Classroom of the elite short Stories

Rumors - validation

As the door to the rooftop opened, Chabashira-sensei and I broke apart, turning our attention to the interruption. Aoi stood there, looking slightly winded from climbing the stairs to the rooftop.

"Oh, sorry," she said, clearly surprised to see us. "I didn't realise anyone else was up here. I just needed some fresh air."

"It's alright," Chabashira-sensei said, quickly regaining her composure. "We were just getting some air ourselves."

As we stood there, a heavy silence settled over us, and I could feel Aoi's curious gaze on us. It was clear that she had interrupted something, even if she didn't know exactly what it was.

Aoi's eyes darted between us once more, and I could see the gears turning in her head. She clearly wasn't convinced, but she didn't press the issue.

"Alright," she said finally, still looking a bit suspicious. "If you say so, I'll leave you two to get back to your private discussion."

Sae nodded. "I believe we've finished our private discussion," she said, her tone returning to its usual composed manner. "There is no need for you to go, Aoi. I'll be going now."

With that, she left the rooftop, leaving Aoid and me alone.

As Sae left the rooftop, Aoi and I were left alone in the cool evening air. There was a moment of silence as we stood there, the wind blowing gently around us.

I could feel Aoi's eyes on me, and I knew she was waiting for me to speak. But what could I say? I had no way to explain the tension between Sae and me without revealing more than I was willing to.

Finally, Aoi broke the silence. "So," she said slowly, her voice carrying a hint of curiosity. "What was your private discussion with Sensei about? It seemed pretty intense."

"We are talking about class competition."

Aoi nodded slowly, her expression thoughtful. "I see," she said, her tone a bit cautious. "Class competition, huh? I can understand why it might be a sensitive topic, especially in the context of different classes competing against each other."

She paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "But why did the atmosphere feel so tense? Was there something else that happened?"

"Since you are from another class, the situation is intense because we can't discuss our plan in front of other students."

Aoi frowned slightly, considering my words. "Ah, that makes sense," she said, her tone a bit calmer now. "I apologise for interrupting; it wasn't my intention to intrude on your discussion."

"It's alright," I said coolly, my tone neutral. "You didn't know what was going on. Besides, our discussion had reached its natural conclusion anyway."

Aoi nodded, her curiosity satisfied for now. "Well, I won't bother you any further," she said, stepping back towards the door. "I think I'll head back into the building now. It's getting colder out here."

"Has something happened yet?"" I asked.

Aoi froze, her hand on the door handle, and turned back to look at me. There was a flicker of surprise and a hint of unease in her expression, as if my words had hit a nerve. "What do you mean?" she asked, her tone slightly defensive.

I observed her closely, detecting the subtle changes in her expression and body language. "It's obvious something's bothering you," I said. "You came up here looking like you were running from something or that you're frustrated by something. What happened?"

Aoi hesitated for a moment, conflicted. She clearly wanted to keep whatever was troubling her to herself, but my question had put her on the spot. Finally, she sighed and slumped against the door.