Ch. 35 - The Limit of Endurance

After the third class in the afternoon, just as Harutaki was about to head home, he was stopped by Asama-sensei and summoned to the teachers’ lounge.

This time, though, their talk had nothing to do with the bullying incident. Instead, it was about his recent entrance exam results.

A student who’d always ranked near the bottom during his first year had suddenly soared to the top of the grade rankings at the start of his second year—high enough to make the top ten and be formally recognized by the school.

Even if he’d studied hard all spring break, that kind of leap was beyond belief.

Still, as a result, Harutaki learned his exact score from Asama-sensei:

Fourth place in the entire grade.

He also took the chance to ask about the top three.

First place was Sakuramiya Saya from Class 2-B—a well-known beauty at school, and one of only two archery club members who had made it to the national female’s league.

Second place was Asano Kaede from Class 2-A.

Harutaki recalled hearing from Tazaki—back when he was gathering “school beauty intel”—that Asano Kaede was the confirmed next student council president. A model student through and through.

But the name in third place caught him off guard.

He’d heard from Sae during lunch in the empty classroom a few days ago that Minako was good at studying, but he hadn’t expected this level of good.

Nail art, hanging out with Nogami, bullying others, openly experimenting with makeup and accessories—on the surface, she looked nothing like a serious student. Yet in private, she turned out to be a top-tier academic.

Harutaki’s own fourth-place finish was purely thanks to his “previous life” experience and some frantic last-minute cramming.

Even so, Asama-sensei still sighed at him:

Because, of course, his weakest subjects—Japanese and geography-history—had singlehandedly dragged his rank down.

And the kicker? Harutaki had chosen the liberal arts track for his second-year course division.

Quite the challenge for a man who’d been a science major with a master’s degree in his past life.

…

Unlike Harutaki, who’d been detained by a teacher, Nogami had chosen to stay behind in the classroom of her own accord.

She flipped listlessly through her Japanese textbook, trying to look like she was studying while she waited for Sae’s club activities to end so they could decide where to hang out later.

In truth, her mind was too cluttered for anything productive.

Days of isolation, whispers, and outright bullying had piled up, pressing heavy on her chest. There was no way she could focus on the rows of kanji glaring up at her from the page.

Worse still—

Every time her gaze landed on the spotless, gleaming surface of her desk, freshly scrubbed cleaner than before it was vandalized, that bastard’s face would pop into her head.

What did he even mean, “soft and springy”...?

She pinched the plush inside of her thigh through her skirt, a faint heat creeping up her cheeks—irritated, but for some reason, just a little grateful.

“Phew.”

After a long sigh, Nogami stood up. She couldn’t hold it anymore—she needed to use the bathroom.

She’d avoided leaving the classroom all afternoon, not wanting a repeat of the unwanted attention she’d drawn before lunch. She’d even limited her water intake, but after three hours, her endurance had reached its limit.

It’s fine, she told herself. Most people had already gone home by now. No one would be around.

That comforting thought lasted right up until Murphy’s Law decided to remind her it existed.

Because the moment she stepped out of the restroom—

“Eh? I didn’t think she’d still be here at this hour. What luck!”

—she ran straight into three girls loitering by the hallway.

The corridor outside the classroom was empty, save for them.

They wore the metallic gray first-year badges on their chests, a detail that made Nogami snort inwardly.

So now even trash from the lower floors thinks they can take a shot at me, huh?

She wasn’t stupid. When a pack of first-years came all the way to the second-year wing, it wasn’t for sightseeing.

Normally, the unspoken hierarchy between grades kept things in check—no first-year would dare provoke an upperclassman, even a bullied one.

At this school, mocking or confronting her wasn’t rebellion—it was virtue.

Most first-years would rather not get involved. But there were always a few restless idiots who thought stepping on the infamous “wicked senior” would catapult them into popularity among their peers.

“Nogami-senpai, wait up~”

One of them—a blonde girl with two silver earrings—blocked the classroom doorway with a bright, fake smile.

“You’re kind of famous lately, Senpai. How about a selfie with us?”

Another girl waved her phone teasingly in front of Nogami’s face.

Her makeup was caked on thick, foundation so heavy it barely concealed the acne underneath. Nogami had to fight the urge to gag.

“If you don’t say no, that counts as a yes, okay?”

Click.

A photo flashed to life: three grinning girls and one sullen beauty framed together—a grotesque contrast so sharp it was almost painful to look at.

The one holding the phone stared at the picture for a moment. The realization hit her, and jealousy flared in her eyes.

Even with dark circles and that exhausted expression, Nogami’s beauty made their efforts look pitiful.

“So what if you’re pretty? That just means you charge extra when you’re selling yourself, right?”

Poison, spat through gritted teeth.

Nogami had had enough.

“Get lost… you three bitches.”

“Huh?! What did you just say?”

“Didn’t hear me? Maybe you pierced your eardrums along with your ears.”

A cold, vicious smile curled across Nogami’s lips.

“Let me say it again—get the hell away from me, you three caked-up, fugly sluts.”

How dare she fight back?

The blonde’s expression twisted in disbelief.

“Looks like Nogami-senpai still doesn’t get her situation.”

Her voice turned sharp and mocking.

“Aren’t you the one who sleeps with greasy old men for cash? Maybe you shouldn’t call anyone else a bitch.”

“Yeah, if my dad found out I was doing it with men his age, he’d die of shame! How can you still show your face here, Senpai?”

“Come on, Nao. Maybe her dad’s job depends on her body~”

The shortest girl with a dark green bob patted her friend’s shoulder, her tone sweetly poisonous.

Three worthless idiots.

“Say that again…?”

Other insults she could tune out.

But her father—the man she’d always admired, the one perfect thing in her life—was her reverse scale. The one line no one was allowed to cross.

“Oh? Didn’t see any piercings on you, Senpai. Guess you must’ve gone deaf, huh?”

The blonde sneered, parroting Nogami’s earlier words back at her.

“Then let me say it again—if your dad has to use his own daughter’s body to please his boss, he must be such a pathe–tic, worth–less, pit–ia–ble—”

Crack.

That was the sound of her teeth snapping shut mid-sentence—

Because all she could see in her widening eyes was the rapid blur of a pale, clenched fist rushing straight toward her face.

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