Chapter 84 Bloody Monday Incident

Bloody Monday Incident

Ueda’s PoV

I walked from the cafeteria back to the classroom. It was about half an hour after lunch.

As I made my way down the hall, the phone in my pocket vibrated. The soccer club’s SNS group was lighting up with message notifications.

[Oh my God, I heard Kondo-senpai ran away.]

[Huh?!]

[During the school assembly earlier, after they mentioned the violent incident—when Amada-san fainted—someone said they saw Kondo-senpai running out of the gym in the middle of the chaos…]

[What the hell? He’s the one who dragged us into this mess, and yet he was the first to run away?]

[Apparently, the police are investigating Kondo-senpai now. This might involve us, too.]

[How much do they know? That we helped spread the rumors? That we participated in the bullying? Or that we destroyed school property?]

[What are we going to do now? I need to finish in the top four in the prefecture to secure a sports recommendation.]

[There’s no way you’re getting out of this, idiot.]

[Bastard! What did you just say to your senpai…]

The group chat was spiraling into chaos.

Everyone was panicking, their fear palpable. I could almost hear the blood rushing in my ears. If only I could go back and stop all this.

But then, more fuel was thrown onto the fire.

[If Kondo is being targeted by the police, then someone must have betrayed him. There’s a traitor among us.]

[You’re right. The way things are escalating… it’s happening too fast.]

[Hey, I just got a call from the coach. The soccer team is on indefinite suspension. He didn’t give any details…]

[You’re kidding…]

[The soccer club is being completely targeted. We’re done for…]

[And now the captain’s been called out by the homeroom teacher. They took him to another classroom.]

Fear spread like poison as the situation unfolded in real time. The next person called in could be me.

No, it’s me or Aida. Takayanagi-sensei interrogated us the other day. At the time, I was relieved because it ended without much trouble—but what if we were just being set up? If that’s the case…

The sound of approaching footsteps echoed in the hallway. My chest tightened, and I turned around to see Iwai-sensei, the dean of students, grinning at me. A part of me felt relieved that it wasn’t Takayanagi-sensei, but…

He spoke with a cold smile.

“I’m sorry, Ueda. I’d like to ask you something. Can you come to the guidance office?”

Instinctively, I felt danger and tried to make an excuse.

“No, I have class soon. Besides, I…”

“It’s fine. I’ve already spoken with your next teacher. There’s something more important I need to teach you now. And you have an idea of what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

“No, I mean…”

Words failed me. Iwai-sensei’s cold expression was one I had never seen before.

“Don’t bother trying to talk your way out of this. We already have everything we need.”

He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and held it up in front of me.

It was a printout of the SNS group chat from the second-year soccer club members.

The entire plan—how Aida and I had plotted to bully Aono—was written out in black and white.

[First of all, it’s ridiculous that someone like Aono is dating Amada-san. He’s not worth it.]

[Right. Senpai said that since we’re in the same class, we should teach him a lesson. So I guess we have no choice.]

[Exactly. I can’t forgive him for hurting such a beautiful girl.]

[If Kondo-senpai and the captain told us to do it, then we didn’t have much of a choice.]

[Alright, let’s meet after morning practice!]

How had something that was supposed to stay private among friends ended up…

The answer came immediately. Someone must have sold us out for their own gain.

“No, that’s not true. It was just… a joke.”

“Oh, I see. But the principal already made it clear—if any student knows anything about this incident, they need to report it to their homeroom teacher by noon. He said this is an ultimatum. You understand what that means, right? We’ll discuss everything in the guidance’s office. Take your time; we’ve got all day.”

My legs felt like they were going to give out beneath me.

The school-wide punishment, infamously nicknamed “Bloody Monday,” was about to begin.