Chapter 55: Accomplice?
Yukino knew all too well how the media could twist and turn things. An ordinary person’s matter could easily be swept under the rug. To make money, reporters might even go to her bullies’ families instead.
For Yukino to successfully leverage the media, there was an important prerequisite – she had to be able to intervene and provide testimony for that girl.
But now? She couldn’t do that at all!
It was too far away, with its own local forces…
The Yukinoshita family was just the Yukinoshita family of Chiba, not a massive presence like the Shinomiya family. They had no control over such a distant place.
Moreover, the city that girl was in wasn’t even a major city…
What to do, what to do?
Yukino didn’t have Rio Miyaichi’s phone number or email, so she couldn’t contact her at all.
That’s right, Luo Feng, find Luo Feng!
Just then, a news alert popped up in the bottom right corner of Yukino’s computer.
‘The Fall of a Model Student, The Truth Behind It All Is Thought-provoking…’
Yukino quickly opened the news article.
The gist was that Rio Miyaichi appeared to be a good student, but was actually a party girl who often hung out with delinquents.
From a single-parent family, she had been rebellious since childhood without a father’s love and guidance. She would do anything for more attention and spent money lavishly.
After accidentally spending the class funds, she borrowed money from a kind classmate who hoped she would reform, but she never intended to pay it back.
Over the next year, Rio continued going out and playing around recklessly. Even when she ran out of money…
The teachers didn’t know her true nature and kindly recommended her for admissions.
But what did she do? Right before graduation, she went to harass that kind classmate, demanding either more loans or she would report that the classmate was loansharking at exorbitant rates, because her father was in the yakuza!
That kind classmate gave an interview in tears, saying her father was yakuza but a good man who never harmed civilians. She never expected Rio could be this kind of person.
The news was filled with photos of Rio hanging out with delinquents. Due to the camera angles, it didn’t look like she was being extorted, but rather that the delinquents were deferential to her.
Not only that, there were pictures as proof!
Next were interviews with Rio’s classmates.
Public opinion was overwhelmingly against her. They said she appeared obedient in front of teachers, but was actually very intimidating and everyone was afraid of her.
The reporter was already on the way to interview her mother.
If the report said she was threatened, or did it to ease her mother’s burden, the reporters could understand. But she did it for herself…
The most terrifying part was the article’s intent – to bring attention to education issues!
Just exposing Rio wouldn’t attract much attention.
Simply saying she did this or that could be seen through by smart people. But framing it as a social issue made it seem natural.
Yukino hurriedly looked at the comments:
“This girl is too much! Even single parents can’t act like that.”
“Model student? Yeah right, good actor.”
“With that acting skill, she should be an actress, not a student.”
“I feel so sorry for that kind classmate who lent her money.”
“Not bad looking, what a waste.”
“Someone like her should just die!”
“Her mother’s parenting failed big time.”
“Scum, trash!”
“She even got a recommendation? Those teachers must be blind!”
Yukino’s hands trembled.
If she hadn’t met that girl yesterday, even she might have been swayed by this article’s convincing narrative. It was written so matter-of-factly, it seemed completely truthful!
This was bullying at its core!
Her entire class stood united on the bully’s side, not a single person spoke up for the real victim.
And they were going to interview her mother too?
That poor girl had contemplated suicide yesterday, how would she cope today?
Yukino took a deep breath. No, now was not the time to dwell on consequences, she needed to find a way to help!
For now, this was still just a local news story, it hadn’t spread widely yet…
Wait, a local news story, why was it being pushed to her?
“Did you get a push notification about a model student’s fall from grace?” Yukino asked her coworker.
“What notification? No idea,” her confused coworker replied. “I just got one about FGO.”
“It’s nothing, just a news article,” Yukino said, her hand trembling slightly.
She suddenly recalled what Luo Feng had told her yesterday: “Yukino Yukinoshita, are you sure you want to do it your way?”
Did he already know this would happen?
Did he deliberately not tell her that his shop could be in Hokkaido, Chiba, or anywhere nationwide?
Did he make her drowsy last night on purpose?
What was his aim in doing all this?
If there was still a chance to turn things around before, there was absolutely none now!
That poor girl had been driven to the brink in less than half a day’s time.
Yukino knew all too well the damage internet vitriol could inflict on a person.
If this was all Luo Feng’s doing…
A chill ran down Yukino’s spine.
Everything he had done before was just to lower her guard, deliberately making her think he was kind so she wouldn’t question many things.
But what did he want?
He clearly had the ability to force a transaction and keep her from interfering.
Unless…he needed an accomplice, and she had become one?
Even though she had only been working for a year, her mind raced rapidly.
Unlike Sora Ginko who only knew shogi, Yukino quickly grasped the situation’s causes and effects.
She grit her teeth and dialed Luo Feng’s number, as much as she didn’t want to face him.
“Hey.”
Luo Feng’s lazy voice came through the phone.
“You knew this would happen, didn’t you? And you pushed this news article too, right?”
“Of course I knew. That girl was camped outside the magazine’s office first thing, that’s why the news came out so fast. The courage was something you helped buy her. As for the push, I just wanted you to see your handiwork.”
“What do you have against me? She’s just a child!” Yukino’s phone-gripping hand trembled.
Not everyone could withstand this kind of public pressure!
“Think carefully about who caused this outcome. Wasn’t it you?”
