The door of the disciplinary office closed behind me with a dry click.
The room was cold—not because of the temperature, but because of its atmosphere. Plain gray walls, a long metal table in the center, two chairs on one side, one chair on the other. A small camera was mounted in the corner of the ceiling, its indicator light glowing dimly.
Behind the table sat a male teacher in his late forties. His hair was neatly combed, thin glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. His face was the kind people often called neutral—not friendly, but not cruel either. The type who always believed he stood on the side of "the rules."
"Sit," the teacher said briefly.
I pulled out the chair and sat down. No defiance. No submission. I was simply… present.
"Kurogane Akira," he said slowly, as if weighing every syllable. "Do you know why you were called here?"
"There is an alleged violation," I replied calmly.
His eyebrow lifted slightly. Perhaps he expected confusion, or denial. Unfortunately for him, he got neither.
"In the girls' restroom," he continued. "There was a disturbance. One female student suffered a broken arm. Two others are in shock."
"And according to witnesses… you were at the scene."
I gave a small nod."I was there."
The room tightened.
The teacher stared at me more sharply."So you admit it?"
A few seconds passed before he leaned back in his chair.
"Very well," he said at last. "Let's make this clear. You entered the girls' restroom—that alone is a serious violation. Then you injured another student to the point of breaking her arm. Whatever your reason, that is violence."
I met his gaze.
"Do you know a girl named Nora?" I asked.
For the first time since I entered the room, the teacher's expression cracked.
His eyes widened—just slightly, almost imperceptible to the average person. But for me, it was more than enough.
I took a slow breath.
"I'll take your silence as confirmation," I continued flatly."In that case… where have you been all this time?"
The room seemed to lose its air.
The teacher didn't answer immediately. His finger tapped the table once—tok—then stopped. He adjusted his glasses, a small gesture people often made when buying time to assemble an excuse.
Just as he was about to speak—
Click.
The door of the disciplinary office opened.
The air in the room changed instantly.
A man entered with calm yet firm steps. His posture was straight, a dark gray suit fitted neatly to his body. His hair was slicked back, a touch of gray at his temples.
I recognized him immediately.
The principal.
The teacher in front of me reflexively stood up.
"P-Principal!" he said quickly, his tone shifting—lower, more cautious. "What brings you—"
The man raised one hand, stopping him without a word. His gaze briefly landed on me, then—he bowed slightly. A gesture of respect that should never have happened in this room.
"Mr.Akira," he said calmly, a gentle smile on his face."We meet again."
The teacher beside him froze.
The principal stepped closer, then leaned toward the teacher and whispered something into his ear.
The teacher's face stiffened.Cold sweat appeared on his temple.
"Mr.Akira," the principal said afterward, turning to me. "Please forgive me for not informing anyone about you. Rest assured… I will take care of everything."
He bowed.
I glanced at him briefly—and understood his plan.
I glanced at him and understood what he was planning, but that was not what I wanted.
"Don't interfere," I said shortly.
Both teachers stiffened at the same time.
I stood up, my chair sliding softly against the metal floor, then walked away.
Most likely, they would try to cover this up.
It sounded good. But if that happened—Nora would continue to be bullied after I left.
And since I had already decided to help her, then this problem had to be resolved all the way down to its roots.
I opened my phone while walking, dialing a pinned number.
"Mom," I said calmly."Your son might be going to prison soon."
"…"
Silence passed for a moment.
"WHAT?!" the voice on the other end immediately shot up."What did you do this time?! Did you run someone over? Or something else?!"
"Well, here's the thing—"
I explained the situation briefly.
"Huft…"A long sigh could be heard."Don't worry. I'll pressure them not to file a report. If necessary, I'll bribe someone during the trial."
I fell silent.
For some reason, hearing that answer made me miss my friends from my previous world.
"How's the news about the level one zone in Shizuoka?" I asked at last.
"Hm?""Oh, that's a hot topic right now," she replied quickly. "Thanks to your father, I managed to get a head start. We spread the information early and have already started profiting from it."
The corner of my lips lifted.
"Good," I said. "I'll assume the reporters are currently in Shizuoka. Can I borrow them for a bit?"
There was a brief pause."Do you have something in mind?"
"I'm sure people are feeling uneasy about the emergence of a level one danger zone," I said. "I think we need to calm them down with something else."
From Roman times until now, humans have barely changed.When political and economic instability occurred, they held gladiator games to soothe the masses. All of it was nothing more than a distraction—to divert public attention from the conflicts around them.
And that's exactly what I was going to do now.In an era where information spreads rapidly, as long as I hold a large media outlet, I can point at someone and kill their character.
And ridiculously enough—
A faint smile formed on my lips.
'Those monkeys will definitely follow it.'
I spoke in a flat voice."I'll give them some entertainment."
I opened the classroom door.
All eyes immediately turned toward me.
The once-noisy atmosphere froze instantly, as if time itself stopped the moment my foot stepped inside. The teacher explaining at the front of the class also fell silent upon seeing me.
I walked in.
And there—I saw Nora.
She sat stiffly at her desk. Her shoulders were slightly hunched, her fingers clenched together. When our eyes met, her expression changed—not fear, but a heavy sense of guilt, as if everything that had happened today was piling onto her chest.
I ignored her.
My steps didn't slow as I picked up my bag from beside the desk. Without looking back, I turned around—intending to leave the classroom just like that.
"Kurogane-san, where are you going?" the teacher's voice called from behind.
"I'm expelled," I replied lightly, almost without emotion.
The class froze even further, and several students began whispering. I stepped out of the classroom and walked down the corridor.
"Kurogane-san!"
The voice came again, louder this time. I kept walking straight, completely ignoring it.
"Kurogane-san—!"
My steps finally stopped.
Not because of the voice.
But because something grabbed my arm.
I turned around.
Nora stood behind me, breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling irregularly as if she had run without thinking. Her hand trembled as it gripped my arm, as if letting go now meant I would truly disappear.
Her eyes were red, but she wasn't crying.The pain on her face was too deep for mere tears.
"This is all… my fault," she said softly. Tears began to fall from her eyes. "If only… if only—"
I knew exactly what she was thinking without any help from the system. But the truth was, what I had said earlier was a lie. Although I would be transferring in a few days, I claimed I was expelled simply so I could relax at home.
"That was my decision."
Nora lowered her head, biting her lip. Tears fell one by one, soaking the edge of her uniform.
"But if it weren't for me—"
"No," I cut in quietly.
"Whatever happened has nothing to do with your fault," I said. My tone was flat, but not cold. "I did what I wanted to do."
She fell silent. Her shoulders still trembled, but her breathing gradually steadied.
"There's no need to cry," I said calmly. "It's not like we'll never meet again."
Nora lifted her head. Her still-wet eyes looked at me, as if confirming my words were real.
"…Really?" she asked softly.
I gave a small nod.
"Yes."
She looked down briefly, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. The movement was awkward, but no longer rushed. When she looked at me again, her expression was no longer completely broken—still fragile, but no longer shattered.
"Then…" she said hesitantly, stopping as if weighing something.
I looked at her for a few seconds.
"Take out your phone," I said at last.
Nora looked slightly surprised, but quickly reached into her uniform pocket. Her fingers still trembled a little as she unlocked the screen. I told her my number, and she saved it carefully, as if afraid a single digit would vanish if she made a mistake.
"Done," she said softly.
I took out my own phone and saved her number without saying much.
"That's enough," I said.
She nodded. This time, no tears fell.
I walked away first. Nora didn't stop me again—she just stood there, watching my back until the distance between us fully stretched apart.
I walked quite far, past the school gate, along the sidewalk, until I reached a parking lot.
And there—an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera sat quietly, pitch black, its body reflecting the daylight with sharp lines that felt almost too elegant for this place.
I approached it.
As the door opened with a soft sound, my phone vibrated.
One new message.
Nora:Hello
I stared at the screen for a moment, then typed a short reply.
Me:Don't use your phone during class.
The engine started.
The V12's sound entered my ears—a deep, heavy growl, like the breath of a predator just waking up. The vibration spread smoothly through the car's frame, reaching all the way to my feet.
I pressed the gas pedal.