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A night has passed since yesterday’s settlement, and if I had to say what changed, it’s that my image in class has improved and, for a limited time, I’ve got a roommate. Still, there’s no assurance that no bad rumors will spread regarding this incident, so I can’t keep my guard down.

「Misaki, I’ll leave you the money, so please shop for groceries and other necessary things.」
「10,000 yen, how generous.」
「That’s just how much we’ll need while you’re here after all. Also, remember to keep all the receipts. I’ll check the balance after the end of the day.」
「Eh?」

I’m inputting it in my household account book, so I’ll need the receipts. The balance check is to confirm whether she bought anything unnecessary or not. I don’t think she’d do that but just to be sure.

「What about luxury goods?」
「No need. If you buy anything unnecessary, I’ll call Sakiko.」

I don’t eat snacks after all. If there’s anyone that would eat, it would be Misaki but I don’t have any intention to indulge her. The TV and PC are forbidden to use. In regards to the PC, I’ve set a password, so using it without permission is impossible.

「It’s much more restricting here than the mansion.」
「That suffocating mansion or this constricting room of mine, which do you think is better?」
「Here is still much better.」

Anyone with normal sensibilities would’ve responded with that. After all, you’d need to pay attention to everything you do in that place. Particularly when father is present, it’s seriously unpleasant. With Kotone gone, it’s probably a bit better now.
Compared to that, you can relax anytime I’m not around, so it’s more comfortable at my place.

After giving Misaki some general instructions, we headed to the academy. The car we have is a rental car, it’s a normal passenger vehicle. I seriously don’t want to ride a luxury car, so I’m really grateful. They likely couldn’t bring a car from the mansion while keeping it a secret from father.

「Please pick me up later then.」
「Understood.」

Now then, time to go. I’m at the academy parking lot, so I cross paths with teachers but no matter who I greet, no one greeted back. I’m still far from becoming a normal student, huh. Letting out a sigh, I headed to my classroom but on the way, there were also some people that greeted me.

It’s my classmates and the underclassmen though. The underclassmen don’t have much information, so they likely don’t know much about Kotone. Naturally, I greeted back.

「Popular among the juniors, aren’t you?」
「Minagawa, good morning. Likely because they don’t know much about me.」
「The current problems are the students of the same year and the upperclassmen, right? Though it’ll probably just be a matter of time in my opinion.」
「What do you mean by that?」
「You’re pretty attractive now, after all. It’s just hard to ignore you.」

Is that how it works?

「Ah, good morning.」
「Morning~」

As I entered the classroom, I was greeted by a lot of people. Really feeling how my class image has changed, I couldn’t help but smile. The class then went silent.
I wonder why?

「Come to think of it, this is the first time I’ve seen you actually smile.」
「Aiba, good morning. Is that so?」
「Yeah. I’ve seen you have an artificial-looking smile occasionally but I don’t think I ever remember seeing you actually smile.」

Well, I wasn’t really in a situation where I could smile after all. Frankly, I thought that I only had enemies in the academy. My first goal was to have those enemies move to a more neutral position instead. Though the unexpected happenings and my image in class having improved were beyond my expectations.

I don’t quite get how that connects to this situation though.

「Ah, she isn’t self-aware, is she?」
「It’s Kisaragi, so she probably just can’t imagine it. You know, it’s likely her first time being in this situation.」

This situation where my classmates would greet back at me is a first as Kotone after all. Kotone has had that thick make-up ever since enrollment, so no one would associate with her. Moreover, since she’s a daughter of a high-class family, there was no telling how she’d react depending on what you’d do.

I don’t quite understand Minagawa and Aiba’s conversation but one thing that’s certain is that my situation is improving for the better. As usual, I sat on the window-side seat and leaned my crutch against it.

Feeling relieved that my desk is untouched today, I checked in the desk compartment just to make sure.

「As expected, there’s nothing this time around.」
「Only a hero would dare to do that. After all, they’d be doing it knowing full well that they’d be targeted.」

Asking about that, it seems like there’s a notice of suspension posted on the academy bulletin board. You’re doing great work there, principal. To think that he’s circulating the information before any rumors get spread. With this, she no longer has any place in this academy.

And if she disappears from this academy, it’ll be easy to assume that she just transferred. No one would think of staying in a place where they have nowhere to belong. Unless it’s someone like Kotone who’s making use of that position.

「Ooh, everybody’s here today.」

The same scenery as before the incident happened. A teacher informing that there aren’t any plans today as usual and students retorting to that. It’s a pretty easy-going class, but I guess that’s exactly why they accepted me.

Is this the principal’s doing or were these sort of people gathered here by coincidence, I don’t know. Still, I’m grateful.

「Kisaragi~, Head to the principal’s office after class today.」
「Understood.」

There are things related to the incident that I haven’t been told after all. I don’t plan on actively knowing these either. As long as they’re no longer in the academy, that’s enough for me. Whatever happens to them wouldn’t really matter even if I know it or not.

Still, that principal likely wouldn’t find it acceptable for the injured party to not know about it.

And so today’s classes ended without any issues and in a blink of an eye, it was already after class. I suppose as expected, the two were concerned and accompanied me to the principal’s office but like yesterday, we parted in front of the door. Now then, time to knock.

「It’s Kisaragi. May I enter?」
「Come in.」

The same exchange as yesterday. And after entering, the principal was working like he was before. He’s a pretty busy guy, huh. I sat down on the sofa and unlike yesterday, the principal finished up his work and sat right in front of me. While there, he poured a cup of coffee for me too.

「Sorry for calling you here again.」
「No, I don’t mind. So, what will it be today?」
「It’s about Udzuki Shizune and that one teacher. 」

As expected, I guess. The reason he didn’t discuss this back then was because the person in question was present and probably because it was a Kisaragi-Udzuki discussion, so he put off talking about the teacher. After all, Mother was also in the reception office as well.

「Udzuki Shizune has agreed to change schools. She’ll be transferring to Agatherine Ladies Academy. She’ll likely be there until graduation.」

While I’m enrolled, there’s no need to fear retribution. Though I don’t know if the same is true when repeating a grade. Not that I would. Also, regarding the academy Shizune’s transferring to, it’s pretty well-known.

After all, it’s also called the “prison”. The Udzuki family made a quite bold move. Enrolling there would lower their reputation and yet they still did.

「I’m surprised the Udzuki family agreed to that.」
「It’s a result of negotiation. After telling them that my expulsion is another alternative, they quickly agreed.」
「That’s not negotiation, that’s blackmail. Then did you receive donations from them as well?」
「It would’ve been meaningless without taking as much as I can after all.」