The Tyranny of Yellow

“Wait.”

“Don’t… rush… Zhuge… Classmate…”

Though her gentle cadence betrayed no hint of it, the Disciplinary Committee Head’s tone seemed to brim with boundless malice.

Despite sounding as if she were merely saying ‘Oh, good morning~,’ an ineffable malice resonated within my heart!

Zhuge Yinglang and the proper young man he had only recently met turned their faces as if on a mechanical pivot.

Their gazes met, seemingly conveying a silent message.

‘Oh, it was truly wonderful to meet you, but farewell…’

That was the implied meaning.

Though the classmates were undeniably curious, at Moonlight Academy, a place where student autonomy reigned supreme, those without official duties could only maintain an attitude of ‘carry on, we don’t mind.’

“Uh… Disciplinary Committee Head… what, may I ask, do you want this time?”

“Nothing at all.”

Tap, tap, tap…

Ye Qi walked up to the two young men.

In an attempt to project greater authority, she deliberately bounced on the balls of her feet.

However, the girl’s expression remained somewhat sullen.

“Hey, could you crouch down a bit? You’re blocking my view.”

“Oh… oh, right.”

She scrutinized me, the blond-haired boy before her, then glanced at the ‘honest young man’ behind me—a completely unremarkable figure who would be relegated to a mere extra even in a formal setting, his name likely unknown to anyone.

“Heh heh…”

“While… the academy has no specific regulations regarding hairstyles… you, Zhuge Classmate, your hairstyle is clearly ‘涉黄’ – involving yellow. Are you truly aware of the severe penalties the academy imposes for such an offense?”

“What?!”

‘Just how preposterous can one’s serious nonsense get?! It’s utterly absurd!’

“Hey, hey! Disciplinary Committee Head! You’re stretching this way too far! What does my hairstyle have to do with ‘involving yellow’?! Is there even the slightest connection between the two?! Besides both being written, they have absolutely no relation whatsoever!”

Watching me thrash about in exasperation, her words remained unshaken.

‘But how could you know, Zhuge Classmate…? Heh heh… truth always stands with those who possess strong arms!’

“Preposterous? What a joke, how could it be preposterous? Do you have any idea how much harm your yellow hair causes our class, you scoundrel?!”

“How can that be! It’s just my personal preference! Look!”

I dragged the ‘honest young man,’ Classmate Sugiyama, who had been exceptionally chummy just thirty seconds prior, directly in front of me.

‘I never even noticed his surname…’

Her finger pointed at Sugiyama’s hair.

“Look! His hair also has color! Why aren’t you bothering him?!”

‘Indeed… friendship is betrayal… isn’t it…?’

“Eh~ I don’t recall ever saying that dyed hair was forbidden~ My apologies, Classmate Sugiyama’s hair isn’t ‘涉黄’ – involving yellow, so he’s done nothing wrong.”

However, her words and actions struck the classmates as utterly unreasonable. After all, no matter how twisted the logic, one simply couldn’t link the concept of ‘yellow’ with ‘dyed yellow,’ could they?

‘Though, literally speaking…’

‘But this is absolutely illogical, isn’t it?!’

****

“Disciplinary Committee Head… you’re abusing your authority!”

“Exactly! Disciplinary Committee Head! You can’t just make such far-fetched connections!”

Even our classmates in the room began to voice their complaints on behalf of the two boys.

“Hmph…”

‘Dare to provoke me, Ye Qi?! How dare they question my… lowbrow tastes?!’

‘Honestly! Have they lived long enough?!’

‘No, perhaps they simply find life too dull and wish for me to personally imbue it with a vibrant splash of color, yes?’

“Heh heh… heheh…”

She bent at the waist, covering her face with one hand.

****

In the eyes of the other classmates, Ye Qi at that moment seemed to be radiating an aura of ‘demonic energy’ from her entire being.

Ye Qi smiled!

The Disciplinary Committee Head, clad in a boy’s school uniform, pulled a small notebook from the inner pocket of her jacket.

Faintly visible on its cover were the words ‘Moonlight Academy School Regulations’ and the academy’s moon logo.

“Heh… School Regulations! Article Nine!”

“Students of Moonlight Academy must strictly adhere to social norms! Absolutely no ‘涉黄’ – involving yellow! Any instance of ‘涉黄,’ or the use of yellow items, will result in severe penalties!”

The hidden meaning, originally intended for harmony, had ironically become a sword of judgment in her hands.

“Hmph… Zhuge Yinglang Classmate… where did you ever see ‘涉黄’ marked with any other meaning?… Heheh…”

“What?!”

“Here, ‘涉黄’ means… absolutely! The literal meaning! Yellow is forbidden!”

“Heheh, so I won’t concern myself with your ‘涉黄’ matters! In short! Yellow hair! Unacceptable! Must not exist! Absolutely!”

“Yellow! Destroy!”

“….” I, the blond-haired young man named Zhuge Yinglang, had completely petrified.

Before my eyes, a pair of scissors, gleaming with a silver halo, had suddenly appeared in her hand. Yet, this cheap pair of paper-cutting scissors now shimmered with the light of death in her grasp.

‘But as a member of the Zhuge family, how could I, Zhuge Yinglang, allow myself to be slaughtered like a fish?’

“Head! I don’t accept your explanation! You… you! I’ll confront you in front of the principal! Don’t think I won’t dare challenge you just because you’re a girl! You, you! Do you dare?!”

“…Heheh…”

I could not discern the Head’s expression at all.

However, the palm-sized face before me seemed entirely obscured by the shadows cast by her long bangs.

“…Heheh… Zhuge Classmate…”

“The time it takes to walk from here to the principal’s office… is at least nine minutes and twenty-four seconds…”

“However, there are only seven minutes and thirty-eight seconds remaining until class starts…”

“You see… skipping class for a meaningless reason, even if the excuse is going to the principal’s office… is absolutely not allowed, you know… And causing trouble for the principal is definitely forbidden~”

“Head! This is clearly your own…”

“Zhuge Classmate!”

The Disciplinary Committee Head before me suddenly raised her voice, interrupting me once more.

Yet, she seemed to suddenly lower her voice again.

“Both your left and right pockets… are bulging… aren’t they…”

“Bringing a phone is already forbidden… But you… don’t tell me you’re so ostentatious that you carry two wallets when you go out, oh…”

“Gasp!”

“Furthermore… do you think the principal will… believe me… the Disciplinary Committee Head… or will they believe… you, the blond-haired punk…? If you speak one more word… I’ll just casually fabricate a “reasonable excuse,” something like “beep—” “beep—-“…”

“…and then ask the principal to unlock your phone’s password…”

“Judging by how new your phone is… I’d guess it can hold quite a few videos, right…?”

“Gasp!”

I flinched in alarm.

‘Even this was seen through by the Disciplinary Committee Head?! Is it mind-reading?! I only just downloaded it yesterday!’

“Besides… do you think… you still have time to delete anything now?… Heheh… rather… if you dare to delete anything… at this very moment… it will surely be used as evidence…”

“I am… right beside you… watching~ very~ closely~!”

‘This person is a demon! Absolutely a demon!’

‘Humans aren’t this insidious!’

‘Mr. Wolong! I, Zhuge Yinglang, have failed your legacy!’

A refreshing breeze seemed to suddenly sweep through.

Like a lily blooming in summer, a lily capable of dispelling all vile schemes, a girl with an invigorating aura slowly entered the classroom.

‘Her magnanimity, both outward and inward, was utterly incomparable to that despicable Head’s!’

“It’s the Class Monitor! The kind Tenshouin Youli Class Monitor!”

“If it’s the Class Monitor, she’ll surely stop the Head’s unreasonable antics, right?!”

“Class Monitor!”

I hastily abandoned my confrontation with the despicable Disciplinary Committee Head. At this moment, I could only seek refuge in the Class Monitor’s embrace for my survival!

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Zhuge Classmate?”

Class Monitor Tenshouin adjusted her bag twice before hanging it on a hook by the desk.

“Class Monitor, the Disciplinary Committee Head… she’s being unreasonable, saying that having yellow hair isn’t allowed at school. Class Monitor, please say something!”

I was practically gesticulating wildly now.

“Eh? So, Little Qi? What’s going on?”

Class Monitor Tenshouin turned her head, looking at Ye Qi with a puzzled expression.

“…It’s the school regulations.”

Ye Qi’s face flushed slightly, and she turned her head away.

“….”

“Ah~ In that case, there’s nothing to be done~ Zhuge Classmate… I’m powerless to help~”

‘Hey, hey! That’s clearly a lie, no matter how you look at it! Class Monitor! It’s rare that I put my hopes in you!’

“Class… Monitor… you can’t do this!”

I let out a wail of despair.

Ye Qi took two more steps forward, the ominous dark aura behind her seemingly growing more menacing with each step of her petite frame…

“Heh heh… do you have any last words you’d like to leave?… Zhuge-kun?”

“Today, I just so happen to have brought… my scissors…”

“You should trust my skills… Zhuge-kun…”