CHAPTER 4: “F*ck school!”
The gymnasium is located a short distance from the school building.
It is connected to the school building by a connecting corridor, and when it comes to gathering all the students together, all the students walk along the connecting corridor.
It looks like a daimyo procession in the Edo period.
As I was absentmindedly walking through the corridor, I noticed that I couldn’t hear the voices using the microphone from inside the gymnasium. Normally, I would hear the rough voice of the physical education teacher guiding the students.
“All the doors are also closed.”
Not only the door to the room full of broadcasting equipment, but also the door for entering the students, and the door that is normally open for ventilation, are all tightly locked. Looking up at the windows of the gymnasium lined overhead, all the windows were blocked by blackout curtains, making it impossible to look inside.
When the drama club participated in the national competition, I remember that they performed the play in a similar location, but this year’s drama club only won a prize in a local competition, so it was not performed. Even if that were the case, there would be voices coming from within, and that’s no reason to close all the doors.
“……Damn it, is this not the place?”
The moment I mumbled, I heard a strong knock on the door from the inside.
It was not a soft, half-hearted knock. It has the strength that sounded like a whole body was slammed on the door at an accelerated pace.
I immediately brace myself, but apparently the door isn’t broken.
After confirming that it was locked, I timidly pressed my ear against the door. I knew there was someone inside. All that’s left is to find out what’s going in there.
Sounds like something being touched or scratched with nails can be heard continuously. For example, it sounds like a cat being locked up.
If you close your eyes and imagine, such a scene comes to mind.
Then the door was slammed hard from the inside. A strong shock ran through my ear, which was stuck to the door, and I held my ear with my palm because of the pain.
“M, my eardrum……”
Although it did not burst, the painful feeling of being punched spreads from my cheek to my ear.
An intense pain I hadn’t felt in years brought tears to my eyes.
“Even though it’s locked…”
The pre-installed padlock is already on the verge of breaking after two impacts.
Now that it’s come to this, it will be the same no matter who destroys it.
I reach my hand out to remove the key from the keyhole.
“Masaomi, you shouldn’t remove that.”
It was Kana’s voice.
She was standing behind me I don’t know when and smiling. I forgot about removing the key and turned around to face Kana.
“You…… You disappear all of a sudden and leave your bag in the staff room, stop doing that. I got stuck with bringing it to the classroom, you know?”
“Thank you. You’re so nice, Masaomi.”
It’s a carefree smile. It’s a smile that she usually shows, but in my worried self’s point of view, it looks like an angel’s smile so it’s weird.
“I don’t particularly mind. That being the case, in your bag……”
“It looks like it’s a school holiday today. So Masaomi, let’s go home?”
She quickly dismissed my question. Kana takes hold of my hand and implores me. Her delicate fingers intertwined with mine, and I can faintly sense her warmth radiating through.
“I thought about Masaomi’s hairstyle. I’m sure it will suit you well. Let’s quickly go home and cut it. Say, let’s cut it?”
She frolics like a child. I was envious of Kana who could have so much fun with her friend’s hairstyle.
“……You’re right. It seems nobody is here either, let’s go back. It should be fine to have a day like this sometimes.”
It feels as if I’ve joined the group of delinquents, it’s making my heart pound.
I felt like I understood why the thrill of breaking school rules turned into pleasure.
“I get it already so let go of my hand. It’s not like we’re kids.”
I got a little mad at myself for feeling regretful.
That’s why, even though I also thought it was rough, I forced myself to shake her off.
Even so, Kana doesn’t show the slightest sad face and happily urges me to depart. Like a loyal dog that is obedient to its owner.
I comb my ruffled hair that’s about to be gone today with my hand.
“I beg you not to cut it too short, okay?”
“Leave it to me, I got you.”
I tried to leave the gymnasium with Kana, but that action was brought to a sudden halt by the sudden sound of the door breaking.
Contrary to my expectations, the door that was broken was the one with the broadcasting equipment, which was the opposite of the one I was listening to.
When I squinted my eyes, there was a familiar person lying there. Perhaps it was the retribution for breaking down the door, but he was lying face down on top of the fallen door.
“Masaomi! Kana!”
The one who turned his face up while still collapsed was Kazzuki.
“What? Kazuki? Kazuki, is that you?”
The person who rolled out from behind Kazuki was my crush, Mutsuki Shizuku.
“Mutsuki, quickly go! You’re in the way!”
Behind her is the Student Council President.
With a grim face, he pushed Mutsuki-san out of the door. He’s so anxious that he doesn’t notice his spectacles are out of place.
The image of a calm and composed student council president seems to be a lie.
“Hurry, mo, move!”
As if to push away the student council president who had wrinkled his eyebrows, a slender man jumped out.
I’m pretty sure he’s from the broadcasting department.
“Satou-kun, it’s okay. It will still hold, please don’t panic.”
The last person to come out the door was Mizuno Natsumi, who is in the same class. She was a hardworking librarian, and the incident in which she was injured when the stepladder of the library broke became a big topic for a while.
“Ah, Masaomi-kun, Kana-san, you’re safe! Thank goodness…”
The right leg hasn’t healed completely yet so it’s crutch-wrapped and painful.
“More importantly, Kazuki, what are you doing? There doesn’t seem to be any class today so I’m about to go home.”
Kazuki’s eyes widened for a moment, but he immediately boiled over.
“F*ck school! Right now it’s――”
The sound of the door breaking. This time, it’s the door where I put my ear that broke.
Like Kazuki, the human who collapsed with the broken door slowly gets up.
……Using his unnaturally bent arms and legs skillfully.
