Are you sure it's repayment and not revenge?

She was crouching stealthily in the shadows beside the shelf, her gaze darting like a thief's, nervously glancing at the liquor display on the upper shelf every now and then, while quickly scanning the surroundings to see if anyone was watching.

Her fingers were sneaking, moving with extreme slowness toward a bottle of exquisitely packaged whiskey, her fingertips brushing against the cold glass bottle.

With lightning speed, she snatched the bottle and shoved it into the pocket of her oversized school uniform jacket!

Although her movements were a bit stiff from nervousness, the process was quite "practiced." After succeeding, she subconsciously patted her pocket, as if confirming the safety of her "loot."

Lin Mu: "...?"

His eyebrows twitched imperceptibly, and countless question marks instantly popped up in his mind.

No, buddy... wait, no, this classmate. Didn't the academy just issue 100,000 points?

There are plenty of free daily necessities in the supermarket; no matter what, it shouldn't reach the point of theft, right?

Besides, the law explicitly states that stores cannot sell alcoholic beverages to minors. Although this convenience store has liquor on the shelves (likely prepared for faculty members, otherwise convenience stores wouldn't typically stock alcohol), checking out would definitely require age verification. Students simply can't buy it.

Looking at this girl, she seems to be in good condition. Although her eyes are shifty, she doesn't look like someone who drinks or enjoys drinking.

So why is she stealing liquor? Is it purely for the thrill? To experience something "forbidden"? Or does she have some other special hobby?

(I don't understand, but I respect it.)

I really don't get the thought process of these people, Lin Mu muttered silently to himself.

According to his supreme principle as a slacker—"don't meddle in other people's business, don't invite trouble"—he should pick up his bags, turn around, and walk away right now, pretending he saw nothing.

But... that sense of "upright values" instilled in him since childhood, which hadn't faded even after his rebirth, made it impossible for him to just watch a peer (especially a girl) make a mistake right in front of him—a mistake that could very likely lead to serious consequences.

Getting caught stealing in this school with its strict rules—heaven knows how many personal points would be deducted, or if it would affect the class evaluation, or even result in a disciplinary record.

Troublesome.

Lin Mu sighed in his heart. He quickly weighed his options: give a warning, just one. Whether she listens or not is her business.

It's hard to save a person who is determined to die; if the other party remains stubborn or bites back, he can immediately drop his "savior complex" and respect the fate of others.

After all, his time is precious. He still needs to set up his stall and start his great "divination for easy money" plan; he doesn't have time to waste here.

Having made up his mind, Lin Mu picked up his several large bags (looking slightly disheveled) and walked slowly toward the purple-haired girl.

The other party was still crouching by the shelf, seemingly building up her mental resolve or observing her next "target."

Lin Mu stood still behind her. To avoid startling her (and to prevent her from overreacting and smashing the bottle, a common trope in Japanese anime), he first tapped her shoulder lightly, his voice low and his tone flat:

"Classmate, stealing is wrong, you know."

"Waaah!"

Kamuro Masumi was so startled that she shuddered violently, like a cat with its fur standing on end, almost springing up from the ground.

The other bottle of sake she had just touched in her hand fell back onto the shelf with a "clatter" (fortunately, it didn't break).

She turned around in a panic, subconsciously shielding the pocket containing the whiskey with both hands. The color drained from her face instantly, and her eyes were filled with panic and vigilance.

When she saw the appearance of the person behind her, a fleeting, undeniable flash of awe crossed her panicked eyes.

Short white hair, a cold and well-defined face, a tall and straight figure—his looks were strikingly high-impact.

But the expression on his face... was one of laziness, a sense of detachment as if he couldn't take interest in anything, and he was even chewing on a lollipop.

This contrast made that sense of awe even more unique.

However, this trace of awe lasted less than a moment before being replaced by a stronger sense of shame and defensiveness from being "caught red-handed."

She quickly suppressed her panic, forcing herself to straighten her back, which had grown sore from crouching, and lifted her chin slightly, trying hard to appear calm.

But her eyes couldn't help but dart away, and her tone carried her usual tsundere and stubbornness:

"P-please! Who are you? What kind of nonsense are you spouting! I, I didn't steal anything!

I was just... just picking it up to take a look! Are customers not allowed to pick up items in a convenience store to look at them?"

The louder she spoke, the more she seemed to think she was in the right, but her confidence was clearly lacking.

Lin Mu watched her try to act righteous despite being guilty as hell, finding it a bit funny, though his face remained that lazy and flat expression.

He didn't directly expose the bottle of whiskey in her pocket, but instead said with clear logic:

"First, both the law and school rules explicitly prohibit minors from drinking alcohol.

Second, you should be aware that the checkout system for students at the academy's convenience store wouldn't allow liquor products to pass through the register at all.

So, your interest in this bottle of liquor is probably more than just 'taking a look,' right?"

He paused, watching Kamuro Masumi's eyes widen slightly and her cheeks flush as she was called out, then continued:

"Perhaps I was wrong, and you really were just 'taking a look.'

But, if you actually take it out, regardless of your purpose, once discovered—believe me, the probability of being 'discovered' in this school is higher than you think—it becomes a real piece of leverage.

When that happens, it's hard to say what others might use it to blackmail you into doing."

He switched the bags in his hands to the other side, his tone remaining flat but carrying an earnestness that couldn't be ignored: "I've said all I have to say."

Just consider me a kind-hearted passerby who happens to talk a bit too much.

Next time... you might not be so lucky as to run into someone like me who only uses their words.

These words were not spoken with harsh severity, yet they felt like cold needles, piercing precisely into the most sensitive nerves of Kamuro Masumi.

The forced composure on her face collapsed instantly, replaced by a mixture of shame, lingering fear, and the embarrassment of being seen through.

She had indeed acted on a momentary impulse, driven by a sense of rebellion and a craving for excitement, without giving any thought to the consequences.

(Prison Sister is indeed a thrill-seeker, but in the original work, she was caught and threatened by someone the moment she arrived.)

Now, having been called out by this strange boy—who was excessively good-looking but had an annoying tone—she suddenly realized the stupidity and potential danger of her actions.

She was angry at herself for being caught so easily and then lectured;

She was afraid that, just as he said, if someone were to get a hold of her weakness, her position in Class A would be...

She gripped the hem of her skirt tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms, her cheeks flushed bright red, her heart filled with stifled anger that had nowhere to go.

Yet, unable to refute a single word from him, she could only passively accept this "reminder" that made her feel extremely unpleasant.

Her mind was in a chaotic mess, secretly muttering to herself whether she should really break this bad habit of seeking thrills that popped up from time to time, but she refused to soften her stance in the slightest.