The Price of Principals Ludmilla made it a habit to wake up early since she got married. She was by no more than a twist of fate. She was just another assistant(prostitute) recruited from some dying village in Ukraine who got her passport taken by her new owners when she arrived and kept alive as a human tool. She became a person when she was pregnant with Alyona and Taras was made impotent by a deep stab to his testicles. The man who inflicted the wound was brutally killed, but the damage was done and the child she had was his sole heir.

As Ludmilla rises out of morning reverie and looks at herself in the bathroom mirror, she realizes every morning that she goes over the story again as if their was a code in it. Every other wife of a Bratva man was abused and bitter, but Taras's violence was only ever released on those who broke agreements with him or who picked a fight with him. She was terrified to no end by the man so he never hit her.

Yet she still wanted to run: She had already made it to Japan. It was just a matter of time before she could squirrel away enough money to disappear with Alyona and get them new identities. While she did want to be free of the threat of kidnapping by her husband's rivals, Her greater concern was the damage done to Alyona. Just nudging her toward some level of morality wasn't enough, she had to remove Taras from her life or she would be grow up worse than both of them combined. God forbid what Alyona's own children would be taught if she kept going down the path she's on now.

The woman had a youthful face and a shorter stature, with straightened blonde hair cut to reach down to the middle of her neck as she observed her features in the mirror of her bathroom. It was odd sleeping alone, given how long she's been loyal to her husband and Alyona was never the type to seek her out when she needed comfort. She was usually sulking in her room or finding someone to take it out on if she was in a bad mood.

The woman throws on a robe and goes to knock on Alyona's door, the girl behind it stirring and cracking the door open. She could see papers littering her floor, balance sheets with several envelopes of large note Yen.
"Good morning!" Alyona says in Japanese.
"[Da], Good morning. Your not having money problems are you?"
"Father had to send rubles over to be converted into Yen: he knows that I'm putting this advance on my allowance to good use"
Ludmilla raises an eyebrow: "Your not bribing someone-"
"I am, is that a problem suddenly?" Alyona says as she adopts a more aggressive posture.

Ludmilla feels she should tell her off, make her adapt to living honestly. Maybe even punish the girl by taking her TV and video players away for a week. She opens her mouth to do it but the glare from Alyona is determined and angry: Both of them knew Alyona was in control of the situation. The woman stands down and sighs.
"Its not good to do things like this: if you need something from the school we've contributed enough to simply ask"
Alyona scoffs: "[I want their loyalty and complete subjegation: She'll need more encouragement than what got me into classes]" Alyona says in Russian.
"[And if this isn't good enough I'm sure she's a very nice and civilized woman who can handle negotiating under pressure]" she says with a wicked grin. Ludmilla shudders a bit, trying in knowing futility to maintain her parental authority.
"[We could still get deported if you-]"
"[How much do you think a Japanese Immigration officer makes? How many of them have the courage to approach a mansion filled with armed guards?]"
"[They will be convinced to not take action one way or the other, the school remains an obsticale to be beaten]" Alyona says as she ties her hair into twintails and hoists her bag over her shoulder, passing by her mother with a look of smug superiority the woman was unable speak up against.

Ludmilla is used to feeling powerless, it just stings more when her own daughter has the same big-headed cockyness her husband has. It was the kind of cockyness that scared her: in the case of her husband it was because he would follow through on any threat made if he was pushed. In the case of her daughter, it was because she was too young to know the limits of her own authority.


The Census Club marched through the halls in a V-formation, Alyona at the head, Archie on her left, and Renka on her right. People strayed close to get looks at the schools new princess, but still at a distance given her choice of company. Archie was the very embodiment of a scary gaijin, taller than most of his peers by over a head with scars from past fights visible on just his hands and face. Renka's local reputation was that of pariah and a witch, and white hair and insistance on wearing an eyepatch made her easy to sight as an outcast enemy.

They made for the office of the Principal of the school: Alyona already owned many of the teachers either by fear or through bribes, but the head of the school had yet to be in her pocket. She was scaling up her operations and wanted assurance that nobody doing favors for her would end up expelled, fired, or failed. The money meant nothing to her, it was all for assurance that she could keep calm with a cemented power based. She takes a breath outside of the office of Saori Okomoto, Principal of Higan Academy.

The kindly old woman looked toward Alyona and her group with her usual cheery smile, even Alyona's smile back was vaguely threatening. Archie leans on the door and keeps it locked. Renka stands to Alyona's side prepared to chime in to calm things down or help the situation as needed.
"Good morning, Census club!" Saori says with chipper tone as she sits at her desk.
"Okomoto-san, I've so enjoyed my time at Higan, I want to guarantee me and my friends stay here. Its long been a dream of mine to live in Japan, and immerse myself in its culture.... but that does not come without risks" Alyona starts
"I wanted to offer a gift to the school for allowing to stand against those risks with an unduanted smile~"
"Ah, I see" Saori says, not overly moved by the act.
"Its not in our school's policy to take-" she starts, only for someone to start trying to get inside the office.
"Florence-San? Would you mind letting them in?"
Archie looks back toward Alyona who is quietly fuming with anger as she failed to scare an old lady into submission.
"[Fine]" she says as she tries to not look like she was wondering how to get away blowing up Okomoto's car.

The person who steps in unmistakable: Sumi Ayaka, one of the other richest girls in the school. She travels with an entourage of faceless club members who all but worship ground she walks on even in the presence of the Principal, and especially with Alyona around.
"Okomoto-san! Its convenient that Rodionova-san and her club are here, I am here to help you make some deciscons about their status at Higan" she says with a cocky tone, like she had already gotten her way.
"She runs the single most overbudget club in the school, with the most unexplained expenses, she is going to try and trick you" Alyona says with a glare toward Sumi.
"I have a duty to hear every student out, Rodionova-san. Don't be rude to a peer like that" Saori says back to the Russian in a mildly chiding voice. Sumi's barely concealed laugh makes Alyona go from fuming to seething.
"I think its markedly clear that Rodionova-san and her club should have some oversight, no? They have access to everyone's budget after all, Its foolish to just trust anyone with that information. She is a Foreigner as well, so I think she needs to do more cultural observation before she has such an important role, don't you think so?"
Renka interrupts Alyona before speaks, trying to stop things from escalating: "On the contrary, Us outsiders are the least corrupt part of this equation as we have no allegiance, and are impartial as a judge with his mighty gavel. Unlike an entrenched aristocrat, we better represent the greatest need of the student population: Justice!" she says with a flashy pose, uncaring that a woman around 4 times her age gets a giggle out of it.
"[Gettin' a bit crowded in here anyways, so why don't you let the boss and the Principal finish talkin' before you and your entourage get gabbin'?]" Archie says in english, looking toward Sumi's mob: they freeze up like scared deer.
Sumi however is unfazed as she's handed briefcase by one of her cronies: "[We'll only be a minute]" she chats back in accented English, switching back to her native language as she places the case on the sturdy desk. Her smug look and greater height are used cast more authority on every one of her barbed words.
"I've prepared a generous offering to Higan's department of the arts as a whole, I simply suggest a contract be drawn up that confirms the arts clubs receiving this money will not have to answer pointless questions on what they are buying with it"
Sumi clicks the case open to reveal Three hundred thousand Yen: no small amount of money.
"And this is merely the first of many installments should this contract be drawn up"
Alyona snickers, adopting an impish grin as she takes some envelopes out of her school bag, bloated with 10000 Yen notes.
"Ayaka-San clearly underestimates how much I love my work at the Census Club: I've prepared my substantial gifts to the school and yourself. In total I offer 1.5 Million Yen, an amount which is scarcely worth the joy learning at this school has already brought me" Alyona says in her most eloquent Japanese.

"While I do admire the initiative of you both, I encourage you to use your funds elsewhere. I do enjoy the flattery though, perhaps I could earn an invite to one of your tea parties, Rodionova-san?" She says in a lightly teasing tone to an Alyona who burns red with impotent rage.
"And I do believe we fund our arts departments well enough given Higan's size, Ayaka-san. Perhaps the money could be offered to help upgrade the computer lab? Its one of the most important skills we can teach it seems!" she says cheerfully as Sumi looks, not listening closely beyond the fossil of a woman's refusal while trying to look nice and attentive.
"I see, Then I'll be off Okomoto-San" Sumi says in an uninterested tone as her posse follows after her, Archie kicking the door open and looking toward his boss to see if she's leaving too.
"But... I really do want to stay here as long as I can, Okomato-san" Alyona says in a much more vulnerable tone.
"My situation is.... complicated, and even when I try to help the school be better I'm told I'm not needed by many students. Just... don't make me go home please. Japan is much nicer than Russia"
Saori nods sympathetically: "I know, we don't have many foreign students and your by far the most vocal about enjoying Higan. But its wrong for me to take your money Rodionova-san"
"What you can do is keep doing well in your classes and learning as much as you can"

Alyona looks down and nods, snapping up her envelopes of money and putting them back in her bag.
"Goodbye, Okomoto-san" she says in a dejected tone before turning around, Renka and Archy following behind her.
A second after the door closes, she balls her hands up into fists: "Were finding Rin-chan for a chat. She's still doing her rounds, correct?"
Renka nods: "She should be, unless she's choosing to waste time and money on slacking"
"How are we handlin' her? Rough?" Archie asks
"Delicately: as long as she agrees is all that matters" Alyona says she adopts a determined, angry expression as the three stomp back down the stairwell.


Rin had seen enough Yakuza movies to know how screwed she was if Alyona was unhappy with her sales as she did her early rounds of passing out test answers and porno tapes to their buyers. She was doing better business than she ever had been, but Alyona took 50 Percent to start, and promised her continued loyalty would get her more of a share in the business. With most of the new inventory being things pushed on her by Alyona, she wasn't even getting drained by buying her own stock.
Of course, this spark of a good mood would be hurt Alyona and her Tovarichi marching toward her. She could tell that someone had thoroughly pissed the Russian off as her fake smile came on and she was close enough for be heard: "Rin-chan! Come with me for second before classes start!" she says with her usual charisma.
"Y-Yeah! Just-" Rin starts cut off from using her excuse of having to run some more deliveries and deals before it even got out of her mouth.
"It's very urgent, they can wait" Alyona insists, her voice sounding like a dagger at her belly that nobody else could see.
She just nods and gives in. She hadn't done anything to betray her Alyona, Right?! She racked her brain the whole walk only to end up by the trash incinerator. Theirs now way they were going to....
Then she saw Renka get in a spotting position, and Archie posture beside Alyona and look down on Rin. She saw her life flash before her eyes as the pieces connected in her mind as to what is going on here. Before she can run, Alyona grabs her hands in a gesture of mock friendship with a very tight grip. The girls happy mask and she takes a deep breath before her face starts to look more desperate, like she was very worried about something.
"Rin-Chan, your sales have been Exceptional, but we need much more money. My father will question my competence if I request more from him, so we will be expanding your side of the operation outside of the school" Alyona says.
"Wait wait wait!-" Rin says desperately, trying to back away from the short Russian girl, but the foreigners grip further tightening.
"Why are you trying to run? I am offering you a better deal!"

Rin pauses for a moment, not fully believing the little Yakuza Princess: "Your... I... uhm..."
"We need more dealers: I have much more product already in storage and can request larger shipments of it in the future. For every 3 dealers you bring in that I approve, You get 3% more of the pie"
"Once we scale up enough, you will be managing all of them and reporting to me with my part of the money. I will personally interview whoever you want to bring into the fold and they will be watched closely while working with low-grade products. Were going to focus more on quantity than quality, the more risky things I have aren't going to be sold"
"Me and my my Tovarichi will handle the movement of product to the usual drop spots, I just want you to focus on receiving it without me needing to tell you to do your job"
"And as an added revenue stream, I want whatever rumors and blackmail you have or find. I will decide what is an actionable target"
"Am I understood?"
Rin looks nervously at Alyona, knowing their was one right answer here: "Yes, I understand" she says in a tone of defeat.
"Are we in trouble?" Rin asks, mustering her courage to try and get an explanation out of her overlord.
"Not yet. We need more influence and more money without raising an alarm though. Ayaka made a play to buy the Principal at the same time we did, and we both failed. Our potential to grow is going to be very limited on school grounds, even if its fertile grounds to start on"
Rin nods: "So... take business off campus?"
"Where you can, yes" Alyona says with a defeated, a rare moment vulnerability in the girl as she seemed to be tired of puffing herself up for a very brief window.

Alyona suddenly seems to relax more, letting go of Rin's hands and smiling more genuinely: "Very good! Would you like to go shopping after school with me and Renka by the way? Archie will carry our things"
"...Do you have the answers to the next English quiz?" Rin asks, wondering if she needs to bother studying.
"Eagerly given in exchange for a small sum, you can have first look at them before we start selling them" Alyona says
"Sure then, I think-" Rin starts, but the bell marking the start of classes rings. The remnants of a good student in her cringes at being singled out over the simple mistake.
"Muraki-Sensei knows better than to punish me and my friends for being late: we have important business and its so easy for a foreign girl to get lost in these big schools~" she says with mock cuteness, masterfully executed from years of watching other characters in anime lie to their teachers faces.
A small part of Rin feels less like Alyona's victim as she giggles. For the moment, it felt good being on top.

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Pub: 08 Oct 2025 04:40 UTC

Edit: 09 Oct 2025 05:15 UTC

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