Chapter 12: The One Unforgivable Thing
Ms. Eve was touched by Bubbles’ heartfelt declaration.
But beneath the warmth, a flicker of anger ignited within her.
She masked her emotions, patting Bubbles’ head gently. “Go back to the dormitory, Bubbles. ‘Justice Man’ is about to start, isn’t it?”
“Oh!” Bubbles gasped, realizing how late it had gotten.
“Bubbles is going now!”
As Bubbles hurried out of the classroom, Ms. Eve’s mind raced.
She had high hopes for Bubbles.
She had studied the girl’s file. Abandoned by her parents, raised by her sister, only to lose her last remaining family member a few months ago…
Ms. Eve sympathized with Bubbles’ tragic past, but she also saw potential in her.
The potential to leave this place, to rejoin normal society.
Bubbles seemed to love it here, but Ms. Eve knew it was just a child’s naive perspective, a temporary attachment to a sheltered environment.
Private Cherry Blossom Elementary School was, in essence, a containment facility for Polluted individuals.
Polluted individuals, a term coined after the Great Calamity, referred to a specific segment of the population.
The world they lived in was a world tainted by Chaos.
Everyone carried within them a certain amount of ‘Chaos Factor.’ The higher the ‘Chaos Factor,’ the higher the ‘Pollution Level.’
And when the Pollution Level exceeded a certain threshold, things… things tended to get messy.
The average person had a Pollution Level between 15% and 30%. Anything above 30%… well, that was no longer a normal person. That was a ‘Polluted individual.’
Underage Polluted individuals were quarantined and observed. Special schools like Private Cherry Blossom Elementary School had sprung up all over the country, catering to these children.
They received a basic education, and if their condition improved, if their Pollution Level dropped below the threshold, they could rejoin society.
As for what happened to adult Polluted individuals, or those who remained above the threshold even after reaching adulthood… well, Ms. Eve didn’t know, and she didn’t want to know.
There were many reasons why someone might have a high Pollution Level.
Some were born Polluted, even if their parents were perfectly normal.
Some had encountered Chaotic entities, surviving the encounter only to have their Chaos Factor triggered, turning them into Polluted individuals.
Some had experienced traumatic events, their minds shattered, their Pollution Levels spiking as a result.
And some… some simply woke up one day and found themselves Polluted.
In Ms. Eve’s opinion, Bubbles was a classic case of trauma-induced Pollution.
Knowing the cause, and having observed Bubbles closely over the past few months, Ms. Eve believed the girl had a good chance of returning to a normal life.
Bubbles hadn’t become cynical or bitter despite her difficult childhood. On the contrary, she was a model student, kind and well-behaved.
The results of her three monthly blood tests showed that her condition was stable, her Pollution Level remaining at 30.5%.
Stability was good. Stability meant hope.
The only way Ms. Eve knew to help these children lower their Pollution Levels and rejoin society was to provide them with a positive environment, to foster a sense of belonging, to educate them, to nurture their mental well-being, to fill their hearts with hope…
In short, it all boiled down to one word: love.
To guide these children with love, to help them find their way back to the world.
Just like… just like her own teacher had done for her.
……………………………………………………..
Eve, once a Polluted individual, now a teacher.
The story of how she became Polluted was a rather cliché one.
Eve had a happy childhood, a loving mother, a busy but doting father.
Until that day, when a robber broke into their home.
The police later told her it was his first offense.
And first-time offenders were often the most prone to making irreversible mistakes.
Eve couldn’t recall the details of that day. All she remembered was the sight of her parents lying in a pool of blood, and the fleeting glimpse of the robber fleeing the scene.
Her life had shattered that day. Soon after, she found herself whisked away to a special school by a group of strangers in black suits and sunglasses.
The trauma transformed her into a bitter, rebellious child. Her volatile temper made life at the school a living hell.
Her classmates ostracized her, and most of the teachers treated her like she was invisible.
More than once, she overheard them talking about her.
“She’s a lost cause.”
“She’ll never get out.”
“She’ll never be normal again.”
The world had given up on her.
Except… for Ms. Matsuo.
Ms. Matsuo was a kind, elderly woman, a gentle soul.
She never shunned Eve. Instead, she treated her with extra care and attention.
“I have a granddaughter your age, you know,” she would often say.
She tolerated Eve’s outbursts, her anger, her resentment, her pain.
One day, Eve finally asked, “Do I look like your granddaughter?”
“Hmm?” Ms. Matsuo looked at her, puzzled. “No, not at all.”
“Then why are you so nice to me?”
“Silly child, I’m your teacher.” Ms. Matsuo smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
“…”
Despite herself, Eve was touched. Slowly, she began to heal.
The rebellious, volatile Eve disappeared, replaced by a friendlier, more cheerful girl.
Eventually, the Polluted Eve became Eve again.
Life after returning to society wasn’t easy. The stigma of being a former Polluted individual followed her everywhere.
Despite her excellent grades, she struggled to find a job after graduation.
But society hadn’t completely abandoned her. She eventually found a job, a rather unique one, but one that she found deeply fulfilling.
The unemployed Eve became Ms. Eve, the teacher.
She was eternally grateful to Ms. Matsuo, and she vowed to become just like her.
She poured her heart and soul into her work, studying each student’s file, searching for ways to help them heal.
But after five years, five long years, she had yet to see a single success story.
What was she doing wrong?
Was it because some children, like Kyoko, were born Polluted, and there was nothing she could do?
Was it because some children, like Kosan, were trapped in their past traumas, unable to move on?
Or was it… because she wasn’t loving enough?
And then, Bubbles arrived.
A new transfer student, with a tragic past, yet devoid of bitterness.
A kind, gentle soul, despite the pain she had endured.
A good girl, a good girl with a Pollution Level of only 30.5%.
Ms. Eve knew that if she couldn’t help Bubbles rejoin society, then the very foundation of her beliefs would crumble.
‘It will work,’ she thought, her jaw clenching.
‘It has to.’
‘Because Bubbles is a good girl.’
‘But… if she’s such a good girl, why would she say she doesn’t want to leave?’
Ms. Eve’s eyes narrowed. That was the one thing she couldn’t tolerate.
Leave a Reply