Generally speaking, when something happens at school, teachers usually contact the parents first, not the siblings.

At Chiba City Private Middle School, however, there was a common practice among students with older siblings: when providing family contact information, they would often list their sibling’s number instead of their parents’. This way, if the teacher needed to call home for any reason, the sibling could be the one to come to school, allowing the student to discuss the situation with them first and possibly convince them not to inform the parents.

It wasn’t uncommon for older siblings to attend parent-teacher meetings in place of the parents.

Clearly, when Aimi provided her family’s contact information, she didn’t list her parents’ numbers but wrote down Kotomi’s instead.

Why was Kotomi so familiar with this tactic?

Of course, it was because she also attended Chiba City Private Middle School during her junior high school years. She knew all about the little tricks students there liked to use.

When Kotomi was in junior high school, she had wanted to list her older sibling’s phone number too. Unfortunately, as the eldest child in her family with only a younger sister, she had no choice but to obediently write down her parents’ numbers. It wasn’t as though she could have Aimi write her number while she, in turn, listed Aimi’s.

Though she had entertained the idea back then, she hadn’t dared to actually do it, mostly because she was less bold in those days.

If it were now, she probably wouldn’t hesitate to do it.

Sobu High School wasn’t far from Chiba City Private Middle School. It only took Kotomi about eight minutes to reach her old school after leaving Sobu High School.

Seeing her former junior high school alma mater, Kotomi might have taken a moment to leisurely reminisce about her school days if not for the fact that Aimi had gotten into trouble for fighting.

She hurried into the school building, and upon reaching the third floor, she spotted Hiragi Kawano waiting not far ahead.

Kawano-sensei didn’t seem to have changed much—not that it would be expected. After all, Kotomi had only graduated a few months ago. The gap between their last meeting wasn’t long enough for there to be any major changes.

“Hello, Kawano-sensei,” Kotomi greeted politely as she approached.

Hiragi Kawano froze momentarily at the sight of Kotomi. It had only been a few months since they last met, but seeing her again gave Kawano the illusion that Kotomi had become even more poised and elegant.

“Kotomi, you’ve grown even more beautiful,” Kawano said with a smile. Her earlier irritation over the fight between her students eased significantly. She hadn’t been a homeroom teacher for very long and didn’t have much experience handling every aspect of such incidents.

But now, seeing Kotomi, much of her frustration dissipated.

To be honest, back when Kotomi was her student, every time Kawano felt like losing her temper, just one look at Kotomi’s calming presence would instantly quell her anger.

“Kawano-sensei, what exactly happened? My sister doesn’t seem like someone who would get into a fight.”

“Come with me to the office first. Aimi, Iroha, the injured student, and her parents are all there. I’ve also contacted your mother, and she said she’s on her way,” Kawano explained.

Kotomi nodded without saying much. Of course, it made sense for their parents to be involved. Though she felt confident that she could resolve the issue on her own, first, she needed to understand why Aimi had fought in the first place.

Also, Kawano had mentioned that Iroha Isshiki was in the office too. Did this incident involve Iroha somehow?

Kotomi furrowed her brows slightly. She was beginning to suspect that Aimi might not be at fault in this situation.

When she stepped into the third-year teachers’ office, she immediately spotted the injured student’s mother—a loud, fiery woman whose voice filled the entire room.

“My poor daughter! At home, I treat her like a treasure, afraid she’ll fall if I hold her too high, afraid she’ll melt if I keep her in my mouth. And now, the moment I send her to school, she ends up beaten like this! My daughter is such a good girl—there’s no way she could have caused trouble! It must have been these two little brats bullying her!

You’d better apologize! I demand an apology! And compensation for medical expenses, counseling fees, and emotional damages! Where are your parents?!”

The girl who had been hit cowered in her mother’s arms, emboldened by her protector, and said viciously:

“Mom, Iroha Isshiki’s mother is a murderer. Didn’t B Media’s news report say so yesterday morning?”

The fierce woman perked up at this, immediately gaining momentum. She pointed at Iroha and began to curse loudly:

“I knew it! Not only is she an ill-mannered child, but her mother’s a murderer! Like mother, like daughter! Where’s the teacher? Where’s the principal?! Someone get over here right now! How can the daughter of a murderer attend school like nothing happened? What about the safety of the other students?!”

Hiragi Kawano led Kotomi toward the scene, where two other teachers were already trying to mediate, speaking patiently to calm the situation. However, the parent wasn’t the least bit appeased. Instead, she grew even more aggressive, cursing both Iroha and Aimi without restraint.

Kotomi glanced at Iroha and noticed her expression was calm, devoid of her usual cheerfulness and mischievous smile. One hand covered her face, but her back remained straight, her figure desolate yet stubborn.

Aimi, however, couldn’t hold back when her best friend was insulted. She took a deep breath, her face darkening with rage, and shouted:

“You old hag, say that again if you dare!”

The noise abruptly ceased. Even the fierce woman was momentarily stunned into silence. The entire room fell quiet.

Kotomi, who had been about to step forward, stopped in her tracks upon seeing Aimi about to unleash her fury. She didn’t dare get involved, worried she’d be caught in Aimi’s crossfire.

When it came to verbal battles, Kotomi had to admit she was no match for Aimi.

Kotomi then glanced at the injured girl, and despite herself, let out a stifled laugh.

Aimi’s little hands… might have been a bit too strong this time.

The girl’s right cheek was swollen and bruised, her lip split and bleeding. Her face was visibly asymmetrical, one side much more swollen than the other.

The injury looked painful, but it wasn’t serious. The only problem was that the swelling and bruising wouldn’t go down for at least one to two months.

For a girl who cared about her appearance, enduring such a face for one or two months was not just torture—it was practically a death sentence.

However, Kotomi also noticed Iroha covering her own cheek, suggesting the girl had hit her as well.

Good job! Kotomi thought. If I’d been there, that girl might have ended up in the ICU.

“You little brat, say that again if you dare—”

The fierce woman, clearly lacking in verbal sparring skills compared to Aimi, was cut off before she could finish.

“My best friend was unjustly ostracized by other students. She didn’t do anything wrong, yet she’s constantly called the daughter of a murderer! I remember clearly what you all were gossiping about yesterday!

And today, you have the nerve to say such things in front of Iroha’s face?! Especially you green tea bitch who even pushed Iroha down the stairs! You’ve been pretending to act all sweet and innocent, calling us ‘Aimi-senpai’ and ‘Iroha-senpai’ all the time, but now you show your true colors, huh?

Let me tell you something! If you want to act like a fake sweet girl, at least know your limits. Your tricks are nothing but a joke. My sister, if she decided to act, could make you want to flee the planet overnight, turning your family register into a single page! Without my sister, the eternal tea ceremony would be as long as a dark night!”

With her sister thrown into the mix, Aimi’s verbal tirade became even smoother, her words sharp and unrelenting. At this moment, she was like a battle-hardened warrior, leaving both the girl and her fierce mother completely speechless and unable to lift their heads.

Kotomi stood in the back, her expression darkening. She even considered turning around and walking away.

What do you mean, ‘the eternal tea ceremony would be as long as a dark night’?!

When did Aimi steal that phrase from me?!

Aimi stepped forward, pointing at the injured girl and the fierce woman, and began to berate them:

“Ungrateful and arrogant! Vile snakes in human skin, corrupt and malevolent, trampling the heavens above and oppressing the innocent below. You betray morality, violate ethics, and out of petty jealousy, you spread lies and rumors. Your sins are unforgivable, and justice will not tolerate your existence! A mother like you? What a disgrace to motherhood!”

“Uh, Izumi-san, maybe that’s enough. Let’s not go too far,” one of the teachers hesitantly stepped forward to intervene.

But before the teacher could finish, Aimi turned her sharp tongue on them:

“Oh, now I remember! Yesterday in class, Iroha kept raising her hand, eager to answer questions, but you ignored her ten times in a row! What’s the meaning of that? As a teacher, how can you believe rumors and treat students unfairly? Shame on you! If I don’t speak my mind today, my fifteen years of education will have been wasted!”

Aimi’s words were sharp, like knives being thrown, cutting deeply with precision.

Minute by minute, the clock ticked, and while the fierce woman initially tried to argue back, it wasn’t long before only Aimi’s voice echoed through the room.

This tirade lasted for a full hour.

Moreover, it was no ordinary rant—it was an intellectual and eloquent onslaught. She quoted classical texts in fluent literary Chinese, delivering her rebukes like a formal proclamation of charges. She cited poems and ancient sayings effortlessly, more fluently than she ever had in her language classes. Her insults were layered, alternating between literary style and modern phrasing, with a dash of sarcastic undertones for good measure.

Her vocabulary was so vast that even the language teacher present felt inadequate.

It was a magnificent display of scolding artistry.

Standing behind her, Kotomi grew increasingly uncomfortable.

Each time Aimi showcased her impressive vocabulary, she would proudly add, “My sister taught me that!” and then continue her tirade.

By now, some teachers had realized that Kotomi was Aimi’s sister, and they began looking at Kotomi with newfound respect.

Truly, the tiger sister breeds no weak cubs.

“Aimi-senpai, slow down and have some water. Let’s not strain your voice,” Iroha said, offering her a bottle of mineral water. During Aimi’s eloquent tirade, Iroha had gone out to buy the bottle, worried that Aimi might tire herself out from all the scolding.

Aimi took the bottle, chugged a mouthful, set it aside, and prepared to continue.

“That’s enough!” Kotomi finally stepped forward. “You’ve been at it for an hour. If you keep going, you’ll exhaust every word I’ve taught you.”

She couldn’t let Aimi carry on, especially since she was being used as the foundation of the tirade, like a support character in a game. Kotomi didn’t want her reputation at her middle school alma mater to suffer any further.

“Onee-chan? When did you get here?!” Aimi exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy.

“I’ve been standing behind you since the moment you started yelling an hour ago,” Kotomi replied, her lips twitching.

“So this is what they mean by: behind every successful woman is another exceptional woman!” Aimi said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

You really know how to twist phrases, don’t you? Kotomi thought with an exasperated smile as she gently patted Aimi’s head.

“I’m impressed. You actually learned the classical texts I taught you, and you’ve even mastered applying them flexibly. But I taught you those texts to encourage you to read more and expand your knowledge—not to weaponize them for insults. That said…”

Kotomi gave her a thumbs-up. “You did great!”

Aimi was stunned for a moment, then her face lit up with a grin.

Her sister had praised her!

This was amazing!

Aimi suddenly felt an urge to keep scolding for another hour, thinking it might earn her even more praise from her sister.

Sensing Aimi’s growing enthusiasm, Kotomi quickly interjected, “Don’t go overboard. Mom’s already here—just look behind you if you don’t believe me.”

In an instant, Aimi felt a chill run down her spine as she stiffly turned to look behind her, only to see her mother, Akina Izumi, standing outside the teachers’ office, watching everything unfold.

Her mother smiled warmly, observing the “rampage” her daughter had just unleashed.

A smiling mother, especially one who isn’t angry, is the most terrifying!

“Onee-chan, when did Mom get here?”

“She got here just a few minutes after I did.”

“…Onee-chan, am I doomed?”

“Don’t worry. When the time comes, I’ll burn a physical copy of your favorite galgame for you in the afterlife.”

Just moments ago, Aimi had been a fearsome warrior, evolving from a combatant into an unstoppable force, but the instant she saw her mom, all her bravado disappeared.

She hid in Kotomi’s arms, not daring to say another word.

Gone was the fierce demeanor from earlier; she now resembled a pitiful kitten, as if she were the one who had just been yelled at for an hour.

“Mrs. Izumi, you’re here,” Hiragi Kawano quickly greeted her. She had been so focused on Aimi’s tirade earlier that she hadn’t noticed Akina’s arrival.

Akina leisurely strolled into the room, smiling as she said, “Sorry for the disturbance. It seems my two daughters both have quite the destructive capabilities.”

“You’re the mother of this little brat? I can’t imagine how someone like you raised such an ill-mannered child! Hey, I’m talking to you!” the fierce woman snapped.

But Akina didn’t even look at her.

Ignoring her was the greatest disdain.

The fierce woman, enraged and humiliated, clenched her fists but had no way to retaliate.

“What Aimi just said—was it all true?” Akina asked her daughter.

This was where Aimi’s brilliance lay—her tirade wasn’t just an emotional outburst. As she lashed out, she had also clearly and methodically explained the entire sequence of events.

This prevented the other party from twisting the narrative to paint herself as the victim.

From Aimi’s words, both Kotomi and Akina had already pieced together what had happened.

During the third period, which was PE, the girls in the class went to the locker room to change into their gym clothes.

On the way downstairs, the injured girl deliberately slowed down to walk beside Iroha, loudly making snide remarks about the serial murder case, her voice intentionally raised as if to let everyone hear.

She blocked Iroha’s path, clearly aiming to humiliate her. However, Iroha paid her no mind and simply walked around her to leave.

Driven by jealousy, the girl shoved Iroha down the stairs, grabbed her by the hair, and slapped her across the face.

“A murderer’s daughter dares act so arrogant in front of me?” she taunted.

Just as she was about to continue berating Iroha, Aimi, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, slapped the girl so hard that she flew down the stairs from the second floor to the first-floor landing.

Fortunately, Aimi, though furious, had retained some self-control. She waited until the girl was near the bottom of the stairs before striking again, ensuring that the impact only left her with a heavily swollen right cheek.

Had the girl been standing higher up or hit something else on the way down, she might not be standing here now. Instead, she could have been hospitalized with broken bones.

“Of course, it’s all true!” Aimi nodded firmly.

She wouldn’t have gotten so angry if the girl hadn’t started the trouble and gone so far.

Akina gave Aimi a thumbs-up. “Well done. The best way to deal with someone with a filthy mouth is to make sure they can’t use it anymore. That’s my daughter for you!”

The homeroom teacher, other teachers, the injured girl, and her mother all stood there in stunned silence.

They had expected Akina, as a mother, to scold her daughter for her actions.

But instead, she praised her?!

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep