Shuto slams his fist on the table, recounting the abuse and humiliation he suffered. After a moment of stunned silence during which Haga wipes sweat from his brow, Aono, the homeroom teacher of 2-A, enters the principal's office. Having regained consciousness a few minutes ago, he hurried here from the nurse's office.

"Speaking of the devil. This trash teacher knew about Nakazato's bullying. He knew and did nothing! He prioritized self-preservation and appearances, turning a blind eye to the bullying! A worthless piece of garbage who doesn't deserve to be called a teacher!"

Shuto stands up, points at Aono, and vehemently denounces him. Aono, still terrified by Shuto's earlier glare, pales and trembles, trying to respond.

"Th-that's… Mitsuki was trying to resolve the issue himself…to encourage your growth…"

"Resolve it myself? I sought your help, but you just brushed me off!

What is this, encouraging my growth? Bullying is a crime, even if the perpetrator is a minor. I couldn’t solve it because I was powerless. Then it was your job as a teacher, as an adult, to solve it!

Isn't it a teacher's job to ensure the safety and well-being of their students, not just teach them? You simply abandoned your duty! I’m not letting you say it was my fault for not being able to solve it!"

"U-ugh…!"

Aono can only groan in response to Shuto's accusations (partly because he’s terrified of Shuto’s angry expression). Shuto believes that only the perpetrators, those who committed the bullying, are to blame, but the teachers who failed to protect the students from the bullying are also guilty. No, he believes Aono's guilt is even greater as an adult.

Shuto tries to use his eloquence to ensure proper punishment for Nakazato and the others and disciplinary action against Aono for ignoring the bullying. However, the principal, who had been listening, says:

"…I understand that these things have been happening at the school recently. We will deal with it. Next, let's discuss the assault on multiple students that Mitsuki-kun committed before the end of school today—"

Bang!

Shuto slams his fist on the table again in anger.

"Hey…The discussion about the bullying isn't over yet. We still have to talk about punishing those guys and that trash teacher…!"

"I just said we'll deal with it! Your position has now shifted from a victim of bullying to the perpetrator of today's assault!"

"Me, a perpetrator? Don't change the subject! We’re still discussing the bullying! Don’t just end it!"

Shuto’s anger explodes at the vice-principal's words. A heated argument ensues between Shuto and the teachers, threatening to spiral out of control.

(They just keep making excuses, claiming they aren't at fault! They all ignore inconvenient truths, trying to sweep things under the rug, and they only condemn me, who's powerless and easy to attack…! What kind of teachers are these? A renowned school, yet full of such garbage…!)

Shuto's frustration reaches its peak. Haga and the others are exasperated by this child who lacks status, power, and understanding of the world.

There's a reason why they’re not immediately deciding on punishment for Nakazato. They’re hesitant about punishing Nakazato Yuta in particular. His father is the chairman of one of the country's top corporations, and the junior high receives substantial funding from him.

Even if Nakazato Yuta committed bullying or other wrongdoings, punishing him could lead to his father withdrawing funding.

Fearing this, Haga has instructed all teachers to avoid addressing Nakazato’s minor offenses, even to favor him.

In the end, Shuto's suspicions are confirmed: the entire school protects Nakazato Yuta—for their own sake and for the money. It also fits in with what Haga had said: the avoidance of any damage to the school's reputation and the concern for public image.

(I suspected it, but they're afraid of Nakazato. They’re scared of his father. They’re afraid of losing their positions if they upset him, so they avoid labeling Nakazato as the perpetrator. And they intend to keep the bullying quiet. They don’t want to ruin the school's reputation.

They’re trying to sweep everything under the rug…!)

Shuto grits his teeth in anger. His suspicion is correct; Haga and the others are trying to prevent the bullying and Shuto’s assault from being made public. They plan to quietly resolve the matter, making Shuto the sole target of punishment, letting Nakazato off scot-free.

(They only claim to be righteous, fawning over those with power and status. They’re all utterly corrupt adults.

Further discussion is pointless.

I’ll just go wild, destroy all these infuriating people, and end everything….)

Just as Shuto, his rage boiling over, is about to act on impulse, a knock sounds on the principal's office door. A teacher opens the door, reacting with shock. Haga and the others look, and several men in police uniforms enter. They’re police officers.

"We're from Nerima Police Station. We responded to a report of attempted murder and rioting at this school. We heard from a student that someone involved in the incident is here…"

Haga is deeply disturbed by the police's arrival, especially since he was trying to keep everything quiet. The report came from one of the students in 2-A. Having escaped Shuto's control, the student reported this to get Shuto expelled.

"Th-the perpetrator of this incident is this student here."

"Perpetrator?" Shuto shows indignation. An officer looks at Shuto suspiciously, questioning if this one child really caused the riot.

"He severely injured several students in 2-A and trashed the classroom! The injured students are all seriously hurt!"

Aono eagerly points at Shuto, trying to make him the guilty party. Shuto glares at Aono with murderous intent. Aono, though intimidated, feels a sense of satisfaction, planning to frame Shuto as the complete villain.

Haga and the others also start to condemn Shuto, sensing Aono’s intention.

"We understand the situation. Mitsuki Shuto-kun, right? As a key witness in this reported assault, we'll be taking you to the station now."

A police officer in his twenties speaks to Shuto, who is visibly furious, in a soothing tone.

"Wait a minute. Why am I the only one being taken? Shouldn’t the teachers who covered up the bullying and the main perpetrators be arrested too?"

"Sorry, the report was only about the assault you allegedly committed. We'll ask you about the bullying at the station, so please cooperate."

"…"

Shuto considers his options. He could easily break free from the police, but that would create more trouble later, mainly impacting his life in the real world.

He decides it's best to cooperate.

Shuto, unable to get his way, remains furious, resentful at not being able to get Aono and Haga punished.

"If you try to cover everything up, I’ll make you regret it…!"

Just before leaving the room, Shuto says this to the teachers.

"…Humph. A naive kid acting so big. It’ll be good for him to learn that a powerless child’s words mean nothing.

A mere student’s bullying won't damage our school's reputation."

After Shuto and the police leave, Haga smiles grimly.

This private junior high school is, as Shuto pointed out, "a crappy private junior high school."

Akemi, who had been watching from the classroom, is deeply shaken as Shuto is led away by the police (it only appears so; Shuto isn’t actually handcuffed). The police car drives off towards the station.

About 20 minutes later, Shuto arrives at the police station, taken to the detective division. Although not handcuffed, he scowls, feeling like a criminal. The detectives are surprised to see a boy in the uniform of a prestigious private junior high school being brought in.

They arrive in an interrogation room in the detective division. Shuto sits in a metal chair, drinking tea while waiting. A female detective enters—unlike the officers earlier. She has long black hair tied back in a ponytail and is strikingly beautiful.

The female detective smiles amicably at Shuto, a smile intended to disarm him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting.

I'm Hanamiya Sumire, the detective in charge of your case. Nice to meet you!"

Author's Note

Let me state beforehand that this is fiction, so the interrogation and Shuto's future in the story may seem unbelievable and unrealistic.

But because this is fiction, please overlook any inconsistencies, contradictions, or dissonance with our reality.

Without that suspension of disbelief, the story would not progress smoothly.

And the next chapter, after an intermission page, introduces a new character (though they’ve already appeared).