87. Humans are creature that like to make rumors

Damn it.

Atsushi had his elbows on his desk in the classroom, with a sullen expression on his face.

The cause was what the classmates were talking about.

“―――Hey, did you see ‘it’?”

“Yeah, I saw it. You mean, that leaflet on the school gate or the outer wall of the school this morning, right?”

“Can’t believe, that Hirose was a former high-class lady. Moreover, her engagement was abandoned.”

“It’s like those stories in the novel you can find on the internet.”

What was currently rumored in school? It was about multiple leaflets on the school gates and school walls this morning.

On the leaflet, it was written that Kaede was the only daughter of a certain company and that her engagement was abandoned.

There might seem nothing wrong with it. However, there was a fact that it was made public due to some circumstances, without considering the parties concerned. In addition, it said that the engagement was abandoned, not canceled. The two seemed to be similar but, each reader had different impressions.

“But, what do you think? Did the abandonment of the engagement cause any problems?”

“Well, maybe? I mean, the engagement was abandoned, right? And the person actually transferred to this school. So, I’m sure it’s not normal anyway.”

“Right. It’s been a little difficult to get close to her, but from now, it’ll be even harder to talk to her.”

“Yeahー, you can’t just ask her directly, right?”

Rumors based on selfish imagination, were spreading.

It wasn’t a direct taunt or slander as it was in Atsushi’s case. If anything, they didn’t know anything about her, so they decided to stay away.

Sh*t… I’m one step behind.

Yesterday, thanks to Hiiragi, Atsushi was able to affirm the true identity of the human being behind this. However, that didn’t mean that he could just take action immediately. He needed time to take proper measures. That was probably the reason why the human being behind this, created this situation.

And Kaede, who was the party involved, wasn’t here.

No, to be precise, she left school early today.

「”Hirose. Are you okay?”」

「”Oh, yeah. I’m OK. There is no problem. No problem at all. But… just that, I decided to go home early today. It’s not a big deal. Really. I-I’m fine. So, don’t worry? Okay?”」

That was what Atsushi heard from Kaede directly.

However, her attitude was clearly not okay. The smile she gave to Atsushi also felt awkward. Perhaps she tried to look fine, but in Atsushi’s eyes, her behavior looked strange.

『”… Atsushi-san”』

Suddenly, telepathy was sent from Yuri who was sitting in her seat.

『”What?”』

『”To be honest… right now, I, am, a little angry.”』

『”What a coincidence… me too.”』

Atsushi agreed with Yuri’s words.

Once, when he was a target of slander, Atsushi thought that this kind of thing was disgusting. A sickening behavior. However, this time it was more than that, his emotion was boiling over.

A person who was hunting down his friends.

Whatever the purpose, Atsushi was convinced, that this time, he had no time to stay idle.

『”Shirasawa. If this is left as it is, it’ll surely be bad. Before that happens, I want to do something… I’m sorry to trouble you again, but would you please cooperate?”』

To be honest, Atsushi didn’t mean to ask Yuri for help this time.

She helped him last time. It was a little unpleasant for him to ask for help again this time.

However, even so, Atsushi asked Yuri.

And the reply was,

『”What are you talking about, Atsushi-san? Isn’t that natural?”』

As usual.

This time, Atsushi asked Yuri not to provide psychic support, but to provide a place.

In other words, her coffee shop.

Atsushi’s purpose was to call the “other party” and talk to that person.

———————————–

Then, in the evening.

Someone came in front of Atsushi, who was waiting in the back seat of the coffee shop.

“I’m sorry to call you so sudden.”

In Atsushi’s words, the “person” sat in front of him, saying “It’s okay.”

“Alright… I’ll just say it straightforwardly. The person who sent strange guys to attack us before. And today, the person who scattered the leaflets about Hirose around the school. The one who broke the relationship between Toru Ninomiya and Kana Inoue, and forced those who were bullying Hirose to drop out or take a leave of absence. All of them, You were the one who did them, right? ――― Haruna Ninomiya”

Atsushi struck such words on the girl in front of him ――― Haruna.