I check my phone, it's was already 6 PM. After looking around a bit I finally able to find Kushida. She was walking towards the school main building. I wonder why.
"Maybe she here for club activities," I guessed. I decided to keep following her.
I followed her upstairs to the rooftop.
"Weird, why she wants to go to the roof at this time," I wondered. Something doesn't feel right, so I keep myself hidden and quietly follow her. I peek through the door. She was standing near the railing. Then suddenly.
"She's so annoying! I hate her nasty attitude. She thinks that she is better than me. It would be better if she just died. You the worst, Horikita. You the worst," Kushida grumbled to herself while stomping the railings.
So this is her true face. It's completely opposite to her usual cheerful personality. It looks like she hates Horikita very much. But then why she wants to be friends with Horikita. She should know by then what's Horikita's personality like. So why she goes out of her way to help her. It's doesn't make any sense. I definitely missing something.
Suddenly Kushida's phone buzz. Instinctively hide behind the door. At the sound, she quickly turned around.
"Who's there? Show yourself," Kushida spoke in a tensed voice. It's no use to hide anymore. So I came out from my hiding place.
After seeing me at the door, Kushida stopped breathing for a second and had a shocked expression on her face. I guess she didn't expect me to be here of all people.
"What are you doing here?" She asked me in a cold voice.
"I follow you to return your phone which you forget in the library," I answered honestly. She quickly walked up to me and snatched her phone from my hand.
"Did you hear anything?" She asked with an icy glare which I could compare to Horikita's.
"Would you believe me if I said no?" I replied. Kushida grabs my hand and pushes it against her breast.
"If you tell anyone, what just you saw. Then I would tell everyone that you tried to rape me. And your fingerprints on my clothes would be enough to get you expelled or worse than that," She said that with a terrifying look.
"Okay, I understand. Now let go of my hand," I said. She released my hand and step away from me. I hear her grumbling about how today is her most unlucky day.
"Hey, Kushida. If you hate Horikita, then why you trying to get along with her," I asked the question which was bothering me.
"Because I want to be liked and trusted by everyone and that's included Horikita-San too. At least on the surface, I want to get along with her," She answered without hesitation.
"Then why you spread the rumours about me and Horikita," I asked.
"To get back at her. For humiliating me at the cafeteria and because of that, my perfect image has taken a hit. Do you know hard is to get along with everyone and being a perfect student? Of course, you didn't know, you barely had any friend," She said.
"Last part was a bit unnecessary," I thought.
"If you finished talking l heading out. Just so you know, I'm not going to wash this dress. If you betrayed me, I'll hand it over to the police," She warned me.
"Don't worry, even if I tell, nobody going to believe me," I said the truth There's a large difference between me and her in terms of the social status quo. She's at the top while I'm at the bottom.
She looked at me one last time and give me her usual bright smile before leaving the roof. I remained still and listen as the sound of her footsteps slowly fades away. I double-check to make sure she was gone.
After making sure she wasn't hiding anywhere nearby. I took out my phone from my shirt's chest pocket and stop the recording.
At first, I was planning to record the video to make her stops the rumours about me and Horikita. But then her phone buzz and I had to hide behind the door. At that moment, I switch from video to audio and place my phone in my shirt's chest pocket and cover it up with my blazer.
I am so glad that I did that. There's no telling what she going to with that fake evidence. She can practically hold it against me, anywhere and anytime. Even if I didn't betray her. With this recording, I can pretty much nullify her evidence.
As long as she didn't attack me, I'm not going to use it. But the moment she gets in my way, I'll destroy her.
I just entered the dorms which I saw Horikita leaving the building in a hurry. If she was some other student I would have ignored them, thinking that they are probably going to meet with her friends. But Horikita didn't have any friend. And not to mention that, it's almost nighttime.
"Where she going at this late," I thought. Curiosity got the better of me and I chased after her.
I stopped around a corner and saw Horikita with some guy.
"I come here to catch up to you, Brother," Horikita said. Her voice was so different from her usual cold voice.
"Brother, so here to meet with her brother," I thought.
"How going to catch up to me when you were placed in Class D. Even now you didn't understand your flaws which landed you in Class D," Her brother said.
"You wrong about that. Soon I'll reach Class A then you will," She pleaded. But her brother didn't let her finish. He grabbed Horikita by her wrist and pushed her against the wall.
"Is this how siblings interact with each other," I wondered. I never had a brother or sister, so I don't know how it's feel.
"As you are right now, you didn't have any abilities or qualities to reach Class A. This school isn't simple as you think. If you understand that then leave this school immediately," He raises his hand. Feeling a sense of Deja Vu. I quickly leap forward and caught his hand before he could hit her. He was surprised by my sudden appearance.
"You about to hit your sister," I said. He was staring at me with sharp eyes. I looked at Horikita, she looks so vulnerable right now. Her brother released and tried to backhand me. I quickly let go of his hand and avoid it. Then he aims a kick at my face which I also dodged and I close in on him for an uppercut, he's not able to guard himself on time. Then I remembered that violence is against the school's rule. If somebody sees me I could be expelled. So instead of attacking him, I take few steps back. Her brother looked confused.
"Why did you stop. You had a perfect chance to strike," He asked me.
"I would gain nothing from it," I answered. I hoped won't attack me anymore.
"What's your name," He inquired
"Ayanokouji Kiyotaka from Class D," I introduced myself. I hope I'm not getting into another trouble.
"Suzanne, Is this boy is your friend," He asked Horikita.
"No, he's just my classmate," Horikita mumbled just loud enough to hear.
I thought at least now she sees me as a friend but I guess I was wrong about that. It hurts my feelings, well not really.
"I see, Nothing has changed," Her brother said. He doesn't look angry but disappointed. He glanced at me before leaving. I don't know what to make of this meeting.
She was sitting against the wall with her head down.
"Are you okay," I asked her slightly concern for her.
"Why you're here?" Horikita asked. She was glaring at me as usual. A minute ago she was like a harmless kitten, as soon as her brother left she turned into a fearless tiger.
"It's just a coincidence," I lied. Technically it's a half-lie. I only caught a glimpse of her outside the dorms building by chance and then I follow her.
"Whatever, I don't care about you or those three idiots. They're dead weight anyway," She growled under her breath. She stood up, dust her clothes and began to walk away.
"Are you sure they're dead weight," I said. This is my last chance to make Horikita see her own flawed thinking.
"What do you mean by that," Horikita said, irritated by my sudden question. She finally losing her cool, which means I can get through her stubbornness.
"Let's take Sudou for example if we talking about academic he's certainly weaker than you but that cannot be said in the case of physical abilities. In that area, he's far superior to you. If there's an exam based on physical activities, the class going to need Sudou more than you. Then what if there is an exam based on cooperative and communication skill, people like Hirata and Kushida were needed the most. At that time you going to be a dead weight," I step closer to Horikita. She was glaring at me the whole time but this time I won't back down. I matched her glare with mine.
"Did you know why our class lose so many points while others so little," I asked. I was just inches away from her.
"It's because smart people like you didn't do their part properly. Students from other classes who were suspicious about the S-system warned others, that's how they saved their points. If we looked that way you the one who was holding the class" I said. She wanted to say something but she looked stuck. She turned her eyes away from me. I sighed.
"Horikita I just to say that, stop thinking that's everyone is a dead weight just because they didn't meet your standards. Everyone has their own strength and weaknesses," I said softly and then walked away from her.
To be continue