Chapter 1 part V: The Ending that brings Beginnings

Compared to what I'd usually eat, this food was luxurious. Actually, by normal standards, I'd say the meal in front of me could still be considered grand. Even choosing from the from the free menu, the sushi I was eating tasted good.

Lunch began at 12:30, and, despite only stopping by the dorms for a short while, the cafeteria was already full when I'd arrived.

The many tables set out in the hall had already been occupied by students of various years. Amongst them, I recognised a few from my own class. However, I had no intention of 'mingling' with them, so I ate alone.

After finishing eating, since I have no friends, I headed straight back to class. Class resumed in the afternoon, meaning I needn't wait long for my next lesson. In the meantime, reading a book could be a good pastime.

Turning the corner leading to homeroom, I happened to bump into one of my classmates.

"Ahggh—!"

When I say 'bump into,' I mean, in the most literal sense, as the boy stumbled backwards and fell over, dropping his bag. Numerous things fell out of it, all mostly school equipment, but a phone also fell out and slid across to my feet.

It didn't belong to the school. I picked it up.

"Sorry, are you okay?"

The boy rubbed the back of his head, groaning. He probably hit it when he landed. Fortunately for me, it didn't seem to be anything serious.

"…Yeah. I wasn't looking where I was going, sorry."

"It's nothing."

The boy gathered his things from the ground, and, after a moment, stood up. When he did so, I held out his phone towards him.

"You dropped this, by the way."

Taking the phone back, the boy smiled.

"Oh, thanks! I almost lost it, hehe…"

I watched as the boy checked his phone, probably to ensure it wasn't damaged, before putting it back in his bag.

When Mr. Tokozakura mentioned all phones were to be submitted in before school ended, most people, like myself, submitted them in during first period. With potential expulsion on the table, it made sense why everyone wanted to do it before they forgot.

However, for this student to still have his phone…? How peculiar.

I tucked my hands into my jacket pockets.

"…Hey. You should probably turn in your phone before school ends. You'll be in trouble if you don't."

I noticed the boy flinch as I spoke, his body language now hesitant.

"Oh, right…"

His smile also dropped when I spoke, before he came in closer, whispering to me.

"Between you and me, I think the school's bluffing about the whole expelling thing. I'm pretty sure kicking someone out for not handing in their phone is against the law or something."

The boy smiled, stepping backwards, organising the rest of his stuff as he spoke.

"Besides, I haven't shown anyone my phone, so, worst case, I'll just say I don't have it."

How truly strange.

"Do you plan on hiding your phone for the next three years?"

"Sure. It can't be that hard."

I folded my arms, skeptical about the idea.

"What about me? I know about your phone now."

The boy laughed. He looked unsure for a moment, before those doubts seemingly disappeared as he smiled once more, placing a finger over his lips.

"About that… keep it a secret for me, okay?"

He didn't wait for my answer, the boy walking away in the direction I'd come from. I watched him as he went, waiting for signs of doubt, but he didn't look back at me once. It seems he really trusts me.

A shame.

To put it bluntly, his plan would fail.

To get into the school, a qr code sent to all students' phones was required, meaning everyone must have a phone. The excuse of 'I don't have one,' would be broken down effortlessly. A viable justification would be something like, 'I lost my phone in a way which it cannot be found,' moreover, this would just lead to more problems if found out to be a lie.

However, even if the boy managed to find a somewhat reasonable justification, yet another problem would arise.

I looked at the security camera in the hallway, in sight of where the boy had fallen.

It probably saw our whole exchange. That, would be difficult evidence to refute.

It'd be best for the boy to just hand in his phone, but I didn't tell him. It'd be interesting to see how strict the school was when it came to the rules. Unfortunately, my classmate would have to be the one to take the bullet for me to see.

"Oops. I forgot to ask his name."

…Oh well.

I continued down the hallway towards my class, before reading until the bell rang. The rest of the day went by like nothing had ever happened.

————

Tommorw came by as usual, and the students began taking their seats as class was soon starting. I couldn't help but notice there was an empty seat in the room.

The door opened, Mr. Tokozakura entering the room with the same dull expression he'd entered with on the first day. Trudging his way to the podium, the teacher rested his arms against it as he spoke.

"Settle down students, class is starting."

The ambient noise in the room quickly became silence as Mr. Tokozakura spoke.

"Before we start class, I have an announcement to make."

The teacher sighed, reaching into his pocket before retrieving a piece of folded paper. He opened it, speaking with a face just as inexpressive as his voice.

"It is with a heavy heart that I bring to you this news, however… Due to being unable to comply with school rules, your classmate, Isamu Kitegawa, has been expelled."