Our Ordinary Lives

Chapter 22.5 - Saving Sudo

I may or may not have forgotten to write this in the last chapter sooooooooooo.....

HERE WE ARE.

Ai POV

It had been some time since Kiyotaka, Horikita, and Chabashira-sensei had left the room. Most of my classmates had departed, undoubtedly heading to their dorms to celebrate passing the mid-term exam. All except for Sudo.

As I turned to look at him, I saw the same expression of utter disbelief etched across his face. He hadn't moved from his seat for the last 15 minutes. I could understand why he felt that way. I couldn't possibly imagine how I would react if something like this happened to me. He looked like a lost puppy, and there was a sense of helplessness surrounding him. 

While I would have liked to console thim, I knew that it wasn't my place to get involved. There was nothing I could do and his expulsion was already final. Staying in the classroom wouldn't change anything, and I had spent far too much time just waiting around in the classroom. I wanted to talk to Kiyotaka for a bit, but I could do that another time. I began to pack up my belongings and stood up.

Just as I was about to leave, the door slid open, and in walked Chabshira-sensei. She had a small, almost cryptic smile on her face as she entered the room, her presence commanding attention. Horikita and Kiyotaka trailed behind her.

Chabashira's eyes scanned the room as if she were searching for someone and stopped when she apparently found the person she was looking for. Sudo? She proceeded to walk towards Sudo's desk, causing him to stir from his despair and look up. His face seemed to fall even further when he saw her approaching, probably expecting her to deliver the news of his expulsion. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him. This was likely going to be a difficult moment.

Chabashira: "Sudo, I would like to congratulate you," she said calmly. Did I hear that correctly? At Chabashira sensei spoke her words I felt my eyes widen in shock. I exchanged a puzzled glance with Kiyotaka, wondering about the unexpected turn of events.

Sudo: "Wait, what?" He seemed just as confused as I was.

Chabashira: "You will not be expelled from the school today." What?

Sudo: "WHAT!" He almost shouted the response, bolting up from his desk with a look of pure shock and happiness. "HOW? WHAT HAPPENED?"

Chabashira: "That is not for me to tell." She replied calmly to the now almost shouting Sudo.

Sudo: "THIS IS REAL, RIGHT? THIS ISN'T SOME SORT OF JOKE." I noticed his hands were shaking.

Chabashira gave Sudo a impassive look as she began to formulate her response. She corssed her arms and it almost seemed as if she was not particularily engaged in the current event.

Chabashira: "No. If I were to joke about something like this, it would breach my contract as a teacher. You really are not expelled." Her voice was neutrel but held a faint sense of impatience as she spoke. Sudo stood there in silence, seemingly dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events.

I couldn't help but wonder about the circumstances that led to this outcome. As Chabashira left the room, I turned to look at Kiyotaka and Horikita, hoping to find some clues in their expressions, but their faces were unreadable.

Chabashira: "Well, that's what I came back to tell you. I will be taking my leave, and I expect to see you tomorrow in class." With those last words, Chabashira turned around and left the classroom, leaving only the four of us in the room.

I turned to look back at Kiyotaka, and he met my eye contact, giving me a small nod. He would tell me things later.

Sudo: "So... what happened?" Sudo's voice was tentative. He seemed to have calmed down for the most part, but some aspects of shock could still be seen within him. He also noticed both Horikita and Kiyotaka, turning his attention to them. "What changed?"

Horikita: "Well, what happened was—" Before she could complete her sentence, Kiyotaka interrupted her.

Kiyotaka: "I went to talk to Chabashira-sensei, but Horikita followed and used her own private points to buy you a single mark." Oh? That didn't seem like something Horikita would do. In fact, it was rather out of character for Kiyotaka to interrupt someone else's speech.

Sudo: "Wait what?"

Kiyotaka: "Like I said, Horikita saved you by spending some of her own private points."

Sudo: "B-but aren't we rather low on them right now?"

Kiyotaka: "Yes, she just so happened to have enough to pay for the point increase."

Sudo: "R-really?" He looked at Horikita and Kiyotaka in disbelief. As he did, his mannerisms changed slightly. "Did you really do that just to save me?"

Horikita seemed to uncomfortably look at Kiyotaka and sighed before she responded.

Horikita: "Yes, it is true that I used my own private points to save you."

Sudo: "Really?"

Horikita: "Yes," she replied, seemingly exasperated. 

Sudo: "Why?" His voice was a mix of both gratitude and confusion as he spoke. I don't think he thought that Horikita out of all people would be the one to save him.

Horikita: "Losing you, as much trouble as you are to the class, would be bad overall and might have affected our class points."

Sudo: "O-oh." He quieted down. This was one of the first times I think I've seen Sudo genuinely express an emotion other than anger and displeasure. "W-well, thank you."

Horikita: "Though I hope you use this second chance to begin taking school more seriously."

Sudo: "O-of course."

Horikita: "If you're struggling with any subjects, I can tutor you," she offered.

Sudo: "Really?" He seemed surprised by the offer.

Horikita: "Yes. It's in the best interest of the class that you improve your grades."

Sudo: "Alright then. I'll take you up on that offer, Horikita."

More chapters soon