Do you remember what happened last time? On my second day of middle school in my past life?
Chaos. Absolute chaos.
And now, history seems to be repeating itself.
Oh, beloved mother… please send me your prayers from heaven.
Because I really need them right now.
May you rest in peace.
. . . .
The guy who just shouted didn’t hesitate—he lunged at me without a second thought.
Of course, I wasn’t about to stand there and take his punches. I dodged effortlessly.
"You dodged that? …Then how about this?!"
He attacked again. This time, I grabbed his arm, twisted it with just enough force to make him scream, then drove my foot into his stomach.
"...If you want to fight, just fight. Stop with the pointless talking, you damn idiot."
He dropped. Out cold.
Only then did I take a second to assess my surroundings.
The cafeteria had turned into a full-blown battlefield—delinquents and Kotori’s followers were clashing in chaotic waves of fists and fury.
I felt a strong sense of déjà vu. This is like me and the brats from back in the day.
I glanced behind me. Irana and Viola were still sitting there, completely unfazed.
But Kotori…?
Where was Kotori?
Irana silently pointed under a table.
I crouched down and, sure enough, there she was—clutching her head, trembling.
Wait… wasn’t she supposed to be the leader of this group? Why was she hiding?
I might’ve misunderstood her character.
Yesterday, the brats told me about her and her followers. I had assumed her situation mirrored mine, leading a group of weirdos against her will.
I pictured her as a strong, capable person—Like me.
I hadn’t considered the possibility that she was just… an ordinary girl pushed into a role she never wanted.
Ah. That was close.
I was in the middle of a battlefield—I couldn’t afford to get lost in thought.
Another one of Kotori’s followers suddenly charged at me, shouting, "I will save you, my princess!!"
…Why do I suddenly feel like the villain who kidnapped the princess? Should I told them the princess is in another castle?
I took another look around. Most of the uninvolved students had already fled the cafeteria. Meanwhile, Irana and Viola…
They were still sitting there, eating breakfast. Completely unbothered.
Why weren’t they scared? Why were they just calmly enjoying their meal like this was some kind of live entertainment? Aren’t Irana disgusted by that porridge?
Their reaction was a stark contrast to Kotori’s.
Maybe it was because of my influence that they weren’t afraid.
Ah—here comes another one.
Fine. You two keep eating. I’ll handle this.
I landed a clean punch to the jaw, sending another attacker sprawling and knocking a few teeth loose.
"Someone, call a teacher or security!!" I shouted, kicking another guy in the groin.
I took down about seven people before security finally arrived.
Believe me when I say this is an elite school. They might not have janitors, but their security guards? Intimidating as hell.
They looked like retired MMA fighters. The kind of people you really wouldn’t want to mess with.
Now, if you’re wondering how people like the brats and Kotori’s followers got into such a prestigious school—
The so-called “brats” were just kids playing at being gangsters. Especially Arthur. Strip away their rotten attitudes, and you’d think they were well-mannered honor students.
As for Kotori’s followers… they looked like something straight out of an Otome game. Handsome. Smart. Devoted to their “princess” like a brigade of loyal knights.
I needed to get out of here before the teachers showed up. I don’t want to get in trouble.
There were CCTV cameras, but if they reviewed the footage, I could just claim self-defense.
By the time security started breaking up the fight, Irana and Viola had already finished eating. I hadn’t even touched my breakfast yet.
Oh well. Who cares about breakfast now?
But I still needed energy.
I downed my corn porridge in one gulp, then ducked under the table and pulled Kotori out. She was still trembling.
I signalled Irana and Viola, and we slipped out of the cafeteria.
I picked Kotori up princess-style and carried her out.
From behind, I heard someone yell—
"They’re kidnapping the princess!!"
…Excuse me?
I really wanted to yell back, "Who’s kidnapping the princess?! Do I look like Bows*r to you? Your princess is in another castle!!"
But I didn’t have time for that.
From the corner of my eye, I saw a bald security guard knock out a student with a single punch.
Yeah. Not sticking around for that.
Once we made it out of the cafeteria, I let out a deep breath.
For some reason, Irana and Viola immediately headed to the restroom.
I thought about following them, but first—I had to deal with Kotori.
She was still clinging to me, crying softly.
She really was a delicate princess.
I gently set her down and patted her head.
"It’s okay. You don’t have to be scared anymore. We’re far away from the cafeteria now."
She sniffled. "This is all my fault... I... I’m sorry!"
Then, to my surprise—she threw her arms around me, burying her face in my chest.