Volume 2 - CH 4.3

“How did this happen……”

An urgently called staff meeting was filled with a sense of discomfort.

The inspection had ended without incident, and just when they were relieved, another problem arose.

Trembling and shaking as he stared at the documents in his hand, the principal squeezed out a voice.

“I’m sure there was no fault on our part…….”

The video of Yukito Kokonoe, who was participating in the quiz competition, was immediately called into question for what he said, but at that point, the situation was settled with some confusion.

In the first place, there is no such thing as a fact that large-scale cheating took place. Interviews with the teachers who were in charge of supervising the examinations also concluded that there was no suspicious behavior whatsoever.

There is no doubt that the allegations themselves were malicious harassment of Class B, but the school did not intend to make any wrong decisions. There was no negligence that would have caused problems.

Furthermore, there is no way that the teachers, led by the principal, would have voluntarily taken the initiative in damaging the school’s reputation, no matter how much they try to pin it on the school.

The claims made by Yukito were so absurd and ridiculous that they did not even spread widely. It is not even worth dealing with. In fact, his behavior itself was so controversial that it was considered to be a serious defamation of the school’s reputation.

After all, there is no way that pressure tactics using social networking sites, such as those seen in dramas and novels, will work. It is a childish idea that makes fun of adults, controlled by a sense of omnipotence peculiar to adolescents. He thought it was just a silly and shallow idea. As a matter of fact, it had no significant impact.

However, at the beginning of the week, Fujishiro’s report shook him to his core.

“Fujishiro, is this a …… mistake ……?”

With a bead of perspiration on his forehead, he was compelled to confirm this, even though he was hoping it was a lie.

“The rest of the students don’t know until the end of the day.”

“How did this happen……”

The principal muttered the same words as before. No one else spoke.

Finally, he realizes. This was his main goal from the beginning. It was not a foolish and reckless act by a confused student. It was a precise, detailed, and calculated attack on a weak point.

“From what I hear, many of the parents are outraged.”

Sanjoji winks at him for a moment, and then returns the same look.

(Sanjoji-sensei, did you know this was going to happen?)

This year, most of the parents were scheduled to participate in the class visit, which is usually attended by only about 20% of the students. Only two parents circled ” do not attend”. Those two parents were also in the process of adjusting their work schedules until the very last minute.

Like the principal, Fujishiro’s hands trembled with cold sweat when she held the form in her hands.

Normally, this would have been a joyous occasion. However, at this particular moment, it was clear that this was nothing more than a clear protest by the parents against the school.

If it were just one or two parents, it would still be manageable, but if there is a high possibility of being scolded by this many parents, it’s not possible to continue as normal. Some of the parents are high-status individuals and it’s not known who has what connections.

Unable to pretend that it all didn’t happen now, he was stuck in a situation where he was trapped in all directions.

(I never thought that I would even be protected by Yukito Kokonoe…….)

She mocks herself in her chest. If such a thing were possible, there would be no need to go to the trouble of doing it that way. The reason why he dared to make such an unreasonable claim in the form of a video was to clarify the position of Fujishiro and Sanjoji.

If the names of Fujishiro and Sanjoji had not been mentioned in the video, Fujishiro would have been just as horrified as the principals.

（Yes, I’ll be nice to him next time. But still, I never thought that even the parents of Mikuriya would participate. Really, that man ……. I don’t know which one of us is the teacher…….)

Mikuriya Seido. He was a noteworthy figure in the class, apart from Yukito Kokonoe.

Fujishiro had always been concerned about him. He was not a problematic student, but rather a normal student. However, there was a risk that this might happen again.

His parents were divorced, and his father had custody of him. However, this was only recently decided. Seido’s mother had been having an affair for five years.

It was double adultery, as the other party was also a married man. The affair was discovered by a call from the other spouse, who became suspicious and requested an investigation by a professional investigator.

A detached, adult relationship. However, he learned that such a beautiful phrase was an illusion once he was exposed. Not only is it a discrete relationship, but it is a one-way ticket to hell, a straight line to ruin, not only for the family, but also for the relatives.

The amount of alimony will also increase if the divorce is based on cheating. Not only will he have to pay alimony to his spouse, but his partner’s spouse will also demand alimony from him, and he will lose everything. Aside from men who earn a lot of money, Seido’s mother is a full-time housewife. With no way to repay the money, she had no choice but to put her trust in her parents.

The cleanup took several months, and the other spouse divorced. But that was not the end. Betrayals such as cheating and adultery will always torment those involved.

This is where the tragedy of Seido’s life began. His father, who had never heard of his wife’s adultery over the years, became suspicious and asked his wife if Seido was really his child. When Seido happened to hear about it, he was shocked and depressed.

Of course, Seido is unquestionably his father and mother’s child. Already sixteen years old, Seido can choose his parental rights. At his fastidious and difficult age, adultery is unforgivable. He would not be able to follow his mother, who owed him a large sum of money in alimony. Although custody was easily decided in favor of his father, Seido’s father’s suspicions of mendicancy caused Seido to feel a deep sense of despair, as if he had lost all allies in the family.

He is the only son and has no siblings. His father, who immediately realized his blunder, apologized, but it was too late.

He was left to deal with the situation alone, suffering and struggling with algae. Even Fujishiro could clearly see that Seido was pale and emaciated.

When he finally reached the end of his rope, the person who extended a helping hand to him was Yukito Kokonoe.

Yukito Kokonoe has been talking with many of his classmates for a long time. For some reason, the questions he asks for help are also diverse. They range from how to solve a problem he doesn’t understand to how to get rid of a stink bug that has stuck to the screen door. Perhaps it is because he places himself at the bottom of the pile that he is so easy to talk to. “Why can’t I be a loner?!” Fujishiro thinks it will be impossible as long as he stays in school.

(Come to think of it, Soma has become a lot brighter lately, and if I may say so, Suo, too. What is that man really doing day in and day out…..)

Soma Kyouka, huh? The student is famous among the second year students, but the truth is that many of them hated her.

Being referred to as a high-class flower may sound good, but if that kind of atmosphere and attitude rubs people the wrong way, it’s not likely to be well-regarded by the same sex… or at least that was the case until now.

Recently, however, she has somehow become very soft-spoken and no longer has the sting and prickliness that she used to have, and this has led to a significant change in the way she is viewed not only by the opposite sex but also by the same sex.

The correlation between the people surrounding Yukito Kokonoe is complicated and bizarre.

People mysteriously gather around that man. Against his will.

There is no telling why Seido Mikuriya decided to open up to Yukito Kokone.

Was it because he could sympathize with the fact that Yukito Kokonoe was also a single parent, or was it because he was always in dire straits, or was it because he had seen the details of what had happened with Hinagi Suzurika and Shiori Kamishiro? Either way, Seido needed someone to help him.

When Yukito Kokonoe heard the story, he went to Seido’s house frequently. His mother was frightened of Seido, saying that she could not bear to face her child. His father, too, was tormented by remorse for the deep hurt he had caused Seido. Yukito acted as an intermediary, listening to his parents’ thoughts and feelings and conveying them to Seido. He also hears Seido’s feelings and conveys them to each of them.

At first, the parents were puzzled by the sudden appearance of Yukito Kokonoe, but when they learned how he was doing at school and how much pain Seido was in, they burst into tears. The parents apologize while crying. Seido heard about it from Yukito Kokonoe with tears in his eyes. In this way, he patiently and repeatedly bridged the gap between the two sides.

These days continued, and gradually the relationship began to improve. The divorce remains unchanged.

However, Seido’s father decides not to ask his ex-wife for alimony. Instead, he made her promise to repay the alimony to the adulterous spouse by working herself. In fact, Seido’s father would actually pay it back.

He also made a promise that when all the repayments were paid, he would consider restructuring the marriage.

Seido was a witness to the Mikuriya couple’s relationship. Both of them cared about Seido. That is why they were stubborn at first, but chose to compromise.

The righteous mother cannot act like a mother at the earliest opportunity. No matter how much she talks to her children about studying, obeying the rules, and other moral and general issues, if she is kicked out of the house by an affair. In some cases, the mother’s presence may have a negative influence.

There is no such thing as a full circle at the time of adultery. Everyone is hurt, and the cost of a trivial temptation is too great. Nevertheless, this settlement saved Seido’s heart.

And as a consolation prize, Seido asked his parents to come to his class.

His mother, who cried for hours apologizing that she had no right to do so, finally nodded her head, and his father, also in tears, promised to attend.

Seido never forgave his mother. If he had been a little younger, he might have rejected her altogether. He was able to come to terms with the situation, and there was someone who reached out to Seido. It was a choice that was made because of the timing. No one knows if it is right or not. It will probably be a long time before the result is known.

Fujiashiro heard these details directly from Seido. Apparently, Yukito Kokonoe told him that his homeroom teacher was worried. He is a man who is always on top of things.

Fujishiro was devastated by her own helplessness. Certainly, she was worried. She was concerned, but it could be said that she was just anxious. It was impossible for a teacher to get involved in a family situation, let alone a school problem.

It would be even more so if she considered it only as one of the places of employment. That is why Fujishiro respects Sanjoji for her philosophy, but even Sanjoji can’t help her.

(…… unusual. I would have a pit in my stomach. What on earth kind of mentality would make this possible ……? Doesn’t that guy have anything to be afraid of? Come to think of it, he said he was afraid of peaches……He’s still the guy who I don’t understand at all)

At the very least, Fujishiro is far from being able to step into the “shuraba” and work to improve the relationship. For the Mikuriya family, Yukito Kokonoe is a benefactor.

The same may be true for the Suzurikawa and Kamishiro’s parents.

If so, they would never allow anyone to harm him. After all, the mother of the Kokonoe is also said to be a devoted mother.

“—-Okay, Fujishiro-sensei? Please explain carefully to the parents so that there will be no misunderstanding. We have no intention to humiliate the students.

“I will do my best. However, there is a possibility that I am not competent enough to handle the situation. ……At that time, I will ask you for help, Principal.”

The principal shudders and shakes. One wrong move and the situation could turn serious.

He is now in a situation like he has never been in before. All he can do is hope that the situation will pass without incident.

“…… I understand.”

（Sleep with a shiver, you bald b*****d!)

Swearing. Not understanding what he and the others were becoming enemies with. There was no hint of the decisive situation that awaited them in the future.

From that point on, the staff meeting was chaotic. A discussion was held to determine how the situation had been handled without any problems, and a list of hypothetical questions and answers was prepared.

It was also decided that a proper explanation would be given to the Class B students before the class visit, and the meeting was almost over when the principal received a phone call.

[——T-Tojo-sensei! Is this about the other day? …… That student is indeed registered. He has often been a problem you know —- y-yes. He will be punished immediately.]

The impatience of the situation made him sweat uncomfortably. This is because the principal’s gaze occasionally caught Fujishiro’s.

The urgency of the principal’s gaze heightened the tension in the room. When he finished the call, he let out a loud sigh and opened his mouth slowly, gravely.

“—-Fujishiro-sensei, please call him up right now.”

He felt as if he had stepped into a slimy, bottomless swamp.