The classroom had barely recovered from Takeru's… arrival.
Keyword: Barely
People were still staring.
Processing.
Questioning reality.
Then the door slid open again.
Shoko stepped back in.
Silence dropped instantly.
She didn't even look around.
Just—
"…Get up."
Takeru stayed seated.
"…No."
Hakari leaned over to Panda.
"…Round two."
Panda nodded.
"…This is gonna be bad."
Shoko walked forward.
Calm.
Unbothered.
"…You are not cleared for this environment."
"…Attendance maintained."
"…Medical override."
Takeru paused.
"…Denied."
Nobara whispered from the side.
"…He's actually arguing with the person keeping him alive…"
Megumi sighed quietly.
"…This will end poorly."
Shoko stopped right in front of him.
"…Last chance."
A beat.
Takeru moved.
He jumped up—fast.
Too fast for someone in his condition.
"…Maintaining position!"
Shoko didn't react.
She simply lifted her hand—
Tap.
The cursed energy seals embedded in his bandages flickered—
then deactivated.
For a split second—
everything loosened.
Yuji's eyes widened.
"…WAIT—"
The bandages shifted.
Takeru froze mid-motion.
"…Oh."
Then—
louder—
"HEY C'MON SHOKO, I'M NOT WEARING ANYTHING UNDER THIS!"
The room exploded.
Nobara turned away instantly.
"…OH MY GOD—"
Yuji spun around.
"…I'M NOT LOOKING—"
Panda covered his eyes.
"…I RESPECT YOUR PRIVACY—"
Inumaki:
"…SALMON!!"
(DANGER!!)
Hakari was laughing.
"…NO WAY—"
Yuta immediately turned his back.
"…I'M SO SORRY—?!"
Kirara just stared for a second—
then calmly looked away.
"…This is not my problem."
Meanwhile—
Takeru was still standing—
slightly hunched—
arms awkwardly trying to hold everything in place—
"…Stability holding…"
The bandages—most of them—stayed.
By sheer tension.
Sheer will.
Sheer stubbornness.
But the upper wrappings…
Slipped.
Just enough.
His entire upper torso—
fully revealed.
Dead silence.
Then—
Nobara, still facing away:
"…PUT A SHIRT ON—WAIT YOU CAN'T—JUST FIX IT—?!"
Yuji:
"…THIS IS WORSE THAN ANY CURSE—"
Panda:
"…I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING—"
Hakari:
"…BRO IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE AND HIS MODESTY—"
Shoko stared at him.
Unamused.
"…You done?"
Takeru stood there.
Completely still.
Trying not to move a single muscle.
"…Requesting… reactivation…"
Shoko tilted her head slightly.
"…No."
"…This is a critical situation."
"…Correct."
A pause.
"…You caused it."
Silence.
Takeru adjusted slightly—
immediately regretted it—
"…Structural integrity decreasing…"
Nobara shouted from across the room:
"…DON'T MOVE—?!"
Megumi, eyes closed:
"…Just let her fix it."
Yuji:
"…PLEASE JUST LISTEN FOR ONCE—"
Takeru paused.
Completely still now.
A long, painful five seconds passed.
Then—
quietly:
"…Assistance requested."
Shoko stepped forward.
"…Finally."
She tapped the bandages again—
Cursed energy surged—
Everything snapped back into place.
Secured.
Tightened.
Sealed.
Takeru exhaled.
"…Crisis resolved."
Hakari wiped a tear from laughing.
"…That was the best thing I've seen all week."
Panda nodded.
"…I'm never unseeing that."
Nobara turned back slowly.
Still annoyed.
"…We are NEVER sparring again."
Yuji nodded aggressively.
"…AGREED."
Shoko grabbed Takeru by the shoulder.
"…We're leaving."
Takeru didn't resist this time.
"…Understood."
As she dragged him out—
he looked back once at the classroom.
"…Attendance—"
Shoko cut him off.
"…Denied."
The door closed behind them.
Silence.
Then—
Hakari:
"…Worth it."
🔥 End of Chapter 2 – Volume 8 🔥Volume 8 – Chapter 2: "Dignity vs. Gravity"
The classroom had barely recovered from Takeru's… arrival.
People were still staring.
Processing.
Questioning reality.
Then the door slid open again.
Shoko stepped back in.
Silence dropped instantly.
She didn't even look around.
Just—
"…Get up."
Takeru stayed seated.
"…No."
Hakari leaned over to Panda.
"…Round two."
Panda nodded.
"…This is gonna be bad."
Shoko walked forward.
Calm.
Unbothered.
"…You are not cleared for this environment."
"…Attendance maintained."
"…Medical override."
Takeru paused.
"…Denied."
Nobara whispered from the side.
"…He's actually arguing with the person keeping him alive…"
Megumi sighed quietly.
"…This will end poorly."
Shoko stopped right in front of him.
"…Last chance."
A beat.
Takeru moved.
He jumped up—fast.
Too fast for someone in his condition.
"…Maintaining position!"
Shoko didn't react.
She simply lifted her hand—
Tap.
The cursed energy seals embedded in his bandages flickered—
then deactivated.
For a split second—
everything loosened.
Yuji's eyes widened.
"…WAIT—"
The bandages shifted.
Takeru froze mid-motion.
"…Oh."
Then—
louder—
"HEY C'MON SHOKO, I'M NOT WEARING ANYTHING UNDER THIS!"
The room exploded.
Nobara turned away instantly.
"…OH MY GOD—"
Yuji spun around.
"…I'M NOT LOOKING—"
Panda covered his eyes.
"…I RESPECT YOUR PRIVACY—"
Inumaki:
"…SALMON!!"
(DANGER!!)
Hakari was laughing.
"…NO WAY—"
Yuta immediately turned his back.
"…I'M SO SORRY—?!"
Kirara just stared for a second—
then calmly looked away.
"…This is not my problem."
Meanwhile—
Takeru was still standing—
slightly hunched—
arms awkwardly trying to hold everything in place—
"…Stability holding…"
The bandages—most of them—stayed.
By sheer tension.
Sheer will.
Sheer stubbornness.
But the upper wrappings…
Slipped.
Just enough.
His entire upper torso—
fully revealed.
Dead silence.
Then—
Nobara, still facing away:
"…PUT A SHIRT ON—WAIT YOU CAN'T—JUST FIX IT—?!"
Yuji:
"…THIS IS WORSE THAN ANY CURSE—"
Panda:
"…I TAKE BACK EVERYTHING—"
Hakari:
"…BRO IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE AND HIS MODESTY—"
Shoko stared at him.
Unamused.
"…You done?"
Takeru stood there.
Completely still.
Trying not to move a single muscle.
"…Requesting… reactivation…"
Shoko tilted her head slightly.
"…No."
"…This is a critical situation."
"…Correct."
A pause.
"…You caused it."
Silence.
Takeru adjusted slightly—
immediately regretted it—
"…Structural integrity decreasing…"
Nobara shouted from across the room:
"…DON'T MOVE—?!"
Megumi, eyes closed:
"…Just let her fix it."
Yuji:
"…PLEASE JUST LISTEN FOR ONCE—"
Takeru paused.
Completely still now.
A long, painful five seconds passed.
Then—
quietly:
"…Assistance requested."
Shoko stepped forward.
"…Finally."
She tapped the bandages again—
Cursed energy surged—
Everything snapped back into place.
Secured.
Tightened.
Sealed.
Takeru exhaled.
"…Crisis resolved."
Hakari wiped a tear from laughing.
"…That was the best thing I've seen all week."
Panda nodded.
"…I'm never unseeing that."
Nobara turned back slowly.
Still annoyed.
"…We are NEVER sparring again."
Yuji nodded aggressively.
"…AGREED."
Shoko grabbed Takeru by the shoulder.
"…We're leaving."
Takeru didn't resist this time.
"…Understood."
As she dragged him out—
he looked back once at the classroom.
"…Attendance—"
Shoko cut him off.
"…Denied."
The door closed behind them.
Silence.
Then—
Hakari:
"…Worth it."