Chapter 5:Searching for the Thruth=Becoming an Enemy

I needed answers.

And if no one was going to give them to me, I would find them myself.

After Mayu's warning yesterday, my determination only grew stronger.

If the class saw me as a threat, then that meant I was close to something.

Something they didn't want me to find.

That's why I turned my attention back to Shimizu Riku.

The only person in class who wasn't overly friendly.

The only person who was always writing something down.

If there was anyone who knew the truth, it had to be him.

So I started watching him closely.

At first, I thought Riku would ignore me.

But I underestimated him.

The moment he noticed my gaze lingering on him too often, he changed his behavior.

He no longer wrote in his notebook in class.

He no longer stayed late after school.

He no longer did anything suspicious.

It was as if he knew I was trying to dig deeper.

As if he was taunting me.

But I wasn't going to stop.

I needed a different approach.

That's when I noticed something odd.

Every morning, I arrived at school at the same time.

And every morning, there were already several students inside the classroom.

That wasn't strange.

What was strange… was that these students were always the same ones.

Riku was one of them.

So, the next day, I decided to arrive even earlier.

I wanted to see what these students were doing before class started.

6:30 AM – Before School Starts

The school was mostly empty.

The front gate was open, but hardly any students had arrived yet.

I walked through the halls in complete silence, heading toward Class 2-B.

As I got closer, I slowed my steps.

The classroom door was slightly open.

I could hear voices.

I carefully approached, stopping just outside.

"…he's getting too close."

A familiar voice. Riku.

"Do we need to do something about him?" another voice asked.

I didn't recognize it.

"Not yet," Riku answered. "But we need to keep an eye on him. If he keeps digging…"

He trailed off.

I clenched my fists.

So they really were watching me.

I carefully peeked through the small gap in the door.

Inside, four students stood in a circle, whispering.

Riku was there.

So was Kisaragi Renji.

And two others I hadn't paid much attention to before.

All of them… discussing me.

I stepped back slowly, my heart pounding.

I needed to get out of there before they noticed me.

But as I turned to leave—

Creak.

The old wooden floor beneath my foot made a soft noise.

I froze.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Then—

The classroom door suddenly swung open.

Riku stood there, staring at me.

A slow smile spread across his lips.

"Abe-kun," he said softly.

"How long have you been standing there?"

My mind raced.

Lying would be pointless.

But telling the truth would be stupid.

I forced my expression to remain blank.

"I just got here," I said. "I was going to enter the classroom."

Riku's eyes studied me.

I couldn't tell if he believed me.

After a moment, his smile widened.

"Really? Then let's go in together."

He gestured for me to step inside.

I hesitated.

I didn't want to enter.

I didn't want to be trapped in a room with them.

But if I refused, it would only make me look more suspicious.

So I exhaled quietly and stepped inside.

Inside Class 2-B

The other three students were watching me.

Their expressions were still friendly.

But it wasn't real.

I could tell.

Renji chuckled.

"You're an early riser, Abe-kun."

I shrugged. "Just woke up early today."

Riku sat back down at his desk, flipping open his notebook.

"So, how's school been for you?" he asked casually.

I sat at my desk as well, maintaining my calm.

"It's been… interesting," I said carefully.

Riku smirked. "I bet."

The others continued watching me, as if waiting for me to slip up.

But I wouldn't.

I wasn't stupid.

I knew the game they were playing.

And I refused to lose.

That morning, I realized something important.

The students of Class 2-B weren't just hiding a secret.

They were actively protecting it.

And now, I wasn't just an outsider anymore.

I had officially become their enemy.