As time dragged on, Kars endured the boring and incomprehensible lecture. Finally, class was dismissed. At that moment, he felt an immediate wave of relief and was eager to bolt out of the Terakoya and race back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion.
"Now, after I assign some homework, everyone can go home."
Kars: ╭(￣▽￣)╮
Homework too? Ha, well, it didn't matter. As soon as he left here, he swore he would never return, so the homework was completely irrelevant.
"Everyone, remember to complete it!" Facing Kamishirasawa Keine's earnest reminder, everyone except Kars nodded seriously. Only then did Keine nod with satisfaction and leave.
"Class is finally over! But Kars, I can't believe you came to class! That's incredibly brave of you." Cirno approached Kars, praising his courageous act.
"I was dragged here! I never wanted to attend class. I just came to the Human Village to look around, get familiar with the environment, and find a suitable partner." Bringing this up made Kars extremely depressed. Who could have imagined he would run into something like this right after arriving at the Human Village? It was terrible luck.
"Eh? You, too?" Mystia heard Kars and felt like she had found a kindred spirit. She, too, had been dragged in by Keine; Keine had shown up at her stall that night, drinking away her sorrows, and then somehow managed to pull her into the Terakoya. She hadn't expected Kars to share the same experience.
"That's truly unfortunate…" Daiyousei could only sympathize with Kars's plight. Once Keine set her sights on you, there was usually no escape.
"Anyway, I don't plan on coming back here. The lessons are so boring, and I couldn't understand anything. Why do I need to study the history of this place anyway?" Kars felt it was a complete waste of time; learning such things was utterly useless to him.
"N-no, you can't do that! Something bad will happen!" Daiyousei quickly tried to dissuade him.
"If you don't come to class, Teacher Keine will get angry, and when she gets angry, she becomes very scary!"
What Daiyousei said made Kars think back to the pressure he felt from Keine earlier. Coupled with Daiyousei's warning, Kars fell silent for a moment, but he remained determined to try.
Whether in the past or the present, Kars had always acted according to his own will, not easily changing his mind based on a simple word of caution. It was like his habit of sunbathing, and his decision not to return to the Terakoya was the same.
"Even if you say that, I still don't want to come back."
"You are truly Kars! To dare to do what none of us would! That's incredible." Cirno couldn't help but applaud Kars's bravery.
"Even I, the Insect Master, wouldn't dare to do something like that." Even Lily expressed her admiration for Kars's courage, imagining the consequences that were sure to follow.
"Is that so? I will be sure to remember you." Rumia stared intently at Kars's face, as if trying to memorize his appearance. This made Kars wonder if they were hiding something from him.
"Anyway, I'm heading back now. I've wasted so much time that I don't feel like wandering around the Human Village anymore." All Kars wanted to do now was go home and jump into his Little Auntie's arms for a rest to soothe his aching brain.
Everyone watched Kars leave. Lily was the first to speak.
"What do you think will happen to him?"
"He'll probably get hit hard by Teacher Keine's Headbutt from Hell." Mystia predicted the outcome. Students who skipped class and didn't do their homework usually ended up receiving Keine's headbutt punishment. Kars had committed both offenses.
"Shouldn't we have warned him?" Daiyousei felt that not telling Kars was a bad thing, as the consequences might be too cruel for him.
"I think even if we told him, he wouldn't listen." Lily could tell Kars was the type of person who simply wouldn't take advice at certain times. He looked moved when he was warned about how scary Keine was, yet he still stuck to his decision. The only way for him to understand the severity of the problem was to experience it firsthand.
Meanwhile, Kars quickly flew all the way back to the Scarlet Devil Mansion. Spotting Remilia seated, he flew directly into her arms without a word.
"Little Auntie!!" Kars's sudden dive surprised Remilia, as this was a first. However, she quickly opened her arms and caught him, noticing how tightly he was hugging her. She wondered what had happened to him outside.
Kars took several deep breaths against Remilia's chest, easing his mental stress before finally lifting his head from her embrace.
"What happened to you? Were you bullied outside? If so, tell your Little Auntie, and I'll get revenge for you! No one gets to mess with people from the Scarlet Devil Mansion!"
"It's not like that. I was… I was forced to go to class! And the teacher was so boring, and the class was history that I didn't understand at all. Why do I need to study the history of this place?" Kars immediately started complaining to Remilia, pouring out his troubles at the Terakoya.
"But why did she take you to class in the first place?" This was the question Remilia was most interested in. As she asked, she noticed the look of deep regret on Kars's face and instantly suspected the cause.
"Don't tell me you did that again? I told you not to do that! Why won't you listen, child! Now you're suffering the consequences!"
"I'm sorry, Little Auntie. I know I was wrong." Seeing Kars lowering his head and admitting his mistake, Remilia scoffed but didn't let the matter drop. Without punishment, he would likely repeat the offense.
"Now, lie across my knee! I am going to spank you this time, no matter what, to teach you a proper lesson!"
After making Kars lie over the chair and pulling down his pants, Remilia took out a ruler and began swatting his bare backside, producing a sharp, cracking sound.
Sakuya, watching the scene from the side, silently wiped away the nosebleed that was flowing uncontrollably.