Episode 8.
Someone, someday, would shatter Sena Cruz’s innocence, but he didn’t particularly want to be the one to pull that trigger. Not necessarily.
But because of that, the situation had become a complete nuisance.
Even if Sena orbited him like a misfortune radar with a sensitivity of 1,000, Sean couldn’t say anything. It didn’t even seem like it was going to die down anytime soon.
For now, instead of coldly cutting her off, Sean was just vaguely responding. He only properly listened to one out of every two things Sena said. It was the same now.
Thwack-
Sean finally turned his head at the unexpected sound of impact. A volleyball, having hit the arms Sena had instinctively raised to shield his back, was rolling across the gym floor.
“Ah, my mistake.”
Realizing the situation, Sean coldly stared in the direction the ball had come from. It was that very same group from the ‘Virgin’ incident.
“Was it really a mistake?”
Before Sean could utter a word, Sena took a step towards them first.
“I said it was a mistake, didn’t I?”
Ben fidgeted with the hand in his gray tracksuit pocket. Just like during the ‘Virgin’ incident, only Ben and the other boy seemed interested in this; the other two looked indifferent.
For instance, Nathan was just rubbing the corner of his eye, completely detached from the situation.
In fact, Sena’s intuition was about half right. The balls Sean had been hit with during this PE class were intentional misfortunes. The crucial difference was that it was because of that group, not because of the letter.
Before Sena could say more, Sean reached out and grabbed her arm.
“It’s fine. You don’t need to step in.”
“Yeah, if you’re the Son of the Lord, you should show tolerance for others’ ‘mistakes’.”
Ben snickered. The four of them passed by Sean and Sena and left the gym.
In the silence, Sean’s hand, which had been holding Sena’s forearm, moved down to touch the spot where the ball had hit her.
“Your arm. Are you hurt?”
“How could I just let them go! Now I see it wasn’t about the letter, it was because of those jerks!”
“Never mind that. Don’t block things for me from now on. Nobody asked you to.”
Sena was flabbergasted.
[Wow, that’s really mean.]
“…Say it in English.”
As if their roles had reversed, Sena abruptly crossed her arms. It was the arm-cross she’d seen and learned from the native New Yorker.
[If someone helps you, you should just say thank you, you dummy, dummy!!]
“……”
After a moment of silence, Sean raised one hand.
Then, he pinched Sena’s white cheek. Even though he did it lightly, her cheek puffed up like a steamed bun.
“Say that again.”
[Eek, let go.]
“Can you say what you just said in English, or can’t you?”
It wasn’t a swear word, but Sena couldn’t bring herself to say it in English.
Calling him a dummy. Putting aside whether Sean was offended, it was just too childish. As Sena pulled her head back, the hand pinching her cheek easily released its grip.
“Anyway, you’re the bad one here! And whether I help or not is my own business, got it?”
“There’s a way to deal with guys like that. When I say don’t block things for me, I mean don’t get hurt on my behalf, so don’t take it the wrong way.”
“…It didn’t hurt.”
“You know that’s not what I mean, Sena Cruz.”
Instead of treating Sena like a fool, Sean elevated her. As if someone who got the only perfect score in history class should understand what he was saying.
“Tch… But my body just moved on its own. I couldn’t help it.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t just let them hit you! Should I teach you some self-defense?!”
“No thanks…”
Sena, having quickly regained her energy, started chattering to Sean about something else again. Before Sean could even realize it, Sena was seeping into his daily life like that.
“Why did the chapel teacher summon us?”
“Isn’t it because of Sean Frost?”
“Even if he reported it, if the principal called us, maybe, but why a chapel teacher?”
Nathan followed his friends, who were talking with irritated expressions.
He hadn’t particularly done anything, but as part of the friend group, he had been summoned by the chapel teacher, Emma, and was now heading to the place she’d indicated instead of going home.
When they arrived at the location and opened the wooden door, they saw Emma, and Sean, sitting on chairs arranged in a circle.
“Come in. Shall we take our seats first?”
Emma, the religious teacher in her 60s with gray glasses, was as devout as one could be, rivaling the icon of piety, Sean Frost. The boys, exchanging sour glances, each took a seat.
“The reason I called you here today is because Sean expressed a desire to study the Acts of the Apostles with you all. Specifically, he wanted to discuss Acts 10:34-35.”
Fuck. Nathan swallowed a curse.
Acts 10:34-35, ‘God shows no partiality.’
It was the classic anti-racism passage about God not discriminating by race or ethnicity.
“…Suddenly?”
“I think it would be good for us to have a light discussion for about two hours today.”
Nathan glared at Sean across from him.
Even at Elmir Westlake, which emphasized human rights and equality, there were times when someone was called to the principal’s office or had to attend a class session over accusations of racism, but this kind of ‘revenge’ was a first even for Nathan.
‘Bible study? Is he fucking crazy?’
How effective this ‘revenge’ was showed on everyone’s faces.
Publicly accusing and raising an issue about racism in a private school was like declaring yourself a loser.
I am weak. I am a minority. I can’t manage school life without public help.
While it was a justified accusation from the victim’s standpoint, the perpetrators saw publicizing it as a declaration of defeat. It was what Ben had been waiting for.
But instead of publicizing the fact that he was being racially discriminated against, Sean had manufactured a ‘revenge’ and stuffed it into his enemies’ mouths.
A meeting with the principal would have had no impact without clear evidence anyway. But—
Everyone’s eyes turned to the clock on the wall. Two hours. Two hours of Bible study.
As was typical for families with white conservative leanings, all four boys summoned were enrolled in Chapel. Therefore, there was no way to skip this Christian studies session.
“Now, Genesis 1:27 records that we are all created in God’s image. So, how does God want us to treat one another?”
“We must practice inclusion and love, understanding and solidarity.”
Sean answered with a smile. As if hoping the ‘revenge’ they’d all been forced to taste would turn into an even bigger one.
“Good. Ben, would you like to share your thoughts as well?”
After all, this kind of Bible study was routine for Sean. Only the people he was doing it with had changed.
Sean received Nathan’s cold stare with a smiling face.
You fucking bastard, you think I haven’t seen punks like you once or twice before?
Nathan clearly read those unspoken words in the greenish-blue pie-cut eyes.
For a moment, so quiet you couldn’t even hear breathing, Sean and Nathan were locked in a silent standoff.
Sena approached the crowded bulletin board. Everyone was looking at a single paper posted in the chapel section.
The name written on the very first line of the paper was the first thing that caught Sena’s eye. Bentley Hurd. That annoying guy from the gym yesterday.
God’s Word and My Realization
Through this additional session, I have come to realize that all races and ethnicities are equal, and that words spoken aloud can hurt others. I have deeply reflected on how words I thought were jokes could actually be insulting to the other person, and how each action I have taken until now has affected my friends.
By the time Sena read this far, someone muttered under their breath.
“He’s insane.”
There was still a lot more to read. Meanwhile, students who had finished reading first looked at each other, mouths agape.
“It’s not detention. It just says ‘Chapel Supplementary Session Materials’.”
“That’s even worse. Bible study with Emma Martin? He really got served.”
Upperclassmen snickered as they walked away.
‘Did Sean do this…?’
Students coming to check the paper and those finishing their business and moving on mingled, making the area in front of the board noisy in no time.
Sena, extricating herself from the crowd, found her steps drawn towards the staircase.
She now had Sean’s schedule memorized perfectly. She even knew he was a lab assistant for a science class this semester.
‘He has science class in the afternoon…’
Even though it was still lunchtime, if it was Sean, he was surely in the science lab. Sena’s steps quickened on their own. The path to the science lab, located in a remote corner of the third floor, grew increasingly deserted.
Sena, who had been walking briskly, paused for a moment when she spotted someone walking towards her from the opposite direction.
It was Nathan Stewart. His blond hair, shining like sunlight, contrasted with his properly worn white shirt and navy tie.
Sena noticed the corner of his mouth was quirking up only on one side.
He, having also spotted Sena, cast a brief glance her way. A momentary sneer was covered in monochrome, and he passed by Sena without a word.
‘…What was that?’
An ominous feeling of unknown origin pressed down on Sena’s heart. She was now only about twenty steps away from the science lab.
But just before Sena, having reached the science lab door, could open it, an unexpected, sharp pop sound emanated from behind the door.
