"Hey, Miss Mei, don't you think it's about time you gave up the Kendo Club captain position?"
"It's all your fault, daughter of a financial fraud criminal! All the Kendo Club members have quit now! No one wants to be in the same club as you!"
"The national high school kendo tournament is just a month away! I admit you've got some skill as captain, but there's no way you can beat every other school all by yourself, right?"
"I suggest you just quit the Kendo Club quietly and let me be the captain. I've already talked to the members who left. They agreed to come back, but only if you leave!"
"If you don't quit, are you trying to bring shame upon Chiba Academy at the nationals? Or are you just so selfish you want the Kendo Club disbanded entirely? Just like the daughter of a fraudster, disgusting!"
Sharp, biting words relentlessly assaulted Raiden Mei's ears.
The weight of the verbal barrage from the girls surrounding her felt immense, forcing her slender waist to bow, her complexion growing paler by the second.
Her purple eyes reflected the faces of her once-familiar "friends," but now, Mei felt like these people she used to know were complete strangers.
Ever since her father was imprisoned for financial fraud, these same classmates and friends, who had once eagerly flocked around her vying for favor, had instantly reversed their stance, adopting this horrifyingly unfamiliar demeanor.
As if trying to reclaim the dignity they'd lost fawning over her before her fall from grace, these girls now bullied Raiden Mei with increasing intensity.
It wasn't that Mei hadn't considered fighting back.
But the thought that everything they said was true—that her father had committed astounding financial fraud—made her feel compelled to atone for his sins. So, she remained silent, quietly enduring their escalating bullying.
Fortunately, the girls were aware of Mei's formidable strength as the Kendo Club captain—strong enough to take down all the male members. The bullying had remained confined to verbal abuse, social ostracism, mockery, and petty acts like hiding her belongings, never escalating to physical confrontation where they might risk injury themselves.
"Say something, Miss Raiden Mei! You used to be so talkative, didn't you? Why so meek and quiet now?"
Seeing Mei just silently clench her fists, her pale face lowered towards the ground, biting her pink lip without uttering a single word in response, looking utterly helpless...
The girl leading the bullying pack felt even more emboldened.
The thrill of trampling the formerly high-and-mighty Raiden Mei underfoot brought a wild grin to her face. She even felt a giddy sense of superiority, as if she had surpassed the "Lightning Queen" and reached the apex of Chiba Academy herself.
Faced with the provocations of her former follower, Mei remained silent, planning to wait, as usual, until they lost interest and left.
However, this time, the bullying took an unexpected turn, introducing a variable Mei hadn't anticipated at all.
"What are you doing? Ganging up on one girl like this is going too far, don't you think?"
A resonant, unfamiliar boy's voice suddenly sounded from behind her.
Someone... someone in this entire school is actually willing to stand up for me?
Realizing the stranger behind her was helping, Mei's eyes instantly widened.
"Huh?! Are you kidding me? I suggest you mind your own— cough cough cough...!!"
The lead bully, previously reveling in the pleasure of tormenting Mei, was annoyed at being interrupted by some busybody. She turned impatiently, glaring angrily at the person who had appeared behind Mei.
However, her glare only lasted half a second.
Under Mei's astonished gaze, her former follower's expression underwent a comical transformation. The angry retort, halfway out of her mouth with a slight lisp, was abruptly choked back with forced coughs.
"When were we bullying her? We were just discussing things matter-of-factly! Don't misunderstand, junior..."
The girl's previously arrogant and unrestrained face instantly softened, becoming much more composed and proper. Even her tone shifted, becoming gentle, almost fawning. It reminded Mei unsettlingly of how this same girl used to flatter her.
It wasn't just the lead bully; the other girls reacted similarly, quickly smoothing their clothes, tucking stray hairs behind their ears, subconsciously straightening their postures.
The one common thread in their varied reactions? When looking at the boy standing behind Mei, a faint blush crept onto each of their faces. They suddenly seemed very concerned about their appearance in front of him.
"Miss Mei, let's leave it here for today. I advise you to give up the captain position soon. It's better for everyone."
In front of the unfamiliar junior, the lead bully suddenly became much more reserved. To maintain her image, she pretended to generously let Mei off the hook. However, as she turned to leave with her current group of followers, she didn't forget her objective. After flashing a sycophantic smile back at the junior, she left Mei with a parting shot, urging her again to relinquish the captaincy to her.
Even after the girl and her entourage had left, Mei remained frozen in place, like a statue.
She didn't dare turn around to face the unfamiliar junior who had bravely stepped in to help her.
In fact, she did the opposite, subtly shifting her position so the boy, who might have caught a glimpse of her profile, could now only see the back of her head and her signature purple ponytail.
As a well-bred young lady, Mei knew this behavior was incredibly rude.
But she was simply too afraid.
She was terrified that if she turned around, she would see disappointment, regret, and disgust in the kind junior's eyes.
Right now, her back was turned. The junior had likely stepped in without seeing her face, intervening against the bullying itself.
But if he saw her face, if he realized he had just helped Raiden Mei, the daughter of the infamous financial criminal Raiden Ryoma...
The mere thought of the disgusted look this kind, brave junior might give her filled Mei with such shame that she felt an overwhelming urge to flee.
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