The Loner’s Counterattack
When I arrived at school and looked at my seat in the classroom, it was covered in graffiti. The usual insults like “Die,” “Trash,” “Scum,” and “Go away”—they never get tired of it. I bet it’s someone in this class, but it’s too much trouble to investigate, so I’ll just leave it.
“Yo! Looks like you’re in trouble again, you loser! Gahaha!”
The guy laughing loudly right now is Takahara Shuya, a tall, handsome guy with excellent grades and the ace of the basketball team. He’s probably the opposite of me. He’s extremely popular with the girls and even comes from a well-off family. Annoyingly enviable.
“…”
At times like this, it’s best not to get involved to avoid unnecessary trouble. Still, since it’s graffiti, if I don’t erase it, the teacher will find it and start saying things.
“Oh, ignoring me, huh? Why don’t you say something for once?”
I’ll explain to the teacher. I don’t want to repeat myself twice. Efficiency matters, you know?
“No worries. I’ll explain to the entire class and the teacher later, so wait until then. I don’t want to say the same thing twice.”
“What?!”
Looks like he’s surprised. The culprit probably doesn’t feel too comfortable since it’s going to be told to both the teacher and the class. He’s either the culprit or knows who it is.
“…Well, fine. Look forward to this year.”
“By the way, Takahara, do you know anything about this graffiti? Even if it’s just the name of the culprit?”
“Hah?! Everyone but you knows who did it! It’s the whole class, after all!”
Wait, did he just say who the culprit is...? Is he an idiot? Well, that makes it easy for me.
“Even if I tell the teacher, there’s no proof right now!”
Well, I’ve been a loner long enough to have countermeasures for this.
“Good morning! Everyone, please take your seats.”
Looks like Hiiragi-sensei has arrived. Better sit down. Yesterday I told him off a bit harshly, so he probably won’t bother me too much. My peaceful school life begins!
“Now, let’s take attendance…”
He froze when he saw the graffiti on my desk. There goes my peaceful school life…
How many times have I seen that reaction by now? It’s almost nostalgic.
“Kiryama-kun! What’s this?”
“Well, it was like this when I arrived this morning.”
“…”
She looks grim. I’m completely unfazed, as this happens every year. But maybe I’ll give Hiiragi-sensei a smile and retaliate a bit against my classmates while I’m at it.
“Teacher, please listen to this.”
I took out a voice recorder from my pocket and let him hear it.
“...Well, fine. Look forward to this year.”
“By the way, Takahara, do you know anything about this graffiti? Even if it’s just the name of the culprit?”
“Hah?! Everyone but you knows who did it! It’s the whole class, after all!”
“This is…”
“It’s a recording of a conversation I had with Takahara Shuya right before you arrived. I’ll leave the rest to your judgment, Teacher.”
A voice recorder is essential for a loner. It’s for self-defense to avoid unfounded accusations. In the past, even when I told a teacher about something similar, they only gave a warning because I had no proof. I learned from that and started carrying it around. I also use it to record lessons to study for tests.
“Kiriyama! You think it’s okay to do something like this?!”
He’s grabbing my collar, but I honestly don’t feel scared. I felt more fear back then.
“No, you just dug your own grave. I just recorded it. And since I told the teacher, I’m sure she’ll make the right judgment.”
“Grr…”
“Both of you, stop it! We’ll discuss this in the staff room after attendance. Until then, everyone, please sit quietly and wait.”
She can be quite intimidating when she’s angry. It’s not something she can handle alone, so there’s probably going to be an emergency meeting in the staff room. The teachers have it rough. With just one command, Takahara quieted down too. Even though she’s probably in her twenties, she has a commanding presence.
“So, now that attendance is done, please wait quietly until I return. If anyone tries anything funny, I’ll report it. Also, Kiriyama-kun, you can wait in the infirmary, right?”
“Yes. I’ll wait in the infirmary, so please contact me when you’re done.”
I said that and headed to the infirmary.
“Phew…being a loner is rough. If they’re that blatant, the teachers notice, and the cleanup gets annoying. In this case, the whole class will probably turn on me… A peaceful loner life seems far off.”
Already at the infirmary? Guess I’ll knock.
“Excuse me.”
“Oh? Who’s here this early?”
When I entered, I saw someone in a lab coat, short skirt with garter belts, a large chest emphasized by her outfit, and short hair. She looks incredibly seductive. Yes, I said it twice because it’s important.
“I’m Kiriyama Yuuki from class 2-5.”
“Oh, so you’re the one. The teachers have been talking about you, you know? They say you don’t have any friends.”
I’m famous even among the teachers? For being a loner? She looks like the school nurse, but who is she?
“Ah, sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Kamiya Hinata. Pleased to meet you.”
She doesn’t just look seductive; she also has a smart, mature vibe.
“So, what brings you here today?”
I explained what happened this morning.
“I see. So you’re here to avoid retaliation while Hiiragi-sensei is out of the classroom?”
“Exactly. I’ll just relax on this sofa for a bit.”
“Then could you be my conversation partner while you relax?”
“No problem.”
Not that I have much to talk about. My job isn’t very exciting, and my everyday life is pretty average.
“I heard you work with Yuki.”
“You know Yuki-san?”
“Yes. I’d say we’re friends. So, what’s Yuki like?”
It’s surprising my only contact is friends with the school nurse.
“She’s pretty easygoing, very kind, and helpful. Sometimes she even gives me extra pay.”
“Interesting. Yuki usually loves books too much to care about others…”
Really? She cooks for me and lets me shower in the summer when it’s hot. She takes great care of me.
“That’s different from my impression of her. But you probably know her better.”
“If that’s how you see her, then that’s fine.”
Hmm? What was she going to say? If she doesn’t want to say it, I won’t push.
“You can call me Hinata-san. I’ll call you Yuuki.”
“Sure, that’s fine.”
“Though it’s late, I know all about your situation, including the darkness you’re carrying. So if you ever feel like venting, feel free to come here. Mental health is important too.”
As expected of a school nurse, she says it so casually that it makes it easy to talk to her.
“Is Kiriyama-kun here?”
Looks like Hiiragi-sensei is calling me.
“Let’s chat again soon.”
She winked as I left the infirmary. She’s incredibly seductive, and mature. I could never win against her.
“So, what happened?”
“Well… Since it’s the first offense, they’ll write a reflection paper, and for a month, they’ll spend an hour after school cleaning areas that are usually neglected.”
Yeah, if a whole class got suspended, it’d harm the school’s reputation, so this seems fair. It also means they won’t bother me for a month.
“Got it. I’ll head back to class now.”
“I apologize for this. I’ll always be there for you, Kiriyama-kun!”
I don’t believe those words, so I headed back to class without responding.
---
Author's Note:
This was a story about a loner’s self-defense. Are the characters distinct? Let me know if anything’s unclear. I’d love your feedback. Thank you for your support.
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