Steven continued to look at me with his serene gaze. It was as if I hadn't just asked a question that implied such a grave accusation. He let out a sigh and said:
"The truth is that I didn't. I didn't kill any student, but I can tell you why I'm known for it."
I felt relieved. Steven truly didn't seem like a bad person, so I trusted him. On top of that, he was offering to explain what had happened, and I was eager to listen.
"S-so... you'll really tell me?"
"Of course. Many people in this school spread negative rumors about me, so it would be even worse if I didn't explain myself. I wouldn't want to lose a friendship like yours over something that can simply be clarified... but... will you trust me?"
"Yes."
If I truly saw myself as someone who trusts others to build a healthier society, I would trust him even more now that he was my friend.
Steven seemed deeply moved and happy about that, and I completely understood that feeling. Being isolated and condemned by everyone... I know exactly what that's like.
He sighed in relief and began to speak:
"I'll be honest, Bonnie. I knew a boy named Craig. He was my childhood friend, someone I could count on. But when he came to this school, he started becoming stranger, day by day. At some point, I realized my friend was allied with a mysterious figure who was orchestrating schemes in our class behind the scenes."
"Wait... You're saying there's someone manipulating everyone and you don't know who it is?"
Steven sighed.
"That's exactly it, Bonnie. But I found a way to expose at least Craig. I didn't want to do it because he was my dear friend... But it was the only way to at least reduce that sadistic manipulation."
"I-I see... But then... did you kill him?"
"No, of course not. What I did was expose Craig to the entire class, making it impossible for him to carry out his shadowy manipulations."
"I understand, but... what about them calling you a murderer?"
Steven looked down, seeming a bit uncomfortable. He clenched his hands and said:
"After I did that... Craig... took his own life."
I fell silent after hearing that. So Steven hadn't killed anyone. In fact, Craig had committed suicide. But why?
"Craig probably did what he did because he was being manipulated by the person behind it all, whose identity I don't know, Bonnie. But before doing it, Craig recorded and posted a video on social media. He lamented everything that had happened and pointed to me as the one responsible for the class turning against him, and not only that, but for his decision to take his own life. The person manipulating him surely did this to turn everyone against me."
All the pieces were falling into place. The hatred Steven received stemmed from someone's manipulation, someone whose identity was unknown. But what would this person gain by losing an ally and condemning Steven?
"They likely knew I was Craig's friend and decided to use me as bait to draw attention while they carried out some plan. They'd lose an ally but advance their scheme and take me down, as I was gradually uncovering what was going on. It was an efficient way to kill two birds with one stone."
Now everything made sense. It was a lot of information to process... I mean... someone literally died because of this kind of thing. That explained why Steven was probably known even outside the school.
To think my parents sent me here despite this scandal...
"I-isn't this really serious? I mean... killing someone just for that..."
Steven looked at me seriously.
"I think you haven't realized, Bonnie. This boarding school was designed to simulate this kind of thing. Here, you have money, a house, jobs, and all your agreements are sealed with a document. But obviously, there's the other side of society: the side of dishonesty, theft, and even murder. Everyone is trying to gain power."
I finally understood the situation I was in. This boarding school was extremely dangerous, and one wrong move could even result in death. Come to think of it, Mike could have done whatever he wanted with me if he'd won the bet, and he'd just be fulfilling the contract. It was as if this school was an entire city with completely different laws.
"But Steven... How hasn't a school like this been shut down...? I mean... I didn't know about this side of the school until I got here, and I'm at great risk..."
Steven looked at me seriously, but his eyes were clearly laughing. He put his hand on his head and said:
"Because the system doesn't operate according to your moral values, Bonnie. The system operates according to human selfishness and the ambition for power."
What? Steven saying something like that... That's not right...
"Calm down, Bonnie. I agree that moral values should be followed to create a healthy society, and that's why we have to fight against the system. Let's fight together from now on!" Steven said this with his eyes shining, reading my thoughts again and answering them. I was relieved to hear such words coming out of someone else's mouth.
"Yes! Let's fight together and contribute to everyone living well!"
Steven was counting on me, and I would do the same for him.
"Now do you understand everything that happened, Bonnie?"
"Yes. Now it all makes sense. Thank you so much for explaining."
"You know, Bonnie... I still want to find out who's behind all this manipulation. There's a strategy that could work in this case, but I'd need the students to trust me again."
Steven has a strategy? Honestly, I shouldn't be so surprised...
"And do you need any help?"
"I'd greatly appreciate it if you helped me, Bonnie. Do you think you can do that?"
"Well... I'm not that great at communicating... But I think I can do it!" Yes, with Charlotte's help, who was quite popular, I could definitely clear up the situation surrounding Steven and assist with his plan.
"Alright. Don't push yourself, okay?"
"Of course! It's a pleasure to help you!"
Steven waved at me and thanked me. He was a very kind person, unlike what everyone thought. But... something tells me he isn't doing this just to protect the students... The resentment over his friend's death probably hasn't faded, and he's seeking revenge against the responsible.
Well... I guess the best thing to do for now is head to my dorm. There, I can clear my thoughts.
I walked to the area where the girls' dorms were. I took the key I'd received just before arriving at the school and opened the door to my lodging. All my furniture and belongings were already in place.
Wow... This dorm is pretty big. A bathroom, a large living room, a kitchen, and a bedroom. For just a boarding school dorm, it's really above average.
I lay down for a while, staring at the ceiling and thinking about everything that had happened.
This day was intense...
I got up, sat at my desk, and started studying. So many complex topics were covered today, but the way the teacher taught made it feel like we were learning basic arithmetic.
After studying, I took a shower and decided to check if there were any notifications on my phone. I'd been added to a group for our class, 2-A, and my classmates were planning to meet for dinner at the school cafeteria.
Wow... I kind of want to go...
My social skills are terrible, so staying home was definitely the better option, but suddenly, Charlotte called me.
"Bonnie, let's have dinner at the cafeteria with everyone!"
"Charlotte, I..."
She hung up. It was as if she wasn't inviting me but stating that I was going.
Darn...
I got ready and walked to the cafeteria. Would Steven be there? No... It was unlikely, considering what everyone thought of him. But Charlotte would be there, so I didn't need to worry about feeling out of place... I think.
At the cafeteria, I spotted Larry, Carol, Tina, Andrew, and other students from my class. Many students from other classes were there too, like Mike and Charles, but they were at another table. As expected, Steven hadn't come, and Charlotte didn't seem to be around either.
Suddenly, I felt something attack me from behind. I was so startled that I jumped forward, but then I realized it was Charlotte.
"Haha! You okay? Sorry!" Charlotte hugged me while laughing. I was still processing what was happening.
"Haha... Hi, Charlotte. I'm fine, and you? How was the music club?"
"Sorry for abandoning you so suddenly earlier, Bonnie! I got there a bit late, but other than that, everything was fine. And you? Did you make it back to your dorm okay after all that?"
"Well... After you went to the club, actually..."
"Charlotte! Bonnie! Come sit with us!" It was Carol, calling us to the table. All the students from our class turned to us when she called.
"We're coming, Carol!" Charlotte immediately grabbed my hand and joined the table with me.
"Hi, Bonnie! I'm glad you came to the cafeteria with us!" Larry greeted me too. Like Carol, he seemed really good at socializing, surrounded by students asking for study help or sports advice. It was as if he and his cousin were the leaders of our class... There's no way one of them could be the manipulator behind everything, right?
I tried to finish talking to Charlotte, but when I noticed, she was already in a completely different conversation with Tina.
"Hey, Bonnie... Did you like the school? The people here are pretty lively, hehe!"
"Oh, yes... I found the subjects easy to learn..."
"And what's your favorite subject, Bonnie?"
"Math..."
"I see... My favorite subject is literature! I love studying how people express art through words... And you, what do you like about math?"
"Oh... I'm not sure, but I feel secure studying something exact..."
"You don't have to be so nervous, Bonnie! It's our first conversation, but I already consider you a good friend, okay? Loosen up!"
I felt relieved when she said that. Carol gave off a sense of safety and comfort, as if she wouldn't judge me no matter what I said. I decided to trust her—after all, she already considered me her friend, and I trust my friends.
"Okay, Carol... I'll try to be less nervous..."
"Hey, what are you guys talking about?"
"We're talking about our favorite school subjects! Yours is still PE, right, Charlotte?"
"Yup! It's a shame there's no music class in the curriculum!"
"You're already in the music club, so you don't need that!" Tina said, laughing.
Slowly, other girls joined in, and I started feeling isolated again. Meeting up with the class really wasn't a good idea...
They talked for a long time while Larry joined the conversation. I looked to the other side of the table, where all the boys were talking about fights with Andrew.
"Hey, Andrew! How many people have you knocked out in boxing tournaments?"
"Huh? Why would I keep track of that? I just crushed the idiot on the other side of the ring and left! Hahaha!"
"You're awesome, man! What's your style?"
"Peek-a-boo. If you box and don't use peek-a-boo, consider yourself a little girl."
The boys got excited.
"Hell yeah! The guy's tough as nails!"
While they talked and laughed, a hand touched my shoulder. It was Charlotte.
"Sorry for not finishing our conversation, Bonnie! So, what happened after I went to the music club? Steven didn't show up, right?"
"Oh... Well, actually,Steven did show up. But before that, what happened was..."
"What? Seriously? Did he do something to you?"
"N-no... Steven is a good person..."
"Are you talking about Steven?"
Suddenly, Carol joined the conversation. She seemed unhappy that we were talking about a student with such a negative reputation, but her gaze didn't show disdain or disgust yet. I gathered my courage and did my best to help my friend.
"That's right... At first, I heard a lot of bad things about him and got scared. But the way he was isolated... it seemed unfair. So I decided to talk to him to confirm, and..."
"And you trusted him?! How naive can you be!" Tina and other girls joined the conversation too. I was now the center of attention.
"B-but of course. We should trust each other, right...?"
"Bonnie... Trust is a great virtue, but trusting others blindly can get you hurt..."
"Exactly! Don't be foolish, Bonnie! Steven is definitely not a good person!"
They were all against me in that conversation, just like two months ago.
"That's not true. We should always trust others, especially those who help us. Steven was the only one who reached out to me when I fell into a trap involving documents in this school with its bizarre rules..."
Everyone looked at me with disdain and anger, except for Carol, Charlotte, and Larry, who, despite visibly disagreeing with me, seemed to want to understand me.
"You fell into a trap, Bonnie...? Wow... I'm so sorry for leaving you alone. I should've skipped the music club..."
"No, Charlotte. It all turned out fine in the end, thanks to Steven. You don't need to worry..."
"What?! You said 'Steven'? What did that jerk do this time?" Andrew said from the other side of the table, extremely irritated.
"N-nothing wrong... He just helped me get out of a trap..."
"Bonnie, I don't want to doubt Steven's honesty, but did he ask you for anything?"
Carol hit the nail on the head. He had indeed asked me to help him, but I was sure there was no malicious intent behind it, since I was the one who asked about his past...
"Yes, but I know he has no bad intentions, Carol!"
"And what did he ask, Bonnie? Did Steven want you to clear his reputation?"
Larry had partially guessed it, and at this rate, people would view Steven even more negatively. My attempt to help him was a failure.
"N-no... Well..."
Everyone surrounded me, waiting for my response. I was panicking, knowing that if I said what Steven asked, they'd hate him even more, but at the same time, I couldn't lie convincingly.
"What's going on here?" A tall girl with long black hair, apparently our senior, looked at us seriously, waiting for an answer. It seemed she noticed my worried expression and wanted to maintain order.
Larry immediately took the lead, explaining what was happening.
"Thank goodness you're here, student council president. You see, our class, 2-A, had an issue with a student who, according to the late former student Craig, was the cause of his suicide, and his name is Steven Honleast. Bonnie, the new student, apparently had some contact with him and says he's innocent in all this. Now we're trying to hear her out to draw our own conclusions, and I think it'd be valuable if you listened too."
After Larry's speech, everyone surrounding me seemed friendlier, waiting for me to respond to something I wasn't sure I should say. This would become the worst possible scenario for Steven, as it felt like we were about to decide his innocence, and I was completely cornered.
"Diana, what's all this?" Charles appeared too, and now everyone in the cafeteria was looking at me. The girl with black hair was Diana, the student council president, and Charles was the vice-president.
"Apparently, the new student, Bonnie, will share her perspective on the incident from earlier this year after talking to Steven Honleast. I think it'll be interesting to see how the students handle this."
"I agree. Please, Miss Kindness, continue."
This was awful. I'm not capable of persuading someone while lying, so the only plausible options were to stay silent or say that Steven had asked for my help to regain the class's trust to unmask a supposed mastermind. Both options would make me look ridiculous and worsen my friend's reputation. It was the worst possible scenario.
"W-well, I..."
Suddenly, everyone's expressions changed, as if they'd seen a ghost. I didn't understand why until a hand touched my shoulder.
"Thank you so much, Bonnie. I really appreciate it." It was Steven, wearing winter clothes and a serene expression. He looked at everyone, raised his head, and began to speak.
"Yes, my dear classmates. I did indeed ask Bonnie to help me socialize with you all, and that's because I have something important to say. Thank you, Bonnie."
Everyone looked at Steven in surprise. His unexpected action softened the hatred of many, replaced by curiosity about what he would do next.
"As you all know, at the beginning of the year, there was an incident involving my childhood friend, Craig. I knew him since I was seven... But when he came to this school, he started to change. My friend became colder but also more sociable. He was completely different from how I knew him. One day... I discovered Craig was causing schemes in our class secretly, using websites and his influence to put other students in delicate situations without being noticed. When I found out, I decided to show you all."
Steven paused, his voice breaking slightly, his smile fading as tears formed in his eyes.
"I know what I did wasn't the most mature decision... and I apologize to you all. I should've reported it to the principal immediately, but I felt compelled to show you his true colors, maybe because I was caught up in this school's atmosphere too..."
Tears streamed down Steven's face as he looked down.
"And then... he... took his own life..."
Steven stayed in that position for a few seconds but then raised his face and said with a determined look and a louder tone:
"But I won't give up on my ideals because of this! I'll show you the truth, and that's a promise! I'll prove I'm sorry and that I'll never do something like that again, so trust me!"
After hearing those words, everyone stayed silent for a while, completely surprised and unsure of what to do. Diana, the student council president, raised her head and began clapping for him, soon followed by influential students like Larry and Carol. Before long, the entire cafeteria was applauding Steven, in a surprising turn of events: the worst scenario had become the best for him.
Steven thanked everyone and slowly walked toward our table, smiling gently. I was thrilled that everything had turned out well, but... he didn't seem that surprised. I mean... could this whole situation have been calculated beforehand?
"I appreciate your attitude, Steven."
"Thank you so much, Miss Diana. I'm so glad you've forgiven me, my classmates," Steven said with a calm and kind expression, smiling at everyone.
Suddenly, Andrew stood up. He glared at Steven with anger, clenching his fists.
"You bastard! You really think I'll accept your little words like the problem's solved?!"
Steven looked at him calmly and said:
"Andrew's right. That's why I won't just talk but prove with actions what I say. I'll unmask the one who really caused Craig's suicide and turn them over to the school administration, hoping they get psychological help but also face punishment for their bad actions."
"What? You're saying you weren't responsible for Craig's suicide?"
"I also feel guilty for not taking the more mature approach, but I know I wasn't the main reason Craig did that to himself. That's why I'm telling you all: I'll unmask the real culprit who's been manipulating the class behind the scenes all this time, and then you'll all know Craig didn't die only because I exposed him, but because there is a manipulator in our class, 2-A, who drove him to that act."
Steven said all this with a confident look. I was a bit surprised because it put him in an extremely risky position, but I suppose that's what he wanted after all.
Some boys from the class, like Peter, started talking to Steven. They seemed more relaxed now that they wouldn't be judged socially for speaking with him.
"I missed you, Steven! Come, sit with us!"
"Me too, Peter. How's the soccer club?"
Steven and the others talked for a long time until he sat next to me.
"Again, Bonnie. Thank you. Thank you so much for helping me."
"It was nothing, Steven... That's what f-friends do, right?"
"Yes, Bonnie," he said, looking happy, as if talking to a child.
After dinner, the students slowly said their goodbyes and left. I decided to walk to the dorms with Charlotte, Carol, Tina, and the other girls.
"Bye!"
"See you later, guys!"
"Later!"
"G-goodbye..."
We started walking while chatting. The boarding school was really big, and we had to cover a long distance to the dorms. Even though I wasn't in a large group, I felt a bit out of place.
As we were almost there, we heard a loud noise, like something colliding with a wall.
"W-what was that...?" Tina seemed a bit scared, despite her usually relaxed demeanor.
"It's better to just ignore it and head to the dorms, girls," Carol said, guiding us along the path.
Suddenly, from the dark place where the sound came from, we heard a voice.
"Steeeeven! Arrogant jerk! Pig!" It was Andrew's voice, clearly furious and probably hitting Steven.
No way...
Carol and I hurried to see what was happening, and there it was: Andrew was throwing countless punches at Steven's face and body while Steven backed away without reacting.
"Stop! Stop this now!" Carol said, getting closer. I was running toward Steven to protect him.
Steven...!
Suddenly, a figure with green eyes and blond hair stopped me. It was Larry, who was struggling to hold Andrew back.
"A-Andrew! Stop! If you keep going, then...!"
"Shut up, Larry! I'm gonna..."
Before Andrew could finish, Steven moved between them and separated them, with his usual serene expression.
"Please, Larry, calm down. You too, girls. Relax, Andrew isn't hitting me. This is just a staged fight."
A staged fight...? That was impossible... I mean, that noise, Andrew's expression... How could it just be acting?
"You're joking, Steven...?" Tina said with indignation and a bit of fear. I also didn't understand why Steven was saying this.
"Steven, explain yourself. Are you saying this just to clear Andrew's reputation? Why...?"
"Calm down, Larry. Look at my face. Do you see any injuries?"
That was true. Despite the loud sound of Andrew's punches, Steven wasn't hurt. It was as if his face hadn't taken any damage.
"That's true... But are you sure it's just a staged fight, Steven? Andrew, is this true?"
"Yeah... That's right, Larry..." Andrew said, looking down. It was obvious he was grateful Steven hadn't accused him.
Larry looked at them with a slightly confused expression.
"If it's just a staged fight, fine... Let's go, girls."
Larry left, and Carol continued walking with us toward the girls' dorms. I looked at Steven one last time, and he made a hand gesture to show everything was okay.
"Tsk...! These boys are so stupid!"
"I don't get it... Why would Steven try to downplay such a situation?"
"Whatever, Carol! These idiots are always fighting without caring about the consequences! At least your cousin manages to be decent..."
Though I disagreed with Tina, I chose not to say anything. I was still worried about what might be happening to Steven. We reached the dorms, and I said goodbye to the girls.
"Bye, Bonnie! See you tomorrow!"
"See you, Charlotte!"
I entered my room and quickly grabbed my phone to check if Steven was okay. I sent him a message.
"Steven, is everything okay? Did Andrew hurt you after we left?"
I didn't get an immediate response. I got a bit tense with the delay but decided to take a shower and try not to think too much about it.
In the shower, thoughts flooded my mind for a long time, and I just couldn't find answers. How could so much happen on my first day of school? The "Power Shapers" boarding school was completely different from the all-girls school I attended before.
After my shower, I put on my clothes and brushed my teeth. Then I checked my phone for Steven's response, and to my concern, he hadn't seen my message.
Darn...
I lay in bed and closed my eyes, but I knew it would take a while to fall asleep. I didn't feel safe in this boarding school where anything could happen, even resulting in my death... It was all so surreal.
As I was almost falling asleep, I got a notification. I quickly unlocked my phone to check if Steven had messaged me.
"Good night, Bonnie. Yes, everything's fine! Don't worry. Again, thank you so much for helping me today!"
I was a bit relieved. I replied with an emoji, lay back in bed, and fell asleep peacefully.
The next day, I woke up, got ready, and headed to school. Living alone was different, but I'd probably get used to it... After walking a lot, I started hearing some students talking.
"Steven's such a jerk."
"Yeah, he's beyond saving!"
"And I thought he was really sorry... How stupid was I!"
What? Steven hadn't managed to clear his reputation, at least for now? Why was all this happening?
When I entered the school, I noticed the rumors were even more intense there. I tried to find Steven, but as expected, he was hard to track down, so I decided to meet up with Charlotte.
"Bonnie? You okay? I guess you've already heard what happened..."
"Charlotte! Please, tell me what's going on... I really don't know..."
"Someone posted a long text on social media about Steven's case, but it used completely nonsensical arguments to defend him and even implied he didn't need to prove who caused Craig's suicide, even though Steven committed to doing so. It's kind of obvious he posted it himself, right?"
After thinking for a bit, I realized what was happening. Steven had made his move, and now the manipulator had done the same. Who would win?