Hawks from the Land of Light are calling me a dove and an undercover agent in the chat group.

“…Oh?” Marina Kirisaka looked a little confused. “What does ‘oh’ mean?”

"It means I understand."

Kuze Shizuka gave a sweet smile, picked up a pen, and poked Kirisaka Marina from a distance, "You can apologize if you want, what does it have to do with me? Anyway, I'm not going to forgive you, so that's it."

Nishimiya Shoko forgave Ishida Shoya because she was kind, and Ishida Shoya's bullying actions were still within acceptable limits.

As for Shizuka Kuze?

She didn't resist because she lacked the ability and was cowardly, not because of kindness. Kuze Shizuka's beatings, tearing up her homework, repeatedly getting her soaked in the toilet, and even deliberately tripping her during PE class were all examples of how she was treated.

She dares not forget any of these acts of bullying.

Before Takeshi Yagokoro appeared, she lived in deep despair every day. Every night she had nightmares about being bullied, and every morning when she woke up, the first thing she thought of was how she would be bullied again.

Even when school was over, I didn't dare to relax, because I didn't know if Marina would continue outside of school. Although that was rare, it did happen sometimes.

Nobody knew she had ever considered hanging herself to end her life.

If it weren't for Chabi always being there for her, she definitely wouldn't have been able to hold on, she definitely wouldn't have been able to hold on until the teacher appeared in her world.

So, should we make her forgive Marina Kirisaka?

Marina Kirisaka seemed somewhat dazed. She probably hadn't even considered what would happen after her apology, and now, being rejected so decisively, she didn't know what to do. She could only stammer instinctively, "Wait, wait... then, then I'm just..."

"Yes, you will always be the murderer, always the vicious villain, what's wrong with that? Do you think you can wash away your past actions by a simple apology? You're dreaming."

Shizuka Kuze pursed her lips, stood up from her seat, raised the pen and approached the stunned Marina Kirasaka. Then, after a moment's hesitation, she plunged the sharp pen tip heavily into Marina Kirasaka's shoulder without hesitation.

"—It hurts!" Marina Kirisaka cried out in alarm, her face contorted in pain.

"This is nothing!"

Kuze Shizuka scoffed, "How many times have you done this to me? Do you even remember? See? You really can't remember. After all, in your eyes, this level of bullying is so light that it doesn't even deserve your attention, right?"

She stood high above Marina Kirisaka, who was still bowing and being poked by the tip of a pen, and began to tremble slightly.

The balance of power shifted, and at this moment, Marina Mimasaka felt a sense of intimidation from Shizuka Kuze, a terror born of violence.

The intimidation and terror of violence she inflicted on Shizuka Kuze over the past year or so is ten or even a hundred times greater than what she is experiencing now!

Marina Mica Saka's imagination began to run wild.

She watched as Kuze Shizuka continued to hold the pen high, as if adjusting the angle to aim it at her eyes. At this moment, Yunmizaka Marina's voice was filled with fear, "Kuse-san? You, you wouldn't... No, don't!"

She screamed, instinctively covering her face with her hands, her voice trembling with sobs and fear, revealing her most vulnerable side.

She had thought that once her mother stopped beating her, she would never show this attitude again. But now, she felt this terror even more strongly in Shizuka Kuze, the person she had been bullying all along.

Marina Kirisaka was prepared for her arm to be stabbed repeatedly, to experience pain again and again, and even for Shizuka Kuze to be kicked over.

Kuze Shizuka would grab her hair, slam her head against the blackboard, and use a blackboard eraser to make her hair and clothes incredibly dirty. Then, she would drag her by the hair and make her stand in the hallway, letting others see how dirty she had become.

All these possibilities flashed through Marina Kirisaka's mind in an instant, making her more fearful than ever before.

Although she didn't do all of these things, she did do some of them.

It was at this moment that Marina Kirisaka suddenly realized that her past actions towards Shizuka Kuze were actually terrifying to this extent.

Before this, she knew she had done something wrong and knew she should apologize.

But she never imagined how much trouble and terror her bullying would cause others.

Only at this moment, as the bullied one who had been turned around, did Marina Kirisaka begin to realize with horror the deeper truth.

Now, just like seeing Nishimiya's mother, Kirara Saka's mother, she understood for the first time so clearly and truly her biggest mistake.

She wanted to beg for mercy, but she didn't even have the right to beg. All her pleas were just sobs swirling in her throat, unable to escape her lips.

What grounds does she have to beg for mercy?

Kuze Shizuka's revenge against her is only just beginning. It's far from enough to repay her a hundredfold, let alone a full repayment.

Despite countless pleas for mercy from Shizuka Kuze, she never showed any mercy, instead beating Shizuka Kuze even more severely.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

Micuzaka Marina sobbed and trembled as she apologized, bracing herself for the onslaught of bullying.

However, the anticipated harm and pain never occurred.

Trembling as she apologized, Marina Kirisaka lowered her hands, which she had been protecting, and looked up to see Shizuka Kuze looking dejected.

What are you afraid of?

Kuze Shizuka asked her, "Are you afraid I'll hit you the way you hit me?"

Marina Kirisaka admits that's what she thinks, but she doesn't even have the courage to answer right now.

"You're right to be afraid. I have thought about doing that," Shizuka Kuze murmured to herself. "As long as I don't go too far, even the teacher wouldn't stop me, right?"

After all, the bullying that Marina Kirisaka inflicted on her was so severe that even Takeshi Yato, who clearly opposed "retaliation against bullying," couldn't stop her from carrying out some form of beating in revenge.

Because of the harm she suffered and her position, she was so wronged that she actually had the right to take some degree of violent revenge against the bullies in front of Mr. Yagami.

However, the fact that the teacher won't stop her doesn't mean she has to do it.

"You should be glad you've forgiven me. I will remember how you bullied me for the rest of my life. But I won't let your bullying affect me. Now, I'm going to be a good kid who makes the teacher happy!"

She would despise Marina Kirasaka when she saw her, and she would curse Marina Kirasaka when she was angry about what happened in the past. She would not help Marina Kirasaka hide her identity as a bully.

But retaliating with violence is enough.

She was never a violent person to begin with. Although Marina Kirisaka had bullied her so much back then, after stabbing Marina Kirisaka with the tip of her pen, she realized that violent revenge would not make her happy.

Of course, Shizuka Kuze simply doesn't like doing this, but that doesn't mean she thinks violent revenge is unjust. On the contrary, she thinks it is just and righteous.

If other victims of bullying were to retaliate against their bullies with violence, Shizuka Kuze would wholeheartedly agree, but she herself simply has no interest in it.

Teacher Yago would not like this approach either.

And most importantly, she no longer needs revenge to redeem herself.

Now, she has a loving teacher, a mother and grandmother who are more like her real mother and grandmother than her biological mother, a girl named Shoko who was also a bully and shares a common identity, an interesting guy named Ishida Shoya who has reformed, and an octopus named Pichi who is becoming more and more humane under the guidance of her teacher.

There are others, and many more.

Her life has turned around and is thriving. The bullying she experienced will no longer make her feel inferior or afraid, and will not leave any shadows.

Even if everyone, including Takeshi Yagami, disappears now, leaving her alone to face Marina Kirisaka, who bullied her in the past, she will never be afraid again, nor will she submit to fate; she will fight back to the very end.

So, it doesn't matter anymore.

For her, the past is truly just the past.

"So, take your repentance and go apologize yourself. Anyway, I will not forgive you, I have not forgiven you."

Kuze Shizuka finished speaking in a sunny and relaxed manner, without the slightest hint of reluctance, and easily returned to her seat, leaving Kirisaka Marina standing there.

When the teacher of the first class came in, she was dumbfounded to find out what was going on, and then told Marina Kirisaka to go back to her seat.

Marina Kirisaka spent the entire day in a daze until the last class was Takeshi Yato's class. After class, she rushed to the office like a madwoman and asked, "What should I do?!"

To this, Takeshi Yagami responded, "I don't know."

Marina Kirisaka's crimes were too grave, and it's normal that she wouldn't be forgiven. Of course, Takeshi Yato wouldn't force Shizuka Kuze to forgive her; whether or not to forgive is Shizuka Kuze's prerogative.

As for Marina, if she had known this would happen, why did she do it in the first place?

However, seeing how sincere and affected Marina was, Takeshi Yato sighed and gave her some pointers: "Go find Shoya, see what he did, and talk to him."

As fellow bullies, how does Ishida Shoya atone for his sins, and what is his mental journey like? After understanding these things, it's time to see what Kirasaka Marina will do.

To be honest, even Yashiro Takeshi finds it hard to say exactly how to strike the right balance. Ultimately, bullying is very difficult to quantify.

What kind of atonement do the bullied need from the bully? What kind of revenge do they need? Even for adults like Takeshi Yagami, it's hard to say.

After dealing with the biggest situation and seeing Marina Kirisaka repent, the rest is probably up to the perpetrator and the victim to think and act independently.

Yashiro still has a task to complete today.

Today's home visit destination is the family of class monitor Higashi Naoki.

Volume 1: 496. The Horror of Family-Based PUA and Guilt-Based Education

496. The horrors of family-based psychological manipulation and guilt-based education

On the way to Higashi Naoki's house, Yato Takeshi had already learned that it was yet another single-parent family.

Naoki Higashi's parents were both doctors, but his father was very famous and had to earn money to support the family. For a period of time, he performed too many surgeries in a row. When he was finally able to rest after the last surgery, he was found dead in the hospital the next day.

He didn't go home; instead, he died suddenly from overwork.

As a result, Higashi Naoki's family received an honorary title and became very wealthy. However, after witnessing her husband's fate, her mother gave up her job at the same large hospital and used the government compensation money to open her own clinic.

The Dong Medical Clinic has a prestigious reputation; it's a well-established brand.

The mother certainly didn't want to repeat her husband's mistakes, but she wouldn't give up her identity and reputation as a doctor. In order to uphold the reputation her husband had built with his life, she became increasingly demanding of herself in medicine, even to the point of being somewhat obsessive.

Upon hearing this, Takeshi Ya's thoughts wandered, and he asked in return, "Is it really just that you're getting more and more demanding of yourself with medical care?"

It is absolutely certain that Higashi Naoki is an abnormal child.

He clearly has an extraordinary obsession with gaining recognition, to the point that he is almost on the verge of developing mental health issues.

Given Higashi Naoki's age, it's obvious that his parents were the primary cause of this obsession, without even needing to speculate.

"..." But Naoki Higashi didn't answer and remained silent.

I don't know if it's because I'm unwilling to talk about it, or because it involves my mother and I'm afraid to say it, or because I really feel that I have no problem.

However, even if he didn't say anything, it wouldn't stop Yashiro Takeshi from finding out the truth through his own observation. On the contrary, Higashi Naoki's reaction made him even more certain of the problem with the child.

While Higashi Naoki remained silent, the two people, one adult and one child, arrived at the door. Yato pressed the doorbell: "Hello, Mrs. Higashi, I am a teacher at Sakuraoka Elementary School and Higashi's new homeroom teacher. I'm here for a home visit."

Although the clinic is quite busy, Mrs. Dong was already waiting at home because the home visit had been arranged in advance.

Upon hearing these sounds, she immediately came out and opened the door without a second's delay, gracefully inviting Ya to come in: "Excuse me, please come in, please come in. I'm so sorry to trouble you to come for a home visit. Oh, Ya's teacher is such a handsome man, please come in, please come in."

On the surface, nothing seems amiss.

They were very enthusiastic, though a bit over the top, but that's how parents normally behave when dealing with teachers.

Mrs. Dong immediately picked up the brand-new indoor shoes and placed them in front of Ya De Meng. While watching him change his shoes, she asked cautiously, "Um, Mr. Ya, is there something our Dong-jun has done wrong at school?"

"Huh? No, no, no, how could that be? Dong is a diligent and hardworking student at school, and he's doing a great job as class monitor. Both the teachers and his classmates have a very high opinion of him."