Useful Tools

The rumble of boiling water echoed through the tiny kitchen, and white steam blurred Kazehara Tetsu's vision.

He casually stirred the pot a few times with his chopsticks, his vacant gaze fixed on the churning water.

Threatening Kamuro Masumi directly with the video was certainly the simplest approach.

He could easily make her his dog, have her handle shady business for him, and satisfy his every demand.

But a relationship built on fear was fragile, liable to shatter at the slightest blow.

If anything went wrong—if the video leaked, for example, or Kamuro Masumi found a new protector—this "dog" might turn around and bite him at any moment.

A dog that could think and hold a grudge would always be a hidden danger.

He wanted far more than that.

He wanted loyalty that came from the heart—absolute loyalty that could never be betrayed.

To make someone submit completely, he first had to destroy everything they had and plunge them into bottomless despair. Then, at their most helpless moment, he would arrive as their "savior" and grant them redemption.

At that point, he would no longer be their threat, but the only one they had.

The udon noodles gradually unfurled in the pot, and Kazehara Tetsu's thoughts grew clearer, just like the noodles.

He needed a knife—one stupid enough to discard after use without leaving him any trouble.

Class A students wouldn't do. Turmoil within the class would affect his own interests.

Class B had Ichinose. Given her personality, she would probably turn the whole thing into a heartwarming exercise in "mutual understanding," ruining his plan completely.

Class C...

Kazehara Tetsu's lips curled.

That lot was probably still a scattered mess, and their internal power struggle hadn't ended yet. Approaching them rashly would only draw unwanted attention.

That left Class D.

A gathering place for "inferior products."

A group of students whom the school had judged to be the worst because of one problem or another.

Three names immediately came to mind.

"Ken Sudō, Kanji Ike, and Yamauchi Haruki..."

The "Dumb Trio" of Class D.

Ken Sudō was prone to violent impulses, simple-minded, and easily provoked.

Kanji Ike was lecherous and boastful, but a coward who might back down at a crucial moment.

Yamauchi Haruki...

Kazehara Tetsu lightly tapped his fingertip on the name "Yamauchi Haruki." He was the one.

The guy was extremely vain and loved being the center of attention. He always wanted to show off in front of girls, despite lacking the ability to back it up.

He craved attention and approval, wasn't very bright, and was easy to manipulate and incite. He was practically the perfect chess piece for this plan.

Yamauchi Haruki had believed Sakayanagi Arisu wanted to be his girlfriend just because she'd told him she'd fallen in love with him at first sight.

He'd also believed Sakayanagi Arisu's verbal promise that Class A would give him votes of praise in the Class Vote, and had tried to force Ayanokoji to leave school. It was absurdly stupid.

So if he gave him something more concrete than a verbal promise—a video—his true colors would show even more.

He would give Yamauchi Haruki the video and let him "stand up for justice," let him stir up trouble.

Given Yamauchi Haruki's personality, once he got his hands on a "weapon" that could be used against a Class A student, he would be desperate to make it public and show off his "capabilities."

It was the second day of the new term. Since classes had just started, the teachers mostly went over what the upcoming courses would cover.

The morning passed quickly, and soon it was lunchtime.

As soon as the bell rang, Kazehara Tetsu left the classroom and headed straight for the Class D corridor.

His gaze swept quickly over the crowd, searching for the three people he was looking for.

Ken Sudō's conspicuous red buzz cut made it easy for Kazehara Tetsu to spot all three of them.

The three walked together, chatting and laughing, without noticing Kazehara Tetsu.

He followed behind them at a safe distance, careful not to arouse their suspicion.

Before long, they arrived at the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was packed, and the din filled the entire space.

Kazehara Tetsu watched helplessly as the three weaved through the crowd looking for seats. With so many people around, he couldn't get close to them, let alone talk to them.

After a while, the three finished their meal and got up to leave the cafeteria.

Seeing that, Kazehara Tetsu hurried after them.

They left the cafeteria and headed toward Keyaki Mall.

When they entered a café, Kazehara Tetsu couldn't help feeling a little surprised.

He'd assumed they would go shopping or do something else. He hadn't expected them to come here.

The café was quiet in the early afternoon, with soothing jazz playing in the background.

He chose a corner seat by the window, ordered an iced Americano, then took out his phone and idly scrolled through videos.

"Ugh, it's so bitter. I don't get how anyone can drink something this nasty."

"Yeah, only people who care about appearances like that stuff!"

"Spending so much money on this feels like a scam."

Their complaints soon reached Kazehara Tetsu's ears. He didn't act right away, instead waiting patiently for the right moment.

After the trio finished their coffee, the conversation soon turned to girls.

"Hey, don't you think Ichinose Honami is a total knockout? That figure, wow..." Kanji Ike said, looking dreamy.

"Hmph, so what? If you ask me, Sakayanagi from Class A is the one. That poise... If only I could get her to be my girlfriend..." Yamauchi Haruki began daydreaming.

"Give it a rest. You think you can get a girlfriend?" Ken Sudō scoffed disdainfully.

Now.

Kazehara Tetsu set down his coffee, stood up, and walked straight over to the trio's table with his cup in hand.

He stopped beside them and looked down at Yamauchi Haruki, who had a leering expression on his face. A frivolous, teasing smile played on his lips.

"Hey, I thought I heard you say you wanted to date someone from our class. Sakayanagi?"

His voice wasn't loud, but the three of them heard him clearly.

All three looked up at once. When they saw Kazehara Tetsu standing before them, they froze for a moment.

"W-who are you? From Class A?" Yamauchi Haruki asked, unnerved by the way he was looking at him.

"Just a Class A student who happened to be passing by. I heard something interesting, so I thought I'd come say hello."

Kazehara Tetsu pulled over an empty chair without asking and sat down beside their table, placing his iced Americano on it.

His gaze swept over all three faces before settling on Yamauchi Haruki. "Sakayanagi isn't easy to win over. But... I could give you a chance to get 'up close and personal' with a girl from Class A. It just depends on whether you've got the guts."

"What chance?" Kanji Ike immediately perked up, his eyes lighting up.

"There's a girl in Class A. She seems so aloof on the surface, like an ice queen. But the truth is..."

He deliberately drew out his words, a knowing smile appearing on his face. "She has a little dirty habit."

"A little habit?" Kanji Ike's curiosity was fully piqued.

"A habit of... stealing."

Kazehara Tetsu dropped the bombshell with an offhand air.

The three exchanged glances, their faces showing equal parts shock and disbelief.

"Seriously?"

"See for yourselves."

Kazehara Tetsu first shifted his chair until his back completely blocked the camera behind him, then stopped.

He took out his phone and tapped a few times without handing it over. Then he placed it on the table on his side, where the camera above couldn't capture it,

He turned the screen toward them.

A video began playing on the screen.

Kamuro Masumi's profile was clearly visible against a backdrop of shelves.

The camera wobbled slightly, giving the footage an unmistakably candid feel.

The three leaned closer without thinking, their heads huddled together as they stared at the tiny screen.

They saw Kamuro Masumi pick up the lipstick and pretend to put it back. In the instant it turned in her hand, it vanished as if by magic and slid neatly into the pocket of her school uniform skirt.

The whole thing was crystal clear and irrefutable.

The video was only a few seconds long and played on a loop.