Tomoya Aki, being chased by the teachers, used a blind spot when he turned a corner and rushed into an empty classroom.
He shut the classroom door and leaned against it, breathing hard. Only when the teachers' footsteps faded away did he finally let out a sigh of relief.
Damn it!
Why can't these people understand the beauty of ACG? They chased me like this last year, and they're chasing me like this again this year.
Can't this world just be full of love?
After calming down, Aki clenched his fist and spoke unwillingly.
Last year, using the perfect chance of the opening ceremony—when all the students were present—he had at least managed to preach for quite a while. Who knew that this year, the moment he made a move, he would be caught right away?
It seemed that today's preaching chance had failed, and he could only wait for the next one.
Squeak…
The back door of the empty classroom opened slowly from the outside. Ren Katsuragi came into view, wearing a smile.
"Hello. Are you Aki, the one who introduced ACG on the broadcast just now?"
Ren walked toward the front door where Aki was, his smile looking even brighter.
Unlike the teachers who only focused on chasing Aki, Ren had gone to check the surveillance room. The cameras in the corridor clearly showed Aki's escape route.
Seeing that Ren had come to find him and was acting so friendly…
Aki was thrilled.
His preaching this time hadn't been for nothing. Look! Here came a fellow enthusiast.
"It was me. I'm Tomoya Aki. Yes, it was me introducing ACG just now."
"Student, are you interested in ACG too? We can have a good disc—"
Before the word "discuss" could leave his mouth, Aki saw Ren, who was walking toward him, grab a book from a nearby desk and swing it at him.
Smack.
A heavy book hit Aki right in the face, making him stumble back into the door behind him.
"Sorry, I'm not interested in ACG. I'm interested in you right now."
Ren bent down to pick up the book that had fallen to the floor, then grinned coldly.
Hit the mouth first so he can't shout for help. After the mouth, hit the legs so he can't run.
Ren placed the book carefully on Aki's knee.
Then,
he drove his fist down.
Mmph!!!
Seeing that Aki couldn't bear the pain and was about to open his mouth to scream, Ren quickly stuffed the book into his mouth.
Ren didn't keep beating Aki. Instead, he took out the hemp rope he had prepared and tied Aki up tight.
You like to preach, right? You like to show off in front of everyone, right?
Since Aki was shameless anyway, Ren didn't mind making him even more shameless.
Below the school building.
On a cherry blossom tree shedding pink petals, Tomoya Aki, stripped down to his gym shorts, was hung upside down by Ren.
It was dismissal time after the opening ceremony. Students were returning to their classes in groups, chatting as they walked.
Hanging upside down in front of the school building, wearing only his gym shorts, Aki became a perfect public spectacle.
"That obsessed face."
"Preaching like a maniac to strangers."
"Aki, do you really think you're something special?"
Squatting beside Aki and scrolling through videos on his phone, Ren glanced at the struggling boy and spoke flatly.
With a rag stuffed in his mouth, Aki wanted to speak but could only make muffled sounds.
Aki never expected to end up like this.
He thought that his preaching this time would end, at most, like last year: caught by teachers, criticized by the school, and forced to write a letter of apology.
He also hadn't expected Ren, who had such a kind smile, to switch so fast.
Helpless, Aki could only swing his body, hoping the branch holding him would break so he could escape.
How could Ren not see through Aki's little plan? That was why Ren had chosen a cherry tree with thicker branches.
"Student, how can you do this? This is wrong!"
Eriri Spencer Sawamura, having left the gymnasium, spotted her childhood friend Tomoya Aki hanging upside down in front of the school building at once. Worried about him, she came over to help.
No matter how much Aki disrupted the opening ceremony, the punishment should be decided by the school.
Ren using private punishment like this was simply wrong.
Right now, none of her school friends were around, so Eriri decided to rely on herself to save Aki.
"Oh? He has someone speaking for him?"
Putting down his phone, Ren looked at Eriri standing in front of him, then glanced at Aki, who was swinging even more violently.
Ren pulled the rag out of Aki's mouth, wanting to see what the relationship between the two was.
As soon as the rag was removed, Aki couldn't wait to cry for help.
"Eriri, save me! This guy is a demon—he's going to kill me!"
After speaking, Aki glared at Ren and shouted, "You're finished! My childhood friend is Eriri Spencer Sawamura!"
Just because Aki had no background didn't mean Eriri didn't.
Aki was extremely good at borrowing someone else's name.
"Student, that's not what Tomoya-kun means… I just want to ask you to let him down. Student punishment should be handled by the school."
At school, Eriri didn't try to pressure people with her status. She was still trying her best to reason with Ren and cover for Aki.
"Oh… understood."
Ren nodded as if he were thinking it over.
Hearing Ren say this, Eriri's face lit up with joy, thinking Ren had listened to her.
Unexpectedly, Ren grabbed her.
The second victim appeared.
The noble young lady, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, was also hung on a cherry tree by Ren.
Considering that Eriri was a girl after all, Ren didn't touch her clothes, nor did he hang her upside down like Aki.
Ren was somewhat disappointed.
He thought it would become a scene where the rich young lady falls for the pretty boy, goes crazy for love, and hits a wall. Seeing the pretty boy humiliated, the young lady would drop the act and use her powerful background to crush the biggest villain—himself.
And this is it?
Unlike Aki, who had started making noise again, Eriri was much more obedient.
She didn't make a sound, lowering her head deeply, terrified that passing classmates would see her like this.
Ren stopped paying attention to Aki and Eriri hanging behind him.
He looked toward a female student wearing a white hairband, who had been standing not far away from the start, watching this whole time.
Waving to her, Ren showed a sharp canine tooth when he smiled.
"Student, are you also here to plead for them?"
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