380 Chapter four, 2017, petty revenge: 1

'Gods! There's spillover everywhere.' Yukio groaned silently, but at least he stayed out of the rumour mongering by the shoe lockers.

"Is it true Sugimoto-san transferred last week?"

"It's true. Her parents are divorced and when her mom died she had to move to her relatives."

"Was it suicide?"

"Dunno. Maybe."

It was. Yukio knew that. He also knew Sugimoto-san's mother had absolutely nothing to do with the rapes apart from believing the girls were at fault for getting assaulted. While disgusting it was hardly a reason for dying. 'Damn Urufu. I should have listened to you.'

He dropped his shoes into his locker, and halfway to his classroom he'd listened to three other versions of the rumours. Rumours, because the Sugimotos weren't the only family to have lost a member. Sasaki-san, a freshman, lost his older brother to an armed robbery that looked a lot like revenge meted out by friends of the Korean victim.

While Urufu was adamant Sasaki-san's father was indeed directly involved the dead kid was only guilty of voicing his hatred of anything foreign to whomever was within earshot.

And in the background Kuri continued her own campaign of defamation with the open backing of Jeniferu's father, and he in turn had the silent backing of two nations.

The stairs took Yukio to his corridor and classroom, and just as it had been since the assaults there was a silence clinging to it that had absolutely nothing to do with obedient students. 'Stench of fear, did you call it that?'

He walked to his desk between classmates refusing to meet his eyes and sat down. Yukio barely had time to dig out his books when his name was called out over the PA system.

'Visit the headship's office? What is the pig up to this time?'

Raking down his books into his still open bag Yukio stood and left the classroom the same way he had entered. After climbing the stairs to the third floor he had a moment of fleeting memories from his freshman year when he stared down the familiar corridor. Then he walked into the one connecting both wings.

He was almost at the door to the headship's office when he heard voices from the inside. Or rather Kareyoshi's voice.

"Your stunt with bringing in journalists again made those in charge change their mind. I'll have you expelled for tarnishing the name of the school."

"That's rich coming from someone who disgraces an entire nation just by being born," came Urufu's voice.

There was a moment of silence before Kareyoshi spoke again. "Laugh all you want. Within a month you're gone from here. Atrocious exam results will suffice as a reason."

'You know, you're not really supposed to tell people exactly how you're going to hurt them if they can react to it,' Yukio thought. But then Kareyoshi hadn't exactly displayed any evidence of a higher mental capacity. Still, for what it was worth maybe waiting in the corridor was the smarter choice, so Yukio remained where he stood and eavesdropped.

"So you'll use my exam results as an excuse? You know I'm answering questions written in Japanese?"

"That's hardly my problem. If you're not able to learn a civilised language then you aren't fit for receiving an education here."

"You still insist on calling the canned simplifications we're fed here an education?"

"I don't see how you're qualified to comment on the best education system in the world."

"You really..." for once Urufu's voice silenced mid sentence. "No, it doesn't matter. You wouldn't understand anyway."

"I believe that's all. By the way, you're suspended for a week?"

"I'm what? For what reason?"

"For interfering with the investigation concerning your later expulsion," Kareyoshi said.

"Eh, you just told me about that."

"Which is exactly why I'm preventing you from sabotaging it. Well, that's all. You may leave."

Yukio quickly hid behind the door as it opened, but it turned out unneeded as Urufu simply turned in the direction of the sciences wing without looking. After waiting for the backside of his friend disappear behind the corner Yukio finally knocked on the now closed door.

"Enter!"

Yukio did as told. Inside the room he came to attention as it was the expected behaviour. "I was called here."

"Matsumoto Yukio."

"Yes," Yukio answered.

"Good. You're suspended for a week for associating with bad people."

"I'm what?"

"That will be all. Dismissed!"

Yukio didn't even bother with shaking his head. He just bowed, turned and left the office. Kareyoshi hadn't said when the suspension went active, but Yukio assumed immediately, so he'd just go to his classroom, fetch his clothes and leave school.

On his way there he heard Kyoko, Noriko and Ryu being called over the PA as well, so he decided to wait for them just outside school grounds. Just outside the building he heard the PA calling for Jeniferu, Tomasu and Kuri as well.

'Are the girls getting suspended for wearing panties with the wrong colour, or what will the idiot come up with this time?'

While Yukio waited by the gates he saw them leaving the building and walk in his direction one by one. The first to arrive was Urufu who must have finished some errand before leaving school, and after him Kyoko and Ryu arrived in rapid succession.

'Now that's funny. I thought Noriko would be with her brother.' Maybe she had been somewhere further away from Kareyoshi's office when they called her over the PA, because Kuri came walking across the gravel before Yukio saw any signs of Noriko.

"If she doesn't show soon I'm going back in after her," Urufu growled by his side.

Yukio smirked. He'd join his friend if need be, but right now he was more interested in the journalists flocking around them. No way Kuri would miss out on another opportunity to throw dirt at Kareyoshi and the PTA.

Then Yukio saw Jeniferu walking across the school yard supported by Tomasu, and but for Yukio having seen Kuri playing her stunts too many times he'd be really concerned. As it was he understood they were putting on a show, and just as he started wondering what for they arrived at the gates and Jeniferu dropped the bomb.

"I can't stand it Thomas."

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"He wouldn't dare."

"But he's our principal and he told me he'd find other men to finish the job on me properly."

And with those words Kuri had both freshmen seated in her car without giving the journalists a single word of her own. She didn't need to. Outright accusing the principal for personally ordering the rapes was damaging on an entirely different level, but Yukio was certain Kuri lay behind the ugly show one way or another.

He watched the car drive away and turned his attention to the still absent Noriko.