Chapter 321
2-in-1-chapter
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"What does this have to do with the topic we're discussing right now?"
"Of course it's related. Either way, you won't fit in, so you might as well switch to a different environment—it might actually help your learning and growth. Don't you think so?"
The principal smiled pleasantly, but his reply left no room for negotiation, completely rejecting David's request.
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V stood against the wall outside the principal's office with her arms crossed.
The principal's office was located in the heart of the faculty area, and many teachers passed by.
Any male teacher walking down this hallway couldn't help but be captivated by V's beauty, while the female teachers felt only jealousy toward her angelic face and devilish figure.
But V paid no attention to their stares. Only when a male teacher attempted to strike up a conversation did she respond—by chillingly glaring at them until they backed off.
After quite a while, a dejected David finally walked out of the principal's office.
Seeing his slumped posture, V immediately knew his appeal had failed.
So she didn't ask how it had gone—but David took the initiative to explain.
"Arasaka Academy has expelled me. The principal refused to let me return, even if I offered to pay compensation for the damage to the system."
"That's their loss, not your fault," V said to comfort him.
David forced a smile, but V's words did little to lift his spirits.
"So should I take you home now, or…"
"Miss V, please take me back to Rocky Ridge," David said, meeting her gaze. "Even though my mom wanted me to keep studying, I've been expelled. No matter how much I beg, the principal won't let me return. So…"
He clenched his fists. "At the very least, I need a job. I can't keep making my mom support a useless freeloader."
"It's good that you're thinking that way. Let's head back to Rocky Ridge Mountain."
V didn't know exactly how Leo planned to arrange things for David.
But given that David had once enrolled at Arasaka Academy, she figured he could at least work a desk job at Aurora PMC.
How far he would go after that—well, that would depend on his own effort.
As they walked out of Arasaka Academy, David's expression suddenly darkened.
He spotted the very classmate who had always made trouble for him—coming down the corridor toward them.
If they kept going straight, they would cross paths directly.
Based on past experience, every encounter with that guy ended badly, and since he was already expelled, David saw no reason to provoke another confrontation.
Thinking quickly, David turned to V. "Miss V, please come this way. Let's go this way."
V didn't know exactly what was going on but, noticing the change in David's expression, she could guess he was trying to avoid someone from the academy he didn't want to meet.
She didn't ask questions—just nodded and followed David toward another corridor, one used primarily as a staff passage.
But what David didn't know was that this classmate had already spotted him as well.
"David Martinez! Haven't you already been expelled from Arasaka Academy? How dare you show up here again?"
"You shameless piece of trash—watch me teach you a lesson!"
David and V hurried into the staff corridor, descending the stairs.
Since this was a staircase rather than an elevator, it was rarely used—mostly treated as an emergency exit.
They rushed all the way down from the principal's office to a landing near the first-floor exit.
David paused, glanced back up the stairwell, and only after confirming that no one was following them did he bend over, hands on his knees, gasping for air.
V, in contrast, stood perfectly composed, not even breathing hard—a striking contrast to David's exhausted state.
"Let me… let me rest a minute before we go, Miss V."
"What exactly are you avoiding?"
When David's expression had changed earlier, V had followed his gaze and noticed he reacted upon seeing a rich kid with short blue hair in Arasaka Academy uniform.
V wasn't the type to pry unnecessarily into people's privacy.
But if David was going to be their colleague in the future, V didn't want him hiding any trouble.
Concealing your problems wasn't maturity—it would only make things harder when they inevitably exploded.
If you couldn't handle it yourself, better to be open and ask for help.
David hesitated for a moment. "He's a classmate from Arasaka Academy. He was always looking for trouble with me."
"You owe him money?"
"No… it's just that I'm poor, and I wouldn't kiss up to him like everyone else."
V nodded in understanding.
Not all rich brats were detestable, but there was no denying that some of them were worse than villains in pulp novels.
"Let's go. You won't run into him anymore after today."
"That's what I think too."
They descended the stairs toward the heavy, closed exit doors.
Suddenly, those doors opened from the outside—and the last person David wanted to see strode in like a proud rooster.
His eyes swept the area and locked onto David.
In an arrogant tone, he said: "David Martinez, what are you doing here?"
David tensed up.
He'd gone out of his way to avoid this guy—and yet still couldn't shake him off, like a parasite that wouldn't let go.
"This doesn't concern you, Katsuo Tanaka. I can go wherever I want."
"Go wherever you want? That's funny. You've already been expelled—what right do you have to set foot in Arasaka Academy?"
"I'm not interested in arguing with you. Get out of my way. Didn't you say you didn't want to see me? I'm leaving now anyway—you act like I'm desperate to stay here."
But Tanaka suddenly pointed at David and mocked him loudly.
"That attitude right there! David, do you know why you had no friends here? Do you know why I always picked on you? It's that exact attitude of yours—so damn irritating."
"I'm not picking on you because you're poor. I'm very open-minded, you know. It's not your fault you were born into a poor family. There's no rule saying poor people can't attend Arasaka Academy—as long as they can afford the tuition."
"But what I can't forgive is your attitude! You just don't fit in. You're a freak."
"You were never part of this class. You just dirtied up the place—and if left unchecked, you'd only contaminate others. The best thing you can do is stop dragging us down."
V's eyes narrowed slightly.
Her expression remained calm, but in her mind, she had already formed a deep distaste for this Tanaka Katsuo.
Even though his barbs were directed at David, not her—this kind of spoiled brat, whose only accomplishment was being born into the right family, arrogantly lecturing the less fortunate with pseudo-rational nonsense—it was disgusting.
David's face was equally cold.
He was especially frustrated at Katsuo's total lack of self-awareness.
Didn't he see that David was obviously here for the last time?
Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut and show a shred of decency?
Even so, David took a deep breath and suppressed his frustration.
In the past, he would have swung at Katsuo without hesitation.
But now, he couldn't let himself get drawn in.
He couldn't involve Miss V and Mr. Leo in any trouble.
While he didn't know the full details of his classmate's backgrounds, he'd heard plenty about Katsuo's.
Katsuo's father wasn't just a board member at Arasaka Academy—he also held a senior position in Arasaka Tower itself.
Even an idiot would understand: if David so much as laid a hand on Katsuo, this rich kid would go crying straight to his powerful father.
Then Leo and the others would be dragged into the mess.
David's face darkened as he put his hands in his pockets and prepared to walk past.
But Katsuo blocked his path.
"Wait. I'm not finished."
Katsuo tilted his head, smirking smugly as he continued: "I heard your mother came begging the principal to forgive you a few days ago."
"She was bawling her eyes out, begging them not to expel her precious son. What a disgrace."
"And I've always wondered—what exactly does your mother do for a living that she can afford your tuition here? Care to explain that to me, David Martinez?"
David's expression darkened completely.
But Katsuo didn't seem to notice—or rather, he saw it and simply didn't care.
He kept provoking: "In Night City, I can only think of one way to make fast money—and that's illegal work."
"Stop talking."
Tanaka Katsuo put his hand to his ear, pretending to listen. "What was that? I can't hear you."
"I said! Stop talking!"
David glared at him, eyes bloodshot, hair bristling with fury as he stared Tanaka down. But far from being nervous, Tanaka smirked provocatively and motioned for David to come at him.
David finally couldn't suppress his rage anymore.
He clenched his fist and threw a heavy punch straight at Tanaka's smug face.
At this point, he didn't care about the consequences—he just wanted to beat this spoiled brat senseless.
But unexpectedly, Tanaka caught David's fist easily, his palm halting it without budging an inch.
No matter how hard David struggled, Tanaka held it steady—effortlessly—while David was straining every muscle.
Tanaka grinned wickedly, leisurely pushing David's fist aside as he savored the look of disbelief on David's face.
"Where did you get this cheap junk?"
In the next instant, Tanaka shoved David backward, then set his stance and unleashed a barrage of punches aimed directly at David's face.
The rushing wind stung David's cheeks as the sheer number of fists nearly obscured his vision.
What shocked and horrified him even more was how fast Tanaka's attacks were—so fast David couldn't react at all.
Tanaka was deliberately toying with him.
Every punch could have landed squarely on David's face—but each one passed just slightly to the side, as if performed for show.
Second punch: same.
A whole series of blows like this didn't actually hurt David—but if anyone thought Tanaka was holding back, they'd be dead wrong.
He was doing it on purpose.
His goal was to completely crush David both physically and mentally—utterly humiliate him before delivering the real beating.
Just as Tanaka decided he'd played enough and was ready to seriously pummel David—
Suddenly, a powerful force slammed into his face.
His body was hurled uncontrollably backward, smashing into the wall before sliding down to the floor.
The searing pain on his face, combined with the burning scrape of his body against the wall, finally snapped Tanaka out of his daze.
Staring blankly, he saw a woman standing beside David, leg raised from a kick.
"You… was that you who hit me?"
But V's response nearly made Tanaka cough up blood in fury.
"No, your face ran into the sole of my shoe. Be more careful next time—it's dangerous, kid."
"Kid?"
The pain on his face and body didn't anger him nearly as much as that word did.
He, the only son of a senior executive at Arasaka's Night City branch R&D division, Tanaka Katsuo, top student of Arasaka Academy's elite class—
Nobody dared look down on him.
And this woman dared call him "kid"?
How arrogant.
She didn't even care to look at him properly—just turned away, saying calmly, "Let's go, David," and prepared to leave with him.
"Wait!"
Tanaka clutched his face and jumped up, enraged.
Seeing that Tanaka still wasn't letting up, David frowned and stepped in front of V. "What are you trying to do now?"
Tanaka pointed at V with his free hand. "This woman hit me and thinks she can just walk away? Not so easy!"
While David was blocking Tanaka's path, V calmly drew her Nue kinetic pistol and suppressor from her holster, quietly assembling them behind her back.
"You're Tanaka, right? No worries—I forgive you. After all, you didn't mean it," V said casually.
Tanaka felt the rage surge up to the top of his head.
Nobody had ever dared speak to him like this.
And what did "I forgive you" even mean?
Tanaka wasn't David—he couldn't swallow this humiliation.
"You bitch! I'm going to teach you a real lesson!"
"Enough, Tanaka. Stand down!"
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