Chapter 14 What’s the point of taking the blame for the budget (Please follow)_1

Words : 1399 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 14: Chapter 14 What’s the point of taking the blame for the budget (Please follow)_1Tokyo’s night has no stars. Adachi District is a place where high-rises and low-rises coexist. Here, the brilliance of neon lights flashes, and there are also pitch-dark alleys where you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Aozawa ran for an hour, finally returning to the entrance of Ayase Apartment with his head drenched in sweat. "HUFF, HUFF," he gasped heavily, glancing at the 12.6km displayed on his phone. Earlier, under hypnosis, he had told his reflection to "Run 12.5km in one hour." However, due to his actual physical fitness, his running speed differed from the hypnotically suggested pace. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. His heart was pounding, and the soreness in his legs and physical fatigue were within tolerable limits. Aozawa entered the apartment building and took the elevator to the sixth floor. He twisted open the cap of his mineral water bottle and gulped down the remaining half, replenishing his body’s lost fluids. DING! The elevator doors opened. Aozawa stepped out, raised his hand, and pressed the doorbell for apartment 601, but there was no response from inside. With a helpless expression, he took out his phone and sent a message: "Sister Chitose, please open the door." The message was marked as read. Aozawa continued to press the doorbell. Then, he copied the message and spammed the send button. The tightly closed door suddenly opened. Morimoto Chiyoda stood behind the door, her long hair draped over her shoulders, clad in a purple silk slip dress. The fabric was so thin it seemed almost translucent, like cicada wings. It reached only to her hips, leaving her jade-smooth legs exposed. With her arms crossed over her chest, she said, "So you finally remembered to come back. I thought you’d just run off and sleep in the park." "Chitose, I didn’t say anything because I didn’t want you to worry," he said. "If you don’t want me to worry, then don’t do such dangerous things! Challenging an enemy one-on-one, making them promise to let you go if they lose—have you even considered what happens if they go back on their word? Do you think real life is a movie?" Morimoto Chiyoda, annoyed, reached out and grabbed his ear. Aozawa deliberately shouted, "Ouch, ouch, that hurts!" He tilted his head forward, trying to get closer to the impressive curve of her chest. "You little brat! I haven’t even used any strength yet," Morimoto Chiyoda said, shooting him an unamused glare. She then slapped his head. "Go take a bath! You stink!" "I knew Chitose was a caring person," Aozawa replied with a grin, quickly slipping into the apartment. He closed the door behind him and said seriously, "Can’t let anyone else get a free show." Morimoto Chiyoda was amused by his antics. She poked his forehead with her index finger and warned coquettishly, "Letting you off easy, you little rascal! If something like this happens again, don’t think you can get away with it so easily!" Aozawa, sensing the trap in her words, said seriously, "Don’t worry, there won’t be a next time." Morimoto Chiyoda’s smile vanished. She huffed, "Hmph. At least you know your place." Aozawa, having dodged a bullet, beat a hasty retreat to the bathroom. 「The next day, at Brilliant High School, ten minutes before class began.」 Aozawa finished his Kendo club morning practice and hurried to his classroom. He skillfully entered through the back door without attracting the attention of other students. Hojo Tetsuji’s seat was empty. It seemed his delinquent streak was flaring up, tempting him to skip class. Aozawa pulled out his chair and sat down. The blonde girl in front of him turned around. Her chest rested on the tabletop, and she encircled it with her arms, creating a sturdy Steel Fortress. "Did the police come to your house to ask questions yesterday?" "Yeah, they asked a few questions and left. I heard there was a fire behind the warehouse. Do you know what happened?" "I’ll tell you some private information, but don’t tell anyone else." A mysterious look appeared on the girl’s fair cheeks. She deliberately lowered her voice and leaned her head forward. Aozawa cooperatively tilted his head, bringing his ear closer. Phoenix Academy Maggie whispered softly, "It’s related to the Department of Energy of the United States. According to information my mother received, forensic experts deduced that Ono Taro was injected with a large dose of a potent stimulant before he died. Only American laboratories in Japan could obtain such a highly pure, specialized stimulant." Her voice was very soft. The fragrant breath from her words brushed past Aozawa’s ear and then his cheek, making even mundane topics sound exceedingly pleasant. Aozawa straightened his head, about to speak. Their eyes met. They were so close, it seemed their noses might touch. Even at this distance, it was difficult to see a single pore on Phoenix Academy Maggie’s face. It was as exquisite as porcelain. "Ahem." After barely holding eye contact for two seconds, Phoenix Academy Maggie could no longer maintain her composure. She slowly moved back to a normal distance and said casually, "It’s also Ono Taro’s fault for acting so arrogantly, to the point of getting a researcher from the laboratory killed. That person confessed he wanted Ono dead, and attacking the official residence was his attempt to get transferred back to his home country." Aozawa was confused. Were people actually fighting to take the blame? "The laboratory gave that person a severe warning and recalled him home for a ’vacation.’ The Department of Energy plans to increase that laboratory’s budget by several hundred million for a super-soldier project." This answer was unexpected for Aozawa, yet it made a certain kind of sense. Those people at the laboratory really have the guts to try and swindle budget funds, huh. Aozawa changed the topic. "You just went through a kidnapping. Is your mother really okay with you still studying here?" "People like Ono are rare, after all," Phoenix Academy Maggie replied offhandedly. In truth, after the kidnapping, Kochou had wanted her to transfer to a private school for nobles. The security there was obviously stronger than at Brilliant High School—not just anyone could enter—but she had refused. Her reason was that she wanted to practice the Emperor’s Way here and find talented individuals worthy of befriending. The students at a noble school couldn’t be considered for her inner circle, as their family allegiances would be too entangled. Kochou had been quite pleased with her reasoning and agreed to let her stay. However, Kochou also decided to replace the school’s current security with well-trained bodyguards, rent a nearby shop, and arrange for private security personnel to be stationed there. Phoenix Academy Maggie was well aware that her mother had always intended to train her as a successor. Her mother was a proud woman who firmly believed that women were in no way inferior to men, so she held Maggie to strict standards. She wouldn’t disappoint her mother’s expectations. She just wanted to carve out a little space for herself within those expectations, a space to pursue what she had always felt was missing in her life—the genuine article: true, unadulterated friendship or love. Phoenix Academy Maggie gazed at Aozawa. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly changed the subject. "Class is about to start. Why hasn’t Hojo arrived yet?" "He skips class so often, it’d be strange if he actually showed up on time," Aozawa remarked. A tall figure appeared at the back door. Hojo Tetsuji hurried into the classroom, rushed to his seat, and said, "That was close!" He really is like Cao Cao—speak of him and he appears, Aozawa thought. Phoenix Academy Maggie looked surprised. "Hojo, why are you late today?" With a troubled look, Hojo Tetsuji lamented, "I ran into the police on the way here. They questioned me for ages; I almost didn’t make it on time." "It’s because you dress so strangely. You don’t look like a high school student at all," Aozawa teased. Unperturbed, Hojo Tetsuji responded confidently, "This is what it means to be a real man." BRRRING! The school bell rang, signaling the start of class. It interrupted Aozawa, who promptly straightened his posture, ready for the lesson.

Chapter 14 What’s the point of taking the blame for the budget (Please follow)_1

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