ridiculously handsome guy?

A transfer student?

"Is he a new transfer? He's really good-looking..."

"Maybe? Did he come to the wrong class?"

"Do you know him? Has anyone seen him before? Is he from our school?"

Whispers started to ripple through the room.

Even Yui was stunned—she hadn't seen him in a while, but somehow, Yoru had gotten even better-looking!

Yoru stood at the door for a moment, but when Hiratsuka still didn't respond, he just walked in.

He wasn't surprised by everyone's reactions.

He'd lost weight so fast over the summer, the change was bound to shock people.

He walked at a steady pace from the door, past the podium, heading straight for his seat.

Every pair of eyes followed him.

He was the center of attention.

"Why's he walking this way...?"

Yumiko accidentally locked eyes with Yoru. First she was stunned by his face, then she blushed a little for no reason.

Yoru didn't respond to anyone.

He just went to his seat and hung up his bag.

"What is he doing? Isn't that the seat of that disgusting fat guy?"

"Maybe he just sat there by mistake... God, he's really good-looking..."

"But wait, even Hiratsuka-sensei looks confused. She doesn't know who he is either..."

As Yoru took his seat, everyone started remembering the face of the guy who used to sit there.

That gross fat otaku...

"You..."

Yumiko shot to her feet, dramatically pointing at Yoru and screaming as if she'd seen a ghost, "You're Kitakami Yoru!?"

She recognized him from the way he placed his bag down and the way he sat. A person can lose weight, but it's not easy to change their habits.

"Kitakami Yoru? Is it really him? No way, right?"

"Impossible... how did he end up looking like this... did he get plastic surgery?"

"No, no... it's weight loss. He slimmed down so fast..."

"It can't be... you mean that disgusting fat otaku?"

Suddenly, the whole class erupted into chaos. Everyone was whispering and talking at once, completely disregarding order.

The most shocked and baffled were the girls in class. Normally, they were the ones who looked down on Yoru the most. To them, he was disgusting, ugly, the ultimate shut-in nerd—no one took him seriously.

But just now, when Yoru appeared at the doorway, every single one of them felt their hearts flutter. He looked amazing.

At the podium, Hiratsuka's fingers trembled as she took out a cigarette and held it between her lips.

"It's me, Hiratsuka-sensei. I'm Kitakami Yoru."

After sitting down, Yoru smiled faintly and spoke to Hiratsuka.

His voice was soft and magnetic, incredibly pleasant to the ears.

Some of the more romantically-inclined girls felt like he was speaking directly to them. Flustered and excited, they clenched their tiny fists.

The class fell into complete silence.

Yoru naturally assumed it was because he'd lost weight so quickly and startled everyone.

He didn't realize the real reason was because he had become astonishingly good-looking.

"You... how did you end up looking like this?"

Yumiko was the first to recover, breaking the silence.

"I've been dieting this whole time. I just lost weight."

Yoru glanced at the clock. There were still ten minutes left of class and he responded calmly.

Like a stone thrown into a pond, his words stirred up another wave of chatter. The once silent classroom erupted again, loud enough to puzzle the neighboring classes.

What on earth is going on in that class?

"Quiet!"

"Calm down, stop shouting!"

Hiratsuka put away her cigarette—she hadn't even lit it—and shouted loudly.

Everyone stiffened. Their gazes reluctantly turned away from Yoru, curiosity still brimming.

"Alright, get back to class. If you're curious, wait until the break."

Hiratsuka's usual authority wasn't a joke. Only Yoru ever saw her softer side.

Soon, order returned to the classroom.

Still...

With quick glances that Hiratsuka couldn't catch, many bold girls kept turning to look at him again and again.

"Sigh..."

Yoru felt a bit uncomfortable. He sighed quietly, resting half his face on his right hand as he turned to look out the window.

In that moment, his entire aura shifted into something deeply melancholic...

Combined with his stunning looks, many girls found themselves completely captivated.

Tobe's face looked awful. He noticed his crush, Ebina Hina, staring at Yoru with eyes that looked like she wanted to devour him.

Hayato widened his eyes in disbelief when he saw Yumiko, who liked him, staring intensely at Yoru as well.

Click—

One girl boldly took out her phone and snapped a photo of Yoru.

Phones in Japan can't fully mute or disable the flash. The light hit Yoru's face directly and flashed once.

Yoru frowned slightly. He was thinking about Nanami and was eagerly waiting for class to end, so he didn't react much.

Seeing that Yoru didn't respond, some of the girls—including ones who already had boyfriends—took out their phones and started snapping photos too.

They wanted to permanently capture this image of Yoru—the melancholic, handsome guy by the window.

Click click—

Click click—

The flashes made Yoru blink repeatedly and he eventually closed his eyes in discomfort.

"Do you all think I'm deaf?"

Hiratsuka suddenly turned around, snapping a piece of chalk in her hand as a warning.

She swept her eyes across everyone with forceful, oppressive energy.

Finally, Yoru got a moment to breathe.

"This is just... too..."

Yumiko was about to complain about how lovestruck some girls were.

Then, Yoru turned to her and smiled.

Her murmuring instantly stopped. She froze in a mix of shock and embarrassment.

"Miura-san, I want to ask you something."

"That rumor about Aoyama Nanami selling herself—who started it?"

Yoru glanced at the clock again. Class was nearly over. His anger was building up.

"I don't know... it came from her class..."

Yumiko took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"You don't know exactly?"

Yoru wanted to give the source of that rumor a brutal payback.

"Uh... uh..."

Yumiko was inwardly panicking. Her mind was spinning.

Over one summer break, that disgusting, fat shut-in had completely transformed. Now he stood there with a flawless face.

His social standing at school was about to undergo a complete revolution.

She had always liked Hayato, but so did many other girls. She couldn't even count them on one hand.

Even with her bias and filters toward Hayato, there was no way she could compare him to Yoru.

They weren't even on the same level.

And Yoru... damn it, did he smile at her on purpose?

That just made him more attractive...

Just a few minutes later, the bell rang.

Hiratsuka glanced at Yoru. She hadn't dismissed class yet—she planned to speak with him.

But Yoru couldn't wait anymore. He immediately stood up and dashed out of the classroom.

Right after class ended...

Nanami waited until the teacher left. She pulled out a small blade and began scraping off the insults carved into her desk.

"Trash is trash. Even if you clean it off, it's still the same."

"She really went out to sell herself? Disgusting."

"Hope she doesn't catch something and spread it to us. Gross."

Her classmates were already scattered, chatting about the latest hot topic.

Nanami—the school prostitute.

"I didn't... I didn't sell myself..."

"I'm not..."

Nanami lowered her head even more, gritting her teeth and scraping harder with the blade.

The shavings blew away in the wind...

"Hah!"

Yoru rushed up two flights of stairs and arrived at the front door of Nanami's classroom.

"Aoyama?!"

Bang!

He called out loudly and knocked hard to get everyone's attention.

His sudden appearance and voice startled many.

Everyone in the class turned their heads and froze at the sight.

"Ki—"

"Kitakami-kun!"

A familiar voice rang in Nanami's ears. At first, she thought she was imagining it.

After a few seconds, when she saw the face she missed so dearly, she burst into tears and stood up.

"Aoyama-san, it's okay. I'm here."

Yoru scanned the classroom.

"Sob... ha... Kitakami-kun..."

"Kitakami-kun... sob..."

Nanami broke down crying, unable to hold back the despair and pain any longer.

"It's okay now. It's okay..."

Yoru jogged up to Nanami.

As he passed by a rather cute girl, her eyes went wide.

So good-looking... too handsome...

"It's okay now..."

Yoru stood beside Nanami and stopped caring about the stares.

Gently extending his hand, Yoru softly pulled Nanami into his broad chest.

One hand stroked her back, the other held her head, gently soothing her...

A light fragrance of shampoo drifted into Yoru's nose.

"Uuu… waa… I… I'm not…"

"Uhh-huh… mm… I'm not an escort girl…"

Nanami cried even harder, clutching Yoru's clothes tightly as if she wanted to melt into his body, to become one with him.

"I'm here now, aren't I?"

Yoru smiled gently, comforting the helpless girl sobbing in his arms.

Then his expression turned cold. He thought of the bullying Nanami had suffered.

And the insults written on the desk…

It was too much.

But this wasn't the place to talk.

"It's alright… I'm here…"

Yoru could feel how much pain Nanami was holding in and kept whispering to calm her down.

From the darkness in her heart came a warm light, pushing the shadows away...

In a corner of the classroom, everyone saw Yoru hugging Nanami.

"Who is he? Kitakami?"

"No way, wasn't he that gross fat otaku? Why does he look so handsome now?"

"Where's Kanda-kun? He hasn't been here since yesterday."

"Is this guy Aoyama's boyfriend? I thought she was doing compensated dating? What's going on?"

"Maybe it's someone with the same name…"

"How could it be that much of a coincidence?"

"Kitakami-kun…"

After crying for several minutes, Nanami pulled back slightly, her tear-stained face gazing up at Yoru.

Her pillar of support, her source of comfort, had come to save her.

"Let's go talk somewhere else. Don't worry, I'm here now…"

Yoru took a deep breath, grabbed her wrist, and led her firmly toward the door.

First he needed to calm her down, then he'd come back and deal with the ones who hurt her.

Nanami had no strength left. Her mind was a fog, letting Yoru lead her out.

"Hey… you…"

A curious boy spoke up behind them.

"I'm Yoru. The disgusting fat loser you all called a thief. Satisfied now?"

Yoru stopped and turned to glare coldly at the boy.

His voice wasn't loud, but it exploded like thunder.

The words echoed in the classroom as Yoru led Nanami away.

Silence followed. Everyone looked at one another, eyes filled with disbelief and confusion.

The guy who just walked out with Nanami was the same disgusting fat guy they all remembered? That kind of shock was like the sun rising from the west.

"What… how… that's really him?"

"Don't look at me, I didn't start the escort rumor. I just heard it from someone else…"

"He used to be gross, now he's hot. They must really be dating…"

"I didn't write on her desk. It wasn't me…"

"I had nothing to do with it, seriously…"

"Liar. You were the loudest when everyone was jeering."

Suddenly, the quiet classroom turned chaotic.

Most of the students who had mocked Nanami tried to distance themselves from what happened, convincing themselves it wasn't their fault.

It was simple.

A beautiful girl dating a handsome guy? That's normal.

But if she dated a fat otaku? Must be for money.

Yoru led Nanami to a small pond in the Shuchiin courtyard.

Last time, Yumiko had tripped nearby, and he saw her panties.

Nanami's steps were wobbly. She wiped her tears with one hand and tried to tidy her messy hair.

They reached the quiet, secluded pavilion by the pond. Yoru gently released her wrist and helped her sit down.

"Ki… Kitakami-kun… cough… why are you here?"

Nanami spoke too quickly, choking a little.

"You look like this and expect me not to come?"

"Seriously."

Yoru patted her back gently, sounding a bit annoyed at how stubborn she was.

Even like this, she had tried to hide it from him. She was way too proud.

"S-sorry…"

Nanami stopped crying and looked up with swollen eyes.

More tears spilled out again.

"It's alright, I'm not mad. I'm just worried about you…"

Yoru knew that right now, the most important thing was to keep her calm.

"If you want to cry, cry…"

He gently patted her back with one hand and pulled out a tissue with the other.

"I already cried enough. My eyes are swollen. I don't want to cry anymore…"

Nanami managed a small smile, showing her white teeth as she took the tissue and wiped her face and eyes.

Finally, she turned away, embarrassed, and blew her nose.

Yoru quietly watched her and reached out to fix her hair.

Just then, the school bell rang.

"You're not going back."

Yoru said firmly.

"Hehe… okay…"

Nanami turned toward him and gave a small laugh.

She felt safe. Warm. Having Yoru by her side brought her peace.

Yoru let out a long sigh.

"Just rest for a while."

"Mhm."

For the first time, Nanami felt a rebellious urge to skip class. She nodded without hesitation.

Yoru gazed into the distance, collecting his thoughts.

Nanami peeked at him, then lowered her head to calm herself.

Joy. Relief. Surprise…

For the next ten or so minutes, they sat together in silence.

Then Yoru looked at her and asked, "Feeling any better?"

"I'm okay now…"

Nanami replied softly.

"Then tell me. Who started the rumors?"

A cold glint flickered in Yoru's eyes.

"I… I don't know…"

Nanami hesitated. Instead of being scared, she felt even warmer.

"You don't know?"

"You're lying to me again?"

Yoru frowned.

He thought this kind, innocent girl was trying to cover it up.

"Really! I swear…"

Nanami nodded quickly, meeting his gaze in panic.

"I told everyone we were friends. That was all… Someone saw us together, and somehow it turned into me doing… that…"

Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

Nanami, who never used harsh words, could barely say "compensated dating" aloud in front of Yoru.

"I'm so pissed…"

Yoru's chest rose and fell heavily.

"It's fine now, everything's okay."

Nanami hesitated, then gently tugged on Yoru's arm, hugging it.

"If we don't find the one spreading rumors, how do we stop them?"

"They even posted our chat log on the school forum!"

Yoru exhaled deeply, trying to stay calm.

"The rumors say you were with a... gross loser… You mean me?"

"You're not a loser anymore…"

Nanami shyly tried to rest her head on Yoru's shoulder.

The way Yoru looked now, he could walk up to any girl on the street and take her home that night.

Why would he need to pay anyone?

Like Chika had said: once Yoru showed up at school, the rumors would fall apart on their own.

"Hm?"

"You know... you kind of have a point."

Yoru's furrowed brows began to relax—it really did sound reasonable.

Nanami's hard-won courage vanished again. She hurriedly let go of Yoru's arm.

"Then tell me—who bullied you the most?"

Yoru stood up, clenching his fist as he looked toward the school building.

At the same time, his mind drifted to that little blonde twin-tail Eriri. Were her pigtails itching or something?

It had already been over two months, and she still hadn't gone to clear things up with Kasumigaoka Utaha?

What happened to Nanami—Eriri definitely shared some of the blame.

...

"Ki... Kitakami-kun?"

Nanami stammered as she called out to him.

"Aren't you angry about what they did? Don't you want to get back at them?"

Yoru sat back down, eyes wide, filled with frustration.

"Mm-hmm… ugh…"

Nanami nodded hard, then shook her head just as firmly. Her heart was in turmoil—she didn't know what to do.

Did she hate those people?

She hated them very much.

Did she resent them?

Deeply.

But she was just a poor, powerless girl from the countryside. And those students at Shuchiin?

Almost every single one of them was...

"You're worried? Don't worry, I won't act rashly."

Yoru activated his mind-reading. Given the situation, he couldn't be blamed.

"Please don't do anything reckless… You don't have to get revenge for me… I don't want you to get in trouble..."

Nanami's hands tightened together, then separated again.

"I'm really mad. Mad that they called me a disgusting fat loser. I'm standing up for myself—is that okay?"

"Listen up, I'm standing up for myself—is that okay?!"

Yoru grabbed Nanami's shoulders and gave her a firm shake.

"Mm-hmm..."

She quickly looked up, on the verge of tears again.

She knew.

Yoru's excuse was as weak as a question asking what 1+1 equals.

"Tell me. Who poured water on you? Who stole your phone?"

Yoru let go of her shoulders.

"It was..."

Nanami told him the names.

"Good. Rest for a bit."

Yoru pulled out his phone to check the time, then turned and asked:

"Also, did you lie to me earlier?"

"You said you were fine? Told me not to worry?"

Nanami looked a little afraid, but not truly frightened. In a soft voice, she said:

"Because you were already dealing with stuff… I didn't want to trouble you..."

"And… I knew you'd come back to school eventually. It didn't matter if it was a little late..."

"What do you mean 'it didn't matter'?!"

Yoru knew she was trying to look out for him, but he still got angry and gently tugged on her delicate ear.

Her ears—

They were Nanami's weakness. Off-limits. As sensitive as any private area.

The sudden move made her whole body tremble. She quickly covered her mouth, nearly letting out a yelp.

"Did that hurt?"

Yoru tugged again lightly, worried he might've pulled too hard.

"A little..."

Her face turned red instantly, voice barely above a whisper—and a lie.

"I'll get revenge for you later."

Yoru looked at her with slight guilt in his eyes.

He still had so much he wanted to say to her.

But… that could wait until they got home.

"Okay."

This time, Nanami didn't refuse. Her heart ached with confusion as she responded.

"Kitakami-kun..."

"I'm here."

"Sorry... I dragged you into all this. You even got scolded because of me..."

Her eyes were full of apology.

"This wasn't your fault. You don't need to blame yourself. And don't do this again. If something happens, tell me."

Yoru shook his head gently.

Nanami was too proud. Too independent. Always thinking only of him—afraid she'd cause him trouble.

"I'll try… cough…"

With her personality, this was all she could say.

After sitting for a little while longer, Yoru pulled her to her feet.

One in front, one behind, they left the area.

Nanami followed slowly behind, her heart gradually filling with embarrassment.

At a vending machine.

Yoru inserted several coins, buying seven different drinks.

He opened one and handed it to Nanami, stuffing the rest in his pockets.

She sipped slowly, hydrating herself while curiously wondering what Yoru was planning.

A few minutes later, Yoru pulled her back toward the school building.

He timed it just right and arrived at the back door of the classroom.

Just as the bell rang.

Under normal circumstances, Nanami would've panicked—she had skipped class!

But teachers in Japan didn't drag classes overtime. Ten seconds after the bell rang, the teacher had already left.

Inside the classroom, everyone had noticed Yoru holding Nanami's wrist at the back door.

As the teacher left—

Yoru led the flustered Nanami into the classroom.

At that moment, she felt like a helpless little girl. Countless scorching gazes pierced through her, like bullets all at once.

Yoru walked straight to the boy who had poured water on her.

"What's he gonna do?"

"Revenge, obviously. If someone splashed water on your girlfriend, could you take it?"

"He's so cool. Why does he look so good now that he's slimmed down? Aoyama really hit the jackpot."

"Come on. Didn't you used to say awful stuff about her? Called her an escort, didn't you?"

"I want to date a hottie too..."

"Don't drag me into this… I didn't say anything..."

"An hour ago, you were calling him that disgusting fat loser. I don't buy your innocence."

After a whole class period, everyone had no choice but to accept that Yoru had lost weight and become a perfect heartthrob.

Nanami heard all the chatter and bowed her head even lower.

"What… what do you want?"

The boy who poured water on her looked like a jock—some muscle on him.

He panicked when Yoru stared at him but then stood up to save face.

He'd splashed Nanami just out of twisted, impulsive cruelty. Some people just couldn't stand to see others doing well.

"Wham!"

Yoru suddenly threw a heavy punch straight into the guy's chest.

"Urgh!"

Crash—clang clang clang—

The boy let out a muffled groan, completely unprepared for the sudden strike.

He crashed to the floor, slamming into desks and chairs, sending everything tumbling with a loud clatter.

"Sorry."

Yoru glanced at a nearby girl whose desk had been knocked over and offered a calm apology.

The girl blushed immediately, her eyes wide with shock, frozen on Yoru, unable even to nod.

Everyone else—including Nanami—was stunned.

Yoru had just hit someone?

This was Shuchiin Academy—a school with extremely strict rules and high standards for its students.

Bullying and mockery were things people only dared do behind closed doors.

Even then, only cold, silent bullying. No one dared cross the line into violence.

"He hit someone! Doesn't he know he could get expelled for this?"

"Honestly, it makes him even more attractive. Protecting his girlfriend like that..."

"Tch. What if it was you? Didn't you also say Nanami was an escort before?"

"Still… if he hits again, they'll definitely expel him, right?"

"Ah! You bastard, you wanna die?!"

The guy on the floor roared, struggling to get up.

Nanami took a frightened step back.

But Yoru didn't hesitate.

He had been waiting.

The moment the other person got up, he stomped hard on their chest and sneered, "So tough, and you attack a girl? You disgust me."

The force behind the stomp made the guy collapse again, groaning in pain and curling up on the ground.

"This is how you treat girls?"

Yoru pulled a drink from his pocket, unscrewed the cap, and calmly poured it out.

The black coffee spilled mercilessly over the guy's head.

"Ah?!"

Nanami's eyes widened. So this was what had happened.

The next second, Yoru stepped again, grinding his foot down with frustration.

Even someone like Eriri, with such high status, hadn't scared him. So why would anyone else?

At Shuchiin Academy, Eriri's family ranked in the top ten.

"Ah! It hurts! No!"

The guy let out a pig-like shriek.

"This is the price you pay. If you don't like it, come find me."

Yoru rolled his neck and pulled out another drink, pouring it out in humiliation.

You splashed cold water on Nanami back then, so now you get to feel it.

One bottle. Two bottles. Three. Four...

Yoru wasn't worried about being expelled from Shuchiin for this.

He hadn't done anything wrong. He wasn't the same person anymore.

Even if it went to the principal's office, it was obvious who bullied Nanami first.

Everyone watching gulped nervously, clearly frightened.

The one who was most scared was the flashy girl who had snatched Nanami's phone.

"Your turn…"

Yoru glanced down at the boy on the floor, then turned his gaze on the girl.

He raised his foot and stomped on her toes. She'd be limping for days.

"I... I…"

The girl's face turned ghostly pale, and her body trembled.

"Yoru…"

Nanami suddenly grabbed his hand, clearly worried.

What if he went too far? What if Shuchiin really expelled him?

Yoru turned back and sighed silently, his face still cold as he stared at the girl.

"Get over here and apologize."

These two had been the ones who bullied Nanami the most.

And nearly the entire grade had joined in on the rumors that Nanami had sold herself to him.

He couldn't beat up the whole school.

"I... su... sumimasen..."

The girl stood shakily, trembling and swallowing nervously as she stared at Yoru. The funniest thing was, she couldn't help but think he was really attractive... so cool...

"S-Sumimasen, Aoyama…"

She held the desk for support and clumsily stuttered out the apology.

"That's enough, Kitakami-kun…"

Nanami shrank back, glancing nervously toward the door.

Outside the classroom was a massive crowd, packed wall to wall.

"That's Kitakami? When did he become like that?"

"Wow... he's so good-looking…"

"Can someone explain what's going on?"

"Stop pushing, I can't see!"

"Is there a fight in there? Who's that guy?"

"That guy is Kitakami, the one who stole Kasumigaoka-senpai's stockings and panties. He lost weight over the summer..."

"There's a rumor that Aoyama sold herself to him."

"You're kidding, right? Did Japan lose the war? Looks like they're just dating. Probably jealous girls started the rumors."

"Who knows. Just enjoy the drama…"

Everything was being filmed and spread across group chats and school forums.

More and more students rushed over to see the scene.

Yoru wasn't worried about himself, but he was concerned for Nanami. He couldn't go too far.

In the end, he didn't back down until the pressure forced those people to apologize.

Whether sincere or not, they apologized to Nanami and him.

Only then did he calm down and regain his usual composure.

"Let's go."

Yoru grabbed Nanami's wrist and gently said in front of everyone.

"I... I-I... I need to grab my books…"

Nanami turned into a steamy pressure cooker, unable to form a proper sentence.

"Ahh! That's so romantic!"

"He's so charming…"

The boys weren't impressed, but the girls gasped in admiration.

The guy Yoru had stomped on finally stood up, heart pounding. Clearly shaken.

And the worst part? Yoru had the moral high ground.

There was no denying the evidence.

"You thinking of getting revenge?"

Yoru sneered and looked over at him.

"N-No…"

The guy shrank back, terrified like he was facing a wild beast.

"Heh…"

Yoru exhaled and pulled Nanami back to her seat to grab her bag.

He turned and glanced around the classroom.

No one dared meet his or Nanami's eyes.

"Let's go."

Yoru took the hand of the blushing girl beside him and strode out.

Nanami, shy and bashful, was like a frightened quail, her mind totally blank.

The students automatically parted to make a narrow path.

The corridor was crammed with people like a flood.

Everyone watched as Yoru led Nanami away by the wrist.

Once outside the school building, Yoru didn't stop. He sped up.

He couldn't wait to bring Nanami home and properly talk things through.

This silly girl.

She'd worried him so much—he had to discipline her a little.

Even after they left, the crowd outside Nanami's classroom didn't disperse.

Her classmates looked around, blaming and avoiding responsibility.

No one wanted to be the first to pretend nothing had happened and walk off.

After a long while, the class rep timidly raised his hand.

"I think... anyone who mocked Aoyama, or drew graffiti... should just admit it and apologize…"

"Anyone else too... If you're embarrassed, write it on a note or offer compensation…"

"We only thought she needed money... that's why we believed it…"

"I agree. I didn't even know those two were dating. Money's not the problem…"

A few guilty students murmured their agreement.