Before the Second Class, the School Swimming Pool (Continued)

"This is a really popular game. I've already finished writing a guide for the first one, and as it happens, I beat this one today, too."

"Today... You beat it today?"

Airi Sakura stared at him, dumbfounded.

Only then did Airi realize something.

She hadn't known which game to buy, so she'd asked the clerk to recommend one with good reviews.

But she'd overlooked one thing.

She didn't know whether Keima had already bought the game.

And now she found herself in the most awkward situation imaginable.

The gift she'd bought meant nothing to Keima.

"I... I'm sorry..."

Airi lowered her head, already wanting to run away.

"Why are you apologizing, Airi?"

Keima looked up at her face.

Her cheeks were fair, and her features were delicate. Even wearing glasses, she was still beautiful.

"I... I bought a game you'd already played, Keima..."

"That's great."

Keima smiled.

"This series is really good. A good game is worth buying more than once."

Airi lifted her head, and her eyes met Keima's.

She could tell he wasn't just trying to comfort her. He meant what he said.

Keima really did seem to like her gift.

She'd finally taken another step forward in life!

"Thank you, Airi."

"N-no, I should be the one thanking you!"

As she spoke, Airi realized she'd been staring at Keima's face for quite a while. She hurriedly looked away.

"Want to walk home together?"

"T-together? Let's go together!"

Airi felt her heart speeding up again. She desperately wanted to say yes, but then she remembered something and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Keima. I still have something to take care of... I have to take care of it."

For the first time, the timid look in Airi's eyes gave way to determination.

"Okay. I'll head out first, then. If you need any help, just contact me."

"Okay!"

Airi nodded with all her might.

Keima left first. Airi didn't notice that she was still smiling.

But her smile soon faded. She went to an empty part of the school grounds and, her expression grave, picked up her terminal.

There was something she had to put an end to today.

Airi opened the private messages on her blog. She had over 999 unread messages.

One anonymous user alone had sent her more than a hundred.

[Anonymous User]: Shizuku was so cute today, too!

[Anonymous User]: Shizuku came to see me yesterday. Will you go on a date with me again today?

[Anonymous User]: Shizuku, Shizuku, Shizuku, Shizuku, Shizuku, Shizuku, Shizuku, Shizuku! Hurry up and reply to me!

Airi took a deep breath and sent the anonymous user a message:

"Hello. I have something I'd like to say to you in person. Would you be available to meet?"

Airi already knew who had been sending her those messages.

But right after she sent it, a series of beeps suddenly came from a nearby bush.

"Shizuku, Shizuku, Shizuku! Y-you want to meet me alone?!"

A voice brimming with fervor rang out nearby, and a sleazy-looking middle-aged man appeared in front of Airi.

It was the clerk from the electronics section of the supermarket.

The moment she saw him, Airi's body began to tremble.

She had kept telling herself that the odds of it being him were low, but his words proved otherwise.

And the messages Airi had received today had gone even further—

He had sent her photos taken without her knowledge.

They weren't taken today. They'd been taken some time ago.

Airi realized he'd been following her for days.

Keima wasn't the only thing troubling Airi today. This was, too.

But by now, Airi's mind had changed.

She knew there was no point in running away.

She had to take that step.

"I'm very sorry, but please don't contact me again..."

Airi bowed deeply to him, her voice still polite.

"Your behavior has been disturbing my Eryi Wunili life—"

"Why would you say that? You're really important to me... The first time I saw you in a magazine, I fell in love with you! I think fate brought us together here again. I love you so much... I can't stop thinking about you!"

The clerk cut Airi off and pulled a huge stack of envelopes from his pocket.

"These—these are all love letters to express my feelings! I was going to deliver them to your dorm today! I was looking forward to seeing the surprised look on your face, Shizuku!"

"How do you know where my room is? Why would you send me something like this?"

"...Isn't it obvious? It's because our hearts are connected!"

The clerk made no attempt to hide his utterly perverted words.

"Please stop doing this... You're making me uncomfortable!"

"Why?! Why are you rejecting me?! This is proof of my love! Wait, is this because of that guy just now? I remember him! He came with you last time, Shizuku! How could someone like him be worthy of standing by your side? He looks like trash! A complete loser!"

"He's not! Keima isn't anything like you say! He's the kindest, best person I've ever met! I feel so comfortable when I'm with him! He—he's nothing like you!"

At that moment, Airi summoned all her strength and let out the loudest, most impassioned words of her life. Her voice was utterly firm.

Her words enraged the clerk. His features twisted into a hideous expression.

"No, no, Shizuku, you're still defending him! I'll show you what true love is right now! Then you'll understand!"

As he spoke, the clerk lunged at Airi like a beast.

"That's far enough."

Just then, Keima's voice sounded from behind them.

"You—you?!"

The clerk turned around in terror and saw Keima, the very person he'd just insulted, standing nearby with the recording function on his terminal switched on.

"That's right. It's me."

Keima slowly approached him, his gaze full of disdain.

"People like you are why I hate reality. You're an adult, yet you tried to get physical with a girl. Pathetic. If word of this gets out, your life will be over. No company will hire you, and none of your friends or family will respect you. You'll be nothing but garbage in this world."

Keima's gaze passed through his glasses and landed on the man's face, sharp as a blade.

"I-I didn't! I-it's because this girl wanted me to teach her how to use a digital camera! That's all!"

The clerk hurriedly defended himself, looking at Airi with pleading eyes.

But all he got in response was Airi's disgusted reply:

"That's not true! Not at all!"

"You ugly girl! You ugly girl! You didn't really think I liked you, did you? You ugly girl!"

The clerk flew into a rage and shouted insults at Airi.

"Are you blind?"

Keima spoke in a cool voice.

"She's beautiful. You couldn't stand that someone wouldn't put up with your harassment, so you called her ugly. You're pathetic."

Keima continued,

"I recorded everything just now, and I contacted security in advance. They should be here soon—"

"Get out of my way!"

As soon as Keima finished speaking, the clerk fled in a panic, rushing around the corner from the other side.

As a member of the school staff, he knew perfectly well that there were no security cameras in this area!

The clerk couldn't think about anything else. He had only one thought: get out of there as fast as he could.

Keima didn't chase him. He walked to the corner and watched the clerk's retreating figure.

He knew the man wouldn't get far.

In fact, when Keima contacted security, he'd also mapped out the routes the culprit might take to escape.

The clerk would probably run right into security before long—

At that moment, Keima caught sight of something strange.

Was something flying in the sky?!

A black body, enormous wings...

The sky was growing darker, but Keima could still see it perfectly clearly.

Was that damn thing a demon?!

This had Elsie written all over it!!!

Just then, the Hell Creature seemed to notice the fleeing clerk.

It landed right in front of him. The clerk didn't even have time to react before it sent him flying. He rolled several times across the ground before struggling back to his feet.

"What—what is that thing?!"

His voice trembled, and for a moment he even thought he was hallucinating.

What was this creature in front of him?!

W-wasn't this kind of monster supposed to exist only in games and movies?!

"So you were here!"

A hurried voice came from above.

Elsie was riding a broom as she descended from the sky.

The clerk looked at Elsie in terror. To him, she looked like an utterly ordinary girl.

But...