Rationalization 1

This is not a story I want to tell. And this is not the kind of person that I am.

I recognize that I’ve been a troublemaker, barely hold my own academically, and that most people would rather not have me around. But I don’t think I’ve ever harmed someone beyond words and perhaps a shove here and there. My sins have always been forgivable, is what I’m trying to say.

I can change, and I have in previous rounds. I am not beyond redemption, and I don’t want to be. I am not Akamine. I don’t want to be someone like her. But I can already tell where this whole thing is going, where we will end up if I don’t take matters in my own hand.

This romcom-like situation with a useless main character can only have one ending: One where I finish high school and no one is dumped in a random hole never to see the light of day or something like that. Thinking about it like that, I am saving the girls when Kamishiro can’t even protect them to begin with. At least that’s what I want to believe.

Hearing Suzuki’s secret gave me an idea. It’s straightforward enough, and I think I can manage it. And I start here, since Suzuki’s the easiest: I get my hands on her online persona and some evidence that it is her. And I distribute it for the whole school to know.

The girl has the backbone of a wet noodle and can’t handle either the attention or the ridicule. The latter might’ve been encouraged by me, but I can’t be sure. Since people are quick to pounce on easy targets anyway.

I’d know. There is a certain irony with how this is the result, as I realize that she has stopped coming to school. But I don’t have time to waste; so after getting my face caved in by Kazama to remove him from the picture, I get to work with my next target.

The school nurse is next. I just sneak around and record her with Kamishiro a couple of times, when their interactions look and sound the most inappropriate.

Akamine is very useful in this situation, as she’s quick to jump at the evidence and blows it out of proportion for the principal to make his call. The nurse is fired a couple of days later and I move to the next girl.

Urara-chan is… A lot more difficult. She treats Kamishiro halfway like a toy and halfway like an actual romantic interest. But I have an idea for her, so first I shove a different friend of Kamishiro’s for her to play with, hopefully with more success this time, and for now move on to the next girl.

Sports girl, Reine-chan, who still hasn’t hurt herself yet. Or hasn’t gotten hurt, I mean. I… I don’t really want to mess with her. I know that she hasn’t done anything wrong and has suffered directly from Akamine’s actions.

I am resolute but… I don’t feel like hurting her too.

“Hmmm? Is everything alright?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, I just…” I feel trepidation. She already saw me around, so if something scummy happens to her, I’ll be a suspect. I better retreat and do this another day. “I’ve been thinking that I want to try out a sport.”

“Oh? Well, if it’s not volleyball specifically…”

I chuckle at the implicit invitation to get out of sight.

“Right, yes. I haven’t really thought about it at length.” I shrug. “Saruya, by the way. No clubs as of yet.”

“I see… Yoshida, from the volleyball club.”

“Yoshida? Then you’d be Yoshida Reine? That sounds…”

“I know, I know. My name’s too flashy for my last name.” The girl rolls her eyes. It seems like it bothers her more than she wants to admit.

“It’s not bad. You’ll definitely stand out from all the other Yoshida at least.” I smile out of politeness. Now I really don’t want to do this. It feels more personal now that I have a full name for one of Akamine’s previous victims.

Or soon to be, maybe.

“Hah. Thanks.” She scoffs, since she obviously doesn’t believe me. It paints a picture of someone with a good head on her shoulders. Doubly so since she was willing to hear me out on the previous round, and she took her injury in stride from what I heard. She was okay with someone else becoming the club president and… That’s as far as I was willing to sniff out in the previous round.

“Not at all.” I put my hands out as a peace offering. I’m aware that I look like someone searching for trouble. But all the problems I cause will not have to do with bullying this time… Directly, that is. “I’ll leave you to it, Yoshida. Maybe I’ll try to play later.”

“Oh, were you serious, Saruya?” The girl sounds pleasantly surprised for some reason. “Do you want to play a game?”

I chuckle.

“Only if you show me the ropes, Yoshida-san.”

“Ah, but… Are you sure?” She points at her own nose to tell me that she sees that I had mine broken. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah, that’s probably a bad idea…” It’s perhaps for the best. Since getting involved with one of the girls is bound to become a mess. Although, since I already used Akamine for one of my plots…

Hmmm…

Leaving Reine-chan this time, I move to find that little girl that is Kamishiro’s childhood friend-slash-pet. She’ll serve the purpose of blocking Urara-chan, since this girl has a talent for being annoying and obstructive.

The guy I threw at Urara-chan didn’t work out this time either, so I’ll find a different loser. As for Reine-chan…

“Akamine-san?”

“Yes?” The girl doesn’t show hostility to me in this round, but she’s still wary of me. I can work with this.

“I was wondering… Are you and Kamishiro dating?”

“Eh?! Where… Where is that question coming from?!” Ah… Akamine’s so simple when it comes to her crush…

“Well, I’ve seen him around one of the sports clubs presidents and…” I scratch the back of my head sheepishly, trying to ignore the coldness that comes to Akamine as I mention Reine-chan. “I kinda like her, so I wanted to know if she’s single or something.”

“Ah…” Akamine instantly changes mental gears. “W-Well…! I’m not dating Kamishiro-kun ye—Not dating at all! But I’m sure that Yoshida-san is not dating Kamishiro-kun!”

“I see…” It’s not like I actually got feelings over a single conversation, but I must cover any leads that would point toward me anyway. I have already gone out of my way to damage some of the girls in a way that won’t be repaired, it would be unfair for them if Reine-chan got off easily.

I sneak a camera in the girls’ changing room days later and do the same as with Suzuki.

Getting her pictures spread throughout the whole school forces Yoshida to stop attending soon enough. I was fearing that I’d have to do something similar with Urara-chan but that younger student is messing with her just fine.

A mutual blocking that benefits no one.

I can’t be sorry; no one must know why it happened. The alternative is much worse. I am the only one who knows this.

I want to think that these girls would thank me if they knew so… Yeah. If Kamishiro was smarter, none of this would’ve happened.

I’m not the bad guy, Kamishiro is. That’s why he deserves to end up with Akamine.