Cote: Retelling

Chapter 8.1: *snap* And There Goes Normality

(This and Chapter 8 are kinda connected, some I'm posting them together)

"I used up all my points...what am I gonna do? I should still be able to get by, but what about next month?"

"What does she mean, only class A gets special treatment? Is this even legal? Isn't this fraudulent advertising?"

"Shit, shit..."

During the break, the class has devolved into distress. *snap* And there goes normality, I thought.

"Forget the points, why in the world was I placed in this class!? Why am I in class D?" Yukimura screeched in resentment.

"Does this mean we can't get into college? Does the school hate us?"

"Everyone, I understand you're all confused, but for now please calm down." Hirata stands up and speaks with a gentle tone, but you can see sweat trickling down his forehead. There isn't a single person unaffected by this. Well, except me and Kouenji, I suppose.

"How are we supposed to calm down!? Aren't you frustrated? The school decided we were a bunch of failures!"

"Yukimura-kun, I'm frustrated too. But even then, we should calm down and think of solutions together."

"Solutions? The solution would've been to not have been placed in this class! What is this, why am I here, where did I make a mistake..." Yukimura's usual quiet, studious behaviour has disappeared, leaving behind a confused child.

"There's nothing we can do now but move forward, Yukimura-kun. We can't change the fact we're all in class D-"

Suddenly, Yukimura grabs Hirata by the collar.

"I. Don't. Belong. Here. I'm not a goddamn failure."

"Yukimura-kun, Hirata-kun, please calm down. I'm sure the teacher told us off so harshly to encourage us to work hard." Kushida's clear voice tries to cut through the uncomfortable atmosphere, but in this situation, even that's not enough.

"Encourage? Well she did a damn good job. Competing with the rest of our year with futures on the line...What nonsense is this? Isn't this supposed to be a school?" Hondo mutters loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Confusion, irritation, humiliation and frustration is all bubbling up, engulfing the class in a giant melting pot of chaos. Despair's dancing about in the air, playing a song while snapping in a rhythm.

Somehow, I feel sticky. Like there's tar in my throat, like the air has turned into liquid, like what I imagine a bird soaked in oil feels like, like... My mind whirs, and in a motion of half logic, part instinct and some other, third thing, I stand up and bring my hands together. Then, in a split second...

*CLAP*

*CLAP*

Two loud claps ring about the room and synchronize. Somehow, Kushida and I clapped at the same time.

"Oh, uhhh...?" We awkwardly stare at each other, not sure what to do. Everyone's surprised too and gets swept up in the awkwardness alongside us.

"You go first."

"Oh, um, everyone, calm down. It's only been a month since we've come to this school. Thinking about it, we still have the rest of our school year and two years after that. There's no reason to fall apart now when we still have so many chances left for us. And to take those chances, we should all work together instead of getting frustrated about things we don't know. Like Hirata-kun said, what's wrong with working together? Let's just do the best we can for now. Ok, everyone?"