Chapter 50: "Cutting Off the Lizard's Tail"

Meanwhile, at Tensho Private Junior High—

"Yes…so, our school is—"

"We’re currently investigating—"

"P-please stop shouting…!"

The staff room was flooded with complaint calls due to Shuto’s exposé. The teachers, overwhelmed by the constant barrage, were becoming increasingly haggard.

"I heard that homeroom teacher, Aono, deliberately ignored the bullying. How can such a terrible person be employed at a prestigious school!?"

"Put me through to Aono! My son was also his student and was bullied by his classmates, but Aono ignored his pleas for help! How can such a despicable person still be a teacher!?"

"My daughter was in Aono’s class last year, and he constantly belittled her for her grades, treating her like an insect! That scum doesn't deserve to be a teacher!"

Aono was the primary target of the outrage, with parents of current and former students demanding his dismissal. He’d been discharged from the hospital and was back at school, but the other teachers were handling the calls, shielding him. Aono trembled every time he overheard the angry shouts and insults directed at him.

"Stop…please stop…! Why am I the only one being blamed…!!"

Aono, suffering from a severe stomach ulcer and a mental breakdown, became a recluse.

In the principal's office, Haga and the vice-principal, their faces pale, were desperately trying to contain the firestorm.

"I can’t believe…it escalated to this…! This is all Mitsuki Shuto’s doing…!"

"Ugh… Our arrogance…our careless words were made public…! I never imagined he’d go this far! We underestimated him…"

They realized they were paying for underestimating Shuto, deeply regretting their careless words.

Then, Haga’s phone rings—not the school phone, but his personal one, used for contacting higher-ups. He answers it hastily.

"Hello, this is Haga… Ch-Chairman Nakazato…!"

The vice-principal tenses at the mention of Chairman Nakazato. Nakazato Enterprises was their sponsor and, in a way, their ultimate boss. They were instantly on edge.

"I apologize, we’re currently dealing with the incident that's causing a public uproar. You’ve probably seen the news… What?

W-withdraw funding!? P-please wait!!"

The vice-principal couldn’t believe his ears. Chairman Nakazato was withdrawing his funding from the school.

The firestorm Shuto ignited had spread to Nakazato Enterprises. The revelation that Chairman Nakazato’s son, Nakazato Yuta, was the ringleader of the bullying had led to accusations of negligent parenting against the chairman himself, causing another wave of public outrage. This was a major blow to both the school and Nakazato Enterprises.

The stock prices of Nakazato Enterprises and its subsidiaries had been plummeting since the news broke, hitting the lower limit every day.

Chairman Nakazato, realizing the gravity of the situation, decided to withdraw his funding from Tensho Private Junior High as damage control, distancing himself from the scandal.

Just as Haga and the others had cut off Shuto to protect themselves, they were now being cut off by Chairman Nakazato, like a lizard discarding its tail.

"Please reconsider! We’ll resolve this! We’ll ensure this doesn’t cause any further trouble for you and Nakazato Enterprises, so please…please give us more time—"

Haga’s pleas are cut short as the call ends. It was a clear declaration of severed ties. As he’s about to call back, another call comes in—another important client.

The content is similar to Chairman Nakazato’s call; they want nothing to do with the scandal and refuse to offer any support.

More calls follow, each one severing ties. Tensho Private Junior High had lost all its backers.

As a final blow, the Ministry of Education announces a thorough investigation into the bullying issue. Covering it up was no longer possible.

"A…ah…"

The vice-principal collapses in despair, and Haga, drained of all color, clutches his head. Shuto’s words from a month ago echo in his mind.

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

"He was right… It’s over for us…"

Haga, a shell of his former self, lets out a dry laugh.

In classroom 2-A… the students were restless.

"This school…isn’t the situation getting worse every day?"

"Not just the school, we’re in trouble too."

"On the train this morning…I felt like the other passengers were glaring at us…"

"It wasn’t just a feeling; they definitely were. Why are we the ones being glared at…?"

"Aren't the school, the teachers, and us students being treated like villains?"

"What!? We didn’t do anything wrong!"

"Well…can we really say that? The reason we're being glared at is…"

"……………"

They all think of the same person, a former classmate who was expelled a month ago. They had convinced themselves he was no longer their concern.

However, a recent live stream by a famous student YoursTuber had changed everything. He’d painted them, the students of 2-A, as villains, and the public believed him.

"So, the reason we’re being glared at and criticized…"

"It's definitely because of that live stream…"

"And the person who did that live stream is…"

"It can only be him…"

The students of 2-A shudder, remembering their former classmate. The brutal assault from a month ago flashes through their minds, the work of one student—Mitsuki Shuto.

The last expression they saw on Shuto’s face was filled with hatred, a silent promise of revenge.

"…Shuto-kun. Is this…what you wanted…?"

Akemi, sitting at her desk, her face grim, is consumed with thoughts of Shuto.

"Not satisfied with just Nakazato and the others, are you planning to take revenge on all of us, Mr. Aono, the principal, and even the entire school…?"

Realizing the extent of Shuto’s power and his terrifying willingness to use it, Akemi is filled with fear.

"—!!" "—!!" "---!!"

Just as the first-period bell is about to ring, shouts come from outside the classroom window. Akemi and the other students rush to the corridor and look outside…to a shocking sight.

"What…is this…!?"

Akemi, along with all the students of 2-A, is speechless with shock. Students in other classrooms also look out their windows, equally stunned.

Outside the school building, at the school gate—a mob was trying to force their way in.