For the last time that day, the school bell rang.
The winter vacation was being discussed by the homeroom teacher and the students of class one B.
Unlike the other classes who were already departing, class one B opted to stay a little longer and discuss the forthcoming winter vacation.
The entire class was planned on taking a trip together to a hot spring in the mountains. Ryuu was definitely uninterested; he had other plans for his winter vacation, and he didn't have time for breaks.
As he walked out of the classroom, Ryuu said.
"I'm leaving early!"
He received the impression that no one in his class cared as he walked down the corridor. He was convinced that no one had heard or seen him leave the classroom. The brightest student in the class, yet nearly an outcast with no one to talk to.
He took the steps down to the front of the school, where pupils must change their shoes before leaving. When kids first arrive at school, they must do the same thing.
"!!"
Suddenly, he remembered a promise to someone before, that he'll meet them once school ended. He'll have to tell them what happened that made him change his looks.
"..."
He noticed her standing in front of the gate, her phone in her hand.
He didn't want to talk about what happened before the storm, despite having previously made a vow. It was humiliating for him, but it also made him angry.
Slowly, he made his way around the school to the opposite side, where there was another exit.
Ryuu's school only had one gate, and that entrance was closed by someone he was currently attempting to avoid.
He took a step backwards. He took a deep breath and raced as quickly as he could when his back touched the wall.
What exactly is he attempting? Is it possible to run into a brick wall? If he wanted to get away from Sato Tomoe, he'd have to leap over the school's fence, which isn't that high.
He placed all of his force on his legs and leaped only meters from the barrier. He felt like he was floating through the air like a bird, and it was amazing to see the world from above. Until he was yanked back down by gravity.
"Agh!"
He reached out and gripped the fence with his hand, as well as his feet.
However, the fence was damp and slick. His grip and equilibrium were thrown off, and in the next second, he was on the verge of collapsing——
"—AHG!"
He felt his face, which had been brutally pressed on the hard concrete pedestrian path.
All the while a girl, who was wearing a black hoodie, was walking through the area and was shocked by Ryuu's sudden presence appearing in front of her.