Chapter 3:Abe's Suspicion

Days passed, yet the strange feeling in Class 2-B never faded.

The more time I spent in this classroom, the more I realized something was… off.

Every morning, I woke up with strange bruises and small cuts on my body—marks I didn't remember getting. At first, I thought they were from bumping into something or scratching myself in my sleep.

But as they appeared more frequently, I began to doubt that explanation.

Something wasn't right.

And it wasn't just my body.

Whenever I walked down the hallway, I could feel eyes on me.

Whenever I sat in the cafeteria, I sensed people watching from a distance.

Their stares weren't casual glances of curiosity. They were calculating, analyzing—like I was some kind of experiment.

It wasn't just one or two students. It was almost everyone.

Masamune Serin, the cheerful girl who sat beside me, would sometimes sneak glances in my direction, only to quickly look away when I caught her.

Tachibana Shun, the quiet bookworm in the corner, always seemed to jot something down whenever I spoke in class.

Even Aki-sensei, our homeroom teacher, had a strange way of observing me—his smiles were too well-practiced, too polished, as if he were trying to maintain a carefully crafted illusion.

I wasn't paranoid.

I knew what I was seeing.

But the problem was… I didn't know why.

---

That afternoon, I decided I needed space.

So, I went to the rooftop.

It was quiet. Isolated.

Or so I thought.

Because I wasn't alone.

A familiar figure sat near the fence, gazing at the setting sun.

Shirakawa Mayu.

She was still as a statue, her silver hair swaying slightly in the wind.

Her presence was unsettling. She rarely spoke in class, yet she carried an aura of authority.

For a moment, I considered leaving.

But before I could turn away, she spoke.

"Arataki Abe."

I stopped in my tracks.

"What?"

Mayu turned her head slightly, her violet eyes meeting mine.

"I know you've noticed it," she said.

My breath hitched for a fraction of a second.

So she was aware.

I stepped closer. "Noticed what?"

She exhaled softly, as if deciding whether or not to tell me something important.

"This class… isn't normal."

My fingers twitched slightly.

I expected that answer.

But hearing it directly from someone in the class made my chest feel heavy.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

Mayu hesitated. Then, after a long pause, she whispered,

"I can't explain it yet. But one thing is clear…"

She looked at me, her expression unreadable.

"You can't trust anyone here."

A cold sensation crawled up my spine.

Before I could press for more answers, the sound of footsteps echoed behind me.

I turned around.

A familiar smirking face greeted me.

Kisaragi Renji.

"Yo, are you two having a romantic moment up here?" he teased.

I ignored him. "Renji, do you also know something about this class?"

His smirk widened.

"Of course."

My grip on the rooftop railing tightened.

"Then why didn't you say anything before?"

Renji chuckled.

"Because it's more fun this way."

His tone was light, playful even.

But his eyes…

They weren't smiling.

I clenched my fists.

The longer I stayed in Class 2-B, the stronger the feeling became—

Something about this place was fundamentally wrong.

And now, I wasn't even sure if I was safe.