After that strange woman spoke, no one said anything, and in that vast silence, a voice approached.
"Mom! I told you to wait for me so we could come together!"
That voice belonged to a certain blonde girl I knew.
Why was Yumiko here?
I don't think it's necessary to involve her. In fact, bringing her into this would only make things more complicated.
Wait… did she say Mom? This woman is her mother!?
Now that I think about it, her gaze and expression really do resemble Yumiko's. Even that strange aura is almost identical to the one Yumiko gives off when she gets annoyed.
I never would've guessed that this woman—who looks so young—could actually be Yumiko's mother.
Hmm… if that's what Yumiko will look like when she grows up, I guess that's not bad at all.
I quickly shook my head to clear those thoughts. If Yumiko notices I had weird thoughts about her mother, she'll kill me.
"You said we should hurry so we can help Raiden-kun."
"Even so, you shouldn't have interrupted like that…"
Yumiko looked exhausted from trying to keep her mother under control.
The principal coughed lightly so we'd refocus on him.
"Mrs. Miura, welcome…"
Why does the principal look so nervous?
"At the moment, I'm a bit busy, so if it's not too much trouble, I'd ask that you wait outside. But if you prefer, you may stay…"
My image of the principal shattered.
Thinking back, Yumiko once told me her parents had a "friendly" chat with him. I guess friendly wasn't the right word after all.
"I'll stay; after all, I'm here to support Raiden-kun," she said cheerfully.
Raiden-kun? Yumiko's mother had a very peculiar way of referring to me, but I suppose I can't complain…
"Why would you support a delinquent like that boy?" one of the mothers asked with disdain, glaring at Yumiko's mother.
If I had to compare the appearance of all the mothers here, Yumiko's mother would take first place by a landslide. She looked so young and beautiful that the others couldn't help but envy her.
I wonder what her relationship with her husband is like…
A chill ran down my spine. When I looked at Yumiko, she was staring at me with a sinister expression…
She told me she isn't an esper, so there's no way she just read my mind… right?
"First of all, there's no way Yumiko would ever be friends with a delinquent. Second, she told me everything that happened, so I can't just sit back while you try to expel the boy who only helps my lovely daughter. If anything, the ones who should be expelled are those boys."
She pointed at the students, who stayed silent, unable to respond in front of her.
"Why should my son be expelled? He's the one who was beaten up!" another mother protested.
"I see, so you told your moms you didn't do anything that would justify getting your butts kicked… I see…"
She removed the toothpick from her mouth.
"How cowardly can you be?"
Without hesitation, she mocked the five boys.
Their mothers tried to argue back, but Yumiko's mother was quicker.
"Act like men and take responsibility for your actions!"
Her voice echoed through the room.
"You've got the guts to insult my daughter and even think about doing something to her, but you can't handle a few punches? Don't make me laugh."
Her expression turned severe.
"If any of you brats even try to lay a hand on my daughter, I'll send you straight to hell!"
She cracked her knuckles. No matter how you looked at it, that was a direct threat.
As expected, a verbal battle broke out between Yumiko's mother and the mothers of those five boys. If this keeps going, I don't think Yumiko will be able to hold her mother back, and we'll end up with more problems than we started with.
Even the principal stayed silent, unable to do anything.
What on earth happened during that conversation between the principal and Yumiko's parents!?
…This isn't the time to think about that. Time keeps moving, and this situation doesn't look anywhere near being resolved.
No choice left… I slammed my hand on the desk to grab everyone's attention. I doubted speaking would be enough, so I went with that instead.
I was starting to feel like the only adult in the room.
"If you need solid proof of what happened, I have it. If everyone calms down and listens, we can settle this right now." I said it calmly.
When no one objected, I pulled my phone from my pocket and searched for the specific audio file I had prepared. Once I found it, I hit play and switched on the speaker.
The recording I'd made on the day it all happened began to play. It captured each insult those boys had hurled at Yumiko, every threat, every hateful word — everything that made them look far more guilty than innocent.
Get into a fight inside school? I'd never do anything that stupid — which is why I had recorded everything. If things ever came to this, that recording would only strengthen my case.
A cautious man is worth twice as much.
Of course, things can change depending on the situation… but most of the time, I doubted I'd ever let my emotions take over so far that I acted irrationally.
One of my university professors used to say that. God, how I suffered through his class…
When the recording ended, the room fell silent.
"I suppose there's no doubt I'm innocent now, right?" I said with a cheerful tone, flashing a half-smile at the five boys.
"That's not true — he edited it!" one of them shouted, voice shaking with fear and panic.
He wasn't wrong. I had edited out the parts where Yumiko and I mocked them, making it seem like those moments had never happened. But honestly? That detail wasn't relevant right now.
"What did you call my daughter!?"
Yumiko's mother squared at the offending boy, her eyes blazing. Yumiko held her back, preventing her from lunging at him. Their daughter had been called a slut by those bullies — that much was clear.
The other mothers remained silent. I don't blame them — after all, their sons were the ones at fault.
"Tsurumi-kun, forgive me for doubting you," the principal said, bowing slightly. "Mrs. Miura, please don't worry. I'll handle this. I won't take more of your time — you may leave."
"Hmph!" Her lips pursed in anger, clearly still unsatisfied.
"Mother, come on — there's no reason to stay. Everything's been resolved…"
As they left, the room seemed to shift. The principal's posture returned to that imposing aura of authority.
"That kind of behavior will not be tolerated in my school — and trying to blame someone else for your actions certainly won't be tolerated. You're all expelled!"
At those words, the boys lowered their heads, their mothers tried to protest but fell silent under his gaze.
The principal caught my eye and gave me a slight nod — as if to say I was free to go.
With nothing left to do, I walked to the door. Before stepping out, I glanced back at the five of them — they stared at me with thinly-veiled irritation.
Some people just don't learn…
With an innocent, calm smile plastered on my face, I cracked my knuckles deliberately. If they ever asked for real bandages for real broken bones, I wouldn't hesitate to provide them — metaphorically, of course.
Sending them that silent warning, I walked out in a surprisingly good mood.
In the hallway, I spotted Yumiko with her mother waiting.
"I'm guessing those boys got expelled," she said, still sounding angry.
"That's correct. The principal expelled them," I replied casually.
"That… that makes me happy." She gave me a genuine smile after hearing that.
I never expected to meet Yumiko's mother under these circumstances — much less have her stand up for me.
"Thank you all for your help," I said, bowing sincerely in gratitude.
If Mum hadn't stepped in, I doubt the other mothers would've believed anything, even with the evidence. But with her support, things went much smoother.
"You don't have to thank me, Raiden-kun. Honestly, I'm just glad Yumi came to me with this problem. Sure, I would've loved to make those boys suffer a little, but judging by the state you left them in… I think they've had enough."
Calmer now, her tone finally matched the situation. A mother who becomes terrifying when it comes to protecting her daughter — yet gentle when showing gratitude to those she trusts. Something truly admirable.
"I just did what needed to be done," I replied in my usual tone, though Yumiko was looking at me like she was trying not to laugh.
To be fair, I did what was necessary… and a bit more.
Yumiko's mother let out a sigh. "I thought that if I helped you, you'd owe me a favor—and that favor would be accepting our invitation to dinner, since Yumi said you'd normally refuse."
I caught a brief smile on her face. Her words were nothing more than a way to corner me into saying yes.
No doubt about it—she and Yumiko are mother and daughter.
As she said, under normal circumstances I would refuse an invitation to dinner at Yumiko's house. No matter how you look at it, that's a death flag.
The last thing I want is her father treating me like some guy chasing after his daughter. An overprotective dad is something to fear.
But now things are different. Technically, I owe Yumiko's mother, and those seemingly harmless words she used carry weight—they practically force you to accept out of gratitude.
If Yumiko ends up becoming like her mother in the future… I pity her future boyfriend. Especially if he ever makes her cry.
"It's true—we helped you out, so you can't refuse!" Yumiko said cheerfully.
For her, watching me get uncomfortable and do something I don't like is entertainment. This girl holds grudges…
I sighed internally. "Fine, I'll go," I said reluctantly.
It's obvious Yumiko already told her mother what I'm like, so there's no need to be too polite with my responses. I doubt she described me as a role model.
Hearing my words, Yumiko's mother brightened and nodded to herself.
"I'm glad to hear that." She pulled out her phone and checked something. "Saturday night will be perfect. My husband will be home early that day."
Just as I feared… I should've refused immediately.
"Is it too late to take that back?"
"You're funny, Raiden-kun," she said, patting me on the back.
For someone I met only recently, she's awfully comfortable around me—but I can't say I mind being treated like this by a beauty. After all, I can't deny I like older women. Technically, I'm mentally over twenty, and if you add my current age on top of that, it wouldn't be a problem. But I really need to stop fantasizing. Right now, I'm just fifteen.
"Now that everything's settled, I'll be heading out." She glanced at her wristwatch. "An adult's life is busy, so enjoy your youth~"
After saying her goodbyes, she turned and walked toward the exit.
"Yumi will fill you in on the details. Until then, Raiden-kun!" she said carelessly as she disappeared from my field of view, turning the corner of the school hallway.
She's the type who leaves a strong impression—or at least, that's what I think.
"Your mother is quite the character." I feel like dealing with her would be a headache, and I should definitely remember not to make her angry.
"I guess so," Yumiko said, looking a bit tired.
Without saying anything else, we started walking to leave this part of the school building. It's obvious the principal's office isn't anywhere near the classrooms where the students are.
"Today was kind of exhausting…"
I stretched my arms to loosen up.
"You nearly got expelled, and that's all you have to say? 'Kind of exhausting'?" She looked at me with a hint of disbelief.
"I had an ace up my sleeve," I said proudly.
"And what if that had failed?" Yumiko raised a brow.
Your trump card won't always do its job properly.
"Then that would've been my future self's problem. But since it didn't happen, I don't worry about it…" I let out a small yawn.
"I can't tell if you're cautious or just an idiot." She turned her gaze back to the path ahead.
"In that case…"
"Let me guess: 'thanks for the compliment,' or maybe 'who knows,' right?" she mocked shamelessly, that smile of hers giving it her signature touch.
Can't this girl act a little more reserved and not know how to respond when I tease her?
But if she did, it wouldn't be nearly as fun.
"Maybe it's both. Don't you think so, Yumi?"
I wasn't about to stay quiet, so I threw the teasing right back at her.
Yumiko suddenly stopped walking and stared straight at me.
"Don't call me that…!"
Since that's how her mother affectionately calls her, it's obvious she turned red and embarrassed when I said it.
"What's wrong, Yumi? We need to get going or we'll miss lunch."
I picked up my pace while Yumiko stayed frozen in place.
"I said don't call me that!!"
Face red like a tomato, she started chasing after me.
She's genuinely mad; I should probably avoid calling her that from now on… or maybe not.
With a grin on my face, I started running from Yumiko, already thinking about the dinner I'll have with her family on Saturday—but that's a problem for the me of that day.