Chapter 4

Shujin Academy

Early Morning

Haru was deep in thought as she stared at several packets of seeds placed on the desk in front of her. As per the norm, she had arrived at school early and made her way to the gardening club room to wait for classes to start.

After arriving at home the previous evening Haru asked Sebastian if they had any seeds that she could use for the Shujin gardening club. With her father once again calling the house to say he would be home late, Sebastian was able to spend an hour helping Haru looking for seeds as his other duties had already been completed.

This wasn't a strange request for Haru to make. The Okumura household staff already knew that the young heiress had a proficiency in gardening. Even Haru was able to acknowledge that her skills in gardening surpassed the average person. The proof of that could be seen every day on the balcony of her house, where she managed to grow a papaya tree several years earlier.

It had made Haru laugh when she witnessed the shocked faces of her father and Sebastian when they discovered the tropical plant growing in a climate and place it shouldn't have been possible. Since then, she had asked for different types of seeds and created a tiny garden at her house. However, the area she is allowed to grow plants at her house is tiny because she could destroy the aesthetics of the Okumura family grounds if she grew plants wherever she wanted. At least, that's what she was told when she asked if she could grow larger plants, like the papaya, again. It had forced her to remove or discard various plants when she wished to grow new ones. Of course, she is still likely to do that with her new garden, but maybe instead of throwing them away, she will be able to give her grown plants to other students as a gift.

Their search had been successful with Haru obtaining six different packages of seeds. Three were for different types of flowers, and three were for different vegetables. Looking at the seed packets, Haru began thinking about what she wanted to grow first. She now had red, blue, and purple flowers alongside carrot seeds, tomato seeds, and cucumber seeds. Not the most exciting plants in the world, but Haru was still excited at the idea of cultivating her new garden.

Shaking her head Haru looked up as the clubroom door opened, Hideo standing in the doorway. The boy sighed as he walked to one of the desks and collapsed into the chair, his head hitting the desk with apparent exhaustion.

"Um…Hideo-kun, how are you this morning? Is Ruru-chan not with you?" Haru asked, tilting her head with concern written on her face.

Jumping slightly, Hideo looked at Haru with surprise. As their eyes met, Haru noticed that the younger boy had bags under his eyes. "Ah, Haru-senpai! I didn't notice you there! Ruru had to go meet with one of the teachers to discuss some project or something."

Shaking her head, Haru continued with her concern, "Did you not get any sleep last night?"

Looking up in thought, Hideo responded, "Um…I think I managed to get a couple of hours of sleep… Actually, did I sleep last night? What day is today again?"

"It's the thirteenth of April, Hideo-kun. You were fine yesterday. What kept you up last night?"

"Oh! This new game came out last weekend, and I finally managed to get my hands on it! It's this sci-fi RPG where-" Hideo began to babble about the story and characters of this new game Haru had never heard of, his exhaustion disappearing. Of course, Haru had never been the biggest fan of video games. She understood that other people loved them, but she could only ever find enjoyment in small, mindless apps on her phone.

"So you stayed up all night playing that game?" Haru interrupted.

Suddenly, Hideo seemed to remember how tired he was as his head once again crashed into the desk. "It was so good, though. And once I got into the story, I just lost track of time, and then all of a sudden the sun was rising, and Ruru was knocking on the door saying it was time to go to school!"

Haru looked at the clock in the room and noticed there was still fifteen minutes before classes started, "Do you think you'll be able to make it through the day?"

Lifting one hand, Hideo wobbled his hand back-and-forth in a so-so motion, "Eh, I'll probably fall asleep once or twice, but we have that volleyball rally today, remember? I only have to make it for a couple hours, and then I can go take a nap! Unless-" Looking at Haru in mock horror, Hideo continued, "Haru-senpai, please tell me we don't have any club activities today! I don't think I'll be able to survive if we do!"

Sighing, Haru looked back down at her seed packets. On the one hand, it would probably be for the best if the gardening club did another patrol of the school's garden to make sure they hadn't missed anything yesterday. On the other hand, Haru didn't want to inconvenience the whole club with something that could be done by one person. Well, that, and if she didn't have to lead any club activities, it meant that she could begin preparations on the rooftop garden.

Looking back at Hideo and smiling, Haru responded, "No, there won't be any activities. You, Ruru-chan, and Ayaka-chan can go back home after the volleyball rally."

Raising his hands in victory, Hideo cheered before allowing his head to once again fall onto the desk in front of him. Haru smiled before another thought crossed her mind. She remembered her conversation, well…scolding, that she received yesterday from Ai Kotori. Haru knew that Hideo was aware of most things that happened in this school. He had his hand on the pulse of the school's rumor mill and could get any new information within an hour of it becoming 'public knowledge.'

"Hideo-kun, I have a question," she began. "The volleyball players seem to be covered in injuries. I tried asking one of the members yesterday, but…" trailing off, Haru looked back at Hideo to see he had turned his head toward her.

"Were you yelled at? Told to mind your own business?" He questioned. When Haru nodded, he continued, "Yeah, that sounds about right. There's actually a lot of rumors about that. You can't ask any of the players about their injuries. Every one of them will get angry when you do. Sure, they'll go on and on about how their injuries come from hard work and all, but there are just too many, you know?"

"Yeah, they seemed to be covered in bruises and bandages. That's why I was concerned, but then Kotori-san got really upset when I asked them. I was worried that I might have insulted them."

Hideo sighed as he lifted his head from the desk table, "Well, you don't really need to know about it. Some of the rumors are actually really upsetting. You sure you want to know?"

Haru hesitated at the question. Usually, Hideo would be enthusiastic about sharing any story he heard within the school. For him to hesitate in sharing what had to be 'juicy' gossip meant that it was either unpopular, deeply upsetting, or he didn't believe it himself. Nodding before she could second guess herself, Haru looked Hideo directly in the eye, "Yes, please tell me. I have to know."

Hideo stared at his senpai before looking at the ceiling as he began to relay the rumors spread in the 'dark' area of the rumor mill, "There are three main rumors around the volleyball team's injuries. The first and most well-received rumor is what the players are telling everyone. Their hard work and determination to be the best are what cause those injuries, but you already knew that one.

The second rumor, which several people believe to be true, is that the volleyball team is actually a front, and the players are actually training to be in the army after they graduate. That rumor actually has several people kinda scared of the team and avoiding them."

Hideo paused as he gave Haru one more hesitant glance, "Finally, the rumor that I've only heard a few times and is the least popular. Kamoshida is actually beating his players and physically abusing them in punishment for failing to meet his expectations."

Haru gasped as she heard the last one. She couldn't believe that a teacher would actually be willing to do something so horrendous. Wouldn't he get in trouble if that were true? Wouldn't a parent be concerned enough that the police would get involved? And if Kotori-san's story from yesterday was true, she had said that all of the player's parents knew about their injuries.

Haru knew for a fact that if she returned home with even a tiny bruise that Sebastian would inform her father, and he would become involved. If her father would ensure her physical well being even if he wasn't home all the time, wouldn't that mean that a parent who saw their child every day would put even more care in making sure their child was healthy and happy?

Shaking her head, Haru turned to Hideo, "That can't be true! I mean, so many people love Kamoshida-sensei. He's even an Olympic gold medalist! There's no way someone like that would actually hit a student, right?"

Hideo shrugged his shoulders, "That's just what I heard. I mean, I know I'm pretty gullible, but even I can't believe that someone so well-liked by so many students could be that much of a d-bag."

As Haru went to respond, the school bell rang, shocking her out of her swirling thoughts. Shaking her head, she shoved the seed packets back into her school bag and made her way to the door, "Thank you for telling me that, Hideo-kun. Please try to stay awake through your classes. It would be rude to the teachers if you fell asleep during their lessons."

Groaning, Hideo began to follow Haru toward his own class, "No promises, Haru-senpai. If I'll be heading home during the rally, I'll see you tomorrow. I'll make sure to tell Ruru and Ayaka that we don't have a club meeting today."

Haru nodded as she began to quickly make her way to her class.

/|\

Shujin Academy

Morning

Walking into the classroom, Ms. Usami looked around as the students quieted down.

"Alright, as you all know, the volleyball rally is today. Please head to the gymnasium once you've changed into your athletic uniforms."

Haru rose with the other students as they made their way to the locker rooms. The whispering of the other students already began as the entire school began to prepare for the rally.

"Why do we have a volleyball rally so early this year? It's only the first week!"

"I heard that Kamoshida insisted that it would be a good morale booster for the volleyball team before they began training for nationals."

"Man, what's the point of even trying? We'll be going up against the teacher team anyway. We have no chance."

"The volleyball team is going up against Kamoshida's team? Oh man, you guys are gonna get destroyed!"

"I wish I could play now. I want to get spiked on by Kamoshida! It's not every day you get to go up against an Olympic champion!"

"Dude, you do not want to get spiked on. I hear that Kamoshida's spikes are like a cannon blast!"

Haru sighed as she made her way through the crowd of students. Maybe she'll be able to leave after the first game and begin work on her garden.

/|\

Shujin Academy

Afternoon

Haru watched as the volleyball game was already in full swing. On one side of the net was the Shujin male volleyball team wearing their red athletic uniform shorts and white t-shirts. On the other was the teacher team, who wore a mismatch of different color sweatpants and t-shirts. Around the court, Haru saw the rest of the students in attendance. In the red sweatpants, white shirt, and rep windbreaker that made up the official Shujin athletic uniform.

Haru had never been a big fan of sports, but even she could tell that the skill of Mr. Kamoshida was at a much higher level than the rest of the players. In fact, Haru was sure it wasn't meant to be like it, but this match seemed to be more of a way for the Olympic medalist to show off his own skills than to show off the skills of the students.

However, the memory of what Hideo told her this morning rose up again. Could a man who looks so happy playing volleyball really be able to abuse the volleyball team? Mr. Kamoshida was a tall, muscular man who was wearing blue sweatpants and a white shirt. His black hair was a mess of curls. Haru could admit that the man was attractive. Everything about him showed that he was a man who had worked hard to get into shape and worked harder to maintain his athleticism. Would a man who seemed to have so much going for him really be hurting others for personal gain?

Shaking her head, Haru broke out of her own thoughts to watch as Kamoshida jumped into the air to spike the volleyball. The ball launched with a loud slap. Haru couldn't help but compare it to a cannon shot as the ball zoomed over the net. However, instead of hitting the ground, the ball made contact with the face of one of the volleyball players.

A hush came over the crowd of students as the black-haired boy fell over. Haru took a half step forward when she realized that the boy wasn't moving. However, before she could fully decide to go see if he was alright, Haru noticed Kamoshida making his way to the fallen student.

"Sorry," he said as he kneeled next to the boy. "Hey, are you alright?!" Kamoshida touched the boy's shoulder but seemed hesitant to move the boy. "Someone! Take him to the nurse's office!"

Looking back at the boy, Kamoshida grabbed one of his arms and began to pick him up. Haru started to make her own way over to get the boy to the nurse's office, but before she had even made it halfway, one of the closer students, a bespectacled boy, was already hauling the student to the school's medical facility.

Haru sighed in relief as another student began to help take the injured boy away. It looked like everything would be fine. Looking back at Kamoshida, Haru once again had to think about what Hideo told her this morning. Mr. Kamoshida seemed to be genuinely concerned when that boy took the volleyball to the face. He didn't look like he was faking his concern, but then again, Haru was no expert at reading another person's facial expressions.

Haru watched as a substitute came onto the floor to take the place of the missing player so that the game could continue. However, Haru felt she had already spent enough time to fulfill her "student obligation" of supporting the volleyball team. So, Haru made her way out of the gymnasium alongside several other students. Once out, Haru made her way to the gardening club room to retrieve the supplies she needed for her garden.

Walking into the empty room, Haru made her way to the fertilizer in the corner of the room. She had thought of this yesterday. No one would miss one or two bags. If they did, she would take responsibility for it. Still, the gardening club budget can handle the loss of one or two bags of mid-grade fertilizer.

As she grabbed one of the bags, Haru realized her mistake. Each bag of fertilizer weighed about twenty-five pounds. Haru is not a physically strong person. How is she meant to get these bags to the roof on the other side of the buildings?

Before Haru had a chance to think of the answer, the door to the classroom burst open, allowing Ayaka Fukuda to enter.

"I made it! I'm not late this time! In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm early. What do you guys think about that?!"

Looking around the room, Ayaka noticed that only Haru was present for her moment of victory, "Umm…Haru-senpai? Where's Hideo-kun and Ruru-chan?"

"I told Hideo-kun that we didn't have any activities today. He told me he would inform you and Ruru-chan that you all could go home instead of coming to the club. Did he not tell you?"

Ayaka crumpled to the ground at Haru's words, "You mean… I was on time… the one time it didn't matter?"

"Oh! Um… it's ok, Ayaka-chan! I'm very impressed with how you made it on time! You did a great job!"

Looking up, Ayaka had a look of gratitude on her face as she met Haru's eyes, "Thank you, Haru-senpai, but I don't think Hideo will ever believe it without seeing it for himself."

Ayaka sighed as she turned to leave the room, "Well, if there's nothing else, I guess I'll-"

"Wait!" Haru burst out, halting Ayaka in her tracks. "Would you please help me move one of the fertilizer bags to the rooftop with the abandoned planters? I want to start the garden today, but I need to re-soil the planters before I put in the seeds."

Ayaka looked at the bags of fertilizer and back at Haru before she sighed, "I guess I can help. I might as well do something since I'm already here." Walking over to the bags, Ayaka then looked over at Haru.

"I can't do this on my own. We can work together to carry it."

Haru beamed at the younger student as she quickly made her way to the other side of the bag, "Thank you so much, Ayaka-chan! I only need one, for now, so you can leave once we get it up there."

Ayaka nodded as the two began to make their way to Haru's rooftop garden.

/|\

Shujin Academy Rooftop

Afternoon

The two girls sighed in relief as they dropped the bag of fertilizer. It was easy at first, but as they made their way down the stairs, across the courtyard, and up three flights of stairs to the roof, it became increasingly difficult as the weight seemed to constantly increase. But now that they made it, Haru couldn't help but feel accomplished.

"Thank you so much, Ayaka-chan! I could not have done this without you."

Ayaka blushed slightly as she looked away, "It was no big deal. I was already there, and it would have been pretty rude if I just left the club president hanging when I was all prepared for an afternoon of club activities."

"Well, you can leave now if you want. I'll be spending a while fixing up the garden."

"Thanks, Haru-senpai. By the way, did you hear what the other students were saying on the way here?"

"Which ones? The school seems to never stop spreading rumors about every little thing."

Ayaka laughed at Haru's response, "That's true. I can't seem to go two days without hearing some new crazy rumor about a student or a teacher."

Haru paused as she was once again reminded of the rumor Hideo told her this morning involving Kamoshida. She still didn't want to believe that it was true. But if it was…should she tell someone on the faculty? What if the rumor was incorrect, and everyone just thought she was just spreading false information? She wasn't sure she could take that chance. If she was wrong and accused an Olympic athlete of something he didn't do…would the faculty call her father? How much trouble would she get in for falsely accusing someone of physically abusing someone?

"Haru-senpai?" Ayaka's voice broke through Haru's dark thoughts. Shaking her head, Haru turned to the younger girl.

"I'm sorry, I was distracted. What did you say?"

Ayaka gave her a searching look before she responded, "I said that the other students were talking about how Amamiya, the criminal transfer student, and Sakamoto were cornering some volleyball students. I heard that they were threatening them or something."

Haru shook her head, "Oh, yeah, I heard those on the way here. But I was focusing so much on not dropping the bag that I didn't pay much attention. Why? Do you think those two are threatening other students?"

"Well…I don't know," Ayaka responded. "In class, Amamiya-san acts like a perfect student, but everything I've heard about him seems to destroy that image. And every day, he just seems to get scarier, so I don't know what to think anymore."

"Right, I forgot that you were in the same class as him," Haru responded. "Well… I think you should make your own judgments. I haven't even talked with him yet, but I know that he couldn't have done everything everyone said he did. I mean, if he was that dangerous of a person, do you think they would really let him out of prison?"

Ayaka shook her head as she looked at Haru, "No, it wouldn't make sense. You're right Haru-senpai, he can't be as bad as everyone says he is. He's still pretty scary though, there's like this wild energy around him. I don't think I would even be able to talk to him without shaking like a leaf!"

Haru sighed as she looked down at the fertilizer. Pulling up her red windbreaker's sleeves, Haru began to drag the bag to the planters, "Well, even if you never become friends with him, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't spread any more rumors about him. I know I can't convince Hideo-kun to stop, but I would truly appreciate it if you would not join Shujin's rumor mill."

Ayaka nodded as she began to walk toward the door to the roof, "I'll try my best not to spread any rumors, Haru-senpai. Good luck with your garden!"

"Thank you, Ayaka-chan!"

Turning back to the planters, Haru opened the bag of fertilizer and began to work.