Tokyo Sword Saint Online Dealing

He smiled slightly, took a step to the side, and stood in front of Nohara Kyoko, not intimidated, his tone neither humble nor arrogant.

"I just wanted to ask what happened. Did Tohsaka-san do something shameful that she's afraid to tell me?"

Kyoko Nohara, who had been bowing and apologizing, suddenly felt someone blocking her way. She looked up in surprise and saw Kiyoshi Uesugi's reliable back. The boy's gentle yet firm words echoed in her ears.

She nervously rubbed the hem of her school uniform, her eyes reddening, whether from gratitude or fear of the delinquents, it was hard to tell. But due to her timid nature, the words of thanks stuck in her throat and she couldn't say them.

Toraka Tohsaka clicked his tongue in annoyance, his eyes turning somewhat unfriendly, but he still patiently spoke.

"That shorty behind you owes us two months' worth of protection money. We're here to collect the debt. It's none of your business!"

"Let me make this clear from the start: we've taken the money, so we're here to do the job. Ask that shorty; she hasn't been bullied at school. We're not those extortionists! She pays, so we'll protect her!"

"But she can't come up with the money and has been owing us protection money for two months. So naturally I have to come and ask her if she's treating us like monkeys and making us work for free!"

Upon hearing this, Uesugi Kiyoshi immediately understood what was going on.

Japanese society is strictly hierarchical, and superiors reprimand subordinates as if they were disciplining their grandchildren; the same applies in schools.

When younger students meet older students, they should bow and use respectful terms.

It's commonplace for seniors to ask juniors to run errands and do chores; it's taken for granted.

This kind of environment is a breeding ground for school bullying.

In various films and television shows about Japan, school bullying may seem like a cliché plot, but this only illustrates the prevalence of this phenomenon in Japan.

A magazine once compiled statistics showing that Japanese schools have a strict class system, divided into different tiers.

At the top of the school hierarchy pyramid are the leaders and presidents of various popular sports clubs, as well as the ringleaders of delinquent youths; at the bottom are introverted, unsociable individuals who have no friends.

These people who are taciturn will gradually become targets of bullying. They will not only be subjected to passive-aggressive behavior, but also be beaten, pranked, and even forced to eat lunch in the toilet because they will be bullied if they go out.

They had no way to resist. Those who committed violence were not afraid of reprimands from teachers and student councils. In fact, Japanese high schools practice student self-governance, and teachers have limited authority.

Their only option was to pay "protection money" to delinquent youths in exchange for temporary peace.

Isn't that ironic?

These perpetrators are not afraid of teachers, public opinion, or the resistance of their victims, but they are afraid of violence that is even more pure than their own – a vicious fist knows no bounds!

Paying protection money to shady businesses is an unspoken rule on campus; it's unreasonable, but it's also understandable.

If these rules are gone, then those who are bullied will truly have nowhere to turn.

"That's it"

Uesugi Kiyoshi nodded thoughtfully.

Chapter 7 Even Buddha can only endure three times

After hearing Tohsaka Torata's words, Uesugi Kiyoshi turned his head and looked at Nohara Kyoko.

This little girl doesn't seem like an outgoing person. Her unsociable nature and the fact that she's isolated and bullied by her classmates make sense.

After exchanging a glance with Uesugi Kiyoshi, Nohara Kyoko, her eyes red-rimmed, looked away like a frightened little animal.

Is he telling the truth?

Uesugi Kiyoshi softened his tone.

Kyoko Nohara almost burst into tears upon hearing Kiyoshi Uesugi's question.

From childhood to adulthood, after her parents passed away, no one stood in front of her when danger struck.

She grew up alone and lonely, like a homeless weed.

Living under someone else's roof is not easy. At home, he was scolded and reprimanded by his uncle and aunt, and at school, he was isolated and bullied by his classmates.

Now, because he can't pay the protection money, he was ambushed in public by thugs and pointed at and gossiped about by his classmates.

She felt that the last bit of dignity she had left as a human being was being gradually eroded by these harsh words and insults. While mechanically bowing and apologizing, she was also lost in thought.

Why should this hopeless and dark life continue?

Would it be better for someone like me to simply disappear from this world?

That way, we won't cause any trouble for everyone.

Then, Uesugi Kiyoshi stood in front of her, blocking the menacing thugs.

This was the first ray of light to shine in her otherwise bleak life.

At that moment, Kyoko Nohara's feelings were truly indescribable.

Gratitude, joy, and a sense of relief—it was like a drowning person grasping at a straw, or a devout believer meeting their savior.

But in the blink of an eye, the kind-hearted Uesugi classmate found out about his embarrassing debt.

She was initially filled with gratitude, but when Uesugi Kiyoshi asked her that question, she was afraid that she would leave a bad impression on him as a shameless scoundrel who refused to pay back his debts. She couldn't stop crying. She really wanted to deny it, but her conscience wouldn't allow her to lie to the benefactor who had helped her.

Then, Kyoko Nohara choked up and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle, her forehead almost touching the ground.

"I'm sorry!"

"My family hasn't given me any allowance in a long time. Tohsaka-san, please give me a few more days!"

"It's all my fault, it has nothing to do with Uesugi-kun, please forgive me!"

The girl's tearful words and bewildered, desperate eyes softened Uesugi Kiyoshi's heart.

He sniffed, turned around, and faced away from Nohara Kyoko.

It really looks like it.

Just like my past self.

Orphaned and alone, surrounded by gossip at school, called an orphan and a poor wretch, looked down upon by those who look down on them with superior eyes, isolated for no reason, and besieged by malice that cannot be driven away.

When his parents had just passed away and he was left all alone, did he also feel as desperate and helpless as Kyoko Nohara?

Did he shed the same tears?

A look of reminiscence flashed across his eyes.

The only difference between Uesugi Kiyoshi and Nohara Kyoko is that he was strong enough; he persevered.

So, he wouldn't mind helping this poor person who couldn't take it anymore.

He smiled at Tohsaka and took out his wallet.

"Tohsaka-san, this is nothing serious, why make such a fuss?"

"I'll pay off whatever amount she owes you."

Toraka Tohsaka paused for a moment, then answered instinctively.

"Two months, a total of ten thousand yen."

Without hesitation, Uesugi Kiyoshi pulled out a 10,000 yen note from his empty wallet and handed it over.

Just like Tohsaka Tora said, this money was owed by Nohara Kyoko. Since these delinquents protected Nohara Kyoko from bullying, then this money is what they deserve. There is a reward for every effort, and it is only right. He didn't feel too bad about paying it out. Uesugi Kiyoshi was a reasonable and sensible person. Although he was strong enough to teach these delinquents a lesson, he didn't want to do so.

If he did that, how would he be any different from those bullies who can't distinguish right from wrong?

Tohsaka Tora frowned and did not take the 10,000 yen from Uesugi Kiyoshi's hand.

His breathing became slightly heavier, and the veins on his forehead bulged, because he heard the discussions of the onlookers around him.

"Wow! A hero saving a damsel in distress? Uesugi-kun is so cool!"

"Hmph, that shorty was just lucky to meet such a gentle Uesugi-kun."

"Speaking of which, Uesugi is really amazing. He's not afraid of those delinquents at all."

"Yeah, these delinquents only dare to swagger around at us, they wouldn't dare do anything to Uesugi-kun!"

Toraka Tohsaka is not an irredeemable villain; he takes money to do things and provides shelter to those who are bullied.

But to say he's a good person is a bit of a stretch.

Good people, why would they do bad things?

Ultimately, collecting protection money is both reasonable and unreasonable.

He was already short-tempered, and at the age of fifteen or sixteen, when he was most concerned about his image, he was provoked by the sarcastic remarks of the students watching from all around, and almost fainted from anger.

Am I afraid of him?

Am I afraid of this bookish pretty boy?

He grinned maliciously, deciding to use Uesugi Kiyoshi as a scapegoat to establish his authority. Otherwise, if word got out, everyone would say they were afraid of this pretty boy, and their reputations would be ruined.

Who will respect me after that?

Bad habits have their own rules, and in a bad circle, it's a very bad thing to lose the respect others have for you.

Enraged, Tohsaka Tora immediately threw all his fear of Uesugi Kiyoshi to the winds—he was just looking for an excuse to teach him a lesson, not to kill him, so what was there to be afraid of!

"not enough!"

"This is just the principal; she's owed it for so long, the interest is another ten thousand yen!"

Uesugi Kiyoshi frowned slightly in displeasure, but after looking at the bustling surroundings, he reluctantly pulled out another 10,000 yen note.

"Okay, then... 20,000 yen."

Since Tohsaka Torata has decided to cause trouble, he will not give Uesugi Kiyoshi a chance to settle things peacefully.

He chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement.

"Not bad, that's quite generous, Uesugi. You've got your eye on this girl?"

"I didn't expect you to like this kind of thing. Well, I don't mind as long as someone pays me."

"Speaking of which, you're really getting a great girl like this for 20,000 yen, aren't you?"

"Since you're going to stand up for her, then pay the protection money for the future too. It used to be five thousand yen a month, but now that she's hooked up with someone as rich and powerful as you, double it to ten thousand yen. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

"Just pay for a year's worth of his fees first, and I'll give you a discount and charge you another 100,000 yen."

At this point, Uesugi Kiyoshi realized that Tohsaka Torato was looking for trouble.

As for the reason, he could figure it out after a little thought; he had also heard the noisy chatter of the bystanders.

This is because Tohsaka Tora felt that he had meddled in her affairs and lost face, so he wanted to use her as an example to establish his authority.