Chapter 30: I will stand by Yuka’s side.

“No matter what happens, I will always be on Yuka’s side.”

Inside the returning car, Ishikawa Yota suddenly spoke in an extremely serious tone.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of joking or superficiality on his face; Ishikawa Yuka could tell that her older brother sincerely wanted to protect her.

Even someone as oblivious as her could feel his deep sincerity.

“Thank you, Brother.”

“I find it unacceptable. Seeing Yuka being falsely accused and isolated by everyone… but since this was your choice, I won’t interfere without your permission.”

“However… if it gets too painful, you can always talk to me. If you decide to tell the truth, I will definitely help you. Please be sure to remember that.”

“…Alright.”

Perhaps Yota had seen the moment she took the blame for Matsuyama Shoko.

They weren’t far apart after the dance ended, and although Yuka thought her brother was busy talking to Inadera Taichi and hadn’t noticed, his current reaction made sense if he had indeed witnessed it.

After thanking her brother, Yuka continued to think during the ride home.

Just as Sensei had said, what exactly did she want to do?

Different choices would lead to completely different ways of responding.

What did she want? What should she do?

A few more days passed, and the atmosphere around her seemed to grow even worse.

Of course, this might just be her subjective perception, or perhaps even a persecution complex…

For Yuka, who originally had no friends and was used to being alone, the current situation wasn’t much different from before.

Aside from being occasionally pointed at, other aspects were much the same as always.

She wanted to tell herself “it’s fine like this,” but things weren’t that simple.

The negative rumors about her as an individual were very likely to affect the Ishikawa family.

It wouldn’t be a big deal if she were the only one being criticized or isolated, but this circle never let things stop at the individual level.

This was a world that placed extreme importance on the upbringing of children; the concept of “the individual is separate from the family” did not exist.

Once a member behaved improperly, the entire family would be implicated.

One wouldn’t receive forgiveness just for being a first-grade elementary student; the spearhead of criticism would eventually point toward the family and the parents.

If it were just her own problem, she might not insist on changing it… but leaving the Ishikawa family to be dragged down was not an option.

In the end, what did she truly want?

“Yuka, can we talk for a moment?”

“Eh? Alright…”

After lunch, Anmiya Marina called out to her, and the two walked to a secluded spot.

Did she have something to say?

Arriving at the deserted courtyard, Marina turned and spoke.

“I don’t really want to say this… but the faction Matsuyama-san belongs to is spreading rumors detrimental to you. If this continues unchecked, things might get even worse… what do you plan to do, Yuka?”

“I see…”

Even when asked, Yuka didn’t have an answer for herself.

She felt like this was a deliberate attempt to incite conflict between Shoko’s faction and her own Ishikawa family faction.

If she acted rashly, she feared it would only play into the hands of those who wished to see both sides fight.

At the very least, Shoko herself wouldn’t want this, and she couldn’t be the one actively spreading rumors.

Whether other members of the faction wanted to use the previous incident to gain the upper hand in the competition with the Ishikawa family, or whether a force outside the Matsuyama or Ishikawa families wanted to use this opportunity to make both sides suffer…

Perhaps she was overthinking, but such calculations definitely existed in this world.

In an environment where even minor scandals were exaggerated and relentlessly pursued, anything was possible.

“Thank you for worrying about me, Marina. But… I haven’t figured it out myself yet…”

“If you delay too long, the rumors will take root regardless of whether they are true or false. Please judge carefully. However… I am on your side. Please don’t forget that.”

Marina clasped her hands over her chest and spoke while gazing at her.

Just that alone made Yuka feel a warmth in her chest…

“Thank you, Marina.”

She could only barely squeeze out those words.

Returning home, Yuka thought seriously.

She had to make a decision quickly and could no longer keep procrastinating.

…………Alright! Tomorrow, I’ll have a proper talk with Shoko. I’ll start from there.

“Miss Yuka, do you need something?”

“Ah, Hana… no, it’s nothing. You can rest for today, thank you for your hard work.”

“Very well, please excuse me.”

After confirming that the maid Hana had left, Yuka collapsed onto her bed.

She didn’t have a clear plan yet, but first, she had to talk to Shoko face-to-face…………

“Good day.”

“…………”

“Good day.”

“!”

Today, as well, no one responded to her greeting.

Someone like her, who possessed memories of her past life and was mentally mature, could still endure it; but if it were truly a first-grade child, they would likely find it quite difficult.

Direct bullying is painful, but this feeling of being ignored is equally hurtful.

“Marina, good day.”

“Good day, Yuka.”

In an environment where almost no one acknowledged her, this near-singular response made her feel a bit more at ease.

If even Marina were to ignore her, even she might feel a bit depressed.

However, if she clung to Marina, she might cause trouble for her.

So, she just offered a quiet greeting and walked away quickly.

“Good morning…”

“Good morning, Shoko!”

“Good day, Shoko-sama!”

“Good morning, Shoko-sama!”

As soon as Shoko entered the classroom, everyone responded in unison.

It wasn’t that Yuka was jealous, but it truly was a world of difference compared to the treatment she received.

But that wasn’t the point; it had always been like this, not just starting now…

More importantly, something was wrong with Shoko.

Did no one around her notice? Or did they notice but choose to ignore it?

She remembered a similar situation from before… that was… when Marina seemed depressed.

At that time, Shoko had said… if you’re friends and notice something is wrong with the other person, you should do your best to ask for the reason…

In that case… today I truly must talk to Shoko…

Not only to solve my own issues but also to properly ask why Shoko isn’t herself.

Isn’t that what a friend should do? Shoko…

Time felt particularly slow today.

It was only lunch break.

At times like this, the flow of time always feels exceptionally sluggish.

At the same time, her heart throbbed uneasily.

It wasn’t the kind of heartbeat from excitement or a surge of hot blood, but a feeling as if anticipating something about to happen—where her blood turned cold, but her heart alone was unusually active.

Even when eating in the cafeteria, no one approached her.

Previously, no one would share a table with her anyway, but the current situation where the surrounding seats were completely empty was recent.

Even the seats right next to her were no longer occupied by anyone willing to sit there.

Thinking on the bright side, she could now dine spaciously without any interference…

In the past, she could occasionally eat with Marina or talk to Shoko after the meal, but it was hard to do that in the current situation.

If she tried to talk to Shoko, the lackeys around her would cast fierce glares, and some might even scold her sharply.

She couldn’t find an opportunity to talk to Shoko quietly at all.

And if she ate with Marina, she would only drag her down.

Under the current circumstances, just being close to her would very likely result in her friends receiving the same treatment.

She could endure it herself, but making a first-grade girl suffer through such an environment was far too cruel.

It was precisely because she was so alone that time felt long.

Spending boring time alone always feels longer than usual.

Since she rarely had time to herself, she might as well use it to organize what she wanted to discuss with Shoko after school and simulate the conversation.

First, she had to talk about the Noyama family party, and the fact that Shoko was visibly down this morning.

She couldn’t let this ambiguous situation continue any longer.

Until the very last moment before the bell rang for class, Yuka was alone, simulating her conversation with Shoko.

Finally, school was over.

The day that felt exceptionally long had at last reached the time for dismissal.

Now she just had to find a way to call Shoko out…

“Yuka… do you have a moment now?”

“Marina? Yes, I’m free…”

Yuka, who was about to head to the Ōka Association Salon, was called out by Marina in the hallway and then led away.

Seeing Marina start walking immediately after speaking, Yuka followed her understandingly, eventually arriving at the same balcony as before.

Last time, she had come here with Shoko for Marina’s sake.

“Yuka… Shoko-san looks strange today, doesn’t she?”

“Yeah… I actually wanted to talk to Shoko today… seeing how she wasn’t herself this morning, I wanted to ask about that too… but I can’t talk in the Salon. I get blocked by others whenever I get close, so I was worrying about what to do.”

In the class, Shoko was also surrounded by a so-called faction or a group of lackey children.

Yuka would be warned as soon as she got close, making a calm conversation impossible.

And the situation was the same in the Ōka Association Salon.

There were older students from the faction in the Salon surrounding her; Yuka just getting close would cause a commotion.

It wasn’t an environment where she could talk to Shoko slowly at all, and summoning her with a gesture like before no longer worked.

If it were known that Yuka wanted to talk to Shoko, a large group of people would surely follow, making it impossible for the two to talk alone.

Come to think of it, although she had simulated the conversation with Shoko, she hadn’t considered at all how to get Shoko alone.

Under the current circumstances, having a private talk with Shoko seemed impossible.

“Ah… it’s true that if Yuka approaches now, it will cause a stir… I understand. Then I will go and ask Shoko-san to come over. Yuka, you wait here.”

“…Eh? Is that alright?”

Yuka felt that the relationship between Marina herself and Shoko herself wasn’t bad.

Compared to the beginning, the two had grown much closer.

But the people around them didn’t think so.

The faction the Anmiya family belonged to and the Matsuyama family’s faction were not on harmonious terms.

The relationship was delicate simply because they belonged to different factions…

It was precisely for this reason that Marina and Shoko hadn’t interacted publicly before.

Now that Marina was going to call Shoko directly for Yuka’s sake, was it really alright?

If people from the Matsuyama family faction found out it was to bring Shoko to see Yuka, she feared even Marina would be implicated…

“Please don’t worry. I will bring Shoko-san over. Yuka, you just wait here.”

“Ah…”

Before Yuka could say anything more, Marina finished with a smile and quickly returned from the balcony to the school building.

In that case, she could only wait here.

If she acted on her own and missed them, it would be even more troublesome.

Until Marina brought Shoko, she could only wait here.

…………It’s been a bit long.

Walking to the Salon and back shouldn’t take this much time…

Come to think of it, she hadn’t told her brother, so he might be worried.

He might think she had fled because she couldn’t stand the needle-like atmosphere in the Salon.

“Ishikawa Yuka…”

“Shoko.”

Just as Yuka was staring blankly at the sky, Shoko’s voice came from behind her.