After Sakayanagi Arisu finished speaking, she didn't mention her identity. She simply bowed and stepped down from the stage.
The opening ceremony came to a close with her bow.
When the ceremony ended, Shibata followed the plan they'd made earlier and went alone to investigate the swimming pool.
The other students in Class B went their separate ways, planning to check out the items for sale in different areas of the school.
Itozawa first went to the school convenience store. He found that its products were completely unlike those in an ordinary convenience store; the shelves were filled with smart devices powered by Energy Stones.
His gaze swept over the shelves. He saw high-tech products such as water heaters embedded with Energy Stones and energy-gathering arrays powered by them.
There were also some intricate, compact little objects. He had no idea how they'd been made so exquisitely. Curious, he picked them up and asked the clerk about them.
The clerk explained that they were made of Ling Steel, a material found alongside Energy Stones. Thanks to its unique properties, it could be used to construct very delicate, complex components.
Itozawa understood and set the objects back down.
Then he spotted an Energy Stone Music Box. Its design was exquisite, and it gave off a faint glow.
He asked the clerk if he could try playing it.
The clerk agreed, so he pressed the play button. The Music Box began to play a gentle melody.
Just then, the pink chess piece in his Mind Sea suddenly gave a faint, resonant tremor.
He quickly understood how the Music Box worked. It seemed to have been built around an ability similar to Hoshimiya-sensei's. What was more, playing the Music Box made the pink chess piece in his mind shine more brightly. It seemed that the power came from the same source, helping him understand it better.
So he decided to buy the Music Box. Just as he was about to ask the clerk how much it cost, he realized it had suddenly vanished from his hands. He froze for a moment, then realized someone had swiped it.
He quickly turned around and scanned the convenience store, trying to spot whoever had taken the Music Box.
Itozawa looked around and soon spotted the Purple-Haired Girl who had taken it.
It wasn't because he had an especially sharp eye. A clerk nearby had politely stopped her.
Seeing the girl's indignant expression, Itozawa quickly recognized her: Kamuro Sumire, the girl from the Original Work who had a compulsion to steal, was controlled by Sakayanagi Arisu, and eventually got expelled.
The clerk stopped Kamuro Sumire. His voice was warm and courteous, but his tone carried an unmistakable firmness. "You seem very interested in our Music Box, miss. If you'd like to take it with you, you'll need to buy it first."
Kamuro Sumire pursed her lips helplessly. She knew the clerk had already figured out that she'd meant to steal it, but he had no intention of exposing her. He just wanted to take the opportunity to boost sales.
She was about to accept her bad luck and take out an Energy Stone to pay for the Music Box, when Itozawa suddenly stopped her.
When Itozawa saw the clerk stop Kamuro Sumire, he stepped forward and intervened, presenting himself as someone who intended to buy the Music Box.
He calmly said to the clerk, "Hello, I'm Itozawa from Class B. I'm interested in this Music Box and was planning to buy it. It looks like she took it by accident. Why don't I pay for it?"
The clerk looked from Itozawa to Kamuro Sumire, clearly weighing how to handle the situation.
Itozawa continued, "If this becomes a bigger issue, it won't reflect well on the store. Since I'm willing to buy the Music Box, why not treat this as a misunderstanding? You'll still make another sale. It's a win-win, isn't it?"
The clerk considered Itozawa's suggestion and decided it would benefit both sides. It would avoid a dispute and increase sales.
He nodded in agreement. "Since you're willing to buy it, we won't hold her responsible. Please pay at the register."
Itozawa smiled at the clerk. "Thank you for understanding." Then he turned to Kamuro Sumire and said softly, "Are you all right? I'll buy the Music Box, so you don't need to worry about it."
Kamuro Sumire had already been prepared to accept her bad luck. She hadn't expected Itozawa to step in and help her out.
But she didn't seem grateful. She started to leave without another word, only for Itozawa to stop her.
Kamuro Sumire eyed Itozawa warily and took a stance, as if ready to fight back at any moment. "I appreciate you helping me out, but don't think you can use it to make any unreasonable demands."
Itozawa was at a loss for words. He gave a helpless smile. "What are you thinking? I just want to get to know you."
What he was really thinking was that he should get acquainted with Kamuro Sumire first. If she became one of Sakayanagi's followers later on, he could make use of that connection.
The school was much more capable now. Kamuro Sumire couldn't even steal anything, let alone be blackmailed by Sakayanagi. But what if the momentum of the original plot brought the two of them together anyway?
Even if it didn't work out, all he'd get was a girl's contact information. He had nothing to lose.
Kamuro Sumire gave a contemptuous laugh. "Are pickup lines really this outdated now? If there's nothing else, I'm leaving."
Just as Kamuro Sumire turned to go, Itozawa's voice made her stop.
He said calmly, "Since you like stealing so much, I have an idea that'll let you indulge in it without getting caught."
Kamuro Sumire immediately turned back to protest. "I don't like stealing. I just like the thrill." But there was an obvious hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Itozawa wasn't going to listen to her excuses. He called her out directly. "If you're stealing for the thrill rather than for money or objects, that's exactly what a compulsion to steal looks like. Otherwise, if all you want is excitement, why not try something like Extreme Sports?"
Kamuro Sumire was left speechless. She glared furiously at Itozawa and said, "Just tell me your idea, or I'll make you regret it."
Seeing how annoyed she was, Itozawa smiled faintly and quickly explained his idea. "You can steal things from other students. The school won't interfere in conflicts between students. Otherwise, the Principal wouldn't have openly told us this morning that we'd be fighting among ourselves."
Kamuro Sumire's eyes lit up at the suggestion. She thought it made sense.
She was just about to try stealing from Itozawa to see if his idea would work when he realized what she was thinking.
So he picked a target for her. "The new student representative, Sakayanagi Arisu. She has a special status. Wouldn't stealing something from her be even more of a challenge?"
Kamuro Sumire stopped with her hand already resting on the Music Box. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
She felt that Itozawa understood her perfectly.
People had already recognized Sakayanagi Arisu, the girl who'd been escorted here that morning.
She was the daughter of Chairman Sakayanagi and the granddaughter of the Kouiku Founder.
If Kamuro Sumire could successfully steal something from her, it would be thrilling.
She left the convenience store, eager to give it a try, leaving behind only a single remark: "If I pull it off, I'll thank you."
Before you continue