Chapter 4: The Principal's Office is My Second Home

The summons comes during fifth period.

The class rep, a nervous boy named Takeda, inches toward my desk like I'm a sleeping bear.

"I-Isuzu-san?"

I look up from my notebook. I'm not taking notes. I'm mapping out a raid strategy for "Cybernetic Dawn."

"H-Hasegawa-sensei... the principal... w-wants to see you."

The whole class stops breathing.

Tch.

Here we go.

I slowly fold my paper, tuck it into my pocket, and stand up.

Takeda-kun actually jumps back.

"Tell sensei I'm on my way."

I walk out of the classroom, ignoring the 30 pairs of eyes drilling into my back.

I can hear Toujo's stifled snicker from two rows over.

The walk to the principal's office is quiet.

I know this walk. I know it very well.

I know that the 12th floorboard from the landing creaks. I know that the light outside the faculty room flickers.

I am, in many ways, the principal's most frequent, non-delinquent visitor.

It's a weird spot to be in.

The #1 student in the school... and the #1 troublemaker.

I knock.

"Come in."

Principal Tanaka-no relation to Ayaka, thank goodness-looks up.

He's a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a very, very tired face.

He sees me, and he just sighs, rubbing his temples.

"Isuzu-san. Please, sit."

I sit.

We stare at each other for a long moment.

"The canteen," he finally says.

"The canteen," I confirm.

"Spaghetti."

"Carbonara. With bacon."

He sighs again, deeper this time. "Aoi-san... why?"

"She was bullying a first-year. Spilled curry on her. Tripped her."

"So you... face-planted her into her own lunch?"

"I used a standard ko-soto-gake. She was unbalanced and her forward momentum carried her. It was a failure of her own posture, really."

The principal stares at me.

"You know," he says, leaning forward, "I have to call your parents. Again."

I wince, just slightly.

Not because I'm scared.

My parents... they're... different.

My dad (the 'mafia boss,' aka Senior Game Developer) will probably just ask, "Did you win?"

My mom (General Admin) will sigh, ask if I'm hurt, and then tell me not to make a habit of it.

They're busy. They love me, but they trust me to handle myself.

The real trauma was when they were called in middle school.

The bullying. The... incident.

My parents went full-on berserk. Not at me. At the school.

It's the only time I've ever seen my dad not calm.

I learned two things that day. One: my parents are terrifying when they're angry. Two: no one is ever going to 'handle' things for me.

I have to be strong enough to handle it myself.

"They're busy," I tell the principal. "Just... give me the detention. Or suspension. Whatever."

Principal Tanaka shakes his head.

"That's the problem, isn't it?" he says, steepling his fingers. "I can't suspend my top student. Not with mid-terms next week. And detention? What's the point? You'll just sit there and ace your homework."

He's not wrong.

"But, Aoi-san, I can't have you terrorizing the student body."

"I don't terrorize," I say, my voice sharp. "I respond."

"To bullies," he finishes.

"Yes."

He leans back, looking at the ceiling.

"I know your file. I know what happened in middle school. I know why you are... the way you are."

My stomach clenches. I hate it when they bring that up.

"It's not an excuse to be violent."

"I wasn't violent," I argue. "I was efficient. And besides, it worked. Her friends are terrified. They won't be bothering that girl again."

"And now... they're terrified of you."

"That's fine," I say.

"Is it?" he asks, his gaze soft. "Is it fine, Aoi-san? To be 16 years old and have everyone afraid of you? To have no friends?"

"I have friends."

The words are out before I can stop them.

The principal looks surprised. "You do?"

"Toujo and Rika Shouji," I say, crossing my arms. "They're idiots. But they're my friends."

He seems to process this.

"Alright," he says. "I see."

He's quiet for another minute.

"No suspension. No detention."

I raise an eyebrow.

"You are, instead, going to write a 2000-word essay."

...What?

"On what? 'The Physics of a Pasta-Based Landing'?"

For the first time, he smiles. Just a little.

"On 'The Role of Empathy in School Leadership.' Due Monday."

I stare at him.

He knows I'm #1. He knows I'm competitive.

He's weaponizing my own grades against me.

That... is an extremely clever move.

Tch.

"Fine." I stand up.

"And Aoi-san?"

I pause at the door.

"Try... try to have a peaceful weekend, please. For my sake."

I just grunt and walk out.

Toujo and Rika are waiting for me, leaning against the wall.

"Oooh, she's alive!" Toujo cheers.

"How bad is it?" Rika asks, her eyes wide. "Suspension?"

"Worse," I grumble.

Toujo's eyes light up. "Expulsion?! Awesome! We can go be rogue ninjas!"

"An essay."

Toujo's face falls. "Oh. Lame. What's it on?"

"'Empathy.'"

Toujo Shoji, the bravest idiot I know, makes the fatal mistake of laughing.

He bursts out, "Empathy?! You?! That's like asking a shark to write about being vegan! Bwahaha!"

I drop my bag.

"Toujo," I say, cracking my knuckles.

His laughter dies in his throat.

"Uh. A-Aoi? We're friends, right? Empathy! I... I have empathy for you! See?"

"You have five seconds."

"Rika, help me!"

"You did this to yourself, Onii-chan."

"TRAITOR!"

I lunge.

The principal pokes his head out the door. "ISUZU-SAN!"

Tch.

Saved by the bell.