Classroom of the Elite:SS Collection

The horrors of the past

Reader's discretion advised. Slightly dark content ahead. I don't mean to offend anyone with this part of the work. I apologize beforehand if it offends you or disturbs you in any way.

Karuizawa Kei:

"H-Help me! Somebody help me! H-He, um, t-tried to do t-that to me...."

A girl was running down the school corridor, crying and asking for help. Her hands were covered in blood from the injuries that her body had sustained and it was fresh. 

The young girl, with her beautiful ponytail swinging violently, ran down the corridor with a messy and teary face. And even her clothes were in a state of mess.

"Disgusting."

"I heard that she tried to accuse him of raping her."

"How deplorable."

N-No. T-That's not it! It is all wrong! H-He really tried to do t-that to me. Believe me! 

The young girl screamed and screamed but nobody believed her. Nobody was there to support her. 

With her tears making a long trail, she rushed out of the school. She ran as fast as she could and headed towards her home. She hurried to her room and closed the door shut.

"Kei, what's wrong? Kei! Kei, open the door!"

A feminine voice was calling to her worriedly and knocking on the door wildly.

Why is this happening to me? Why? Why me, God?! Mommy says that there is always a reason for whatever happens in life? But I don't see why I have to go through all these. I don't want any of this!

"No, no, no, no!"

"No!"

"Hah. Hah. Hah!"

It took a while for me to calm down. I was heavily panting and sweat covered my body. After finally calming down, I slowly raised my hand and covered my face.

"A dream, huh?"

I slowly got off the bed and headed to the shower room. After taking shower, I stood in front of the mirror and looked at my naked body. There was a hideous scar on my side caused on that nightmarish day.

I felt dizzy and nauseated. I gripped the sink and vomited. It had been a while since I had vomited like this. Ah, why did I have to remember that day again?

Ah, this is not good. I need to get back to shape. I can't let others see my weak self. That is something that I could never allow myself to this.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka:

She was the same as usual. She hung out with her friends and chatted normally. But I knew that something was wrong with her.

After I returned to the dorms, I found her already lying on my bed.

She was just lying there doing nothing. Even after I arrived she said nothing and didn't even look at me. She was deep in thought. She was thinking about something and it was something that had shaken her mentally.

"Kei, tell me what's wrong?"

"H-Huh? N-Nothings wrong. See, I am perfectly fine!"

She tried to brush the matter off but she must know that she can't fool me.

"Kei, tell me."

I gripped her hands and forced her to look into my eyes. I would rather not use this method but this time I felt like it was necessary.

"I-I, um, K-Kiyotaka, I, t-that day,..........."

Tears flooded out from her eyes and then she revealed the horrors of her past. About how after she was bullied by her friends she was coaxed by her teacher and taken to the nurse's office. And how there he tried to rape her. And about how after she protested he took a scissor out and threatened her.  And how she received that scar and how nobody believed her.

I knew that the scar on her body wasn't the result of normal bullying but I had never expected that it was during an attempted rape.

She tightly clung to me and wept like a child. Her weeping filled the air with her sorrow and suffering. 

I tightly embraced this weak and yet brave girl and patted her gently.

"Kiyotaka!"

She wrapped her hands around me and wept even more loudly.

Even after being subjected to such harshness, she had the courage to stand back again. She had been all alone. There was no one there for her. How devastating it must have been for the young Kei.

Without realizing it, my embrace had tightened. 

For the first time, I felt a strong emotion emerge from deep within me. It was an emotion I had never known before and it was so strong that I had to wonder whether I was really capable of having such strong feelings.

I had a strong feeling to protect this girl I was embracing. I wanted to protect her from this world that had imposed so much suffering on her. I wanted to cherish this girl that is supposed to be my girlfriend. I knew that I wasn't capable but I wanted her to give all the happiness in the world that she deserved. I wanted to see this girl smile brightly and happily amidst this dark and cruel world.

She continued weeping for a while and eventually fell asleep on my lap. But for the whole night, I continued to hold onto her; yes, I continued to hold onto my desire to cherish her, to protect my girlfriend.

I know that I may not be able to be there for her always. But at least for the remaining time in this school, I want to protect her.