A Brief Interlude
The scene shifts back in time… roughly three hours earlier.
It was the moment Koharu had been summoned by the headmistress and made her way to the headmistress’s office.
… … …
Slurp.
A vast, rather luxurious space. It was an office befitting the head of a prestigious educational institution that housed some twelve thousand students. The wallpaper and decorative flooring were noticeably dark and deep crimson. One of the most striking features was the enormous red carpet. A massive executive desk for the headmistress’s work stood before the large windows. The headmistress sat in a plush, dignified chair, quietly sipping her coffee.
On the desk lay three empty packets of instant coffee mix—the kind ordinary commoners would drink. The cup looked rather small; was she really drinking it that strong? Setting that aside, one would think the unwritten rule in a situation like this was to drink some fancy imported coffee with an incomprehensible foreign name. Yet those instant coffee packets clashed so badly with the office’s atmosphere that the sight felt strangely out of place. Perhaps it meant the headmistress wasn’t particularly authoritarian.
Slurp. She took another sip. A female student standing on the vivid red carpet watched her with a subtle expression.
Clink. Seeming to realize her silence had dragged on too long, the headmistress set her coffee cup down on the desk.
Creak. She leaned back, putting her weight against the chair. With a dull, short groan from the backrest, she finally broke the silence, fingers laced together.
“Haa… Koharu?”
“Yes, Headmistress.”
The headmistress’s expression was still quite gentle. But layered over that gentleness was a bitter smile that spoke of considerable embarrassment.
“No matter what title you hold… rape is still a crime.”
“………”
“Was it marquess?”
The Japanese peerage system—baron, viscount, earl, marquess, duke—in ascending order. The peerage system was a new aristocratic rank created after the Meiji Restoration to guarantee the status of former daimyo lords when the old class system was reformed. Even in modern times, the government frequently granted these titles to honor those who had rendered great service to the nation or risen to high positions.
Koharu held the second-highest rank: marquess. From the rank of earl and above, those who committed crimes often received reduced sentences or pardons. With the sole exception of the most taboo crime in society—male murder.
The rape the headmistress had mentioned was also eligible for leniency.
…That said, if one went around committing rape as casually as eating meals, the nation would likely strip or confiscate the title on the grounds that the holder had failed to uphold the dignity of the peerage.
“…Yes. I was formally selected as the successor this time and rose one rank.”
“Then you should be showing the exemplary conduct befitting a marquess…”
The headmistress’s scolding continued. Koharu’s expression gradually twisted. She stood before the headmistress in a rigidly polite “at ease” stance like a soldier. The hands behind her back clenched even tighter, fingers digging into each other.
“The moment you arrive, you show a male student your vulgar side…”
“……It was consensual, Headmistress.”
Consensual intercourse—healthy sexual relations based on mutual agreement. If Koharu’s words were true, she had not committed any illegal act.
Koharu was being quite rude, interrupting the headmistress and blurting out whatever she wanted. But everyone here knew her claim was false. Just as she had done when trying to deceive Senka, she once again spun her lies without so much as blinking. In a way, she really was an impressive woman.
Shhh.
The headmistress’s aura changed. She still wore a faint smile, but an indescribable, skin-crawling energy radiated from her. The office suddenly felt icy cold.
Flash!
For an instant, the headmistress’s office was flooded with blinding light before it vanished in the blink of an eye. It truly happened in the space of a single blink. The source of the light had been outside. The rain was still pouring down violently.
Tap… tap-tap…
The constant sound of raindrops hammering against the office windows continued without pause. People called this natural phenomenon “lightning.” Light travels faster than sound. Which meant the next thing to arrive was the noise.
Kwaaaaaang—!
A thunderous, powerful roar of thunder followed the light, filling the office as if showing off its existence.
“……Did you really think that I, the headmistress, would be unaware of what goes on inside the academy?”
It was a laughable excuse. Koharu’s thoughtless lie hadn’t worked this time either.
…But had Koharu called it “consensual” simply to lie, or did she genuinely believe that Siwu had also enjoyed the act with her…? If it was the latter, one couldn’t help but worry deeply about the state of Koharu’s mind.
“And… you committed an even greater offense than that earlier incident, didn’t you?”
“……I’m sorry. I used my Individuality inside the academy for personal reasons.”
Not only inside the academy, but Individualities of Rank 2 or higher were strictly prohibited from being used for personal reasons—even if one possessed a Special Security Maintenance Officer license. This time, Koharu honestly confessed her wrongdoing first.
Incidentally, if Siwu had heard what the headmistress just said, he would have been quite shocked. That’s right. The shocking truth that rape was not considered a more serious crime than unauthorized use of an Individuality. It was a line that perfectly illustrated the values held by the people living in this society.
“Why did you use it?”
“Because Professor Yoon Arin was attempting to forcibly rape the person who is to become my spouse, so I used it to stop her.”
“Ha… good grief… heh heh…”
Whether what Koharu had just said was true or not was secondary. The truly absurd part was how she had casually referred to Siwu—whom she had only met today—as “the person who is to become my spouse.” The headmistress, who had been maintaining a heavy atmosphere, finally let out a hollow laugh at those words.
“Huu……”
Even the academy’s highest authority figure let out a long sigh, her head apparently spinning from Koharu’s shocking statements. The position of headmistress was an incredibly busy one even without incidents like this. And since it was the start of the semester, there were mountains of backlog. Her already complicated mind only grew more tangled.
Knock knock.
Someone politely knocked on the door of the headmistress’s office. The headmistress didn’t bother asking who it was; she already knew who had come. After all, she had summoned the person herself.
“Come in.”
At the headmistress’s permission, the doorknob turned downward and the luxurious wooden door to the office opened smoothly.
Yoon Arin, tenured professor of Class A at Gyeongseong Academy.
The headmistress had called not only Koharu but her as well. From the look on the headmistress’s face, she already seemed aware that some “trouble” had occurred between Koharu and Professor Yoon.
Tap, tap, tap. Professor Yoon Arin walked silently up to the desk where the headmistress sat.
She smoothly brought her hands behind her back, took up the exact same “at ease” stance beside Koharu, and gave a light bow in greeting to the headmistress.
Koharu glanced sideways at Professor Yoon Arin, then turned her gaze back to the headmistress. Surprisingly, she didn’t look startled or flustered. It was as if Koharu had expected this as well. Professor Yoon Arin gave Koharu a single glance before turning her eyes back to the headmistress in the same manner.
“……You know why I called you here, yes? Is what Koharu said true?”
“………I have no excuse.”
Unlike Koharu, she immediately admitted her fault from the very beginning.
“I told you to conduct a simple observation… How could you… ugh…”
“………”
That was correct. The headmistress’s order had been a simple observation of Siwu, the very first male student to enroll at Gyeongseong Academy. Yet Professor Yoon Arin had gone far beyond observation and had even used her Individuality in an attempt to claim Siwu for herself.
“A person who is supposed to be training Heroes using her Individuality like that… Sigh… What a fine example you’re setting. Hmm? A fine example indeed. Arin, have you always been this thirsty for men?”
Professor Yoon Arin had nothing to say for herself even if she had ten mouths. After all, she had thrown away even her conscience as an educator.
Two women who were supposed to serve as role models for others had clashed over a single man, even resorting to unauthorized use of their Individualities. It was the perfect material for journalists to write sensational, clickbait articles about.
For some reason, the headmistress seemed to be criticizing Professor Yoon Arin more than Koharu. Perhaps because the headmistress had known Professor Yoon far longer than Koharu and trusted her as a subordinate, the disappointment was simply greater. Still, it felt slightly unfair that Professor Yoon was receiving harsher scolding than Koharu, who had actually committed the greater crime of rape rather than mere attempted rape.
“Aigoo… aigoo, my head…”
With one hand clutching her forehead and the other coolly downing the intensely strong mix coffee, the headmistress drank. It had cooled to a drinkable temperature, so unlike the first sip, she could now take it in one go. She swallowed the coffee, then slammed the cup down on the desk with a loud clack—much harder than before, so that the sound rang clearly for everyone.
“Tsk…… Hmmm……”
She licked her tongue across the strong taste of the mix coffee once more, then leaned back in her chair again.
“………”
A brief silence followed. Both Koharu and Professor Yoon Arin stood rigidly before the headmistress, waiting quietly. They were awaiting her judgment. Both of them inwardly expected some form of severe punishment. They wouldn’t be expelled from the school, but they were both equally nervous that they would receive a penalty that would drastically reduce their opportunities to approach Siwu.
Whoosh.
The headmistress suddenly tensed her legs and waist and rose powerfully from her chair. At the same time, her ample breasts swayed. Her chest and figure were every bit as impressive as Koharu’s. She looked so youthful that it was hard to believe she had been born in the nineteenth century. She had the appearance of a slightly older married woman in her early forties with several children.
…Even though she had been born in the nineteenth century.
Just how powerful must her Individuality be to grant her such longevity and slow aging? It was beyond imagination.
“……Let’s cover this up…”
“……!”
An unexpected verdict from the headmistress’s lips. The two women before her simultaneously widened their eyes in shock.
“If this becomes public, what a disgrace it would be… Just thinking about it is exhausting… Ugh… Arin, Koharu?”
She let out another deep sigh and called both their names at once.
“Yes…”
“Yes…”
The headmistress then began to explain the details of her decision.
“First, if either of you uses your Individuality without permission again, I will make it public and impose disciplinary action… That much should be obvious…”
This was something both women had already anticipated. Neither Professor Yoon Arin nor Koharu showed any particular reaction; they simply listened quietly as the headmistress continued.
“And I will select one student to be exclusively assigned to take care of Siwu… If either of you harms that student… you understand, yes?”
Professor Yoon Arin’s expression darkened slightly. It was now a confirmed fact that one more obstacle had been added.
“In that case, I…”
“………”
“…I’m sorry.”
The moment Koharu heard the word “student” in charge of exclusive care, she cut in at the speed of the lightning that had just struck outside. However, when the headmistress shot her a sharp glare with an expression that seemed to say “You think that’s going to fly?” Koharu immediately tucked her tail and retreated. After all, it was absurd for the person who had raped him to be the one caring for the victim.
Professor Yoon Arin secretly let out a sigh of relief.
“……Even if I told you two to give up on Siwu, neither of you would listen anyway, right?”
The headmistress looked back and forth between them.
“……”
“………”
Both remained silent. Though they said nothing, the atmosphere made it clear they both agreed.
“I won’t tell you not to approach him. If Siwu truly chooses one of you—or even both—of his own free will and starts dating, I won’t interfere. Understood?”
“……Pardon?”
“R-really?”
The headmistress’s unexpected stance. Both women were so surprised that, for the first time since entering the room, their expressions brightened. Professor Yoon Arin even stuttered. After all, if Siwu truly chose to date someone of his own volition, what right did the headmistress have to meddle?
“……Of course, that excludes using your Individuality or forcing yourselves on him.”
Koharu’s smile grew even brighter. It was now practically a full-faced grin. There were countless ways to make Siwu “obedient” without using her Individuality. Koharu’s brilliant mind was already shining in this regard. From Siwu’s perspective, it was an utterly wicked sight.
“And finally… this is simply my personal opinion…”
The headmistress finished conveying the main points and now seemed ready to add her own subjective remark. The two women, whose minds had been swirling with various thoughts, refocused their attention on her. What kind of advice could she possibly be about to give?
“How about the two of you simply reach an agreement here?”
““What?!?!””
Upon hearing the single most shocking statement the headmistress had made—something neither had expected—they were so flustered that both Professor Yoon Arin and Koharu answered in the exact same bizarre tone at the exact same moment.
The woman who had tried to rape Siwu, and the woman who had stolen him midway and raped him. Just what kind of agreement did the headmistress want these two to reach?