Chapter 32: Punishment Game – Part 1
“Ah!”
When he realized it, it was already too late.
The sound of porcelain breaking echoed through the room.
He had accidentally pushed a teacup off the table with his elbow.
“Oh, man……”
Kyouya directed a long glance to the floor.
He recoiled his shoulders at the horrible scene spread out before him.
The white fragments of porcelain were spread inside a sea of black tea.
“Pay-back! Pay-back!”
“Oh! Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.”
Mao immediately started singing a childish one-man chorus while Megumi flew towards them with a cloth and a dustpan in hand.
“Sorry, I broke it.”
Despite wanting to help, Kyouya only watched her.
“It’s fine.”
Megumi courteously said while skillfully cleaning up the fragments.
Kyouya felt nothing but shame.
“Oh, dear. And it had to be Megu’s favorite cup.”
“Eh? Is that true?”
“Please, don’t worry about it.”
“How old were you again? Nine? When you got if from grandpa as a birthday present, right? It came in a five cup set.”
“I was ten actually. But I told you, it’s fine.”
“By the way, our grandpa has already pa.s.sed away, you know?”
“Re-really?”
Kyouya started to tremble.
Such a precious thing-… I b-broke it.
“I’m sorry!”
Kyouya bowed with force enough to break about 10 roof tiles with his head.
“I’m telling you, it’s fine. Everything breaks sooner or later anyway.”
Megumi said while gathering the fragments.
“I think this teacup must have been very happy. To be able to properly fulfill its purpose for all of it’s lifespan… and in the end, to have someone like Kyouya-san, who treats everything with care, to be the last to use it, I’m sure it was delighted.”
She was indeed an angel.
“Well said Megu! That’s right. Grandpa is gone too. Maybe if he’d lived up to 108 he’d have been able to go peacefully. But that’s how things are. Actually, wasn’t this his last present to you?”
The little devil king called president wasn’t about to let him off the hook.
She sported a broad grin while her eyes searched her own hair for split ends.
However, this time things went just as Mao said.
Kyouya felt embarra.s.sed for expecting her to let it go with nothing but an apology.
“I’m sorry! I don’t think just saying this is enough but… I’m really sorry!”
“Honestly. I’m saying it’s fine, am I not?”
“If I don’t do something as an apology I won’t be at peace with myself.”
It was the last present she’d gotten from her old grandfather when she was ten, and he was dead now. In other words, it was a memento. And Megumi had treasured that…
“Then what can you do that’ll make you let it go, Shinomiya-kun?”
Kyouya raised his face.
Having finished picking up the pieces of the cup, Megumi now waited for Kyouya’s answer. She’d placed her hands on her hips and put on an unusual troubled expression.
And the one troubling her was himself.
“Ask me anything you want. I’ll do whatever I can.”
“Alright, then. Let’s do a punishment game.”
“30 laps around the school!”
Mao said.
“Roger!”
As Kyouya was about to run off, he was grabbed by the nape of the neck.
“No, not that.”
“3000 squats!”
“Roger!”
Kyouya started doing the knee elasticity exercise right there. Megumi stopped him again.
“Not that either.”
Pressing a finger between her brows, which were quite thick and imposing for a girl, Megumi put herself to think.
“Alright, 100 times should be good enough.”
She eventually said with a bright expression.