The news spread even faster than I had imagined.
When I woke up and opened my phone, seeing the Momotalk app filled with countless red notification dots, I immediately realized just how fast it had gone.
I had no idea which student present last night had managed to spread the news so quickly.
I hurriedly woke Arona to help categorize messages, while I took the chance to open the Chronos Academy homepage. That's when a large, bold headline caught my eye:
"Shocking! Sensei Schale's First Ever… Was With Her!?"
…Exactly the kind of headline I'd expect from the stereotypical Kronos School of Journalism.
Still, despite the clickbait, when I opened the article, the content was surprisingly fair and accurate.
The only thing was their description of my appearance... They toned it down a bit, used more subtle language. They didn't fully capture my handsomeness, but it did align with my low-key, modest nature. Not a huge problem, tho.
However, when I browsed the usual forums, I realized I had still underestimated the impact of this news.
In short, the entire Kivotos internet was in chaos.
Everywhere I looked, people were panicking, furious, or passionately discussing the event. Discussions about the incident were practically flooding every corner of the web.
Naturally, to explain certain anomalies, some seemingly plausible rumors arose, ones that satisfied the netizens' thirst for gossip, and quickly spread widely.
For example: What caused this incident?
Since Trinity could not officially disclose the details of the coup scandal before the investigation concluded, the hottest speculation was that the tea party members had all simultaneously fallen for me. Their jealousy for my sake caused internal conflict, and the defeated Mika, unwilling to accept this, committed that shameful act…
After scrolling through the forums for a long while, I finally, under Arona's urging, reluctantly logged out to start replying to the Momotalk messages from students.
Mostly, these were confirmations of truth, messages of concern, or expressions of outrage.
But among them, there were some… well, a little focused, too focused on the word "first."
Most representative of this was a certain pink-haired girl from Abydos.
Hoshino: "Really Sensei's first time? Uhehe~ Is it really Sensei's first time~"
Even through the screen, I could imagine her eyebrows dancing, her tone teasing and mocking.
I suddenly wondered what kind of funny expression she'd make if she knew she wasn't my first herself.
But honestly, it was better to let her and the others continue misunderstanding.
At this point, whether it was true or false didn't matter. Without concrete evidence, if the vast majority believed it, and the few who knew the truth were content to enjoy the spectacle, it became an indisputable consensus.
I spent most of the morning reaching out to the students, including Hanae and others who proactively contacted me, to strengthen bonds. I then marked those who hadn't yet contacted me. Perhaps they were too busy, shy, or insecure. I thought the matter could finally be considered settled.
Yet, while urging the Make-Up Work Club to focus on their final day of review, I received a message from Rin.
She informed me that I had to hold a press conference.
At first, I suspected Rin, usually serious but with a subtle mischievous streak, might be joking sarcastically.
But she was serious. To control public opinion and prevent the situation from escalating further, it was necessary for me, as the person directly involved, to clarify the "false rumors."
And so, the rest of the day was spent almost entirely on errands.
Fortunately, Kivotos moves fast, and its attention shifts faster. With my appearance and the General Student Council's guidance, it wasn't long before citizens and students were distracted by other trending topics. But following this incident, Mika's reputation in Kivotos and, consequently, mine became even more well-known.
Then came the day of the Make-Up Work Club's third exam.
Thanks to their remarkable performance during Mika's rebellion, all members of the Make-Up Work Club had cleared suspicion of betrayal, and Nagisa naturally abandoned any hostility toward them.
According to the tea party's public announcement, the third Evaluation exam was even more lenient than the first. The test range and passing criteria were restored to normal, the exam location moved to an annex, and the duration extended significantly.
Early in the morning, before the exam began, everyone gathered in the classroom to boost morale.
Hifumi: "I-if that's the case, it's not impossible for everyone to get full marks. Nagisa-sama is such a good person!"
The ever-kind Hifumi had seemingly forgotten all of Nagisa's past actions.
Hanako smiled: "Although she's a sly little kitten, at least Nagisa knows the value of gratitude~"
Even Hanako's words carried a hint of lingering discontent.
Koharu's face was bright with pride as she said, "No choice, you'll just have to see the true strength of the Justice Task Force elite!"
Azusa: "But until it's all over, don't slack off. Let's give our all, and work hard until the very last moment." Her gaze, though serious, had a gentle undertone.
Hanako: "Mm." She nodded, smiling, "Even Azusa learned a thing or two today."
Seeing them in good spirits, I felt at ease and warmly said:
"Everyone, do your best on the exam."
Receiving affirming responses, I nodded in satisfaction, adding:
"Though it's a bit premature to say now, once everyone passes successfully, I'll give you all a special, mysterious reward that I've prepared!"
For some reason, upon hearing this, the classroom's atmosphere cooled slightly, and the girls exchanged strange expressions that kinda looks like they were saying, 'Not again...'.
I realized, and grumbled. "This time it's not a selfie!"
"Hahaha… Se-sensei, that's not what we meant…"
Hifumi, visibly relieved, quickly explained. Yet, her expression along with the other three completely revealed their true thoughts.
Just wait! The day my photo is printed on Kivotos' official currency will come…
I muttered this silently to myself, shook off my frustration, said farewell to the girls preparing for the exam, and left the annex to return to the main Trinity school building.
At the tea party room, the gray-golden-haired girl greeted me with a smile.