Arc 4: Sports Festival Special Exam
Heavy rain poured over Tokyo, transforming the asphalt roads into small rivers that reflected the neon lights of the metropolis. However, inside a luxury black sedan slicing through the rain, the atmosphere felt much colder than the air outside.
In the backseat, a middle-aged man sat with a stiff, upright posture. His face was stern, his eyes as cold as ice, and the aura radiating from him was one of absolute power that tolerated no refusal.
Ayanokouji Atsuomi.
The man who once stood at the pinnacle of Japanese political ambition, a man who viewed his own son not as flesh and blood, but as a "Masterpiece."
The car stopped in front of the gates of a secret meeting facility, where he was scheduled to meet with the Chairman of the Advanced Nurturing High School Board, Sakayanagi.
"Sir," his driver spoke softly, trembling slightly. "We have arrived."
Atsuomi didn't answer. He simply opened the car door and stepped out. A black umbrella was immediately deployed by his aide, shielding him from the rain. Yet, it seemed as if even the raindrops were reluctant to touch his expensive suit.
Inside the private meeting room, Chairman Sakayanagi was already waiting. The man, who usually looked friendly and fatherly, now appeared tense. Cold sweat was visible on his temples.
"Long time no see, Ayanokouji-sensei," Chairman Sakayanagi greeted, trying to keep his voice steady.
Atsuomi sat down without being invited. He placed his briefcase on the table.
"Let's skip the pleasantries, Sakayanagi," Atsuomi's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "I came to retrieve my property."
Chairman Sakayanagi swallowed hard. "Property... you mean, Kiyotaka-kun?"
"He is wasting his time in this playground," Atsuomi said, his eyes glaring sharply at the man across from him. "The White Room has been reactivated. He is needed there for the final refinement stage. His presence in this school that teaches 'freedom' and 'emotion' will only dull the blade I have so painstakingly forged."
"Kiyotaka-kun enrolled in this school following legal procedures," Chairman Sakayanagi argued, holding firmly to his principles. "He passed the entrance exam. He was accepted. At Advanced Nurturing High School, we have an absolute rule: Students cannot be expelled unless they violate school rules or fail their academic exams."
"Rules?" Atsuomi scoffed. It was a dismissive sound, as if Sakayanagi had just told a childish joke.
"Rules are made by those in power, Sakayanagi. And you know exactly who holds the reins in this country. This school... your autonomy is nothing but an illusion I provided."
Atsuomi leaned forward. The pressure in the room increased drastically.
"I can cut off the government funding to this school overnight. I can create a scandal that will dissolve this foundation. I can destroy your career, and the future of your crippled daughter."
Chairman Sakayanagi's face paled at the mention of his daughter, Arisu.
"Expel him," Atsuomi ordered. "Make up any excuse. Illness, a disciplinary violation, or academic incompetence. I don't care. Hand Kiyotaka over to me this week, or this school will be reduced to rubble."
It wasn't a negotiation. It was an ultimatum.
Chairman Sakayanagi clenched his fists beneath the table. He knew who Ayanokouji Atsuomi was. This man was a monster devoid of morality.
However, Sakayanagi was also an educator. He remembered the look in Kiyotaka's eyes when he first entered the school—a completely empty gaze.
"I... cannot do that," Sakayanagi replied, his voice trembling but firm. "As long as I am the Chairman of the Board, I will protect the rights of every student. Including Kiyotaka-kun's right to study here."
Atsuomi's eyes narrowed. A dangerous glint appeared within them.
"You have chosen the hard path, old friend. What a pity."
Atsuomi picked up his phone.
"In that case, I will begin right now. Don't blame me if your school is surrounded by state auditors tomorrow morning."
Atsuomi's finger moved to the screen, ready to call his political allies to initiate the systematic dismantling of Advanced Nurturing High School.
Student Dormitory – Room 401
While a political storm was brewing in Tokyo, Seiji Koroizumi was enjoying a quiet evening in his room.
He was sitting cross-legged in front of a low table, carefully assembling his homemade parfait. Layers of yogurt, granola, peach slices (leftovers from the island exam that he kept in the fridge), and whipped cream.
"The art of cooking is all about balance," Seiji murmured, placing a cherry on top of the parfait. "A little tartness, a little sweetness, and a texture that..."
[WARNING. THREAT LEVEL: CRITICAL.]
Ritsu's robotic voice interrupted his culinary monologue. The light on his computer screen flashed red, instantly transforming the relaxed atmosphere of the room into a military operations center.
Seiji set his spoon down. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by the piercing gaze of The Reaper.
"Report, Ritsu."
"Wiretaps on shortwave frequencies in the Chiyoda District area detected a voice pattern matching the profile of 'Ayanokouji Atsuomi'," Ritsu reported, displaying a sound wave graph and a location map on the screen.
"The subject is currently in a secret meeting room with Chairman Sakayanagi. Intonation analysis and keywords indicate a high-level threat to the school's integrity."
"He's making his move," Seiji whispered.
Seiji had anticipated this. Ever since he discovered the data on the White Room at the beginning of the semester, he knew that Ayanokouji's father wouldn't just let his "Masterpiece" slip away.
"What is the threat?"
"He is threatening to cut the budget and send auditors to find administrative faults within the school to force Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's expulsion. He is preparing to make phone calls to the Minister of Education and several parliament members of the conservative faction."
Seiji stood up, walking toward the window. It was raining here too, on this artificial school island.
Kiyotaka had only just begun to learn how to be human. He had only just started to feel comfortable hiding behind Seiji's back.
If his father came and dragged him back to that white hell right now... all of that progress would be shattered.
And more than that...
"I don't like it when parents interfere with the teaching and learning process," Seiji said coldly.
"Ritsu," Seiji called out. "Activate the Mudslide Protocol."
"Are you certain, Master? That protocol will expose our digital footprints to a national-level intelligence network."
"Ayanokouji Atsuomi is a politician, Ritsu. And politicians only fear one thing: Losing power."
Seiji sat down in front of his computer. His fingers began to dance across the keyboard.
"We don't need to fight him physically. We just need to give him a new 'toy' that requires much more urgent attention than his runaway son."
Seiji accessed the encrypted database he had compiled during his two years traveling across Japan—data concerning dirty money trails, bribery, and scandals involving Ayanokouji Atsuomi's faction.
Atsuomi had many enemies. One of them was Naoe, his primary political rival.
"Ritsu, compile the data on the 'Kanto Region Development Project' involving Atsuomi's shell companies. And include the evidence of his secret meeting with foreign lobbyists last month."
"Data is ready. Packaging into an anonymous format."
"Send it to Naoe-sensei's office, the editorial board of Shukan Bunshun (a weekly scandal magazine), and the Tokyo District Prosecutors Office. Route it through servers in Russia and China to obscure the trail."
Seiji hit the Enter key.
"Let's see, Atsuomi-san. Will you still be busy dealing with a high school kid when your own seat of power is on fire?"
"Nurufufufu..."
Seiji's laughter echoed softly in the room. It wasn't the laugh of a friendly teacher. It was the laugh of an assassin who had just fired an invisible bullet right into the heart of someone's career.
Back to the Meeting Room in Tokyo
Ayanokouji Atsuomi had just placed his phone to his ear. He was ready to give the order to destroy Advanced Nurturing High School.
However, before the call connected, the phone of his aide standing in the corner of the room rang loudly.
"My apologies, Sir! It's an emergency call from Headquarters!" the aide's face was deathly pale.
Atsuomi lowered his phone, glaring at his aide with murderous intent. "I am busy."
"Sir... it's Naoe-sensei. And... the Prosecutors Office."
Atsuomi's eyes widened slightly—the biggest emotional reaction he had shown all night.
"What?"
"There's a data leak, Sir. Documents regarding the 'Kanto Project' have been leaked to the media. The news just went live on online portals. Shares of our backing companies have plummeted 15% in the last ten minutes. Naoe-sensei is demanding an explanation immediately. Our faction is in danger."
Atsuomi fell silent.
His genius brain spun rapidly, calculating the situation.
This attack... the timing was too perfect.
Was it a coincidence? Or did someone know he had let his guard down while dealing with his son's affairs?
Whoever the culprit was, the damage was real. If he didn't initiate damage control immediately, his ambition to return to the pinnacle of the Japanese government would end tonight.
Kiyotaka was important. But his political power was the foundation of everything. Without power, the White Room wouldn't be able to operate.
Priorities changed.
Atsuomi put his phone away. He looked at Chairman Sakayanagi, who was still sitting tensely, confused by the sudden shift in the situation.
"You are lucky, Sakayanagi," Atsuomi said coldly.
He stood up, grabbing his briefcase.
"This matter isn't over. Consider this a stay of execution for your school. But remember... I will return. And when I do, I won't be coming alone."
Atsuomi turned and walked briskly out of the room, followed by his panicked aide. His footsteps were no longer those of a predator on the hunt, but those of a general rushing to quell a rebellion at his own headquarters.
The door closed.
Chairman Sakayanagi slumped in his chair, exhaling the long breath he had been holding. He wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.
"What just happened?" he muttered. "It seems... the god of fortune is smiling upon this school."
Little did he know that "god" was currently eating a parfait in a first-year student dormitory.
......................................................................
Student Dormitory – Room 401
The red indicator light on Seiji's screen turned green.
"Confirmed," Ritsu reported. "Ayanokouji Atsuomi's car is leaving the meeting location at high speed, heading towards the government district. Wiretaps indicate he has canceled all plans to pressure the school in order to focus on his party's internal crisis."
Seiji smiled in satisfaction. He picked up his spoon again and popped a sweet peach slice into his mouth.
"Excellent. That will keep him busy for at least a few months. Or perhaps a full year, if Naoe-sensei is adept at utilizing the bullets I provided."
Seiji knew this was only a temporary solution. Atsuomi was a political monster. He would survive this scandal, sooner or later.
But "temporary" was valuable.
"One year..." Seiji murmured. "Until the second year. That's enough time for Ayanokouji-kun to live peacefully and understand human emotions better. And enough time for me to prepare our next line of defense."
A life that had just been bought by Seiji for the price of a few gigabytes of classified data.
"Now then, Ritsu," Seiji said, finishing the rest of his parfait. "Deactivate combat mode."
"Understood, Master. Please enjoy your dessert."
Outside, the rain began to subside, leaving the night air clean and calm.
In their dorm room, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, who had just returned, set down his shopping bags. He had no idea that mere minutes ago, his fate had been hanging by a thread.
He had no idea that his father had just been repelled by his roommate, who was currently wearing a goofy smile with cream on his cheek.
Ayanokouji looked at Seiji.
"You look happy," Ayanokouji commented flatly.
"Of course," Seiji replied. "This parfait is delicious. Do you want the recipe?"
"Not interested."
"What a shame. Sweets are great for reducing stress, you know."
Seiji chuckled softly. Nurufufufu.
Tonight's shadow war was won by the teacher. However, Seiji knew this was just one battle in a long war for his students' souls.
And he was ready to face whatever came next.
------------------------------
"Like my work? Catch up to Chapter 56 over on my Patreon!"
P - Gem_Blanks
Thank you so much for your support — you make all of this worthwhile.)