CH 4

I left the house with my mom, who had done some light preparation. I told her I didn’t want to be too conspicuous, so we decided to walk to school instead of driving.

Mom, perhaps sensing that I wasn’t in the mood for small talk, didn’t joke around with me like she usually does. Thanks to her thoughtfulness, my heart was surprisingly calm, even though I was about to head for the place where I would die.

I arrive at the school and quickly head for the principal’s office. Fortunately, classes are in session and I don’t see anyone. I’ve gone from being a mobster to being infamous on campus in a matter of seconds, so I don’t want to meet anyone now.

No time to catch my breath. Mom threw a few words at me, “It’s okay,” and then opened the door to the principal’s office.

A middle-aged man sitting in a plush chair looks up, notices us, and stands up.

“We were waiting for you. Yagami-san, I apologize for interrupting your work. Please forgive me for calling you out of the blue, as this is a very serious matter. Taiga-kun…you know why you have been summoned here now, don’t you?”

The expression on the principal’s face as he said this did not have the soft smile that I had always seen on his face during his speech at the ceremony. He is acting like a gentleman, but his eyes are sharp and penetrating.

I nod silently. Mom’s expression becomes more serious than ever when she sees me.

The principal urged me to take a seat across the table from her.

“Yagami-san, please calm down and listen carefully. Taiga-kun is suspected of threatening his friend and former girlfriend, Rena Saito, with a picture taken with his smartphone when they were dating and then attempting to assault her. This was revealed by Rena Saito herself in front of her classmates this morning, and Taiga-kun ran away. We are correct so far, aren’t we? Taiga-kun?”

I knew I was going to be told this, but when he actually said it like this, it really pissed me off.

It doesn’t fit. It sounds as if I am the one who did it. I was about to go over the boiling point, but I held back and held on tight because I didn’t want the conversation to go any further.

“….Haaaaaaaa!? How is that possible? My son would never do such a terrible thing to his friend! First of all, I know Rena very well, and I know that she came to our house recently! She didn’t look like that at all!

I’m sure there’s evidence, right?! There has to be!! Besides, I can’t believe a nice girl like Rena would say something like that! Is it really true that Rena herself did something like that?! And also, later on–“

“Mom! I’m glad you feel that way, but you need to calm down now! I’ll talk to him!”

I was surprised. It was unusual for my mother to get so angry without listening to the full story. It was almost like she was a monster parent. In fact, there had been a few times before where I had been summoned and involved in situations, but I had been scolded more often than not.

That’s how much my mother believes in me, that there is no way her son would ever threaten a girl and violate her.

I signaled to the principal with my eyes that I wanted him to continue, while trying desperately to quiet my mother, who was growling next to me like a bloodthirsty wolf at any moment.

The principal began to speak again in a matter-of-fact, clerical manner.

“That’s what that kind Saito-san herself said. And there is one witness to that video. It was difficult for her to come forward, though. The students who were at the scene, with the exception of one, are all saying that Taiga-kun is to blame. Even Rinto Kirishima, who is a very good friend of yours, had a reluctant look on his face.”

“Except one?”

I listened intently with a glimmer of hope that maybe…. The others are no longer important. Rinto will understand if I can clear up the misunderstanding. But for now…

It’s Mio Sakurai. She seems to be in a terrible state of confusion, and no matter what I ask her, she just says it’s not your fault. She is currently in the infirmary.

I knew it…it’s Mio…I’m glad…I’m so glad.

The fact that Mio believed in me and was on my side made my body tremble with joy.

Even though she believes in me, somewhere in his heart he had always been worried that she might not like him.　　

The thing that had frightened me the most has just been removed from my mind, and I begin to think strangely clearly.

“Where is Rena Saito now? I think it’s strange that the person who made the accusation is usually not present at a place like this.”

“Saito-san would have been taking a normal class by now. I also asked her to come after hearing what she had to say, but she said she didn’t want to see you, Taiga-kun. Excuse me for saying this”

That woman… she’s just sitting there all by her lonesome. You don’t want to see my face? That’s my line.

“What about the phone as evidence? If I had it, I could easily prove my innocence.”

“Here it is. I think Saito-san has deleted the pictures and the video. Saito-san says she doesn’t intend to make a big deal out of it. She says all she needs is your apology and a sense of remorse.”

“Is that so? I am very much willing to take good care of it. I can’t apologize or be sorry for something I didn’t do in the first place. At any rate, I will ask you to return it because it belongs to me.”

It doesn’t matter whether the photos have been erased or not. The Japanese police are supposed to be excellent. If I think about it, if they can investigate the case, they don’t even need the phone, do they?

When I reached out to the principal to ask him to return it anyway, he somehow lifted the phone so that I couldn’t get it off.

“?? What do you mean? I’m serious.”

“Sure, I’ll give it back to you. Before I do, I have a request that I would like you to hear. This is actually the main topic I have called you here today.”

As I listened with a dubious look on my face, the principal, who deliberately smiled his usual soft smile, next said something outrageous.

“Taiga-kun, could you please not go to the police?”

Ha?

What is this guy talking about?

I heard a small rustling sound coming from next door. I looked to the side and saw that my mother was groping in her bag.

“Yagami-san, please don’t turn on the voice recorder and put it on the table. Let’s talk calmly first.”

“?!?!”

My mother looks surprised next to me. I reluctantly put the things she brought on the table.

This principal… Did he see through my mother intentions just because she made a little noise?

“What does that mean exactly?”

“In short, we don’t want to further damage the reputation of our prestigious school. You must have researched the school before enrolling, right? The fact that this school was featured in the news years ago for bullying problems. At that time, we were heavily criticized, but as one of the top schools in Tokyo, we have finally recovered from it. If something happens again that causes the police to get involved, it will be very troublesome as it will bring back those memories.”

“I’ve seen it on the internet, but it’s a story from before I was born. Recently, this private school, Rikka Gakuen, is ranked second or third among Tokyo’s leading schools, and the public has already forgotten about its past.”

I was not particularly concerned about it, and I competed in my studies with my sister and two childhood friends, and we all passed the entrance exam and entered the school without a hitch.

“Don’t be ridiculous! I don’t care about your situation! Are you asking me to turn my precious son into a criminal for the sake of the school’s honor? I firmly refuse to do such a thing!”

The principal still replied with a cool face to my agitated mother.

“This is to protect the students of our school. If the reputation of our school is damaged, the future of our students may be affected.”

“Are you even a teacher? ！！！！”

Mom stood up on the spot, not wanting to take it anymore.

I am proud of her as my own mother, because she is so desperate and angry with me.

“Even if I’m being falsely accused?”

“Let me be clear. To be honest, who is at fault or not is a trivial matter. The fact that the police have to intervene and a criminal is born from our school is a problem, even if it is not you.”

A trivial matter? What do you think I’m going through?

I know in my head what the principal is talking about, even though his methods are corrupt. As the person in charge, it is only natural for him to protect his school.

But still, I—–

“If I say no, what about it.”

“I have no choice but to play my last trump card.”

“And what would that be?”

“I must say that what I am about to say now is just my personal opinion”

The moment he said that, I did not miss the fact that the principal, who had not lost his mild expression, smiled an ugly smile for just a moment.

“Your sister, Shion, is the ace of our school’s nationally-renowned light music club! She excels in her studies and has a beautiful appearance, truly a treasure and the future of our school! Ah, I have also heard her singing up close, and I have never heard such a beautiful voice!! I heard she is aiming for the most difficult vocal music program in the country’s music college, and of course, she will easily pass with flying colors!!”

I looked at the principal with cold eyes as he suddenly started talking like a musical performer.

I have a bad feeling about this.

“Get straight to the point. What is your trump card?”

“I’ll be frank. I’ll make sure she fails the interview for the music college. I happen to have a connection with the person in charge of the university, and I have some leverage over them.”

How is that possible? I don’t know. I don’t know. People fear what they don’t understand.

Isn’t there the slightest chance that he could do it? I am anxious to find out.

“Can you really do that!! We won’t be intimidated by such threats!!”

Before I could say anything, my mother snapped at the principal. She was so angry that I thought she might start hitting him.

“Well, if you think that way, that’s fine. You have the right to make your own decision, no matter how much I beg. Of course, you might think it’s impossible because you’ve only heard about it in movies and dramas. But please think about it. Why are you so sure it’s impossible? I’m in a responsible position in education and don’t know the industry very well! Furthermore, I’ll say it again! I have connections that can block Shion’s career path! And remember this. This world is far more unjust and ugly than the two of you think.”

I don’t know if it’s a threat or the truth.

Is the world really so unjust and ugly?

Yeah, it’s probably true. Since the principal himself is ugly, it makes sense that he sees the world that way.

But if there’s even a 1% chance that what the principal said is true…then I have no choice but to do what he says.

I know how hard my sister has worked to get into music college. I can’t allow something like this to take away her future, even if it’s just a 1% possibility.

Because I have something that I want to protect, even if it means sacrificing myself.