Jumping, Shiho Suzui was serious.
It took her only a few seconds to climb over the wire fence, check to make sure the courtyard below was empty, and confirm that she wouldn't hit anyone when she jumped. After sending one last message to Taichi on her phone, she leaned forward without hesitation.
"What the hell are you doing again—!"
The voice that had been in her mind all night suddenly rang in her ears. Before she could even open her eyes, the feeling of weightlessness vanished. The solid ground beneath her feet made Shiho Suzui, with her eyes still closed, feel an urge to sink into it. But she suddenly snapped back to her senses and remembered that she had just jumped.
She forced her eyes open a crack, and the face that had been imprinted in her mind just last night appeared before her. In the next moment, a mix of despair and regret, mingled with a craving and a sense of happiness, caused Shiho Suzui to completely lose consciousness.
"Even though I tried my best to protect you both with telekinesis, I was too rushed. The bruises on your back are my fault for not protecting you in time," X's regretful voice came through the earpiece.
Taichi had used his Ultra telekinesis to increase his speed and protect his body, then leaped into the air to catch Shiho Suzui before she hit the ground. He then buffered the landing by rolling over and over. Only after confirming that they were both safe did Taichi let out a sigh of relief.
The chatter from the crowd made Taichi, who was sitting up, quite irritated. But no one dared to come closer. After all, the person who had just jumped was attempting suicide. Watching the drama unfold was one thing, but becoming a part of it wasn't something high school students these days would do.
Someone must have called the ambulance. It arrived very quickly. The result of no one daring to approach was that no one helped Taichi with the bruises on his back.
"Shiho!" Ann Takamaki squeezed through the crowd, her face pale with panic. Seeing Shiho Suzui being loaded onto a stretcher by the paramedics beside Taichi, she stumbled forward, anxious to try to wake her unconscious friend with the sound of friendship.
But Shiho Suzui was unconscious and couldn't respond at all.
"She's fine. She just went into shock and fainted," Taichi said, who was now patched up with the help of the paramedics. "I caught her before she hit the ground." The messy patch of grass nearby served as a witness to the madness that had just occurred.
"Unbelievable. Catching a girl who jumped from that height and only getting these injuries, even with rolling to reduce the impact, is incredible," the paramedic said, patting Taichi's shoulder after helping him put his shirt back on. "I have to say, it was a beautiful rescue. The girl has no external injuries from the fall. You're a real man, kid!"
"Thank you! Thank you so much!" Ann Takamaki clasped Taichi's hand and thanked him repeatedly, her tears streaking her light makeup.
"Who will accompany the injured person? Are there any teachers here?" a paramedic asked loudly, turning to the crowd after loading the stretcher into the ambulance.
Although there were plenty of teachers present, not a single one was willing to take responsibility and go with the ambulance. In the end, it was Ann Takamaki who urgently climbed into the ambulance to go with her friend.
"Um, Mr. Naruto Taichi, is that what you're called?" A girl with red eyes appeared in front of Taichi. "Is your body okay now?"
"Honestly, it's not. My back is both sore and itchy right now," Taichi replied, holding back the urge to scratch his back.
"I see..." The girl fidgeted with her feet, a bit conflicted. "Actually, the principal wants to see you. He asked me to come and get you."
"Tch, that fat pig." Taichi looked around and, seeing no sign of Kamoshida, he could only guess what was going on. He stood up and headed for the principal's office. The girl with red eyes blinked, her lips parted slightly, and she finally let out a silent sigh.
At the same time, two boys, one with black hair and one with blonde, were also walking quickly toward the school building, their faces filled with anger.
"Ahem, Naruto-kun, you know why I've called you here, right?" The fat pig of a principal sat behind his desk, glaring at Taichi with a gloomy expression.
"What do you mean? Weren't you encouraged by Kamoshida to threaten me and shut me up?" Taichi glared back at the principal, his face pale with anger.
"Uh..." Although he had just learned from Kamoshida's phone call about this young man's stubbornness, being confronted so directly still put the principal in a bad mood.
"Seriously, yesterday evening, I rescued a girl from that scumbag Kamoshida, and now she jumps from a building this morning. Principal, are you sure you want to keep this school running?"
"Hmph—don't talk nonsense!" The principal's face turned red as he glared at Taichi.
"Me, talking nonsense?" Taichi tilted his head. "What? Did Kamoshida not tell you that I even have video evidence from yesterday?"
"Huh?" The principal looked at Taichi blankly. No, Kamoshida really hadn't told him.
"That guy openly beats students in the school, harasses girls, and even tried to take things a step further. Don't tell me you knew nothing about it," Taichi said with a sneer. "Even I, a temporary worker who just started a few days ago, have heard several rumors about it. If you say you knew nothing, then I can only assume you're treating me like an idiot."
"Enough!" The principal was so angry he nearly slapped his desk.
That damned Kamoshida had dug a hole that was too big for him to fill alone.
"Tell me what you want," the principal said, clenching his fists.
"First, you have to cover all the hospitalization and treatment fees for Suzui. I don't care if it comes from you personally or the school, but the payment must be made to the hospital by this afternoon."
"I can do that."
"Also, get Suzui a private room. She needs to rest and not be disturbed."
"...That can also be arranged." This request was no problem as long as he found his connections at the hospital and threw some money at them.
"Then I have no more requests... I'll think about it once I confirm the payment has been made to the hospital." Taichi waved his hand and turned to leave.
"Huh? Wait, you don't want any money?" the principal asked, looking at Taichi in a daze.
"Huh? Extortion is a crime, you know," Taichi reminded him with a sneer. "That guy, Kamoshida, tried to use that against me yesterday."
The principal was so angry he almost passed out. That damned Kamoshida had screwed him over again! He was genuinely trying to use money to settle the matter! He wasn't trying to set him up!