Chihiro POV:
Trust is a fragile thing. It's like a glass sculpture—beautiful to look at, but once it's dropped, no amount of glue can ever truly hide the cracks.
Before I came to this school, I knew what it felt like to have that glass shattered.
To trust the wrong person, to be judged for things beyond my control, and to feel the cold isolation of being "extra."
When I first stepped through the gates of Advanced Nurturing High School, I was terrified.
I expected a repeat of the past. I expected a world where everyone was out for themselves, waiting for a chance to break me again.
Then, I met Honami-chan.
In Class B, the air feels different. For the first time, I didn't have to look over my shoulder. Honami-chan didn't just give us leadership; she gave us a home.
She showed me that trust isn't a weakness to be exploited, but a shield that becomes stronger the more people hold it.
Joining this class wasn't just about being assigned to a group; it was about finding a place where I was finally allowed to breathe.
That's why these rumors... they feel like a physical assault.
Watching someone try to tear Honami-chan down, to poison the sanctuary she built for us—it's unbearable.
"Shiranami san, may I have a word with you?"
Those words from Yamauchi kun made a tiny, microscopic crack in my prejudice.
In the past, he had sent me numerous letters, filled with cringeworthy lines of confession, which I naturally avoided.
But, now, his demeanor, and attitude seems different.
He was serious, and he denied talking about those letters, then could he possibly have any reason to talk with me?
Then the words out of his mouth shocked me to the bone.
"May be I can help you with the situation with Ichinose san."
"....Huh?....."
***
Yamauchi POV:
Chihiro Shiranami is a good person.
That's for certain from Yamauchi's memory.
In addition, she cares for her classmates too, which might be a surprise cause her attitude speaks otherwise.
The problem with the current situation is that all these rumors are bothering Ichinose.
Her classmates are well aware that Ichinose wouldn't show any excessive reaction to fake rumors, spread by random people.
Yet, Ichinose is visibly shaken, despite feigning being mentally sound herself.
That's why, her friends including Chihiro can't even ask her about this.
They are putting up a united front to defend Ichinose arbitrarily without knowing a shred of truth, about who is spreading the rumors and why.
That's why, I mentioned that I would be of help to Chihiro, to lead her on.
"What did you just say?", Chihiro asked, filled with suspicion.
"I said, I might be of help to you in this mess your class is in, with Ichinose."
"Are you out of your mind or what? Why would I listen to an outsider about my own class?", her voice filled with hatred, as soon as I mentioned it.
"Ok.....just hear me out for a moment. If you think I am talking rubbish, then you can simply walk away, is that alright?"
She just sat down, not getting up from her seat, which gave me the green signal to go on.
"Think about it, Shiranami-san," I began, my voice steady. "Why does a rumor spread? For the students in other classes, it's just entertainment—a way to feel superior by watching a 'saint' fall from grace. But for Class 1-B, it's a poison. It's designed to make you all feel helpless."
She bit her lip, her defensive posture softening ever so slightly as I dissected the situation.
"From the perspective of your friends, you're all terrified of hurting Ichinose-san further, so you stay silent. And Ichinose-san herself? She's not denying them because she's a person who takes everything onto her own shoulders. Whoever is doing this knows her character perfectly. They aren't just spreading lies; they are weaponizing her own conscience against her."
Chihiro looked at me, her eyes shimmering with a mix of realization and fear. "You... you talk as if you know something."
"Whether the rumors are true or false doesn't matter right now. What matters is the intent. This is a deliberate, personal execution. And if you keep playing defense, you've already lost."
I had already grabbed her attention.
My goal here was clear.
It was to build a connection with her, in such a way that she would be in my debt.
I had already explained to her the situation they were in, now it was time to give her a plan of action.
"Now, I am quite sure that it is safe to exclude yours and my class out of suspicion."
"....Why would I believe that the culprit is not from your class? You have been recently promoted to class C, which gives you fare amount of reasons to take down the next class, which is ours.", Chihiro asked with speculations.
"There are various reasons as to why the culprit is not from our class. First of all, this is a systematic and cruel way of attacking someone personally. If we wanted to take down class B, we would have done so in a way that would affect your class points, not like this way. Secondly, the turn of events already answers this. As far as I know the day the rumors started spreading, we were having a pre exam preparatory class arranged by Horikita, and everyone was present in it. Well, there is no 100% assurance I can give you, though."
She didn't interrupt, but had an unreadable expression.
"Besides , Kanzaki and some other students from your class are already suspecting class A, especially Sakayanagi, behind the rumors, too."
"...Just get to the point already. I am not gonna believe an outsider over an internal issue, so just tell me what you want to say, instead of all this baseless reasonings.", she snapped.
Seems like my words had an effect on her, but she doesn't believe me at all.
That's understandable though, when someone like Yamauchi speak like this.
The motto of this conversation has already been fulfilled, so its not necessary to make her believe me.
"It doesn't really matter to me if you believe or not. Back in the days, when we just enrolled here, I got a bit of trouble with a senior from second year. He got so furious with me and I had no idea what to do. Thanks to Ichinose san who was nearby the incident, I got away with it, as she managed to talk it out without that senior.....", I made a thankful expression, to make her slightly believe in this story.
"I will be forever grateful towards her. "
Chihiro's gaze lingered on me for a long moment, searching for a lie. My "indebtedness" to Ichinose seemed to be the only thing that made sense to her—a bridge between the person she thought I was and the person standing in front of her now.
"Fine," she said, her voice finally losing its sharp edge, though the caution remained. "Even if I believe you aren't the one behind this... what are you proposing? If you really care about Honami-chan, then tell me. What are we supposed to do with this 'situation'?"
This was it. The moment I brought her into the fold.
"To dispel a rumor, you have to sread a new rumor strong enough, maybe spicier.", I proposed.
Chihiro looked confused. "Spicier? What are you talking about? How does adding more lies help Honami-chan?"
"Because right now, the school is hyper-focused on her 'perfection' being questioned. It's a target everyone loves to hit. But if we give them something even more scandalous—something that involves a student and a teacher—they'll drop Ichinose-san's case in a heartbeat to gossip about the new drama."
I leaned in, my voice dropping to a whisper that made Chihiro recoil slightly.
"I'm talking about a rumor involving me and Chabashira-sensei. An affair. A secret relationship. Something that would set the school forums on fire."
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A/N:
Next - Contact With Ms.Chabashira
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