At four in the afternoon on the day of the cultural festival, three black sedans pulled up in a straight line outside the main gate of Advanced Nurturing High School.
The burly, sunglass-wearing bodyguards from the front and rear cars got out first. After professionally checking the area and confirming there were no problems, the biggest of them stepped forward and opened the rear door of the middle car.
Atsuomi Ayanokoji, his face gloomy and his figure carrying that soft, well-fed heaviness of a middle-aged man, slowly stepped out of the vehicle. He lifted his head to look at the imposing school gate, a sinister smile curling at his lips.
"Sakayanagi, you can stay put for another week."
The last time he came to Advanced Nurturing High School, former Chairman Sakayanagi had blocked him outright, and he had been completely unable to take Kiyotaka away.
After that, through a long string of upper-level backroom deals, he'd gotten Sakayanagi removed and put Tsukishiro in charge of the school instead. Unfortunately, that useless fool hadn't been able to get anything done.
A mere little task, and the acting chairman had been completely helpless against a student? If word of that got out, it would be a complete joke.
If not for the fact that Ayanokoji really was the White Room's greatest masterpiece and therefore naturally harder to deal with, Atsuomi Ayanokoji would never have waited until today. He would've had Tsukishiro dumped in Tokyo Bay long ago.
But wait and wait as he might, even his patience had finally run out. It had been nearly two full terms already, and they still hadn't gotten it done. That was why he'd finally decided to handle things personally.
He'd called in a favor from one of the big players and pushed Sakayanagi's original release date back by another week. One week was more than enough time to drag his rebellious son out of this school.
Because of the cultural festival, plenty of cars were parked outside Advanced Nurturing High School today. Fortunately, the visitors had already gone inside the campus, so outside there were only Atsuomi Ayanokoji and his security detail.
When he headed for the gate with his men, he was stopped by one of the guards.
"Sorry, sir. Please show your invitation to the cultural festival. Also, only one person may enter."
Atsuomi Ayanokoji shot the guard a contemptuous look and pulled out a document.
"Take a good look. This is an official appointment order for the chairman of Advanced Nurturing High School. From now on, I am your chairman."
The guard had clearly already been notified that the new chairman would be arriving today, and immediately bowed.
"My deepest apologies, sir—Chairman. But only you may enter. Unrelated personnel are not permitted inside Advanced Nurturing High School. That is the rule."
Atsuomi Ayanokoji had no choice.
It wasn't that this guard was being especially loyal or dutiful. The man actually looked like he wanted to just let them in. The problem was the rules themselves.
And those weren't merely school rules. They were built into Advanced Nurturing High School's internal S System. Surveillance cameras were everywhere, and if he tried to force his way in, it would trigger alarms across campus. If it came to that, the appointment order in his hand would become worthless. It would never be recognized.
Atsuomi Ayanokoji knew that too, which was why he didn't make a scene. He simply waved a hand behind him, and his security team understood at once, staying outside while he entered alone.
But as he stepped through the checkpoint, the metal detector went off. The guards looked even more troubled now, but under the eye of the monitoring system, they could only do their jobs properly.
"Sir—no, Chairman, sorry. Your electronic devices and any dangerous items can be stored in the guard office."
"You may retrieve them when you leave. We guarantee there will be no loss or mishandling."
"So many damn rules."
He'd gone through this same routine the last time he visited the school too. Atsuomi Ayanokoji muttered irritably, then handed over his phone and a black handgun.
The guards looked so nervous their hearts were practically in their throats. A firearm? That was enough to make them realize this new chairman was not going to be easy to deal with.
Once everything had been secured, they respectfully allowed Atsuomi Ayanokoji inside.
What enraged him most—enough to make his blood boil—was that Tsukishiro hadn't come to receive him.
What was that supposed to mean? Was he, the superior, supposed to go visit his subordinate in his office?
Seeing that no one had come to welcome him, Atsuomi Ayanokoji's expression darkened further. He made up his mind then and there. At first, for the sake of Tsukishiro's many years of service, he had intended to give him a relatively dignified end.
But if Tsukishiro didn't want dignity, then he had only himself to blame.
Atsuomi Ayanokoji had plenty of ways to make people suffer.
With that thought in mind, he strode toward the administration building in a foul mood.
Every visitor and student enjoying the cultural festival stepped aside the moment they saw him. More than a few of them silently grumbled to themselves.
Who was this fat old guy?
Why did he look so vicious?
He seriously didn't look like someone you'd want to mess with.
Acting as though the place already belonged to him, Atsuomi Ayanokoji made his way to the administration building, took the elevator to the top floor, and let his violent temper do the rest. He kicked the chairman's office door open with a bang.
But the scene inside was completely beyond anything he had expected.
Tsukishiro was there, yes—but he wasn't seated behind the desk waiting for him.
Sitting in the chairman's seat was a student in an Advanced Nurturing High School uniform.
Tsukishiro, meanwhile, was standing at the side of the desk like an old secretary, carefully and thoroughly explaining something to that student.
The absurdity of the sight made Atsuomi Ayanokoji choke on his words for a second. He genuinely did not know what to say.
Then he snapped back to himself.
"Get out."
"A mere student dares sit in my chair?"
To Atsuomi Ayanokoji, anyone sitting in his seat was stealing his authority.
The kick had obviously caught Tsukishiro and the student's attention. They both turned to look at him, and both wore very strange expressions.
The student's face was openly amused, and the more Atsuomi Ayanokoji looked at it, the more irritated he became.
Tsukishiro's expression, meanwhile, was even stranger.
It almost looked like... pity.
Atsuomi Ayanokoji didn't even get time to think that through before the student leisurely spoke first.
"Security, come to the chairman's office. Someone's causing trouble in here."
There really were security personnel in the administration building. Not that it necessarily mattered, but there were. And on the chairman's desk sat a direct communication mic, allowing whoever occupied the office to call security immediately.
Atsuomi Ayanokoji almost laughed from sheer disbelief.
"You're calling security? Fine, then. Wait until the guards you called come in and throw you out. And while you're at it, tell me your class and name."
"I'll have you expelled on the spot."
"Second-year Class A. Yukio."
The student showed not the slightest fear as he answered.
Together with the not-quite-smiling look on Tsukishiro's face, it immediately stirred a deep sense of unease in Atsuomi Ayanokoji's chest.
A moment later, four security officers rushed in.
Atsuomi Ayanokoji immediately held up the appointment order.
"Throw this student out! I am the new chairman—Atsuomi Ayanokoji!"
The four guards paused.
Then they bowed slightly toward Yukio, who was still sitting in the chairman's chair.
After that, they moved to surround Atsuomi Ayanokoji instead, clearly intending to escort him out.
"You... have you all lost your minds?! I'm the chairman!"
If his security detail had been allowed inside, these guards wouldn't have dared put a hand on him like this.
"Sorry about this, fatso."
Yukio casually waved a hand, then delivered a truth so devastating it nearly shattered Atsuomi Ayanokoji on the spot.
"There's a rule in this school."
"If you spend enough personal points, you can freely replace the chairman."
"And unfortunately for you, one second after your appointment order hit Advanced Nurturing High School's S System at exactly 4:01 p.m... I bought your position out from under you and appointed myself the new chairman of Advanced Nurturing High School."
...
For every 50 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.