Volume 9 Chapter 6 Part8 (1/2)
Classroom of the Elite Voluular Days, and PuffyPyjaular Days, PuffyPyjamas, and Catalystic
After that, a few days passed in the blink of an eye
During that period, the ever-controversial Ichinose continued her string of absences, failing to show up to school even a single tied on February 24th, one day before the end-of-year exaain While I personally didn't see her, Ichinose had been absent fortheir eyes on her The news reachedsaid, her presence was only truly i end-of-year exaood Ayanokōji Akito Haruka Airi You've all done excellent”
During our lunch break, the Ayanokōji Group had gathered around Keisei's desk before class
We had taken a mock exam that Keisei had made us, and the time had come to hear the results
It was a voluntary exaht before, all for the sake of testing our true abilities
”Wow~! Kiyopon you got a 90! Totally aweso her sandwich, Haruka spoke up, surprised by my result
”Well, the tests Keisei e to score about the same?”
While there was soet around an 80
”If you guys are able to get through both the provisional exam and this mock exam I made, the exam tomorroon't be a proble like that, this exam will be a piece of cake”
Akito rolled his stiff shoulders a few times He seemed to be pretty fired up
”Thank you so much Keisei-kun I've been… anxious every time I take an exam…”
”Don't mention it This much is the least I can do for all of you”
A little ehtly scratched the bridge of his nose
”But are you really sure that we don't need to do anything else today?”
”You've all spent a lot of ti this past week Since today is the last day before the real thing, I'd prefer it if all of you took a break You've all studied diligently up to this point, and I don't think you'll easily forget anything you've learned Furthererous if you push yourselves to the point where you end up getting sick or for you to doze off during the exam It'd be a shame if you did worse because of a few careless er that I'll follow your instructions, Yukimū”
As Haruka responded to Keisei with a weird salute, the others nodded along, agreeing with her words
Suddenly, a loud noise resounded throughout the classroo open from the other side
”Oh my God! Everyone!”
Just as ere about to enjoy the rest of our lunch…
”Ugh This is the worst…”
Haruka had dropped her sandwich onto the floor, startled by the sudden noise She spoke up
”Hey! What's wrong with you!”
Without attelared at Ike
”So down! A bunch of students from Class A marched into Class B just now!”
Ike spoke, full ofto class, Sakayanagi-san isthat, Horikita, as also having lunch in the classroo a word toher leave, Sudō, Hirata, and a few others followed after her
Toi wanted to make a move, she would have no choice but to make that move today
Todown Ichinose after she's co to do, Akito…?”
”It looks like I don't have any other choice If it turns into the sao, somebody will have to be there to stop it”
”Well, that is right”
”However… Haruka, Airi The two of you should stay here There's no reason for et involved than necessary”
”Yeah yeah, I get it We'll take our ti to do Kiyotakkun?”
”I…”
Keisei stood up along with Akito In this kind of situation, it was hard for me to say that I would stay behind as well
”I'll coh, I don't think that I'll be much help”
The three of us left the classroo toward Class B
The coathering together
”What are you doing here, Sakayanagi!?”
As we entered Class B's classrooi
”What a here, you ask? Why, I've come to rescue everybody in Class B, you know?”
Sakayanagi was accon of Kitō or anyone else fro to run into probleroup, so they probably decided to make their move with a si-san”
Ichinose spoke up from deeper within the classroom, surrounded by several of her classet involved with this”
”Yeah! Don't do this Hona their best to prevent Ichinose fros out, congratulations on your recovery In fact, I wanted to reach out to you earlier, but I've been quite busy studying for the exam Nevertheless, I'm quite happy for you You're just in time for the end-of-year exam tomorrow”
”Yes Thank you”
The two of them spoke to each other frole student froi with hostility
After all, even though it was lunch break, every student frohly likely that the entire class had banded together with the goal of protecting Ichinose
However, Sakayanagi didn't seem shaken by their unity at all Rather, she see in enemy territory
She had anticipated Ichinose's movements Given that Ichinose was currently in the middle of a maelstrom of rumors, she had foreseen that Ichinose wouldn'tthe lunch break
”You said you were here to 'rescue' us, Sakayanagi?”
”Correct”
Responding to Kanzaki's question, Sakayanagi nodded and let show a bright s the ruuess I kind of get what you mean by 'rescue'' Kanzaki mumbled
”I'm not the one who spread the ruetting at?”
”In the past, there were rue sum of points, remember? At the ti on, so those rumors subsided almost immediately”
”What about it?”
In order to prevent Ichinose fro a beat
”This ination, but… there are very few et their hands on such a large su any rules For example, one could periodically collect private points froether under a single person In short, they would be playing the role of a bank, and I've deter this very responsibility for Class B”
”That's not so I can say”
Kanzaki's response was only natural After all, it was directly related to Class B's internal affairs
”Indeed I didn't co for a response to that in the first place It's just that… If, for instance, Ichinose-san truly does play the role of a bank like I've surerous situation for all of you”
As she spoke, Sakayanagi directed her gaze toward Ichinose, as intently staring back at her
”…………”
Ichinose did not respond Instead, she siaze
”Ai's question was truly cruel It had certainly ed to force Ichinose into desperation
Unable to do anything but respond with silence, Ichinose had finally been cornered, driven to the very brink of a sheer cliff
With a single push, she'd be sent plu to the bottoi had created for her
However, this plan of hers wasn't going to work
”Could you give me a little space? Chihiro-chan Mako-chan”
”B-but!”
”It's okay You don't need to be worried about entle smile, Ichinose cali
Ultii, but to all of her classhout the classroo before the teacher's podiuy to the students of Class B
”W-what are you apologizing for Ichinose? There's no reason for you to be apologizing, right?”
Shaken from her words, shi+bata attey
”Please don't try to stop her, shi+batkun She was just about to confess”
Sakayanagi smiled happily
”This past year… The secret I've been hiding all along…”
”Hold on Ichinose You don't have to say anything else right now”
Feeling unsettled, Kanzaki atteain, but she didn't back down
”There have beenaround about me these past feeeks, and one of them isn't just a baseless rumor Just as it ritten in that letter… I am a crii showed a satisfied smile
”Is that true?”
The noisy classroom fell into silence as her words sunk in
”It seeood-natured classht coive them all the details, Ichinose-san What kind of criulped nervously
”I've kept this froht now”
Declaring such, Ichinose finally began to speak about the past that she had kept buried within
”I… was a shoplifter…”
The shoplifting honor student, Ichinose Honaht of her unexpected revelation, the surprise was great enough that it ed to impact spectators outside of Class B, such as Keisei and Akito
After all, Ichinose really didn't co
”Honami-chan… a shoplifter…? R-really?”
”Yes I'an to recount her experience with shoplifting
”I ca with er than me While eren't very well-off, ere never unhappy Myfull-time as she raised two children all by herself That's why, ever since ele o to high school, so I wanted to find a job to help er sister instead But, ainst it I think that, just as I, an older sister, sincerely wished for er sister's happiness, hters”
Ichinose opened up about her past
”I understood that, even without money, if I studied as hard as possible, I'd be able to make use of the student scholarshi+p systeed to reach the top of the school But… just like that, during the summer of my third year of middle school… my mother pushed herself too hard and collapsed”
It seemed that, in order to support her family's livelihood, Ichinose's iven up her own body, all for the sake of raising her children