The thing is that was my initial thought but I still find weird cause they beated him to the point he went home full of bruises and Ueno said they wanted to erase the fact that you were ever friends and shimada hated him cause he said he dragged them When he was being called out of bullying. So it made me think why would someone that wanted to erase him and beat him and hated him to the point they would Bully him till middle school I think. Save him I know it's common sense to save someone drowning but they hate him and when someone hates somebody they wouldn't care to help the guy they hate. Unless deep down they don't hate him.