It only took a smile - Chapter 9- Where it all began?

Chihiro was nervous.

There was no doubt about it.

The transfer student got dragged into trouble because of her.

No one lashes out violently just because their lunch was disturbed.

He… had stepped in to protect her.

And now… he was in danger.

The teachers always sided with the rich. They always did.

At Sakuramine Gakuen, there were two types of students.

The first hundred were the rich ones who paid ridiculous amounts of money just to secure a seat in the school.
That’s how someone like Takuya ended up here.

Then came the other hundred—those who earned their way in.
The ones who got in through talent, whether in sports or academics, and received scholarships.

Chihiro belonged to this group.
She was quick to learn, her Japanese literature was sharper than anyone’s, and her calligraphy skills made her shine.

Many others in the class also had their own talents.

…including Ikue.

Her childhood friend.

“You know you’ve thrown him into serious trouble, right?”
A hand landed on her shoulder. Chihiro turned to see a blonde gyaru slipping into the seat beside her.

Ikue had once been her closest friend, someone tied deeply to her family.
Back then, she used to call Chihiro’s mother “mama.”

They had shared tears, laughter, and secrets. They were like sisters.

But once the bullying began… Ikue changed.
It was as if those years of friendship had never happened, as if it had all just been in Chihiro’s head.

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. Don’t mistake my pity for anything more,” Ikue had once told her while looking down at her beaten body.

She never stepped in to stop the bullying. That alone hurt.

But what hurt even more was that Ikue became one of the bullies herself.

Nothing cuts deeper than that.

“You see that? Why does no one want to approach you? Because they know how cursed you are,” Ikue whispered, her tone sharp enough to make Chihiro tremble.

“Now, that guy is probably going to either get expelled… or something worse. And with Takuya’s family, I can already guess what that ‘worse’ is.”

Chihiro bit her lip. She was right. This all happened because he tried to defend her.

There was no need for him to save her! She could endure the torment. She always had. Only a few—

*Slide*

A wave of gasps ran through the classroom.

It had only been three minutes. Three minutes since Haruto was taken to the principal’s office.

Yet… he came back.

Satomi and Ikue were just as shocked as everyone else when Haruto walked straight toward his desk.

Most thought he had returned only to grab his bag.

But when he reached his seat, he looked straight at the gyaru and said coldly, “That’s my seat.”

*Crunch* *Crunch*

Ikue’s words died in her throat. The memory of bones breaking echoed in her mind, and she quickly stood up without a sound.

Haruto let out a quiet sigh and sat down.

The room filled with whispers. Everyone wondered how he had been let off so easily.

Chihiro felt a heavy knot in her chest. She leaned closer and asked softly, “Um… what did they say?”

Haruto’s expression eased when he looked at her. Then he shook his head. “Nothing. They just told me not to bother anyone and sent me back.”

Chihiro’s lips parted in disbelief. That wasn’t possible.

“You… you protected me from those guys. Do you even know who they are?”

Haruto leaned back in his chair, eyes lowered to the desk. “Honestly, the first thing I expected from you wasn’t a question. It was a thank you.”

Chihiro froze. The pain in his eyes stabbed at her chest, filling her with guilt.

“I… thank you. For standing up for me,” she said quickly.

His expression softened, and a small smile tugged at his lips. “It was nothing.”

Her heart skipped at that smile, but she forced herself to look away.

In a quiet voice, he asked, “Can you tell me… how did this all start?”

Chihiro’s eyes widened. Memories of that cursed day, two months ago, flooded back. Her face drained of color.

“I-I’m really grateful you helped me,” she stammered, “but please… don’t get involved any further. This is for your own good.”

Haruto could feel how desperate she was to keep him away from this.

However, he needed to know what started all this.

Tilting his head, he glanced at the certain gyaru who was occupying his seat earlier.

‘I guess there are some answers you need to give.’

******

A/N:- Thanks for reading.