Right before the sun would usually begin to shine its light on the second day of the Sunrise Festival, all of the students began to awaken, ready to continue the work they had been doing. However, there was some uncertainty in their minds. The incident, which had involved Class 3-1's takoyaki stand burning down, that took place on the previous night was still on their minds.
The first thought going through many minds was simply that it was an accident, unable to be controlled, even by the standards set forth by the student council and their respective class representatives. Those thoughts eventually turned into a sense of hostility towards those supposedly doing the inspections. Maybe it was their negligence on the boys that caused this to happen. Maybe the boys needed more supervision but were free to do what they wanted most of the time. Reports of one of the quints, the one wearing a ribbon, supposedly showed her going everywhere she could helping people left and right. While some people believed she could have been fooling around, those rumors were disproven once the people that asked for her to help showed themselves. However, not many people could make a case for the male class representative, Fuutarou. While some claim that he was doing work to the best of his abilities, there were also reports of him seemingly making circles through the same places, taking the other quints on what was seen as a tour and even making one of them mad.
People who couldn't differentiate the quints from one another believed that the same one that went with Fuutarou to do something at the takoyaki stand was the same one that seemed to have a fallout with him later in the day. These rumors did not make it to the ears of said quintuplets. The ones that did hear the rumors began to feel like this was something that could have been done on purpose. Tsubaki couldn't refute this even though she wanted to due to the lack of evidence as her team wasn't anywhere near the takoyaki stand all day. The boys barring Maeda didn't say anything as they were too disheartened over what had happened while Maeda's statements were ignored as he was the only one really speaking up. Maeda knew through his family how quickly rumors spread, but he was unable to put a stop to it. Nino, who was touted as the leader of the takoyaki side, was never really seen there, leading to more confusion over the leadership of the stall…
…
Tsubaki:"Gah! It's so frustrating having to watch as clear misinformation is being spread around! Ah! It's so my fault for not going to the takoyaki stand or at least somewhere close. If this was done by somebody, then the camera could have discouraged them in a way or we could have straight caught him!"
Matsui:"Now, now, it's not your fault. You can't be expected to be everywhere at once. It's whoever that bastard was that's at fault. Just wait until Maeda-kun gets his hands on him."
Tsubaki:"That's assuming it wasn't just an accident."
Mutsui:"Then Maeda will beat up the concept of accidents!"
Tsubaki:"Haha…" [It was because Takeda-san was there. I was too scared to go see him. Oh, I'm such a hopeless girl.]
…
Takeda:"Father."
Principal Takeda:"What is it? Make it quick, we have to go early."
Takeda:"I want to inquire about this!"
Takeda holds up the paper detailing the events of the Kurobara Girls High School incident a couple years ago.
Principal Takeda:"Oh, so you saw that. Leave it to my own blood to be so astute."
Takeda:"Enough of that. I want to know why you have this. I looked into it and simply found an anonymous act of vandalism against the principal of that school. That led to one of their leading sponsors, Doctor Nakano to pull out of their board of directors, taking his adopted children with him after all five of them were shown to have failed. However, this states a lot more than that, saying that it was those quintuplets that did it."
Principal Takeda:"What's so bizarre about having news from other schools in our district, when I'm the principal of one of them?"
Takeda:"When it's exclusive to you and not the general public."
Principal Takeda:"Oh, that's normal. Yuusuke, my son. You're almost at the age where you'll really learn what being an adult is like. The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows but we sure like to make it seem like it is. That is simply one of many secrets left behind. Perfect for protecting the image of those like a shit principal and his crossdressing son, making them out to be part of a tragedy they couldn't control. While also being a perfect tool of offense towards those that infuriate the higher ups like me. Those five sisters, they are clearly harmful to our school. All led by that boy, who always stays at the top of rankings, taking away your rightful place as the king. All young people eventually learn that, some faster than others. For example, our broadcasting club, if they go on to make it in the news agency, will be taught quite fast how the world really works."
Takeda:"...Those quintuplets did nothing wrong then. That act was their way of fighting back."
Principal Takeda:"Correct. However, the future doesn't much care for stupid things done in the past. That will cause your downfall. And that's exactly what I plan to use. I will expose those quintuplets, leading to their expulsion, dragging both their tutor and that pompous asshole down with them. All it needs is a little...spark."
Takeda:"That's...Why tell me this so openly?"
Principal Takeda:"Hm?"
Takeda:"You don't really think I'd sit here with a smile after hearing what you want to do to my friends?"
Principal Takeda:"Friends? Yes, there might have been something about that. But high school friends are nothing more than stepping stones. Once you all inevitably go to different universities, you'll forget about each other in record time. Come on, Yuusuke, you'll thank me for this later. You know I'm all you've got. Without me, you're frankly close to being a nothing. You need me and I'll make you into the best you you can be."
Takeda clenched his fists. Now he was really mad, but he wasn't wrong in that aspect. His father really was all he had...
End of Chapter 61