The next day…
When both Minato and Makoto were on their way to Shujin and head into the school early, they saw and greeted Hanzo, Haru and Ken (who greeted back to them) before they saw Ushimaru-sensei standing and berating some male students about cheating in tests inside the school before he noticed the 5 of them, dismiss the male students, approach and told both Minato and Makoto to stop before he tell Minato that Principal Kobayakawa wanted to see him in his office. Minato nodded to Ushimaru-sensei before he left Makoto, Hanzo, Haru and Ken, went upstairs to the second floor where the principal office is while Makoto, Hanzo, Haru and Ken went to their class together.
"I wonder why the principal called for you, Minato." said Pharos curiously to Minato.
"I think I know on why he'd called for me but I'd rather not jumped into conclusions until I'm sure of it, Pharos." said Minato as he arrived, opened and entered the principal office.
"I suppose you're right, Minato." said Pharos before he fell silent.
"You asked to see me, principal? About what, exactly?" asked Minato coolly to the principal after he entered the office.
"Yes, I did, Arisato-kun. And it's about what Niijima-san call and told me yesterday about you rejecting the request to look into the matter of the Phantom Thieves. Why do you not want to look into it, Arisato-kun?" said principal Kobayakawa in disappointment at Minato rejecting the request.
"Simple. Because I don't want to, principal." said Minato bluntly to the principal. "Of course she'd tell him straight away that I refused the request." added Minato in disappointment in his mind at Makoto.
"…Still, won't you give it some more thoughts, Arisato-kun? If either you or Niijima-san could look into the matter of the phantom thieves and swiftly solved it then the rumors of this school will go away and the students will be alright. Once it does, I'll handle the mass media and the police in the correct fashion and I'll write and provide a letter of recommendation for you for a job well done, Arisato-kun." said principal Kobayakawa as he gave a small smile to Minato.
"…I get it now. So that is his true reason in getting me and Makoto-san to look into the matter of the phantom thieves. He reminds me of that Ekoda-sensei back when I was a student in Gekkoukan high." thought Minato coldly in his mind at principal Kobayakawa before he think back about the time that he, Yukari and Junpei saw Mitsuru confronted Ekoda-sensei about the absence of Fuuka Yamagishi after she got Natsuki Moriyama to confess on what she and her friends did to Fuuka inside the faculty office.
XXXX
Flashback, inside the faculty office in Gekkoukan high…
"I see. By the way, Ekoda-sensei… All this time, you've attributed Yamagishi's absences to "illness". But in reality, she was missing. Surely you must have been aware of that… What was your intention?" said Mitsuru as she glance at Ekoda-sensei.
"I was thinking of the students, of course." said Ekoda-sensei as he shrugged his shoulders and glance at Mitsuru. "You childrens may not understand, but we've to consider the future of everyone affected."
"You mean, you choose not to report this to the police for the "good of the class"." said Mitsuru.
"It-It was in her best interest. I wouldn't want her records to be stained by something like this. Her parents agree to it too!" said Ekoda-sensei.
"So to protect your career, you ignored your responsibility as a teacher… How despicable…!" snapped Mitsuru coldly at Ekoda-sensei.
"I-I didn't… I-I was just…" stammer Ekoda-sensei before he fell silent and look down with a guilty look on his face.
"Damn, she's ruthless. Don't you think so, Minato?"whisper Junpei nervously to Minato.
"If you say so." whisper Minato as he shrugged his shoulders.
Flashback ends
XXXX
"Is that so, principal? Then I'm sorry to tell you that my answer stays the same. I don't want and refused the request to look into the phantom thieves matter. Now if there's nothing else that you wanted to tell me then excuse me because I'm late for class." said Minato coldly to principal Kobayakawa (which make him flinch at his cold tone of voice) as he turned around to open the door, left the office (and ignoring the principal calling him to come back), head into the classroom, sat in his seat and spend the next few hours listening to the lectures of the teachers while writing homework in his notebooks until school ended for the day then he packed up his things, bade farewell to his friends in his class and in class 2-D before he went home with Makoto.
