Starting in class C: not completely defective.

Arc 6 epilogue part 2: reintroduction

"So, what's the real story behind your absence?" Matsushita asked me.

"What did the school tell you?" I asked.

"You've been studying abroad, apparently."

"Then that's where I've been," I replied.

"Bullshit. Kouenji said something about Kushida, and that you should be dead. I have a right to know, I just helped your class in an exam," she yelled.

"Please keep it down. Fine, I'll tell you. A few days after the sports festival, Kushida asked me to meet her alone on the rooftop at lunch. She stole my phone so I couldn't call for backup, and then Kanzaki, Nagumo and Kouenji, along with Kushida herself, started to beat the shit out of me. I could definitely handle one, or maybe even two of them alone, but not four of them. When fighting more than one opponent, it becomes increasingly difficult to fight," I explained.

"And then, Kushida took it one step too far?" She asked.

"I'll get to that. Before I went up there, I told my friends to come to the rooftop after 10 minutes, if I hadn't already been at the cafeteria by then. When they arrived, the two groups clashed. I managed to escape in the confusion, but I was seriously injured: 2 broken ribs, a broken nose and a concussion were the worst of my injuries, along with a few major bruises and some internal bleeding. Even though that was bad, I would be able to survive without specialist treatment, just a few months of bed rest," I continued.

"Oh my gosh, how painful. But that doesn't explain how Kushida tried to kill you. Didn't you escape?" She interrupted.

"I'm getting to it, hold your horses. Now, as I was saying, I managed to slip away during the brawl. I had told Honami to come to the rooftop if I wasn't at the lunch within 20 minutes. I knew I'd be injured, and she was the only person I trusted who wasn't on the rooftop already. I was halfway down the stairwell when I saw Honami coming towards me. In my current state, I wasn't able to sense the danger behind me. I called out to Honami, and Kushida had stabbed me in the back, narrowly missing my left lung."

Matsushita gasped.

"What happened afterwards?" She asked.

"I was taken to hospital and treated. After I was allowed to leave, I went to my mother's house in Kyoto for a few months, where I recuperated and recovered my strength. I only arrived back at school a few hours ago." I decided to leave the part about me having to escape the hospital and stealing a car out of my explanation. Matsushita didn't need to know that.

"And what about Kushida?" She asked.

"Last I saw of her, she was being dragged away by campus security. She's probably in some form of official custody now, so I don't think I'll be seeing her again any time soon. Did the school say anything else about either me or Kushida?" I asked.

"No. According to Chabashira-sensei, Kushida dropped out of the school," she said.

Good. I didn't ever want to see that girl again.

"Well, what's this about you helping class A in a special exam?"

"Ahaha, well, it's sort of a funny story, really..." Matsushita and I talked for a little while, and then I returned to Fuka's room.

"You were gone for a while. Run in to trouble?" She asked when I came back a full hour from when I had left to get a snack.

"Just...catching up with a few friends," I said, vaguely.

I got onto the bed and kissed Fuka on the lips.

Next morning, 07:30

Today was the day I would reintroduce myself to my friends. I had a special surprise for Ryuuen. This would scare the shit out of him.