Nezumi's stomach twisted. She recognized them immediately—the same bullies who always picked on weaker students when no teacher was around.
Seeing them approach, she braced herself.
'If they hit me first, I'll just tell the teacher. She'll take care of them…' she thought, trying to stay calm.
Bully 2: "Are you some kind of idiot who can't even follow basic school rules?"
Bully 1: "What were you trying to prove by using your phone in class?"
Nezumi clenched her fists but said nothing.
Before she could react, a familiar voice cut through the tension.
Kokoro stepped forward, standing beside her. Her expression was calm, completely unfazed by their taunts.
Kokoro: "I don't know about her, but you two definitely look like idiots, wasting your time trying to bully someone."
The smirks on the bullies' faces vanished.
The words hit Bully 2 like a slap. His face turned red with rage.
Bully 2: "You little—!"
Furious, he lunged forward and grabbed Kokoro's collar with all his strength.
Before he could throw a punch, Nezumi quickly stepped in and shoved him back. He lost his balance and stumbled onto a nearby bench.
At that same moment, Kokoro didn't hesitate. She swung a powerful punch at Bully 1, landing a solid hit straight to his face, bruising his eye.
The bullies, now shocked and afraid, scrambled to their feet. Their confidence had shattered. Instead of fighting back, they chose the easiest way out—playing the victim.
Wiping away fake tears, they sprinted straight to the staff room, bursting inside dramatically.
Bully 1 while pretending to cry "Look, ma'am! Kokoro and Nezumi attacked us! They waited for you to leave so they could hurt us. Look—my friend's eye is bruised!"
The teacher, already annoyed with Nezumi after his earlier outburst, barely took a second to consider their words. Her expression darkened, and without waiting for an explanation, she stormed toward Class 2-1.
The moment she entered, her piercing glare landed directly on Kokoro and Nezumi.
They froze, feeling the weight of her anger before she even spoke.
Her voice was sharp, cutting through the silence. She scolded them harshly, her tone filled with disappointment.
But just as she was about to continue, Kokoro stepped forward.
her voice was firm but respectful.
"Ma'am, they were trying to bully Nezumi first. I saw them and stepped in to stop it. Then they tried to hit me, so Nezumi just pushed one of them away. That's how they got hurt."
The teacher narrowed her eyes and turned toward the bullies.
Teacher: "So… you two started this? You were trying to bully Nezumi first? And then you LIED to me?"
The bullies immediately shrank under her gaze, avoiding eye contact. Their confidence wavered, and their smug expressions disappeared.
Realizing they were caught, they hesitated before mumbling weak excuses.
Bully 2 (muttering): "W-We were just joking around… We didn't mean any harm…"
But the teacher wasn't buying it.
Teacher: "Enough! Lying to a teacher and trying to frame your classmates? This is unacceptable!"
In the end, she made her decision.
The bullies were suspended for two weeks for lying and attempting to bully a student. However, since Kokoro and Nezumi had also engaged in a fight, they were given a five-day suspension as punishment.
The classroom fell silent as the teacher handed out the suspension notices. Kokoro and Nezumi exchanged glances, both frustrated yet relieved that justice had at least been served.
After receiving her suspension notice, Nezumi headed home.
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Nezumi's Mom glanced up as she heard the front door creak open. She looked at the clock hanging on the wall—12 PM.
A frown settled on her face.
Nezumi wasn't supposed to be home yet. School didn't end until 3 PM.
She set down the dish she was drying and turned to face her daughter, confusion evident in her expression.
Nezumi's Mom: "Why are you home so early? School finishes at 3 PM. Was it a half-day or something?"
Nezumi hesitated.
Her hands instinctively gripped the straps of her schoolbag as she lowered her gaze to the floor.
She knew exactly how this conversation was going to go. If she told the truth, she would be scolded—no doubt about that. But at the same time, there was no way she could hide something this serious.
She swallowed hard.
There was no point in delaying the inevitable.
Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke.
Nezumi: "I... I got suspended for seven days."
Silence.
For a few seconds, her mother's expression remained unchanged.
But then, as the words fully registered, her face darkened. Her brows knitted together, and her lips pressed into a thin line.
Disappointment.
Frustration.
A flash of anger.
It was all there, plain as day.
Nezumi felt a lump form in her throat.
Nezumi's Mom: "What did you do this time?"
Her tone was firm. Not loud, not yelling, but firm enough to make Nezumi's stomach twist in knots.
Nezumi lowered her head even more, her fingers tightening around her bag straps.
Nezumi: "When the teacher left... some kids started bullying me, so I got into a fight with them."
She kept her voice low, barely above a whisper.
Another silence followed.
Her mother let out a long, heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose as if trying to keep herself from saying something too harsh.
Nezumi shifted uncomfortably. The weight of her mother's disappointment felt heavier than the suspension itself.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, her mother spoke again—this time, her voice was softer.
Nezumi's Mom: "It wasn't your fault, honey. They were the ones trying to bully you."
Nezumi dared to glance up, but the sternness in her mother's eyes hadn't disappeared.
Nezumi's Mom: "But still, picking fights is NOT an option, Nezumi. You need to control yourself. No matter the situation, violence isn't the answer."
Nezumi nodded slowly, guilt settling deep in her chest.
She wanted to defend herself, to say that she hadn't started the fight, that she had only reacted. But she knew her mother wouldn't accept that as an excuse.
A long pause stretched between them.
Then, Nezumi hesitated. She had another problem.
She needed to ask for something—but given her current situation, she wasn't sure if it was the right time.
Still, she had to try.
She took a small step forward, swallowing her nerves.
Nezumi: "Mom… can you meet the teacher and get my phone back?"
---
Nezumi's mother's expression hardened, her sharp gaze locking onto her daughter like a spotlight.
"Wait a minute," she said, her voice laced with suspicion. "Why does your teacher have your phone?"
She took a slow step forward, arms crossing over her chest.
"Don't tell me…" she continued, her tone dropping lower. "You were using it in the middle of class again?"
Nezumi's stomach tightened.
Her throat felt dry as she avoided her mother's piercing stare, her fingers unconsciously gripping the hem of her uniform.
She knew there was no way out of this.
Gulping, she braced herself.
Then, like a storm breaking over the ocean, the scolding began.
For over an hour, her mother's voice filled the house, sharp and relentless, expressing every ounce of her frustration.
Nezumi stood there, taking it all in, nodding at the right moments, murmuring soft apologies whenever she could squeeze them in.
By the time her mother finally let out a deep sigh, her anger had cooled—atleast a little.
She grabbed her purse from the table, slung it over her shoulder, and cast one last stern look at Nezumi.
"I'm going to meet your teacher," she muttered before heading toward the door.
The moment she stepped out, Nezumi let out a long, shaky breath.
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A/N: This is where things start getting really interesting! Make sure to save this to your library and support it with gems. I'm sure you'll love the next chapter even more. Also, please use the paragraph comment feature to point out any mistakes or give feedback—I'd really appreciate it!