Tokyoites don't have martial virtue

"The chairman values ​​me a lot and said he'd promote me ahead of schedule!"

"Ah~ I'm so envious!" Ms. Shizuha said, resting her chin on her hand. "Ryoko was the best student in our class before, and she also loves the teaching profession. It's only natural that the school values ​​her!"

"Does Ms. Jiang Niao really love being a teacher?" Kyushu Makoto asked curiously.

"Yes, she said that her dream was to teach children, nurture them into successful individuals, and finally say 'Congratulations on your graduation' to them," Teacher Jingye recalled.

"Oh, did she really say that?" Kyushu Makoto pinched his chin, staring at Etori-sensei with a suspicious look.

"Stop talking about it...it's all in the past." Teacher Jiang Niao gave an embarrassed, awkward laugh and quickly changed the subject:

"I came here today to find out about Karasukawa Sakifumi's junior high school experience."

Without saying a word, Teacher Jingye took out a notebook covered with sticky notes and handed it to Teacher Jiangniao.

"Ya Chuan is notorious for causing trouble at our Chenglan Middle School. The troublemakers from nearby middle schools are terrified of her. In the third year of junior high, even a delinquent student from the neighboring industrial vocational school was sent to the hospital for messing with her."

Shizuha opened the notebook to a page with the title "Karasawa Sakifumi":

"As for violating school rules and not dressing appropriately, she has done so many that she can't even remember them all. The teachers all have a headache with her, and the students are afraid of her."

Ms. Jiangniao took the notebook in surprise. Most of the contents were records of disciplinary warnings against Karasawa Saki, as well as many reports of her fighting both on and off campus.

“But… the student evaluations we received from high school… only said she was a lively and active student…” Teacher Jiang Niao gasped, her words slurred. She never imagined she had taught such a dangerous student.

"Who told her father to be a notorious yakuza in Chiba Prefecture, and her mother to be a former biker gangster?" Ms. Shizuha complained, resting her chin on her hand.

"Which teacher would dare to write a bad review for her? Wouldn't that be displeasing her family and courting disaster?"

Ms. Jiangniao said somewhat uncertainly, "But she is now one of the best students in our high school, and she has become the head of the news department. She is an elite student with excellent character and academic performance, and you can't see a trace of a delinquent student."

"Huh? Is that so?" Teacher Jingye stared in surprise. "Could it be... that she's experienced some new trauma?"

"A new stimulus?" Kyushu Makoto sensed something suspicious and quickly asked, "You mean, she's experienced some kind of stimulus before?"

"Yes, it was around the time she was in sixth grade." Ms. Jingye nodded, resting her chin on her hand and sighing.

"I heard that Karasukawa Sakifumi used to be a smart and well-behaved child. Even though her father was a yakuza, many teachers and classmates still liked her."

"However, when she was in sixth grade, a gang fight broke out in Chiba Prefecture, and she was also a victim, accidentally getting caught up in it. Since then, her personality has changed drastically, and she has become violent. She must have experienced something terrible at that time, and it was a shock that made her like this."

Kyushu Makoto and Etori-sensei both fell silent, trying to process the information.

"Well, I just overheard other teachers talking about it, so don't take it too seriously!" Teacher Jingye quickly added a few words of explanation:

"Speaking of which, I used to teach Saki's Japanese class. The one that left the deepest impression on me was an essay she wrote about 'Father.' In it, she wrote: 'When I was little, my dream was to become a yakuza as cool as my father... Looking back now, I realize I didn't understand what the yakuza were at all; I was simply proud of him. Now, I've never hated my father so much. I hate him for being such a despicable and vile yakuza, I hate him for deceiving me with his promises about how cool and noble the yakuza was, I hate the me who was once proud of him... I hate him so much that I want to use any means necessary to become stronger, until I kill him.'"

Teacher Jiangniao was stunned, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

A child wrote in her essay that she wanted to kill her father... What kind of resentment could that be? No wonder Mr. Karakawa said he had difficulty communicating with his daughter; it seems the actual situation is even more serious than he described.

"Later, I talked to Saki about it, but she wouldn't tell me anything and even snatched the essay and tore it up." Teacher Shizuha's face was filled with sorrow as memories gradually surfaced:

“I didn’t dare to inform her parents either; I don’t want to deal with underworld families.”

After a moment, Ms. Jiang Niao took a deep breath and said in a slightly trembling voice, "Thank you, Jingye. Is there anything else you can remember?"

"I can't think of anything else... I'll contact you again if there are any further developments," said Teacher Jingye.

"It's quite a coincidence, really. I never expected that you'd end up with that troublesome child."

"Excuse me, Shizuha-sensei!" At this moment, Kyushu Makoto asked somewhat anxiously:

"Do you know anything about the underworld organization that Ya Chuan's father belongs to?"

"Their organization is called 'Tengu Alliance,' and it used to be a rather radical militant group," Teacher Jingye replied after thinking for a moment.

"However, I heard that they had already fallen out of business three years ago and started making a living by selling milk tea and seafood rice bowls, which is probably related to the disbandment of the Mountain Dragon Society. Now that the Yagawa family has moved to Tokyo, perhaps he has retired from his criminal activities?"

“You’re right, Mr. Karakawa’s little finger was cut off.” Kyushu Makoto confirmed this guess.

"Wow... the underworld is really scary! They actually have to cut off your little finger to quit!" Teacher Jingye exclaimed in surprise.

"If teachers have to cut off their little finger when they retire, I would never study to become a teacher!"

"Jingye, don't say such scary things..." Teacher Jiangniao clicked her tongue helplessly.

"Hehe~ Just kidding~" Teacher Jingye smiled mischievously: "By the way, would you two like to stay for a casual meal?"

Kyushu Makoto gave Etori-sensei a wink.

"No need, we have other things to do and need to leave soon." Teacher Jiang Niao understood immediately and quickly stood up.

"Thank you so much! I'll repay you properly next time I have the chance!"

"Not at all, Yoshiko, you're too kind! Let's keep in touch!"

Teacher Jingye chatted and laughed all the way as she saw the two of them out the door.

35. It's better to slander others than to prove yourself.

"Then, let's analyze the current situation."

A moment later, Makoto Kyushu and Etori-sensei were sitting in a nearby hamburger joint. Makoto Kyushu said while chewing on his hamburger:

"First of all, I can already conclude that Senior Karasu's family used to be involved in the underworld, and because she suffered some kind of trauma in elementary school, she became a notorious delinquent in middle school."

"Secondly, her relationship with her parents is extremely poor; she even wrote in a junior high school essay that she wanted to kill her father... This might be related to her father's underworld connections. Now it seems unlikely that we can ask her parents to extract information from her."

Kyushu Makoto took out his phone and showed the photos of the notebook he had just taken at Shizuha-sensei's house.

"In short, these two pieces of information can become my trump card in the fight against Senior Karasawa, and may give me a better chance of winning the 'Class Trial'."

Ms. Jiangniao asked with a worried look, "But the 'class trial' is to prove whether you work at a hostess shop, which has nothing to do with what you're talking about, right? You made me spend so much time with you just to investigate Karakawa-kun's personal privacy?"

"No, that's incorrect." Kyushu Makoto shook his head and lectured Etori-sensei:

“Since the original intention of ‘Academic Trial’ is to simulate court proceedings, the means that are allowed in real courts should also be allowed in ‘Academic Trial’. There is a means in court called ‘supplementary explanation’, which is to investigate and present evidence that is not related to the case itself but is closely related to the people involved in the case, in order to strengthen one’s own claims or weaken the opponent’s claims and manipulate the judge’s judgment.”

"For example, if the opponent sends a tainted witness and I have no way to refute his testimony, I can exercise the power of 'supplementary explanation' to directly deny the veracity of the testimony by proving that the witness is of 'misconduct' and put forward the hypothesis that 'the witness may lie in order to gain merit.'"

"For example, if the suspect in a case is a repeat offender, the prosecutor can provide 'supplementary explanations' by digging up the suspect's past criminal history, arguing that 'the defendant is a habitual offender, so he must have had a motive for the crime.'"

Ms. Jiangniao was still completely confused: "But... what does this have to do with your investigation of Karasu-kun?"

"The journalism club will definitely send someone to testify at this class trial. Since that's the case, instead of trying so hard to prove myself, why not just directly discredit them and take control of the situation?" Kyushu Makoto smiled faintly.

"Think about it, if the whole school knew that the head of the news department was actually a former delinquent girl from a gangster family, wouldn't the news department's prestige be greatly damaged? How many people would believe their claims and testimonies? Many people would even think that the current news department is actually a delinquent student group disguised as an elite student organization, and from then on they would look down on them."

"How...how terrifying...So Kyushu-kun has such thoughts..." Teacher Jiangiao felt a chill run down her spine, and couldn't help but feel even more fear towards the boy.

"What's truly terrifying is the journalism club; they've harmed countless students using these methods!" Kyushu Seiichi slammed his fist on the table, retorting disdainfully.

"As a victim, what's wrong with me retaliating with a heavy blow? I'm not some heroic protagonist in a children's cartoon who has to defeat the enemy in a fair and square way! I will give them a taste of their own medicine!"

"Well... that's not wrong..." Teacher Jiang Niao could only nod and agree with a forced smile, not daring to say anything more.

Makoto Kyushu, was this the thought that led you to take revenge on me...?

“Originally, if Senior Karasawa’s background was clean and there were no stains to be found, I was even planning to have you help me investigate the other core members of the newspaper club.” Kyushu Makoto leaned on the table, his tone becoming somewhat more relaxed:

"But now it seems that just the scandals about Senior Karasu are explosive enough."

"Then... then there's nothing more for me to do after that, right?" Teacher Jiang Niao asked cautiously.

"Yes, thank you so much for these past few days." Kyushu Makoto nodded gratefully, "You've gone to so much trouble for ***, it must have been really hard for you."

"Honestly, don't say such nice things. Anyway, I don't have the right to refuse you."

Teacher Jiang Niao glanced awkwardly at her watch, her tone wistful:

"It's already eight o'clock, and I can't believe I'm still out so late with my students. I really don't know how I'm going to explain this to someone I know..."

"Going to great lengths to help students in need is also something an 'excellent teacher' should do," Kyushu Makoto said calmly.

"I really don't understand why Teacher Jingye said you have a passion for the 'teacher' profession... Is it because exploiting students gives you pleasure?"

"I..." Teacher Jiang Niao subconsciously bit her lip, as if she wanted to say something, but she hesitated and stopped herself:

"Alright, let's part ways here for today. We have class tomorrow, so Kyushu, you should get some rest too."

"Alright." Kyushu Makoto nodded and parted ways with Etori-sensei.

Sitting on the train back to Shinjuku, Makoto Kyushu suddenly received a text message from Genji Takatsuki, the most aloof member of the "Three Delinquents":

[Hey, Makoto Kyushu! I've gotten in touch with that senior. When are you planning to meet him?]

"Senior?" Kyushu Makoto recalled his previous request: "Is it the senior who was blackmailed by the newspaper club?"

With only two days left until the "class referee" meeting, there wasn't much time to waste. He quickly replied: "Let's meet tomorrow! Let's find a restaurant far from the school!"

"Oh, I'll arrange it." came the indifferent reply from the other end.

The next day after school, Makoto Kyushu and Genji Takatsuki agreed to meet at a coffee shop two subway stops away from the school.

He entered the coffee shop and went to a table on the inside. A dark-skinned young man with a buzz cut, wearing sunglasses and a tracksuit, was waiting there.

"Hello, are you Nishio-senpai?" Kyushu Makoto had learned the person's name in advance through the text message, so he tentatively greeted him.

"You must be... Kyushu-kun?" Nishio-senpai cautiously removed his sunglasses and asked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm glad you could come." Kyushu Makoto's tone was filled with joy.

The two ordered a coffee each, and then Makoto Kyushu began to explain the current situation.

"So you're planning to go against the newspaper club, right?" After listening to the explanation, Nishio-senpai slowly placed the steaming coffee cup down and couldn't help but laugh.