My Story of Falling for the Class President

Chapter 24: Kashii-san's Tearful Face

It's been a month since the outwardly friendly Sotomachi became class president.

There's no bullying directed at me, but the cold stares from the Sotomachi group remind me of the malice in their gazes, confirming that it's not over yet.

When Sotomachi became president, he said, 'A class where everyone can have fun together,' which apparently means freedom. With the Sotomachi group leading the way, the loud, strong, and influential ones do whatever they want, and not only is nothing said against it, but it feels like they're encouraged with an atmosphere of 'Go ahead and do as you please!'

With the boys acting like that, the flashy girls' group close to the Sotomachi group also started behaving recklessly, using timid kids as errand runners or making fun of someone whenever they found a gag to laugh at, creating an environment where the weak find it hard to live.

Especially Aoi from the Sotomachi group is awful, constantly picking on three timid boys. It's not funny to watch. According to Tanaka-kun, they're getting shoved around and the violence is gradually increasing in places where no one can see.

After being consulted by Tanaka-kun last time, he approached me again, but I refused to listen to his concerns. It'd be easy to solve things by consulting someone, but the world doesn't work that smoothly.

If it were easy to solve, bullying wouldn't happen, and there wouldn't be kids taking their own lives because of it.

The other class president, Kashii-san, was heartbroken over the current state of the class. She always worked hard to keep the class running smoothly, but this time, the boys' rowdiness was beyond normal, and it was dragging the girls into chaos as well.

Back in sixth grade, Acchan faced a similar situation after transferring schools, but now in middle school, everyone's sense of self has grown stronger, and with Sotomachi promoting this 'freedom!' attitude, Kashii-san was struggling to keep the girls in line.

I overheard some backtalk like, "Why do the boys get to do whatever they want, but the girls have to be scolded so much by Kashii-san?!"

I haven't spoken to Kashii-san since I was removed as class president. I heard from Kousuke that she was really worried about me.

But, being removed, and having my classmates tease me in a way that felt like bullying—having all that exposed feels embarrassing.

Kashii-san is kind; she's the type of person who would go out of her way for anyone suffering like this. I like Kashii-san, but more than that, I respect that part of her.

All I can do is watch Kashii-san as she worries about the class.

As for myself, since then, I've become distrustful of people. Sometimes, I dream of being rejected one by one by my classmates in the gymnasium. The worse the memory, the clearer it is.

I thought the only ones I can trust now are my family, Kousuke, and Acchan.

Even though I know it's not good, whenever I see someone, I can't help but think, 'This person would probably gang up and reject me too if something happened,' and I find myself unable to trust people carelessly.

The warriors and generals within me wouldn't say something so weak; they'd probably say something like, 'Even if you're betrayed, it's better than not trusting at all.' But I just can't bring myself to be that resolute. I was torn inside.

A student in our class stopped coming to school. The homeroom teacher asked the two class presidents to visit the student's house, but Sotomachi declined, saying he was busy.

In the end, Kashii-san, accompanied by Obata-san as usual, visited the home of one of the timid boys who had become truant.

The next day, during lunch break, I was thinking of reading something in the library as usual when I saw Kashii-san beckoning me from the classroom entrance.

(What's this about?)

I was led by Kashii-san, following her gestures, all the way to the front gate.

'Tachibana-kun, sorry for calling you out so suddenly.'

'Yeah, what's up?'

Being called to the main entrance clearly meant there was no romance involved, as the location made that obvious.

What could it be?

'Tachibana-kun, I'm sorry I couldn't do anything when I was class president. I heard a lot from Kousuke-kun, but I...'

Seeing Kashii-san looking down and on the verge of tears, I hurriedly spoke.

'It's already in the past, and you helped me out, Kashii-san. I'm really grateful, you know?'

For a while, the two of us kept apologizing and thanking each other.

'Since we're not getting anywhere, let's leave this matter here, okay? So, Kashii-san, isn't there something you wanted to talk about?'

'Right, that's true. There's something I want to ask.'

Kashii-san told me about going to the truant boy's house with Obata-san yesterday, how he wouldn't talk at all, and how the class atmosphere lately has been strange.

'I've heard most of it from Kousuke-kun. But I want to hear from you, Tachibana-kun, what happened and what's going on now. If you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you, though...'

I didn't want to talk about it. It's embarrassing, pathetic, and even now, it makes me feel like crying. Plus, I thought Kashii-san might be shocked by the other things.

Thinking that, I gently declined.

'But, Tachibana-kun, I really want to know what's happening in the class.'

'I understand that you probably don't want this to be known, Tachibana-kun. But, you see?'

(Didn't she say she wouldn't force me if I didn't want to talk?)

She's pretty pushy, isn't she? Kashii-san's quite the tactician.

Reluctantly, I calmly recounted the harassment, teasing, and bullying-like things I experienced. When I got to the part about the student assembly where I was insulted from all sides, including poverty jabs, Kashii-san's eyes welled up with tears, and by the time I mentioned being rejected one by one by my classmates in the gymnasium, she started crying.

Waiting for her to calm down a bit, I told her everything without holding back: the drama of being removed as class president, my mom filing a complaint, the skirmish with Aoi, how the three timid boys are being picked on now, and how the violence has been increasing.

Kashii-san shed big tears from her large eyes, letting them fall one by one.

'Tachibana-kun, you're strong. Even after all that, you don't run away and keep coming to school. I didn't understand anything...'

I couldn't take my eyes off the sight of the girl I like crying. I didn't want to see her cry, and I couldn't leave her like that, yet I couldn't look away.

There's someone crying for my sake. Just that alone warmed my heart.

I'm sure Kashii-san would cry for anyone else in the same situation. That's the kind of girl she is, and that's why I fell for her. It's not just because she's cute.

After that, while crying, Kashii-san told me how she tried to support me in various ways, how she urged the boys to stop teasing me because I was trying hard, how Sotomachi pointed out that it had the opposite effect and accelerated the teasing toward me, and how she was too scared to talk to me after hearing that.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

Seeing Kashii-san's tearful face as she apologized repeatedly, I started crying too.

Near the school's main entrance, though there was no one around, the two of us sobbed loudly. Seeing each other's crying faces made us cry even more.

After crying for a while, we both burst into laughter at the same time.

'Tachibana-kun, you've been working hard, and you haven't let the teasing get to you. If no one else will praise you, I will! You're amazing, Tachibana-kun!'

'I was made class president and tried my best, but it didn't work out. But now, everything feels worth it. You've saved me, Kashii-san.'

Kashii-san gave a smile that could charm anyone, regardless of gender.

'Huh? So, if I'm ever really in trouble, will you help me just once?'

'I'll definitely help you. I swear.'

'Eh? Really?'

Just talking to Kashii-san after so long made my heart feel so much lighter.

And so, by the time the first semester ended, there were two truant students in our class, one boy and one girl.

After the summer break, the situation would likely change again, but our class had become like something out of a post-apocalyptic world, where the strong did as they pleased, and the weak were used as errand runners or bullied.

For the sake of my own mental resolution and for Kashii-san, I started searching for a way to resolve the bullying.

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A conversation between Kashii-san and Obata-san when visiting the truant boy's house.

'Obata-chan, we're classmates, so I'd be fine going alone, you know?'

'No way! Reina, you're cute, so if you're alone with a boy at his house, you might end up in some naughty situation like in a thin doujin!'

'There's no way that would happen!'

But feeling a bit uneasy, Kashii-san decided to go with Obata-san.

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