Kushida a parasite? NO! Personality has always been broad and narrow!

On the dimly lit top floor of the school building, a Kuroya Supreme Godwork lay quietly.

Tennoji Kaede examined the two high-tech devices in his hands for a while.

I really don't know how many points Kushida spent to buy these. To get concrete evidence of Yamauchi's crime, she not only prepared to sacrifice some of her dignity, but probably also borrowed a lot of points.

In any case, he was definitely going to take these two items first.

Kaede extended his hand to Kushida. "Sorry, did I startle you, Kikyo? Can you stand up?"

"...Ah, okay, okay." Kushida Kikyo took the hand wearing medical gloves and shakily got to her feet.

Kaede watched Kushida hesitate to speak, knowing she was still very confused, or rather, she was contemplating the meaning of Tennoji's presence here.

After organizing his thoughts, Tennoji Kaede spoke first. "Kikyo, are you alright?"

"Mm..."

Seeing that Kushida had calmed down somewhat, he decided to get to the point.

"I happened to see Yamauchi Haruki sneakily following you at the library entrance, so I followed to see what was going on. I didn't expect him to attempt such an illegal act. Disgraceful."

"Thank you so much for saving me, Tennoji... But, could you please return those two devices to me?"

Kushida Kikyo lowered her head, her expression unreadable, her tone very gentle.

"You mean these two?" Kaede's gaze shifted to his hands, then he showed an apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Kikyo, I need to handle these two items first before I can return them to you. However, I did just take photos of Yamauchi at the scene, which should be enough as evidence."

Tennoji Kaede appeared to hesitate, then after thinking for a moment, he added:

"But Kikyo, you're risking your own purity and safety to obtain evidence. That's far too risky. Have you considered the worst possible outcome?"

Kushida still kept her head down, her voice low and on the verge of tears. "Tennoji, I still want to ask you a question..."

Tennoji Kaede interrupted. "Is it about what Yamauchi Haruki said, about your so-called true face, right?"

"I heard it all."

Kushida Kikyo finally looked up.

Her face now completely revealed her true self, utterly ruthless and extremely cold.

However, Kushida Kikyo didn't say a word.

She merely tilted her head slightly, closed her eyes, her beautiful and neat eyelashes trembling gently.

So this is her true face... Kaede mused inwardly.

Tennoji Kaede smiled. "Kikyo, are you injured? Or is something uncomfortable? Then..."

This time, it was Kushida who interrupted Kaede. With her eyes closed, she said coldly, "You win, Tennoji Kaede."

Closing her eyes, in this dark world, Kushida Kikyo didn't sense any other actions from the person in front of her.

No reaction from the outside?

So what...

What else could she do?

Kushida knew that Tennoji Kaede had come prepared, even bringing inexplicable items like gloves and a mask.

And that beast Yamauchi hadn't recognized Tennoji at all, while all her own weapons had already been confiscated.

...In other words, in the end, her secret had just been completely grasped by someone even more terrifying.

Then she only had one last bargaining chip left.

"You win, Kaede..."

Kushida Kikyo repeated herself, but this time her address to him had changed back.

"I'll give my body to you. Please keep my secret."

['Cause': Kushida Kikyo doesn't want to give up the chance to start her life over. This new life in high school is everything to her... even though that hateful woman Horikita already exists!]

['Effect': Charisma +30, XX Skill +50]

Tennoji Kaede: ...

Up to this point, things have mostly gone as he expected.

Now, there are quite a few paths he can choose. What should he do...

"Screech! Snap!"

An inaudible sound made Kushida Kikyo tremble with fear.

As expected... her final bargaining chip was still effective...

Kushida Kikyo felt her collar being gripped by two hands!

Her body began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Kushida, your collar is open too wide. Yamauchi really wasn't human... And now my fingerprints are on this collar. You don't have to worry about it anymore, do you? Why don't you open your eyes and check?"

Kaede's hands were helping to fasten Kikyo's collar.

What?

Her collar?

His fingerprints?

Kushida Kikyo opened her eyes in disbelief.

Perhaps it was because she had squeezed her eyes shut too tightly, but the scene before her was blurry, and she felt a slight dizziness.

A moment later, Kushida Kikyo regained her senses, but she still stared blankly at Tennoji Kaede's bare hands, without gloves...

The sound just now, had he taken off his gloves?

Kaede's hands slowly fastened her collar, which she had accidentally opened, back into place and tidied it up.

Afterward, Kaede's hands calmly left her neck.

"...Why?"

"Why what? I didn't quite understand what Kikyo was saying just now."

Kaede sighed. "How could I possibly do anything to insult Kushida? We should be considered friends, right?"

Kushida Kikyo stammered, "But..."

Tennoji Kaede added, "No 'buts.' Besides, I already like someone else."

Hearing this, Kushida Kikyo felt inexplicably relieved, but then, for some reason, she also felt a bit empty...

"Kikyo, why do you have to pay such a heavy price just to have others keep your secret for you?"

"What about the most basic trust between people?"

Tennoji Kaede posed soul-searching questions!

Kushida Kikyo froze, her gaze slowly unfocused.

What about trust between people?

Kushida Kikyo couldn't answer this question at all.

Because she, Kushida Kikyo, wielded the ultimate weapon called "betrayal" precisely based on this point of "trust"!

In her soul, she had never truly believed in the existence of "trust."

Naturally, she had never had a single friend with whom she shared her true feelings.

Therefore, Kushida armed herself with the hypocritical mask of a "friend to everyone."

Kushida Kikyo, a person devoid of any sense of trust, a pitiable and detestable person – this was Kaede's firm assertion!

However, today.

Kushida Kikyo had handed over her greatest bargaining chip, begging for the right to continue living.

She pleaded for a chance to survive from this mysterious man, so she could find an opportunity for revenge later (for real)!

But Tennoji Kaede said he liked someone... but a gentleman doesn't take advantage of someone's vulnerability... yet Kaede truly didn't.

He also said that there could indeed be trust between people.

Right before her eyes!

And so, at a moment that should have been filled with despair and pain.

She, Kushida Kikyo, had obtained the treasure called "trust" at this very moment!?

Tennoji Kaede extended his hand to Kushida Kikyo again:

"Kikyo, please believe me."

Kushida Kikyo subconsciously raised her hand...