Kamuro Masumi's Choice

By the time Kazehara Tetsu returned to the dormitory entrance, the sky had already darkened.

The hallway of the dormitory building was unusually quiet, with only the sound of Kazehara Tetsu's footsteps echoing through the empty space.

As he neared his room, his steps came to a halt.

He saw a slender figure leaning against the wall beside his door.

She wore the same school uniform as him, her purple hair dazzling under the lights.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, her head lowered, as if she were staring at her own toes.

Kamuro Masumi.

Hearing the footsteps, she slowly looked up, her gaze fixed directly on Kazehara Tetsu.

"Looks like I'm not back too late."

There was no trace of surprise on Kazehara Tetsu's face. He walked to the door, pulled a key card from his pocket, and prepared to open it.

His tone was as casual as if he were greeting a friend he'd made plans with.

"How did you know which room I'm in?"

He swiped the card lightly over the door's sensor. A soft beep sounded, and the lock clicked open.

"Your room number—I just asked a Class A student on this floor. It was simple to find out."

Kamuro Masumi spoke as if stating a plain fact.

She straightened up from the wall, her movements a little stiff, as if she'd been waiting there for a while.

Kazehara Tetsu pushed the door open and flicked on the light, illuminating the room.

"Come in." He stepped aside, clearing the way.

Kamuro Masumi didn't hesitate. She walked past him, and a faint scent—a mix of shampoo and a girl's natural fragrance—brushed past Kazehara Tetsu's nose.

She entered the room without looking around, simply standing still to the side.

Kazehara Tetsu closed the door. The automatic lock clicked shut, the sound sharp and clear in the quiet room.

He took off his jacket, tossed it carelessly onto a chair, then turned and leaned against the wall, studying the silent Kamuro Masumi with interest.

"Kamuro, you've got some nerve. Coming alone to the boys' dormitory floor late at night, and even stepping into a guy's room."

There was a hint of teasing in his voice. "Not afraid... something might happen?"

Kamuro Masumi finally reacted. She lifted her eyelids.

Her eyes held none of the tension Kazehara Tetsu had expected—only a calm stillness, and something else... a kind of resolve.

"I came here to repay you."

Her voice remained steady, but the fingers of her hand, clenched at her side, were turning white from the pressure.

"Repay me?"

Kazehara Tetsu raised an eyebrow. "Oh... those two hundred thousand points—how are you planning to pay them back? In installments? I won't charge interest, you know."

"The points... I'll return them."

Kamuro Masumi's lips moved. "But I can't give you all of it at once... In any case, I won't short you a single point."

Kazehara Tetsu spread his hands. "So, you came here now to draw up an IOU with me first?"

Kamuro Masumi didn't answer his question.

She took a deep breath, as if summoning every ounce of strength she had, and then...

Under Kazehara Tetsu's gaze, she raised her hand and undid the first button of her school uniform shirt.

The smile on Kazehara Tetsu's face didn't change, but his eyes darkened slightly.

Her fingers trembled a little, but her movements didn't stop.

The second button, the third... As each button came undone, the shirt fell open to the sides, revealing the pure white undergarment beneath.

She didn't stop. After undoing all the buttons, she began to shrug the shirt off her shoulders.

"Wait."

Just as the shirt was about to slide from her shoulders, Kazehara Tetsu spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, but it made Kamuro Masumi's movements freeze instantly.

She looked up, and for the first time, confusion flickered in her eyes.

Kazehara Tetsu walked slowly up to her, until the distance between them was close enough to feel each other's breath.

He didn't look at her exposed skin. His gaze was locked firmly on her eyes.

"Let me ask you something, Kamuro."

His tone turned serious. "Are you doing this now just to 'repay' me for helping you with the theft incident—treating it like a transaction to settle? Or is it because... you actually feel something for me beyond just gratitude?"

Kamuro Masumi's body trembled violently.

That question had cracked open the heart she'd wrapped in coldness and resolve.

Transaction? Or feelings?

She couldn't tell anymore.

All she knew was that when this man pulled her out of the abyss.

When he told her, your secret is safe with me.

A complex emotion she had never experienced before—a mix of relief, dependence, and a morbid obsession—had long taken root in her heart.

She looked into Kazehara Tetsu's eyes. He seemed to genuinely care about her answer.

"...Both."

It took a long moment before she squeezed those two words out of her throat. Her voice was faint, yet unusually clear.

"I'll pay back the points. But that takes time." She lowered her gaze, looking at her own open collar, a hint of self-mockery creeping into her voice. "Right now, the only thing I can offer immediately that might still have some value to you... is this. It's the fastest and most effective way to repay you."

Her words were filled with cold, pragmatic logic.

But that "both" exposed the undeniable real emotion beneath her reasoning.

Kazehara Tetsu was silent for a moment upon hearing this.

Then, he smiled.

It was a genuine smile, tinged with pleasure and satisfaction.

This was the answer he wanted.

A completely conquered soul was far more interesting than a body offered up as part of a transaction.

He said nothing more. Instead, he reached out, using his fingertips to gently lift Kamuro Masumi's chin, forcing her to look up and meet his eyes.

"In that case... let me see just how sincere your 'repayment' really is."

With that, he lowered his head and kissed her cold lips.

Kamuro Masumi's body went rigid instantly. She had never been this intimate with the opposite sex before; her mind went completely blank.

Kazehara Tetsu's lips still carried a faint scent of coffee.

His kiss was not gentle. It was fiercely aggressive, his tongue prying open her teeth, charging straight in to plunder without restraint.

"Mmph..."

A whimper escaped Kamuro Masumi's throat. Her instinct was to pull back, but her back was pressed against the door, leaving no room to retreat.

One of Kazehara Tetsu's hands had already wrapped around her waist, holding her tightly against him.

The kiss lasted a long time—so long that Kamuro Masumi felt the air in her lungs was nearly drained—before Kazehara Tetsu finally pulled back, still savoring the moment.

A thin strand of silver stretched between them, glistening faintly under the lights.

Kamuro Masumi gasped for air, an unnatural flush spreading across her cheeks.

"It's not too late to regret it now," his voice whispered in her ear.

Kamuro Masumi said nothing. She simply closed her eyes silently, then opened them again.

She raised her hands on her own, wrapping them around Kazehara Tetsu's neck, answering him with her actions.

From tonight onward, she, Kamuro Masumi, belonged to Kazehara Tetsu alone.