After that... I was taken to the staff room and told the grade level head teacher all the details of what happened. I was reprimanded for not consulting any teachers and for using the battery without permission, but I wasn't punished for anything else. I was required to submit a letter of apology, and it seems that Ogino will be taken to the police station after an emergency meeting.
"excuse me."
"Wait."
As I was leaving the staff room and heading back to my classroom, the head of my grade level called out to me.
"Ishigami, don't go now. If you go back to the classroom, it'll be impossible to have a lesson. For now, please stay in the infirmary until the end of class."
Those words made me realize that they were indeed true.
"That's true... Oh, but I left my bag in the classroom..."
"Okay, I'll tell someone to bring it later. For now, head to the nurse's office once classes start."
"got it."
I waited for the bell to ring to signal the start of class and then headed to the infirmary. When I entered the infirmary, the school nurse wasn't there, so I just lay down on the bed. As soon as I lay down, I was overcome with sleepiness, and my eyelids began to droop little by little.
(...I'm sleepy. Come to think of it, I've been a little...sleepy lately...)
Perhaps because the matter with Ogino was over and I felt relieved, my mind drifted off to sleep very easily...
...…
"...You, Ishigami-kun!"
I opened my eyes with a snap and met Otomo's gaze, who was looking down at me.
"...Otomo?"
"Ishigami, I brought your bag."
"Oh, Otomo brought it for me? Thank you."
"No, don't worry about it. More importantly... something incredible is happening, you know? Not just in our class, but in all the other classes too, everyone's talking about Ogino-kun."
"Well, I suppose that's to be expected..."
"Yeah... Sigh, I can't believe Ogino-kun was that kind of person... I'm glad I didn't date him."
"...Huh? Ohtomo, what did you just say?"
I couldn't help but ask Ohtomo to repeat himself.
"Um... well, Ogino-kun confessed his feelings to me a little while ago."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, surprising?"
"I'm kind of surprised... why did you refuse?"
"It's not like I knew what Ogino-kun was doing or anything. I only found out about it today..."
"That may be true, but..."
"...I just felt like something was off."
"different...?"
"Yeah, Ishigami-kun... he's been working really hard since he became a third-year student, right? He's been working hard in his club activities and his studies, and he's been doing chores for the class... and helping out the disciplinary committee, too, right? When I see all that, Ogino-kun's smile and words... just seem so fake..."
"That's why I broke up with her..." Ohtomo confided, and I was speechless.
"So... I guess the reason I didn't end up dating Ogino-kun was thanks to Ishigami-kun? Because I saw how hard Ishigami-kun was working, I was able to avoid accepting Ogino-kun's confession... So, thank you, Ishigami-kun!"
"I see, so it's because... I tried my best..."
Upon hearing Otomo's words, I...couldn't hold back my tears.
"Huh?! Ishigami-kun, are you okay?! Are you in pain somewhere?!"
"No, no, Otomo... It's nothing...!"
Seeing Otomo panic, a thought suddenly crosses my mind... It's not like I wanted anything in return, nor did I want him to be grateful. But maybe... I just wanted Otomo to see. Go back to the past... and see the changed me, the one who worked hard.
"Classes are about to start, so I'll head back to the classroom now."
"Oh, thanks for the bag."
"Okay, see you tomorrow!"
"...See you tomorrow."
I stared at the door that Otomo had just left through, and after confirming that it had closed...
"..." ← Remembering what he was like just a moment ago
(...Aa!!? How embarrassing, how embarrassing, how embarrassing!!? I cried in front of Otomoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!?)
A dark chapter in a boy's life! For a boy his age, crying in front of a girl is an unbearable humiliation! If a girl is nearby, even if he stubs his little toe on the corner of a dresser, hits his shin hard, or sees a poison ivy cockroach right in front of him, a boy will grit his teeth and act like nothing happened! Therefore...
"Mugooooo!!? Ugooooo!!!" *flailing*
Burying his face in the pillow and writhing in agony was an inevitable reaction... In any case, Yu Ishigami has finally broken ties with his past.