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 23: Emergency Staff Meeting (Homeroom Teacher Inagaki Junichi’s POV).

As a teacher, the very first thing required of you is to build a rapport with each and every student.

However, one must never, under any circumstances, allow personal favoritism or hidden aversions to seep into that relationship. The reason is simple: a teacher is not a student’s friend; a teacher is an adult.

Of course, I am only human. As a young teacher whose age isn’t that far removed from the high schoolers I teach, there are many times when I find my personal feelings wavering. This is because students possess a vast array of personalities—from those who are accustomed to talking to adults and know how to present themselves or flatter their superiors, to those who lack any semblance of charm or even harbor a fierce hatred for the very existence of teachers.

In terms of personal feelings alone, it is only human nature to feel more attached to the former and to want to avoid those in the latter group who direct blatant hostility toward you. I can understand that sentiment. If you can already see that trying to bridge the gap will only leave both parties feeling miserable, you’ll naturally want to keep your distance. Yet, it is also a fact that making choices based solely on those feelings is the root cause of the mistakes many teachers commit.

It is incredibly easy to coddle only the “cute” students and continue to turn a blind eye to the others. What these teachers don’t realize is that this willful ignorance will eventually lead to their own undoing. People without a daily sense of vigilance never take action until a problem has already manifested.

Usually, by the time they notice, the children who were ignored have allowed their resentment to fester in the shadows, beginning their assault on the well-behaved students.

By the time the truth comes to light, the situation has often spiraled to an irreversible point. Consequently, adults who fear tarnishing the school’s reputation or damaging their own careers will often cast aside the students they once favored, spitting out irresponsible excuses like “I didn’t notice a thing” just to protect themselves.

The scene unfolding before my eyes was exactly that.

“As I’ve said, I have absolutely no idea what this is about. Rindou Arata and Kayama Hayato were working hard and pushing each other during practice until just last week. Isn’t it possible this is just a minor spat between the two of them, and this misleading video has simply taken on a life of its own?”

While twisting a pinky into his ear, Sakagami-sensei muttered those words to the assembled faculty without meeting anyone’s eyes. This was the first time since I’d been appointed to this school that an emergency staff meeting had been held immediately after classes. Including the currently absent principal, a total of forty teachers had been summoned to the conference room. The Vice-Principal had volunteered to act as the moderator.

The Vice-Principal shot a piercing glare at Sakagami-sensei, who seemed determined to insist he “didn’t know.”

“Being the supervisor of a club activity is no excuse for ‘not knowing,’ Sakagami-sensei. You are likely the only one who sees those two—who are in different classes—together on a daily basis. Furthermore, you spent the entire day today listening to Tozawa Yuuka-san, who was speaking on Rindou Arata-kun’s behalf.”

The Vice-Principal narrowed his eyes, pointing to the video in question displayed on a smartphone on the table.

“Can you look at her distress and still call this a ‘minor spat’? Tozawa-san said it herself: Rindou-kun has suffered severe psychological damage and is becoming so distrustful of others that he was afraid to come and consult us directly.”

“…But Vice-Principal, even so, Rindou showed his face in the classroom today—a place that should be a source of mental stress. I find that a bit strange. If he were truly at his limit, wouldn’t he have stopped coming to school altogether?”

Sakagami-sensei’s behavior was unsightly from start to finish. His cunning was evident, as if he were still trying to smooth things over. He likely didn’t want to expose his own failures here, in front of so many colleagues. Unlike the private meeting earlier, he was loud and talkative. However, as the other teachers began to murmur amongst themselves, the Vice-Principal—unable to watch any longer—slammed his fist onto the table.

“Keep your mouth shut…! You disgrace! Any decent teacher could figure that out with a moment’s thought. If he stops coming to school, it will inevitably worry his parents. Anyone who has a close relationship with Rindou-kun would know he has a kind heart and would want to avoid that!”

Exactly, I thought, nodding. Looking back at the first homeroom of the year, Arata had been so kind to me. Since I was new to the school and still feeling the tension, he’d said, “Inagaki-sensei, maybe it’s because you’re young, but you feel more like an older brother than a teacher. I’m happy you’re our homeroom teacher this year!” He would ease the tension in the room and volunteer for daily duties or to help out; his kindness was so genuine it was palpable.

A teacher never forgets how heartening it is to have even one student in the classroom who steps forward to lead the class in a better direction. Encountering students like that makes us want to do our best; it makes us want to support them even more, to see them through until graduation. That is the way the relationship between a teacher and a student is supposed to be. I clenched my fists and let out a long breath.

“That’s right, Vice-Principal! Arata, a student in my class, has a friendly personality for everyone. He has leadership, and if there’s a student who can’t fit into the atmosphere of the room, he’s the type to run to their side without hesitation. He is a student I’m proud of, someone whose kindness truly stands out. That’s why—”

The eyes of the many teachers turned toward me all at once, making me feel like shrinking back. Perhaps someone in their second year like me shouldn’t be speaking up so boldly. But this was the one thing I had to say.

“That is why, now more than ever, we teachers must protect a virtuous student like him with everything we have. This isn’t just a task for one teacher; it’s a grave issue that the entire school must face! So please, I ask for the help of every teacher here. It is our mission as teachers to create an environment where students can come to school tomorrow without a single worry!”

As I bowed deeply, voices of agreement began to rise from around the room.

“You’re right, Inagaki-sensei. Rindou-kun often asks questions in my class, and I always see him taking a positive approach. Let’s all protect him!” “If his homeroom teacher, Inagaki-sensei, goes that far, then Rindou definitely isn’t the kind of boy to lay a hand on a female student.” “I’ll ask the students in my class tomorrow if they know any specific details…!”

“Everyone… thank you, truly.”

As I prepared to bow once more, the Vice-Principal placed a hand on my shoulder.

“It’s too early for thanks, Inagaki-sensei. Now, listen everyone! Starting tomorrow, Inagaki-sensei will be conducting unannounced individual interviews with Rindou-kun and the perpetrators to take thorough steps toward resolving this situation. Until that is finished, please ensure the perpetrators do not realize what is happening; refrain from any conspicuous actions. I will contact you with further details on our policy, so please wait for that. Now,”

“We will conclude today’s meeting here,” the Vice-Principal announced. The teachers quickly headed back to their respective duties. I took a series of deep breaths, finally letting the tension drain from my shoulders.

Alright. For now, I’ve managed to get the entire faculty to grasp the problem occurring within the school and appealed for their cooperation. Tomorrow will likely be even busier, but I will absolutely corner every single student on the list of perpetrators provided by the representative, Tozawa Yuuka, and I will make sure they receive the punishment they deserve.

And since Sakagami-sensei’s movements—having rushed out into the hallway the moment the meeting ended—are also suspicious, I need to stay on high alert.