The next morning, Arashi walked into the classroom with a calm expression, but his mind was far from peaceful. The atmosphere felt unusually heavy, as if the air itself knew what was about to happen. He quietly took his seat, placing his bag beside his desk, trying to appear normal even though a faint sense of unease lingered inside him.
A few minutes later, the classroom door slid open, and the class teacher stepped inside. The casual chatter that had filled the room instantly faded into silence. The students straightened in their seats as she walked toward the front of the class.
She placed her notebook on the desk and let out a tired sigh.
"Uff…" she muttered softly, as if already exhausted by what she was about to say. "The students whose names I call… please stand up at your seats."
The moment those words left her mouth, Arashi felt his heartbeat drop slightly.
He didn't need confirmation.
He already knew.
We're being called to the principal's office.
He kept his face calm, but inside, his thoughts were racing. There was no other reason for something like this.
The teacher cleared her throat.
"Ahem. First… Arashi. Second… Mizuki. And Ayane."
The classroom fell even quieter as the three names echoed through the room.
Arashi slowly closed his eyes for a brief second before standing up.
"Just as expected," he muttered under his breath. "Exactly what I was afraid of."
Beside him, Mizuki and Ayane also stood up. Mizuki's expression was serious but composed, while Ayane looked visibly nervous.
The teacher looked at them firmly.
"All three of you have been called to the principal's office. Please go. The principal is waiting for you."
There was no anger in her tone, but there was weight.
Without arguing, the three of them stepped out of the classroom together.
The hallway felt longer than usual.
Arashi ran a hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Do you guys have any idea what they're going to do?" he asked quietly. "This is going to be embarrassing. They might even call our parents."
His voice carried a mixture of irritation and worry.
Mizuki glanced at him, her expression thoughtful.
"Yes… that could happen," she admitted honestly. "But the moment we go in, we should all apologize properly. We'll say "We're sorry, sir, whatever we did was wrong. We shouldn't have done that. It won't happen again. We promise. Please just give us one more chance."
Her tone wasn't panicked — it was steady. Logical.
Arashi looked at her for a moment.
"I hope that works," he said. "That's our only option."
As they continued walking, Mizuki noticed Ayane walking slightly behind them, unusually quiet. Her head was lowered, and her steps were hesitant.
Mizuki gently slowed down to walk beside her.
"Ayane," she said softly.
Ayane looked up, her eyes filled with worry.
"Don't be scared," Mizuki reassured her, offering a small comforting smile. "Nothing will happen. We'll handle everything together. Just relax. It's going to be okay."
Her voice was warm — not forced, not fake. Genuine comfort.
Ayane nodded slightly, though her nervousness didn't completely disappear.
Soon, they reached the principal's office.
The large wooden door stood in front of them like a final test.
For a brief moment, none of them moved.
The hallway was silent.
Arashi inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with air as if gathering courage.
Then, he raised his hand and knocked on the door.
Knock. Knock.
A calm but firm voice came from inside.
"Come in."
Arashi slowly turned the handle, and the three of them stepped inside.
The principal was seated behind his large desk, his posture straight and composed. Files were neatly arranged in front of him, and his expression was unreadable.
"Please," he said, gesturing toward the chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat."
The three of them exchanged brief glances before walking forward and sitting down in the chairs opposite him.
The room felt quiet.
Too quiet.
And the real conversation… was about to begin.
The principal adjusted his glasses slightly and looked at the three of them.
"I want to ask—"
But before he could complete his sentence, something unexpected happened.
Arashi, Mizuki, and Ayane all lowered their heads at the same time, almost as if they had rehearsed it beforehand.
"We're sorry, sir," they said together, their voices overlapping in nervous sincerity. "Whatever we did was wrong. We shouldn't have done that. It won't happen again. We promise. Please just give us one more chance."
Their words rushed out in one breath, filled with tension and anticipation.
For a moment… there was silence.
The principal did not react.
He didn't interrupt them.He didn't scold them.He didn't even sigh.
The room became unbearably still.
Arashi could hear the faint ticking of the clock on the wall. Ayane's hands were slightly trembling on her lap. Mizuki kept her head lowered, waiting for the inevitable lecture.
Then—
In a calm, steady voice, the principal said,
"Raise your heads."
Slowly, all three of them lifted their faces.
And what they saw surprised them completely.
The principal was smiling.
Not a sarcastic smile.Not an annoyed smile.
A genuine one.
It was rare. Extremely rare.
Normally, his expression was composed and neutral — almost unreadable. But today, there was a visible warmth on his face.
Arashi blinked in confusion.
Why is he smiling…?
The principal leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Why are you apologizing?" he asked calmly. "I haven't said anything yet. I called you here for an entirely different matter."
The three of them exchanged quick glances.
Confusion replaced fear.
Mizuki, gathering courage, spoke politely.
"Sir… what is it about?"
The principal folded his hands on the desk.
"Tell me," he said, looking directly at Arashi, "who was that boy?"
Arashi froze for a split second.
"Sir… he's… he's my cousin."
"Oh?" The principal nodded thoughtfully. "Your cousin, I see."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"The reason I called you three here is because I wanted to ask about him."
The three of them stared at him, trying to process his words.
"To be honest," the principal continued, a faint hint of admiration in his tone, "even I was shocked. The way he handled everything alone… the planning, the execution… it was almost at a genius level."
Ayane's eyes widened slightly.
"Until today," the principal went on, "I have never seen someone propose in that manner. But love…" he said with a soft chuckle, "love has a strange power. It makes people do things they themselves would never imagine they were capable of."
There was no anger in his voice.
Only amusement… and appreciation.
Then he turned his gaze toward Arashi again.
"You are the same student who won the chess competition, correct?"
Arashi straightened slightly.
"Yes, sir. That's me."
A small approving nod followed.
"Congratulations. You played very well. It was impressive."
"Thank you, sir," Arashi replied respectfully.
"And convey my message to your cousin as well," the principal added with a light smile. "Tell him he did an outstanding job. I'm impressed. The next time we plan a school event… perhaps we should invite him to organize it."
For a second, none of them spoke.
Then, almost instinctively, the three of them smiled.
Relief washed over them like cool rain after a storm.
The heavy weight they had been carrying since morning disappeared in an instant.
Finally, the principal glanced at the clock.
"Alright, children," he said calmly. "You may go now. I've already taken enough of your time. And once again… congratulations. Your class won."
All three of them stood up together.
"Thank you, sir," they said in unison.
With polite bows, they turned and walked out of the office.
The moment the door closed behind them—
Arashi exhaled dramatically.
"Whoa… I did not expect that," he said, placing a hand on his chest. "Sir is actually pretty friendly."
Mizuki let out a soft laugh, still processing what had just happened.
"I seriously thought today was going to be my last day at school," she admitted. "I was mentally preparing for disaster."
Even Ayane, who had been the most nervous, now looked relieved.
As they walked back down the hallway toward their classroom, their steps felt lighter.
The tension that once made the corridor seem endless had completely disappeared.
Instead of fear, there was laughter.
Instead of anxiety, there was comfort.
And as they continued talking casually, the three of them returned to class — unaware that sometimes, the things we fear the most… turn out to be the least frightening of all.