I Want to Go Up and Leave a Handprint Too

Once Sudo left, the people behind him also had no desire to continue.

The main issue was that Horikita Suzune's attitude was truly atrocious.

Yagami Shizuka felt genuinely thankful that he wasn't in Class D; these people were all self-centered, acting exactly like children who refused to grow up.

Helping the school raise these children would be better off replaced by finding Nagumo, beating him up, and taking twenty million points from him to transfer classes.

It wasn't that Class D was beyond saving, but the process of saving them would be exhausting.

Inside the library, only Horikita Suzune remained, sitting there blankly.

She was furious, but she hadn't even considered admitting she was wrong.

She felt lost, without a shred of direction.

Deep down, she was actually crying; her older brother hadn't picked up her call that morning, and because of that, she had been on edge to begin with.

Now, having driven Sudo away, there was no longer any possibility of rising to Class A.

"Didn't you say you wanted to help her?" Shiina Hiyori asked at this moment.

"Not right now. You saw it yourself just a moment ago; she wouldn't want to help those underachievers at a time like this." Yagami Shizuka rejected the idea outright.

"Then will it be fine once she's in a better mood tomorrow?"

"That's not it. It's not a matter of mood, but rather that her perspective on rising to Class A will shift tomorrow—or rather, it's growth. She needs a little time to grow. You'll see tomorrow." Yagami Shizuka couldn't explicitly state the reason.

Shiina Hiyori looked thoughtful. "But isn't it more disadvantageous for them the longer this drags on?"

"Not really. As long as they come to me within a week, there's still a way to save them. My methods are unconventional."

"Hmm." Shiina Hiyori didn't ask any further questions.

A little past five in the afternoon.

Yagami Shizuka received a notification.

[The hint you requested has arrived. This is a scheduled notification: Kushida Kikyo will arrive at the school building rooftop within fifteen minutes.]

After exiting the library doors, Yagami Shizuka received another notification.

[Your movements have already been exposed. When you appeared in the library, Sakayanagi Arisu was also observing you. She is following behind you. You have received a hint.]

[1. Ignore the tailing Sakayanagi Arisu. If you do, she will inevitably learn of your scheme against Kushida Kikyo and conclude that you are extremely devious, keeping her distance from you from then on.]

[2. Seize Sakayanagi Arisu and bring her along to scheme against Kushida Kikyo. You will gain unexpected rewards, and she will believe you are kindred spirits.]

[3. Give up the pursuit. You will lose the forty thousand points that were about to be yours.]

So, not letting her play is devious, but letting her play makes us kindred spirits, huh?

Is Arisu really that cute?

After Yagami Shizuka stepped outside, it wasn't long before he saw Sakayanagi Arisu, wearing a hat, also walking out of the library entrance. She wasn't walking fast, and she actually seemed to be trying to catch up to him.

When they reached the school building, Yagami Shizuka suddenly turned around, moved at high speed to Sakayanagi Arisu's side, picked her up, and started walking.

"Eek! Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Sakayanagi Arisu felt panicked. She had thought she was being very discreet and hadn't expected to be discovered.

"What am I doing? You're stalking me and asking me what I'm doing?"

"I'm just heading the same way! The same way! I just wanted to go back to the classroom." Sakayanagi Arisu's pretty face had turned into a pout from the fright.

"Alright, alright!" Yagami Shizuka pressed down on the corners of her mouth and shushed her. "If we don't hurry, we're going to miss the good show."

Sakayanagi Arisu immediately quieted down. Yagami Shizuka was very close to her, making her heart beat rapidly.

She whispered, "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll know in a moment."

[Kushida Kikyo will arrive in three minutes. Please reach the rooftop within 45 seconds.]

He carried Sakayanagi Arisu on his back and climbed the dormitory stairs rapidly; the speed left Sakayanagi Arisu in awe.

The reason he took the stairs this way was to avoid surveillance; he could climb up quickly using the railings without needing to pass through the hallways.

"Wow! What kind of monster are you?"

"I'm a normal human, flesh and blood."

Within a few breaths, Yagami Shizuka had climbed to the rooftop, and then, still carrying Sakayanagi Arisu, he moved to the side of the rooftop shed to hide.

They laid in wait there.

"Hey, I said..."

"Shh~"

Just as Sakayanagi Arisu wanted to say something, Yagami Shizuka signaled for her to be quiet.

Yagami Shizuka took out his phone and positioned it to record.

"Why did we come here?" Sakayanagi Arisu, on his back, leaned into Yagami Shizuka's ear and whispered.

"You'll know in a moment," Yagami Shizuka said calmly.

Sakayanagi Arisu's heart gradually calmed down; she knew that Yagami Shizuka must have had a reason for what he wanted to do, even if she didn't know what it was yet.

In any case, it certainly wasn't to take her to a deserted place to do something untoward.

Thinking that, she felt a tiny bit of disappointment.

Thwack! Bang!

The sound of the rooftop door being slammed shut echoed from ahead.

Sakayanagi Arisu turned slightly to the side and saw the short-haired girl who had been so magnanimous in the library earlier, even helping to break up the fight.

This girl was incredibly cute and had already made a name for herself among the first-years.

She had also gathered some intelligence on the girl.

Her name was Kushida Kikyo, and she was highly sociable; in this school, regardless of status or gender, she could get along with everyone.

In other words, she would attempt to approach anyone she met, ask for their contact information, and become their friend.

Isn't that a little terrifying?

Hashimoto Masayoshi wasn't nearly as driven as she was; compared to her, he was leagues behind.

She was someone Sakayanagi Arisu considered the most useful talent in Class D.

However, the scene that followed shattered her worldview entirely.

Bang! Bang-bang!

Kushida Kikyo kicked the wall several times in a row, and not feeling satisfied, she began to curse and swear.

"Ah—so annoying! So annoying! So annoying!"

With every curse, she delivered another kick. "It makes me so mad, why don't you just die already!"

Her voice, which was usually an incredibly cute, girlish tone, now sounded deep, guttural, and like the roar of a bitter woman.

"Just because you think you're cute, you act all high and mighty. You're probably just a slut anyway! A woman with a personality like that could never teach anyone how to study!"

"Ah—this sucks! This sucks! This really sucks! Horikita is so annoying! Horikita is so annoying! So annoying! So annoying, so annoying!"

This was the true nature of Kushida Kikyo.

Sakayanagi Arisu was so shocked she couldn't speak; she could only keep her mouth agape, feeling a sense of disbelief.

Once the darkness of human nature is revealed, it is bound to be extremely filthy; the cuter the exterior, the filthier the heart might be.

This was the conclusion Sakayanagi Arisu had reached after seeing so much of human nature.

Some people are more straightforward and appear to be covered in stains, but little do people know, those are the only stains they have.

But for others, if you haven't discovered any stains, it is very likely that they are hiding a beast inside that you know nothing about—that is human nature.

Kushida Kikyo had once wanted to be a good girl, and she had always wanted to be a good girl; she loved the praise of others.

She buried all the grievances she suffered deep down, until she could no longer suppress them, and then she would let it all out.

The anger she had harbored toward Horikita Suzune had been building for a long time, reaching a point where it was no longer tolerable.

She hated Horikita Suzune; if it weren't for her, she could have started over at this new school, pretending the past had never happened.

She hated her!

Bang-bang!

Clang!

She kicked the iron door open, creating a loud noise.

The next second, she froze; she saw Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, who was just about to make a run for it.

"You... what are you doing here?" Kushida Kikyo frowned, her voice still sounding deep.

She was like a completely different person from before, possessing two entirely different personalities.

"I got a little lost, sorry. I'll leave right away." Ayanokoji Kiyotaka was caught in a dilemma; leaving felt wrong, and staying felt even worse.

"Did you hear it?"

"If I said I didn't hear anything, would you believe me?"

"I suppose so..." Kushida Kikyo walked straight toward the stairs.

Once she left, the footage Yagami Shizuka wanted to capture was no longer possible, so he could only switch to audio recording.

Sakayanagi Arisu also felt the scene just now was quite spectacular and had managed to record some of it; with this video, she felt she could accomplish many things.

Meanwhile, inside the stairwell, the scene of Kushida Kikyo forcing Ayanokoji to press his fingerprint began to unfold.

"If you dare to tell anyone about what happened just now, I will make you pay."

"And what if I do tell them?"

"Then I'll tell them that I was almost... by you here." This woman was truly shocking.

"That is a baseless accusation."

"It doesn't matter, because it won't be baseless."

As she spoke, Kikyo Kushida grabbed Ayanokoji's hand and pressed it against her own body.

That's too much, let go of Ayanokoji right now.

Don't hurt Ayanokoji, take it out on me instead.

Yagami Shizuka grumbled inwardly, feeling a deep sense of regret that he couldn't see it with his own eyes.

"What are you doing?" Ayanokoji tried to pull his palm away, but it remained firmly pressed down by Kikyo Kushida. He used all his strength to break free, but to no avail, leaving him with no choice but to despair as his handprint remained on the taut, red fabric of her uniform.

"There, the handprint is set, and now I have evidence. So, I'm serious, got it?"

"Got it! I already got it, so please let go of my hand." Ayanokoji struggled desperately, trying to yank his hand away, but every attempt ended in failure.

This woman's strength was unexpectedly great.

It was too big; it felt like one hand couldn't even cover it.

Ayanokoji, you're such a good actor.

Yagami Shizuka was filled with admiration, bowing down in his heart.

"I won't wash this uniform. It has your fingerprints on it. If you dare to betray me, I'll take it to the police." Kikyo Kushida continued to glare at Ayanokoji, issuing her threat.

Watching Ayanokoji Kiyotaka's panicked expression, she felt satisfied and didn't immediately release his hand.

Yagami Shizuka really wanted to go out there right now and see if Kikyo Kushida would want him to leave a handprint too; that would be quite a profit.

However, just as he made a move, Arisu Sakayanagi glared at him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Tell me, if I go out there now, do you think she might also..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a small hand grab his ear. It stung a little, and not daring to shout, he could only beg for mercy. "Ow, that hurts! It hurts! I was wrong, I was wrong! My princess, please spare me!"

"Hmph!" Arisu Sakayanagi finally let go.

After chatting with Ayanokoji for a while longer in the stairwell, Kikyo Kushida headed downstairs.

Arisu Sakayanagi climbed off Yagami Shizuka's back, looking at the recording file in her hand. "How do you intend to use this?"

Yagami Shizuka explained his plan: "Actually, the 500,000 in funding I mentioned to you last time was for my own use. Mine is already gone, so now it's time for your share. We need at least 200,000, and we can get 40,000 from that Kikyo Kushida."

"You need another 200,000?" Although she didn't know what Yagami Shizuka was planning, Arisu Sakayanagi didn't ask further.

"Why only 40,000? Why not more?" Arisu Sakayanagi was clearly more greedy than him and had no qualms about extortion.

"Because she only has 50,000 on her right now. Let's leave her a way out; even a cornered rabbit will bite."

"And the remaining 160,000?"

"I have a plan; I've already thought it through," Yagami Shizuka said calmly.

"Fine, then leave this to me." Arisu Sakayanagi stood up, preparing to head downstairs.

"Maybe I should go instead." Even though he knew Arisu Sakayanagi was experienced in these matters, Yagami Shizuka still wanted to handle it himself.

"No need." Arisu Sakayanagi pushed Yagami Shizuka away and said, "You are the ace of our class; it's best if you don't show your face to other classes."

"Eh? I'm the ace?" Yagami Shizuka couldn't believe Arisu Sakayanagi would say such a thing. Is my reputation in Arisu's eyes really that high?

What Arisu Sakayanagi was actually thinking was that this guy definitely wanted to go and stage the same scene from earlier, right? He was dreaming; he shouldn't even think about it.

"Alright, if you insist on going yourself, that's fine. Just be careful. If she dares to lay a hand on you, bring up what happened in her middle school days." He supported Arisu Sakayanagi as she took the stairs down.

"What happened?" Arisu Sakayanagi looked back.

Walking down stairs wasn't easy for her; she got winded just walking normally, let alone using the stairs.

Without an elevator, she felt the school was very unfriendly.

"It was exposed back in middle school, and she attacked her entire class, throwing them into chaos for a long time."

"That terrifying?" Arisu Sakayanagi realized that this Kikyo Kushida might have an even more frightening side.

"Exactly. What she fears most is for this to be known. If she loses her mind, she'll reveal everyone's secrets and drag them down with her."

"By the way, how do you know so many of her secrets?"

"Hmm, well." Yagami Shizuka began to ponder. "Let me think about how to make this up first."

"Fine, take your time making it up."

"Let me carry you." Yagami Shizuka crouched down in front of Arisu Sakayanagi. "For this period, let me be your legs. Trust me, soon I'll be able to make you walk like a normal person."

Arisu Sakayanagi looked at his sturdy back, unable to suppress the smile on her face as she climbed on.

She didn't speak, but Yagami Shizuka could feel the happy rhythm of her heartbeat.

He escorted her all the way to the dormitory before leaving.

As for him, he still had to rush to another set.

Afterward, he went for a run on the track, grabbed a meal at the student cafeteria, and then began to wait patiently.

There was another scene to watch tonight, so not returning to the dormitory yet was fine.

For experts like Horikita Manabu and Ayanokoji, if he didn't set up an ambush in advance, he might be discovered.

He needed to find a spot where he could watch clearly without being spotted, and ideally, a position where he could also intercept Horikita Manabu.