High schools in Japan are less about academics and more about providing a platform for students to transition from childhood into society.
Here, if you want, you do not actually need to care about your grades.
Just enjoy your youth.
The curriculum is not particularly difficult. You can choose to study for higher education if you wish.
Or you can choose to play.
Although most middle schools in Japan prohibit part-time work, high schools do not.
This is also a way for them to become familiar with society early.
Many shops like to employ these obedient and useful high school part-timers.
Moreover, they are often paid by the hour or by the day.
Not only do they work during the hours when they are most needed, so there is no worry about them slacking off, but their wages are also lower than those of many full-time employees.
Therefore, among these half-grown children, there are many young men and women with a social air, and cliques, bullying, and other such issues are much more severe.
Coupled with the lack of "cracking down on early romance" to divert conflicts, social attention is also very high.
In Tomie's class, as long as you joined in slandering Tomie or commenting on her, you would get a ticket into most of the cliques.
Using this kind of cold violence against Tomie also became a daily routine for the students.
Tomie did not care about this. She had the help of Yamamoto, who held the highest status among the students.
The most respected homeroom teacher in the class was also on her side.
Therefore, these students did not dare do anything.
So, was it Tomie's nature, or was she forced by circumstances?
Perhaps only Tomie herself knew.
"Takagi-sensei."
Tomie called out in a happy tone as she sat beside Takagi-sensei.
"What's wrong?"
Takagi-sensei, who had been lost in fantasy, could not help but ask after hearing Tomie's voice, which made his bones tingle.
However, in the very next second, all fantasy shattered, and Takagi-sensei could not help but break out in a cold sweat.
"I already..."
What had Tomie just said?
Looking at Tomie's hands crossed over her stomach, Takagi-sensei seemed to freeze in place, not even brushing away the cigarette ash that burned his pants.
If it were Yamamoto talking to Tomie right now, he would definitely be overjoyed, perhaps even going to register for a marriage certificate that very day.
But Takagi-sensei could not.
The intense panic made it difficult even for Takagi-sensei to breathe.
Fortunately, Yamamoto's sudden appearance brought Takagi-sensei back to his senses.
"What is your relationship, you two?!"
Yamamoto reached out and grabbed Tomie's left arm, forcefully pulling her up.
The immense strength made Tomie cry out in pain.
"Yamamoto, you're hurting me."
However, Yamamoto could not care less at this moment.
"Talk, what did you two do?!"
"You were eavesdropping!"
Suddenly interrupted by Yamamoto and hurt by his rough actions, a surge of anger also rose in Tomie's heart.
Moreover, Takagi-sensei, the homeroom teacher, was right beside her.
Tomie simply stopped hiding it.
"Let go of me! What are you shouting for? Aren't you being annoying?!"
However, Yamamoto remained relentless.
"Enough! What I want to do is my freedom. It has nothing to do with you, do you hear me?! You, ah!"
Tomie did not expect Yamamoto, in a fit of rage, to slap her across the face.
The people below the high ground saw it and discussed it even more fervently.
The sounds of discussion even faintly reached Tomie and the others on the high ground.
Filled with anger and grievance, Tomie began arguing with Yamamoto.
However, in order to better observe the classmates, Yamamoto's seat had been at the very edge of the high ground.
Thus, during the argument, Yamamoto could not help but push Tomie.
That action directly caused Tomie to fall from the high ground, bleeding profusely.
This sudden scene made the students below scream in shock.
Yamamoto quickly rushed down from the high ground, standing beside Tomie with a face full of fear and regret.
"I'll call an ambulance!"
After a moment of panic, Yamamoto immediately wanted to dial emergency services.
"Wait a minute!"
The homeroom teacher, Takagi-sensei, suddenly grabbed Yamamoto tightly.
The immense force almost made Yamamoto stumble.
"Teacher?"
Yamamoto looked at Takagi-sensei in confusion, and the panic in his eyes seemed to lessen quite a bit.
"Yamamoto, you pushed Tomie. Are you planning to turn yourself in?"
Takagi-sensei's words brought a brief silence to the area.
"Yamamoto, if you get a criminal record in high school, not only will you go to jail, but your future..."
Takagi-sensei's face was full of concern for Yamamoto.
However, his heart was already wildly excited.
Because an idea had suddenly popped into his mind.
His job was saved, his life was saved, and his reputation was saved.
Yamamoto's actions even made Takagi-sensei want to laugh up at the sky.
In Takagi-sensei's view, Yamamoto had not only helped him solve a problem, but had also given him the possibility of staying completely out of it.
But to make everything smoother and more natural, Takagi-sensei began persuading Yamamoto.
"That's right, this wretched person brought it on herself. Why should Yamamoto be responsible?"
"Exactly, there's no need to turn yourself in at all."
Soon, the students, swayed by Takagi-sensei, found their backbone and began actively defending Yamamoto, the most popular student in the class.
"I remember we have handicrafts class today. Did everyone bring their tools?"
Soon, several people handed over tools like utility knives and craft saws.
The crazier Takagi-sensei's heart became, the calmer his mind was.
He began directing the students present, assigning each person a task and coordinating their testimonies.
To avoid getting blood on clothes that could not be explained away, the boys took off their jackets.
At this moment, the boys present, and even some of the girls nearby, participated in the curse against Tomie with unparalleled jealousy and mad malice.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, an accident occurred when one student began to act.
Tomie woke up from the intense pain.
Takagi-sensei's pupils contracted.
He knew he could not let Tomie live, otherwise she would definitely seek revenge.
Then everything he had would be ruined.
He might even be charged with attempted murder.
Takagi-sensei immediately pinned Tomie down, and in his desperation, the tool in his hand instinctively moved toward Tomie.
Tomie looked at Takagi-sensei in disbelief.
And just like that, Tomie completely lost her life.
(To be continued.)