Paper Balls and Point Penalties
Surprisingly, I hate violence. I clicked my tongue at the sight of Kairun's rigidly tense back. 'At this rate, he'll bore a hole right through his notebook.' Right now, Kairun wasn't jotting down lecture notes—he was scribbling down his family's honor and his own pride.
Especially since the North faction had this unpredictable wildcard sitting right next to Kara: Elysia. As the heroine, getting swept up in incidents was practically her default setting.
'He just needs to stay quiet to keep his score intact.' A strange pang of sympathy hit me as I glanced at Kairun's shoulders. Sure, Kara and I only planned to attend for a year before taking a leave or dropping out for childbirth and childcare, but I had no intention of blocking Kairun's path in the meantime.
'Yeah, just keep it cool and don't lose any points.' With that resolve, I turned back to the blackboard.
Whoosh—
Something flew in while Professor Mess was facing the board. The white object arced perfectly toward the back of Kairun's head.
Thud.
"......"
It was quiet. No big commotion. The white thing caught in Kairun's black hair. Sensing something off, he reached back to touch his head, and it fell limply away—a crumpled ball of paper.
There was no noise, but since Kairun sat in the front row, plenty of students witnessed it, and the classroom atmosphere chilled instantly. Pens paused as eyes locked onto him.
But Kairun... didn't turn around.
'He endured it?' I was impressed inwardly. If it were his original personality, he'd have jumped up and yelled at the culprit, but now his pen-holding hand just trembled while he kept his head down and held it in.
He'd grown a lot. With Karl by his side and the accomplishment of purging his family's shadows on his own before enrollment, it had made Kairun even tougher.
But... Kara and I, barbarians to the bone, couldn't hold back. We both furrowed our brows and traced the paper's trajectory.
At the starting point sat a familiar face: Rainer Roeder, the eldest son of the Roeder Marquis family, who had trembled like a leaf at the entrance ceremony—unlike in the original story.
'That bastard...'
Rainer was snickering behind his hand. Seeing me seated far from Kairun, he'd seized the chance to strike. And cleverly, too.
'He's exploiting the principal's Faction Competition Evaluation.'
If Kairun reacted and caused a scene, he'd lose points for disrupting class. If he endured, constant harassment from day one would erode the wariness around him, leading to outright dismissal. Plus, Kairun was younger than the other freshmen, making him an easy target. Even as the Grand Duke's second son, the others were from powerful houses too. And if Rainer framed it as strategy within the principal's setup, Kairun would just look like a fool.
Either way, it hurt Kairun.
'What a total loser.' A slimy, underhanded prick. You could even say he was executing a covert strategy within the principal's game from day one.
Kara's hand, idly stroking my thigh, froze.
"Annoying..."
The sweet vibe turned murderous in an instant.
"Are all imperial guys this slimy?"
"Hold it in, Kara. If we move now, it'll dock Kairun's points too."
I hurriedly pressed down on Kara's shoulder. If we stepped in, it'd play right into Rainer's hands—North faction disrupting class. He knew it too. Emboldened by our immobility, he pulled another paper ball from his desk drawer and openly aimed at Kairun.
"Hya!"
'Hm?'
A small grunt came from beside me. Elysia's battle cry. Even in her one-sided chatter, she'd heard Kairun's story at the entrance ceremony, and couldn't stand seeing him bullied anymore. Blushing, she timidly launched her revenge—a crumpled paper ball flying at Rainer.
'Wait, she's throwing without checking the professor...? And more importantly...'
Elysia's paper never reached Rainer. It lost momentum mid-air and veered in a physics-defying arc...
Plop.
It landed right on Professor Mess's glasses as he scribbled passionately on the board.
'She throws like shit...!'
"......"
Silence blanketed the room. The chalk stopped mid-board. A vein bulged on the professor's forehead. Slowly, ever so slowly, he picked up the paper from his glasses and turned.
"During class... which bird-brain... no, who dares throw trash at the sacred podium...?"
His gaze zeroed in on our side—where Elysia sat.
"Ah."
Elysia ducked behind Kara, but it was too late. The professor's eyes narrowed sharply.
"The culprit's from the North faction."
Kairun's shoulders in the front row twitched visibly... then slumped.
"North faction: minus 3 points."
I silently crossed myself at the sight of Kairun's bowed head. Sorry, Kairun. I can't control the heroine...
Ding.
"Ten-minute break."
The bell signaled rest, but the classroom air remained heavy. The North faction side felt like a funeral home.
"......"
Kairun rose from his seat. With unflinching steps, he approached the lectern. Professor Mess tsked and handed him a sheet.
Reason: Throwing foreign object during class and causing disturbance.
Target: North faction representative Kairun von Northgard.
Points: -3 points.
He was too ashamed to lift his face. A deduction on the first day, first lecture. And not even his fault—solidarity penalty from the princess's blunder.
Scratch, scratch.
Kairun signed without a word. The pen nib scraping paper sounded deafening.
Watching, Elysia approached the lectern with a tearful pout, hands trembling—she knew she'd messed up.
"Um, ex-excuse me... Kai... run..."
Head bowed, her voice barely a whisper.
"I'm sorry... because of me... I got too heated for no reason..."
Tears welled, ready to fall. Laughter erupted from Rainer's crew and other factions. The princess bowing while the Grand Duke's son took the hit? West faction scored big on day one.
"Lift your head."
Kairun spoke steadily, still signing.
"Pardon...?"
"Don't bow your head where everyone can see, Your Highness."
He finished the last stroke, set the pen down with a sharp clack, and slowly turned to Elysia.
"Points can be earned back. I won't have my people—let alone Your Highness—look ridiculous over a few numbers."
"Ah......"
"And."
Kairun's lip quirked faintly—a smile.
"Thank you. For getting mad on my behalf."
Elysia's eyes widened round.
"B-but..."
But Kairun hardened his expression again.
"But next time, be more clever about it. Good intentions alone won't cut it."
"......Pardon?"
"If you're throwing, at least hit your mark—or don't get caught. I'll teach you next time."
Kairun gave Elysia a light nod and returned to his seat. His back looked a bit more solid somehow.
I watched Kairun shield his mistaken subordinate with satisfaction, smacking my lips. 'He's grown a lot.' Original Kairun would've snapped at Elysia or flushed with shame. But now he knew how to draw the line around his people.
Which meant...
"Kara."
I tapped the shoulder of Kara, who'd forgotten to stroke my thigh and was glaring daggers. She was cracking her knuckles at Rainer.
"Next class, no thigh-touching privileges."
"Huh? Why? Your thigh's all warm and nice."
"We're switching seats."
"Seats? To where?"
I stood without answering.
Thud—
The heavy sound made the floor vibrate faintly. The chair screamed in liberation. My near-eight-foot frame cast a shadow over the back, desaturating everything.
I cracked my neck left and right with pops and strode toward the middle row where Rainer sat.
Thud, thud.
A bear approaches. Rainer's snicker faded as that simple, terrifying fact sank in.
'Wh-what? He gonna try something...?'
Rainer's eyes shook. He shrank into his chair, avoiding my gaze. Is he gonna hit me? With the professor watching?
But surprisingly, I hate violence. Specifically, stooping to squash hardworking ants or hunt scrawny squirrels with no meat.
I passed Rainer. And stopped right in front of the desks in his row—two West noble kids.
Swoosh.
My shadow blanketed their desks perfectly.
"Eek!"
The two boys looked up from organizing notes, overwhelmed by my chest muscles, and hiccuped.
"Excuse me."
I flashed the kindest smile in the world. Of course, with my scars and bulk, it might read as 'You're lunch today.'
"Mind giving up your seats? Can't see the board well from back there. Bad eyesight makes studying tough."
"......Pardon?"
They glanced at my eyes, my forearms, and Kara approaching behind—then back.
Bad eyesight? Those eyes could spot a rabbit's liver a kilometer away.
But from good families, they were smart. Survival instinct whispered to their brains.
"Oh, sure! Of course! We wanted to move back anyway!"
"Here! Sit here! Want us to wipe the desk?"
They scrambled up with their stuff. I plopped down into the empty seats.
Creak—
This chair screamed too.
"Hey, um! What about me? The seat next to him!"
Quick-witted Elysia scurried over and fixed puppy eyes on Rainer's follower beside him.
"Ah, go ahead..."
He couldn't withstand the princess's pressure and yielded.
Formation complete. I leaned back contentedly.
Screech.
My massive back filled Rainer's desk view—and overflowed.
"......"
I heard a gasp from behind. Without turning, I perked my ears.
'Can't... see a thing.'
Rainer's despair echoed. No board, no professor's crown—just my hulking back and bulging traps straining my shirt.
To throw at Kairun? Lob it over my head—nearly vertical. Side throw? My shoulders block the angle. And every fidget from him, I tilted my chair back, invading space.
Thud.
"Ugh."
My chair back shoved his desk into his solar plexus. He couldn't even breathe deep now.
"Wow, honey. Board looks great now, right?"
Kara giggled, clinging to my arm. She raised her voice toward the back.
"Thanks, everyone! Now my husband can actually study!"
I magnanimously ignored Rainer's teeth-grinding.
'Hit me—I'd thank you.' Then the West rep takes the points hit.