Yandere? Menhera? Bring It On, If You're Confident That I'll love You For Who You Are - Chapter 53

Observation Results for “Him”

Hoshimiya High School.

Several days have passed since I was invited as a trainee teacher here.

With all of today’s classes finished, as the other students began preparing to leave, I reflected on the events of the day.

While officially wearing the mask of a trainee teacher, focusing my surveillance on a particular boy proved harder than I thought. But, I had chosen this path myself; I had no regrets.

The result of these past days of surveillance on “him” could probably be summed up with the word ‘unexpected’.

He was known among the students and faculty as a problem child. Based on my first impression, his behavior was certainly not what one would describe as polite.

However, when I actually observed him, he had a clean-cut appearance, and during class, despite his usually detached expression, he engaged quite earnestly.

The smiles he showed to friends and his sister were relatively gentle.

He did not join the rowdy boys who teased the girls or reveled in vulgarity.

For a seventeen-year-old high school sophomore, who you might expect to be full of self-conceit and pretense, he was rather composed.

He never seemed to go out of his way to pick fights with anyone.

Though I’m not much older, my honest impression was that he was a somewhat mature, typical high school student… excluding the fact that he was shunned by the other students.

“Hey, hey, Shimazu-san, do you commute on foot?”

“Ah, yeah. I’m living off an allowance from home for now. After learning from this school, I plan to dedicate next year to studying before aiming for university.”

“So, a ronin? You’re really dedicated to your studies.”

That day after school, I was surrounded by students in the class.

Ever since my first day as a trainee teacher, influenced by those who actively approached me, it was becoming a routine to communicate with the students like this after classes.

“But really, Shimazu-san, you look so much like a middle schooler. You’re pretty slim too, are you sure you’re eating enough?”

“Hey boys! Don’t say things like that to a girl!”

“Ahaha…”

A dry laugh escaped me unintentionally. In truth, my appearance is somewhat of a complex for me.

But while still caught up in the afterglow, I couldn’t neglect my main duty.

Out of the corner of my eye, it seemed like he was leaving the classroom with his friends.

After days of observing him, I still hadn’t had the chance to speak with him one-on-one.

“…Shimazu-san, did Kurogane do something to you?”

One of the boys noticed my line of sight and asked me.

Shoot. Did I just react too obviously?

“That guy, he’s the one, right? The one who nearly killed the head of the Asagami Group. They say it was self-defense.”

“No, no, before that he was a patricide, right? Can you trust someone like that?”

“I heard the one who died wasn’t his real parent. Maybe he was spoiled rotten?”

“Yeah, maybe. If it’s not his real son, they wouldn’t be too harsh on him.”

“And now, he’s living with just his sister, right? After the Asagami Group thing, they got a lot of compensation money. He’s probably happy about it inside.”

“Must be nice, huh? A life where no one complains about anything.”

The students’ image of him. I watched their reactions in a daze.

When the principal ordered me to monitor him, I was informed of some of the circumstances.

Even I thought that the students’ impressions were ridiculously overblown.

Because he’s doesnt have a real parent? Spoiled?

Their wholly arbitrary image of him, the irrational prejudice, the slander.

Before I knew it, I found myself speaking up unconsciously.

“Have you guys ever seen it?”

“Eh?”

“Him—Kurogane-kun, hurting someone.”

My question left the students with a puzzled expression—

“I haven’t seen it, but…”

One of the boys muttered.

“You haven’t seen it? Not a single one of you? Yet you spoke so confidently. Could it be that you’ve only defamed Kurogane-kun based on your own arbitrary image?”

My words left the students silent as if they were children who had lost their words when scolded by a parent.

At the same time, I realized—

The slander against him by these students was nothing more than a pastime—a form of entertainment.

“…I’m sorry. Don’t think too much about it. I’m going ahead.”

I left the scene as if fleeing.

I hurried down the corridor, but stopped near a staircase where there was no foot traffic.

“…Why did I say that?”

Such a rash action. The role of a trainee teacher is merely a front, and my duty is to monitor Kurogane Minato.

Even a primary school student would understand that I should act in a way that doesn’t arouse suspicion of my connection to him.

If the students misunderstand and think I’m biased toward him, it might affect my future actions…

“…And yet, I haven’t even spoken to him.”

Strictly speaking, there was an exchange of words that day he visited the Asagami Group, but for some reason, I was reluctant to count that as our first conversation.

I want to know more about him—each day, I can feel that emotion growing within me.

I still don’t know what this muddled feeling is. However…

I clearly felt anger rising within me at the sight of those students mocking him.

“Yo, what a coincidence. Shimazu-sensei… is that right?”

“!”

Suddenly hearing his voice, I looked up in surprise. My heart nearly stopped.

“Ah, you’re still a trainee now, aren’t you? Should I stop calling you ‘sensei’? Or should I show my respect by addressing the former bodyguard of the Asagami Group’s head as ‘sensei’?”

His piercing gaze left me at a loss for words.

“Shall we go somewhere we can talk alone? I’d like to hear it all. Your so-called ‘objective’.”