Tamao pressed her lips together and rubbed her forehead, exasperated as she took in the sight of Gin’s unconscious, naked form sprawled on the ground. Around him, the gathering crowd—mostly female students—reacted with a mix of stifled laughter and curious scrutiny.

"What am I going to do with you…" Tamao muttered under her breath, sighing as she stepped forward to drape her jacket over Gin’s exposed form.

“Alright, this isn’t a free show. Everyone clear out before I claw your eyes out,” she barked, her voice leaving no room for argument.

The crowd dispersed reluctantly, most students sneaking a final glance at Gin’s muscular, battered body. Soon, only Tamao remained by his side. She looked down, noticing the bruises covering him. Though his body was healing, she could tell he was running low on youki.

"She even beat you, huh?" Tamao murmured. "I wonder what stupid perverted stunt you pulled this time to piss her off."

Infusing her body with youki, Tamao knelt down to lift the unconscious Gin. She groaned under his weight, struggling a bit despite her best efforts. While she wasn’t weak, her true strength came when she was in the water; out of it, she was very limited.

With Gin draped awkwardly over her back, Tamao made her way to the clinic, careful not to draw more attention. As she entered, the nurse sighed without looking up.

“Tsukune, if it’s you again with—” Mayumi began, exasperation in her voice, but she paused when she noticed Gin and Tamao instead. “Oh… never mind. Come in,” she said, waving them in with a tired expression.

Tamao winced when she heard Tsukune’s name. Glancing around the clinic, she breathed a sigh of relief, reassured that Moka wasn’t present. Following Mayumi’s instructions, she placed Gin on one of the beds.

Sitting by the side, Tamao watched as Mayumi inspected Gin’s injuries, who then blinked in surprise at the sight of Gin’s bare skin.

Mayumi turned to Tamao, her expression slightly judgmental. “Why is this student buck naked?”

Feeling slightly offended, Tamao frowned, but Mayumi wasn’t fazed. She gestured toward Gin again, pressing the question.

Tamao groaned in frustration. “I don’t know! It’s not my fault.”

Mayumi shrugged, nonchalantly. “Well, he’ll be fine. His arms took a significant amount of youki damage and there’s still some residue but he’ll recover. I assume you know what kind of monster he is. Unless he’s dead, he’ll bounce back.”

Tamao nodded, relieved to hear that Gin was going to be okay. “Alright, I’m going to head out now.”

But Mayumi shook her head. “No. I need you to stay and monitor him. I’ve got reports to deliver to the headmaster. Either you stay and watch him, or I wake him up and kick him out.”

“What?? But I have a club meeting to attend!” Tamao protested.

Mayumi gave another indifferent shrug. “You’ll have to explain to your club later. Isn’t he a friend?”

Tamao glanced at Gin’s pitiful state, letting out a resigned sigh. “I guess… I can stay a bit longer.”

Mayumi nodded approvingly. “Good. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to leave before Tsukune and his ever-growing harem return.”

Tamao’s jaw dropped.

Tsukune’s a playboy??

She wanted to ask more, but Mayumi had already left the clinic.

Taking a seat beside the unconscious Gin, Tamao groaned. She watched as Gin’s body started to repair itself, annoying the mermaid.

“You know…” Tamao muttered under her breath, glancing at Gin’s unconscious form, “you’re so lucky to be a werewolf. All that latent power… you don’t have to train nearly as hard to reach your level.”

Her thoughts turned to the looming threat posed by the safety committee, and a shiver ran down her spine as Kuyo’s oppressive power came to mind. Standing in the shadow of beings like Gin, Kuyo, and Moka, Tamao couldn’t ignore the harsh truth: no matter how hard she worked, their raw talent and overwhelming strength seemed to render her efforts insignificant.

But even so, she had to keep pushing. The members of the swim club had put their trust in her, and she had to protect them, no matter what.

San…

For a moment, Tamao thought of their senior, San. True to her name, San was like the sun—bright, warm, and immensely compassionate. It was San who had initially convinced Tamao to join the newspaper club, drawn in by her optimism and energy. But ultimately, Tamao returned to lead the swim club.

After all, the water was a mermaid’s true domain. And sirens, though akin to mermaids, thrived in a broader and more unpredictable realm. The water was where Tamao felt she truly belonged.

But that didn’t stop San from showering her with the same compassion. Her much smaller senior frequently visited the swim club, befriending many of the mermaids, and bringing a warmth that was hard to resist.

If she saw us now... preying on fellow students... She’d be furious.

Tamao sighed, frustration rising. She hated the position she was in but knew she had little choice if she intended to confront the safety committee anytime soon.

“You okay?”

Tamao’s head snapped toward the sound. Gin had woken up, surprising her.

“You’re awake... but you look like shit,” she said quickly, diverting the conversation.

Gin chuckled weakly, “Yeah… I underestimated Moka.”

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Tamao smirked, unable to resist the chance to tease him. “Oh, I heard all about it.”

Gin glanced over at her, noticing the smug expression on her face. “What’s with that look?”

“You went girl crazy,” she replied, her voice dripping with amusement.

Gin’s playboy facade faltered instantly. “I didn’t—” he started, but the sharp pain in his ribs from Moka’s earlier thrashing cut him off, making him wince.

Tamao leaned forward, placing a hand on Gin's shoulder in a gesture of comfort. "Hey, don't push yourself—"

"Thank y—" Gin began, only to be cut off by Tamao.

"—you girl-crazy dog," she added with a chuckle, her teasing breaking through the moment.

Gin groaned and gently pushed her smug face away, drawing laughter from Tamao.

"So, I assume Moka isn't going to help us against Kuyo?" she asked, still amused.

Shaking his head, Gin replied, "No… at least, not directly."

Tamao raised an eyebrow. "Not directly?"

Gin nodded. "I have an idea of how to use Moka to fight Kuyo. But it'll require me to do some... unpleasant things."

"Like ruining a man’s reputation by slandering them?"

Gin averted his eyes. "Yeah… Look, I’m not proud of what I did. I really went—"

"Girl crazy," Tamao finished with a smirk, causing Gin to groan.

Tamao leaned on her hand, deep in thought before she spoke up, "If you want to get on their good side, you need to make peace with Tsukune. I bet he hates your guts right now."

Gin nodded with a sigh. "I’d hate me too if someone framed me for being a pervert."

"Well, you are a pervert," Tamao added with a smirk.

Gin chuckled. "I know, but… I don’t want to be framed for something I didn’t actually do."

Tamao nodded, understanding.

As they continued to talk, neither of them noticed the student lying in another curtained-off bed, eavesdropping. Rainee, seeking refuge from her overbearing—and possibly insane—boss, was hiding out in the clinic with Mayumi’s approval.

What are these two even talking about? Rainee mused. This Gin guy fought Moka and got beaten? Must be another chump.

Ever since Moka shattered her youki pathways, Rainee had started working under Cottus, who was serving the headmaster. In exchange for her service, Rainee was kept hidden from the safety committee’s watchful eyes while her shattered pathways were being repaired.

However, when she wasn't working, Rainee discovered that Cottus wasn’t as overbearing as she had initially thought. Not only was he bearable outside of work, but he was also a treasure trove of knowledge.

When Rainee enrolled in the academy, she expected to learn about human matters, not how to control her monster powers. The academy assumed students would teach themselves, but Cottus didn’t adhere to that rule and was more than happy to share his extensive knowledge with her.

In the few weeks she spent with Cottus, Rainee learned more than she had in her entire life. She picked up dozens of minor spells and even some that required fully functioning pathways to cast.

Through Cottus’s teachings, Rainee came to realize just how advanced the combat technique Moka had inflicted on her truly was. It was a technique most monsters were unaware of, as mastering it would have meant that Moka had begun studying youki from a very young age.

As a result, Rainee idolized Moka, believing she could defeat anyone, especially Gin, whom she only knew as a playboy.

Hearing about his intention to use Moka irked Rainee. She vowed to make sure he faced obstacles with whatever scheme he had in mind. Leaving the clinic discreetly, Rainee quickly approached her usual contacts to gather any gossip and information she could leverage to help Moka and Tsukune.

Fortunately, there was a treasure trove of rumors about Gin. After compiling them into a compact envelope, she snuck into the newspaper club, knowing it was the school organization Tsukune and Moka had joined. She left the envelope there and a note that it was for their eyes only.

----------------------------------------

A few minutes after Rainee left, the door to the newspaper club room creaked open, revealing Tsukune, Kurumu, and an exhausted Moka. Though she had fainted when resealed, this time, she had managed to wake up much sooner than usual when Tsukune had to carry her to the clinic. However, even though she was conscious, her body still felt drained.

Kurumu, walking a step ahead, immediately noticed an envelope lying on the desk.

"Tsukune, look," she said, picking it up and examining the note attached. "It’s addressed to you and Moka, I think."

Still exhausted from being unsealed, Moka sat at one of the club desks, pacing herself. Tsukune took the envelope, opened it, and found papers and photos detailing Gin’s perverted antics.

"W-What the?" Tsukune’s voice, filled with surprise, caught the attention of both Kurumu and Moka.

"What is it, Tsukune?" Moka asked, her curiosity piqued.

Tsukune spread out the contents for them to see—photos and documents that chronicled Gin’s behavior since entering the academy. The three of them skimmed through the pages, revealing Gin’s infamous reputation as a playboy. Interestingly, it seemed that his antics became more subdued right around the time he joined the newspaper club in the first semester, though his perverted tendencies clearly hadn’t disappeared entirely. His antics became more serious around the start of this school year.

Moka raised an eyebrow. "So he was always like this..."

Kurumu frowned, "I knew he was bad, but wow. No wonder people talk about him."

Tsukune, still processing the information, scratched his head, "Why would someone leave this for us?"

"It doesn’t matter!" Kurumu said excitedly, her eyes gleaming. "This is practically gold! With this, we’ll be able to clear Tsukune’s name without a shadow of a doubt!"

Hearing that, Tsukune felt a wave of relief. On the way to the clubroom, they had been discussing how to counter Gin’s false accusations, but without evidence, it would be their word against a senior. Worse still, Gin had scattered incriminating photos of Tsukune supposedly peeking into the girls' locker room all over the school.

The trio exchanged determined looks. They still had about an hour left for club activities, plenty of time to turn the tide.

As they sifted through the damning photos and reports detailing Gin’s perverted behavior, their advisor, Shizuka, entered the room.

"Tsukune," Shizuka began, her usually playful tone replaced with a hint of seriousness, "I heard about the rumors. Is it true?"

Tsukune immediately shook his head, raising his arms in defense.

Despite Shizuka’s usual lighthearted demeanor, her professional side as a teacher showed. She nodded thoughtfully, "Yeah, those pictures didn’t seem like something you’d do… and they weren’t created with magic either. Was it Gin?"

Relief washed over Tsukune as he quickly nodded in confirmation. Kurumu, who had been tense and ready to defend Tsukune if necessary, visibly relaxed.

"If it was Gin, then what are you three up to here?" Shizuka asked, curious but clearly on their side.

With their teacher showing support, the trio eagerly explained their plan to use the newspaper to expose the truth and counter Gin’s false claims.

Shizuka smiled knowingly. Despite her carefree appearance, she was a veteran journalist and well-versed in exposing the truth. It didn’t take long for her to offer guidance, helping them prepare their first newspaper edition with enough evidence to overturn Gin’s slander of Tsukune’s character easily.

Unfortunately for Gin, he was about to learn the hard way that Shizuka was no amateur when it came to journalism.

----------------------------------------

The next day, the academy buzzed with activity and chatter. Just outside the gates stood a stall piled high with freshly printed newspapers, and behind it were three visibly exhausted students.

Amidst the crowd's noise and their fatigue, a strong, captivating voice rang out, cutting through the chaos like a blade, "Extra! Read all about it!"

Kurumu’s voice, tinged with her magical charm, immediately captured the attention of the passing students, drawing them in like moths to a flame.

With Kurumu and Moka manning the newspaper stall, students of all kinds flocked to the booth to grab a copy of the first edition. Tsukune’s presence also drew in a few curious students, especially those with heightened senses.

It didn’t take long. Within minutes of distributing the newspapers, the campus erupted with gasps and hushed whispers about Gin’s exposed misdeeds and Tsukune’s vindication. Word spread like wildfire, and soon the stall was swarmed with students—some eager to grab the latest scoop, others hoping for a chance to interact with Moka, Kurumu, and Tsukune.

Thanks to their advisor’s approval, the newspaper club was excused from today’s classes to focus on the launch.

“Time is of the essence if you want to fix Tsukune’s reputation,” Shizuka’s advice echoed in their minds as they continued distributing papers to eager hands.

Eventually, the crowd thinned, leaving the newspaper club members, minus their senior Gin, to post photos and posters on a nearby bulletin board.

Moka stood on a ladder, fastening a poster while Tsukune and Kurumu carried the remaining newspapers.

“Who'd have guessed that saving my reputation would be our first story?” Tsukune asked, clearly exhausted but in a surprisingly good mood, chuckling to himself.

“Yeah, you're pretty unlucky,” Kurumu teased, smiling as she helped.

Tsukune then glanced at Moka, who was leaning forward on the ladder to staple another poster, “Right, Moka?”

Unfortunately for him, it was terrible timing—his gaze unintentionally landed where it shouldn’t have.

Almost immediately, Moka’s foot shot back, landing squarely in Tsukune's face, “Don’t even think about looking up here!”

Kurumu gasped in shock as Tsukune stumbled back, trying to recover.

“I've had enough of perverts this past week, Tsukune,” Moka huffed.

In his flustered state, Tsukune accidentally dropped the stack of newspapers, causing them to scatter on the ground, their headline clear to everyone who could see.

~Tsukune Aono, Innocent! Framed by Senior Ginei Morioka, a True Pervert!~

While Tsukune hurriedly apologized and Kurumu tried to scold Moka, elsewhere, Gin was fleeing from a large group of women chasing after him. Laughing to himself as he narrowly escaped, he muttered, “Akashiya Moka will join my side! It’s inevitable!”

Back at the school, Shizuka, holding a copy of the first newspaper, watched Gin’s escape with a mildly amused expression.

“He’s gotten really unruly since San left,” she sighed.