Supermarket Check-in

After the ceremony ended, it was already past noon.

Kitagawa Kai wandered alone for a while.

He noticed that the campus had even more surveillance cameras than he'd imagined, cleverly installed in every corner.

Only the most hidden nooks had any blind spots.

It seemed that completely avoiding the cameras on campus wouldn't be an easy task.

Kitagawa Kai simply used the Universal Video Recorder to quickly snap a few needed photos of the upperclassmen's classrooms.

Then he headed to the supermarket to buy daily necessities.

Inside the supermarket, the space between shelves felt somewhat empty due to the midday lull.

Kitagawa Kai's gaze swept over the dazzling array of goods.

Toothbrush, toothpaste, body wash, shampoo, towel... He carefully selected his preferred products, paying little attention to the prices.

Ebisu toothbrush—got it.

Kao toothpaste—got it.

Mikimoto body wash—got it.

Thirteen-in-one—got it. No, better put it back.

Something weird had snuck in.

Why was there an All-in-One shampoo here? Its effects were, as shown.

The densely packed ingredient list on the label—was this really something a normal human could use? Would it be okay?

No technology, all raw power.

Chips, chocolate, cola—these ubiquitous sources of joy—he grabbed them and tossed them into his shopping cart.

Before he knew it, he'd reached a corner of the supermarket where a small folding table was covered in plainly packaged daily necessities, with a sign reading "Free to Take."

"These are free items. The quality looks decent."

Just then, his gaze was firmly locked onto a familiar figure not far away.

[Ding!]

[Detectable character detected near host: Kamuro Masumi]

[Character assistance gift pack: Skateboard (Conan Edition)]

[Affection: 20 (Stranger)]

The girl's silhouette was tall, with flowing purple hair, and a hint of innate rebellion etched into her delicate features.

Kamuro Masumi.

The girl was acting furtively, heavy with a thief's vibe.

Kitagawa Kai lightened his steps, quietly hiding in the gap between shelves. He pulled out the Universal Video Recorder, aimed the lens at the girl, skillfully adjusted the focus, and began silent recording.

At that moment.

Kamuro Masumi was nervous.

She'd been scouting this area for a few minutes, fully mapping out the supermarket's camera blind spots.

Once more, she glanced left and right warily.

No anomalies.

No one would notice.

Casually, she reached out, precisely grabbed a can of beer, and whoosh—slipped it into her uniform skirt pocket.

The moment she succeeded, she was satisfied.

For her, the theft itself was meaningless; she just enjoyed the process.

The thrill.

No problem. Another challenge completed.

Finally, showing no sign of anything unusual, she picked a random small item, paid like a normal customer, and walked out of the supermarket.

The entire theft was fluid and seamless; without deliberate observation, it was impossible to detect.

Kitagawa Kai, who had witnessed the whole thing, thought: Should he chase after her and threaten her, or chase after her and threaten her?

Such a hard choice.

Kitagawa Kai followed unhurriedly at a short distance behind her, until they reached a secluded, tree-shaded spot.

"Hey, classmate, what are you doing? Stalking a pretty girl isn't a good look, is it? Do you have some unspeakable hobby?"

Kamuro Masumi stopped abruptly, turned around, and fixed him with a strange stare mixed with shock and contempt.

[Ding!]

[Kamuro Masumi affection -20, current affection 0 (Disgust)]

[Note: stalker, pervert]

"This classmate, just now, were you shoplifting?"

Kitagawa Kai stopped in his tracks, a faint smile playing on his lips as he directly exposed Kamuro's actions.

The theft had been discovered.

How terrible.

Advanced Nurturing's first move, and he'd been caught red-handed.

"You... what nonsense are you talking!" Her expression instantly stiffened, forcing herself to regain her momentum, blustering in rebuttal, "Don't be ridiculous!"

"Disgusting."

"If you want to hit on someone, try a different approach!"

Kamuro Masumi crossed her arms, venting her panic all at once.

At that.

The kitten hissed.

Kitagawa Kai kept his smile, carefully sizing up the girl before him.

The well-fitted school uniform outlined a breathtaking, graceful curve. The hem of her skirt, just right, made her long, straight legs stand out even more.

"In your pocket, there's a can of beer you didn't pay for!"

"Evidence, show me the evidence," she bristled completely, like an enraged haggis.

"Evidence?" Kitagawa Kai nodded, his gaze slowly drifting down from her face, flushed with anger, finally settling on her waist and abdomen, covered by the school skirt.

"Of course I have it."

Kamuro Masumi's heart sank heavily.

With that, he took out a video recorder and played the footage of her stealing.

After watching the VCR, her suspended heart finally died.

"You don't want the school to find out about your theft, do you!!!"

Hearing that universally known classic line, Kamuro Masumi's face turned deathly pale in an instant.

She thought of those plots in doujinshi, where the heroine gets threatened and then forced to do all sorts of excessive things.

"Vulgar, shameless, hentai!!!" Her voice was sharp and trembling, carrying a sob she hadn't even noticed herself.

Faced with her intense reaction, Kitagawa Kai remained exceptionally calm.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Kitagawa Kai from Class B. And you, this classmate?"

He leaned in slightly, speaking softly in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"...Class A, Kamuro Masumi."

"Kamuro-san, can we talk properly now?"

"You... what exactly do you want?" She bit her lip hard, her body trembling slightly from anger and unease.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to report you. That would be meaningless."

"What I want is far more interesting than that can of beer."

Kitagawa Kai looked at her stubborn yet helpless expression, the curve of his mouth deepening.

He knew the timing was about right.

"So, how about being my kitten from now on?"

The air seemed to freeze.

Huh?

She had imagined countless outcomes—expulsion, blackmail, even worse... but she never expected this man to say such strange things in such an almost bizarre way.

"You... what nonsense are you talking!" She instinctively raised her voice, trying to cover up the uncontrollable fluster those words had caused with anger.

"Is that so?" he countered, his tone firm. "But I clearly just saw a pretty kitten enjoying the sweet taste of tension and excitement mixed together after a successful theft."

"Who wants to be your kitten! You pervert!"

"If you want something, just say it directly. Stop joking around."

"Kamuro-san," Kitagawa chuckled lightly, his tone carrying a hint of helpless approval, as if praising a student who had finally caught on, "I'm serious, you know."

"I saw that you took that can of beer purely for the thrill."

"Since you're chasing thrills, then see it through to the end!"