It has been three days since the trial. Coincidentally, on the same day that Sudou was expelled, there was a forum post from an anonymous user.
It read the following:
Subject: Electronic store employee sexually assaulted a student.
"A few days prior I came across an employee SA'ing a student. I took a picture lol. How deprived does a guy have to be to do this type of thing lolllll"
The post contained a video depicting an employee harassing a student. Instead of immediate intervention or reporting, the bystander opted to record the incident. This trend of passive observation over active intervention reflects a concerning societal norm.
It appears that some people's instinct nowadays is to record an act instead of helping or reporting the incident.
Many hesitate to intervene, prioritizing self-preservation over aiding others. While recording crimes for evidentiary purposes can be justified, the normalization of such acts on social media reflects a desensitization to real-world atrocities. Some even exploit these incidents for online validation.
Nowadays, it appears that some people have become desensitized to crimes due to exposure to social media. Recording crimes may seem like a detached way to engage with real-life events, especially if a person finds crimes normalized.
Additionally, there are those who record incidents in hopes of sharing the footage online, like what has occurred—in the desire for virtual attention, likes and shares.
These factors may override the will to help an individual in need.
It was something that as a person relatively new to modern society was unable to understand or relate to. To an outsider, it seemed unintelligent and foolish to treat crimes in this manner.
Within ten minutes of the post going live, the school took it down.
However, the damage has been done. The news spread like wildfire and reached almost everybody's ears despite it being taken down.
The bell rang, and our classes finished for the day.
However, due to the incident, there has been a change in our daily routine.
"Curfew is now in effect. Please walk to your dorms with another person to ensure your safety."
There was now a temporary mandated curfew in effect.
It was likely done to prevent other employees from being in contact with students for now.
I find it highly likely that during this period of time, current employees will be required to have a security background check, in order to prevent more people like the assaulter from being around minors.
"Ayanokouji-kun, shall we go to our dorms?" Shiina asked me, as she held her bag waiting for me.
I nodded my head in return and picked up my bag.
Over the past few days, since the school mandated the curfew, Shiina and I had walked to the dorms together.
"Ayanokouji-kun, did you hear? The investigation was closed, and they found that the person who committed the crime had been stalking the girl for a period of time, and had sent multiple letters to her."
"Is that so?" I responded.
The school hasn't disclosed the name of the victim to protect their privacy—however, to me, it is obvious as to who it was.
Sakura Airi of Class 1-D.
The one who Horikita claimed to have witnessed the fight between Sudou and the others.
YOU ARE READING
Echoes of Solitude
Fanfiction[Ayanokouji in Class C] Ayanokouji Kiyotaka has lived his life controlled by his father, in an environment that broke many lives through sheer violence and forced to oppose each other through intelligence. Given a chance of temporary freedom, he att...
