Chapter 2: A trap set. Falling Apart

Ha?

　What do you mean? I’m a s*xual predator?

　My head couldn’t catch up at all.

The guys in my class started to wonder what was going on when suddenly I was called a sex predator.

　The girl staring at me in front of me was Rena Saito. She has been friends with us three childhood friends since the first year of high school and is my girl friend.

She often came over to my house mainly for my sister’s sake, so I was friends with her. She has long black hair and sharp eyes, so my first impression of her was a bit harsh, but she is kind and sociable, and even though I am not good at socializing with the opposite sex, I can talk to her without hesitation and call her by her first name, which is very rare for me. She, too, is popular among my class, regardless of gender, because of her good looks and personality.

　Rena is staring at me as if she has a vendetta against me. I have no idea why.

“Re-Rena? What’s wrong? What are you so angry about? Did I do something to offend you?”

“….Rena, what are you doing?”

At any rate, I had to ask her why or else I wouldn’t be able to proceed. I tried to keep my confused mind calm and talked to her as usual. Rinto, who is standing next to me, looks surprised and asks Rena.

Then Rena began to speak even louder and said something outrageous.

“Don’t play dumb! Even though you tried to attack me after school yesterday! You recorded it with your smartphone and threatened me so that I wouldn’t resist you! And on top of that, you’re saying you’re now dating Mio! I’m not going to let you get away with it!”

I attacked Rena yesterday? What the hell is she talking about? Why would she lie like this? Did I do something to her to make her hate me?

　I freeze for a while, not understanding the meaning of the words.

Regardless of me, Rena starts crying in front of us.

　While a second seems like hours, my hearing is sensitive and I can clearly hear the voices from the outside.

“He attacked Saito? And on top of that, he took a video of it….seriously?

“Wait…. If it’s true, it’s too dangerous. Should I call the police?”

　Sh*t. Things are getting very bad. I don’t think I’ll get caught because I didn’t do anything, but that’s not the point now.

　I’m going to die socially. Anyway, I have to argue first. I was in more of a hurry than ever before, desperately spinning my words.

“Listen to me, everyone! I didn’t do anything! I’m willing to risk my life! I wouldn’t do that to a girl, even if I was crazy, and I wouldn’t do that to my dearest friend! Hey, you guys know what I’m talking about, right!! Right…”

　I tried to deny it as loudly as I could. But the voices of those outside were getting louder and louder, and I didn’t even know if they could hear me.

As for Mio, she had a look on her face that seemed to say she didn’t understand what was going on, just like me, and her face turned pale. She looked anxious as she tightly held onto my school uniform.

It’s understandable. She is gentle and quiet. If she were to be in the middle of such a bustle, that alone would make her feel uneasy. For her sake, I had to settle the situation as soon as possible.

　I was about to say something when a large amount of cold sweat broke out on my body.

“If he took a video with his phone, then maybe he still has the video?”

Rinto, my best friend, who had been standing next to me in surprise, said something like that.

　Yes, that’s the only way…..

I dash to my desk through the class.

　The eyes of the entire class are on me.

　With a shaky hand, I search for my phone in my bag.

　Found it….　　　　

　I lift up my phone and shout so that everyone in the class, who has been following me with their eyes, can hear me.

“Everyone! If I threatened Rena and took a video of her, then there must still be a video of her! I have my phone right here! I didn’t take anything! Please believe me!!!!”

　I’m just a little relieved that I can now prove it, but Rena pounces on me again.

” Of course not, you might have deleted the video just now!”

“I deleted… everyone saw me, right!? Where was I supposed to find the time to do that?!”

　I was on the verge of tears. I was about to cry. What was I going to do if they suspected me of something like that?

It was my best friend, Rinto, who raised his voice for me at that time.

” Taiga wasn’t doing that right now. I’m telling you, I’m not covering for him because he’s my best friend. You all saw that, right?”

　Everyone in the class nodded in unison at the words of Rinto, the most adored student in the class.

　I hold back my tears and thank Rinto from the bottom of my heart. Ever since I was a kid, Rinto was the one who always protected me when I was in a pinch.

Rinto continues to calmly say to the frustrated Rena.

“If what Rena says is true, then everything Taiga does is suspect. But you saw that he didn’t delete the video. So, you know. How about someone checking Taiga’s phone in front of everyone? I would check it myself, but it would be a very sensitive video. I’m a guy, so I can’t do it. It should definitely be a girl who checks it. And of course, they’d have to wear earphones so there’s no sound. How about that?”

Rinto asks Rena. I see…….it’s the best way to solve the problem while taking Rena into consideration. As I said, Rinto is dependable.

“….Understood. That’s fine”

　After getting Rena’s agreement, it was decided that the class president, who has a strong sense of justice, would be the one to check the phone.

　I told her the passcode because she can’t open my phone without it. I don’t want to give out something that is inherently private, but now is not the time to talk about it.

　Hours, or what seemed like days, passed before she confirmed it.

　Then, the chairperson screamed.

“W-what the….?!?!”

The face of the chairperson, who was looking at my phone, turned bright red. Everyone in the class who saw her looking at my phone started to get confused again.

　What in the world did the President see? I feel like my chest is going to be crushed by anxiety.

　Rena rushed the chairperson, whose mouth was agape.

“Tachibana-san, tell me what you saw.”

“B-but but but this. Are you fine with that?!”

“…Enough already. Tell me.”

　The President looked at me for a moment and said something terrible while keeping her face down.

“Trying to push down Saito-san who was crying with her clothes disheveled… and Saito-san ran away. Also, there are many other videos of Saito-san doing, um, indecent things saved… When I pressed for more information, Saito-san’s words revealed that the two of them were actually in a relationship.”

Ha? Eh?

Cut it out with this crap, I didn’t do that. I’ve been in love with Mio for a long time. I never had a girlfriend.

“….Indeed. The truth is, I was actually dating this scumbag until yesterday…but then he told me he started dating Mio instead and broke up with me just like that. I could have accepted that much. But then he started threatening me, saying he wanted me to be his “friend with benefits” even though I didn’t want to. That’s why I wanted to expose him in front of everyone by showing the video!”

　This woman. How far are you… What the hell did I do to you?

　But now I’m finally convinced.

　This woman is going to kill me right here and now.

　I thought we were still friends, so I was patient.

　But now I can’t take it anymore.

“You’re full of sh*t! I didn’t do anything to youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! I never went out with you in the first place!”

I yelled and grabbed the phone from the President. I pushed her away, but it didn’t matter.

　I found that the screen was full of naked images of Rena Saito, and at first glance I could see that there were videos saved of her doing more than that.

　Why….why…my mind goes blank. Someone is definitely setting me up.

Rena Saito is a certainty. And there is at least one other person, two people at least. There could be more collaborators.

　Is the Presdent on it? No, she was in no mood to act like a stone.

　My head was cracking open, and I was hyperventilating. My foot is dizzy, and if I’m not careful, I could spew the contents out of my mouth at any moment.

　Rena snatches the phone out of my hand. I don’t have the energy to take it back.

The classmates, who had been silently listening to what was going on, are now convinced that Rena was right, and verbally assault me without showing any signs of it.

“You scumbag! Shame on you!”

“You’re disgusting. I didn’t know you were that kind of person.”

　I didn’t do anything. I just live a normal life. Guys… hey… believe me…

　Someone told me to go home, and the whole class started calling for me to go home.

I look at Rinto with a vacant expression. Rito…….you…….

“I can’t cover for you anymore… I miss judged you….Taiga….”

The pain in my heart is as if I was hit with a blunt knife by my best friend’s merciless words.

　Someone…someone who believes in me….

　Yes… Mio… Mio…

　I desperately look for Mio.

“No…way…”

　Mio…….her face was soaked with tears that I have never seen before. She was looking at me with a very, very sad face.

　I was finally able to go out with her. I wanted to make her smile all the time.

　It was so hard for me to see her crying face that I left the classroom as if I was running away with slow steps.