School Life (1)

"I almost died over the four-day weekend," Furuya grumbled as he slumped onto Yasushi's desk, clearly exhausted.

Catherine, standing beside him, sighed. "He somehow managed to talk me into letting him handle everything, so he ended up cramming all the homework into the last day," she explained, her voice heavy with frustration. She sighed again, as if the memory weighed her down.

"You're such an idiot," Furuya's friends said in unison, their voices a chorus of disapproval that only made Furuya's sigh deeper.

"Just leave me alone… I was swamped with stuff…" he mumbled, looking up at them. "But now that I think about it, we've got the Garbage Collection Event coming up. It'll be our last chance to do it."

Laura laughed and shook her head, her expression a mix of amusement and concern. "Let's hope we don't end up with another serial killer this year…"

Yasushi lifted his hand, examining the scar on his palm — a harsh reminder from last year's event when their classmate, now known as a serial killer, had attacked. "Yeah, let's hope that doesn't happen," he said, his voice carrying a note of apprehension.

Reina crossed her arms and fixed her gaze on the group. "Why don't we set our sights on winning this year? Remember how Mizahara messed up your group's chances last time? This year might be different because there's a buzz going around that they're changing the rules. The new rumor is that teams can be larger and come from any class."

The news clearly intrigued everyone. Layena leaned forward and asked, "Is there a limit to how many people can be in a team? And besides helping with college applications, will there be other rewards?"

Reina shrugged, looking thoughtful. "I don't have all the details. That's the extent of what I know. It's supposed to be the same as before, but if anything changes, we'll only find out a day before the event kicks off. So, just stay alert."

Yasushi's eyes lit up with excitement as he jumped in. "In that case, let's form a solid team. I think Alicia and Bhaqui might be interested too. With a stronger group, our chances of winning increase. We can get Yinhaie to help us and use the CCTV footage set up around the city to find the best locations." He was clearly eager at the thought of a new strategy and the potential for success.

Xinyi grinned widely, her eyes sparkling. "Looks like we've got a lot of work ahead of us," she said, her voice brimming with a confident energy. "Let's keep this in mind and tackle it step by step. For now, let's just focus on our current tasks."

The group nodded in agreement, discussing the details of the upcoming event with a growing sense of purpose. As the conversation continued, it became evident that many of them, particularly those in Yasushi's group, were deeply committed to clinching victory before they graduated. Their resolve was clear as they began to strategize, driven by the goal of winning this crucial event.

+-+

During lunch, Yasushi's group, minus Furuya and Catherine, was quietly eating in their classroom. A sudden disturbance outside in the hallway interrupted their meal. They exchanged glances, their interest stirred. Peering out into the corridor, they saw a heated argument unfolding between Bhaqui and another student.

The other student was visibly enraged, his face flushed and his fists clenched. In contrast, Bhaqui maintained a calm demeanor, though it was clear from his eyes that he was irritated and wanted the disagreement to end quickly.

"Yorence, please, calm down. Whatever you think happened or heard, it wasn't meant to offend anyone," Bhaqui said, his voice even as he tried to calm the situation.

Yorence's response was a roar of anger. "Say that again, you stupid cunt! I dare you!" he shouted, his voice echoing down the hallway as he tightened his fist.

Laura, watching from the doorway, was puzzled by the scene. "Weren't we with him during our first year? He seemed pretty calm back then," she said, trying to make sense of Yorence's aggressive behavior.

Jingliu reached out and grabbed Yasushi's arm. "Let Bhaqui handle this. It might not be an official test, but it's a real challenge for him. It's a chance to see how he deals with pressure, even if no one set this up," she said.

Yasushi gave her a nod, his eyes focused on the scene in the hallway. He waited eagerly to see how Bhaqui would manage the situation. Alicia, positioned a short distance away, held her phone, ready and recording every moment of the clash.

Bhaqui, maintaining his composure despite the rising tension, addressed Yorence calmly. "Yorence, as I've said, whatever I might have done or said, it was never my intention to offend anyone. I'm new here, and if I've made a mistake, let's talk about it like adults. Please, explain to me what I've done wrong," Bhaqui said, trying to bring reason to the argument.

Despite Bhaqui's efforts to calm the situation, Yorence's anger was relentless. Consumed by a sense of injustice, he refused to back down. With a roar, he charged towards Bhaqui, his movements erratic and unrestrained. However, Yorence's physical presence did not match his aggression; he was lean and scrawny, lacking the strength that might have made his attack more effective.

Bhaqui exhaled deeply, a resigned sigh escaping him as he observed Yorence's reckless charge. He stepped aside, allowing Yorence's hasty lunge to pass harmlessly by. Bhaqui extended a leg and tripped Yorence, sending him crashing face-first into the floor.

The impact was immediate and unceremonious. Before Yorence could scramble back to his feet, Bhaqui was on him, positioning himself with a knee firmly planted between Yorence's shoulder blades and his hands gripping the young man's shoulders.

"Someone, please fetch a teacher and bring this to a close," Bhaqui instructed calmly, his voice carrying a note of irritation. The urgency in his tone spurred a student into action, and soon, two teachers arrived on the scene. They hurriedly escorted Yorence away, and Alicia, who had been recording the entire altercation on her phone, followed them to ensure she captured every detail.

"That wrapped up faster than I expected," Yunxue commented, her voice tinged with surprise. "Bhaqui could have caused more harm if he'd wanted to…"

"Why stir up more trouble for himself?" Layena responded, her tone pragmatic. "The best he could do was defend himself and then restrain the attack. Anything beyond that would only escalate the situation further."

Yunxue fell silent, contemplating Layena's words, and after a moment, she nodded in agreement, acknowledging the wisdom in the approach.

A few seconds after the altercation, another teacher arrived, swiftly guiding Bhaqui away from the scene. The crowd that had gathered to witness the commotion began to break up, each student returning to their own routines. Laura, who had been observing the situation, quickly made her way to the other classroom. She was gone for only a short time, and soon, she reappeared and jogged back to Yasushi's group.

"What did you find out?" Xinyi asked, her voice tinged with a mix of anticipation and concern.

Laura let out a resigned sigh before speaking. "Bhaqui, it turns out, brought up the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in a natural conversation. He ended up asking some questions about it from the Japanese perspective. The discussion had turned to history, so it was a topic that came up naturally."

"But since it's a sensitive subject, did someone — maybe Yorence — get upset because of it?" Reina inquired, her tone probing for clarity.

"Sort of," Laura explained. "Apparently, Yorence had family members who were in Nagasaki when the bomb was dropped, and they died as a result. It's still a very painful topic for him. But considering that Bhaqui is new here, he probably wasn't aware of Yorence's personal history, so it seems to be a case of a misunderstanding."

"A reasonable person might have approached Bhaqui directly and addressed the issue calmly instead of losing their temper," Yasushi remarked, his gaze steady as he considered the situation.

"Yes, but remember, we're still teenagers, and sometimes our emotions get the best of us," Laura responded, her tone softening as she made Yasushi acknowledge the point. "Besides, isn't it a bit awkward to expect someone to say, 'Hey, my family died because of the atomic bombs, so maybe avoid mentioning it around me,' or something along those lines?"

"That's a fair point," Yasushi agreed. "But at the very least, asking someone not to discuss a certain topic would be a start, rather than just reacting explosively. If Yorence had communicated his discomfort, perhaps his classmates would have informed Bhaqui about it. You might understand your friends' struggles and traumas, but unless you're particularly attuned to these issues, they might not always be at the forefront of your mind. People might forget or overlook these sensitivities when certain subjects come up. It's really a case-by-case situation, depending on how personal and delicate the topic is."

"I suppose so. Let's hope this mess gets sorted out before things get any worse. I mean, it should be manageable, right?" Xinyi wondered, her eyes shifting towards the classroom door.

Yasushi shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "Who knows? Maybe. If Yorence loses his temper again, he could end up getting expelled. It's not like Bhaqui acted out of malice or caused any serious harm — he just subdued him."

The conversation continued as they ate, with a few more classmates joining in and contributing their thoughts. By the end of lunch, the general consensus among them was that teenage hormones and misunderstandings had played a significant role in the incident.

+-+

"So, what's the deal?" Yasushi asked as he leaned against the fence surrounding the baseball field.

The school day had wrapped up, and their group had gathered at the field while Furuya and Catherine went to join their team. Bhaqui had gone back to his classroom after lunch, but Yorence had not shown up since the incident.

Bhaqui let out a deep sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it turns out Yorence is going to take a leave of absence. He's not getting expelled, but this issue, whatever it is, runs much deeper than we first thought. He even tried to attack me again in the principal's office, causing quite a scene with everyone present. So, yeah, he'll be out for a while. He'll probably end up seeing a therapist."

"That makes sense," Reina said, her brow furrowed. "But it's surprising he hasn't already been seeing one."

Alicia jumped in with some additional information. "From the quick research and background check I did, it turns out he was in therapy before but stopped for reasons that aren't clear."

She tilted her head slightly and continued, "However, it seems like Yorence is the only one in his family deeply affected by this. The rest of his family appears to handle discussions about it casually. Like Bhaqui mentioned, it may be a more personal issue for Yorence, but really, this isn't our problem anymore. It's probably best if we leave it alone."

Yasushi sighed and nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's wrap it up here. Unless we get dragged back into this somehow, there's no point in continuing. We can only hope he manages to work through whatever he's dealing with."

They discussed the matter for a few more minutes before moving on to other topics, eventually heading home together. As they walked, Yunxue tugged on Yasushi's free sleeve, while Jingliu clung to his other arm. Yasushi glanced at her, puzzled.

Yunxue handed him her phone, leaving him momentarily confused but he accepted it. He looked at the screen and saw a message from Yinhaie that read: "Guo Tianyu is out of the hospital, but he's taking a year-long sabbatical to find himself and explore the world." The news caught Yasushi off guard, leaving him surprised.

Jingliu and Xinyi glanced at Yasushi, then at the phone he was holding. Xinyi's reaction was immediate and dramatic — she spat out her drink and began coughing uncontrollably. "He's what!?" she shouted, her voice loud enough to grab the attention of their friends. "N-no, it's nothing, don't worry about it," she quickly reassured them, her face flushing as she tried to brush off her surprise. The group, after a moment of curiosity, returned to their casual walking and conversation.

Jingliu, leaning casually against Yasushi's shoulder, remarked, "Another surprising piece of news, but still nothing about Zihan, huh?" Her tone was curious, yet calm.

Yasushi shrugged. "Maybe everything's going smoothly with Zihan, and we're not needed right now. Whatever's happening, let's stay alert and be ready for when it comes up." He glanced over at Xinyi, who still looked deeply unsettled.

Xinyi was shaking her head, muttering to herself in a manner that puzzled Yasushi. "Is something wrong?" he asked, concerned by her distress.

She looked up at him, clearly exasperated. "I got a text from him saying he might come here after his sabbatical, but I can't even tell if he's being serious. I have no idea what he'd want to talk to me about," she said, her frustration evident.

"Hmm…" Yasushi was taken aback by this news but kept his reaction restrained. "Well, you've got a whole year to get ready for it. If you need me to help out again, I'm more than willing."

Xinyi, clearly dreading the upcoming interaction, muttered, "Please and thank you." Her tone made it clear she wasn't looking forward to this future meeting.

Yasushi found himself pondering what Guo Tianyu could possibly want to discuss with Xinyi. Although he was relieved to hear that Tianyu had survived his car accident, he couldn't help but wonder how the year away would affect him. Yasushi briefly considered whether Tianyu would experience personal growth during his sabbatical. For now, however, he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on his own life and its unfolding events.