Gakushuu can't believe it, the way they are all so calm. It's near impossible to think that there are still people out there who are happy, desire food and drink and are content with their lives. They seem a million miles away to him, even as he walks among them.
He almost smiles at their ignorance. Ignorance is bliss after all. He commends whoever came up with that saying, weaving in an out of the crowds at school, making his way up the stairs and sliding into his headmaster's office. The headmaster must've seen the twitch of his mouth, because he smiles.
"Gakushuu," he says, and Gakushuu recoils. The only person who's ever called him by his first name was his mother, and Nagisa. No one else. His father always called him Asano. He's pressed against the door, ready to run. The headmaster rises. "Gakushuu, please I -"
Operating on autopilot, he flings the door open and runs. He's not sure where he's run to until he hears the voices of A-class, all gathering around, all worried. "Asano! Did your father hit you again?!" Ren asks, alarmed. Gakushuu looks at all of them, only just feeling the sting on his face.
I must have fallen somewhere, he thinks fuzzily. Can't believe I didn't notice. Why had he run straight to A-class though, and showed them his weakness?
"I don't care if he's the headmaster, he's got no right to treat Asano like that!" someone says firmly, and is met with 'yeah' and 'totally'.
"It's barbaric - you don't hit kids anymore! I wouldn't wish that on anyone... Not even the lower graded students," someone else says, and is met again with agreement.
Someone is helping him up. "Asano?"
"I - I just had a small episode with my fa-the headmaster," he says, changing his words. Emotional distance. "Nothing wrong. I banged my head along the door as I left."
"Right..." says Araki (another mastermind) doubtfully. He takes Gakushuu's other arm and guides him to a chair.
Gakushuu is silent. "Hey, Asano? You know you can confide in us right? We're here for you. Us top-graders have to stick together after all."
"Yeah. Especially against the Headmaster. I don't like the way he is right now..."
"Do you want to spend tonight at mine, Gakushuu?" asks Ren. One girl nods eagerly.
"We should make a rota - Asano shouldn't stay with the Head. If he's this violent at school..." she shudders, pen and paper out. "So it's Ren today, Araki tomorrow, Koyama Wednesday..." The students gather around her volunteering themselves to look after Gakushuu.
Gakushuu merely stares, in shock. His classmates... his friends... He had friends. Real life friends who would stick up for him. And he wouldn't have to see the headmaster. He smiles, getting up, and hugging Ren, then Araki, then everyone else one by one. "Thank you so much.."
"Hey, we got to make the world a better place," someone says. "That's what we're in A-class for!"
Everything's changed for him. But, he realises, nothing has. He was so obsessed with grades and work, he never even noticed these faithful, wonderful, loyal people - his friends.
There was definitely a revolution coming.
His revolutionary war... against his father.
