-240- The unrevealed past

//// Whoo finally got some free time on my hand, man y'all got no idea. Sorry for zero updates in the past few days, will try to keep my update stable now.////

Looking at the scene before him, Nanaya Hori furrowed his brows imperceptibly.

In front of him, in the hallway, Karuizawa Kei was surrounded by Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki, backed into a corner with no way out.

Karuizawa herself was holding her head, curling up, her eyes shimmering with tears of fear and dread, completely devoid of her usual arrogance.

This caused Hori's brows to furrow but then immediately relax.

"Who would have thought I'd come across a bullying scene one day?"

Hori spoke as if it were a matter completely unrelated to him, or like he was observing children squabbling, his tone both calm and indifferent.

Bullying.

And school bullying at that.

Hori truly hadn't expected that he would one day encounter such a situation.

For someone like Hori, who was always in an environment where violence invariably meant someone would end up on the ground, this truly seemed like child's play.

However, Hori did not miss the scene where Karuizawa Kei's body trembled violently at the mention of the word "bullying."

As for Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki, they seemed to panic and immediately began to defend themselves.

"W-we weren't doing anything like that!"

"Yeah!"

"If you don't believe us, you can ask her!"

The three of them appeared both anxious and flustered.

These three indeed hadn't had the time to do such a thing.

However, if Hori had arrived a bit later, that would have definitely been the scene, right?

And there was no way Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki would admit it.

Otherwise, during the special exam period, using violence against a student from another class would certainly lead to expulsion, and in severe cases, it might even cause their class to lose the right to take the exam.

Thus, the three of them would never admit they were bullying Karuizawa Kei.

"W-we just wanted her to apologize to Rika!"

Manabe Shiho said something half true and half false.

The true part was that she probably did want that.

The false part was that Manabe Shiho had no intention of merely making Karuizawa Kei apologize.

Given how much these three disliked Karuizawa Kei, as they themselves said, they wouldn't let her off easily.

The hatred Karuizawa Kei had attracted with her arrogant behavior was significant.

Hori did not comment much on this.

"Enough."

Hori spoke in a calm yet indisputable tone.

"This matter ends here."

This implied not only stopping Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki's bullying of Karuizawa Kei but also their ongoing harassment.

In other words, Hori was telling these three to stay away from Karuizawa Kei from now on. Not because he intentionally wanted to protect Karuizawa, but because he found such antics boring.

The three of them understood this.

"H-how can we just let it go like that?" Manabe Shiho almost reflexively said, "Then Rika will be really upset."

It almost sounded like she was standing up for an important friend.

To this, Hori showed a half-smiling expression.

"Or do you think it's better for me to discuss this with Ryuen directly?"

Hori said in a teasing tone.

"Ugh..."

Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki immediately backed down.

If Ryuen Kakeru found out that they had almost caused a violent incident because of personal grudges, putting Class C at risk of losing exam eligibility, then regardless of Karuizawa Kei's situation, Ryuen would definitely not let Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki off the hook.

That man was not the type to show mercy to women.

With that, the three of them could only compromise.

"O-okay..."

"We won't trouble Karuizawa anymore..."

"Please don't tell Ryuen..."

The three girls pleaded in succession and then hurriedly left.

For Karuizawa Kei, an experience akin to hell was resolved by Hori in a few words.

This is the power of the strong.

This is the advantage of status.

Watching the hurriedly fleeing backs of Manabe Shiho, Yabu Nanami, and Yamashita Saki, and then looking at Hori, who acted as if he had handled a trivial matter, Karuizawa Kei felt not gratitude but resentment in her heart.

Not resentment towards Hori, but towards herself.

Why didn't she have such power?

Why didn't she have such an advantage?

If she had this kind of power and status, who would dare to bully her?

Why is this world so unfair?

With her psychological wounds fully exposed, Karuizawa Kei's mind was filled with negative emotions.

Such cries of the heart had been made countless times in the past by Karuizawa Kei, hadn't they?

It was unknown if Hori had noticed this; he just stood there calmly, looking at Karuizawa Kei.

Karuizawa felt as if everything about her was laid bare under those eyes, completely seen through.

Thus, Karuizawa suppressed her emotions, wiped away her tears, and tried to restore her usual demeanor.

Even if it was futile.

Because how could that man not see through these things?

"After all, being a student of Class D, not having problems would be the real problem."

Hori's calm words made Karuizawa Kei realize something.

That her past had been unearthed by this person.

And the next thing Hori said confirmed Karuizawa's suspicion.

"I didn't expect that someone who holds a central position among the girls in Class D would have a history of being continuously bullied."

Yes.

Continuously bullied.

From elementary school to middle school, for almost ten years, Karuizawa Kei had been bullied.

Drawing pins in her indoor shoes.

Dead animals in her desk drawer.

Being splashed with dirty water in the restroom.

Her uniform marked with obscene and humiliating words.

Even being called to unseen corners to have her hair pulled, be punched and kicked—every form of bullying one could think of, Karuizawa Kei had experienced, countless times.

Karuizawa Kei was a person who had endured such bullying.

So, to escape the fate of being the lowest and weakest, Karuizawa Kei chose to come to this school, determined to become someone superior at any cost.

"Your forceful attitude is a disguise, your arrogance is a cover, and even your relationship with Hirata is used for this purpose, right?"

Hori revealed everything about Karuizawa Kei.

"You and Hirata are just pretending to be a couple."

This was the truth.