—

15.0

—

It was a few minutes past seven. Diya and I ascended the fleet of stairs under the darkened night sky, not uttering a word to one another. The sound of our footsteps on the wet surface was the only sound that accompanied us. We soon arrived at the end of the stairs and were greeted by the overlook. Not surprisingly, there was no one present except for the two other individuals waiting for us: Cohen and Harley.

When Cohen saw us approaching, he bolted forward, seemingly ready to attack. I braced myself, but he stopped just inches away from me.

“You bastard,” he spat, his eyes filled with rage as he attempted to intimidate me with his stature. I stood my ground, unfazed.

“Was I called here so you could antagonise me, or is there something else you both need?” I said, moving past him and addressing Harley.

“Cohen, can you stop?” She said, her voice a mixture of frustration and exhaustion.

“I should stop? It’s not like your name is being dragged through the mud and coming under investigation,” he lashed out at her. I watched as she visibly clenched her fist.

“We brought that upon ourselves, so just stop it, alright?” Harley said firmly. Cohen reluctantly backed off, returning to stand by her side.

“I don't remember asking you to bring anyone with you,” Cohen remarked, referring to Diya, who had remained silent and watched the whole thing unfold.

“So it was you who sent the text using Harley’s phone?” I asked, referring to the message I received about meeting here.

“Of course. Would you have come if I texted you directly?” Cohen retorted. I contemplated his question; maybe I would have come out just like now.

“I don't know. And Diya stays,” I said.

“Whatever,” he scoffed.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why we called you here?” Harley asked.

“You need an explanation, don’t you? How was I able to crack through your plan and still reveal your bullying scheme to everyone despite your best efforts to curb it?” I said. She did not respond, biting her bottom lip as I read them so easily.

“It’s really simple,” I began as Diya leaned against the railing, listening intently.

“Let’s start with Ryo. He approached me right after the in-class voting and said he wanted to join my team. Normally, I wouldn't have been concerned about that; however, what he said during my questioning tipped me off. Despite not knowing what my true goals were, he claimed to support me. Hazel and I deduced that he must be working for someone, and later concluded it was someone from your class,” I explained.

“But…” Harley started, but Cohen abruptly cut her off.

“Continue,” he said. I found the gesture suspicious, wondering what she was about to say. Regardless, I chose to proceed.

“The next thing was choosing the representatives. At that point, you decided to stop anyone from joining other groups; obviously, it was clear you wanted to push us towards a particular person. Considering Harley had always been planted at the library as bait, it shows that you have been planning this for quite a while. We always had suspicions that Harley might try something against us, but I'll be honest, the bullying ploy actually did work on me. The issue is that maintaining such a scheme required tons of effort and coordination, which led to plenty of cracks showing themselves. The first sign of suspicion came when I visited your class to confront you. Ohara. Does this name ring a bell?” I watched as the mention of her name made Harley shrink back a little.

“She is your close friend, and I did meet her briefly during our first encounter. I didn't think anything of it when I saw her there, but I noticed whenever we met up, you had her books. This made me assume that you guys were still friends in secret despite the bullying order by Cohen, but I did notice her at your seat when I entered the classroom that day, something that Cohen wouldn't have allowed,” I explained.

“I see,” Harley replied, her face laden with guilt.

“Your sister also helped quite a lot,” I added.

“What?” She was surprised by what I had said, rightfully so.

“Basically, she confirmed that you were still hanging out with your friends and that you were also attending the party at the club. Don't worry, I didn't interact with her directly. Someone I know in her class did,” I added quickly, hoping to curb any troublesome thoughts that might arise.

“On the day of the party, I confirmed that you went into a private booth with your friends. Not just that; Cohen was also present. That was the deciding factor for me. At the time, Hazel and I had already started hiding things from both you and Sullivan because of trust issues. We began holding separate meetings with Sullivan later on, and during meetings with you, we only discussed half-truths. This led to everything that happened today,” I revealed.

Cohen let out a bitter laugh, covering his face with his hand. His anger was palpable.

“The post I made, as you’ve already seen, included evidence to push the narrative that you bullied Harley despite this not being true. Including your classmates talking about it and also video evidence showing the bullying happening,” I added.

“How did you get the video evidence?” Cohen asked, his voice tinged with frustration.

“I have my ways,” I said, still maintaining my calm demeanour.

“Keeping quiet, huh? Scummy bastard,” he muttered, beginning to walk towards me.

“Cohen!” Harley yelled, attempting to stop him, but he persisted in his approach. I stood my ground, unbothered. Soon, we stood shoulder to shoulder.

“Just know that I am wishing for the downfall of you and your accomplice,” he hissed.

“I’ll be sure to pass on the message,” I said calmly as he walked away, leaving just the three of us behind.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

“I hope you can understand why he’s acting like this,” Harley said, trying to elicit some sympathy for him.

“I see no difference in the way he’s acted towards me,” I replied.

“As for me, I’m not trying to beg for your forgiveness or anything like that. What I did was messed up and deceitful, so let me give you one piece of advice at least,” Harley remarked, quickly drawing my attention. “Earlier, you mentioned Ryo; he’s from Class 2, right?”

“Yeah, what about him?” I asked.

“Let me be blunt. We had nothing to do with his situation,” she said, my eyes widening in surprise.

“What?” I said, unable to hide my shock.

“Exactly. This Ryo thing is a first for me and probably for Cohen,” she explained.

“I see. Thanks for the warning,” I said.

“I’ll leave you two then,” Harley said, turning and walking away from the overlook. After I was sure she was gone, I turned my attention to Diya, who had remained silent, a lollipop in her mouth.

“What’s your take on all this?” I asked, needing a new perspective.

“Well, from everything that was said, it’s easy to say that there are more people at play,” Diya said thoughtfully.

“Exactly,” I agreed as I felt a drop of water land on my shoulder. “We should head back now,” I said to Diya. She stood up, and together, we made our way down the steps.

“Honestly, all this seems really entertaining but stressful,” she said with a cheerful tone.

“Yeah, you’re not wrong about that one,” I agreed, stepping carefully on the wet stairs. “What she said was really interesting, though. If we are to believe her, then someone else is responsible for Ryo making contact with me.”

“Couldn’t it just be his plan alone?” Diya asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.

“Yes, I do consider that an option,” I responded, kicking a small pebble off the step and watching it bounce away.

“But damn, Cohen must be under so much pressure,” Diya said.

“Well, he did bring this upon himself. What other option did he have?” I said, stretching my arms in the air and yawning as a wave of weariness hit me suddenly.

“He could possibly blame it on the entire class,” Diya said, twirling the lollipop in her mouth.

“That is true. Maybe pinning the blame on one person was a mistake,” I murmured, stroking my chin thoughtfully.

“Maybe, but that makes me wonder why you didn't expose the entire class. I mean, the evidence is there,” Diya pointed out, tilting her head.

“That’s a very good…” I stopped in my tracks, a sudden realisation hitting me. How? That was the question that raced through my mind. I needed a way to confirm it, though, as the circumstances were too vague. “Diya, what you said just made me think of something. I need you to follow my train of thought here. First of all, I need to tell you something that even Hazel is not aware of at this point.”

“Oh? This must be big,” she said excitedly.

“Yesterday, I received an anonymous envelope containing a flash drive that had a folder filled with evidence pertaining to the planning and execution of the fake bullying of Harley by Class 3,” I revealed.

“Wait. An anonymous sender?” She asked, her eyebrows knitting together in surprise.

“Yep. At the time, I didn't have anything concrete but I did have an idea. Everything that happened during the debate was all my doing, but I still decided to post the evidence and frame it in a way that blamed Cohen for everything,” I explained, watching her reaction closely.

“But why?” She asked.

“The reason is that despite everything, Harley was still a member of my team. It would look really bad if she was involved with this, hence why I decided to go for sympathy on her behalf,” I said.

“That is crazy. And I am sure Harley has no inclination to reveal the truth since she is technically safe. Now Cohen’s statement earlier makes sense,” Diya pointed out, nodding slowly.

“This onlooker, as they refer to themselves, was aware of everything and wanted to help me. From what we know, Ryo was acting independently or was in cahoots with someone else. This onlooker is my biggest problem because I am unsure of what their goals are,” I said.

“I see. At first glance, it seems they do want to help you, but then I begin wondering, why and what's with the secrecy?” she said.

“Exactly my point. The person has to be in a position where they do not want to reveal themselves, plus there are also the students who gave their testimony. Despite them being anonymous, I doubt they would willingly give up so much information unless something was used against them,” I said.

“Are you thinking about power and position?” She asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“Possibly, but I can't say for sure,” I said, sighing.

“That would mean that there are two unknowns, then. Ryo and the unknown sender. There is a possibility they are one and the same,” she said.

“True,” I sighed again. “I guess I just need more evidence then.”

“Damn, a real mystery thriller,” Diya exclaimed, beaming at me excitedly. “I can be your assistant in this case, you know.”

“But you are always busy,” I pointed out, giving her a sideways glance.

“I can make time for you,” she said, then quickly pulled back, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink. “I… I didn't mean it that way… just forget what I said,” she added, moving behind me to hide her embarrassment. I could only chuckle at her antics.

“Thanks for coming with me, by the way,” I said, appreciating her support.

“It is nothing; besides, I am happy filling in for Hazel. She needs to rest as she has been stressed these past few days,” Diya said, her concern for our friend evident.

“I take full responsibility for that,” I admitted, feeling a stab of remorse.

“No. She, too, loves overworking herself beyond her limits. I am sure she is probably passed out on her bed from exhaustion right now,” she said, and I remained quiet, unsure of how to respond. But she continued, “That’s true. I am going to be heading home next week.”

“Home? Why?” I asked, a bit concerned.

“Oh, it's nothing serious, just my mom's birthday, and I need to be there,” Diya explained.

“When are you…” my question was interrupted as the raindrops began increasing in intensity. We both looked at each other and knew that was our signal to run back to our rooms before we were fully soaked in the downpour.

We broke into a sprint, the rain pouring down harder, drenching us within moments. The sound of our footsteps splashing through puddles filled the air, as we raced against the weather.

—

15.1

—

The rising sun and chirping birds signalled the start of a new day, a welcome contrast to the storm that had raged the night before. The lingering raindrops from the downpour glistened on leaves and grass, adding a touch of magic to the morning as I made my way to the administrative building near the school gate. Usually, I would head to the academic building for classes, but today was different.

As I entered the building, I greeted a few staff members with polite nods and smiles. Their responses were warm, though slightly distracted, as they were already immersed in their morning routines. I climbed the stairs to the second floor, my footsteps echoing softly in the quiet hallway. I soon stopped at an elegantly designed door with a plaque reading “Student Council Office.” This would be my office for the next year.

“Wait for us!” a voice cried from down the hall. I turned to find Sullivan rushing towards me, with Hazel following at a more measured pace.

“Finally here,” Sullivan panted, bending over to catch his breath.

“I didn't expect you to rush over here,” I remarked, surprised by his enthusiasm.

“Well, I am here, aren't I?” Sullivan replied, straightening up as he regained his composure. Hazel joined us, a calm presence beside Sullivan's breathless energy. “Bumped into her on the way here,” he explained, nodding towards Hazel.

We all turned to face the door together. “Do you think she would come?” Sullivan voiced the question we were all thinking.

I felt a pang of uncertainty but pushed it aside. “We will have to see,” Hazel answered, ever practical. She then looked at me expectantly. “Want to do the honours?”

I nodded and pushed the doorknob open, revealing the grand room inside. A large meeting table dominated the centre, surrounded by four office chairs. To the side, a coffee table and two sofas provided a more relaxed seating area. A large bookshelf lined one wall, opposite a desktop computer. At the far end, in front of a window with a view of the campus, was a desk with a single chair. The room's modernist design was reflected in the sleek, functional furniture.

We stood in silence for a while, taking everything in. Then I clasped my hands together. “Alright, everyone, let's get to work cleaning and setting up this place,” I said.

Sullivan and Hazel nodded in accord. We were ready to begin when a voice came from behind us. “Hope I can be of use here.”

We turned to find Harley standing in the doorway, nervously biting her lip. Despite her betrayal and deceitful actions, she was still a team member. Plus, I could use her in this game of wits. I put on the best smile I could muster.

“Of course you can, Harley. Glad to have you here,” I said.