Provocation

Itozawa hurried out of the dormitory, a sudden thought striking him – he had forgotten to ask Kanzaki and Ichinose for their room numbers.

He knew that if he went to ask the dorm supervisor, he might be able to find out Kanzaki's room number, but Ichinose's would be impossible.

Moreover, he suspected Sakagami-sensei would monitor such crucial information. If he went to ask, Sakagami would receive the information quickly, rendering his previous time advantage meaningless.

Since he was already out, Itozawa decided not to go back. He thought he'd just take a walk outside. If Sakagami's surveillance hadn't been lifted, his actions would seem more natural.

He casually walked down the dormitory stairs, originally planning to buy a drink on the way. But at that moment, his special ability activated automatically, making him sense something was wrong.

Itozawa's gaze sharpened. His eyes fixed on the shadow of a vending machine, where he spotted a girl with a ponytail.

He froze, instinctively stepping into the shadow and beginning to recall the plot of the original work. He remembered the confrontation between the Horikita Siblings and Ayanokouji was scheduled for half a month later. It was only the first day, so this scene shouldn't be happening yet.

However, when he looked again, he noticed the girl seemed to have noticed him as well and was preparing to leave.

Itozawa's mind raced as he stepped forward to intercept her, considering various possibilities. Finally, upon seeing her blue hair, he confirmed his guess – Sakayanagi's right-hand person, Yamamura Miki.

He quickly and decisively stood in front of her and spoke softly, "Yamamura-san, want to talk?"

His appearance made Yamamura Miki stop. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes; she clearly hadn't expected to be stopped.

Yamamura Miki's gaze scanned Itozawa's face. Her eyes held a hint of wariness, but also a trace of curiosity. She was clearly pondering Itozawa's intentions while also assessing his strength.

Itozawa stood quietly before her, exuding confidence and composure.

Seeing her reaction, Itozawa knew he had guessed correctly. However, he didn't relax. After all, the only thing he knew more about her than she knew about him was her name. He wasn't even sure if she had already joined forces with Sakayanagi, so he could only continue the conversation based on her reaction.

Yamamura Miki's brow furrowed slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

She truly hadn't expected to be discovered, especially when she was in her most skilled state of concealment.

Her name wasn't widely known. Since elementary school, her presence had been like that of an invisible person in class. Even in a crowd, few people would notice her.

Her gaze was locked onto Itozawa, trying to find answers on his face.

Her special ability, "Chameleon Existence," allowed her to blend in with her surroundings, making her almost invisible.

But now, this unfamiliar boy not only discovered her but also accurately called out her name.

"Who are you?" Yamamura Miki's voice held a hint of caution, her body tensing slightly, ready to respond to any potential threat. "How do you know my name is Yamamura Miki?"

Itozawa looked at Yamamura Miki's wary expression and knew he had to proceed carefully. He understood that every action and every word could influence the subsequent conversation.

"I'm Itozawa from Class B," his voice was calm and friendly, devoid of any hostility. "I know your name because I know something about you."

A flicker of confusion crossed Yamamura Miki's eyes. She didn't recall having any interaction with Itozawa. Her voice grew colder, "I don't remember us having any contact. Why do you know something about me?"

Itozawa smiled slightly, knowing he had to provide a reasonable explanation. His eyes conveyed a hint of sincerity: "My understanding of you comes from my attention to everyone in the school. I know you're not simple. Your abilities, your background, all of them have piqued my interest."

Yamamura Miki's brow furrowed even deeper. She didn't believe Itozawa's words. Her body tensed further, as if ready to flee at any moment. Itozawa knew he had to act, or Yamamura Miki might disappear into the shadows.

Itozawa looked at Yamamura Miki's doubtful gaze, knowing she wouldn't easily believe him. He decided to give a more specific explanation to dispel her doubts.

"Actually, Sakayanagi told me," Itozawa's voice was calm, his eyes showing a trace of honesty.

As for why he said that, it was because he felt that since Sakayanagi's process of bringing subordinates under his control was inevitable, and he would even be a catalyst for it.

Then, why not let him control the process, creating a natural rift between them during her recruitment, leaving his mark?

Upon hearing this explanation, Yamamura Miki's brow relaxed slightly, but a hint of doubt remained.

She recalled the scene earlier that day when Sakayanagi had set a trap at her seat to catch Kamuro, and the glance Sakayanagi had given her intentionally or unintentionally at the end.

It wasn't difficult for Sakayanagi to notice her. Similarly, for her, investigating her classmates wasn't difficult either.

But she couldn't understand why Sakayanagi would tell this to the boy from Class B in front of her, and even have him expose her.

Was it to startle her? Or was there a deeper consideration? Yamamura Miki couldn't figure it out, but she couldn't be bothered to delve deeper.

"Alright, let's say Sakayanagi told you," Yamamura Miki's voice held a hint of resignation. "But why are you here, and why did you stop me?"

Itozawa smiled slightly, knowing this was an opportunity, a chance to gain Yamamura Miki's trust. He decided to be forthright: "I'm here because I believe we can have more interaction, perhaps we can help each other."

Yamamura Miki looked at Itozawa, a complex expression flashing in her eyes. She wasn't sure if Itozawa's words were true or false, but she didn't want to judge anymore.

She decided not to linger here and planned to actively conceal herself further and leave.

"Itozawa, I don't know what your intentions are, but I don't want to interact with you further right now," Yamamura Miki's voice held a hint of firmness. "If you really want to help me, then don't come looking for me again."

With that, Yamamura Miki turned to leave. Her figure began to slowly blend into the surrounding shadows, her existence becoming indistinct.

Itozawa knew he couldn't forcibly keep her any longer; he had to give her some space.

"Yamamura-san, I understand your concerns," Itozawa's voice held a hint of respect. "But if you change your mind, you're always welcome to come find me."

Yamamura Miki didn't reply. Her figure had already completely disappeared into the shadows.