Chapter 5: Is Romance a Disciplinary Violation?

"When we get bigger, let's get Mawwied, okay? It's a Prowmise!"

—I was dreaming.

Or rather, it was a fragment of a nostalgic memory that occasionally resurfaced.

A spring afternoon. A young Mio and I were linking pinky fingers beneath the cherry blossoms in the kindergarten yard.

"Let's do a pledge kiss!"

"Okay!"

In the shadow of the cherry tree, we shared a tiny kiss.

"Hehe, I kissed Mio-chan."

The joy had just leaked past my lips when—

"...What are you talking about? I was the one who kissed you."

The scenery violently warped and twisted.

Before I knew it, I was in the Disciplinary Committee Room after school.

Looming right in front of me was Fuyutsuki Niina's pale face. She was glaring down at me with bottomless, dark eyes.

"...!? "

My spine instantly froze solid.

She grabbed me roughly by the tie and yanked my face close to hers.

"...Do you think you can just joke around and kiss me?"

"No... that's—"

"To half-sleep and mistake the person you kissed... You're the worst."

As if an earthquake had struck, the ground suddenly began to pitch and roll. I braced my legs to keep from falling over, but—

"Disciplinary Committee President: Fail. Let us start over from the beginning—"

Declaring that, Fuyutsuki shoved me down and straddled my waist.

At that exact moment, with impeccable, horrific timing, the door slid open with a clatter.

"...Ryo-chan."

"Mio...!?"

She stood there swaying and staggering. With unfocused eyes, Mio moved into the room like a sleepwalker, a metallic object clutched loosely in her right hand.

"Even though we made a 'Prowmise' to get 'Mawwied' when we grew up, even though we shared a pledge kiss..."

With every step she took, the temperature in the room plummeted.

I desperately tried to stand up, but Fuyutsuki pinned both my hands down and refused to let go.

"You kissed Fuyutsuki-san too... you betrayed me... You were making your dragon writhe with Poison Viper Part 2, weren't you..."

"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about!?"

My screams did nothing to stop Mio.

Gripped tightly in her hand—was a brand new, obscenely shiny chastity belt.

"I really have to... thoroughly manage you now, don't I? Ryo-chan... ♡"

The corners of her smirking lips were tinted a faint red. Her eyes weren't smiling in the slightest, yet her cheeks were flushed with feverish heat. The boundary between joke and reality melted away into something sickly sweet.

Click—before I realized what had happened, the chastity belt was locked securely around my crotch.

"Mio, I can't do anything with this on!"

"Then... service me ♡ Make me writhe, too ♡"

Speaking those words, Mio straddled my face. Her crotch was right there, directly above me—and she wasn't wearing panties. Completely against my will, her burning heat was pressed against me.

"Mio, I can't breathe...!"

"Ah... ♡ Ryo-chan, lick me moore ♡"

As I continued to use my tongue exactly as instructed, Mio's panting grew even more intense.

"Ryo-chan, it feels so goood ♡ Do it moore~ ♡"

Panting heavily, Mio began to play with my nipples.

I was going mad with frustration. Because of the locked belt, I couldn't do a single thing about my own raging urges.

"Mio, please take this off already...!"

"Then... can you promise you'll only have sex with me?"

In this situation, I had absolutely no choice but to agree.

"I promise! I promise I'll only do it with you...!"

"Yaaay ♡ Good boy~ ♡"

Mio's voice bounced with sweet delight. I caught her overflowing honey directly on my face.

—And then.

"Come on, hurry up..."

Fuyutsuki's voice suddenly whispered directly into my ear.

"Hurry up and remember."

"Remember what!?"

"If you do not, you will truly—"

† † †

"—Uwaaaahhhhh!?"

I bolted upright in bed, my heart pounding violently against my ribs.

My entire body was drenched in a cold, clammy sweat. As morning light filtered through the window, I checked my smartphone: 6:00 AM was displayed on it. Wiping my forehead, I let out a massive, trembling sigh.

"...Just a dream, right?"

It was a horrible nightmare. It felt so incredibly real that even now, wide awake, I felt agonizingly frustrated. Just to be absolutely safe, I checked my crotch... thank God, nothing was attached.

But—

The words Fuyutsuki had spoken in the dream echoed strangely in my ears.

"Hurry up and remember."

It was supposed to be nothing but a dream, yet for some inexplicable reason, that specific phrase snagged like a thorn deep in my chest.

What exactly was the Fuyutsuki in my dream trying to make me remember—I woke up before I could find the answer.

† † †

Midterms had ended, leaving just over ten days left in May.

There hadn't been any massive changes to school life, but if I had to point out one thing—the signs of the changing seasons were beginning to show in the students' attire. It was still a bit too early for the official switch to summer uniforms, but both boys and girls were increasingly ditching their blazers for lighter clothing.

The other major change was that ever since Mio joined the Disciplinary Committee, Fuyutsuki's "Secret Training" had come to a dead stop. ...Actually, it was more accurate to say she was just lying low.

Whatever the case, under Mio's watchful eye, the current Fuyutsuki seemed unable to make any bold moves. All hail the surveillance society.

"...So, what's this gathering about?"

After school on the day midterms concluded, I was summoned to the Disciplinary Committee Room.

Fuyutsuki, the one who summoned me, sat at her laptop with a cool expression, completely ignoring my question. She was as unreadable as ever; honestly, she acted so detached I sometimes wondered if she even registered my presence.

And, completely naturally, Mio was also here. ...Though the way she was smiling so cheerfully was deeply terrifying.

I assumed Fuyutsuki had called the entire committee together, but we were the only three people in the room.

"...I did not call for Segawa-san, however?"

Oops—turns out Fuyutsuki had only summoned me.

...But wait.

If that was the case, how did Mio know I was called here... no, let's stop thinking too deeply about it. If I thought about it, I lost. Mio was cute, so she was forgiven for everything. That was the rule.

"Because I can't leave Ryo-chan completely alone with Fuyutsuki-san. —Right, Ryo-chan?"

...I don't know why she was asking me for agreement here.

Fuyutsuki let out an exasperated sigh and said, "Please wait a little longer."

A short while later, someone knocked firmly on the door.

"—Pardon the intrusion."

...Eh? The Student Council President?

Opening the door and stepping into the room was Kurumizawa Yui, the Student Council President of Seigyo Academy.

A third-year student who exuded a mature aura, her long hair tied neatly back, she was famous across the entire student body for her striking beauty.

I had seen her around campus a few times, but I had never spoken to her directly.

"I have come with a matter to discuss. Do you have a moment?"

"Y-Yes... please, come in."

When I prompted her, President Kurumizawa quietly closed the door.

The way she wore her uniform, every single one of her movements—she was absolutely flawless. According to Ayato's intel, she came from a prestigious, wealthy family—and honestly, that made perfect sense. Just watching her elegant demeanor was enough to convince me.

Fuyutsuki smoothly pulled out a chair.

"President, please sit here."

"Thank you, Fuyutsuki-san."

From that brief exchange, it was immediately clear that the two of them were already acquainted.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Kurumizawa Yui, the Student Council President. You are Sawa-kun, the Disciplinary Committee President, correct? —And you are?"

Feeling the President's gaze turn toward her, Mio offered a calm, polite bow.

"I am Segawa Mio. The Disciplinary Committee proxy from Class 2-A."

"A proxy? I see..."

The President flicked her gaze toward Fuyutsuki for a fraction of a second.

Fuyutsuki gave a very subtle nod, though a faint crease formed between her brows.

I vaguely grasped the situation.

Neither of them was particularly thrilled about Mio being present for this. But they had no choice but to accept it—that was the vibe I was getting.

† † †

"...Well then, let us get to the main topic."

After a brief pause, President Kurumizawa spoke in a calm, measured tone.

"I am aware that you have been conducting a morning greeting campaign recently. To the best of my knowledge, this may be the very first time this academic year that the Disciplinary Committee has undertaken such voluntary activities."

...Doesn't that just mean the committee has been completely useless up until now, rather than us being amazing?

Harboring slightly complicated feelings, I continued to listen.

"Therefore... I decided to request your assistance with this current matter, which is why I have come to see you today."

"This current matter? A request?"

When I asked, the President lowered her voice.

"...Can I ask that what I am about to tell you remain strictly confidential?"

Her gaze was fixed not on me, but on Mio.

...I see. So that was what her initial silent check-in with Fuyutsuki was about.

This was a matter she wanted to keep as closed-door as possible. Catching on to the nuance, Mio looked at my face and gave a small, silent nod.

"Segawa-san can be trusted. Please, continue."

"Very well—I want you to mark a certain student."

"Mark someone, you mean?"

"Yes. The truth is, there is a second-year student who is suspected of sugar dating."

Hearing the words "sugar dating," my mind instantly jumped to Shibayama Ichika.

But I quickly reconsidered. That rumor was supposed to be a hoax. According to Ayato, she was suspended for an entirely different reason, and Shibayama herself was still serving her suspension.

"...Who is it?"

When I asked, the President's eyebrows twitched just slightly.

"It is still merely at the suspicion stage, but—it is Miyake Ramu from Class 2-B."

Miyake Ramu—I knew the face and the name.

She was a flashy, blonde-haired gyaru from the class next door. She seemed friendly and was supposedly popular with the guys, but I had only ever seen her hanging out with other girls.

"Where did this information come from?"

"Just two days ago, the student council received an anonymous email. It simply stated, [Miyake Ramu is sugar dating]. The sender used a burner account."

"...That's kind of weird."

Before I realized it, I had spoken my thoughts out loud.

"Why send it to the student council? Shouldn't someone report something like that directly to the school administration...?"

"That point was heavily debated within the student council as well. Some suggested it might just be a malicious prank—However, given that a specific name was provided, we could not simply ignore it."

"...True."

Regardless of whether the email was true or false, if it was a prank, it was incredibly malicious. The President must have decided they couldn't just leave it alone, even if it was a baseless rumor.

"Just to be safe, I consulted with the teacher in charge of the student council, but—"

The President cut her words off there and let out a short sigh.

"He told me, 'It might just be a prank, so we cannot act without proof.' He said it would be a different story if we had photos or videos, but the atmosphere made it abundantly clear he had absolutely no desire to get involved."

Saying that, a sharp light returned to her eyes.

"Therefore, I would like to ask for the Disciplinary Committee's cooperation. Calling it an investigation might be overstating it, but... for example, I would like you to monitor her behavior during dismissal, and simply keep an eye out for any unusual activities."

"To put it simply... you want us to stake out Miyake?"

"Yes... I suppose you could phrase it that way..."

The President nodded, hesitating just slightly.

"However, I must request that this be conducted strictly under the guise of the Disciplinary Committee's voluntary activities."

In other words, the official story was that we were just doing our "Disciplinary Committee patrols." But in reality, we were supposed to verify the sugar dating suspicions.

...So the student council, who brought this to us, isn't going to get their hands dirty?

It sounded like a pretty thankless role for us.

"You don't actually know if Miyake is sugar dating or not, right?"

"Correct. At this stage, it remains nothing more than a suspicion. However, we cannot simply ask her directly, and in my desperation, this was the only method I could conceive of."

Likely because it was an incredibly delicate issue that needed to be handled with care.

That was why she had gathered the absolute minimum number of people to ensure the rumor didn't spread.

"If, by some chance, it turns out to be a hoax... it will still massively impact the reputation of an individual student named Miyake. Because it's such a highly sensitive issue, the school chose to ignore it, right?"

"...You truly are quite sharp, Disciplinary Committee President."

Before continuing further, the President let out another small sigh, "Are you aware of the recent incident involving a second-year student named Shibayama Ichika?" The president asked.

"Of course. She's my classmate. I heard she was suspended for some reason... and there were rumors flying around that she was sugar dating, too."

"Yes. The student council does not know the official reason for her suspension, either. But it appears the school's passive stance regarding Miyake-san is directly related to that incident. If scandals like this continue to occur one after another, it will tarnish the name of our traditional academy..."

Hearing the word "scandal," I glanced over at Fuyutsuki's face.

She was putting on a completely innocent expression, looking as if she had absolutely nothing to do with anything. ...The nerve of this girl.

"Honestly... if only we had not gone co-ed..."

Hearing the words slip out as a quiet mutter, I involuntarily reacted with an, "Eh?"

The President jerked her head up in surprise and frantically added context.

"A-Ah, no, what I just said... has absolutely nothing to do with you, Sawa-kun!"

"Right..." I tilted my head, not fully understanding.

"It is simply... our academy transitioned to a co-ed system a few years ago, drastically increasing the contact between boys and girls. On the surface, people claim we are in an era of diversity, but behind the scenes, troubles stemming from romance are definitively increasing."

The President continued, sounding as if she were lamenting a terrible tragedy.

"Students who become so engrossed in relationships with the opposite sex that their grades plummet, friends getting into bitter fights over romance, and—as we may be seeing now—cases where romance intertwines with economics, leading students down the deviant path of sugar dating... Even if it is merely a suspicion, the very fact that such topics are arising is undoubtedly an effect of going co-ed."

...I see.

To me, it sounded like a massive leap in logic, but it seemed to make perfect sense inside the President's head.

"Therefore, I believe that to rebuild our public morals, we must first correct the looseness in our students' personal relationships."

...Meaning, anyone who has the free time for romance is disrupting public morals?

No, that was another massive leap in logic.

My mouth twitched into a strained, awkward smile.

"Above all else, a student's primary duty should be their academics. If they have the free time to be infatuated with romance, shouldn't they be utilizing that time to study and secure their futures?"

...Well, she had a point there.

But even so, our academy didn't have any rules explicitly forbidding relationships between boys and girls. Even if lewd acts and impure heterosexual relationships were banned, students still had the basic freedom to fall in love with whoever they wanted.

On the other hand, I could understand asking for moderation.

But the moment you tried to draw a hard line from the top down, the conversation changed entirely...

If we turned into a surveillance society where boys and girls just chatting amicably was instantly flagged as an "illicit relationship," it would be suffocating—and I wanted to make a sarcastic remark about how that sounded far unhealthier than sugar dating.

...Romance can totally be a motivation to study harder, you know. Are you a romance anti, Madam President?

I wanted to ask her that, but the atmosphere in the room absolutely did not permit it.

And right at that moment—

"Is romance a disciplinary violation?"

Shockingly, it was Fuyutsuki who quietly delivered the question.

I involuntarily held my breath. I could feel the tension in the room instantly spike.

Even the President was unable to hide her bewilderment at the sudden inquiry.

"A disciplinary violation... no, not quite a violation. I was merely stating my personal opinion."

Her voice was calm, but I felt like I saw a flash of something in the depths of her eyes—a light that couldn't quite be categorized as either anger or hatred.

"...Let us return to the main topic. The matter regarding Miyake Ramu from Class 2-B... will you accept it?"

Unsure of what to say, I looked away.

Fuyutsuki said nothing, offering only a single, silent nod.

† † †

"She seemed pretty stubborn..."

I muttered to myself after President Kurumizawa left.

"I'm absolutely positive she's an anti-romance advocate, but what do you think, Mio?"

Mio made a difficult face, going, "Hmm..."

"I don't know if she's an anti... but maybe it's just the heavy responsibility of being President?"

Despite saying that, Mio didn't seem convinced by her own answer.

"Like, she's holding herself back so much that seeing couples dating freely just pisses her off?"

I could understand that feeling—or so I thought, until Mio made another complicated face.

"But, isn't that just killing her own feelings? Even if she found someone she liked, she'd probably just keep holding it in..."

I could relate to that too. I'd been in love with Mio for a long time, but I was so afraid of ruining our relationship that I could never bring myself to confess.

—Though, well.

After a lot of twists and turns, my relationship with Mio didn't ruin itself, but it did veer off at a forty-five-degree angle. Less toward romance, and more toward something closer to perversion...

Still, is the President going to stay like that forever?

What if some buff, blonde, fake-tanned douchebag started hitting on her—

—Nighttime in the Student Council Room.

President Kurumizawa is getting plowed by a blonde, fake-tanned douchebag in the classic missionary position where they can easily see each other's faces.

"Ah♡ Nn♡ Ah♡"

"Come on, Prez, just be honest already! How's it really feel, huh?"

"Kh...! It's true...! This is what I've wanted all alooooong♡"

The President obeyed the man's words, trembling from the overwhelming surge of pleasure and shame.

"Yeeep, good girl! Then I guess I'll give you a little reward!"

"Aaaah♡ Ah♡ Th-Thank you so muuuuch...♡"

—Yep. Kurumizawa Yui, completely finished.

Oh man, what do I do? The image of the President getting completely destroyed by a fake-tanned douchebag's "reward" played out way too realistically in my head.

...Even if she resists at first, with all that pent-up backlash, she'd probably end up totally submissive in the end.

And then—

"...Sawa-kun. Are you perhaps having erotic delusions about the President right now."

Fuyutsuki stated flatly, staring right at me.

"Wha... There's no way I'd—"

"You were. Your face is red."

"I'm no— I'm telling you, I wasn't! This is, uh... I was just worrying about the President's future...!"

"What kind of worrying future makes you blush and flare your nostrils."

Unable to come up with a good comeback to Fuyutsuki's overly calm retort—I suddenly felt a skin-crawling presence from beside me.

"...Ryo-chan?"

"Hiiigh...!"

It was Mio's familiar voice. But the tone was unnervingly low.

When I timidly turned around, Mio was smiling sweetly.

However, her eyes weren't smiling in the slightest. ...She was just terrifyingly, absolutely terrifying.

"A-Anyway, moving on!"

I hastily changed the subject.

"There was something that kind of bothered me about what we talked about today..."

Gathering myself, I tried asking Fuyutsuki.

"Earlier, when you asked, "Is romance a disciplinary violation?"... What did you mean by that?"

Fuyutsuki paused for a beat, quietly turning her gaze out the window.

"Confirmation."

She muttered, beginning to speak in her usual detached tone.

"I happened to drop by here after school yesterday, and the President arrived at the exact same time. She said she had something to discuss. The contents were the same as today regarding Miyake Ramu-san."

"So you already met with the President yesterday?"

"Yes. But I am the Vice President. I have no authority to decide whether or not to accept a request, so I told her to consult with you, the President, Sawa-kun."

So that's what led to today's summons.

"But. After that, I thought about it a little by myself."

Fuyutsuki's eyes narrowed slightly. It was a look that seemed to stifle any hesitation.

"The President is anti-romance. While she has her own logic, she is fundamentally conflating romance with sugar dating. No... if she has a reason to intentionally blur those lines, then the conclusion is obvious—Miyake-san’s case isn’t just about verifying sugar dating allegations."

"...Huh?"

"What if President Kurumizawa has some other goal."

"Some other goal..."

I thought about it for a second, but Fuyutsuki spoke up before I could come up with an answer.

"For example. She wants a pretext to crack down on romance itself, under the guise of public morals and justice."

"You mean the President is trying to use us on the Disciplinary Committee to eradicate romance from the academy?"

Fuyutsuki nodded quietly.

"No way, that's a massive leap in logic, isn't it? That's just a conspiracy theory..."

"This is speculation, of course. But it makes sense when you think about it. Suppose Miyake-san really is sugar dating. If the President obtains proof of that, she will naturally report it to the academy."

"Well, yeah, that's obvious..."

"If that happens, she can create an atmosphere where romance itself is seen as a breeding ground for trouble. Sugar dating is an extreme example, but it is enough to manufacture a public consensus that relationships between men and women are bad."

"No, no, surely she wouldn't go that far..."

Fuyutsuki pointed at the calendar hanging on the wall right next to us.

"...June 10th. The day of the General Student Assembly. Do you understand what that means."

—The General Student Assembly.

That tedious, once-a-year event where the entire student body was crammed into the gym. They discussed the student council budget, student requests, and other things like—... Wait.

"Ah... I get it!?"

"Eh? Eh? Ryo-chan, what is it? What do you mean?"

While Mio looked on blankly beside me, I realized it.

If, just as Fuyutsuki said, the President had an ulterior motive—

"Is romance a disciplinary violation

When Fuyutsuki asked her that,

"A disciplinary violation... no, not quite a violation. I was merely stating my personal opinion."

The President's unnatural reaction to that question suddenly made perfect sense. In other words—

"Revising the school rules... She's planning to use Miyake's case as a reason to add a 'Romance Ban' to the rulebook!"

Fuyutsuki nodded, her gaze serious.

On the other hand, Mio let out a shocked "Eeeh!?" and looked as if she couldn't believe it.

But, I kind of—no, I really couldn't help but think this:

...Isn't that actually totally fine?

Thinking about it calmly—if romance was banned, Fuyutsuki might not be able to force her "Secret Training" on me anymore. It would relieve Mio's anxiety and buy me time until she returned to her normal self, and it would let us completely crack down on playboy bastards like Ayato.

In short—

I fully support the Romance Ban rule!

Hurrah for President Kurumizawa!

—Though, obviously, I didn't say that out loud.

The atmosphere was getting pretty serious, so for now, I made sure to keep a stern look on my face.