Chapter 7: The Disciplinary Committee's Raison d'Etre

The situation took a sharp turn the day after my discussion with Fuyutsuki and Mio at the family restaurant.

"—It was you, wasn't it? The creep who's been followin' me around."

Evening, in an alleyway in the love hotel district. I had my back pressed against a wall as Miyake Ramu closed in on me.

"Er, well, that's..."

"Don't play dumb. You came to my part-time job too, right? Sneakin' peeks at me in front of the station, tailin' me on my way home? What's your deal? A hobby? A fetish? You a stalker?"

"No, that's not—it's nothing like that!"

"...Hm?"

Miyake stared intently at me as I desperately tried to deny it.

"You're the Disciplinary Committee President, right? You were greetin' people at the gates."

...Ah, crap. I'm busted.

Miyake let out a triumphant laugh.

"Heeeh... The Disciplinary Committee President is a stalker. That's hilarious."

"You've got it wrong! Just let me explain the situation!"

"A'ight, let's talk. Somewhere we can be all alone."

"Where exactly is 'all alone'...?"

"Then—how 'bout there?"

Miyake pointed at—the love hotel towering right in front of us.

"Wait, wait, wait! We're minors! We're in uniform! That's illegal on so many levels!"

"You really think you're in a position to be sayin' that?"

She yanked hard on my arm.

"C'mon, quit your whining and let's go!"

—This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

Half being dragged away, I began to rewind my memories to figure out how exactly it had come to this—

†　†　†

During lunch break that day. I was delivering the report on Miyake Ramu's investigation in the student council room.

As a result of a one-week observation, no evidence of sugar dating could be confirmed. In fact, we discovered she led a very earnest life—I relayed this to them concisely.

"—That concludes the report."

"I see... Thank you for the investigation report."

President Kurumizawa murmured quietly, resting her chin on her intertwined fingers.

Beside her, a third-year boy with glasses—the Vice President named Ashiya—was looking at me with evaluating eyes.

"...Ashiya-kun, what are your thoughts?"

"The fact that nothing happened is fine in and of itself, but..."

Ashiya slightly furrowed his brow, pushing up his glasses with his middle finger.

"We cannot deny the possibility that her sugar dating is irregular rather than habitual. It is quite possible that your investigation period simply happened to be a swing and a miss—"

"Hey, hold on."

I couldn't help but interject.

"Using that logic, we also can't deny the possibility that she's not doing it at all, right?"

"You..."

"There's no point stacking up 'possibilities,' is there? We investigated her thoroughly, weekends included."

Ashiya's eyes narrowed at my slightly aggressive tone. He did not look amused.

"However, where there's smoke, there is fire—"

"I thought the same thing at first too."

I cut off Ashiya's words.

"But in reality, rumors inflate on their own. People find them amusing, so they conveniently twist them. Shibayama Ichika's case was exactly like that. She was suspended, and fake rumors spread about her sugar dating. But even after they find out it wasn't the truth, it's not like anyone takes responsibility for it."

The President suddenly asked a question.

"...Why was Shibayama-san given a suspension?"

"I heard the truth from Shibayama herself, but that's not the main issue here."

When I stated it firmly, the President's eyes widened just a fraction.

"What's important is the stance you take to try and discern the truth. We investigated because we were asked to. If you don't believe us, then please, go check with your own eyes."

"You! How dare you speak to the President like—"

The moment Ashiya opened his mouth, the President raised her hand and stopped him with an "Ashiya-kun."

"Sawa-kun... No, the Disciplinary Committee President's opinion is completely valid."

"President..."

"Let us judge the results of the investigation as 'no issues.' That is sufficient as our response to Miyake-san."

Ashiya clamped his mouth shut, glaring at me in frustration, but he didn't say another word.

"Disciplinary Committee President. Thank you truly for this matter. And... I apologize."

The President stood up and quietly bowed her head. There was zero hesitation in her movement.

I wasn't particularly surprised, but Ashiya was terribly shaken.

"Truthfully, this incident was in preparation for the General Student Assembly—"

"Adding a 'Romance Ban' to the school rules, right?"

The President's movements completely froze, and she opened her eyes wide.

"...How did you know?"

"Fuyutsuki and Mio told me. Those two are smart, and they're well-informed."

"I see... They did..."

The President lowered her gaze and let out a small breath.

"So, you investigated knowing that was the premise?"

"Well... I was a little annoyed that it was hidden from us, you know?"

After a brief pause, I added a few more words.

"My stance is that I don't care either way about the Romance Ban. I think it will increase the burden on the Disciplinary Committee, but we share the same desire to protect students from relationship troubles. However—"

I put strength into my eyes.

"Hanging someone out to dry just to push your own opinions through—that is something I cannot overlook as the Disciplinary Committee President."

Leaving only those words behind, I turned my back to the President and the others, leaving the student council room.

†　†　†

"Good work in there."

The moment I closed the doors to the student council room, a flat, inflectionless voice shot out from right next to me.

Fuyutsuki was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, looking at me.

"...Were you listening?"

"I was just curious if Sawa-kun would be able to say it properly."

"What is this, parent observation day? Thanks a lot."

When I shot back a sarcastic retort with a wry smile, Fuyutsuki let out a rare giggle.

"That last part about 'as the Disciplinary Committee President' was a little cheeky, but that level suits you just fine, Sawa-kun."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Liberation from a state of soft confinement."

"Huh?"

Fuyutsuki smiled mischievously.

"Are you able to speak your true feelings so boldly now... thanks to our 'Secret Training'."

"...Are you stupid?"

Exasperated, I started walking down the hall, and Fuyutsuki stuck right to my side.

"...But well, I think our stance as the Disciplinary Committee got through to them. We're different from the Disciplinary Committees of the past. We're not just some errand boys."

When I said that, Fuyutsuki looked happy for some reason, giving a small nod of "Yeah."

"So, did you contact Mio?"

"I did earlier. She said she is waiting in the Disciplinary Committee Room."

Fuyutsuki said, before suddenly returning her expression to its usual deadpan state.

"I suppose this means Miyake-san's case is closed."

"No, not yet."

When I said that, Fuyutsuki looked at my face, going, "Eh?"

"We still have something left to do, right? The very last thing we have to do—"

†　†　†

When I opened the door to the Disciplinary Committee Room, Mio was waiting inside alone.

"Ryo-chan, good job on the report~"

"Thanks. Just finished giving the report to the President."

"I see. So, this means it's all over, right?"

Mio let out a breath of relief, but Fuyutsuki and I exchanged a glance.

"Well... about that. After school today, I've decided to go see Miyake."

"Eh? You're still keeping at it?"

Mio knitted her brows, but I shook my head with a wry smile.

"Today I'm going to apologize. After all, the fact remains that we suspected her and investigated her, and even if she didn't realize it, I want to properly apologize to her in person."

"But won't that be super awkward for Miyake-san? If we tell her someone sent a weird email..."

"I think that's exactly why us on the Disciplinary Committee are here. By telling her that the Disciplinary Committee believes her, and that she can always talk to us if anything happens, it might give her a little peace of mind."

Mio smiled awkwardly.

"...You're right. It might make her feel bad, but I want to properly apologize to Miyake-san too."

"No, this time just me as the President is enough. Even if she snaps at us, I can take the heat on my own."

"No, if it's just Ryo-chan, she'd think you're suspicious, right? I think it'd be easier for Miyake-san to talk if other girls like me and Fuyutsuki-san came along."

When I looked at Fuyutsuki's face, she seemed to agree, giving a quiet nod.

"I guess that makes sense... Then, will you guys tag along?"

"Leave it to me!"

"Yeah."

Mio and Fuyutsuki nodded.

—However, what was waiting for us ahead was a scene of absolute carnage that was as far from an apology as could be.

†　†　†

After school.

The three of us—Mio, Fuyutsuki, and I—headed to the classroom of Year 2, Class B.

"—Ramu-chan? Um, she said she had some errands to run today, so she already went home."

The girl who told us that was someone who often hung out with Miyake. She happened to be in the same class as Mio last year, so Mio was the one who asked her.

...At times like these, Mio's wide circle of friends really saves my neck.

Thinking that, I stared intently at Fuyutsuki's profile while Mio was talking.

"...What."

"No, just wondering if you actually had any friends."

When I tried to picture how Fuyutsuki spent her time in class, the only image I could conjure up was her silently playing on her smartphone or reading a book all alone.

"I have no need to go out of my way to make them."

"Thought so. Kind of relieved, honestly."

Hmph, Fuyutsuki scoffed, turning her head away.

"...I do. Two."

"Eh? Ah, I see..."

...She has two friends.

I thought I might have made her mad, but that kind of attitude was also quite rare for her.

"—Gotcha, thanks a bunch!"

Having finished her conversation, Mio turned back toward us.

"Seems like she just left a second ago, so we might still be able to catch her right now. What do you wanna do?"

Changing the date was an option, but today was Friday. Putting it off until Monday after the weekend felt a bit...

"Let's go. It's better to do this sort of thing quickly."

†　†　†

The three of us left the school, chasing after Miyake.

When we arrived at the rotary in front of the station, we spotted a back that looked like hers near the ticket gates.

"Ah, there she is!"

Our school's uniform and bright blonde hair. There was no mistaking her, even from a distance.

However, she walked straight into the station restroom, and when she came out a few minutes later, she looked like a completely different person. She was in casual clothes—a cardigan, a miniskirt, and her chest boldly exposed. She looked less like a high school girl on her way home, and more like someone about to hit the town.

Mio muttered casually.

"Maybe she's meeting up with someone?"

At that moment, the worst-case scenario popped into my head.

Without a moment's delay, Fuyutsuki murmured.

"It would be fine if her partner was the same age, but..."

I thought the exact same thing, but there's no way—.

"Anyway, let's try calling out to her."

The instant I took a step forward, a man looking like an office worker appeared from the corner of my vision and started talking to Miyake.

In a flash, tension ran through the three of us.

Miyake continued to speak intimately with the man—who looked to be around forty, wearing a dark navy suit and carrying a black briefcase.

"Ryo-chan, is that—"

"No, let's not jump to conclusions yet."

I cut Mio off, lowering my voice.

My eyes met Fuyutsuki's. She gave a small, silent nod.

—And then.

Miyake and the office worker started walking side by side. Keeping our distance, we quietly followed them.

"Let's observe them for just a little longer."

Although I said it calmly, the depths of my chest felt grated and raw.

...It could be her father, or a relative... or maybe just an acquaintance...

No, maybe that's just what I desperately wanted to believe.

Today at noon, I reported to the student council that "nothing happened." For the sake of appearances, I didn't want to think our investigation results were completely wrong.

I felt a sense of impatience slowly tightening around my throat.

Eventually, Miyake and the man headed to the opposite side of the station. The lights of the restaurants grew denser, and the array of colors deepened. What lay beyond that—was the love hotel district.

"Sawa-kun, this way is..."

"Yeah. But there are restaurants here too, so we can't definitively—"

Just as I was about to finish that sentence, the two of them turned a corner.

We jogged after them and turned the same corner, but—.

"Kh...! They're gone?!"

The street was lined with Izakayas, bars, hostess clubs, and love hotels—the kind of establishments reserved for the night.

There was a lot of foot traffic, giving it a somewhat bizarre, bustling atmosphere.

"Ryo-chan, what do we do...?"

Mio's voice trembled slightly.

"Alright, let's split up into two groups. I'll move solo. Fuyutsuki and Mio will be a pair. Don't do anything reckless."

The two of them gave small nods, and we immediately split up to start searching.

I left the brightly lit main streets to the girls and aimed my feet toward the back alleys.

The atmosphere in this area was completely different between day and night. During the day it was just a commercial area, but once the sun went down, the glow of the neon signs and the damp air changed absolutely everything.

The signs that caught my eye read "Rest" and "Vacancy." It was an area completely swarming with love hotels.

"Why..."

...Why am I so panicked?

If Miyake really was sugar dating—

Did I want to discover it? Or did I want it to stay hidden?

Perhaps I was just using my facade as the Disciplinary Committee President as a shield to deceive my own curiosity.

Pretending to be an agent of justice, I might have just been trying to peek into someone else's dark side.

By standing in a position to judge others, I might have just been deluding myself into thinking I was a decent, normal person.

—If that was the case, I was utter scum.

But the more I thought about it, the more the depths of my chest roared in unease.

Walking alone like this, the sheer flimsiness of my so-called righteousness was shoved in my face to a sickening degree.

—Even so.

I wanted to believe in Miyake Ramu.

We've never spoken even once, but I don't want to doubt a girl who lives her life so earnestly.

I don't know if this feeling comes from me as the Disciplinary Committee President, or just me as myself—but I wanted to apologize properly, and there were words I absolutely had to convey to her.

"Dammit... where is she?"

—And then.

"—Who are ya lookin' for?"

A voice shot out from behind me.

"Kh...!"

My heart jumped in my chest.

I whipped around to see—Miyake Ramu standing right there.

However, there was no sign of the office worker she was walking with earlier.

"...You need somethin' from me?"

With her arms crossed and her head tilted, she glared straight at me. Her expression so blatantly oozed suspicion and displeasure that I actually shrunk back a little.

"Er... I, well..."

As I choked on my words, Miyake stepped right up to me.

The distance between us was a mere tens of centimeters. Too close—the instant I thought that, my arm was violently grabbed,

"Come here for a sec!"

and I was dragged off into the alleyway—.

†　†　†

—And bringing us to the present, I had just been dragged to a love hotel, but.

"Can't believe we got stopped at the entrance~"

Miyake shrugged, letting out a wry smile.

—It happened the moment we tried to enter the love hotel.

An employee saw me in my uniform and calmly stopped us, saying, "Our facilities are strictly for adults."

As a result, we ended up relocating to a small park right nearby.

"I can't believe you were actually planning on going in..."

If we had managed to get into that love hotel smoothly—

"Ah... whatever. Just put a rubber on already. If you came to apologize, you better make me feel real good, yeah?"

Miyake would say that and slide down her panties herself.

"Like, it's taking you way too long to put that rubber on. Are you, like, a virgin?"

When I nod, Miyake would flash a wicked grin.

"Can't be helped. —Since it's your first time... raw is fine, y'know?"

To a shocked me, she would sharply urge, "Hurry up already."

"Ah... yeah, right there—Ah♡ H-Hey, wait a sec...! You're too eager♡"

—It might have turned into that kind of erotic development.

There was no other reason to go into a love hotel—or so I thought, until,

"Oh, but, I wasn't plannin' on havin' sex or anything, yeah?"

Miyake said with a completely straight face.

"Eh...?"

"I was gonna strip ya down and take pictures~"

"For real?"

"For real."

I'm sure there are guys out there who'd get off on that, but unfortunately, I'm not on that side of the spectrum. I consider myself completely normal.

"And then I was gonna tell ya to stay the hell away from me~"

"Ah... I see, so it was that kind of thing."

"Did I get your hopes up or somethin'?"

"...No."

"Liar! That pause just now was definitely too long! Honestly, Mr. Disciplinary Committee President, you're a massive pervert!"

...I couldn't deny that.

Or rather, men were supposed to be perverts.

However, I really needed to do something about this brain of mine that automatically steered toward the erotic no matter the situation. Because one of these days, it's going to cause a serious accident…

†　†　†

—A little while later.

I sat side-by-side with Miyake on a bench. The chilly sensation of the wood seeped into my back.

In the deserted park at dusk, the streetlights flickered to life one by one.

"...So, what exactly did Mr. Disciplinary Committee President wanna do chasin' my ass around?"

Giving up, I let out a small sigh before broaching the topic.

"...I was investigating. We got a report that you were sugar dating, so I wanted to confirm if it was true or not."

Instantly, Miyake furrowed her brow.

"Huh? Sugar datin'?"

"Yeah. But... it's a bit late for this now, but it's not because I believed the rumor. It's because I didn't want to believe it."

"...Whaddya mean?"

"If anything, I wanted to prove that there was no sugar dating going on at all."

Miyake stared at me in silence for a while, let out a heavy sigh, and crossed her legs the other way.

"But like, tailin' me around is already crossin' a line, ain't it?"

"Of course, I don't think what I did was right, and I have no intention of justifying it."

Just then, a voice called out from behind us. "Ryo-chan!"

Mio and Fuyutsuki came running over. I stood up and bowed deeply in front of Miyake.

"I'm truly sorry for tailing you without permission and making you feel uncomfortable. As the Disciplinary Committee President... no, as an individual, I apologize. I am truly sorry—"

As I kept my head bowed deeply, Fuyutsuki and Mio, quickly grasping the situation, lined up beside me and bowed their heads as well.

"Miyake-san, I am sorry for doubting you."

"We ended up hurting you, Miyake-san, didn't we...? I'm so sorry!"

As we remained bowing, Miyake softly let out a sigh. She stood up, crossed her arms, and spoke while slightly averting her gaze.

"...Well, you guys apologized, so I guess it's fine. But honestly, I was pretty pissed off, y'know?"

"I'm really sorry..."

After the apologies were finished, I honestly explained the report I had given to the student council that afternoon.

I felt bad for President Kurumizawa, but I also told her that the student council was involved. In the first place, they had made us conduct the investigation without informing us about the Romance Ban nonsense, so we had no obligation to protect the student council. Thus, I conveyed everything, from beginning to end.

"—And so, I've already reported to the student council that 'nothing happened.' Therefore, no one should be prying into your affairs anymore, Miyake."

When I finished speaking, Miyake blinked, a blank expression on her face.

"Wait a sec. Then why were you tailin' me today?"

"I wanted to apologize to you before the day was out."

For a moment, Miyake lowered her brows as if exasperated—then she let out a soft laugh.

"...Then ya should've just asked me 'Are you sugar datin'?' from the start, yeah? The way you went about it was way too much of a drag, don'tcha think?"

"That might be true, but..."

I scratched my head with a wry smile.

"If someone directly asked you 'Are you sugar dating?', would you honestly answer them?"

"Well, fair enough."

Miyake started laughing, her shoulders shaking.

The tense air relaxed just a little. However, that laughter didn't last long.

"...But seriously, I absolutely can't forgive the jerk who sent that bullshit email."

A low, firm voice. Deep in her eyes harbored an emotion that could have been either anger or sorrow.

Then, suddenly draining the tension from her shoulders, she sat back down on the bench.

"...Should we try to find the culprit for you?"

"Nah, it's fine. Honestly, I'm just kinda exhausted..."

Those words didn't have a lackadaisical looseness to them, but rather a profound, sinking weight.

"To be blunt, my family is super poor, y'know~"

Brushing up her bangs, Miyake began to speak piece by piece.

"Right now it's just me, my mom, and my little sis livin' together, and we still got the debt my dad left behind when he died from an illness. Even so, I believed my life would change if I got into Seigyo, so I've been bustin' my ass workin' part-time."

Her profile as she offered a bitter smile looked somewhat mature.

"But like, there's a limit, ya know? I'm scraped to the bone for both money and time. Sure, I thought about sugar datin' and stuff... for a split second, yeah? But I figured my mom and little sis would be sad if I did somethin' like that..."

At that point, Mio haltingly opened her mouth.

"Then, what about that older man you were walking with in front of the station earlier? It looked like you were meeting up with him, but..."

"Hm? Ah, that guy. He just kept askin' me stuff like, 'You free, girl?' and all that."

"Whoa, so that was..."

It went without saying, but it seemed he was that kind of middle-aged man.

"I was just waitin' for a friend. But I knew you guys were tailin' me, so I wanted to squeeze outta ya what your deal was. That old guy talked to me at the perfect time, so I just played along with him for a bit, then kicked his ass to the curb halfway through."

...This girl is tough.

Though exasperated, I couldn't help but feel a little impressed.

"I was actually supposed to go hang out with some friends from middle school after that, ya know? Had to cancel at the last minute 'cause of you guys, so seriously, give me a break, will ya?"

"I'm sorry... But, I'm really glad you weren't actually sugar dating."

When Mio said that with a sigh of relief, Miyake broke into a soft smile. However, it was hard not to see it as a somewhat painful smile.

"But, I kinda realized it after this whole thing. —I really ain't cut out for Seigyo."

I unconsciously opened my mouth, going, "Eh?"

"Not cut out for it...?"

"So, I'm thinkin' 'bout just quitting. School, I mean."

"Kh...! Quitting, that's—"

"Nah, I'm just tired of it all. Tryin' hard only makes ya look like a fool... it was a good lesson, honestly."

I couldn't argue back.

Because I also knew that reality—where you aren't rewarded even if you're doing the right thing, even if you're trying your best. And how you end up feeling impatience, frustration, and resignation because of it.

"But even so, it'd be a waste to just end it all here, wouldn't it?"

Before I knew it, my mouth was moving on its own.

"At the very least, by talking like this today, one misunderstanding has been cleared up, and the student council won't pursue this anymore. It'd be a waste if you threw all that away..."

"Even if ya say that... it's just too rough, man. Havin' someone doubt me, and this life I'm livin' right now..."

Saying that, Miyake offered a small, bitter smile.

At that moment, I spoke the words I had been meaning to convey to her ever since I wanted to meet her.

"I guess... it really is rough, huh."

"...Eh?"

"Being doubted by someone is incredibly rough. Anyone would start hating it and want to leave."

"Kh..."

"But, we've decided to believe in you, Miyake. No matter what happens, the Disciplinary Committee is on your side, so even if you can't wipe away your distrust, even still—I want you to believe in us."

When I said that, Mio and Fuyutsuki nodded quietly.

Even I thought they were cheesy, embarrassing words. But I wanted to convey that to Miyake.

Miyake remained silent for a while, staring fixedly at me.

No words came back, but that silence wasn't a rejection—that was the feeling I got.

—And then.

"The only bottleneck left for you, Miyake-san, is... money."

When Fuyutsuki quietly opened her mouth, everyone's gaze gathered on her.

"We believe in you. We want you to remain at this school. We promise to protect you as the Disciplinary Committee. —Thus, I concluded the only remaining problem is money."

Though slightly overwhelmed by Fuyutsuki's detached tone, Miyake finally opened her mouth.

"E-Er... yeah... I guess that's the only thing?"

The faint light of the streetlamps shone down on the park as the curtain of night began to fall.

In that light, Fuyutsuki remained as expressionless as always, yet she spoke with a voice tinged with absolute certainty.

"In that case, there is a good method. It is still in the probability stage, but if you leave it to us in the Disciplinary Committee. —Our President, Sawa-kun, will do something about it."

...Wait, you're just dumping it all on me?!

Ignoring my shock, Fuyutsuki remained perfectly still, radiating a rare confidence. If anything, it almost looked like she was smiling slightly.

Looking at that expression, I somehow lost the will to argue back.

"Don't worry, Ryo-chan, I'll help you too!"

"Mio..."

"I'm a member of the Disciplinary Committee too, so rely on me as much as you want!"

...Ah, how reassuring. It felt like the usual Mio had returned.

I let out a heavy breath.

Not out of resignation, but to take another deep breath and fill myself with motivation.

"Miyake. We're truly reflecting on our actions this time, and we want to show that to you in a tangible form. We want you to believe in us—so could you leave this matter to us on the Disciplinary Committee?"

—I couldn't quite explain the reason why.

But even so, I decided to try believing in Fuyutsuki's confidence and whatever lay hidden behind her words.