Classroom of The Elite: A simple task

The Mask Slips

Kushida pov:

I woke up feeling tired still but I knew I had to get up, So I got up looking at my bed contemplating going back to sleep as I do every morning I hate going to school but for my goal I have to grin and bare it, 

I got dressed in my school uniform putting on my Signature short skirt, blouse, and crimson red blazer, I splashed water on my face getting the crust in my eyes from sleeping out. Looking in the mirror, I put on my friendly face, the one everyone at school expected to see. As I walked through the dorm, I said hello to people, but something felt strange. Their smiles didn't reach their eyes. I tried to ignore it, thinking it was just a weird day.

In class, things felt even stranger. People were acting off, but I couldn't put my finger on why. I tried to focus on my lessons, but the uneasy feeling stuck with me, making it hard to concentrate.

As I stuffed my books into my bag, gearing up to leave the classroom for lunch, Matsushita Chiaki approached, her gaze had a look of hatred in it. "Hey," she said, her voice steady, "cut the act. We all have seen your true colors."

I blinked, taken aback for a moment, but I quickly regained my composure, a practiced smile playing on my lips. "What are you talking about?" I replied, my tone innocent, though a hint of defensiveness seeped in. "I don't know what you mean, Chiaki. I'm just being myself."

Chiaki's eyes grow even angrier at my statement. "Don't call me Chiaki your not my friend anymore not after what you said about me," she shot back, her voice firm. "We've all seen the video on the school forum. Everyone knows who you truly are. Pretending won't change that."

I felt a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach, but I plastered on a smile, trying to deflect her accusations. "Videos can be misleading," I retorted, my voice falsely light. "You shouldn't believe everything you see, Matsushita."

She folded her arms across her chest, unyielding. "Actions speak louder than words," she said pointedly. She played a video that made me break inside now I knew that history had to repeat itself.

As the video played, revealing my moments of frustration vented on the rooftop, I watched in horror as my merciless insults filled the screen. There were not just one, but multiple videos, a total of 20, posted for the entire school to see. Each insult was like a punch to the gut, and my facade began to crack with every word.

The documentary-style narration only made it worse. "Here we have a wild Kushida insulting Horikita after taking too much stress from her denial to be friends," the voice over mocked. Another scene played, and I winced as my own voice echoed, criticizing Chihiro Shiranami from class B for her feelings towards Ichinose Honami.

One by one, the videos tore down my carefully constructed facade. I felt a surge of frustration, anger, and embarrassment welling up inside me. 

Unable to contain my emotions any longer, I grabbed my chair and slammed it into Chiaki's face with all my strength. The sound of impact echoed through the room, and in that moment, my facade shattered completely, revealing the raw and vulnerable emotions I had tried so hard to hide.

"Do you even understand how stressful it is to be kind to everyone and do things most people wouldn't even consider? It's incredibly challenging. Do you grasp how difficult that is?"

I stood my ground, driving my foot into her face, pinning her down to the floor as I continued.

"Every single day, I have to endure the way boys leer at me like creeps. I have to endure the whispers and gossip you girls spread behind my back. I endure it all." All the pent-up emotions from the past months came pouring out, a torrent that washed away my stress. Yelling at the rooftop couldn't even compare to the relief I felt in that moment.