Eiji's Certificate of Appreciation and Kondo vs. Police
“Certificate of Appreciation. Aono Eiji-san. I would like to express my deepest appreciation for your prompt and precise life-saving treatment of an elderly man who collapsed in front of a train station in the city, saving his life. I want to express my deepest gratitude. —Fire Chief Shoji Okita.”
I was honored at the second school assembly today. The applause from the audience was loud and heartfelt.
The firefighters came to the school to recognize my life-saving efforts with an AED. Apparently, the garandpa we helped survived thanks to the timely and proper treatment. The school newsletter and newspaper will cover the incident, and it seems the local newspaper will also publish a feature.
After the assembly, there was even time for an interview, which made me nervous.
“Aono-san. Ichijo-san. Even though you’re still students, you were the first to step in and provide life-saving care. The nurse praised you, and the doctor said it could’ve been dangerous if you hadn’t acted correctly. You saved a precious life. You truly are heroes.”
The fire chief praised us softly, a warm smile on his face.
“No, I couldn’t have done it alone. I only acted well because the people around me supported me…”
“I was only able to move because Senpai guided me. It was because of him. I don’t know if I really deserve this.”
Hearing our words, the fire chief laughed kindly.
“Come on, you’re still in high school. When I was your age, I only thought about myself—extracurricular activities, studying, friends. But you stepped up and made a difference. It’s always better to do good than to regret not doing anything. Give yourselves more credit. You deserve this honor.”
His words offered a comforting warmth. As I turned to look at the audience, I noticed fewer students from my class—maybe five or six remained. Miyuki still wasn’t there.
I recalled Takayanagi-sensei’s words about the ongoing investigation into the students involved in the incident. Were those absent students part of it?
No, it wasn’t helpful to dwell on that right now.
“Congratulations, Senpai!”
Ichijo-san, standing beside me, beamed with pride.
“Thank you for everything, Ichijo-san.”
Maybe it was too soon to say such things to someone I’d only known for a week. But the experience we shared felt denser and more meaningful than time itself.
I’m standing here because of her…
Kondo’s PoV
[Hello. I’m from the police. Are you Kondo-san? We’d like to ask about your son. Could you please open the gate?]
That afternoon, the bell at our gate rang. I checked the surveillance camera and froze. Several uniformed police officers stood outside, waiting.
“Huh?!”
A pitiful sound escaped my throat. This couldn’t be happening. My father said he’d handle everything.
We’re an upper-class family—untouchable. This had to be a mistake, some kind of misunderstanding.
But as I scrambled backward in a panic, I tripped over a table leg and hit the floor hard. The sharp pain jolted me back to reality.
This wasn’t a dream. This was real.
[Kondo-san? Please open the gate. Can’t you at least hear us out?]
My chest tightened, and it felt like an icy guillotine was hanging over me.
“I have to run.”
With that decision made, I bolted.
Climbing over the fence, I made my escape.
But they spotted me almost instantly.
“Hey, someone’s running!”
Damn it, they noticed too quickly!
I sprinted as fast as I could, my feet pounding against the pavement. Unconsciously, I found myself heading toward the school.
“Hey, stop right there!”
Shouts echoed behind me, but I couldn’t stop.
The throne I once believed was mine—the life of privilege and control—was crumbling silently beneath my feet.
And all I could do was run, desperate and hollow, down an empty street.