Chapter 10: The Teacher's Lounge Tribunal

That morning, the gates of Shogun Academy, the School for Elites and Officials' Children, felt more lively than usual. Arata Masamune, the new teacher, could only shake his head as Akari Yumehara and Shion Kanzaki were already waiting for him with sulky expressions.

"Good morning, Arata-Sensei!" Akari exclaimed, jumping with joy.

"Good morning, Sensei," Shion greeted, her voice deliberately soft.

They immediately started arguing, again. Akari pulled Arata's left arm, while Shion held his right.

"I got here first! So I have the right to greet Sensei!" Akari protested.

"Don't lie! I've been here for five minutes already!" Shion retorted, not wanting to lose.

Arata could only sigh. This new world was indeed strange. Instead of being a commander leading a squad on the battlefield, he was now a referee for two kids fighting for his attention.

"That's enough," Arata said, his voice calm but cold. "If you two keep arguing, I'll confiscate both of your phones."

The threat worked. They immediately let go of Arata and headed back inside.

Inside the classroom, the atmosphere was filled with whispers, not about Arata, but about a new rumor circulating.

"Hey, did you hear? 'The Judgment Queen' is back from overseas!" a student whispered.

"Really? Oh my god, Mei Kurosawa? I bet she'll be surprised to see we have a new teacher."

"I just hope she doesn't cause trouble like usual. Even though she's so pretty!"

Arata listened, a hint of curiosity surfacing. Who was this "Judgment Queen"?

Amidst the chatter, a luxurious black car drove onto the school grounds and stopped in front of the lobby. The door opened, and out stepped a female student with striking long green hair. Her face was very beautiful, but her eyes held a sharp, cold gaze.

Oh, so she's 'The Judgment Queen,' Arata thought. Just like the others, she looks like a stuck-up, materialistic girl with no future.

The girl, Mei Kurosawa, walked quickly into the school, as if she were late and didn't care about anyone around her.

CRASH!

Mei, in her hurry, bumped into someone in the hallway. A stack of thick books the person was carrying fell, creating a loud thud on the floor.

"Ugh!" Mei groaned, a little annoyed. "Can't you watch where you're going? I'm in a hurry!"

"O-oh... I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!" The panicked voice belonged to a brown-haired woman with glasses, who was trying to pick up her books.

"Chisa-Sensei?" Mei recognized the teacher. A cynical smile appeared on her face. "Well, whatever. It's your fault anyway. Why are you carrying so many books? Don't do it again, or you'll be in trouble."

Mei was about to leave, but a hand appeared in front of her. Arata, who had just arrived, completely ignored her. He immediately crouched down and helped Chisa pick up the fallen books.

"Wait!" Mei exclaimed, annoyed at being ignored. "It's her fault, why are you helping her?!"

Arata didn't answer. He just continued to gather the books, his gaze cold and sharp. He didn't care about Mei; he only cared about Chisa. He knew, from Mei's cynical look, that a new problem had just begun.

"Wait... don't you dare ignore me with that cold look?" Mei said, feeling her pride being stomped on.

"Why not? Should I care?" Arata retorted, his voice as cold as ice.

Mei fell silent, annoyed that her presence was being ignored. "Fine, whatever, I'm in a hurry anyway!" She stomped her foot and walked away.

The moment Mei arrived in the classroom, she became the center of attention. Many male and female students immediately swarmed her. However, Mei's gaze shifted to Akari and Shion.

"Yoo, Akari-chan, long time no see, huh? How have you been?" Mei greeted, her tone filled with arrogance. "You seem unusually cheerful? What changed?"

"I'm fine," Akari replied, no longer as cold as she used to be.

"Keep mocking, spoiled brat. You've never experienced the fun of going abroad, have you?" Mei then turned her gaze to Shion. "You too, Shion. You're usually so busy on your laptop, and now you're reading a book? What kind of change is this?"

Shion remained silent, not answering. She was too engrossed in her book. Mei ignored them. She considered Shion and Akari just spoiled brats who didn't know anything.

When Arata entered the classroom, Mei looked at him again, annoyed.

"Wait," Mei said. "You were the one who ignored me earlier, weren't you? At least show me some respect. Do you know who you're dealing with?"

"No. Why should I?" Arata replied. "Should I care?"

Another student interjected, "Arata-Sensei, is there another quiz?"

"Unfortunately, no," Arata replied. "Class is starting."

Annoyed with Arata, Mei used the break time to get attention from other students. Many boys and girls crowded around her, asking what life was like overseas. However, Mei found her gaze constantly drawn to Arata, Akari, and Shion walking together.

Annoyed, she followed them to the rooftop. It turned out the three of them were having lunch together. Mei watched from behind the door. Arata, Akari, and Shion were no longer competing with each other. They were laughing, sharing stories, and looked so happy.

A strange feeling arose in Mei's heart. It was a feeling she had never experienced in her entire life. Even with all the wealth and prestige she had, she had never received what Arata was giving to his two students. Mei felt something she had never had in her life: sincere affection and friendship.