Next, it was the girls’ turn.
When Kamuro Masumi’s name was called and she walked toward the starting block.
She stood on the block, bent down, gripped the edge with both hands, and got into the ready position.
From Kaedehara Tōru’s perspective, he could clearly see the taut lines of her back and her hands trembling slightly from the exertion.
Her gaze changed.
Her eyes were fixed intensely on the finish line at the other end of the pool, as if her mortal enemy stood there.
“Take your marks—”
The instant the whistle blew, Kamuro Masumi’s body shot out like a cannonball, plunging into the water with extreme speed.
Her explosive power was even stronger than that of many of the boys in the previous group.
After entering the water, she held nothing back, launching into a frantic sprint from the very first second.
Her arms moved with an astonishing frequency, like tireless motors.
Her swimming style lacked any beauty, filled instead with a wild, ferocious aura.
She wasn’t swimming; she was venting.
The girls around her were quickly left far behind.
They watched in astonishment as the figure rushed forward like a maniac.
Kaedehara Tōru watched quietly.
He understood.
He understood the anger contained in every single stroke.
He could even imagine that, in her mind, she was violently pushing Yamauchi Haruki’s disgusting face underwater, watching him struggle and suffocate.
“That’s terrifying…
but it seems to be working effectively…”
“Bang!”
Kamuro Masumi’s palm slammed heavily against the pool wall at the finish line, making a loud thud.
Fifty meters.
It was over.
She won with an overwhelming and unquestionable advantage.
However, there was no trace of victorious joy on her face.
She ignored the teacher’s congratulations and the astonished looks cast by her classmates.
Using the last of her strength, she pushed off the pool wall and climbed out.
She even stumbled a few steps due to the excessive exertion.
She grabbed her towel, wrapped herself up tightly, and walked toward the changing room without saying a word…
The day after the swimming class, a strange atmosphere began brewing in Class A.
Initially, it was just a few girls huddled together, occasionally glancing toward Kamuro Masumi and whispering about something.
Soon, this whispering spread rapidly throughout the entire class like a virus.
About Kamuro-san…”
“Is that true?
Stealing?”
“There’s a video.
People in Class D spread it.
It seems like a lot of people know now…”
“No way, she doesn’t look like that kind of person…”
“You can never truly know a person’s heart.
There are bad apples even in this school…”
Kaedehara Tōru sat in his seat, resting his chin on one hand, dealing with Hashimoto Masayoshi’s attempts at conversation while looking at the scenery outside the window.
At the same time, his ears caught every single fragment of the scattered discussions.
Kamuro Masumi sat motionless in her seat.
But the hand gripping her pen, knuckles white from excessive force, betrayed her true inner state.
This turmoil did not remain confined only within the class.
During lunchtime, Mashima Tomoya walked into the classroom, his face bearing his usual seriousness.
“Kamuro Masumi, come with me.”
The classroom instantly fell into dead silence.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over simultaneously.
Kamuro Masumi stood up and followed Mashima-sensei out of the classroom, expressionless…
Inside the Student Council Office, the atmosphere was oppressive.
Horikita Manabu sat in the main seat, his expression cold.
Secretary Tachibana Akane sat beside him, responsible for taking notes.
Yamauchi Haruki was elaborating and exaggerating how he had “accidentally” discovered Class A’s Kamuro Masumi stealing, righteously stating that to uphold the school’s integrity, he had to step forward and expose such behavior that corrupted the school atmosphere.
Then, smugly, he took out his phone, opened the video, and handed it to Tachibana Akane.
Tachibana Akane took it, watched it first, confirmed there was no issue, and then handed it to Horikita Manabu.
In the video, Kamuro Masumi’s furtive movement of slipping a lip balm into her pocket was incredibly clear, providing conclusive evidence of the crime.
Horikita Manabu watched the video expressionlessly, as if the content held no appeal for him.
However, when he saw certain segments, his brow furrowed slightly, showing his attention to the content.
Despite this, he did not immediately express his thoughts, choosing instead to continue watching the video, even viewing it a second time.
Throughout the process, he remained silent, focusing only on the screen.
After watching it three times, Horikita Manabu finally seemed to snap back from the video.
He slowly moved his gaze away from the screen and turned toward Kamuro Masumi, who had been sitting silently beside him the entire time.
“Kamuro-san, do you have any explanation for this video?”
“No.”
Her eyes met Horikita Manabu’s directly, without the slightest evasion.
“I didn’t steal anything.”
“But the video…”
Tachibana Akane, sitting nearby, couldn’t help but speak up, a puzzled look on her face.
“The video proves nothing,” Kamuro Masumi interrupted coldly.
She offered no explanation, nor did she deign to explain.
In this situation, any defense would seem weak and futile.
She knew she had been pushed to the edge of a cliff.
Seeing this, Yamauchi Haruki became even more smug.
“President, look!
She’s so guilty she can’t even speak!
Caught red-handed.
What more is there to say?
I recommend immediate and severe disciplinary action!”
Horikita Manabu’s fingers tapped lightly on the desk, making a rhythmic sound.
He pondered for a moment.
“This matter has many dubious points.
We cannot immediately draw a conclusion based solely on a video of unknown origin.
The Student Council requires further investigation.
Until the results of that investigation are out, I do not wish to hear any related rumors.
Both of you may leave for now.”
Yamauchi Haruki hadn’t expected this outcome and wanted to say more, but upon meeting Horikita Manabu’s icy gaze, he reluctantly shut up and left.
After leaving the Student Council Office, Kamuro Masumi did not return to the classroom.
As if all the strength had been drained from her body, she wandered aimlessly around the campus.
She didn’t know where she should go, nor where she could go.
Although there was clearly no one around, it felt as if people were pointing fingers at her everywhere.
Finally, she walked to the secluded grove behind the school building.
She leaned against the trunk of a large tree, slowly sliding down until she sat dejectedly on the ground.
She buried her face deep between her knees, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably.
Anger, helplessness, fear…
all the negative emotions flooded her, completely submerging her.
She didn’t cry; she just bit down hard on her lip until she tasted a hint of blood.