Shinsō // Truth

In a morning classroom, messy footsteps of three students approach the door at a fast pace, then abruptly, the classroom door is pushed open. The three girls enter the classroom one after another.

"I'm the first!" leading the run, Kokoro raises her arms and cheers in joy.

"You started early!" there, Yuina chuckles as she pants.

"Onechan, you're so sly!" with a bright smile, Ai slaps lightly on Kokoro's back.

Kokoro smiles at the both of them, while just by the next second, her face turns dull, "Ai-chan, Yuina-chan..." she called to them, "Now you both are the only people in this world who are willing to treat me nicely..."

Looking at Kokoro being so plaintive, Ai puts up a sorrowful expression. She pinches Kokoro's sleeve, and she suggests, "Onechan, maybe we should..."

While before she could finish her words, Yuina suddenly hushes them down, "Shh. Someone is coming."

Just as Yuina mentioned, a group of students suddenly enter the classroom. As they see Kokoro, they put up a mean smile.

"Look, it's the headmaster's mistress." along a mean laugh, a boy ridiculed.

"How disgusting! Kimoi!" a girl mocked with a sarcastic tone, she squeezes her eyebrows and stares at Kokoro in the corner of her eyes.

Coming to the front, a girl draws the straw out of her dairy drink, "You're already dirty anyway..." then, she suddenly squeezes the packet of the drink with the hole aiming at Kokoro, "Take this!"

Before Kokoro could react to the situation, another girl dashes up, she opens the crackers in her hands and splashes them towards Kokoro, "And this too!"

Just by then, a female teacher suddenly enters the classroom. In wrath, she warns, "Stop it! All of you!"

"Yukimuro-sensei!" there, when the girl sees Yukimuro-sensei, she tosses the packet of crackers at Kokoro's face, she turns to Yukimuro-sensei and voices out, "Don't you feel wronged? Everyone thinks you have an affair with Murakawa-kocho!"

"That's right!" another girl agrees, "Why do Yukimuro-sensei need to cover up for what this bitch did?"

Staring at Ai, a boy sneers and mentions, "Ai-chan, it's a shame for you to have a sister like Kokoro!"

Another boy states, "If it wasn't because we promised Yukimuro-sensei to keep the truth within Class 1-1, we won't let Yukimuro-sensei be so wronged!"

With a deep frown, Yukimuro-sensei gives a deep sigh, "Stop it, all of you." again she warned, "We talked about it, we will not mention anything about this matter once more. Go back to your seat, the class is starting." she ordered, then she turns to Yuina and Kokoro, "Yuina-chan, please bring Kokoro-chan to clean up and change."

"Tsk." there, a girl clicks her tongue in annoyance, "Can't take this anymore, I don't understand why Yukimuro-sensei need to protect this bitch." she said pointing at Kokoro.

"Stop calling her a bitch." while Yukimuro-sensei warned, "I won't allow my students to talk so improperly."

Blowing her fringe, she returns to her seat and sits down, "Fine, fine."

There, the rest of the classmates return to their seats and take their textbooks out, "Benkyo, benkyo."

Giving a sharp stare at Kokoro, a girl warns her, "I'll let you go for this time, Tomori Kokoro."

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After cleaning up and changing, Kokoro walks on the corridor with the dirty uniform packed in a paper bag holding in her arms. She walks at a fast pace trying to shake Yuina off at the back.

"Kokoro-chan..." while Yuina walks faster towards her, she catches her up and grabs her arm, "Kokoro-chan, wait for me..."

While unexpectedly, Kokoro shirks Yuina away ruthlessly, "No, you'll be hated if you're seen being with me."

Turning her head around, Yuina gives their surroundings a glance, she then grabs Kokoro wrist and pulls her towards the stairs, "Come with me."

Following Yuina, Kokoro is brought up to the third floor. As soon as they enter one of the rooms, Yuina shuts the door. This is a music room, the one Yuina used to come and practice viola after class.

Leaning onto the wall beside the door, Kokoro looks at Yuina and asks in a weak voice, "What's wrong, Yuina-chan?"

There, Yuina starts talking, "Kokoro-chan, although I promised not to mention anything about this matter anymore, but I can't stand it anymore, everyone in the class is too much."

Pretending to be not concerned, Kokoro bows her head, "Yuina-chan, what are you trying to say?"

"I don't want to hide it anymore. I think it's time for the true culprit to take her place." losing her patience, Yuina announces, "Ai-chan was the one who did this, she should bear every responsibility by herself, shouldn't she? She's the one who is having an affair with the headmaster, why is Kokoro-chan the one bearing all the bullying in Class 1-1? Why is Yukimuro-sensei the one being spurned and criticized by everyone else outside of Class 1-1? Kokoro-chan, you and Yukimuro-sensei did not do anything wrong! The one who made the mistake is Ai-chan!"

With her lips shuddering, warm tears blurred Kokoro's eyes in no time, "Yuina-chan... H-how do you know it's Ai-chan..."

Yuina reveals, "The headmaster's affair, it's my colleague's case."

While looking away from Yuina, Kokoro shakes her head vigorously, "No, no, you're wrong..." she denies, "I'm the headmaster's affair, it isn't Ai-chan, it's me..."

Just as she denied, Yuina grabs onto her shoulders and yells at her face, "Stop lying, Kokoro-chan! Don't I know both of you well enough? You know it's useless hiding from me!" she rebuked, "Ai-chan is the one who did this, she has to endure the consequences! Why are you the one being bullied? Why do you need to take her part and bear all of these!?"

"Because Ai-chan is my sister!" abruptly, Kokoro loses control over her temper, she yells at Yuina, "Ai-chan is my one and only sister! I have to protect her!"

"You are not protecting her, you are making a mistake! I'm not going to compromise!" while Yuina refutes, "If you're unwilling to tell everyone the truth, then I will tell them the truth! You've done nothing wrong, Kokoro-chan! Yukimuro-sensei has done nothing wrong! The one who has an affair with the headmaster, is Tomori Ai!"

"But...!" choked up by her tears, Kokoro weeps faintly.

Looking at Kokoro who is crying, Yuina turns soft too. She holds Kokoro's hands and advises her, "Kokoro-chan, we grew up together, I've always listened to you... You have to listen to me for once, just this time."

However, before Kokoro could respond to Yuina's words, the door of the music room is suddenly opened. There, it is Ai standing outside the door.

With tears covering her face, she enters the music room, "Onechan... Yuina-chan..." she sobs as she says, "I will tell everyone the truth..."

"Ai-chan..."