Bump.

The blackmail forced Yuki not to talk to Ayane, despite her desire. She couldn’t do anything but to helplessly watch Ayane get bullied. It was horrible.

As Ayane went to the bathroom to take a break from the toxic environment she was surrounded with, their bullying scheme rose to the next level.

When she came back, everything was normal, until the class started…

“Everyone open your books to page 54.”, the teacher said.

Ayane opened her book with a shocked look, with everyone looking at her with a grin, except Yuki.

“What has happened to my book…”, she exclaimed.

The book was covered with smudges, lines, drawings, chewed-up gum and other trash inside. She was not the one who did it.

“…”

It was only the first few days, and she felt caged. Each day felt super long in class… she was alone, with no friends.

She looked for other books and their condition. They were all the same, except one.

That book was fairly well hidden for Masato’s group to notice. It was the book that Ayane wanted to give Yuki-chan yesterday.

“Phew, it's good that this book was not smudged with ink… I can still give it to Yuki-chan.”, she said and looked at her, but Yuki avoided eye contact yet again.

Although it was heartbreaking, she wanted to ask her one question, and this book might help as a catalyst for her to ask it.

The next class was P.E. Ayane and the girls headed to the locker room. Ayane was scared of what tricks they were going to play next. Maybe they will write on her sports jersey? Maybe she will somehow lose her sports jersey? Or maybe something even more severe?

Fortunately or unfortunately, they did nothing. Rather, they were creepily calm. Ayane could feel that something bad was about to happen…

Aside from that, her ‘inner’ beauty didn’t fail to mesmerize the womenfolk of her class too. Her slender body, smooth skin and her moonlike hair were a sight to behold. No wonder she was an actress. Although they ignored her, they couldn’t help but stare and envy her beauty.

In all the P.E. pair practices, Ayane was yet again, left alone. This isolation and distance were killing her from the inside, even if she tried to hide it.

“The next practice is running! Everybody gather on the running track!”, the P.E. teacher exclaimed.

Up until now, everything was going smoothly. Ayane could get some rest. The isolation was troublesome, but she could handle it for the time being. But for how long will this isolation continue? She can’t continue this all throughout her middle school life, can she?

“On your marks, get set, go!”, the P.E. teacher shouted, ordering the students to start running, while Ayane was off-minded.

By ‘some’ chance, the person she was running beside was none other than Masato, the one she rejected.

“You should keep up with us while running.”, Masato said jokingly, which was ignored.

They were running a few laps around the track. The first few laps were normal, nothing happened… unusual. But she noticed that everyone was matching her pacing for some reason. Suspicious.

Seeing the good progress of the students, the P.E. teacher looked away to drink some water and stretch.

As they were running, at the encirclement of the track, Masato ‘accidentally’ bumped into Ayane, and Ayane went flying towards the hard concrete outside the track at high speeds adding her running speed and his ‘bumping’ speed, falling with her arm side down.

Ayane let out a loud scream that was heard by all. They have gone too far…