Silence continued to fill the principal's office after Ahmed's words.
"She was being bullied."
The principal froze in his place. Then, very slowly... he turned his gaze toward Honoka. She was still staring at the floor, her shoulders trembling silently.
The Principal (in a lower, but more dangerous voice):
"Bullying...?"
She didn't answer. But Ahmed spoke.
Ahmed: "Yes, sir."
He took another step forward. "Yesterday... behind the sports club."
The principal's expression began to change. Ahmed continued in a steady voice: "Four third-year students were surrounding her."
The image of that scene flashed in Honoka's mind instantly. The laughter. The hurtful words. The fear. She clenched her hands tighter.
Ahmed finished: "They were mocking her... and harassing her." Then he added clearly: "And we have brought them here."
The principal raised his head suddenly. He looked directly at Ahmed.
The Principal: "You are the one who brought them?"
Ahmed nodded. "Yes."
Misaki spoke this time, in a steady voice but one full of suppressed anger.
Misaki: "They had been harassing her for a long time." She raised her eyes toward the principal. "She was afraid... and she couldn't tell anyone."
Silence fell once more. Then, finally... Honoka lifted her head slightly. Her eyes were red. But she did not speak. She didn't have to speak; everything was clear on her face.
The principal sighed slowly. He sat back in his chair and closed his eyes for a moment. The anger was no longer what it was. Something else took its place: weight, and responsibility.
He opened his eyes again. He looked at Ahmed, then at Misaki.
The Principal (in a calmer voice): "So... what happened yesterday... was not just an accident."
No one answered, but the silence itself was the answer. The principal took a deep breath.
Then he said seriously: "You both did the right thing by bringing those students here."
He looked at Honoka. This time, there was no anger in his voice—only a sternness mingled with concern.
"But what you did..." He paused for a moment. "It could have ended your life."
Honoka's body trembled slightly. But before her head could drop again, Ahmed spoke calmly.
Ahmed: "That won't happen again."
The principal turned to him. Ahmed continued: "She won't be alone anymore."
Misaki stood closer to Honoka.
Misaki: "We will be with her."
For a brief moment, Honoka's eyes filled with tears. But this time, they weren't tears of fear. They were something else—something resembling gratitude.
The principal looked at the three before him. Then he pointed his hand toward the door.
The Principal: "Go now." Then he added sternly: "And I will deal with the bullies myself."
Ahmed moved toward the door first. Misaki followed him, then Honoka with slow steps. But before the door opened, the principal said one last sentence:
"And Ahmed..."
Ahmed stopped. The principal looked directly at him.
"What you did... was brave."
Ahmed opened the door, and the three stepped out into the corridor. But they did not know that the world outside that door had already begun to talk about them.