Hidden Circumstances

The Dorm Supervisor carried a thermos cup and leisurely headed toward the teaching building in a tai chi uniform.

The students should have been in class by now. With my identity restricted, I can't interact with them. How am I supposed to observe everyone's behavior during the incident...? Yin Ge was beside herself with anxiety.

She knew full well how important information was.

But as soon as she reached the vicinity of the teaching building, her worries vanished.

The Dorm Supervisor stopped in a small garden to practice tai chi, and from this angle, she could see the Head Teacher, the School Bully, the School Beauty, the sports committee member, the Poor Student, and the others.

They were all in the same class.

At the sight of the Poor Student, she couldn't help thinking of the fallen soldier and the Beasthood within the Poor Student.

Based on the characteristics of the Son of Heaven Game, the Poor Student should only have been a character within the scenario right now, perhaps unable even to enter Persona Time.

It was still unknown what kind of Personhood had been confined within the Poor Student, yet now another Personhood had appeared.

That meant Yin Ge had to consider more possibilities and analyze the situation using more records from the Original Son of Heaven Game. The amount of thinking required had multiplied.

But the prerequisite for all that work was observing the High School Student and those around him.

Where was the High School Student...? Yin Ge swept her gaze around the classroom but found no sign of the protagonist, the High School Student.

Not until the Head Teacher knocked on an empty desk and spoke to the air. "You, go sit there."

She pointed to a seat at the very front of the classroom. It stood empty, with no one nearby.

That's way too far from everyone else... Yin Ge thought.

After the seat change, almost nothing unusual happened.

Yin Ge noticed that aside from the School Bully and the School Beauty, no one went to the distant seat to hang out with the High School Student. He truly seemed to have become invisible.

Why? Why did no one play with him?

The Dorm Supervisor practiced tai chi for as long as Yin Ge watched the High School Student.

But all she could conclude was that the High School Student had few friends and rarely interacted with anyone.

Soon, it was noon. The Dorm Supervisor ate lunch, then went to the sports field to continue practicing tai chi.

Yin Ge had originally thought she wouldn't be able to get near the High School Student today, but that afternoon, his class came to the sports field for PE.

Yin Ge had thought she could observe the High School Student more closely this time, but even after the bell rang and the students lined up for PE, she still didn't see him.

Although the High School Student's body was transparent like the Bride's, there wasn't even the slightest gap in the formation. That meant he most likely wasn't there.

Could the High School Student be in a different class from the others?

The question had only just surfaced in Yin Ge's mind when a man and a woman walked toward the formation from the entrance to the sports field.

The man was the Grade-Level Head. He had been talking the whole time, his expression extremely displeased.

The woman was the Head Teacher, following behind the Grade-Level Head with a faint furrow between her brows.

The two headed straight for the class formation. When they saw the Dorm Supervisor, they nodded in greeting.

The Dorm Supervisor was used to it.

Hm? Did dorm supervisors have such high status these days?

Yin Ge was a little puzzled, but she didn't dwell on it. Maybe the teachers were simply polite?

More than that, she cared about what the Head Teacher and Grade-Level Head would do next.

After all, they were both important figures in the High School Student's scenario.

Before long, the Grade-Level Head and Head Teacher reached the front of the formation, interrupting the teacher and students in the middle of class.

The Grade-Level Head looked around, his tone stern. "Where is he? Skipping PE again?"

Was he talking about the High School Student? Yin Ge listened even more closely.

The Head Teacher pressed her lips together. "He has a disability and isn't suited for exercise, so I had him stay in the classroom."

A disability? Those words immediately caught Yin Ge's attention.

The High School Student had also appeared in the Original Son of Heaven Game's scenario, but he hadn't been an important character. That was why Yin Xia had never heard that he had a disability.

This could be crucial information! Yin Ge focused intently on the people below.

The Grade-Level Head was extremely dissatisfied that the High School Student hadn't come to PE. "It's not like I don't know he's disabled."

"But he hasn't lost his arms or legs, so why can't he attend PE?"

"There are laws for a country and rules for a family. If everyone acted like him, the school might as well shut down. He can just go home and rest however he likes."

At those words, several male students in the formation glanced at one another's lower bodies and exchanged knowing smiles.

Yin Ge became even more confused. What exactly was wrong with the High School Student?

At the same time, the Head Teacher shot those students a glare, then lowered her voice. "Head, it may not be as severe as losing his arms or legs, but his life is truly ruined."

"I was the one who told him to rest in the classroom. Let's be a little more understanding of him!"

"Understanding?" The Grade-Level Head frowned. "If you're understanding toward him, what about the other students? Every student is the same. We can't give anyone special treatment."

As he spoke, he beckoned to a student. "Go bring him here."

The Head Teacher watched helplessly as the student went to fetch him. Worry showed on her face, but she said nothing further.

By this point, Yin Ge had already formed a few thoughts.

Judging from the situation so far, the Grade-Level Head seemed overly strict, so strict that he was almost heartless.

It was indeed strange for him to be so harsh toward a disabled child.

Soon, a classmate brought the High School Student over.

Although his entire body was transparent, Yin Ge could determine his approximate position from where the students' and teachers' gazes fell.

The moment the High School Student appeared, a burst of laughter came from the formation.

"What are you laughing at? If you want to laugh, go laugh outside!" The Grade-Level Head glared at everyone, and they immediately fell silent.

Then the Grade-Level Head turned to the High School Student and spoke sternly:

"You must attend class from now on. You can't miss a single lesson!"

"Your parents work themselves to the bone just to earn a little money. They sold everything to send you to school, and you came here to skip class?"

His words were unpleasant, but no one dared refute him.

"Understood, Teacher." The High School Student spoke, his voice somewhat muffled.

Fortunately, the Grade-Level Head left after saying his piece.

The Head Teacher sighed. "Since the Grade-Level Head has said so, join the formation."

"Be careful. Don't get hurt." She turned to the students. "Everyone, take good care of your classmate."

"Got it~" The students responded sporadically, seemingly reluctant.

The Head Teacher nodded, turned to greet the PE Teacher, and roughly told him to keep an eye on the High School Student and not let him take part in collision-prone activities like soccer or basketball.

Collision-prone activities, or group activities? Yin Ge frowned slightly.

The Head Teacher soon walked away.

The PE Teacher stepped forward to ask about the High School Student's condition, then directly told him to rest at the side while the other students played a soccer match.

The students cheered and scattered.

Some stretched, some fetched the ball. The field was lively.

Only the High School Student stood alone at the side.

Before long, the match ended, and several slovenly boys walked over and shoved the High School Student around.

Everyone else seemed accustomed to the scene and showed no reaction at all.

Yin Ge could already imagine how difficult the High School Student's daily life at school must have been.

But the next moment, the School Bully stepped forward with a cold expression and stood in front of the High School Student, while the School Beauty asked after him with concern.

Seeing that, the boys who had shoved the High School Student found themselves bored and simply walked away.

The relationship between the High School Student, the School Bully, and the School Beauty seemed fairly good.

Yin Ge temporarily shifted her gaze away from them and considered what had just happened.

Aside from the nameless bystanders, only the Grade-Level Head and the Head Teacher among those with Godheads had significantly affected the High School Student's emotions.

The Grade-Level Head was one of the two remaining soldiers.

Could he be the Killer?

Yin Ge didn't think so. At least, his behavior during Persona Time had been normal. But judging by the trajectory of the incident, he was somewhat suspicious.

His public scolding had affected the High School Student's emotions, which seemed somewhat similar to how the person carrying Beasthood had bullied employees in the workplace in the Original Son of Heaven Game.

The Head Teacher, on the other hand, had been rather gentle toward the High School Student. That didn't seem problematic.

But was there really no problem? Why did something about it feel so strange...? Yin Ge sank into thought.

First, there was the seat change that morning.

The Head Teacher had moved the High School Student to an isolated seat far away from the other students, as if separating him from the group.

The afternoon PE class and soccer activity were the same. The Head Teacher had practically prevented the High School Student from participating in these group activities.

If this continued, it could turn into isolation.

And isolation happened to be one form of covert bullying.

Could it be a coincidence?

Yin Ge sank into thought.