x
After calming down, Mizuha, Shimizu, and Eri left the restroom together.
"It looks like the crowd that gathered earlier has already dispersed. Did something happen while we were inside?" Shimizu asked, looking around.
"Wait... did something actually happen?" Mizuha asked, shocked.
"Yeah, that's right, Mizuha-chan. Your confrontation earlier caught a lot of attention," Eri said.
Hikaru, Takeru, and Zul slowly approached them.
"Mizuha!" Takeru called out from afar.
"Oh, there they are," Shimizu said.
"Mizuha, are you okay?" Takeru asked with concern.
"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks to Shimizu and Eri for coming earlier," Mizuha replied.
"Hah... thank God, I was really worried about you," Takeru said with relief.
"What's up, Takeru? You worry too much. No need to stress—if I'm with her, there's nothing to worry about," Shimizu said proudly.
"Yeah... I guess that’s true, haha," Takeru said, forcing a chuckle.
Hikaru then stepped closer to Mizuha. "Mizuha…"
"Wait, Hikaru? Why are you here today? I thought you were still recovering," Mizuha asked, surprised.
"Well, my cold suddenly went away last night, so I came back to school as usual," Hikaru explained
"Really? Then good for you, Hikaru!" Mizuha said with a smile.
Hikaru placed his hand on Mizuha's head.
"By the way, good job earlier, Mizuha. I heard from the crowd you confronted them to stop them hurting Eri and Shimizu. I’m proud of you."
"Haha, it's nothing special. I just didn't want them to do bad things to my friends, that's all," Mizuha replied.
Mizuha and Hikaru talked in their usual way, which made Shimizu uneasy.
She stepped forward and pulled Mizuha aside before turning to Hikaru.
"You! You only showed up now? Do you even know how hard Mizuha has been dealing with these rumors?
This all happened because of you! Those girls were jealous of how close Mizuha is to you. Most of them are your fans! Don't just act like nothing happened," Shimizu said, clearly upset.
"Wait, please calm down, Shimizu. You can't blame Hikaru for this. He did nothing wrong. If anyone is to blame, it's me. Those girls dislike me, after all," she added.
"Yes, she's right. Hikaru-kun did nothing wrong. Those girls were the problem, and blaming him won't change anything," Takeru agreed.
"It's okay, you two. She's right, this happened because of me," Hikaru said, bowing his head. "I'm sorry, Mizuha."
"Hikaru, raise your head. It's not your fault," Mizuha said.
"Please, Shimizu, don't keep blaming him for this. He really isn't at fault," she added.
"Sorry, Hikaru, for blaming you. I truly am," Shimizu said.
"Nah, it's okay. I know you were just worried about Mizuha, right?" Hikaru said calmly, forgiving her.
"Besides, you're not the only one worried about her. We all feel the same way," he added.
"Yes, he’s right," said Zul. "We’re all really concerned about you too, Mizuha-chan," Eri added in agreement.
"Everyone, thank you," said Mizuha, glad to hear it.
Just then, the first bell rang.
"Oh, looks like the bell has already rung," Zul said.
"Yeah, we'd better get back to our classrooms before the teacher arrives," Eri added.
"Okay, then see you guys later. Let's go, Takeru," Hikaru said before heading to his class with Takeru.
"See you later," Mizuha said as she returned to her class with Shimizu, Eri, and Zul. The two groups split, heading in different directions to Class 1F and Class 1B.
As Hikaru and Takeru walked together, Takeru suddenly spoke up.
"Hey, Hikaru-kun, you lied, didn’t you? About already recovering," Takeru said.
"Wait… how did you figure that out?" Hikaru asked.
"Your ears. They’re still slightly red," Takeru pointed out.
"Whoa, you're really sharp, huh, Takeru?" Hikaru said.
"Are you sure you're okay with coming to school like this?" Takeru asked. "Did you come today because you were worried about Mizuha?"
"Yes, that’s right. After hearing from Zul yesterday about what happened to Mizuha, I was really concerned about her," Hikaru admitted. "She seemed really down when she visited me yesterday."
"For me, this cold is nothing compared to Mizuha's struggle with the bad rumors surrounding her," Hikaru added.
"I see… but you need to take care of yourself too. Don't push yourself too hard," Takeru said.
"Oh? You’re worried about me? Thanks for that," Hikaru said with a chuckle.
"Ah, shut up," Takeru muttered, blushing.
"Oh, by the way, I heard you did a good job supporting her while I was gone. I really appreciate it," Hikaru said.
"Well, it was nothing special. I just did what I could to help. "After all, she's my childhood friend too. But don't worry, I won't ask you to give her back to me," Takeru said before chuckling.
"Oh, look who’s teasing me now, huh, Takeru?" Hikaru said, playfully punching Takeru’s shoulder.
"Hey, that hurt!" Takeru said, chuckling.
176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwO8oJPcHH0
As Mizuha returned to her classroom, a group of girls who had previously isolated her approached hesitantly. They exchanged glances before one of them finally stepped forward.
"Umm... Yuki-san," one called nervously. "Yes? Can I help you?" Mizuha replied.
"Actually... we want to apologize for isolating you before," another said.
"We said bad things about you, but after hearing the truth, we realized we were wrong," another added.
Huh? Wait, how did they find out? Mizuha thought, confused.
"We misunderstood everything. Now we know who was right and who was wrong," one of them said while glancing toward Kurumi and her gang, who sat quietly in the corner.
Mizuha, keeping calm, replied, "Well, it’s okay. Rumors like that are common, right? They can’t be avoided. Don’t worry, I’m not angry at you guys."
"Really? Thank you, Yuki-san! I hope we can be friends again, like before?" one of the girls asked hopefully.
"Sure, why not? Let's be friends again," Mizuha replied with a gentle smile.
Meanwhile, a few classmates whispered among themselves while looking at Kurumi's group.
"So, Yuki-san didn't do anything wrong. It was them lying to us."
"I feel bad for believing those rumors."
"Next time, we should check properly before trusting anything."
Kurumi's friends started to panic. "Kurumi-chan, people are talking about us. What should we do?" one asked worriedly.
"Ah, you guys are so noisy! I know! Can you keep quiet for a second?" Kurumi snapped, yelling at them in frustration.
After the girls left Mizuha's seat, Shimizu and Eri approached her.
"Good for you, Mizuha-chan. Looks like everyone knows the truth now," Eri said.
"But... why did they suddenly change their minds? Did something happen?" Mizuha asked.
"Oh, about that---looks like Hikaru and Takeru did a good job earlier," Zul added.
"What do you mean, Zul?" Shimizu asked.
"Well, while you guys were still in the restroom, after Kurumi and her friends left, Hikaru and Takeru exposed the truth about the rumors. They made sure everyone knew Mizuha was innocent."
"Really? They did that?" Mizuha asked, surprised.
"I see... Both of them... Thank you, Hikaru, Takeru-kun," she thought to herself.
Kurumi, watching from the corner, glared at Mizuha and bit her lip. "Tch...!!" she muttered under her breath. Don’t think this is over yet. Prepare yourself, Yuki.
A minute later, the teacher arrived and clapped their hands. "Okay, everyone, return to your seats. We're starting the lesson now." The lesson began.
176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtNofqmf7ja
During the lunch break, Kurumi met with one person, probably the mastermind of the rumor, frustrated over their failed plan on the rooftop.
The person sipped her drink from the box, listening to Kurumi's upset ranting.
"Damn, our plan for today failed!" Kurumi groaned, hitting the iron bar.
"Shimizu really ruined everything today, that tomboyish girl!!!"
"Also, I never expected Hikaru-kun to return so early. If he had stayed absent just one more day, everything would’ve gone perfectly!"
"Not only did he fix Mizuha's reputation, he also mocked me in public earlier, now everyone's started talking about me," "Why does he side with that Yuki so much?"
"Hey, what should we do next? Got any ideas?" she asked the person.
The mastermind smirked, calm and composed. "How about we separate Yuki from her friends first?" they suggested. "Without them, she’ll lose her biggest support, making it easier to bring her down."
Kurumi’s eyes widened before she grinned. "You’re a genius! Why didn’t I think of that? They don’t call you an honor student before for nothing, I knew I could rely on you!"
"Well, I just wanted to help you, nothing else."
"Here's a plan. Lend me your ear."
The mastermind leaned in, whispering the details of their plan into Kurumi’s ear. As she listened, Kurumi’s grin widened.
"Haha, this is perfect! Really perfect! Let’s put it into action tomorrow!" She turned and left, feeling satisfied.
Once she was gone, the mastermind’s expression darkened.
What an idiotic girl... She doesn't even realize I'm just using her to take down Mizuha, she thought.
They chuckled. Relying on her really works. I can get rid of Mizuha without my hands getting dirty.
Well, once Mizuha is out of the way, Kurumi will be useless to me too. And when that time comes... I’ll get rid of her just as easily, and Hikaru will be mine.
Now, let’s see how it will work....
The mastermind smirked, their eyes glinting with cold amusement as they walked away.
Without them noticing, Zul was there, having arrived before Kurumi and the mastermind to calm his mind, then hiding when Kurumi arrived.
Zul thought to himself, Is that...? Why are they with Kurumi...? I couldn’t hear their conversation properly earlier... I better keep my eyes on them from now on... I cannot rush into action suddenly...
After school ended, Mizuha prepared to change her shoes before heading home. Just as she was about to leave, Hikaru approached her.
"Mizuha!!" he called out.
"Oh, it’s you, Hikaru?" Mizuha said, looking at him. "I thought you already went home."
"Not yet. I had to meet the teacher earlier, so that’s why I’m still here," Hikaru said as he took out his shoes.
"Okay, everything set? Then let’s go. I’ll walk you home like usual," Hikaru said.
"Yeah, let's go," Mizuha replied.
Mizuha and Hikaru walked together, leaving the school grounds. As they strolled, they chatted casually.
"Good weather today. Looks like no rain, huh?" Hikaru said.
"Yeah, just a few days ago, it was raining almost every day," Mizuha replied.
"By the way, you’re not riding your bike today?" she asked.
"Well, I woke up late, so I came to school in my family's car today, haha," Hikaru chuckled.
Mizuha chuckled too. After a brief pause, she spoke up.
"Umm, Hikaru... I heard from Zul that you and Takeru-kun cleared my name from those bad rumors while I was still inside the restroom. Thank you for that," Mizuha said.
"Ah, no need to thank me for that," Hikaru said. "I really hate rumors, especially involving someone close to me. I just couldn’t stand it, so I had to do something."
He looked at her seriously. "Also, why didn’t you tell me about this earlier? You seemed down yesterday when you visited me. I was really concerned about you, you know?"
"Sorry about that... I didn't mean to hide it from you," Mizuha said. "But... I didn't want you to worry while you were still recovering."
She lowered her head, a small tear escaping her eye.
Zul was right... She really didn't want me to worry about her, huh? Hikaru thought.
"I'm sorry too for not being able to be there for you because of the cold, while you struggled with this conflict," Hikaru apologized.
"No, Hikaru, you didn't do anything wrong," said Mizuha.
"Cheer up, Mizuha. It’s all over now. You don't need to worry or struggle with it anymore, okay?" Hikaru said, handing her a tissue.
"Thanks, Hikaru," Mizuha said, taking the tissue and wiping her face.
That evening, Kurumi was going home late because of her club activity. She mumbled to herself alone at the school shoe racks near the entrance.
"I can’t believe my club activity ended so late today. I was supposed to meet my classmates to discuss our next plan."
As Kurumi opened her shoe locker, she found another note placed on top of her shoes.
"What's this note? Again?"
She unfolded the note, and her eyes widened in shock at the message:176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZ3g0gR6eh
"SO, LOOKS LIKE YOU IGNORED MY WARNING BEFORE, HUH!?"
"This again!? YUKI!!! That girl—so she sent me another warning? What a coward!!! She thinks I'm scared of this?" Kurumi muttered angrily, crumpling the note and throwing it on the floor.
She reached inside for her shoes—only to find another note beneath them.
"I AM NOT YUKI, YOU KNOW. I KNOW YOU WILL ACCUSE HER OF SENDING YOU THIS."
Kurumi turned pale, staring at the message. Her hands shook as she hesitantly checked under her shoe—finding another note.
"BETTER STOP DOING ALL THIS, IF YOU DON’T WANT IT TO KEEP COMING FOR YOU." "REMEMBER, I’M ALWAYS WATCHING YOU."
Kurumi’s body trembled, her breathing growing unsteady.
Just then, she heard footsteps approaching, growing louder.
"Huh, what's that sound?" Kurumi said.
The sound echoed through the empty entrance hall. The footsteps came from the main door.
A person in a hoodie and sport tracksuit appeared suddenly, their face hidden.
Kurumi’s eyes widened in terror. She stumbled backward, falling onto the floor.
The figure moved toward her slowly.
Kurumi desperately scooted back, but had no room left to escape.
"Don't come closer! Go away!" she cried, her voice shaking.
"Someone, please help me!!!" Kurumi shouted. But no one was there to hear her.
The person took another step forward. Kurumi froze, unable to move, fear gripping her.
The figure leaned in close, their voice a chilling whisper, their face hidden deep within the hoodie.
"HEY, YOU. ARE YOU GOING TO IGNORE MY WARNING AGAIN, THIS TIME" the person said in a deep voice.
"What? A warning? Is this person the one sending me all these warnings?" Kurumi thought.
"No, I...don't...ignore it....Please... leave me alone, I'll do anything you want...," Kurumi stammered in fear.
"THEN BETTER YOU CLEAN UP THE MESS YOU MADE.”
"What? A mess?"
"DON’T PLAY DUMB. I KNOW YOU’RE NOT FINISHED YET WITH YUKI. STOP ALL THIS MESS TODAY."
"OR YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR FATE WILL BE LATER."
"UNDERSTAND?" "REMEMBER I’M ALWAYS WATCHING YOU." The person smirked.
"Y-yes... I understand... I will stop... all of this...," Kurumi stammered, her body shaking as tears streamed down her face.
"THEN GOOD. YOU CAN GO NOW!!!"
Kurumi scrambled to her feet, grabbed her shoes, shoved them on, and bolted out of the entrance without looking back.
At the same time, Takeru was on his way to his part-time job, passing in front of the school when he noticed Kurumi running frantically.
Wait, is that Kurumi, the girl from Mizuha’s class? Why is she rushing like that? And why does she look so scared and pale? he thought.
That night at Kurumi’s house,
"Kurumi! Dinner's ready!" her mother shouted from downstairs.
Kurumi didn’t answer. She sat on her bed, hugging her knees to her chest, hands shaking as she gripped the blanket.
The hooded figure’s words played in her head: "Better clean up the mess you made... or you know what your fate will be." She remembered their deep voice and how close they had been.
"Kurumi! Are you coming down or not?" her mother called again, sounding annoyed.
Kurumi forced herself to speak. "I'm... not hungry."
Her mother muttered, "What's wrong with this kid? Not hungry?" and walked away.
Kurumi pulled the blanket over her head, wrapping it tightly around herself. The hooded figure’s voice kept repeating in her mind: "Remember, I’m always watching you."
She started crying, her body shaking as she curled up on the bed.
176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡex84Wm58u0
The next day in the classroom, Kurumi sat at her desk pale and clearly shaken.
"What’s wrong with Kurumi?" one classmate whispered to another.
"Yeah, she looks pale and scared, like she just saw a ghost," said another.
Her friends noticed her distress and gathered around.
"Hey, Kurumi-chan, are you okay?" one asked with concern.
"Yeah, your face looks pale. What happened?" said another.
Kurumi trembled slightly, still traumatized from the previous day.
"Actually..." Kurumi, still pale, lowered her voice and quietly told them what had happened yesterday.
Her friends’ expressions turned pale as they listened, horrified.
"Seriously? You were given a heavy warning by someone yesterday?" one said in disbelief.
"So scary…" another muttered.
"Yes... they said if I don't stop all of this, they'll keep coming after me…"
Kurumi's voice shook. "What should I do? I don't want them coming after me... I'm so scared... I didn't sleep last night."
Her friends exchanged uneasy glances.
"Well, if you want to stop, we'll follow," one said."
"Yeah... I think that's the right choice. We've already gone too far with what we did to Yuki-san before," another added.
Just then, Mizuha entered the classroom with Eri and Shimizu. One of Kurumi’s friends noticed and nudged her.
"Hey, Kurumi-chan, Yuki-san is here."
Kurumi slowly looked up, staring at Mizuha. Should I apologize now? Would that make them stop coming after me?
Kurumi kept recalling the words she heard yesterday: "Remember I’m always watching you."
No, this isn't the time to think about that. I don't want to keep being watched and scared like this anymore. It's better if I apologize now for my own sake.
As Mizuha made her way to her desk, Kurumi hesitated for a moment before slowly standing up and approaching.
Shimizu immediately noticed. Her eyes narrowed. Kurumi? What does she want from Mizuha this time? I won’t let her cause another mess. She quickly prepared to step in.
As Kurumi reached Mizuha’s desk, she called out softly, "Yuki... do you have a moment?"
Mizuha turned to face her, feeling uneasy. "Yes, what can I do for you?" she replied politely.
Before Kurumi could say anything else, Shimizu rushed in, stepping protectively in front of Mizuha.
"Hey, you! Before you get near her, you have to go through me first!" she declared.
"It's okay, Shimizu," Mizuha reassured her, placing a hand on her arm. "Let's hear what she has to say."
Kurumi suddenly began trembling before breaking down into tears.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for all the bad things I did to you... please forgive me!" she cried, her voice filled with desperation.
Her unexpected outburst drew everyone’s attention.
"Huh? Wait, what?!" Shimizu gasped, completely shocked. "What’s wrong with you?! Suddenly crying out of nowhere?!"
Her frustration boiled over, fists clenched.
"Do you even understand how hard it was for Mizuha after everything you did to her?!" Shimizu snapped. "She was spread with horrible rumors, isolated, and you didn't even notice it?! Do you think you can just apologize and expect everything to be fine?!"
"Shimizu-chan, calm down," Eri said gently, wrapping her arms around Shimizu from behind.
At that moment, Kurumi’s friends stepped forward and bowed slightly to Mizuha.
"Yuki-san, please forgive her," one said. "Also... we want to apologize for what we did before. Please forgive all of us. We promise not to do it again."
Kurumi widened her eyes, looking at her friends in shock. "You guys...!!" she thought.
Mizuha took a deep breath and gave them a soft smile.
"Okay, I forgive you guys."
"Huh?!" Everyone, including Kurumi and her friends, gasped in disbelief. Even Shimizu and Eri were shocked by Mizuha’s decision.
"Wait, are you sure about this?!" Shimizu exclaimed. "You're just forgiving them, just like that?!"
"It's okay, it's not a big deal to me. What happened in the past, let's just let it pass, okay? Let's clear all of this up," said Mizuha.
As usual, you're too soft with them and easily forgave them, huh, Mizuha, thought Shimizu, feeling uneasy about it.
Kurumi and her gang felt relief after Mizuha accepted the apologies and thanked Mizuha for accepting it.
"Thank you, Yuki…for forgiving us," said Kurumi.
"Then, please excuse us," they said, returning to their seats.
"Wait a moment!!" Shimizu said, stopping them.
"Hear this!! Even if Mizuha easily forgives you, I still don’t trust you yet."
"Don't think all of this is over just like that. I still haven't forgotten what you did to her and all of us, remember that," Shimizu added before returning to her seat.
"Understood... then please excuse me," Kurumi said, looking down at the floor, feeling guilty. Her friend touched her shoulder. "Let’s go, Kurumi-chan."
Kurumi just nodded and returned to her seat.
Zul observed the entire situation from his seat behind Mizuha, wondering about Kurumi’s sudden change of heart. Why did she suddenly apologize to Mizuha? he thought.
Yesterday, I saw her planning with that person to do something bad. Now she suddenly changed her mind. I wonder why... This is so strange.
He then noticed the same person who had spoken to Kurumi on the rooftop yesterday watching Kurumi’s group, gritting their teeth in frustration at what she had just done.
This reaction made Zul more suspicious. Wait, that person...? Why do they look so upset? This makes me even more suspicious of them, he thought.
He pulled out his phone and texted Shimizu. Moments later, at her desk, Shimizu felt her phone vibrate.
She looked at the screen, surprised. A text from Zul? He rarely texts me. I wonder what it says. She opened the message and read it.
"Hey, Shimizu, can you do me a favor?"
Shimizu quickly typed back, "What is it? What do you want me to do?"
After a short pause, Zul replied, "Actually..."
Shimizu read his response and immediately typed, "Understood... leave it to me."
Just as she sent the message, the classroom door opened and the teacher entered.
Shimizu turned slightly toward Zul, who sat behind Mizuha, and Zul nodded. I'm counting on you, Shimizu, he thought.
Mizuha noticed Shimizu turning and felt confused. Why is Shimizu looking at me like that? she wondered, not realizing Shimizu was actually looking at Zul.
At the same time, Kurumi's phone vibrated. She checked the message and hesitated before opening it.
"Hey, let's meet in the restroom later during lunch break. I want to talk to you."
Kurumi stared at the screen, feeling uneasy. She did not want to go, but knew she had no choice.
During the lunch break, Shimizu went to the restroom. As she finished, she remained inside the stall, sighing as she thought about Zul’s request
Why did Zul ask me to keep an eye on that person? Are they really suspicious? Well, if Zul said so, maybe he found something.
Just then, she heard footsteps approaching outside. Soon after, a conversation began.
"Okay, we're here. What do you want to talk about?" a voice asked.
Huh? This voice... is that Kurumi? Shimizu thought, realizing she was overhearing their conversation.
Another person spoke up.
"I saw you and your friends apologizing to Yuki this morning. What happened? I thought you were going to stick with our plan from yesterday."
Wait... this voice... don't tell me... it's— Shimizu's eyes widened in shock as she realized who was speaking.
I never expected they were this close, she thought, listening intently.
Kurumi responded hesitantly.
"I'm sorry for telling you this, but I think I don't want to do this anymore. I'm done."
"Wait, what? Why are you suddenly having a change of heart? Don't you want to get close to Hikaru? If you follow our plan, you might actually win him over this time!"
"I think I've had enough. I don't believe Hikaru will ever fall in love with me," Kurumi said, her voice filled with regret.
"You heard him, right? He openly exposed me in front of everyone. From the way he spoke, it’s clear he has no interest in me. So I decided to give up on him."
She paused. "Besides... I was interrupted by someone yesterday."
The other person's tone shifted.
"Wait... someone stopped you?" they asked, shocked. "Who was it? Shimizu? Or Zul?"
"I don't know. They were wearing a hoodie and covered their face. I couldn't recognize them."
Kurumi paled. "They warned me that if I didn't stop, they would come after me again. It really scared me... I was traumatized. That's why I've decided to end this."
She took a deep breath before continuing, "Sorry for burdening you, and thank you for helping me all this time… but I won't be needing your help anymore."
Kurumi turned and walked out of the restroom.
"Wait… why are you giving up now?!" the person called out, frustrated. "I have another plan—"
But Kurumi ignored them and disappeared from sight.
The mastermind gritted their teeth and kicked a toilet door.
"Damn it! Why isn’t my plan working?!" they seethed. "Too many interferences... and Kurumi is useless. Just one warning, and she already gave up? What a coward."
Taking a deep breath, they smirked.
"I need to come up with a new plan. Just wait, Mizuha-chan... I will take Hikaru-kun back from you," they chuckled darkly before leaving.
Meanwhile, Shimizu, who had recorded the entire conversation, stood frozen in shock.
So it was you… You were the mastermind all along, huh? Looks like Zul was right about you.
Her grip on her phone tightened.
So all this time, Kurumi was just your pawn. You've been using her to do your dirty work without getting your hands dirty... how clever. I never expected you were behind all of this.
A smirk formed on Shimizu's lips.
No need to keep an eye on you anymore. It's time to expose your identity. Get ready.
176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9RsMNs5dmQ
To be continued….. Amemonogatari VII
176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWk05KbDLV
176Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtTaOH8IonV
