After Accidentally Helping a Famous Streamer Who Forgot to Turn Off Her Dungeon Stream, I Began to Go Viral as a Legendary Explorer ～ The Introverted Me Accidentally Dominating with My Mysterious Skill 'Ignore Rules' - Chapter 32: An Apology from the School

Chapter 32: An Apology from the School

～After Goyama and her mother had left

“Glup…”

Standing before the daunting door of the principal’s office, I swallowed hard.

Never in my life had I been summoned to the principal’s office. What kind of discussion awaited me?

Suppressing my tension somehow, I knocked on the door.

“Excuse me.”

I nervously opened the door to find the principal, a familiar figure from school assemblies, waiting for me.

An elderly man with an intellectual aura, almost entirely grey-haired and wearing silver-rimmed glasses, was standing as he awaited my arrival.

“Kirishima-kun, right? Please, come this way.”

The principal guided me to the sofa with an apologetic demeanor, as if he were a restaurant server. As I sat down, still bewildered, the principal took a seat on the opposite side of the table.

“I apologize for calling you here so suddenly. You must be puzzled to be summoned to the principal’s office.”

“No, not at all.”

On the table, there was a slice of shortcake and some tea.

The principal told me to “feel free to help myself,” but my tension made it impossible to eat. What on Earth could this be about?

As I sat there, bewildered, the principal suddenly stood up and bowed deeply.

“Kirishima-kun… I’m truly, deeply sorry for this!”

“Eh…?”

“I understand that an apology from me now will hardly make a difference. After all, it was I who overlooked the bullying.”

“…”

“Even so, please allow me to apologize. I’m truly sorry!”

The principal bowed deeply, almost as if his forehead would touch his thighs.

“Ah, please raise your head. I can’t help but feel uneasy when you apologize like that…”

“No, I won’t be satisfied unless I do this. I’m truly—deeply sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’m the sort of person who deserves to be bullied anyway.”

“K-Kirishima-kun…”

What was it? For a moment, the principal seemed to show a sorrowful expression. Was it just my imagination?

“Also—the disciplinary action against Goyama has been formally decided. Normally, it wouldn’t be something to discuss widely, but you’re directly involved, Kirishima-kun. I’ve called you here in part to report that to you.”

…I see.

Certainly, if we were going to discuss that, it wouldn’t be appropriate in a public setting.

“Let me start with the conclusion: Goyama has received a one-year suspension. Similar severe disciplinary actions will also be applied to his followers. You, Kirishima-kun, will no longer have to face any unjust treatment.”

“…”

“Of course, there’s no guarantee that he won’t cause trouble again after returning. In that case, we will take immediate and even stricter actions. The days of you being threatened by them… I can confidently say those days will not come again.”

“…Huh.”

What is it?

This should be good news. Just not meeting Goyama should substantially brighten my high school life.

Yet for some reason, my chest still felt empty.

“…What’s the matter, Kirishima-kun?”

“No… it’s just surprisingly anticlimactic. Maybe the bullying has settled so deeply in me that I can’t quite feel the impact of it being gone. I feel like it’s only natural for me to be bullied, so hearing it’ll stop from today doesn’t really resonate…”

“Kirishima-kun… No, perhaps this is the punishment I deserve…”

Again, the principal wore a sorrowful expression.

“I may not be in a position to say this, but I think you, Kirishima-kun, who have endured all this time, are truly strong and admirable. You’re receiving quite a lot of praise online, but even that’s not enough.”

“…”

“So please, have confidence. You are not someone who ‘deserves’ to be bullied. On the contrary, you’re a promising individual, a treasure for our country.”

“That’s… going too far. You’re exaggerating.”

Come to think of it, Miyu had said something similar.

—”Tsukushi-kun, you’re a much better person than Goyama, so I wish you’d have more confidence…”

But every time I denied it, her brows would furrow into a sad expression.

Wanting me to have confidence… Easier said than done, considering how difficult it is to actually implement that feeling.

“Also… there’s one more thing. I’d like to discuss this off the record, if you don’t mind.”

The principal touched the center of his glasses, his expression becoming more serious than before.

“Please be careful of Goyama’s mother—Yayoi Goyama. There’s no guarantee she won’t try something against you, Kirishima-kun. Of course, we’ll keep an eye on things while you’re at school, but we can’t cover you all the time…”