Leave a comment

「What’s your purpose? This isn’t a place for you to skip class in, you know?」
「Teacher Saeki, the classes are already finished so I’m not skipping class. I’ll treat myself on my own, so I won’t be causing you any trouble.」

The school nurse Teacher Saeki despises Kotone too. She frequently skipped class pretending to be sick, so it’s just natural. While it was just a pretend, it still counts as absence due to illness, so it’s only natural for that to stress out Teacher Saeki.

Umm, I guess I’ll need a hot compress. Unable to just watch as I searched around in the shelves, Teacher Saeki drew near. True to her being known as the pretty doctor, Teacher Saeki who’s well known for being diligent and attentive is, as expected, really diligent about her job.

「Come, show me your wound.」
「Thank you. Um, would you mind if I sit down?」
「Injured patients shouldn’t be too reserved. Come on, sit down. So it’s the left foot that’s injured. Are you hurt anywhere else? 」
「I slammed my left arm and my back.」

First, I took off my shoe and exposed my left foot. Ugh, it’s really swollen. Well then of course it’d hurt that much, yeah. Next, I rolled up my left sleeve and saw that it turned absolutely red too. This is definitely going to change color later on, specifically to the color purple.

Ah, I can’t show my back with my sleeves rolled up. I reluctantly rolled it back down and took off my shirt, showing my back to Teacher Saeki who I then heard gasping audibly. Just how bad is it?

「What did you even do to get injured this much?」
「I tumbled down the stairs.」
「Did someone push you?」
「I tumbled down the stairs.」
「……」

Teacher Saeki, you’re really sharp. Normally you won’t get this kind of injury tumbling down the stairs if you fell while on the way down. It’s understandable if you tumbled from the very top of the stairs but it’s highly unlikely when you’re just normally going down the stairs.

Moreover, if she’s heard about what happened to me today, then it would be all the more unlikely. Still, I’m not going to say anything. I still don’t have any material evidence and even with the voice, I’m the only one that heard it so it won’t even work as weak evidence, it’s useless.

In other words, I can’t name the culprit.

「If you say so, then let’s leave it at that.」

After that, things went quickly. Before the hot compress, she administered an ointment over the injuries, affixed the hot compress, and wrapped my leg tightly with a bandage. My left arm got the same treatment. As for my back, we can’t really bandage it up, so it’s only ointment plus a hot compress.

Haah, it feels a bit better now. Still, what do I do? I should be able to go home somehow in this condition, but I’m going to have to explain this to the apartment manager. Besides that, what do I do about dinner? Even if I wanted to contact Ms. Akane, my phone is also inside my bag, so it’s gone.

「Thank you very much. I will drop by the faculty for a moment before going straight home.」
「Stop right there. There’s no way I’d just let you walk with that many injuries. Which teacher do you have business with?」
「Teacher Kondou.」
「Then I’ll call him. Give me a moment.」

She swiftly took out a phone. I’m grateful for the gesture, but the use of phones inside the campus is forbidden, right? Well, I guess it’s fine since she’s a teacher but I feel a bit bad for Teacher Kondou for being summoned with only one call.

「What did you mean by “something happened”!?」
「Woa, that was quick.」
「The faculty room is just around the corner after all.」

I completely forgot that the school infirmary and the faculty room are just right beside each other. In front is the school infirmary, while the faculty room is a bit deeper in. Rather, I haven’t worn anything on top yet, I’m still in my underwear.

「I’m sorry for having called you here in such a busy time.」
「No, I don’t really mind, so hurry up and wear something. I’m having a hard time knowing where to look.」

Unable to watch Teacher Kondou blushing like hell, I put on my PE uniform. The chafing hurts somewhat, but it should be fine. Still, is there even anything sensual with me covered in bandages and hot compress? Seeing how Teacher Saeki is laughing, she probably finds Teacher Kondou’s reaction amusing.

Well, with that, there should be no need for explaining. He already saw a lot, so he should be able to make a guess. He really saw a lot though.

「So, what happened for you to get so injured?」
「I tumbled down the stairs.」
「Haa, so that’s how it is. It’s so audacious, it’s shocking.」
「That’s true. I never even expected to be persecuted this hard in just a day.」
「Do you have any idea who’d be this angry at you?」
「Not at all. Though I do have a clue, or rather I heard the culprit.」
「Who is it?」
「Before that. Teacher Kondou, can you trust my testimony?」

As I said earlier, my personal testimony has 0% credibility, or rather there’s a high chance that it’ll be interpreted in a weird way. While that’s my own fault so it can’t be helped, it’s an issue in these kinds of situations.

After all, whatever I say, it becomes my fault.

「So that’s how it is. While last year is already in the past, a lot of the present is just reaping what you sow.」
「But seeing those injuries, you can’t really call that reaping what she sowed, can you? One mistake and it might’ve ended up a matter of life or death, you know?」
「That is true. It would have been dangerous if she hit her head.」
「So, what are your thoughts?」
「I trust you. If I don’t trust you as you’re trying to change, who else going to be on your side?」
「I trust you too. After sustaining that much injury, there’s no way I can just not trust what you say.」
「Thank you very much. So about the voice I heard, it’s likely to be Udzuki Shizune.¹」
「Of the twelve houses, huh.」

That laugh is unpleasantly familiar to me. After all, she was someone who tagged along Kotone last year, or rather she’s one of her accomplices. With both of them being fellow members of the twelve houses and having similar personalities, they hit it off with each other pretty well.

Well, that’s just what Kotone thought, Shizune was simply using Kotone. After all, no matter what mischief Shizune would do, all of it would be blamed on Kotone.

「For that reason, please be cautious in dealing with this matter. If you carelessly provoke her, it might cause trouble to you as well.」
「Point taken. For now, I’ll consult with the principal. She already did so much today, so she’ll probably behave for a while.」
「Yes, I hope that’s the case. If things ever get physical again tomorrow, I really don’t know if my body can last.」
「You’re quite mature. Usually, people faced with these sorts of situations would be clinging in tears to friends or allies supporting them. Ms. Kisaragi, you’re accepting this situation so easily. 」
「The one that created this situation is me myself. Not denying this fact and accepting it is what I ought to do. That’s what atonement is. 」

This isn’t my fault. It’s true that saying that would probably make me feel better. But even so, this body is of Kotone’s and it gathers ill will and resentment. Inevitably, I can’t deny this.

In that case, I have no choice but to resolve myself. I’ll accept every one of these and atone for it in Kotone’s place; endure it until vanishment. This is my resolve.

「That’s not normal. Rather, that might be insane. You can’t accept everything. Before you can do that, you’ll break first.」
「Even so, I have no choice but to do it. It’s the only thing I can do.」

I can’t run away. Rather, it’s exactly because I have nowhere to run that I’ve found my resolve. Still, I didn’t expect Teacher Saeki to think that much for me. Even though I caused her so much trouble last year.

Seeing that there are people who properly watch me in the present gave me some relief, I couldn’t help but smile.

「I can’t believe that you can smile in a situation like this. Rather, that smile is dangerous. Teacher Kondou, are you okay?」
「Aa, yeah. Come on, I know it’s not good to have impure feelings towards students.」
「Please don’t fall so easily. You’ll become a perfect target for gossips, you know?」

I wonder what they’re talking about. I was just relieved and found enough composure to crack a smile. Well, who cares. We’re practically done here and I’ll have to go home soon.

「Now then, I should be leaving soon.」
「Stop. I hope I’m wrong, but do you intend to go home on foot?」
「I’ve lost all of my belongings, so there’s no other choice but to walk.」
「Like I would ever let this pass. Teacher Kondou, when you discuss with the principal, report to him that I’m sending Ms. Kisaragi home.」
「Understood. I’m leaving her to you.」
「No, I can’t trouble you any more tha-…」
「Learn how to rely on others a bit more. Besides, even if you refuse, I’m going to get you into the car even if I have to do it by force. 」
「…… Understood. Please treat me well.」

Teacher Saeki’s eyes are scary. While it’s true that letting a student with an injured leg walk home might be cruel, I don’t really see a problem with it. I just have to suck it up after all. Though that’s probably why she’s so against it.

In that case, I guess I’ll thankfully take the ride then.

1. Lyly: Can be also spelled as Shidzune