Chapter 80

The day after being stabbed by Kushida...

"Excuse me"

I enter the reception room as instructed by President Nagumo. And already there were Chabashira-sensei, Sakagami-sensei, Mashima-sensei, who was the homeroom teacher for the three parties, including Arisu, Ryuen, and myself, and Pres Nagumo, who seemed to be a witness.

"Are you here? Hang it there."

Chabashira-sensei told me so, so I sat on the right side of Ryuen. However, the guy from Ryūen, unlike me, has the habit of exaggerating bandages for minor injuries.

I'm so excited.

In the reception room, many desks formed a rectangular shape, and me, Arisu, and Ryuen, who were at the scene of the incident, sat side by side, with the homeroom teacher sitting on the right side and the student council officers sitting on the left side.

There are two empty seats across from me, Arisu, and Ryuen. Kushida's family will probably be sitting in those two empty seats.

"Wait a moment, I'll call Kushida's guardian."

Mashima-sensei said as he operated the terminal, but Kushida's guardian must have been waiting somewhere.

"Isn't Kushida herself here?"

"She's in the punishment room. Originally, I thought about calling her, but I decided that she's been rampaging all day in the punishment room and something bad might happen."

How violent did you get? It's probably because they can't accept that they've decided to drop out of school.

She's a selfish person. Even though she wants to get Horikita to quit this school, when it was decided that she would be kicked, she exploded instead.

When I thought about that, I thought there was a knock on the door, and someone who appeared to be a school official brought a pair of men and women with him.

The person on the other side was agitated, but when he saw Ryuen with treatment scars on his arm, he turned even more pale, but he stood in front of us and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry that my daughter did something outrageous this time."

Kushida's father bows his head, and so does her mother. Ryuen, on the other hand, grinned and opened his mouth.

"Hey, are you serious? When you're stressed out, you write bad things about your classmates, and when they find out and get blamed, you expose your classmates' secrets, and if it's to protect yourself, you try to expel your classmates or falsely accuse them. The way you bow your head is so beautiful that I can't believe she's a scumbag who tries to impose on me, who doesn't admit her fault, and even brandishes a kitchen knife.''

""...!"

Kushida's parents were shaken by Ryuen's preemptive punch right after the opening match, but they kept their heads down.

"Well, they're the parents of those scumbags, and in reality, they're probably thinking about ways to reduce the damage their daughter has doing to them, even though they're poisoning themselves in their hearts."

Ryuen's cursing doesn't stop. Ryuen is more lively than I expected.

It's like when he tried to degrade Horikita by falsely accusing her at the sports festival.

"Kikyou is really trash, but I don't know if it's because of her parents or because she was born with it. What do you think?"

Ryuen's words become a blade that cuts into the hearts of Kushida's parents.

I don't think the word "merciful" is in the dictionary in this guy's head.

"Enough of that, Ryuen. This time we're talking about what's to come, so this is not the time to abuse them more than necessary."

Mashima-sensei, perhaps not paying attention, intervenes.

Looking around him, Arisu, Pres Nagumo, and Sakagami-sensei had a look of joy in their eyes, Mashima-sensei was looking sharply at Ryuen, and Chabashira-sensei was expressionless.

"That's right. So let's get to the point. I'm a good victim who was stabbed by that piece of trash. My plan is to sue the police, file a lawsuit, throw that piece of trash in the pigeon box, or get compensation and graduate. After that, I'm planning to make public what she did in junior high school, but what do you think about that?"

Kushida's father opens his mouth in a panic regarding Ryuen's policy.

"If you do that, Kikyo will..."

"She'll probably die socially. That's a fitting end for a piece of trash. Well, personality aside, her looks and body are top-notch, and she'll make enough money as an AV actress or prostitute, right?"

"stop it!"

Kushida's mother yells at Ryuen's merciless words. No matter how many injuries she caused, she probably wouldn't be able to stand it if someone told her that her daughter's job would be as an AV actress or prostitute.

"Hey, hey. I don't think the perpetrator's parents are upset about it. Why don't you just take pictures of her and spread them around?"

However, Ryuuen didn't care at all and laughed heartily. From Ryūen's point of view, a scream of this magnitude might be like a breeze.

"Ryuuen, let's get to the point. I don't have time either."

I'll have lunch as soon as it's finished, but I want it to be finished as soon as possible.

"Tch, I wanted to torture them for 10 minutes, but I can't help it. If you want me and the others to give you a hand, prepare 3 million yen."

Kushida's parents widened their eyes at those words, but they couldn't help it.

I'm seriously injured, so Ryuen's injuries are minor. To put it bluntly, there is a limit to how much this is a rip-off.

"No matter how much it costs, it's too expensive.''

"As I said earlier, if you don't pay, I will complain to the police about this matter and have the bastards brought to justice. And I will order my subordinates to thoroughly degrade Kikyo Kushida after graduation and make it impossible for that trash to live.''

"Heh, don't be silly! You devil! "

Kushida's father finally gets angry, but it doesn't mean anything to Ryuen, right?

It would be better if I paid for it.

It's true that 3 million yen may be high, but if you don't pay the commission fee, Ryuen will sue you and not only will Ryuen's subordinates, but Kushida's true nature be revealed.

If that happens, it will cause great damage not only to Kushida but also to Kushida's parents.

We live in an online society now, and if Kushida's misdeeds were to become known, information about her parents would inevitably be found out, and he could lose his position at the company.

"The devil is your daughter. So? Decide quickly whether to pay or not. We are good victims, aren't we?"

Who is the good victim? He must have been a vicious devil who came to inflict injury on himself.

Inwardly, Kushida's father glares at Ryuen with murderous intent, but then he grits his teeth in anger and nods, though his hands are trembling.

"...I understand. I'll pay so please don't sue her."

At those words, Ryuen's smile deepened and he took out the contract.

"In that case, sign this guy. Then I won't interfere in this matter any further."

Some people in the room frowned at those words. It would be fine if they were to draw up a contract here, but the fact that it was prepared meant that they were fully prepared to collect the settlement money from them.

It would be a sight that no serious person would want to overlook.

While thinking this, I looked at the contract and found that if Kushida's guardian paid 3 million yen, as Ryūen had just said, there would be no uprisings regarding the incident in the future.

However, Kushida's father signs the contract even though he is trembling to avoid any damage to himself.

Even though her mother is angry at Ryuen's brutal behavior, she doesn't stop.

When the contract is finished, Ryuen nods with satisfaction.

"The contract is complete. Prepare it by noon tomorrow. Sakagami, will I receive the settlement money when I graduate or leave the school? Or will it be converted into private points?"

"That's up to Ryūen."

got it.

It's up to the person concerned to decide whether to use it as a preparation for when they graduate from school or as a weapon in their school life.

It's a difficult decision.

"Then convert it into private points."

Ryuen immediately answers. I knew that private points would be converted into cash at a slightly lower rate upon graduation, so I was having trouble making a decision, but since Ryuuen doesn't know that rule, maybe there's no need to worry.

"Okay. I'll transfer the money to your terminal later."

"Ah...then let's move on to the next problem."

Kushida's parents have a question mark in their heads when they hear Ryuen's words.

"Eh... no, the contract has been concluded now, so there won't be any more problems, right?"

"What are you talking about? I won't sue, but Sakayanagi, who was almost stabbed with a kitchen knife despite having no relation to Hikigaya, who was injured more seriously than me, might."

Kushida's parents widened their eyes at those words, but it was only natural.

I'm a bigger victim than Ryuen, and I have the right to sue just like Arisu, who would have been stabbed if I hadn't protected her.

If the police see the footage from the surveillance camera, they will likely accept your complaint without any problem.

"Wait a minute! Does that mean the contract just now was meaningless?!"

"It's almost pointless. Well, since I won't sue, the sentence will probably be a little lighter."

Ryuen snorts a laugh at Kushida's mother's voice laced with impatience.

The atmosphere in the room died as the plan turned out to be more outrageous than expected.

However, I can see that only Arisu and President Nagumo are enjoying themselves with pleasure in their eyes.

Maybe the genius has a screw loose in his head after all.

Well, Arisu is also endearing.

"Huh, don't be silly! Then no matter what happens, we're going to see hell!"

"Of course. When a child is a criminal, it's almost certain that she will see hell. If you're going to hold a grudge, you're going to hold a grudge against your own daughter."

Ryuuen replied with a hearty laugh. Actually, what Ryuen is saying is definitely not wrong.

Meanwhile, Ryuen was laughing and he talks to Arisu and I.

"Well, I received 3 million, but what are you guys going to do? Hikigaya is a bigger victim than me, so are you going to ask for 10 million?"

That's what I'm asking, but I've already decided on the answer.

"No, I don't need points, so I'll sue."

That's how I answer Ryuen's question. The atmosphere cooled down, but I had already decided how I would respond.

I have no intention of agreeing to a settlement.

"Well, wait!"

At this point, Kushida's father panics...

"I won't wait. Let me tell you first, even if you prepare 100 million yen, I have no intention of agreeing to a settlement."

I shrug it off.

"That's surprising. I thought you would agree to a settlement since you get a lot of points by defeating upperclassmen."

Pres Nagumo seemed surprised at my response, and everyone other than Kushida's parents looked at me with surprised expressions.

Apparently, I'm considered a point lover at this school.

I won't deny it though.

"That's right. Normally, I would have agreed to a settlement for around 3 million to 5 million yen. But this time, Kushida tried to stab Arisu. At that point, I lost the desire to settle."

I replied to Pres Nagumo. My answer won't change. It would be fine if she had targeted me herself, but since she was targeting someone important to me, I have no intention of settling the matter.

"Wait. It's true that that kid went too far, but that doesn't mean I'm not worried about that kid's future! "

Kushida's mother begs me, but before she can, I reveal my murderous intent.

What she just said cannot be overlooked.

"You may want to tell me not to take away that child's future, but when she aims at my girl's life, that scum is beyond my murderous intent…!"

To be honest, I feel like I want to go to the punishment room right now and kill Kushida.

But I doesn't kill. If you killed someone at the time of the stabbing, it might be considered self-defense, but if you kill someone later on, you would also be a criminal.

Above all, if I kill Kushida, she will escape to the afterlife.

For me, it would be troublesome if I didn't make her suffer thoroughly.

"Well, I have no intention of agreeing to a settlement, so Chabashira-sensei, please proceed with the lawsuit."

I erase my murderous intent and turn to Chabashira-sensei and ask.

"I understand. If you decide to sue, we have no right to stop you."

"Thank you. So? What are we going to do about Arisu?"

Even though I tried to talk to her, Arisu turned bright red and looked dazed for some reason. I didn't expect this either.

"Ah, Arisu?"

"Ah... yes. I... I'll sue her too."

Arisu answered even though she was nervous. She seemed to have heard what was being said, but it was clear that her mind was elsewhere, but what happened to Arisu?

"Damn. If that's the case, Kikyo must be guilty. Well, if it's me, I'll get 3 million, so I'll forgive her, so don't worry."

Thinking of this, Ryuen laughs and concludes the story, but from Kushida's parents' perspective, it's probably not something he's been thinking about.

After all, even if Ryuen doesn't sue, Kushida's guilt is almost certain by the time Arisu and I sue, and it's essentially like throwing away 3 million yen.

"Well, wait. If that's the case, I'll break the contract. I promise to make Kikyo pay for all her sins, so break the contract!"

Kushida's mother does not stop hearing what his father says. From this, I realize that even Kushida's parents have abandoned her.

Well, it's not strange to think so. Whether he breaks her contract or not, Kushida will become a criminal, and his parents will also be harmed.

If there's going to be a lot of damage anyway, it's inevitable that I'll want to get my 3 million back.

Well, I don't think Ryuen would approve of breaking the contract.

"Ah? It's impossible to break a contract like this, so give up. Think of this 3 million yen as a loss for failing to educate your daughter."

Ryuen laughs and dismisses Kushida's father's pleas. This is pretty much as expected.

After that, Kushida's parents repeatedly asked Ryuen to cancel the contract, but he laughed and ridiculed them even further, and in the end, they asked Arisu and I to come to a settlement, but the discussion ended with us rejecting everything.

However, it was a mystery that Arisu turned bright red and looked down.

"...Excuse me"

When the discussion is over, I leave the reception room. The teachers are still in the room because they have to talk to Kushida's parents.

When Kushida's parents left the room, they looked completely pale, but it was okay.

At this point, Pres Nagumo spoke to me.

"Wait a minute. Is there something I want to ask you?"

"What is it?"

"It's you and Ryuen. If I'm not mistaken, you guys had a meeting beforehand, right?"

Pres Nagumo asks this question, but he also seems confident. If so, let me answer.

"Yes. I had a meeting with Ryuen beforehand."

I'll answer right away. Actually, I had a meeting with Ryuen the morning the discussion was to take place.

To be honest, it was already decided that if Kushida's parents were able to reach a settlement with Ryuen, I would sue them without settling.

I was the one who suggested it, and it was just for the purpose of harassing them.

As soon as the discussion started, Ryuen started mercilessly blaming Kushida and her parents, demanding a settlement fee that could be called a rip-off.

As expected, Kushida's parents, swallowed by Ryuen's merciless threats, forgot about me and easily signed the contract without hearing my thoughts.

Immediately after signing the contract, I announced that I would sue them, so they realized that the contract they had signed was almost worthless, and I succeeded in making them despair.

By the way, when I approached Ryuen with this idea, he seemed really happy and readily agreed.

As for the share, Ryuen said, "Thanks to you, I will know the penalty if I drop out of school, and in the end, I will receive a settlement fee.'' He offered to give me one-third of the settlement money.

That means I can get 1 million points.

"As expected. There was no unexpected color on your faces. Did you really hate Kushida that much?"

"The only one who hates her is Hikigaya."

Ryuen responded to Pres Nagumo's words, but it was true. I couldn't stand the thought of Kushida being judged for trying to stab Arisu, so I asked Ryuen for help.

The result was a great success. As a result, even though Kushida's parents paid 3 million yen to Ryuen, their daughter will be judged and their social status will be damaged.

If something like this happened, there is a very high possibility that he would give up on his daughter.

At least I'll give up on it.

I definitely don't want my daughter to write bad things about her classmates on her blog, to spread their classmates' secrets and cause a class to collapse, or to cause an accident.

Before I was stabbed, I destroyed everything Kushida had, including her trust and weapons.

However, since she tried to stab Arisu, when it was decided that we would have a discussion, I proposed a deal to Ryuen, thinking that I would also destroy the relationship between parent and child.

"Well, I won't deny it."

It seems that Arisu... or rather, Arisu, Hiyori, and Masumi's presence in me has become bigger than I imagined.

"Well, from God's perspective, I guess so."

"Please stop calling me that. Has it been famous for even second years?"

Most of the first-year students are called God, but I wonder if second-year students also called me God.

"Ha. It's your own fault for saying that at the sports festival."

Ryuen snorts a laugh, but I can't deny that. If I had known in advance that I would be presenting using a microphone, I would have changed the topic.

(Well, considering that because I announced that topic, I crossed the line with the three of them and my relationship became deep... Well, even if I didn't announce that topic, sooner or later I would cross the line and have a deep relationship with them)

Judging from the aggressiveness of the three of them, even if they didn't cross the line right after the sports festival, they would have crossed the line around Christmas.

"Well, don't worry, I won't say anything about this. Also, please keep that in mind as both you and Sakayanagi will be summoned in the future. As for Ryuen, I will call you as soon as the points are ready."

Pres Nagumo said that and left. Well, as long as you appeal, it is inevitable that you will be summoned several times.

"I'm going too. Tell me what kind of sentence Kikyo was given."

Ryuen also laughed and started walking in the opposite direction from Pres Nagumo.

The look on his face seemed like he was really enjoying it, and if Kushida's parents, who were probably still screaming in the room, saw him, they would probably burst into tears.

(Are we going home too...or rather, why was Arisu looking down from just now?)

It's very unusual for Arisu, who always has a bullish attitude, to behave like this.

"Hey, Arisu. What really happened? If you're not feeling well, I'll take you to the infirmary, okay?"

When I said that, Arisu looked up...

"Whatever happened... it was Hachiman-kun's fault, right? He so proudly... called me 'my girl'..."

She turned bright red and said that while glaring at me with teary eyes.

...Forehead?