The PE teacher decided to mix boys and girls for class today, which everyone knew that was a bad idea. Ignoring the tension, they went with volleyball as the game of the day.

The gym buzzed with energy—sneakers squeaked, volleyballs smacked, and students scrambled to form teams. Shiho had her usual competitiveness on display, carefully scanning the court for plays and threats.

But then, for just a second, her focus slipped.

A ball aimed straight at her face flew like a bullet, hitting her nose dead-on with a loud thwack. Her head snapped back, and she crumpled onto the hardwood floor as pain exploded across her face. The gym fell silent, the sound of her fall echoing as everyone froze.

The culprit? A person from their class who never hid their dislike for Shiho. They stood near the net, their expression annoyingly blank, showing no hint of regret.

Shiho groaned, clutching her nose as a sharp pain radiated through her head. Blood ran down between her fingers and her eyes watered, not from tears, but from the sheer shock. A group of classmates rushed to her side, murmuring in concern while others shot daggers at the person.

“Ugh… shit,” Shiho muttered, her voice muffled and nasally. The pain was unbearable, but the feeling of humiliation was even more.