"Sakura-san, can't you wear your clothes properly? It's obvious you're a girl who likes to tempt boys."
"I, I just changed into the school-issued swimsuit normally... Tempt, tempting or anything, I'm not doing anything like that."
"Still making excuses? Then why does my boyfriend's phone have pictures of you? And I trusted you so much.
From now on, we're done.
We're no longer friends."
"Please wait, I don't know... I didn't."
Fragments of her junior high school memories somehow surfaced in Sakura Airi's mind.
She was clearly struggling on the verge of expulsion.
At this moment, instead of saying a few words to fight for herself, she was still lost in thought... Sakura Airi chuckled self-deprecatingly.
Nothing she said would be useful.
She wasn't as eloquent as Ichihashi-san.
Perhaps being eliminated without saying a word would be a bit more dignified?
Neither in personality nor appearance, she was never able to gain others' approval.
Mother always said that girls should be gentle, that way people will like them.
But why, even though she was gentle to the point of being able to smile through harsh words, was she still ostracized?
They said it was cowardice, not gentleness at all.
They said it was timidity, and it was only natural for timid people to be bullied.
She also wanted to be friends with everyone in the class.
The boys gazed at her body with greedy eyes.
That feeling made her very uncomfortable, even making her feel sick.
As a former 'idol,' especially one whose selling point was her figure, to be like this, Sakura Airi herself felt a bit ashamed.
But the truth was, it was like that.
Even though she wore plain glasses, even though she tried her best to hide her impressive figure under her school uniform, those gazes never disappeared.
In contrast, there was the girls' disgust.
At first, she didn't understand why the girls ostracized her; she was supposed to be one of them.
Why did they use reasons like 'not suitable' to exclude her from their cliques?
It wasn't until one time in the restroom that she heard Shinohara-san complaining that during swimming class, the boys' eyes were all on the observation deck.
Only then did she understand.
The very thing she always disliked was, in the eyes of some girls, a symbol of approval.
Facing boys, she needed to avoid everyone's gaze; facing girls, she needed to hide everything outstanding about herself and any features that might cause others' dislike.
But even so, in the end, she was still alone.
Constantly troubled by these trivial matters, she had no mind to concentrate on her studies.
This resulted in her grades making no progress since she arrived here.
The direct consequence was this expulsion crisis.
Was she going to be expelled?
She indeed failed the exam.
Even if she was expelled... although she felt a bit unwilling, there was nothing to complain about.
Even with the last chance, she didn't want to... she didn't know how to fight for herself.
Only wanting to let things take their course, the consequence awaiting her was undoubtedly only expulsion.
Such a big school, such a big class, why couldn't it accommodate a small Sakura Airi?
Tears streamed down her face.
Karuizawa, who was sitting in the front row playing on her phone, suddenly saw a tear on the floor.
Seemingly realizing something, she slowly looked up.
Sakura Airi, head bowed and sobbing, was forcing herself to cry silently, trying not to let her crying disturb others.
Because she was looking down.
Hardly anyone even noticed it.
Not even Hirata realized that the girl standing on the podium was crying helplessly.
The reason she was so skilled at it…
Perhaps… she was used to it?
"Sakura-san? Are you okay?"
Karuizawa tentatively whispered, asking.
Sakura Airi hesitated for a long time.
Before finally replying, "I'm sorry."
"Huh? What is there to be sorry about, really…"
Karuizawa unnaturally turned her face away.
She couldn't bear to see Sakura Airi crying anymore.
No one understood the meaning of the word "helpless" better than her.
If nothing unexpected happened, Sakura Airi would ultimately face expulsion.
Even if Karuizawa Kei voted in her favor, it would be futile.
Instead, it would cause problems with Ichihashi-san.
If it was serious enough, it might even create a rift with Kushida-san, with whom her relationship was already not very harmonious.
For Sakura Airi, whose relationship with her wasn't very deep and who was almost certainly going to be expelled,
Karuizawa Kei had no intention of offering help.
Even if she did offer help, it would be useless; the weak are powerless to fight against fate.
Karuizawa Kei had learned this truth back in middle school.
The weak can only survive by depending on the strong… "You're too loud; I can't hear what Sakura-san is saying."
Amane's voice rang out from the back row.
The person being reprimanded looked at Amane in annoyance, just about to stand up and speak, when they were pulled back by someone next to them.
"Miyako-san even dared to hit Sudo; there's no need to make an enemy of Miyako-san for the sake of an expelled student."
"But she… never mind."
After Amane's cold gaze swept over them, the class fell silent once more.
"Sakura-san, it's okay to speak louder."
Amane's words made Sakura Airi, who had been looking down, suddenly raise her head.
It was then that everyone saw Sakura Airi's face, streaked with tears.
"Sakura-san…"
Kushida quickly took out a tissue and handed it to Sakura Airi.
Amane watched Kushida's somewhat deliberate action but said nothing.
Perhaps such false kindness was a luxury in Sakura Airi's eyes.
She herself was a kind person, yet she had never been treated kindly by anyone.
What? How did Amane know she was kind?
When you're being picked apart by a group of idiots, ridiculed and insulted for your physical features, even if they determine your fate of expulsion, can you really remain silent and let them mock the body your parents gave you?
It would be hard for anyone to endure.
She was going to be expelled anyway, so what did she need to be afraid of?
What did she need to tolerate?
Sakura Airi could have retaliated against those people.
But she didn't.
She would rather cry silently by herself than make those idiots shut up.
In Amane's eyes, such a personality was terrible; in fact, all it would take was gaining her trust, and Sakura Airi could even become a useful pawn who could be "voluntarily" sacrificed at will.
However, Amane didn't want to use Sakura Airi in such a way.
Because she was too naive.
"Just say what you just said out loud, don't feel ashamed or anything, because if you don't say it now, you might not get the chance to say it later."
Amane's words made Sakura Airi hesitate for a moment.
Finally, she gathered her courage.
"I… I want to stay."
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