"I could do way better than that piece. Honestly, just looking at it makes me wanna hurl," senpai mutters.
After dropping that bomb, he spins on his heel and heads back to the girl who tagged along with him. She's practically tugging at his arm, whining like a spoiled kid in a candy store, pestering her folks for a treat. Looks like senpai was right—it's her who's itching to snag the painting back. But no dice, the painting's staying in my room, and he's walking out empty-handed.
As they walk off, I start to piece together what type of guy he really is. Cold, probably packing a massive ego—someone like that wouldn't risk his rep over something dumb, definitely not as dumb as groping someone in public. But if he didn't mean to touch Maki, then was it just a freak accident? And if so, why did Maki blow it up into this whole bullying saga?
Seriously, something in my gut screams this is all some twisted vendetta for Horie-san's death.
"What's going on, Hasegawa?" I'm snapped back from watching senpai leave by the voices of my basketball team behind me.
"Is it about what he did to your girlfriend?" one of them guesses, totally missing the mark. "His life is a mess now, so he's coming after you, huh?"
"To lick your shoes?"
"Hmm, you think so?" I chuckle, playing dumb just to stir the pot and see what else they'll spit out.
It's like I've cracked open a door for them to start trashing senpai, spewing venom about someone who hasn't even touched their lives. Man, they say girls gossip is fierce, but this? This is next level—gossip isn't gendered when it comes to tearing someone down behind their back.
"So, what did you say to him?" another teammate probes, thinking I'm in this with them.
"Did you make him kneel? That'd be hilarious, seeing him grovel, right?"
That's it—I snap. I'm not sure if the twitch in my brow is visible, but there's no way I'm diving into this bullying circus just for a few cruel laughs, like some heartless snobs. As their laughter grates in my ears, a wave of nausea hits me hard. The urge to lash out, to smack some sense into each of their smirking faces is overwhelming. It's so intense, suddenly it feels like they're all laughing at me too.
And before I even realize it, the words are out: "You guys are disgusting monkeys."
Their faces do a complete 180—from cackling like hyenas to sour and sullen. But honestly? I don't give a damn. I just spin on my heel and head back to the gym, leaving them to mutter their trash talk behind me while I pack up my gear, fully prepared to become the latest juicy gossip.
And yeah, I called it right.
Words about what I said fire through the school faster than a wildfire. I hear whispers saying I'm just playing the white knight to salvage my rep, especially since Maki's drama queen antics are supposedly tanking my popularity. They think I'm just posing to stay on top, calling me a pretender because she's always blowing things out of proportion.
Despite the label, the guys I snapped at—let's just call them the 'monkey squad'—they steer clear of me now, probably shocked because I've never clapped back like that. Doesn't bother me, though. In fact, while some call me a cocky punk, a bunch of others reckon I did the right thing by cutting ties with that squad. Sure, they still have their doubts about senpai, but at least they think I'm on the right side of this mess.
"But wouldn't that just mess up things with your girl?" Itou whispers, glancing around the nearly empty library while most of the school's chowing down at lunch. "I mean, that dude's practically her nemesis— well, unless you're cool with breaking up."
"That might actually be a relief," I admit, resting my chin on one hand while the other aimlessly flips through the pages of some classic novel I'm not really reading. "It's better than sticking around just to be told I can't love right."
"Heh, you still hung up on those words?"
I look up, catching Itou's gaze across the hefty desk piled with random books we yanked off the shelves. She's got this laid-back look with a sly tease twinkling in her eyes, like she's showing off how little those parting shots from our breakup fazed her. Funny, she thinks she didn't get to me, but actually, I'm kinda grateful she was straight with me—pointed out what no one else would dare.
"Do you think I'm that wimpy?" I scoff, snapping the dull book shut.
"Ha-ha, no. I just think you're heartless."
Oh? Well, she might not be wrong there…
Just as I'm settling into the dull throb of my thoughts, a flicker of blonde hair catches my eye between the aisles not far from where I'm slouched. Like a knee-jerk reaction, Itou's importance plummets and I'm on my feet, darting toward the science section. There, between towering stacks of hefty tomes, I spot senpai's silhouette weaving through the aisles. I tail him quietly until he halts and reaches for a book right in my line of sight.
Seizing the moment, I break the silence. "I heard your club snagged a new member."
"Woah!" The word explodes out of him as he topples backward in shock.