Are you sure it's repayment and not revenge?

She was skulking in the shadows beside the shelves, her gaze darting toward the liquor display on the upper level like a thief, scanning the surroundings every few seconds to see if anyone was watching.

Her fingers were creeping, with agonizing slowness, toward a bottle of exquisitely packaged whiskey, her fingertips finally brushing against the cold glass.

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

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

Lin Mu: "...?"

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

Wait, buddy... no, wait, this classmate. Didn't the academy just issue ten thousand points?

There are plenty of free daily necessities in the supermarket; surely it hasn't reached the point of needing to steal?

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

Looking at this girl, she seemed perfectly fine. Although her eyes were shifty, she didn't look like someone who drank or even liked to drink.

So why was she stealing liquor? Was she just looking for a thrill? Experiencing something "forbidden"? Or did she have some other peculiar hobby?

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

I really don't get the thought process of these people. Lin Mu silently grumbled 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, pretending he saw nothing.

But... that sense of "upright values" ingrained in him since childhood, which hadn't been extinguished 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 would 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 her class evaluation, or even result in a disciplinary record.

Trouble.

Lin Mu sighed internally. He quickly weighed his options: give her a reminder, just one. Whether she listens is her business.

You can't save someone who is determined to die; if she remained stubborn or tried to bite back, he could immediately drop his "savior complex" and respect her fate.

After all, his time was precious. He still had to set up his stall and launch his grand "fortune-telling for easy money" plan; he didn'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.

She was still crouching by the shelf, seemingly building up her courage 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 anime), he tapped her shoulder lightly, his voice low and his tone flat:

"Classmate, stealing is wrong, you know."

"Waaah!"

Kamuro Masumi jumped violently, like a startled cat, nearly springing up from the ground.

The other bottle of sake she had just touched clattered back onto the shelf (fortunately, it didn't break).

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

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

White short hair, a cold and well-defined face, a tall, upright figure—his appearance was strikingly handsome.

But the expression on his face... was one of lazy detachment, as if he couldn't be bothered by anything, and he was even chewing on a lollipop.

This contrast made that sense of awe even more unique.

However, this feeling lasted less than a moment before it was replaced by a stronger sense of shame and defensiveness at being "caught red-handed."

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

But her eyes couldn't help but dart away, and her tone carried her usual haughty, stubborn edge:

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

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

Her voice grew louder as she spoke, as if volume equaled truth, but her conviction was clearly lacking.

Lin Mu watched her try to act righteous despite being scared out of her wits. He found it a bit amusing, though his face remained lazy and indifferent.

He didn't directly call out the whiskey in her pocket, but instead said with clear logic:

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

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

So, your interest in this bottle is probably more than just 'taking a look,' isn't it?"

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 of here, regardless of your motive, once you're discovered—and 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 force you to do."

He switched his bags to the other hand, his tone still 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 harshness or severity, yet they felt like cold needles, precisely piercing 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 got her hands on it.)

Now, having been called out by this stranger—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 if it were truly as he said, and someone else got 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 vent.

Yet, she could not refute a single word from him and was forced to passively accept this "reminder" that made her extremely uncomfortable.

Her mind was in a chaotic mess, secretly muttering to herself about 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.

Activity Period: May 1st to May 5th