"Before you show me your proof, explain to me what happened and I'll try to analyze everything."
I was sitting with Big on the pink couch in the student council room. All the academy's officials were gathered there, including the headmaster.
"Doesn't this confirm that Klo Yuthnir is the culprit? You know what I'm talking about," one of the female officials spoke, but the headmaster denied the idea.
"Since when do we judge people based on rumors we've heard about them? It's possible all of it was fabricated lies. Don't you realize that?"
The woman bent part of her body forward and closed both eyes. "I'm sorry, sir. I apologize for my ignorance."
"Now, let's start with Klo Yuthnir. Present us your arguments or evidence."
Time to shine.
"T-This is Big. H-He tried to hit one of the boys. Luckily, I was there and recorded the incident with one of the new devices that just came out on the market. When he noticed me, he chased after me." I lowered my head, gripping it tightly with both hands. "I-I was scared." I tried to act frightened and all that, making my body tremble and stuttering my words.
"Show us what you recorded or what you did with that thing."
I took the phone out of my pocket to hand it to the headmaster. I won't deny I was pleased — only moments left before this brute gets expelled.
"How does it work?"
"Infuse a bit of mana."
The headmaster infused a small amount of his aura to power on the phone he was holding. "Tap on the gallery."
He touched the word lightly, bringing up a video of Big in the front — along with some silly videos I'd recorded of myself to avoid suspicion that I'd been waiting for the right moment to get Big expelled.
Once he played the video, all the officials gathered around the device. Something like this might be new to them, and they wanted to feed their burning curiosity, but they were treading into more important matters.
The video ended, and everyone stared at me. "Couldn't this device be a fake illusion generator?"
I smiled inwardly — every step had been calculated so I wouldn't get lost or stutter in my speech.
"You can use it to disprove your theory."
That official had incredible cunning.
I turned on the camera — unlike any illusion — and filmed the surroundings it was in. Once it ended, she saw everything I'd done with the device.
"I see. Sorry for doubting you, Klo Yuthnir."
I retrieved my phone after she waved it toward me to return it.
"It's fine"
The officials turned their attention once more to Big, who was fidgeting with his fingers.
"What do you have to say, Big? After the footage we saw, you committed two mistakes that warrant expulsion — drawing your sword and aiming it at a student of the academy. What do you think?"
"..."
Big chose silence. He had nothing to say. The accusations were aimed at him, and there was no escape from this situation.
"How about we expel him?" I cut into their discussion with a suggestion from left field, making them shiver.
"How so? And why, Klo?" my sister asked me.
"That's easy. Didn't he brandish his sword at a student? That means he broke two rules — rules of high danger and importance."
"And what if he makes a pledge?"
"Even if he pledges, human nature doesn't change through words alone, unless through serious effort. What do you have to say, sister?"
"That means you haven't changed."
"Who knows? You might be right, or you might be wrong. My nature hasn't changed — but my actions have."
"..." She didn't finish her sentence. I think I won.
The headmaster clapped his hands while looking at me and Big, both sitting on the pink couch.
"That's the end of our day. Klo Yuthnir is proven innocent, and Big is at fault. Klo will be rewarded, and Big will be punished with expulsion."
Yes.
"Do you have anything to say, Klo Yuthnir?"
"Nothing except to thank you for standing with me."
"And we thank you for respecting the rules of our prestigious academy," that official thanked me.
Everyone left the room, and Big was expelled from the institution. Before I stepped outside, my sister grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back, making me stand upright.
"Tell me, Klo. Weren't you lying or deceiving?"
I smiled as I turned my face toward my sister. "To keep it short in two words — he intended to kill me." I left the room, letting Marcilia ponder over the riddle I'd given her.
...
I returned to the classroom, where Elithia and Luna were studying swordsmanship.
Elithia and Luna ran toward me, followed by Leon.
"Klo, what did Big do to you, and why is your hand bandaged? I heard from one of the girls that you and Big fought, and you were both taken to the student council president, with the headmaster and the officials present for that moment."
"Everything you said is wrong. Big was bullying a student and baring his fangs at him, and I was the one who exposed it. The headmaster told me he would reward me, but I don't want that."
Luna patted my shoulder while leaning forward slightly. "I knew you had a gentle side, Klo."
I froze in place. I didn't know how to respond to her kind words.
Me... gentle?
"Let's go to the academy courtyard so you can take your time to rest before the second period — otherwise, you'll start bleeding again."
"You're right."
I followed Luna to the academy courtyard. I don't know where she gets her positive energy from — or maybe I'm just the one who thinks I'm always right.
We sat by the fountain, and a group of boys and girls gathered around us.
"I heard you protected a student from Big. Is that true?"
"Y-Yeah."
"That's amazing. I used to think you were a villain until the opposite was proven... You're a hero!"
This would work in my favor if I used it to build connections.
"Thank you. You also have a cheerful and charming side, my friend."
"It's great to be friends with the famous Klo Yuthnir."
"I'd like to be friends with you too, guys."
Everyone was happy talking to me. My bad reputation had been turned around after that incident — until that boy I'd used as bait showed up.
"Hey, you!"
I turned my head side to side to find the bait standing there with an angry face.
"Me?"
I tried to brush him off so he'd leave — otherwise, getting rid of him would be a hassle.
"Yes, you, you bastard! How dare you push me to meet Big after telling me the teacher called for me?"
"Look, look — after I finally made some friends, one of the reclusive students shows up to slap a nasty accusation on me to try and bring me down again."
"Klo wouldn't do that! He saved a student from Big!"
"Klo? A student? Are you Klo Yuthnir — the villain-to-be? Your name suits you, you wretch. After lying to me and putting me in a situation with no way out, you claim to be a hero among idiots who believe everything they hear."
How annoying.
"Listen, I've had enough of the nonsense spilling from your depths. All I want now is to enjoy my peace. And I know exactly what category you belong to."
"What are you talking about, villain?"
I got up from my seat and stepped toward him, poking his forehead and bringing my face close to his. "How I loathe your kind. You jealous types see someone who's crossed boundaries you couldn't reach, so you do everything you can to drag them down below you — or destroy them mentally and physically."
I leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"If you want your safety, don't come near me or even think of me — because I have something neither you nor even the headmaster himself has."
I pulled away, but he grabbed my hand. "Are you mocking me, villain, by threatening me? You're nothing but an insignificant insect before a beast."
"You said beast?" I stepped closer to him, touching his chest lightly and infusing a bit of paralysis magic.
The boy froze in place, and I shielded him with my back so no one could see, then released him again.
I looked into his eyes with a smile. "What do you think now?"
"..."
Good.
I walked away from him and returned to the group I'd been with.
Why can't you understand? All I want is to stay alive and protect the ones I love.