"Ah, there you are. Please take your stuff and go to the headmaster's office right now. They need you there."
Ren stood still for a moment, then slowly bent down, grabbed his bag, and started walking.
'What?! No, it can't be... right?'
From the start, Ren had believed everything would go smoothly without any issues. Since the deal was active, he expected Aoi might break under pressure at some point, but not to the extent of confessing or reporting him to the school for blackmailing her about the missing funds. Especially given the sexual nature of their arrangement—that was where he had miscalculated.
'She has a boyfriend. No matter her excuse, reporting me would damage their relationship beyond repair.'
Ren had assumed Aoi was now completely bound to him and unable to break the deal, even though the System had never stated that.
'Don't tell me...' Ren began to realize how he had fallen victim to his own carelessness. The System had explicitly stated that the target was only bound to fulfill their end of the deal—it didn't strip them of their right to speak or take other actions. It simply compelled her to come to him every night.
With all of that weighing on his mind, Ren walked through the classroom while ignoring the heavy stares coming his way—except for one Takeshi. The moment their eyes met, Ren was able to identify the strange look Takeshi had been giving him moments ago from a closer distance.
It was pure hatred, anger, and disgust. Ren knew that kind of look all too well, and it followed him until he stepped out of the classroom.
'Why is he staring at me like that?' In Ren's mind, the answer was already forming, but he refused to accept the possibility.
'Maybe she told him I found out about the missing funds and tried to blackmail her with it, leaving out the sex part... Right? Yes, that has to be it. Because she... there's no way she told him about the sex part, right? But those eyes...'
Ren was trapped between denial and suspicion, navigating the chaos inside his mind as he walked down the long hallway. That bad feeling escalated from a vague sense of unease into a sharp migraine—like a needle stabbing directly into his head. Before he could reach a solid conclusion, he arrived at the headmaster's office.
Ren stood there, staring at the doorframe as the reality clicked in his mind: 'Whatever is waiting inside isn't good. But I can't lose my composure. I need to find a way to calm down.'
"Huff..."
Ren exhaled and calmed himself down. He closed his eyes, collected his thoughts for a second, then opened them and knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
"Come inside," a very deep voice answered from the other side. It was the voice of Principal Daigo.
Ren was no stranger to Principal Daigo. He had met him several times, as well as Vice Principal Daichi. The two were always together, to the point that people started calling them the "Dai Principals."
It was a spacious office decorated in an elegant, traditional style. The drawers were filled with papers, files, and books, while numerous certificates of appreciation and golden trophies rested on top of the cabinets.
A long, sturdy wooden desk with a high-backed wooden chair sat in the middle of the room. Facing each other nearby were two long sofas ready for guests, with a short glass coffee table placed between them.
After taking in the room's layout, the next thing Ren's eyes caught were the people inside. Principal Daigo was sitting in the wooden chair at the headmaster's desk, while Vice Principal Daichi stood next to him, handing him a document.
Principal Daigo was a broad, sharp-looking man with a full beard. Some would describe him as having a burly build—his shoulders were high and wide, giving off the aura of a bodybuilder.
In complete contrast, Vice Principal Daichi gave off the vibe of a tired, skinny man, though his eyes were sharp and practically warned everyone to stay out of his way.
Both of them looked at Ren at the same time, and Ren met their gaze with no visible fear. But what Ren saw next was entirely unexpected.
Sitting on the guest sofas were two people side by side, both wearing formal suits. They gave off completely different vibes from one another.
One was a young woman with a sharp face and fox-like eyes, glaring at Ren like a predator. The other was a young man with a tired expression that practically screamed, I don't want to be here.
All of this processed in Ren's mind within a single second. He walked into the middle of the room near the sofas and came to a stop, every pair of eyes locked on him, each waiting for his first move.
"Ren, please take a seat." The voice that broke the tension was Principal Daigo's.
"Ah, yes." Ren immediately followed Principal Daigo's instruction, sitting down opposite the young woman and man, and placed his bag on the ground next to his chair.
Ren's eyes met the angry glare of the woman and the annoyed expression of the man. He held their stare for half a second before giving a brief nod and turning his attention away from them toward the principal and vice principal.
'Those people aren't my main concern—or so I hope. What's important now is how to deal with Principal Daigo and what exactly he's going to say. Should I use Eyes of Desire to get a head start?'
Ren thought about the system and checked how much energy he had left.
Strength: 12
Stamina: 15
Perception: 6
Composure: 10
Energy: 16 / 40
'It hasn't recovered by much, but at least I have two uses left before entering the red zone. Should I use it now?' Ren deliberated for a moment, but before he could reach a conclusion, Principal Daigo's voice interrupted his line of thought.
"Student Ren, I believe you are aware of why we have summoned you here."
Ren's eyes sharpened and his jaw relaxed into his usual calm demeanor. He answered smoothly, "I'm sorry, Principal, but I don't know. I was called here as soon as the period started, and nobody told me why I was summoned."
The question was a simple yes-or-no matter, but Ren intentionally added extra details to reinforce his persona the insecure, distant student a performance he had maintained throughout his school life.
However, Principal Daigo's sharp glare didn't soften in the slightest.
"Ren, I need you to understand that the matter we summoned you for is not a simple one."
Principal Daigo placed the papers he was holding onto the desk and interlaced his fingers. With no one interrupting him, he continued in a heavy tone.
"It is a matter involving a serious crime one that could inflict severe damage on the school, on you, and on everyone connected to it. We considered calling your family to attend this meeting, but given your special circumstances, we bypassed that step."
Principal Daigo's eyes remained locked onto Ren, but Ren didn't back down.
"So, Ren, I need you to be fully aware of that and answer my questions knowing that you will take full responsibility for your next response."
The principal paused for a moment, as if giving Ren time to weigh his choices, before asking directly:
"Ren, do you have any connection whatsoever to the missing money from the school club funds?"