Ch. 14 - Nogami Izumi Strikes

A healthy body is the foundation of success. From the fourth morning after waking up in this new world, Harutaki had started a disciplined routine: head out early for exercise, come home dripping with sweat, then wash up and eat the breakfast prepared by his little sister.

Lucky for him, their home wasn’t just in Minato Ward; it was in one of its better neighborhoods. Out on the quiet streets at dawn, there were no pedestrians, not even a single car.

The perfect place for a morning run.

And the best part? Coming home to a freshly made breakfast from Ayaka, his sister. It filled him with a happiness that made the day feel unbeatable.

Unfortunately, that happiness didn’t last long.

Because the moment he arrived at school, stepped into his classroom, and stood frozen before his completely empty seat—

The warm feeling from Ayaka’s lovingly made breakfast lost all its warmth in an instant.

The 2-3 classroom was dead silent, as solemn as a courtroom.

He swept his gaze around. His classmates, already seated, hurriedly avoided eye contact, turning away as though even looking at him was forbidden.

It was obvious who was on trial here: Hoshikawa Harutaki.

And when he noticed Nogami smiling sweetly, watching his reaction with far too much interest—

Of course, knowing who the culprit was and actually retrieving his missing desk and chair were two very different problems.

He couldn’t exactly march over and grab Nogami by the collar in front of everyone, demanding answers.

And sure, dragging a spare desk and chair from an empty classroom wouldn’t be hard. But his textbooks and notebooks were still inside the missing desk. Compared to the furniture, those were irreplaceable.

Asking Akihisa might’ve been an option. After all, Harutaki’s troubles had started because of him, but Akihisa was the kind who never came early and never came late. Waiting around thirty minutes for him was out of the question.

While Harutaki was considering his options, a flicker of movement caught his eye—Ren giving him a subtle signal.

But before he could act on it, Nogami’s sharp gaze locked onto Ren. With a single warning glare, she froze him solid.

Ren, looking apologetic, shook his head and slumped forward onto his desk, deflating like a balloon.

Harutaki’s disappointment had barely set in when—

The screech of a chair echoed across the room.

Haruto stood up, whistling casually, shot Harutaki a quick glance, and strolled toward the door.

“Tch. Redhead, don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong,” Nogami sneered.

“Relax, Nogami-sama. I’m about to burst, and I can’t exactly leak in class, can I?” Haruto tugged at his waistband with a grin, sparking chuckles around the room.

Nogami turned away with a scoff, disinterested. And in that moment, Haruto flashed Harutaki a quick thumbs-up.

Got it.

Harutaki slipped out of the classroom after him.

Still, Nogami’s behavior nagged at him. She kept everyone silent with threats, yet let Haruto openly act as if he were helping. Why?

There had to be another angle. Another layer of control.

Following Haruto’s lead, Harutaki turned a corner into a deserted stairwell.

The moment he arrived, Haruto whispered urgently:

“Don’t blame Ren for staying quiet, alright? His parents wouldn’t dare cross Nogami, so he can’t risk dragging his family down with him…”

“I know,” Harutaki nodded. “She forced him. I won’t hold it against him.”

Their friendship was only days old. If Ren had openly sided with him against Nogami’s pressure, it would’ve been either stupidity or manipulation. And Ren wasn’t stupid.

“You get it then… It was Nogami and her clique. Before school started, they stacked your desk and chair and carried them off.”

Haruto hesitated, lowering his voice.

“They moved everything into… the girls’ restroom on this floor.”

…Are you kidding me?!

Harutaki nearly laughed out loud. He’d expected some hidden storage space or a corner of the school grounds. Instead, this was straight out of middle school bullying tactics.

Compared to things he’d seen before—pantsing boys in the hallway, or shoving them into the girls’ bathroom to laugh at their panic—Nogami’s prank was practically merciful.

Which, frankly, was what annoyed him most.

He’d braced himself for worse. Maybe even rumors about assaulting Sae. That would’ve been a serious fight.

But this? This was child’s play.

“We can’t help you more than this…” Haruto’s face twisted with guilt. “If Miho tried to help you move it back, Nogami would sic the girls on her. She’d get isolated instantly.”

“You’ve done plenty already,” Harutaki said sincerely. “Don’t worry, I’ll handle it. Go back before she suspects you, too.”

“If it gets too bad, you should talk to Asama-sensei,” Haruto urged.

Harutaki smiled faintly as Haruto perked up, comforted by his words. So simple, this guy.

But really, what choice did he have?

Storm into the girls’ restroom by himself?

Not a chance. He could already picture it: the instant he set foot inside, Nogami would be outside with her phone camera rolling.

Juvenile, yes. But dangerous all the same.

He had underestimated her. She wasn’t just reckless. She was calculating.

Now he could only pray she hadn’t gone so far as to toss his books into the toilet.

Because Nichiya High School might have a deviation score of 72 and spotless restrooms thanks to its rich student body, but a toilet was still a toilet.

And he wasn’t some freak with a fetish for girls’ “byproducts.” Even if it belonged to a beautiful girl, no thanks.

Comments