Tokyoites don't have martial virtue

"Isn't it all the same thing?!" Suzuki Yuujin retorted, half-laughing and half-crying.

"In my opinion, you should go to the news department now and apologize. If you can reach a settlement with them, that would be the best course of action."

"That's true, Senior Karasu is a super popular beauty in our school, she won't make things too difficult for you, right?" Takashi Tangze agreed.

"If you get into a conflict with the news department, the consequences could be dire!"

"..." Both classmates tried to persuade him, but Kyushu Makoto fell silent and fell into thought.

After a moment, Kyushu Makoto asked, "The Press Department is so adept at using various sanctioning tactics against me; they've honed their power manipulation skills to perfection. Do you think I'll be their first victim, or their last?"

"What does this mean..." Tang Ze Guijiang frowned in thought: "Could it be that someone else has been threatened by the news department before?"

“I asked Karakawa-senpai, and she didn’t give a direct answer, but she didn’t deny it either,” Kyushu Makoto said.

"Hmph, now that you mention it, I have heard similar rumors." At this moment, Genji Takatsuki interjected:

"I remember a senior from the baseball team was blackmailed by the news department, but he just let it slip when he was chatting with me at the recruitment party, and I didn't take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Kyushu Makoto's eyes lit up, and he pressed on, "Can you still contact that senior? Where is he now?"

“He’s already graduated and is now on a university baseball team. I should be able to find his contact information,” Genji Takatsuki replied after a moment’s thought.

"However, I'm not very close to him, so I don't know if he'll reply to me."

"Perhaps... this could be a very important clue!" Kyushu Makoto pressed on the topic: "Could you try contacting him? I'd like to talk to him!"

To confront the News Department head-on, he needed to gather all useful information. Whether it was dirt on the News Department for persecuting other students or some unknown secrets within the department... any clue could become his trump card.

"This is really troublesome..." Genji Takatsuki scratched his head, looking a little impatient. "Never mind, I'll ask when I have time. Don't have too high expectations of me."

At this moment, Suzuki and Karasawa, who were standing nearby, also asked, "Kyushu-kun, is there anything we can do for you?"

"Now that things have come to this, are you still willing to stand on my side?" Kyushu Makoto asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Of course! Why should I support the news department?" Tang Zegui said excitedly and optimistically, "The news department has never treated me to barbecue rice!"

"We wouldn't dare betray you, Kyushu-kun..." Suzuki Yuujin scratched his head and sighed, giving a helpless, bitter smile:

"Besides, many people at school know that we often hang out together. If something happens to you, the news department will probably keep an eye on us too."

"Then until this is all over, please take good care of Mizuhashi-kun and make sure he doesn't get involved." Kyushu Makoto clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he spoke.

"I don't want you to get involved either. Who knows what other tricks the news department has up its sleeve... From now on, I'll deal with the news department on my own!"

"Oh ho~ First it was Etori-sensei, and now they're going to start a war with the newspaper club?" Takatsuki Genji smiled with a hint of interest.

"You're really fearless! You've got quite the guts!"

"Don't worry, we'll definitely protect Mizuhashi-kun!" Takashi Karasawa rubbed his hands together eagerly. "How about treating us to Ichiran Ramen after this is done? I want the 1500 yen super-sized chashu set meal!"

"We'll have to wait until this whole mess is sorted out first..." Suzuki Yuujin shook his head slightly, a worried smile playing on his lips.

"I still don't believe you can beat the newspaper club, but you even conquered Ms. Etori, so who knows what kind of miracle you might create~"

......

After school, Kyushu Makoto immediately sought out Etori-sensei.

Teachers wield far more credibility and power in schools than students. As the saying goes, every creature has its counter, and seeking a teacher's help is the wisest choice if you want to confront the prestigious news department.

"Teacher Jiangniao, I need your help!"

Arriving at the homeroom teacher's desk, Kyushu Makoto got straight to the point.

Upon seeing Makoto Kyushu arrive, Ms. Etori sighed with a troubled expression and said resentfully, "You really are a troublemaker, Kyushu-kun..."

"You already know about this?" Kyushu Makoto took out his phone and opened the forum post: "I've been falsely accused of being a ***."

Teacher Jiang Niao closed her book, stared at him, and said, "It's not just me; all the teachers know. Our grade's teaching team is even going to a meeting tomorrow to discuss this!"

"This...is it that serious?" Upon hearing this, Kyushu Makoto's heart sank.

"Seriously, Kyushu-kun, what are you doing..." Teacher Jiangniao had a terrible headache:

"That's a brothel! As a student of Xiujin Academy, you're breaking the rules even to step inside, let alone work as a prostitute there!"

"I am not a ***, this article is a frame-up by the news department!" Kyushu Makoto frowned, arguing forcefully:

"I had a disagreement with the news department yesterday, which is why they wrote this long post to spread rumors about me!"

Next, Makoto Kyushu recounted his experiences with the news department the previous day to Professor Etori. Of course, this time, he didn't mention his time as a waiter at the PR bar, only vaguely emphasizing that he was definitely not a prostitute.

"What's going on...? The news department would actually do something like this?" Ms. Jiangniao was certain that Kyushu Makoto wasn't lying in that tone. She couldn't help but let out a wry laugh, exclaiming in a somewhat frighteningly cold tone:

"This is exactly what underage scum would do, it's disgusting!"

She had barely finished speaking when she seemed to realize she had said something wrong, covering her mouth and quickly changing the subject:

"Um... Kyushu-kun! Even if you insist on this, you don't have any direct evidence to prove that the News Club framed you, nor can you prove your innocence... In short, your current situation is very dangerous."

Kyushu Makoto didn't seem to care about his teacher's casual remark and continued to press for answers:

"After you all discuss this in tomorrow's meeting, what kind of fate will I likely end up in?"

Teacher Jiangniao thought for a moment, then put on a concerned expression and sighed regretfully:

"If it's serious... I'll probably be suspended or expelled."

"How could this be..." Kyushu Makoto frowned.

Being expelled from a university is a very serious matter, almost equivalent to ruining an ordinary student's life.

"Was this also part of the news department's plan?" A surge of anger rose in Kyushu Makoto's heart: "A bunch of shameless thieves, how dare they be so ruthless?!"

Seeing Kyushu Makoto's furious expression, Etori-sensei remained silent, but couldn't help feeling a sense of pleasure.

Hmph, this troublesome student has finally met his match!

Ms. Jiangniao was secretly planning to say a few more bad things about Kyushu Makoto tomorrow to try and get him a lenient "expulsion" from school. That way, this ticking time bomb of Kyushu Makoto would be kicked out of school and no longer be able to threaten her.

"Mr. Jiangniao, you don't think you're safe just because I'm expelled, do you?" At that moment, Kyushu Makoto said quietly.

"If I get expelled from school, I'll drag you down with me."

Jiangniao Teacher's mind was suddenly struck by lightning, shattering all her previous fantasies, and she almost burst into tears.

However, her composure as a teacher allowed her to suppress her sadness. She lowered her head and cautiously inquired, "Kyushu-kun... what would you like me to do?"

"The current situation is very unfavorable to me, but I can only proceed step by step..." Kyushu Makoto stared solemnly at Etori-sensei and instructed:

"At tomorrow's meeting, please put in a good word for me and make a good impression. You must fight for me; I need to prove my innocence in front of the entire school. If I get the chance, I'll also drag the news department out from behind the scenes!"

"This..." Teacher Jiangniao looked troubled, but could only reluctantly agree: "I will try my best."

"I'm counting on you for everything, Mr. Jiangniao." Kyushu Makoto patted his teacher's shoulder, his tone and the force of his touch heavy.

29. School level referee

The next day, the negative news about Makoto Kyushu had completely taken hold at the school.

Regardless of the fact that the "host exposé post" on the school forum has topped the trending list and sparked hundreds of comments, with users claiming to be "insiders" vying to expose Kyushu Makoto's personal information in the comments section, even student council members have posted that they will "seriously investigate this matter."

It's obvious that the news department has been secretly stirring up the topic, trying to embarrass Kyushu Makoto at the school.

Take Kyushu Makoto's walk into the school this morning, for example. He could clearly feel the disciplinary committee members at the school gate staring at him with strange eyes, and they even took a few extra glances at his school uniform.

As he entered the school corridor, he felt countless pairs of cold, malicious eyes staring at him, and the students along the corridor seemed to be gossiping about him.

If he were in an RPG game, chat bubbles would probably be constantly popping up on both sides of the screen right now.

"Is he that male escort student?"

"This kind of person is actually a full-scholarship special admission student, the world is going to the dogs!"

"I heard he not only worked as a gigolo, but also smuggled guns and ivory..."

"Keep your voice down. I heard that all the male hosts in Kamurocho are murderers."

Ignoring the noise, Kyushu Makoto went to the shoe rack where he could change into indoor shoes.

Upon opening the shoe box, one would find it stuffed with so many stickers that it almost completely submerged his indoor shoes.

Most of these stickers had words like "trash gigolo," "get out of school," and "disgusting" written on them, clearly a prank targeting him.

The students standing nearby, changing their shoes, couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle when they saw Kyushu Makoto's annoyed look.

Although he didn't know whether the stickers were put there spontaneously by some students or by the newspaper club, Makoto Kyushu could only take a picture as evidence and then tear all the stickers off and throw them in the trash can.

He walked into the classroom, and his classmates looked at him with strange and timid eyes, whispering among themselves.

At noon, Kyushu Makoto sent the three delinquents to the rooftop to have lunch with his junior, Mizuhashi, while he ate alone in the classroom.

Kyushu Makoto told them not to get too close to him for the time being, lest they be ostracized as "accomplices of the gigolo".

As Shakespeare said, one who rashly intervenes in a duel between two masters will only be killed by a hail of swords.

His enemies now weren't just the journalism club and that vicious, venomous senior student, Karasu River; they were the entire school. He had been pushed to the opposite side of everyone.

This battle belongs solely to Makoto Kyushu. Neither the delinquents nor junior Mizuhashi are capable of getting involved; it's best to keep them at a distance.

After school, Makoto Kyushu chatted with Etori-sensei for a few more minutes, after which Etori-sensei was called to a meeting.

The next day, Kyushu Makoto's days at school were still not easy. He often saw his classmates casting strange glances at him in the corridor, and his shoebox was still full of abusive notes left by others.

At noon, Suzuki Yuujin sent him a text message saying that they had not yet been affected by the public opinion. However, Mizuhashi seemed very worried about Kyushu Makoto's situation, and he kept looking worried.