Takamura's House – Evening
Takamura paced back and forth in his dimly lit room, eyes wild with panic.
"How… How could this happen?!" he muttered, gripping his hair. "She said it herself… 'Airi is mine.' Then how… how did she get saved?!"
He slammed his fist on the table, knocking over papers.
"That girl… she lied to me!"
Then, suddenly, he stopped. A flash of realization crossed his eyes.
"...Heh."
A dark smile crept onto his lips as he looked out the window, the sky turning a deep crimson with the setting sun.
"Well, there's still one thing I can do. She said it herself... 'Airi, wait for me… I'm coming.'"
---
The Next Day – Classroom
Airi sat quietly at her desk, still unsure whether everything had really settled down. The sun streamed in from the windows, casting a warm glow over the wooden floor. Then, the classroom door slid open.
"Airi!" Renji called, walking in with Sakura beside him.
"Congratulations! You're safe now!" Sakura smiled awkwardly, scratching her cheek. "And… sorry. We really couldn't do anything back then."
Renji nodded. "Yeah, but… we believed in you. And we should thank the real mastermind behind everything."
Airi tilted her head, a soft smile on her lips. "Thank you."
Just then, the classroom filled with murmurs. One by one, students surrounded her, hesitating.
"Airi… we're sorry," one of them finally said, bowing his head.
"Yeah, we… said awful things."
"We didn't believe you… please, forgive us."
Everyone stared at the floor in shame.
Airi stood slowly, looking at all of them.
"I forgive you."
Gasps echoed across the room.
"I know you all were manipulated by fake rumors. But… in the end, you believed me enough to vote for me and let me stay. That's why I'm still here."
The class fell silent. Guilt swelled in every chest.
(But… none of us actually voted for her…) they all thought, unable to say a word.
"You shouldn't feel ashamed," Airi continued, still smiling. "It's okay."
"Thank you, Airi…" voices mumbled in return.
Sakura suddenly spoke up. "But wait… who played the Yuzuki video and saved you?"
Everyone exchanged glances. Mutters rose.
Renji and Airi both thought the same thing:
"I know who did it."
Renji said, "It was… Yuuta."
But at the same time, Airi softly whispered, "It was Takamura… He finally got the evidence and saved me… Thank you, Takamura."
She smiled, unaware of the truth.
Just then, the classroom door opened again.
Hikari stood there, her eyes low.
"Airi… I need to talk to you. Can we… go to the rooftop?"
Airi nodded. "Of course, Hikari."
Renji watched them leave, brow furrowed. "What's that about? And… where's Yuuta? I wanted to ask him how he pulled it all off."
---
Empty Classroom – Elsewhere
Saya stood with her hands clenched in front of her, face red as she looked at Yuuta.
"You said you wanted to talk… What is it?" she asked, nervously smiling.
Yuuta leaned against the desk, staring at her coldly.
"…Let's end this," he said plainly.
Saya blinked. "W-What?"
"I said," Yuuta repeated, "let's end this relationship."
A shiver ran through her. "Wha–stop joking! That's not funny, Yuuta!"
"It's not a joke, Saya."
She took a step back, voice trembling. "Then… what? Did I do something wrong? Tell me! I'll fix it—whatever it is, I'll change!"
Yuuta sighed and gave her a sad, almost pitying smile.
"You were the perfect girlfriend. But… Airi is better."
Saya froze.
"I only chose you because Airi was about to get expelled," he continued. "But now that she's safe… I'm sorry. She's better than you in everything. You… can't match her."
Saya's heart shattered. "No… no, no, NO!"
She clutched her head, her voice breaking. "Why is it always her?! Airi, Airi, Airi!! Everything I loved—people I cared about—they all chose her over me!"
She fell to her knees, sobbing. "I planned everything. Everything was perfect! She was going to be expelled! It was all going according to plan! Why… why did she get saved?!"
Yuuta's gaze sharpened. "…So I was right all along."
Saya looked up, tear-streaked. "What… are you saying?"
"You're the one who spread the rumors, Saya."
She flinched. "Y-You knew…?"
"I always had my suspicions. Remember when the rumors first spread—those photos you showed us? You said your friends sent them, but…"
Yuuta took a step closer, eyes narrowed.
"…You were in such a hurry to break Hikari's trust that you didn't notice one thing. The photo file you showed us… was from the camera folder."
Saya's face turned pale.
"If someone sends you photos on LINE or WhatsApp, it saves to those folders. But your photo came straight from the camera… meaning you took it."
"But… that's just a detail! Anyone could—!"
Yuuta cut her off. "At first, I thought it was just coincidence. I didn't want to believe it. But then…"
His voice grew colder.
"…I saw you talking to Takamura. Again. And again. And suddenly, Takamura starts whispering things to Airi and Hikari. And then… Airi and Hikari stop talking altogether."
Saya's lips trembled. "But I can talk to Takamura casually. That's not proof."
"It wasn't. Not yet," Yuuta admitted. "But it told me something was wrong. It told me to watch you."
Saya backed away slowly. "You… you were pretending all along?"
"I needed proof," Yuuta said firmly. "And now I have it."
Saya collapsed to the floor again, voice shaking. "You played me…"
Yuuta turned his back to her.
"No, Saya. You played yourself."
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