Bro, How'd You Become a Master Thief?

Shiraishi Asuka stood up and handed Mikage Touji the packed schoolbag, not forgetting to remind him.

"Kamuro should've gone to the convenience store."

"Got it!"

Good Brother, How'd You Become a Master Thief?

Kamuro Masumi walked fast. Mikage Touji had only just stepped out of the library, and she had nearly vanished at the end of the road.

That direction... It really was the convenience store.

Now that he knew where Kamuro Masumi was headed, Mikage Touji wasn't in such a hurry.

What was she planning to buy?

Following Kamuro Masumi, Mikage Touji entered the convenience store.

Her confident, unhesitating stride had led Mikage Touji to guess she might be heading for the women's personal-care section. But the colorful cans of all shapes and sizes on the shelves told him this was the drinks section.

Mikage Touji sensed something was off. If she was simply thirsty, there was no need to go so far out of her way to buy a drink. There were vending machines along the way.

Almost instinctively, he slowed down and let himself fall well behind Kamuro Masumi.

Meanwhile, Kamuro Masumi slowed down too once she entered the store. Gone was the impatience she'd shown in the library. Her gaze settled near the alcohol shelves, as if she were browsing.

The school probably didn't allow students to buy alcohol—

As Mikage Touji wondered about it, Kamuro Masumi casually reached out and took a beer. Turning her body to the side, she slipped the can into her shoulder bag.

Her movements were smooth and natural, without a hint of hesitation. She turned and left.

Mikage Touji was left in the corner with his mouth hanging open, his eyes vacant, frozen stiff.

It all happened so suddenly that by the time he realized what Kamuro Masumi had done, it was already too late.

Kamuro Masumi then walked out of the convenience store as if nothing had happened, like an ordinary student who'd dropped by after school on a whim, wandered around, found nothing to buy, and left.

Mikage Touji covered his eyes, overwhelmed by conflicting emotions.

Good brother, how'd you become a master thief?

Did students these days all need to develop a side hustle?

And why did this scene feel so much like the story of a spoiled young lady from a wealthy family who was secretly a daring, nimble, and highly skilled burglar...?

What was she doing it for? The thrill!

But there was one problem: this burglar...

Was one of his own!

If she got caught, Class A wouldn't be executed to the last person, but its reputation would suffer and its strength would take a hit.

And reporting her for the greater good... That was even less of an option. Family scandals were best kept in the family.

So, was there only one option left?

Give it up, Ah Zu—no, wait!

Give it up, good brother. There are hidden cameras everywhere!

Before he knew it, Mikage Touji had wandered outside and sat dazed on a bench by the road.

After thinking it over for a long while, he lowered his eyes, silently took out his phone, and dialed.

The phone rang a few times before it was picked up with a click. Shiraishi Asuka's voice, as soothing as clear water, came through.

"Hello? What's wrong, Mikage?"

Mikage Touji was silent for a moment before speaking. "Did Shiraishi-san know all along?"

"What are you talking about, Mikage? I don't know."

"About Kamuro."

"What about Kamuro?"

"I thought it was strange just now. Why would Shiraishi-san turn down my request? It didn't make sense." Mikage Touji sounded deeply puzzled.

Then he changed tack. "Now I've figured it out. Maybe Shiraishi-san deliberately wanted me to go to the convenience store."

"Hehe." Shiraishi Asuka chuckled softly through the phone. "And why would I want you to go to the convenience store?"

"Probably so I'd witness her stealing something..."

Mikage Touji continued his deduction. "Everything that happened was far too coincidental. Kamuro left and happened to drop her notebook; there was a key card tucked into the back of it; and, more importantly, Shiraishi-san knew she was heading to the convenience store just from the direction she left in."

"Maybe it was all a coincidence?"

Shiraishi Asuka seemed to enjoy chatting with Mikage Touji like this. Just from the sound of her voice, he could picture her smiling.

"Fine, but that's too many coincidences. What's more, Shiraishi-san had just reminded me that Kamuro's physical abilities were among the best of the girls in the class. Then I ran into her stealing at the convenience store. The odds of that are so low that, other than someone arranging it, I can't think of another explanation."

"Mhm, that's my Mikage." Shiraishi Asuka neither admitted nor denied it.

Mikage Touji gazed at his shadow reflected on the ground, his feelings complicated. "Why go to so much trouble to make me witness her stealing?"

"Because Kamuro's a very capable person. It'd be a waste not to put her to use."

"With Kamuro's personality, wouldn't she help the class if we just asked her properly?"

"Helping the class and working for you aren't on the same level."

"Then why didn't Shiraishi-san bring her over herself?"

"You don't have enough influence over the girls. You need someone specifically to handle matters involving them."

Without a second thought, Mikage Touji blurted out, "But don't I already have Shiraishi-san?"

Only Shiraishi Asuka's gentle breathing came through the phone. She didn't respond for a long time—so long that Mikage Touji felt as if several centuries had passed.

"Yes, you have me..."

"Then why—"

"Because I don't think leading the girls is right for me, just as you said you weren't suited to leading the class..."

"So that's why you specifically invited Kamuro to join our study group?"

"Yes. I happened to see Kamuro's name when Katsuragi was assigning people to study groups, and that's how this study session came about. Otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted a third person to join us."

"Does Shiraishi-san want me to bring her over to our side?"

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"Fine... Since Shiraishi-san put it that way."

Mikage Touji nodded, his tone suddenly turning serious. "Then I have one last question."

"What is it?"

Mikage Touji let out a long sigh.

"I don't think I can handle a girl like her. Help me out, Mother Shiraishi!"

The next second, a laugh as ticklish as a feather brushing over his heart came through.

"Don't worry. I'll teach you."

Going by the direction she'd taken earlier, she should be heading back to the dorm. And judging by her pace... It could work!

Mikage Touji skidded to a stop at the dorm entrance and looked around, but saw no sign of her.

He took out his phone to call her, but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a flash of purple disappearing around a corner of the lobby. Without thinking, he shouted:

"Good brother!"

His loud voice rang through the entire elevator hall, drawing strange looks toward that "good brother."

Kamuro Masumi lowered her head, clenched her fists, and kept walking as if she didn't know him.

"You dropped something!" Mikage Touji shouted again.

He held Kamuro Masumi's room key card high. The looks around them grew even stranger. Now she couldn't pretend not to know him.

With a twist of her long, powerful leg, Kamuro Masumi turned around at once and glared at him as if he were trash. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to get to know you. Also..." Mikage Touji paused, the key card still in his hand. "I came to return something you dropped."

"I'm not interested in you!"

Taking two steps for every one of his, Kamuro Masumi snatched the key card and headed straight for the stairwell. Her little leather shoes tapped rapidly up the steps, trying to put distance between herself and Mikage Touji, who was following behind.

"I want to talk to you for a bit."

Mikage Touji followed just below her, watching her long legs cross and the white hem of her skirt flutter as he spoke.

"I don't want to talk to you at all!" Kamuro Masumi continued up the stairs.

Mikage Touji spread out his mental perception and swept the area, making sure no one else was around.

"About what you did at the convenience store just now..."

Kamuro Masumi stopped and lowered her head, her expression impossible to read. "You saw?"

"Every bit of it. This isn't the place to talk. Can we go somewhere else?"

"Right here! So what if I stole it? Are you going to report me?" Kamuro Masumi's attitude was unexpectedly defiant.

"Do you have proof? There's only one can of beer in my bag. If I throw it away right now and deny everything, what can you do?"

Mikage Touji sighed and scratched his head, thoroughly exasperated. As expected, he'd have to use Mother Shiraishi's method. But he couldn't shake the feeling that it was a bit strange.

"Then what about the things in your room? I don't think you got rid of them this time. You didn't the previous times, either, did you? They should be in your room now, right?"

"Judging by how practiced you were just now, you've done this more than once. If you're a repeat offender, even shoplifting can bring some serious punishment..."

Is this going to work, Mother Shiraishi? If it doesn't, I'm really going to become the Class A Weirdo.

Threatening one of his own classmates with lines like, "Hey, if you don't want anyone finding out about your crimes..." would make him die of embarrassment if word got out.

"Do whatever you want!"

Kamuro Masumi reached into her shoulder bag, took out the can of beer she'd stolen from the convenience store, and shoved it into Mikage Touji's hand.

"Go on, report me!"

"Hey, good brother, wait." Mikage Touji raised a hand to stop her, helplessly.

But the moment Kamuro Masumi heard "good brother," she got even more worked up and took out her phone.

"If you won't call them, I will!"

"I give up, okay?"

Mikage Touji held down the phone she was about to dial.

"When did I ever say I was going to report you? You're a member of Class A. Do you think I'd stab myself in the back? Besides, your physical abilities are excellent, and the class is in desperate need of people right now."

Mikage Touji straightened up, cleared his throat, and spoke solemnly:

"In short, I need you!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it rang clearly in Kamuro Masumi's mind.

"Tch..."

Kamuro Masumi was getting annoyed. The guy in front of her was impossible to read. He'd caught her red-handed, but had no intention of reporting her, hadn't stated what he wanted in return, and kept rambling on with all sorts of pointless remarks.

Hm? He needed her?

Kamuro Masumi hesitated.

Wasn't that basically a recruitment pitch? Was he asking her to help him with something?

She might not be much of a joiner, but Kamuro Masumi considered herself well-informed about Class A. On the surface, Katsuragi Kōhei was the class leader. In reality, everything was happening because the guy in front of her let it. At least, most of the class had chosen to follow him.

"Just tell me. What do you want me to do?" Kamuro Masumi asked bluntly.

Hm? She'd given in? That quickly?

Th-That wasn't right, was it? Her expression just now had made her look like the type who'd fight to the death. How had she given in so quickly? Was the trick Shiraishi-san gave him some kind of hypnotic spell?

Well, now that she'd given in, the rest should be easy. No wonder Shiraishi-san's clever plan had only needed a few lines.