Why is my journey to the world of anime a strange tale of rules?

Chapter 145: [The students... are in your hands...]

It seems I've seen something.

After their vision and perception were led into unknown territories by the power of the ghost stories, they gradually began to be able to sense and see things.

Those things that happened in ancient history, which are now difficult to trace.

At this moment, it begins to come alive, to become truly tangible, to become... capable of being changed at will, shaped into something entirely different.

Gao Hai closed his eyes.

The teacher slowly opened his eyes and reached out his hand towards the constantly changing light and shadow before him.

I can already feel it.

She is here.

They are all here.

Those children who suffered, those children who succumbed to despair.

who am I?

The sounds of those children were constantly filling my ears.

what should I do?

We watched as tragedy after tragedy unfolded.

Teacher, those classmates are bullying me...

[What bullying? I don't know anything about this, and why you of all people? Did you do something to cause trouble?]

I didn't... I didn't... Aren't you... a teacher? Why...?

Some children will try to ask for help, to ask the adults, the people called "teachers".

But no one will come to their rescue.

Those called "teachers" merely watched indifferently as tragedy unfolded, as the children walked towards their doom, and when they tried to plead for help, they dealt them an even greater blow.

why?

What is a teacher?

Why would these bullied children seek help from teachers?

Why is it that none of the teachers offer any help, and instead go further to harm these children?

What exactly is a teacher?

Are you... a teacher?

Am I a teacher? Why do people call me teacher?

[Because you're an adult? Hmm, you should be an adult, right? This height, build, and appearance...it can't be a high school student, can it?]

So, are adults teachers?

Hmm, it seems like this is an adult in trouble. I don't know anything about this, but this is a school, and the adult who's usually around here and doesn't seem like a cleaner or cafeteria worker is probably a teacher, right?

So, what kind of person is a teacher? Why do you always ask your teachers for help?

[Huh? What kind of strange question is this? Is it testing me? Hmm... Well, is it because the teacher is so knowledgeable? As the one who teaches us knowledge, isn't it normal for them to know more than the students? Whether it's professional subject knowledge or social experience, they are much better than us minors, much better than us students. It's inconvenient for children to do anything; they will always encounter problems they don't understand, so naturally they will ask adults for help.]

Is that how it is? Is this the kind of person a teacher... or an adult...? But what if a teacher doesn't accept a student's request for help and instead hurts the student? I've seen many instances of teachers or adults harming children.

"Well... I don't know either. Maybe it's because... it didn't meet the requirements?"

Unqualified?

Yes, adults and teachers alike cannot be the ideal they are expected to be. Many are actually completely unqualified; despite being adults or teachers, they behave terribly.

Is that so? So this school doesn't have a single qualified adult or a single qualified teacher.

"Um, you seemed really serious. I have class, so I'll be going now. Um... I don't know who you are, but chatting with you was quite pleasant, haha, since you're the first person to talk to me normally. Um, my name is Eriko, Asamoto Eriko, goodbye!"

The smiling girl turned and left, quickly disappearing into the distance.

She is still a child full of expectations for life and dreams and imaginations for the future.

Although her classmates always clashed with her and her teachers were rude, she had not lost faith or fallen into despair.

But that won't be the case for long.

Because I've seen this happen more than once.

The same people, the same experiences, even if the specific methods may differ slightly, the ending is always a tragic death, and then they are transformed into some kind of alienated thing.

That shouldn't be the case.

Adults... responsibility... why are there no adults who can take responsibility and change all of this?

If a teacher's responsibility is to guide students, why isn't there even one qualified teacher here?

If I could change all of this.

If I could do it, if I weren't a phantom, if I were real, if I could truly change all of this...

"Yes, that's right, I can do it."

Yes, I definitely can do it.

More and more sounds, more and more images.

The dark and cruel events continue to unfold, and the tragedy shows no sign of ending.

But it's different now.

But from now on, everything is different.

Because I am no longer a silent bystander, because I have determined who I should be and what I should do.

teacher.

I am a teacher.

I will take on the responsibilities that no adult is willing to take on.

I will trust my students.

I will do everything in my power to protect my students, their lives, their future, and their dreams.

I will always stand by my students and guide them as they grow.

Teacher... are you a teacher too?

Yes, I'm a teacher.

【teacher!】

Yes, I'm here.

【teacher……】

Don't be afraid, don't be sad, I'm always here for you.

……

The shattered images flashed by in succession.

But little by little, these broken things began to become whole again, to become vivid once more.

crunch--

In one of the scenes, a young girl pushes open the door to the rooftop and slowly steps into this deserted and silent place.

A cool breeze gently blew by, ruffling the girl's hair, which had been cut into small pieces by scissors.

She took a step forward, her wet clothes reeking of foul odor—the result of her classmates splashing dirty water on her in the toilet.

On the playground downstairs, her torn notebook and shoes were scattered all over the ground, and some of them had already been swept away by cleaners.

"..."

Slowly, the girl walked step by step to the edge of the rooftop.

She pursed her lips slightly, as if she wanted to laugh, or perhaps she wanted to cry.

She reached out and grabbed the railing at the edge of the rooftop, tiptoed slightly, and was about to flip over and fall.

Or perhaps "takeoff" would be a better term?

And so, forever cast aside all worldly constraints, abandon all painful memories, and soar through the sky like a bird.

Wouldn't that be better?

Apply slight force to your arm.

Half of his body was already suspended in mid-air.

She sat on the edge of the roof, humming a song softly, preparing herself to jump and say goodbye to this world.

Stop, don't do that.

The teacher's voice rang out behind me.

With the sound of approaching wind, the teacher reached out and grabbed the girl's arm, stopping her from moving.

【…Teacher, why?】

She turned her head and asked with a hint of confusion in her voice.

The girl, disheveled and covered in dirt and injuries, had only an empty look in her eyes.

Just like the children and students I had seen before, just like how they faced their end, it was playing out before me once again.

But this time, I must refuse to let such a thing happen again.

Because you are a clean person who cares a lot about your appearance. If you jump, you will bleed, you will be covered in mud, and you will become very ugly.

As he spoke, he reached out and gently embraced the other person, holding them close to his chest.

Just as I had wanted to do countless times before, I gently embraced these hurt children.

Then, tell your students again, once more, and earnestly.

【Stop doing this, Eriko, please stop doing this】