The moment Nene spoke, Shoot’s heart quickened. But immediately, a wave of confusion washed over him.

“Nene and I barely interact; we’ve had almost no opportunities to talk. Why would you… confess to me?”

“It’s true, we haven’t talked much, even though we’re in the same class…. But I’ve been interested in you for a while! I didn’t have the courage to talk to you until now…”

Nene giggled softly. Shoot couldn't help but voice his negative thoughts.

“I see. But… as you know, I’m bullied in this class. Someone like me… we wouldn’t be a match…”

“I don’t care about that! Honestly, I’ve wanted to stop Nakazato and the others from bullying you, but I was too scared to do it alone… I haven’t been able to do anything until now.

And to think they're bullying you, of all people! It’s awful, utterly awful!”

Shoot’s eyes widened in astonishment at Nene’s unexpected confession. He never imagined that Nene Itakura, popular throughout the school, would be so worried about his bullying and would want to stop it.

He had believed that there was no one on his side in this school. But Nene’s confession gave him a glimmer of hope.

“—I really think bullying is wrong! You reported it to the teachers yourself, right? That Nakazato and the others are bullying you. But… no one believed you, right?

From now on, I’ll go with you to talk to the teachers directly! I may be saying this myself, but I’m pretty well-known in school, so I think at least someone will believe what we say.”

“…………!”

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t help you until now. You must have been suffering so much…

I’ll do everything I can to help stop your bullying!

So, starting with just being friends—will you go out with me!?”

Nene's apology and kind words soothed Shoot's frayed heart. Her hopeful, upward gaze as she asked him out made his heart race.

(—Ah…. There was still hope in this school. I never imagined that Itakura would care so much about me…)

Shoot decided to stop doubting Nene. It would be unthinkable to doubt her after she had said all that. He was beginning to develop feelings for her.

Nene’s confession was like a divine blessing to Shoot. But he was a victim of bullying, at the very bottom of the class hierarchy. Nene Itakura, on the other hand, was the most popular student in the class and the whole school. Shoot knew that they were an uneven match.

Even so, she had asked him out. He couldn't miss this opportunity, he thought firmly.

Overwhelmed by her concern and willingness to help, Shoot had no more doubts—

“—I’d be delighted to!!”

—He joyfully accepted Nene’s offer.

He might be able to stop the bullying, get revenge on Nakazato, and make school enjoyable again, Shoot’s spirits soared.

He was about to approach Nene, who was smiling happily at his reply—when it happened.

Click… “…? What?”

Shoot stopped in his tracks at the sound of a camera shutter from a distance. He looked in that direction and saw a girl standing there, her phone pointed at them.

“Pathetic…”

Then, he heard a voice filled with contempt.

“Itakura…?”

Shoot looked at Nene with a bewildered expression. Her expression had changed abruptly into one of mocking laughter.

“You actually believed that confession? You’re such an idiot, it’s disgusting.”

Shoot was stunned by Nene's harsh words. She was completely different from the girl just moments ago. He also noticed the girl with the phone and felt a terrible premonition.

As if confirming his fears, several students entered the classroom. They weren't strangers; they were his tormentors. All of them were grinning maliciously at Shoot.

“What’s wrong, spaced out? Did you really believe that confession?”

Nakazato sneered, full of scorn.

“How could you, a bottom-feeder like you, think you’d get a confession?”

Tanimoto and Ohigashi echoed his words, showering Shoot with abuse. Shoot finally understood what was happening.

“Oh, so I was deceived.”

“Ahahaha! Yes, it’s called a false confession, you idiot! You fell for my lie!”

Itakura laughed cruelly. A false confession… used to make the recipient the laughingstock. That’s exactly what was happening to Shoot now.

“There’s no way someone like you, a bullied loser, would get a real confession!”

She looked down on him with utter disdain, as if he were garbage.

“…So, this is how it ends. I’m suffering this injustice…”

Shoot’s heart was shattered and cold. It was as if the light he had grasped had been extinguished, replaced by despair and betrayal.

“You were hilarious during lunchtime! You fell for Nene’s act perfectly. And guess what? Nene's going out with me now.”

“Huh? I didn’t intend to date you either?”

“Whoa! I got rejected too?”

Ignoring the still-stunned Shoot, Nakazato and the others engaged in casual conversation. Soon, the taunts resumed, mocking Shoot for his misplaced hope.

“So, did we get a good shot of him approaching Nene?”

“It's perfect!”

“This looks like it proves Mitsuki was stalking Itakura.”

“…What?”

Shoot had to ask when he heard Ohigashi's words.

“It’ll be that you were stalking her, that you called her to an empty classroom today, and threatened her into a relationship! Tomorrow is going to be fun!”

“What… are you talking about? That’s utter nonsense!”

“Whose words do you think everyone will believe—yours or those of the popular Itakura? It’s just like what happened to me, you idiot!”

Nakazato shoved a middle finger in Shoot's face, showering him with insults and laughter. Itakura and the others joined in with contemptuous laughter.

The classroom was filled with nothing but pure malice. People who would exploit others' feelings, for their amusement, were all around Shoot.

“What the hell are you guys doing…? You’re just tearing me down… ! Why did even Itakura…”

“Hey, why are you suddenly using my first name? It's creepy. Anyway, Nakazato and the others asked me, and it seemed like fun, so I helped them.

Also, I just find it unpleasant to have someone like you in the same school.”

“You’re playing with people's feelings for such a ridiculous reason… !?”

Shoot’s anger visibly mounted as he glared at Itakura.

“W-what? Why are you yelling at me?”

“Hey Mitsuki, don’t glare at Nene-chan!”

THUD! “…!”

Tanimoto, enraged, shoved Shoot, sending him sprawling to the floor amidst overturned desks. Nakazato and the others looked down on him and sneered before leaving the classroom.

The next day, Itakura’s false confession, far from remaining a secret among Nakazato's group, spread throughout the class.

The false confession itself would have been bad enough. However, it was twisted into a narrative where Shoot had been stalking Itakura and had threatened her into a relationship in an empty classroom.

A fabricated story circulated, portraying Nakazato and his friends as rescuing Itakura from Shoot. Shoot was completely cast as the villain. With the influential Nakazato and Itakura spreading the tale, classmates readily believed it, turning against Shoot—whispering behind his back and ignoring him.

(I can’t take this anymore…)

No longer wanting to stay in the classroom, Shoot decided to feign illness and leave early.

“S-Shoot… Mitsuki-kun! There’s still class, what are you doing, are you leaving?”

As he was about to leave the classroom with his bag at the end of the morning classes, Kumi stopped him.

“…I feel really sick. I’ll get seriously ill if I don’t get out of here even for a second.”

Kumi, noticing Shoot showed no signs of illness, asked him hesitantly, echoing her discomfort from the previous day.

“Could it be… that you’re worried about what happened this morning? The rumours about you…?”

“You probably think I'm some kind of stalker too, don't you?! That complete lie… you probably…”

“N-no! I know you wouldn’t do something like that—”

“I’m leaving this school and transferring to a normal one!”

Shouting at Kumi in anger, Shoot violently slid open the door and left the classroom early.

“Shoot, you…”

Kumi couldn’t chase after him, only able to sadly whisper his name.