Chapter 82: Newspaper on the Wall

After Sunday ended and Monday had began, I felt a little lighter. I was a little worried about Nishigori and the people around the Konoes, but, honestly speaking, they weren’t my problem. I didn’t like bullying in class, so I’d step in if I came across it, but the Konoe family could do whatever they wanted with Nishigori, Hagiwara, and Konoe relations. I didn’t care about it.

More importantly, now that Ibuki’s party and the sports festival had ended, there was the next important event of the second semester, which was my outing with everyone. A lot of depressing and troubling things had occurred, so I really wanted to enjoy just this.

The plan I’d made with everyone was perfect. We’d even decided where we’d be going and what order we’d be going in. My outing with everyone… it was gonna be fun… if only next month could come quickly.

“Sakuya, you look quite happy.”

“Huh? Yes, well… the sports festival has finally ended, and I am looking forward to the next event.”

When my brother asked me that, I honestly answered. I didn’t need to lie here. My outing with everyone. My outing with everyone. It was really gonna be fun.

　　～～～～～～～

I entered the classroom with light steps. I walked inside, only the usual people inside the classroom, and greeted Satsuki-chan.

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“Qallvkdtp, Fyvpwjk-nbyd.”

“Fyjwuy-nbyd, tallvkdtp. Zsw yal ayvbla byrru vseyu, kv pllxp?”

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“Zlp. Mbl prsavp qlpvkhyz byp qkdyzzu ldele… Gp yd wdqsalplld ynnkeldv snnwale yv vbl prsavp qlpvkhyz, R oyp osaaukdt ycswv vbl nzypp qasx dso sd, cwv… xsal kxrsavydvzu! R yx zssjkdt qsaoyae vs dlmv xsdvb.”

“Mbyv kp vawl… R yx alyzzu… lmnkvle qsa dlmv xsdvb.”

Xb! Fyvpwjk-nbyd pxkzle tldvzu! Qalyv! Mbkp kp alyzzu talyv! G clywvkqwz tkaz’p pxkzl! Rv oyp ekqqlaldv qasx bla ralhkswp pvkqq rwv-sd yvvkvwel. Fyvpwjk-nbyd oyp nzlyazu zshl-pvawnj! Kwpv y zkvvzl xsal! Mbl eyu obld Fyvpwjk-nbyd oswze qyzz qsa xl oypd’v vbyv qya yoyu!

“Bqwqw. R yx iwkvl zssjkdt qsaoyae vs kv.”

“Zlp.”

We both laughed and I went to my seat. I really was looking forward to it… It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I worked hard at Ibuki’s party and during the sports festival for this event. Or rather, if we hadn’t planned it, I would’ve probably gone wrong somewhere. was able to endure everything else because I could go on that outing next month.

“Morning!” 

“Azami-chan, morning!”

“Azami-sama, good morning.”

“Greetings, Azami-sama.”

Azami-chan energetically arrived at school as usual. Azami-chan really was energetic. When looking at her, I felt like I got some of her energy. A lively girl was cute. A graceful girl like Satsuki-chan was cute too. No, everyone in my group was cute! And the other groups? I didn’t care about them…

I was quite the fortunate person… surrounded by cute girls… wasn’t this the laughing and chatting lifestyle I wanted? It seemed very good. I could spend my fun youth surrounded by cute girls. Great! Amazing! I was so happy I got reincarnated as Lady Sakuya! Well, not as me myself, but still!

“Good morning, Sakuya-sama! Something good has happened to you! Congratulations!”

“Greetings, Azami-chan. Thank you.”

Before Azami-chan even asked me what had happened, she immediately congratulated me. She didn’t mean anything bad by it, but it felt somewhat strange. Since she didn’t mean anything bad, it was fine, but.

“What on earth has happened? If you do not mind my asking, please tell me.”

“It is not that something has happened exactly. The sports festival has finally ended, and all that is left is to wait for the day of our outing… I am smiling because I am looking forward to it.”

I gave Azami-chan a direct answer. Then, Azami-chan also grinned widely. It was a glimmering smile.

“That is true! I cannot wait for next month!”

Everyone was also looking forward to our outing. If only next month would come quickly…

　　～～～～～～～

At lunch, everyone headed to the cafeteria. On the way, Mizuki, emotion written on his face, went over to us. I thought he was hurrying somewhere, but he headed straight towards us.

“Sakuya-chan! Come over here!”

“Huh? What…?”

Mizuki, who’d come in front of me, said that with a rather stern expression. I didn’t remember being called by Mizuki like this… did I do something? The only thing I could think of that’d make Hirohata Mizuki from the Konoe monryuu approach me like this was the Nishigori, or rather, Hagiwara matter…

“Hirohata-sama! What on earth did Sakuya-sama do!”

“Precisely. Calling a girl like that and telling her to follow you… What intentions do you have?”

Azami-chan and Satsuki-chan stood in front of me. Huh? This set-up felt like I was a princess being protected. Well, the both of them probably didn’t mean it like that, but it was like knights standing to the left and right to protect a princess… Yes… I could only see this that way.

Honestly, as the guy, I should’ve been the one protecting both of them, but… In the first place, I was of a substantial age on the inside, so being protected by some first-grade girls was kinda…

“Oh… Sorry, sorry. I lost my head a little. I don’t mean to blame you or hold you responsible for anything, Sakuya-chan. I just want you to come with me. It’s something quite serious for you.”

“Understood. Then, I will go with Hirohata-sama. Everyone, please go ahead to the cafeteria…”

“We cannot simply go to the cafeteria! We will go with Sakuya-sama!”

Azami-chan clearly declared her intentions to Mizuki. Mizuki nodded seriously.

“Alright. Then, let’s all go.”

In that way… Mizuki guided us somewhere before we were able to go to the cafeteria.

　　～～～～～～～

Mizuki guided us to the bulletin boards lined up near Touka Academy’s entrance.

“It’s full of people for some reason?”

“Why on earth are there so many people in this place at this time…”

It looked like everyone was standing in front of the bulletin boards. Maybe some important announcement was stuck up there? But in that case, the teachers would’ve given some explanation or warning… They didn’t say anything this homeroom, but…

“What!”

“This is…”

“How cruel!”

Everyone who’d come to the bulletin boards looked at that, pressed their hands to their mouths, and said those words.

“Oh…”

Then, when I looked at it, it was something like… I suddenly felt apathetic or something… there was a large newspaper on one of the boards. It was talking about the sports festival a few days ago.

“The Insolent Lady’s True Nature” and other sensational headlines like it danced on the paper. Everything written was about me.

Azami-chan and Satsuki-chan serving me, bringing me towels and drinks, and fanning me. It had those kinds of picture, headline, and article content.

Then, the scene of me reprimanding Nishigori, who’d fallen during the relay, and the words I’d said. There was a huge crowd of onlookers, so I couldn’t make any excuses. When you looked at the words written there, you might take it that way.

I wasn’t really blaming Nishigori or getting him to hurry up. But if you just heard those words being said to a fallen, crying first grader, the people around might take it in that way. It was true that I was being thoughtless.

It was true that Azami-chan and the others were waiting on me. It was also true that I said those harsh words to Nishigori. Even though my intent was different, from the viewers’ perspective, the things written on the poster weren’t wrong. To observers who didn’t know anything about the situation, they might come to that conclusion.

That was still fine. They weren’t verging on lies yet. There were a lot of observers. A lot of students and guardians were at the sports festival. But I couldn’t stay silent after this.

First, the fight I had with the class after I returned. This poster said that Nishigori apologised and blamed himself multiple times during the closing ceremony and the cleaning up time, but I still didn’t forgive him. Once we returned to the classroom, I even denounced and blamed him in front of my classmates. It was also written that I even found fault with the classmates who’d tried to stop me, but that wasn’t true at all.

I didn’t know if the information got twisted through hearsay, or if lies were weaved together on purpose to make others misunderstand. But for some reason, there were even pictures of our class fighting.

I could understand how there were pictures and videos of the sports festival. The photography crew that the school had prepared and each families’ cameras were recording. It wasn’t strange for me to be recorded as well. But how were there pictures of everyone surrounding Nishigori in the classroom and fighting? When and where were these recorded?

In the first place, the contents were absurd. The guys in the class were blaming Nishigori for falling, so I came in to stop them. The contents of the article and what really happened were complete opposites. But from what was written and the picture attached, it made it seem like that had really happened, which was strange.

And the biggest problem was… The last thing written in the article was about me summoning Hagiwara Shion and what we talked about in the courtyard. It showed Hagiwara Shion, broken down crying, and me looking down on her. With the picture, it was written that I ordered Hagiwara Shion to disrupt Team Three, but she didn’t do it so I was scolding her.

From the picture alone, you wouldn’t know what conversation we had. This portion was also nonsense. But it was written that “Voice files had been obtained”. Its authenticity instantly increased because of that. I knew what we had talked about. Of course I knew. I was the one talking, after all… So, I wanted to say “Show those voice files you have”.

But what would people who just saw this think of it? My previous behaviour, the various things written in the newspaper, and the insistence that there were pictures and voice files of the bad things going on behind the sports festival. What would the other students reading think of that?

Hearing our voices, the people looking at the poster noticed us. Then, they all distanced themselves from us. I could hear their voices whispering “She did that kind of thing, so who knows what she’ll do to me”, “It’s better not to get involved with her” and “Let’s hurry and get away from this place”. That was their answer. Everyone believed that the contents of the newspaper were true.

“Hey! What kind of fuss is this!”

Over there… a complicated person appeared.

“Konoe-sama…”

“…I get it.”

Ibuki glanced at the newspaper and looked at me again. His expression was stern. The article implied that I was working on a scheme to make Ibuki fall. From Ibuki and the Konoe monryuu’s perspective, that wasn’t laughable. If I had really extorted the Nishigori and Hagiwara families who were part of the Konoe monryuu like the article said, that would be a problem.

“Kujou-san…”

Enju also looked troubled as he looked at me. This had really gotten bothersome…

The surrounding students watched us from a distance. They were probably interested in what would happen next. I could hear voices saying “Konoe-sama’ll beat up the insolent lady” and “Get her”. The acknowledgement that Ibuki was right and I was wrong spread.

“Kujou Sakuya! Is what’s written here true?”

“Of course it’s not! All of this is nonsense!”

“Azami-chan, calm down…”

An agitated Azami-chan raised her voice and snapped at Ibuki before I could answer. If our exchange went bad, that’d be deadly for everyone, not just me. We had to be calm, cool and respond appropriately.

“These pictures contained a different story; however, lies were written about them to fit in with the story that the article was telling. I will not object to the pictures themselves, but the claims that the person who wrote the article is asserting are all wrong.”

“…Then you’re saying that this is a lie?”

Ibuki calmly asked me that question. I looked right at Ibuki, returning his stare, and nodded.

“Yes. The contents of this article are nonsense.”

I could hear voices saying “That can’t be true”, “We saw that”, and “Is she planning to evade responsibility by making excuses?”

Well, it couldn’t be helped if you thought that. It was true that Azami-chan and the rest were really waiting on me, and the words I’d shouted at the fallen Nishigori. It couldn’t be helped that the people who’d only seen that would think that way.

Ibuki and Enju looked closely at me. Mizuki had at some point stood behind them. Everyone was standing around me. It was almost as if there was a fight between Ibuki’s group and my group…

With everyone watching us attentively to fulfill their curiosity, Ibuki and I stared directly at each other, our gazes unwavering.