Every Sin Deserves Punishment - Chapter 11: The Aftermath of the Revenge on the School Building

Chapter 11: The Aftermath of the Revenge on the School Building

A few minutes after a wail of grief was heard from behind the door, a male teacher’s voice called out from the hallway, asking us to open the door. We obediently followed his instructions, and two devils collapsed on the hallway floor, their mouths agape and frozen, as if their souls had left their bodies.

We were taken to the student guidance room for questioning. We were asked about the motive for hijacking the lunch break broadcast and whether the content of the broadcast was true. The teacher must have been on edge. The teachers must have been on edge. If the broadcast were accurate, the school would be harboring three troublemakers more problematic than any delinquent.

I was ordered to stay at home for a week. The lunch break broadcast is played in the cafeteria and each classroom. The number of people in the school building is in the hundreds. It’s unrealistic to expect everyone to resist the temptation of sharing it on social media. If the incident spreads online, it could affect the school’s reputation. Apparently, I was judged to have mitigating circumstances, but in reality, they probably didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.

I had no complaints about the disciplinary action. I dutifully confined myself at home and wrote a letter of apology. I soaked in the sense of accomplishment from achieving my revenge and reported it to my late mother in front of the family altar.

During my suspension, I thought about various things, mainly about how to spend the rest of my student life. I had caused trouble for many people. I couldn’t imagine going back to school as usual after the suspension, but I couldn’t give up on being a student, despite the gloominess. The purpose of my revenge was to put my mind at ease and live a happy life. My mother wanted me to be happy. I don’t know what kind of life she wanted me to live, but it’s always better to have more options. I completed my self-study assignments and organized the questions I needed to ask the teachers. I repeated this routine every day.

I had several nightmares. Dreams of being followed by Sogou and Mibu in a dark space. I won’t let you get away with it; I’ll take you down with me. Their voices of resentment pierced through me, crawling up from my feet to my torso like unpleasant pests. I don’t know how many times I felt sick from the unpleasant dreams.

I wake up, study, sleep, and then have more nightmares.

I get up, read, go to bed, and have more nightmares.

As I spent similar days, my suspension period came to an end. I moved my leaden feet and got ready in front of the mirror. I frowned at the weight of the school uniform I was wearing for the first time in a while and walked towards the entrance. I picked up the photo frame and stared at my mother’s picture. Every time I looked at it, I renewed my determination for revenge, but today, I felt unusually refreshed. It was as if the fog covering my heart had cleared, and the vast blue sky was peeking through, an irresistible sense of liberation.

“I’m off!”

I threw a greeting at my late mother and turned the doorknob. I stepped into the elevator, stomped on the cold entrance, and went outside. The cityscape hadn’t changed in a week. The sky was the same boring blue as always, but it seemed profoundly captivating. Come to think of it, I hadn’t appreciated the sky in a long time. Even when I looked at it, my mind seemed to be gazing somewhere far away. It wasn’t just the sky. As I walked down the street, I realized that this was how people looked. Perhaps, literally, I had left a piece of my heart in the past. Everything I saw felt fresh and new.

With this sense of peace in my heart, I continued walking. The glass-walled school building came into view, and my steps grew heavier, as if a weight was pressing down on me. I wanted to turn around and go home. But I fought back the urge and stepped through the entrance.

I didn’t feel any particular stares. Though everyone knew something had happened, most students didn’t know my face. I had expected to feel piercing stares of resentment, but it seemed I had worried for nothing.

I slipped into my indoor shoes and began climbing the stairs. With each step, I felt the weight of the past week behind me. The entrance had been a hurdle, but the real challenge awaited me in the classroom. I hadn’t sat in my seat for a week. Even though I hadn’t interacted with many of my classmates, they would surely know about my involvement in the incident. There was no way I could avoid the curious stares.

I stopped in front of the classroom.

My heartbeat quickened. I felt as if I couldn’t breathe, as if the air had solidified. I wanted to run away, but if I turned my back now, I might end up becoming a truant again. I mustered up my courage and put my hand on the doorknob.

Just as I expected, I was greeted by many eyes. There was no hostility, but it felt like being slapped in the face by a strong gust of wind. I gave a small nod and quietly took my seat. I didn’t have any friends to feel awkward around, so there was no need to be considerate. I pulled out my smartphone and started tapping randomly at the screen.

“Yo!”

A voice came from nearby. I looked up and made eye contact with the guy who had been my friend before the suspension. His right arm, exposed from the rolled-up sleeve, bent at a perfect ninety degrees in what looked like a greeting.

“…Yo!”

His left arm followed, completing the strange mime-like gesture. I had no idea why he was doing this in the classroom. It was probably some kind of punishment for losing a game of rock-paper-scissors with his friends. Poor guy, Katou Yoshiki.

Yoshiki clasped his hands together and held them up as if praying.

“Chop!”

“Ouch!?”

The world blurred as a sharp impact ran from the top of my head down to my abdomen, causing my phone to slip from my grasp. His muscular arm reached under the desk and caught the rectangular device.

“So, what’s this? How to spend time alone… Were you seriously searching for this?”

I snatched my phone from my classmate’s hand.

“Don’t look at it without permission. Why did you chop me?”

“I called you, but you ignored me. I thought maybe I had turned invisible.” 

“I can see you. I was silently mocking you for your poor pantomime.”

“You’re so mean!”

His raised voice spread throughout the room. Despite the incident during lunch break, his attitude remained unchanged, and my mouth naturally curved into a smile.

“Hey, Yoshiki, are you okay?”

I looked at a third person. The one who called out was a male student whose name I didn’t know. He looked cowering, like a small animal trying not to provoke a predator. There was no disappointment. This was a normal reaction. I had made myself feared. Being avoided was within my expectations.

Yoshiki grinned.

“”I’m fine. I know Ichigaya well enough. He’s not the kind of guy you need to worry about.”

“O-Oh, is that so? Then, it’s okay, I guess.”

The guy turned back to his group, and I watched him go before turning back to Yoshiki.

“That was a surprise. I thought you’d confront me more aggressively.”

“Come on, think about what you did. You hijacked the lunch break broadcast for revenge. Who would dare to harass you?”

“That’s true.”

I couldn’t help but agree. But you sure are cheeky, Yoshiki!

“By the way, is that a new friend of yours?”

“Yeah. You were suspended for a week, so it’s only natural I’d make some new friends too.”

“Did you get a girlfriend too?”

“Don’t ask.”

“Sorry.”

I shook my body as if joking and received a fairly strong pat on the back. The small talk was over. I intentionally lowered the corners of my mouth.

“Yoshiki, there are a few things I want to ask you. What happened after that?”

“What exactly do you want to know about?”

“About everything.”

Yoshiki crossed his arms and grunted.

“Everything you say, where should I start at…? Okay, let’s start with your current position in the class.”

“I already know that.”

I was being treated like a pariah, or worse, like a dangerous animal. I had steeled myself for three years of loneliness, but seeing it with my own eyes still stung.

“Just listen. As you know, people are keeping their distance on you because they’re scared of what you might do.”

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?”

“I told you, I know what kind of person you are.”

“You were serious about that?”

I had met him before the incident, which was probably a factor. However, Yoshiki didn’t seem to have any secrets that would cause trouble if exposed. If you have nothing to hide, there’s no need to fear being exposed.

Sagou and Mibu. To me, they were devils, but to others, they were just classmates wearing the same uniform. I had the reputation of exposing secrets, and I became someone feared by those around me. The only people who could approach me with a smile were honest people like Yoshiki. He was a rude guy who called me a two-timer the first time we met, but I was truly glad that he was my first friend.

Yoshiki made a receiving gesture with his palms and dropped his fist.

“Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. You’ve been given two nicknames.”

“Nicknames? Like aliases?”

“Yeah, like the cool ones in manga and anime.”

My heart fluttered. Having a cool nickname would make my school life more exciting. It might be a bit childish to get excited about it, but a catchy nickname wasn’t so bad.

Feeling a bit childish, I tried to hide my excitement and tightened my lips.

“I’m not particularly interested, but tell me. What kind of nicknames are they?”

I waited for Yoshiki’s words with a quickening heartbeat. It was related to the incident during lunch break, so how about ‘Lunch Break Dominator’? Or maybe ‘Broadcast Department’s Executioner’? Either way, it sounded good.

Yoshiki opened his mouth after a pause.

“For the Sake of Love”

“Why?!”

I was so surprised that I stood up from my seat. The legs of the chair made a loud noise, and my classmates’ gazes flooded towards me. Despite this, my earlobes were burning. For the sake of love? What kind of nickname is that, as if it won’t even allow an ant’s rebellion!

Yoshiki blinked his eyes in confusion.

“Why? You were the one who played the broadcast, right? You and Nakiri-san were all lovey-dovey every day, weren’t you? I’m envious, you know.”

“Wait, that’s a misunderstanding. Nakiri and I weren’t lovey-dovey.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, we weren’t.”

“But everyone thinks so, right? It’s been speculated that the reason for your revenge was because your relationship with Nakiri was broken.”

“Who’s making these speculations?”

“A volunteer site. Oh, I think it’s impossible to find the members? They’re anonymous.”

I gritted my teeth. Even if I posted asking to identify and shut down the anonymous site, I doubted it would have any effect on the excited individuals. They would just stir up more excitement with the arrival of the “talk of the town.” Given the context, it was unlikely that malicious posts were made. It was also questionable whether a disclosure request would be successful.

“By the way, there’s also a candidate nickname, ‘The Man Who Lived for Love.’ Which one do you prefer?”

“Let’s stop this talk.”

“Personally, I recommend ‘For the Sake of Love.’ It’s easier to say.”

“Like I said, let’s stop this!”

I sat down in my chair. Ignoring the heat in my face, I asked the next question.

“What happened to Sogou and Mibu?”

“Seems like they were expelled.”

A sharp pain ran through my chest. I clenched my fist under the desk and dug my nails into my palm to discipline myself. I knew this would happen. I crushed their student lives with full knowledge of the consequences. I have no regrets.

“What happened after that?”

“Hmm? They probably transferred to another high school after moving. It’s a reasonable decision. After being exposed to such an intense story, they’d lose their place, right? Oh, I’m not blaming you, Ichigaya, okay? Just hanging out with those guys carries high risk. They’re even more unpredictable than you, and it’s scary to get close to them”

It’s the same as how it’s difficult for criminals to reintegrate into society. Even if the person doesn’t intend to cause harm, others will be cautious, fearing that they might become victims themselves. It’s a challenging task to regain the trust that has been lost. Moreover, the motive for the two of them spreading the rumor was love. It’s a common circumstance, and anyone could become a target at any time. It’s unrealistic to expect people not to be cautious about it.

“Did those two apologize to Nakiri?”

“I’m not sure since they’re in a different class. Considering what happened to you, I honestly didn’t want to even have them in my sight. It was unpleasant.”

“That’s understandable.”

I recalled their attitudes in the family restaurant. They probably didn’t apologize. Although I intended to emphasize the importance of apologizing in the broadcast room, I couldn’t imagine them changing. I did what I had to as someone who was once a friend. All I can do now is hope that no more victims will emerge at their new school.

The door opened with a loud sound.

“Ichigaya, Nakiri-san is calling for you.”

Hearing the name, I straightened my back. I thanked the girl who informed me and walked into the hallway, feeling my heartbeat quicken. There was a flower standing on the floor, which had a similar color to the soil. I met the girl’s chestnut-colored eyes and walked towards her. I was nervous and couldn’t settle down. I felt dozens of gazes on my back.

“Let’s move to another place.”

Nakiri turned around. I also dislike being watched, so I followed her without arguing. Misunderstanding something, my classmates made a fuss behind me. I ignored the shrill voices and walked down the hallway.

“It’s been a while, should be the right word to use now, right?q”

When the area became less crowded, a voice came from the front.

“Yeah.”

“Why did your last name change?”

“It’s my mother’s maiden surname. I don’t ever want to be associated with that father of mine anymore.”

My father left my mother and disappeared. I don’t care where he is or what he’s doing. I don’t want to be reminded of him every time my last name is mentioned.

“I see.”

Nakiri turned around and faced me. I stopped and looked directly at her well-organized face.

How much time had passed? Nakiri broke her calm expression.

“I’m such a bad conversationalist. I can’t think of what to say. I had a lot of things I wanted to talk about, but…”

“Me too.”

I almost collapsed with relief. It was the first time I had exchanged words with Nakiri since I angrily yelled at her at the aquarium. I thought she hated me, but it seemed that wasn’t the case, which was a relief.

Nakiri furrowed her perfectly shaped eyebrows.

“I’m angry at you, you know.”

“Eh?”

“Don’t you, ‘Eh?’ me. How dare you just expose our childhood memories like that.”

Nakiri puffed out her cheeks slightly. Was she referring to the contents of the broadcast? The conversation didn’t include any specific details, and there shouldn’t have been anything to be embarrassed about, except for Sogou’s comment about ‘being shown how we act lovey-dovey.’’

“Well, technically, I didn’t say that.”

“It’s the same thing. You should have just cut out that part.”

“If they knew it were an edited audio, it wouldn’t have such an impact, you know?”

“No one would think that. You’re always so meticulous, Yuu-kun.”

“You’re too careless, Nakiri.”

Unintentionally, my tone became harsh, and Nakiri glared at me in response. We stared at each other, trying to assert dominance. Finally, we had met again, but what were we doing? Feeling silly, we smiled at each other.

“I’m glad you haven’t changed.”

“You too, Yuu-kun. Though your hair is now blond, so your atmosphere has changed significantly.”

“Think of it as my high school debut.”

The black hair that reminded me of my mother. I had dyed it to keep her out of my revenge, but now I no longer had any attachment to that revenge. All I could do was wait for it to turn black again over time.

I took out my smartphone. I was about to suggest exchanging contact information, but my mouth wouldn’t open as if it were glued shut. I felt Nakiri tilting her head, so I coughed to divert her attention.

“It’s almost time for the short homeroom. I should go back to the classroom.”

“Then let’s exchange contact information. It’s hard to meet in the school building because there are so many people, but if we communicate through our devices, no one will notice, right?”

“Yeah. But I don’t know how to use chat apps.”

I had exchanged messages with Mibu and Sigou, but I was just responding to the mood and atmosphere. When I called them to the family restaurant, I used an existing room to call them. I didn’t know how to specify the person I wanted to contact. I didn’t even think about looking it up.

“I’ll add you. Give me your smartphone.”

Her graceful hand reached out. I had no reason to refuse. I handed over the rectangular device. Passing my smartphone to someone else was something I had done after the entrance ceremony, but this time felt different. The pulse from my left chest was loud and restless, and I worried whether Nakiri could hear it.

“It’s done.”

“Thank you.”

Receiving the smartphone from her delicate hands, I felt a slight shiver from her residual warmth. It felt like the tainted smartphone was purified. 

See you later, Yuu-kun.”

Nakiri smiled and waved lightly. I couldn’t help but smile back.

“Yes. See you later.”

I returned down the hallway I had come from. Unlike before, I couldn’t focus on content of the homeroom.