Shuchiin Academy.
Hiratsuka, Utaha, Kaguya, and Yoru walked together.
Yoru followed at the very back, silently staring at the tips of his shoes.
Just moments ago, Kaguya had whispered something to Utaha.
Now the four of them were headed straight from Chiba back to Tokyo, returning to Shuchiin.
They were currently walking toward the principal's office. What would happen next was anyone's guess.
Fortunately, the police hadn't been called, and his parents hadn't been informed.
Though Yoru knew his mom and dad would unconditionally believe in him and fight for him...
He didn't want to drag them into trouble again. He'd already let them down enough. He couldn't even lose weight and just kept worrying and burdening them.
That was the only pride Yoru had left.
Soon, the group arrived at the principal's office door.
Hiratsuka knocked gently on the heavy door. A middle-aged man's voice came from inside.
"Principal Adolphe."
She opened the door and stood aside, letting the others enter first.
The office was spacious, decorated in an old-European academic style, with sunlight pouring in.
Yoru followed last and saw the principal, Adolphe, sitting on the sofa—an elegant Frenchman, or so he fancied himself.
"Come in."
Hiratsuka urged from behind and closed the door.
In truth, she had no idea how Kaguya intended to resolve this.
"Please, take a seat."
Principal Adolphe motioned to the chairs, his eyes lingering briefly on Kaguya and Yoru.
Utaha chose to sit beside Kaguya, her expression somewhat relieved.
Kaguya had promised her they'd find the culprit. Since she was involved now too, they shared a common goal. Let Kaguya handle it.
Next was figuring out how to deal with the biggest suspect—Yoru.
Yoru felt nervous, sneaking glances at the principal as he sat awkwardly far away.
"I've been briefed on the situation. Let's all speak frankly," said Principal Adolphe seriously.
"I request the school to expel Katakami!"
Utaha spoke up immediately.
Though she didn't have solid evidence Yoru was the culprit, she firmly believed that Yoru had ogled her thighs and gotten aroused. That much, she considered undeniable.
She wanted to use that point to push for Yoru's expulsion.
Yoru opened his mouth in shock, about to argue.
If he got expelled from Shuchiin, all his parents' sacrifices—cutting expenses, paying high tuition—would be meaningless.
His family had given so much for him.
And it would all be for nothing.
"Keep your mouth shut." Kaguya shot Yoru a cold glance.
She gave him no chance to defend himself.
Yoru swallowed his words, his expression darkening. He reminded himself to stay calm.
"A student like that being expelled—I have no objection. It damages our school's moral standards..." Kaguya raised her hand in agreement.
Yoru silently stared at her, furious but powerless to speak.
With Kaguya leading the charge, his fate was basically sealed.
He wanted revenge… no, he couldn't even argue with her.
The gap between them was just too vast—like an ant trying to defy an elephant.
If she was displeased, even his whole family might suffer.
This wasn't a fantasy doujin.
He couldn't just hypnotize her, rewrite her common sense...
Or seduce her into falling in love with him, then cruelly toy with her feelings.
Yoru dug his nails deep into his palm, sucking in cold air, legs trembling nervously.
Wait...
Something was off!
A flash of clarity hit Yoru, and he looked toward Utaha.
Above her head, a golden treasure chest slowly materialized—and beneath it, a progress bar had increased slightly!
That same treasure chest was the cause of all the misunderstandings, the whole chain of events.
Yoru couldn't be wrong.
"I've come to understand the entire situation," said Principal Adolphe after a long moment of silence.
Yoru was snapped out of his thoughts. He opened his mouth but said nothing.
"I'll leave the final decision to you," Kaguya said as she glanced at Yoru.
She had the power to kick Yoru out of school—or even erase him from this world.
But for now, she was only acting as a student: a victim and vice president of the student council. She hadn't invoked her authority as the Shinomiya heiress. The final verdict still rested with Principal Adolphe.
The Shinomiya family code did not allow arbitrarily overstepping one's status or breaking the rules.
Yoru held his breath. His heart was racing out of control. His face was ashen.
Principal Adolphe's gaze landed on Yoru as he elegantly crossed his legs.
Utaha frowned and began listing Yoru's "crimes."
Kaguya followed up with supporting jabs.
In her eyes, even if Yoru wasn't the culprit, he was still a disgusting fat creep who stared at Utaha's thighs. Expelling him from Shuchiin seemed perfectly justified.
Though the whole thing lasted only a few minutes, for Yoru, it felt like he was being tortured in hell.
Hiratsuka sat quietly to the side, visibly conflicted, but in the end, she spoke up for Yoru in a more neutral tone.
...
Creak—
Yoru forced his twisted, tear-contorted face to stay composed as he shut the principal's door behind him and quickly walked out.
But as soon as he stepped outside, the dam broke. Overwhelmed with grief, he clutched his mouth and sobbed uncontrollably.
His chubby body trembled with each sob.
He tried to stifle the sound with his hand, but saliva kept slipping through his fingers.
Still, the result was better than expected.
There'd be no police involvement. His parents wouldn't be informed. The school wouldn't issue a public notice.
But gossip? That couldn't be stopped. The rumors would spread regardless.
Principal Adolphe didn't expel Yoru outright. Instead, he imposed two conditions:
First, Yoru must not be involved in any negative incident going forward. If he was, he'd be expelled immediately—regardless of whether it was a malicious report.
Second, by the end of the school year, Yoru's overall grades had to place him in the top 30 of his grade. If not, he wouldn't be allowed to return next semester.
The first condition had been proposed by Principal Adolphe and was nearly settled.
But then Kaguya suddenly added the second condition—a nearly impossible task for Yoru.
Shuchiin's total score factored in both academics and physical education.
Yoru's grades were at the lower end, nearly rock bottom. As for PE, given his obesity, he'd never earned a single point in gym class.
Even if he studied and worked as hard as he could, others would be doing the same.
His starting point was already miles behind.
His classmates were already high-achievers. Why should they be beaten by someone like Yoru? Why should Yoru be allowed into the top 30?
And more importantly, with PE grades included—something he had zero chance of improving—his overall score would be dragged down hard.
Utaha stepped out just then and was startled by the sight of Yoru bawling outside.
Seeing his miserable state gave her pause.