Prologue: Ibuki Mio's Monologue

I always had a feeling that someday it would come to this, that sooner or later, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with this school’s system.

I sucked at studying.

I wasn’t exactly good at working with other people either.

The only thing I could say I was good at… was fighting.

That’s why somewhere deep down, I had already sensed it, that when the time came, I’d be the one discarded.

Ryūen, obviously, and even Shiina and Katsuragi, were indispensable to the class.

But unlike them, I’d always been standing on the edge of the cliff.

That was why I thought I’d be fine even if I got expelled.

That was what I’d believed all this time.

That I had no regrets left behind.

At least, that was what I thought…

But now, as I stared at Ayanokōji’s back, I realized there was still one thing left undone.

If I was getting expelled anyway, then before I disappeared, I wanted to land at least one solid punch on Ayanokōji, no matter what.

1

Staring at his infuriating back, I steeled my resolve.

A surprise attack?

Feints before the real hit?

Yeah, I already knew none of that crap would work on this guy.

So I’d do it properly.

Straight on. Fair and square.

I stepped forward with force and closed the distance between us.

Ayanokōji turned around.

That same unreadable expression on his face.

I grabbed him by the collar and drew back my fist.

“I’ll accept the expulsion,” I spat. “So let me hit you once before I go.”

It was a completely absurd demand.

A hopeless shot.

I’d fully expected him to refuse, tell me he had no reason to indulge me, and the second he did, I was ready to swing anyway.

1

But the response I got was the last thing I expected.

“I’m the one who decided to have you expelled, after all,” Ayanokōji said evenly. “I suppose I can grant you at least that much.”

Hearing that, the corner of my mouth curled upward ever so slightly.

“You’ve got some nerve,” I muttered, tightening my grip. “Fine, then. Don’t expect me to hold back.”

I won’t hold back.

If he thought he could underestimate a woman's strength, he was dead wrong.

I was going to knock out one or two of his teeth for sure.

Then, putting every last ounce of strength into it, I unleashed the most dead-serious, super-ultra straight punch of my entire life.

2