Classroom Of The Elite Volume 9 (Chapter 4) – Introduction (Ichinose’s Secret, Kamuro’s Secret)

Four days passed since Kanzaki had confronted Hashimoto. It was a Friday.

The rumors about Ichinose kept spreading day by day and they had spread to the point where it is not an exaggeration to say that each and every one student was aware about them.

However, it seemed that Ichinose herself had not reported anything to the school.

She still didn’t seem to be bothered by it, and she spent her days as if everything was normal.

Even if there was a huge spreading of malicious rumors to the point of harassment, Ichinose remained dauntless.

And as she had expected, eventually, a portion of the students started raising their voice in support of her.

They said things like: “After all a rumor is just a rumor”, “She was framed by utter lies”, “These are all lies”.

As the saying goes, a rumor only lasts for 75 days after all.

The strategy to defame Ichinose misfired. She succeeded in surviving through her silence.

Everyone started to shift their minds as they began their strenuous efforts, for the year-end exams.

However, at that time there was an incident that ignited the rumors again.

It was Friday, after school.

As I was getting back to my dorm, I saw a large group of people gathering in the lobby.

I had a feeling that it was a scene that I had seen before

“Deja vu”

To make the scene more interesting, Katsuragi was standing at the exact same place as he was the last time.

What was different from the last time was Yahiko, who was standing beside him.

Since there was no one else that I was familiar with, I decided to talk to them.

“What is the cause of this ruckus?”

“Oh! It seems that letters were sent to our mailboxes. It is quite similar to that incident that happened before”

Katsuragi folded his arms and cleared his throat with a sigh.

“Didn’t you receive one as well, Ayanokouji?”

Yahiko urged me to go and see and I nodded lightly.

“I’ll go and check, just to be sure”

I went to my mailbox, turned the correct dial and looked inside.

In there, someone had put carefully a message on a piece of paper folded in the same fourfold format as the previous time.

It crossed my mind that if this is the same type as the one from the past the message will be written in printed characters, in other words, all these found on our mailboxes are printed copies.

Of course, it was difficult to understand, if that piece of a fourfold paper was a handwritten letter or a printed copy. 

So, I unfolded the paper, slowly.

[Ichinose Honami is a criminal]

That’s what was written.

A sentence that reminded me of a rumor that was about to calm down.

Moreover, this time, unlike before, she is called ‘a criminal.’

Although there was no mention of what happened in order to deserve that title….

“I’m sure that Ichinose will be shocked by this tasteless prank”

“But, if someone writes in such a bold manner, there are a lot of problems that might occur for the sender. You just send malicious threats two or three times, and there is no problem at all?”

Yahiko asked Katsuragi how the existence of these letters is not considered a hostile move.

“Certainly, the situation is quite different from before. At that time, Ichinose was only accused that she might have illegally accumulated personal points. But It was proven that it was nothing illegal. Even the school for the first time made an official statement by recognizing her large accumulation of points as valid. However, this time it is clear that the objective of these letters is to defame Ichinose. If she reports it, then there’s a possibility that the school will help her to track down those who send the letters”

“Then, we are talking about an idiot”

“No, I would not say that”

“Really? Why, though?”

“That person is not the type that would not understand such a simple thing”

“Eh?… Could it be that you Katsuragi-san know who is the culprit behind those rumors?”

“I am really far from figuring it out”

Even though Sakayanagi was giving me a hint, she did not admit to the accusations openly. Hashimoto may have been working alone, or he may have been working on the project under the instructions of someone from the second or third year students. There is also the possibility that the source of the rumor is someone entirely different.

However, Katsuragi almost admitted that he had a clue about the origin of the rumor.

If that’s the case, I wonder if Sakayanagi’s name will come to the surface.

“Whether or not the school takes action, it depends on Ichinose who is the centre of this matter”

The person who sent these copied letters is convinced that Ichinose won’t report it to the school authorities, just like what happened with the rumors. That she is going to stay silent no matter what.

If Ichinose does not take action about the rumors and the letters, the school won’t do anything.

In the middle of all this, Ichinose returned back to the dorm. She was probably contacted by her Class B classmates about the situation and she rushed back.

At once, a friend of hers handed her the printed letter and she looked through it.

Me, Katsuragi and about 10 other students stood still, watching at Ichinose.

“……….”

Ichinose did not speak, she was just staring down at the letter

It takes only a second for the brain to read one line.

It took her tens of seconds, by the looks of it, she was reading that one line again and again.

“This was sent to your mailboxes?…”

“Yeah… What a horrible thing to do. This message was sent to every first-year mailbox…”

Amikura Mako, a girl from Class B came closer to Ichinose as if to hug her.

“Listen, you don’t have to put up with it anymore. Shall we go and talk to the teachers? We can’t just tolerate something like this.”

“That’s right. If we go to the teachers, they will definitely find the culprit!”

Until that moment, there had been invisible rumors, but this time, it was different.

There were potential physical evidence that someone keeps attacking Ichinose with malicious intent.

“It’s okay. I do not care much about it”

“You..You can’t do this anymore. If you keep staying silent Honami-chan, it will be getting worse and worse.”

It is understandable that her classmates tried hard to persuade Ichinose to reconsider her stance.

Even if 9 out of 10 people do not believe the rumors, that 1 person remaining who believes in them is still a big deal. That person’s image of Ichinose Honami will slowly take a turn for the worse.

There is no hesitation for her in keeping silent, but the people surrounding her have the opposite opinion.

They are trying to help Ichinose in any way they can. If she proves that she is innocent, it will lead to the punishment of the culprit. However, this could also drive Ichinose into a corner.

“I am sorry. I keep causing trouble for all of you. But, please, do not worry about me”

She said that with a smile towards the girls of Class B.

Definitely, these letters were put in our mailboxes late at night. Most likely in the middle of the night when everyone has fallen asleep. Because early in the morning the students who check their mailboxes are just a few, the big discovery happened after school when we return to our dorms.

What had to happen next is for someone to find the letter and tell Ichinose.

There was a girl watching carefully the anxious reactions of Class B.

Katsuragi kept staring at her with a sharp look in his eyes.

First-year Class A Kamuro Masumi. A girl who usually walks around close to Sakayanagi, but today she seemed to be alone.

“Is something wrong with Kamuro?”

“No… nothing”

Katsuragi did not give an answer. He threw the letter into the trash can and pressed the button of the elevator. Since the elevator was already in the lobby, Katsuragi and Yahiko got on. Until the very last moment that the doors closed their faces remained grim. As I was watching the elevator going up, I decided to go back to my room.