Prefectural Assembly Member and the Falling Kondo Family
Eiji’s PoV
During our photo shoot, a loud commotion erupted in the distance. I wondered if a fight had broken out.
The crowd made it hard to see what was happening.
“Kondo. Arrested. Police…”
I caught fragments of frantic voices. Kondo-senpai’s name was mentioned. Honestly, I didn’t want to get involved with him anymore. Sensing my hesitation, Ichijo-san said softly,
“Let’s head inside. It’s getting cold, and we shouldn’t keep the family waiting.”
The family of the grandpa we’d helped was waiting in the principal’s office.
It turned out the grandpa was a former Prefectural Assembly member, and his son, who was present today, had succeeded him and held the same position.
“You saved my father’s life. Don’t worry about me—go ahead and finish your photos. I’ll be watching the evening news to see it later. I want to thank you properly, so I’ll wait.”
With that, he patiently waited in the reception room.
The reporter, driven by professional curiosity, was visibly distracted by the commotion. Once our photoshoot wrapped up, he muttered, “I need to check something,” grabbed his camera, and dashed off.
After finishing the shoot, we entered the reception room, where the man was waiting for us with steaming cups of tea. As soon as we stepped in, he rose to greet us.
“First and foremost, thank you for saving my father. My name is Yamada Masayuki, a member of the Prefectural Assembly. Aono-kun, Ichijo-san, you are true saviors of my family. I cannot thank you enough.”
Despite his stature and status, the gentleman bowed deeply, showing sincere gratitude. I felt flustered.
“No, we just did what anyone would have done. Besides, the nurse played a huge role too.”
I said, waving my hand dismissively.
Ichijo-san chimed in,
“Please, there’s no need to bow so deeply. We’re just glad your father is safe.”
“The nurse herself said if you two hadn’t acted, she might not have noticed the situation in time. My father has a heart condition, and the doctor said it was a close call. I’m truly grateful you were there.”
His repeated bows spoke volumes about his sincerity. Despite his authority and position, he was incredibly humble.
“We’re just happy grandpa is okay. We were really worried about him too.”
At those words, Yamada-san finally looked up, his expression softening.
“You two are remarkable. It’s hard to believe you’re still in high school. My father would like to thank you in person. Please visit our home or the hospital at your convenience. I’ll arrange transportation for you.”
He handed us a neatly designed business card with his contact information, the hospital name, and the gandpa’s room number.
“Thank you. We’ll make sure to visit soon.”
Ichijo-san accepted the card with her usual grace and a bright smile.
Meanwhile, I felt like an awkward child stumbling through an adult world I wasn’t ready for.
“And if you ever find yourselves in trouble, please don’t hesitate to contact me. We aren’t so ungrateful as to abandon our benefactors. No matter what happens, I’ll be here to help.”
His words carried a firm yet warm assurance.
We chatted for a while longer, sharing light laughter before saying our goodbyes.
Councilor Kondo’s PoV
I was reviewing documents in my office when my secretary burst into the room, her face pale and strained.
“What happened?”
I asked sharply.
Her trembling voice delivered a devastating blow.
“The police… They’ve arrested Seiji-bochan on suspicion of assault…”
The pen slipped from my fingers, clattering onto the floor.
My mind raced. Yes, there had been some tension at the school recently, but for the police to move this quickly… What on earth had happened?
“Contact Sawabe-san immediately. Our lawyer.”
Before I could finish the sentence, my secretary handed me the phone,
“He’s already on the line.”
“Sawabe-san, you’ve heard the situation, haven’t you? What can we do? If this gets out… If it becomes public knowledge that my son was arrested, our family’s reputation is finished.”
Even the normally composed lawyer sounded uneasy.
[This is serious. A formal report must have been filed. I’ll head to the police station immediately to speak with your son and assess the situation. However, if it’s escalated this far, our best option is to settle with the victim and have the charges dropped.]
“I understand. Do whatever it takes. Pay whatever amount is necessary. Just settle this and make it disappear before it hits the media.”
With nothing but a fragile thread of hope, my chest felt tight, and my heart pounded uncontrollably.