"Teacher Marikawa," Koichi Shido said coldly, his voice carrying a tone of restrained contempt, "I know you are a kind person. But kindness doesn't change people."
The tall man stood in the middle of the infirmary, his arms folded behind his back like a judge preparing to deliver a verdict.
"Especially for those scumbags who don't even know how to appreciate it."
His gaze slowly shifted toward the student lying on the infirmary bed.
"For students like him," Shido continued with a faint sneer, "only punishment can guide them back to the right path."
A brief silence followed.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Or are you planning to protect him?" he added sharply. "And regret it later when he commits a crime and ends up behind bars?"
The atmosphere inside the infirmary immediately grew tense.
Shizuka Marikawa stood near the medicine cabinet, clearly caught off guard by the harsh tone of the conversation.
"Th-this…" she stammered softly.
Her soft pink hair swayed slightly as she turned her head and looked toward the boy sitting on the bed.
Mo Yankong.
The young man sat there casually, one leg hanging off the side of the bed as if he were merely waiting for a routine checkup.
His posture was relaxed.
Too relaxed.
There wasn't even a trace of guilt on his face.
If anything, he looked… bored.
That indifferent expression made Marikawa hesitate.
She opened her mouth as if to say something but stopped herself.
After a moment of silence, she sighed quietly and stepped aside, choosing to remain silent.
Seeing her reaction, Koichi Shido let out a faint, mocking chuckle.
He turned his attention back to Mo Yankong and looked down at him with clear disdain.
"Well?" Shido said coldly. "Do you have anything else to say?"
His voice carried the tone of someone who had already made up his mind.
"I'll be contacting the head of discipline," he continued. "Your family will be notified to come to the school for a formal discussion."
The room fell quiet again.
Mo Yankong slowly lifted his shoulders in a lazy shrug.
"Is that all?" he asked calmly.
For a split second, Koichi Shido's expression froze.
It was as if he hadn't expected such a response.
Then the shock quickly turned into fury.
His face darkened.
"Good… good… very good!" Shido laughed angrily, his voice filled with cold rage.
"A student like you doesn't deserve to remain in Fujimi Academy!"
His finger pointed straight at Mo Yankong.
"I will report everything to the principal in full detail!"
The sneer on his face deepened.
"Prepare yourself for expulsion!"
The word echoed sharply in the room.
Shizuka Marikawa's eyes widened in alarm.
"Teacher Shido—" she quickly stepped forward.
"Shut up!"
Shido suddenly snapped, his voice harsh and unforgiving.
The furious glare he shot at her made Marikawa instinctively shrink back.
She looked troubled but ultimately remained silent.
The power imbalance between them was obvious.
Meanwhile, Mo Yankong slowly stepped down from the infirmary bed.
His movements were calm, almost leisurely.
As if the threat of being expelled from school meant absolutely nothing to him.
Standing upright, he brushed the wrinkles off his uniform and glanced at Koichi Shido.
There was something strange in that glance.
Something that made Shido instinctively uncomfortable.
"And then?" Mo Yankong said lightly.
Koichi Shido frowned.
Mo Yankong tilted his head slightly.
"Is this the same method you used," he asked casually, "when you made Rei Miyamoto repeat a year?"
The moment those words were spoken—
The atmosphere inside the infirmary froze.
Koichi Shido's pupils shrank.
His face instantly stiffened.
"What did you just—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
His teeth clenched tightly.
How did this student know about that?
It was a secret that should never have reached the ears of anyone at school.
Koichi Shido was the son of a local city councilman.
Recently, his father had been under investigation by the Public Security Bureau for a large sum of unexplained money.
Among the officers involved in that investigation…
Was Rei Miyamoto's father.
The situation had infuriated the councilman.
Although he couldn't interfere with the investigation directly, he had found another way to retaliate.
Through his son.
Koichi Shido had been instructed to manipulate things quietly within the school.
The goal was simple.
Make Rei Miyamoto fail.
Force her to repeat the year.
It was a petty act of revenge, but one that could ruin a student's future.
The entire plan had been executed carefully.
No evidence.
No witnesses.
No loose ends.
Yet now…
This boy in front of him had casually spoken about it as if it were common knowledge.
Koichi Shido's expression turned dark.
His eyes slowly narrowed, and the hostility within them grew colder and colder.
If someone looked closely, they would notice that his gaze had begun to resemble that of a venomous snake—silent, calculating, and deadly.
Meanwhile, Mo Yankong remained completely calm.
He dusted his sleeves lightly.
"If there's nothing else," he said, waving his hand casually, "I'll head back to class."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward the door.
Koichi Shido did not stop him.
Not because he didn't want to.
But because he suddenly felt uncertain.
That one sentence from Mo Yankong had planted a seed of doubt in his mind.
Someone who knew such information…
Couldn't be a simple student.
If Mo Yankong came from a powerful background, acting rashly could bring serious consequences.
Shido watched the boy's departing back in silence.
His mind began calculating rapidly.
He would investigate this student.
Carefully.
If Mo Yankong truly belonged to an influential family, then swallowing today's humiliation might be the wiser choice.
But if—
If he was nothing more than an ordinary student…
Koichi Shido's fist slowly clenched.
A cold smile spread across his face.
The moment the infirmary door closed behind Mo Yankong, Shido muttered quietly under his breath.
"You insolent worm…"
His voice was low and filled with malice.
"You'll pay the price sooner or later."
Outside the infirmary, the corridor was quiet.
Mo Yankong walked calmly down the hallway.
Students passed by him, chatting and laughing, completely unaware of the tension that had just unfolded inside the infirmary.
To them, it was just another normal day at school.
But Mo Yankong knew better.
Something was coming.
Something far beyond a simple school dispute.
He stopped briefly near the window and looked outside.
The sky above Fujimi Academy was bright and peaceful.
Too peaceful.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"Interesting," he murmured softly.
His eyes glinted with a strange light.
"Looks like the story… is finally about to begin."