After four laps around the field.
Satoru chugged the plain milk Sakura had bought him and waved at Ayaka, who was chatting with the newbies a short distance away.
"Yo, Ayaka-senpai, you're here today too?"
"Can't I be?" Ayaka shot him a side-eye.
You just noticed me NOW, asshole!? Ayaka screamed internally.
"N↑o↓pe," Satoru laughed. "Just heard from Sakura-senpai that your punishment was only one week."
He had no idea why Ayaka got punished—Sakura blushed and refused to explain—but a week had already passed. The daily morning-practice mission should be over.
"As vice-captain, I have to set an example," Ayaka declared coolly.
The freshmen instantly turned into hype men:
"Vice-captain is mighty!"
"As expected of vice-captain!"
"Vice-captain I love you!"
"You, shut up and stop sneaking personal feelings in!"
"But… didn't Ayaka-senpai used to be super irresponsible?" one bold freshman asked.
He was immediately sentenced to two extra laps.
Know-it-all.
Don't you know the kendo club isn't the same anymore!? Ayaka seethed.
"What're you guys talking about?" Satoru asked casually, still slurping milk.
"The restaurant thing," Ayaka said, flipping her long hair. "Maeda helped some assholes try to trick me, right?"
"True," Satoru nodded. "But why you?"
He knew Maeda Yui—the plot was supposed to target the student-council president Naruse Mizuki. Did his transmigration butterfly-effect it onto Ayaka?
"What do you mean 'why me'? Can't it be me?" Ayaka glared with those pretty eyes.
Who're you looking down on… Am I not cute enough? Not worthy!? But then she remembered it wasn't exactly an honor, and her anger cooled. She waved her phone—the alpaca keychain swaying in the wind.
"I'm not letting them get away with it. Word about their shit has already spread all over Maeda's school."
She used to call the keychain "ugly as hell." Satoru thought she'd tossed it ages ago.
"Ayaka has tons of friends, unlike me. She's perfect for handling this," Sakura said with a gentle smile, walking over. She was holding her own phone—she'd just secretly replayed the "onee-san" audio again…
And her phone had the exact same alpaca charm.
The minister and vice-minister have such a good relationship! Same keychain too! CP fans are eating good today!
"Nice," Satoru nodded.
He wanted to do something too, but hadn't decided yet. Plus he was pretty busy lately.
As he thought about it, he pulled out his phone.
New message from Nanao Akane:
『Ruined ruined ruined Σ(っ°Д°;) I overslept! Gonna be late!!』
She still had time to text while being late. Impressive.
So, to save her from wasting more time replying, Satoru kindly ignored the message.
Speaking of which…
He scrolled up their chat history. Had he been ghosting her a little too hard?
Hehe, this Alpaca Princess collab keychain really is cute.
"Hm?"
Satoru suddenly felt it.
He, a proud pure-love warrior, was being stared at like he was some homewrecking third wheel!?
…
Monday was packed.
First: morning assembly.
Normally the principal just yapped about nothing while everyone yawned and clapped like robots.
But today was different.
The principal announced a bombshell:
Coach Higashi had resigned due to "personal conduct issues."
Resigned → instantly re-employed… at the local prison sewing clothes.
The entire hall exploded.
Everyone had heard rumors about Higashi being sketchy, but nobody expected THIS level of sketchy!
It took the principal and dean yelling "QUIET!" multiple times to regain control.
Then they moved on to baseball club reassignments and PE class schedules…
But none of that mattered to Nanao Akane anymore.
She let out the longest sigh of relief in her life.
One huge weight—finally gone.
She felt light, almost happy.
But joy for some is mourning for others.
While Akane celebrated, the baseball team held a silent funeral.
If they were lined up, they'd all be staring at each other in shock.
But they weren't, so they just stood there like lost souls.
Coach Higashi… arrested?
How???
They'd heard the rumors too… but under Higashi's coaching, the team had been winning. So they told themselves the rumors were just jealous outsiders talking shit.
They idolized his skill.
And now…
The filter shattered into a million pieces.
The hardest hit was Kata Rai Shoya.
Fists clenched, body trembling.
Disbelief, fear, regret, despair—all on full display.
Impossible! This has to be a nightmare!!
He tried to lie to himself.
But after the initial daze, reality crashed down.
He'd been suspicious ever since Higashi went MIA a while back.
He kept telling himself: Don't overthink. Coach is just busy… or sick…
Turns out he'd been lying to himself the whole time.
How did it end up like this…
Kata Rai's shoulders slumped. His body stood, but his soul had been curb-stomped into the dirt.
Wait—
Then…
He misunderstood Akane?
Akane!
His eyes frantically searched for Nanao Akane.
In the auditorium, she stood gracefully in her usual spot.
Before, during assemblies, their eyes would meet and they'd share a little smile.
But today?
She never once looked back.
…
『System, I beat up a black dude last night—where's my reward?』 Satoru asked internally.
That counts as smashing NTR, right? Black guys are one of the Four Heavenly Kings of NTR!
[Huh? Isn't that just normal behavior? Boo, Ai-chan tilts head in confusion. Why would Host expect a reward?]
Satoru: …
You bigot!!
…Oh wait, me too? Never mind then.
…
-------------------------------
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