Fallen from the Top Group Due to Cheating and False Accusations. The Only One Who Stood by Me Was My Little Sister’s Best Friend, Who Had Always Adored Me. - Chapter 13.1: Fighting Resolve and Promise with Yuuka.

Chapter 13: Fighting Resolve and Promise with Yuuka.

Was this really the right choice?

After parting with Yuuka at the shoe lockers, I climbed the stairs to the second floor where my classroom was, that question weighing heavily on my mind.

“——I have a secret plan.”

Yesterday evening, when Yuuka had declared that in my room with such confidence, I had assumed we would start gradually gathering allies together. But she immediately shook her head and said, “That’s not it.”

The previous day (In Arata’s room)

“Not it…? Then you mean we split the roles?”

When I asked, Yuuka closed her eyes as if to say that wasn’t it either, then shook her head once more.

“Listen carefully, Senpai. I want you to stay calm and hear me out. Tomorrow, for now, I want you to trust me and spend the day exactly like normal.”

“…But why?”

I couldn’t accept the idea of letting her act alone while I sat comfortably in class. This whole mess had started because of me. I was the one everyone saw as an enemy right now. Instead of showing my face in the classroom, wouldn’t it be better to go straight to the staff room and look for teachers who might side with me? That way the situation wouldn’t spiral any further.

But Yuuka saw right through my thoughts. She gave me a gentle smile and said, “I understand how you feel. But there’s a proper reason for this.”

“One reason is that if you suddenly stopped showing up in class the very next day, it would immediately put the enemy on high alert.”

“Alert?”

“Yes. And what I’m about to say is purely speculation, but I’m almost certain that Kayama-senpai has not told the teachers about this incident.”

Yuuka spoke calmly. At the same time, goosebumps rose along my arms.

“Kayama hasn’t told them…? No way. Because he told me himself—”

“Told you what?”

“That a little before we entered second year, he had already started quietly telling people around us and the teachers that I was slowly becoming violent toward Karen.”

“Then, Senpai, you don’t think for a second that those words were a complete lie?”

Yuuka stared straight into my eyes. Her expression had grown sharper, almost intimidating.

“Of course not. The video was taken at the perfect possible moment. It can only be a meticulously planned trap meant to frame me.”

Moreover, because he had already laid the groundwork by consulting others beforehand, Kayama had been able to act with such unshakable confidence. Above all—

“He had this triumphant look on his face.”

“…What if even that triumphant look was just an act to drive you into despair?”

“Eh, Yuuka-chan…? I’m having trouble following this conversation…”

“If his goal from the very beginning was to make sure you couldn’t rely on any teachers around you—by making you believe you had no allies at all—then everything fits perfectly.”

Everything fits. Yuuka nodded with calm confidence as I struggled to grasp what she was saying.

“Yes! If Kayama-senpai had truly consulted the teachers beforehand, they should have taken some kind of action toward you long before that video started circulating. With something like DV… if a serious consultation had been made, the adults would have tried to resolve it quietly among themselves before it blew up. On top of that, doing something as malicious as leaking the video publicly would risk dragging even unrelated family members into the mess and could cause further chaos. It’s hard to imagine the school would ever allow or condone such a thing!”

“I’m ninety-nine percent sure it’s a bluff,” Yuuka declared firmly.

Honestly, I still found it hard to believe. The image of Kayama’s mocking, victorious smirk from that night was burned into my mind. In soccer, he was always sharp and calculating—he never acted without a thorough plan.

But what if everything Yuuka said was true? What if it had all been a lie from the start, designed to deceive me? Because he knew me better than anyone, he could set a trap I would fall for. In that case, I had been dancing perfectly in the palm of his hand.

“I’m not going to force you to believe everything I say, Senpai. But because I’m not you, I can look at the situation objectively and strike at the enemy’s weakness.”

“…………”

“So, Rindou Arata-senpai,”

Yuuka held out her left hand straight toward me. Deep in her eyes burned an unwavering flame of resolve and determination.

“Please… trust me.”

I had to give her an answer.

Should I cling to my long history with Kayama and our shared memories? Or take the hand of the only person standing by my side right now?

I quietly realized this was a turning point. I didn’t want to regret anything. The choice I should make had been obvious from the start.

On the way to school (Thirty minutes before Yuuka enters the staff room)

“So Yuuka, about today’s plan… I really just need to stay quietly in the classroom until sixth period ends, right?”

As the main gate came into view, I asked while our hands were still gently linked.

“Yes. If we assume it’s completely a bluff, then the best move we can make right now is to take action toward the teachers ourselves. We don’t know how much the school knows or whether they’ve even heard about it yet, but nothing will start if we don’t do this.”

Yuuka nodded deeply. I nodded back in the same way.

“Got it. So while you’re explaining everything in the staff room, I just need to stay visible in class so the others see me acting normal. Mission complete.”

“That’s right!” Yuuka replied with a bright, energetic laugh.

She really was sharp. I couldn’t help but admire how quickly her mind worked—something you wouldn’t expect from someone younger than me. At the same time, her occasional innocent smiles still carried a trace of childishness, and that gap between her reliable side and her cuteness made my heart flutter.

“Senpai, until I come get you, just sit in class with your chest puffed out and act like you own the place!”

Seeing Yuuka clench her fist, I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Senpai?”

“Ah, no… It’s just that ‘act like you own the place’ makes me feel like I actually did something wrong.”

“Ehh—! Yeah, you’re right… Sorry!”

“You don’t have to apologize. It was funny just imagining it.”

“I see…”

We looked at each other and burst out laughing.

It was a strange feeling. Even though the situation was at its worst, it didn’t feel like a crisis. Instead, confidence welled up inside me that we could somehow make it through. And that was all thanks to Yuuka coming up with the best possible plan.

She was truly reliable.

“That said… I know it’s rich coming from me, but are you really okay going into the staff room alone, Yuuka?”

“Me? Of course, no problem at all! I’m the one who suggested it, after all.”

“Yeah, but still… Just remember this: don’t push yourself too hard. If anything goes wrong, contact me on your phone right away. I’ll come running no matter what.”

When I said that with a serious face, Yuuka widened her eyes as if she had seen something ridiculous, then burst out laughing again.

“Geez, Senpai, you’re surprisingly worrisome.”

“Of course I’m worried. You’ve always had a stronger sense of responsibility than anyone. I can’t help but worry you’ll try to handle everything by yourself.”

“…Senpai.”

“So promise me this. Don’t force yourself. Just do what you can. Let’s both do our best in moderation. That’s my request.”

Yuuka blinked several times, then suddenly blushed and turned to face me again.

“Then… Senpai. Can I… make one request of my own?”

“Of course. Anything I can do, just say it.”

I owed her more than I could ever repay. Whether this ended well or not, I would definitely have to thank her properly someday.

“If everything goes smoothly… um… would you go on a date with me after school today?”

I had been wondering what kind of request it would be, but her answer caught me completely off guard. It had been a long time since I’d heard those words.

“Ah~ Seriously, you’re probably the only girl in the world who would invite someone like me on a date right now.”

When I teased her, she puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.

“Hmph. What’s wrong with that? I’ve told you many times that I’m serious about you.”

“Hahaha, yeah, you have.”

“Ah— Senpai, are you making fun of me!? I was really serious!”

“No way. If someone like me—who currently has zero friends—is good enough for you, I’d gladly go on a date or anything else. It’d be a nice breather too.”

Truly, if that was what she wanted, I had no reason to refuse.

“…Then it’s a promise, okay?”

“Yeah. It’s a promise.”

A date with Yuuka after school. Just imagining it already filled me with excitement.

For the sake of that fun afternoon, I first had to overcome the obstacle right in front of me. With renewed determination, I started walking.

—Or at least, I was supposed to.

Present

With each step I took up the stairs, my legs grew heavier. Eventually the movement became sluggish, and a nauseating sensation like my stomach was being gouged out forced me to stop on the landing.

The magic was already starting to wear off.

The pain that had sunk deep into my heart wasn’t something I could forget so easily. The vigor and fighting spirit I had felt just moments ago vanished completely. The instant I was alone, an merciless wave of loneliness threatened to swallow me whole.

Even if I wanted to ask for help, the strong, reliable girl who had been beside me was no longer there.

Instead, all I could hear were the storms of insults from passing classmates.

“That guy… still showing up to school? He’s way too shameless.”

“He should just drop out already. Matsunami-san is way too kind, letting a guy like that roam free.”

My legs wouldn’t stop shaking. The thought of heading to the classroom terrified me. By now the video had probably spread to even more students, and today would clearly be worse than yesterday. The endless barrage of abuse made me feel like nothing I did now would matter.

Was this really the right choice…?

“…………Kh.”

Right before the darkness could pull me under, I clenched my stomach tight.

I knew.

This wasn’t the time to falter. I had promised Yuuka that I would clear my name no matter what.

That’s right. Even now, she was walking into the staff room alone for my sake.

Compared to that, the only thing I could do was sit boldly in the classroom until she came for me.

I steadied my faltering legs, took a deep breath, and exhaled.

Let’s go. Homeroom was almost starting.