My First Target

"The name of your first target is…"

"Wait, wait, wait."

I didn't let him finish the sentence, since I was still confused about the special care zone thing. I wanted to ask more questions about it.

"What is it?" He asked. He sounded pretty annoyed, which was pretty normal since I've ruined his flow of speech.

"I am still not clear about the SCA thing. You said if they scored over 70%, they'd be released, right??"

"Yes, I kind of understand your question. You wanted to know where they'd start from after being released from the SCA, right?"

"Yes." It was pretty surprising that he already knew what I was going to ask. Or maybe it was an obvious thing to ask.

"Let's say your classmate Yamado got one of the lowest marks and was sent to the SCA in the 5th month of the high school years. Then he got released on the 6th month. He'd be joining you guys since then. So if he gets released between those 3 high school years, then he'd be able to join you guys. If someone cannot do that, they have to redo the whole Highschool life."

I didn't know if the name Yamado was a coincidence or not, but I didn't ask him about it.

"Seriously? They have to redo it?"

"Yes, they are a failure, that's why." He said with an icy voice. It almost felt like that he was enjoying talking about torturing students.

"And one more thing. You said that excessive bullying, some other stuff, can also lead you to the special care zone. So, what if a smart student commits a crime and gets released from the special care zone just in a week?"

"I think I forgot you tell you. The time period depends on the crime you've committed. For example, bullying can send you there for over 3 months. Do you want to know anything else?"

"No…" I replied. I couldn't find any other question to ask at that moment.

"So, yeah, your first target would be an easy one to deal with. So, it should be easy for a smart boy like you."

"That was a fake compliment, wasn't it?"

"I don't know. Let me continue. The name of your first target is Koji Yamamoto. He is a first-year student, who's in class 1-D and one of the delinquent students in his class. He was reported for bullying students several times. Since they weren't that severe. We couldn't take any other action other than warning him."

"I have to deal with a bully? Since he is a bully, he might score low on the exams and would eventually be sent to the SCA, right?"

He sighed after hearing my question.

"If only things were that easy, he is pretty average in studies despite being a bully."

"That's unfortunate," I replied. "How can I send him to SCA? He's average in studies, not that much of a bully. I don't think I'd be able to force him to sign the application too."

"You know, Kumiko has almost finished her middle school. If I want, I could send her to Japan."

"You're really stubborn, aren't you?"

He really threatened me with that? I think he forgot she was his own biological daughter.

"Use any methods you like. As long as the outcome is the same, we won't stop you. Just make sure not to break any rules. If you want more informations, then call me."

With that, he hung up the call.

It was 10 pm; I lied down on my bed. I was staring at the ceiling while thinking about strategies I could use. My mind was running wild. I wasn't able to concentrate on anything.

"The same old ceiling, huh?"

I think I've spent more time staring at that ceiling than anything. When I first came to Japan, I was kind of lost since it was an unfamiliar experience for me. I didn't have anyone who'd helped me at that moment, but somehow managed all of it myself

I grabbed my phone and started scrolling on social media. Social media can be much more distractive than books sometimes. I suddenly got Yamado Shin's profile on my recommendation. I didn't know if it was a coincidence or not, but it saved my day.

I assumed that Yamado Shin was bullied, which probably had a 30% chance to be true. I decided to send a friend request to him and text him afterward. Judging from the impression Yamado Shin gave me before, I think he's always on his phone. So there was a high chance that he'd accept my request right away.

If he somehow had a connection with Koji Yamamoto, I'd be able to make a plan then. If not, then it might become a bit hard for me. I didn't enjoy communicating with people and I was also bad at communicating. Maybe that's the reason I didn't enjoy communicating. I've never approached people like Koji Yamamoto before. A delinquent student, he might have some allies with him, too. One blunder and I might mess the whole thing up.

I was never bullied but was neglected by people which wasn't counted as bullying, but it sometimes felt terrible. I didn't know how bullied people feel, but I could imagine the pain they go through since I've gone through the same pain 8 years ago. It wasn't bullying though; it was straight-up torturing.

I picked up my phone and saw a notification. A small smile appeared on my face as I learnt Yamado had accepted my request. I texted him.

**Are you free now?

*Yes, but I am going to go to bed soon.

** I just wanted to talk about something.

*Sure, go ahead.

** Do you know someone named Koji Yamamoto?

//Message sent at 10:23 pm//

He didn't reply. I was pretty sure that he read my message even though he hadn't actually 'seen' it. He was probably shocked because of the message or something like that. I still wasn't sure if he actually knew him or not.

My phone buzzed, which indicated that I've received a notification. I unlocked the phone and saw Yamado Shin's reply.

//YamaShin sent you a message at 10:28 pm//

*Yes, why you ask?

I smiled as I read his message. It was just a matter of time that I'd come up with an excellent plan.

**Can you meet me after school?

A shy boy like Yamado knows someone like Koji Yamamoto? I guess my assumption was correct. Which means Minase's story might also be true, just as I assumed. I got a reply from Yamado Shin.

*Sure, I'd be waiting in front of the gate.