"Ughhh... Bastard... Bastard Renji... My... my butt is going to split open... Ughhh... I'm definitely going to kill you... Just you wait... Ughhh... It hurts so much... It hurts so much... Ughhh..."
Power's tears flowed, crying like a pear blossom bathed in rain, with snot streaming down her face, completely disregarding her image. Not that Power ever cared much about appearances in the first place.
The pain in her butt was so intense that she couldn't even muster the strength to retrieve the fallen exam paper. She lay on the ground, clutching her bottom with both hands, sobbing in agony.
"I say, Power, is there another reason you're trying so hard?"
Renji walked up to her, brows furrowed, sensing something was off. He slowly bent down and picked up the four bra pads lying on the ground.
They were still warm. Renji brought them up to his nose and gave them a sniff.
There was a warm, indescribable scent—faint, but pleasant.
After slipping the four pads into his pocket, Renji picked up the test paper again. His gaze moved from the first question to the answer written below.
"I saw it in the bathroom. Renji is a man. Denji said so."
"Aha~ So it was you, Power. I knew it was you peeking that time."
Power's sobbing paused. She looked up, tears clinging to her lashes, and saw Renji staring at her with the test paper in hand. The moment she realized he had seen the answer, guilt washed over her.
"Ding~ Detected Power's nervous emotion. System rewards 10 points."
"I... I didn't peek! It wasn't me who wanted to peek! It was... it was... it was Hayakawa Aki who made me peek! That's right! Hayakawa Aki made me do it!"
Power tried to stand up but winced and dropped back down, clutching her behind as tears streamed out again from the pain.
Renji laughed out loud at her ridiculous excuse. He unfolded the test paper in front of her, pointing directly at her answer to the first question.
"Are you serious? The evidence is right here, and you're still pretending?! Not just pretending—you're falsely accusing Hayakawa Aki? Do you want to get spanked again?"
He waved his hand dramatically, mimicking the whooshing sound of a spanking.
"Ding~ Detected Power's fear. System rewards 20 points."
"Waaah waaaah waaaah...! Don't spank my bottom...! Don't spank my bottom...! It... it was Hayakawa Aki who made me peek! She forced me! It was her! Re... really!"
This time, Power truly felt the terror of that whipping. She had only just begun to recover from the earlier pain, and the thought of enduring it again sent her into a panic.
She no longer bothered protecting her butt. She let go and desperately shoved Renji, legs flailing backwards in a frantic tantrum.
Renji stepped back to avoid the assault, watching her squirm on the ground like a spoiled child throwing a fit in a mall.
He also noticed something else—Power's speech had changed. Gone were her usual boastful self-references like "this daddy" or "this great lord." Now, she simply said "I," like a frightened little girl.
Combined with the system's notification, it was clear Power was truly scared this time.
But even in that state, Renji couldn't help but sigh—Power still shamelessly blamed Hayakawa Aki, not even hesitating to throw someone else under the bus.
Renji honestly didn't know what to think of her anymore.
"Alright, alright, I get it. It was Hayakawa Aki's fault. She forced you to peek at me. So, can you tell me the truth now? What are you really afraid of?"
Power glanced at Renji, noticing he didn't seem to be pressing the issue anymore. She stuck to her story.
"It was really that scoundrel Hayakawa Aki who forced me! I... I had no choice..."
Her voice was still trembling, but she was far calmer than before.
Renji, of course, knew she was lying—but he gave her an out, responding casually.
"Hmm, I know. It's all Hayakawa Aki's fault. Power, you're innocent."
Hearing those words, Power let out a visible sigh of relief. Her low intelligence finally convinced her that Renji believed her, and more importantly—her butt was safe.
She gradually relaxed and began to speak, her voice low.
"This great lord was just worried...! Afraid Meowy would leave me... That time this great lord flicked its two little balls... it didn't just bite me! It ignored me for days...! Th-this great lord thought it was going to leave me... I... I was scared..."
When she finished, Power drooped like a wilted eggplant, her spirit deflated.
Still, Renji sensed something deeper was going on. His instincts told him something about Power's behavior didn't quite add up.
With her usual bombastic personality, such a minor incident shouldn't have driven her to this level of fear...
"It shouldn't be this, right? Power, is there anything else you're afraid of?"
Hearing Renji's question, Power looked up at him, still stubbornly insisting:
"No… no… This great lord isn't afraid of anything else! This great lord is just afraid that Meowy will leave me… After all… after all, this daddy discovered such a big secret…"
"Are you afraid of Himeno?"
Renji asked tentatively. The moment his words fell, the entire space seemed to freeze.
Power froze in place, her rebuttal silenced mid-breath. Her expression stiffened, lips parted as if trying to speak, but no words came out.
However, her body trembled—subtle, yet unmistakably from fear. Renji saw it clearly.
"Ding~ Detected Power's fear, system rewards 20 points."
The system's notification confirmed it—Renji's guess had hit the mark.
"Power, did Himeno say something to you?"
Power didn't respond. Her gaze dropped to the floor, and silence filled the space again. Renji thought for a moment, then tried again.
"Was it after we came out of the Eternal Devil? Did Himeno talk to you... tell you not to tell anyone about my true identity? That I'm actually a man or something?"
"Ding~ Detected Power's fear, system rewards 20 points."
Still, Power remained silent. But her trembling intensified.
Renji slowly approached her, each step cautious. When he reached her, he squatted down and gently stroked her head.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here. My relationship with Miss Himeno is good—she won't do anything to you. Isn't that right? This is the real reason you're scared."
After a long silence, Power's shaking gradually subsided. Her head lowered, she gave the slightest nod, her voice barely audible.
"Mm… mm…"
Renji exhaled deeply, part relief, part disappointment.
"Alright, it's fine now. There are no rats or bugs or anything here. Himeno can't hear what we say. You don't have to be afraid anymore, really. So hurry up, finish the questions, and we'll go back."
He stood up with the test paper and began walking toward the desk. But after a few steps, he realized Power wasn't following.
He turned around—Power was still sitting there, facing away from him, her butt planted firmly on the ground.
"My… my bottom hurts… I can't stand up…"
Renji sighed. He walked back over and carefully lifted her onto his shoulder. He could feel how tense her body was, so he adjusted his grip to keep her comfortable.
As they made their way toward the desk, perhaps because Himeno's pressure had lifted, Power began to relax a little. On his shoulder, she behaved quietly.
Renji glanced at her. Power had her eyes closed, lips bitten lightly, her expression pained and complicated—like something inside her was knotted and struggling to come out.
"Renji… Re… 1… З Renji… ○…"Power suddenly murmured, her voice soft and hesitant.
"What's wrong?"
She opened her eyes, but her gaze wasn't on him. Her pretty face was flushed, and she spoke with difficulty.
"I… what I just said was also true… I… I really am afraid Meowy will leave me…"
Renji paused, then continued walking toward the desk, nodding slightly.
"Alright, alright. I know. I was wrong too. I'm really sorry for hitting your butt. I'll make it up to you later, I promise."
Hearing that, Power's face lit up with a delighted smile.
"Mm… mm…! This daddy believes you…! Just like I believe Meowy!"
"Hey, hey," Renji chuckled, "you've got to know the difference. I'm a human—not a pet like Meowy, you know."
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