"Thief."
Gaius looked at the Azure-haired Girl, wearing an expression that said he did not quite understand.
"I seem to..."
He had barely begun to say something when the girl interrupted him:
"I found it strange, so I went back and checked the surveillance footage from the corner where we collided. As you were walking forward, your body paused slightly. Then, as though you knew I was coming from the other side, you bumped into me at exactly the right speed. And the instant your hand was concealed by my body, the bulge in my pocket from the vehicle chip disappeared."
The Azure-haired Girl fixed Gaius with her violet eyes. "Afterward, you made a turning motion that happened to conceal your palm, as if you were hiding something in your sleeve. So I am certain of it. You are a thief. You stole my chip, then later returned it to me on purpose."
"Is that so?"
Gaius did not bring up things like evidence. In the year 2075, things had never really been about evidence. Since she was convinced, there was no need for him to argue verbally. He was merely curious why, after becoming certain he was a thief, she had stopped him.
"So?"
Gaius crossed his arms. Psychologically, it was a guarded, defensive posture in conversation, but on him, it looked more like a threat aimed at the girl before him.
Yet the girl showed no sign of being intimidated by Gaius's deliberately lowered, pressing posture. A glint flashed through her violet eyes before she said, "I have blocked the surveillance cameras here and created false footage."
What did that have to do with what she was about to say?
What was there to hide about ordinary students talking?
"Apologize."
The girl looked at Gaius, pointed at his