Selfish Thief

Miyabi Nagumo had heard all kinds of theories from Star Color. Had he really misunderstood [Social Darwinism]? Was his theory actually right? He kept asking himself the same questions, and for the first time, his mind began to doubt itself. What did it mean for something to be right? A bridge? He didn't understand at all.

"The barbecue's delicious. Senior Asahi's pretty good at cooking, too."

Senior Asahi had already placed grilled meat in the bowls of Miyabi Nagumo and Star Color. Star Color popped a piece into his mouth and praised it without holding back.

"Hehehe, if you like it, eat as much as you want."

"Miyabi, you should eat it while it's hot, too."

"Ah, okay."

Miyabi Nagumo came to his senses and realized he'd gotten caught up in a fallacious train of thought. The absurd reality of being overloaded with data had actually happened to him. As expected, Seishiki Otonashi was a hidden [talent].

"Thank you, Senior Asahi and Senior Nagumo."

As he left, Star Color still bowed politely.

Asahina Nazuna watched Star Color walk away and murmured softly.

"What an interesting kid. Maybe only someone like him could change Miyabi's personality..."

Star Color planned to stop by the convenience store and buy two cans of [Wasabi Soda]. Several convenience store employees were standing by the entrance in an out-of-the-way spot, smoking and complaining about what had happened recently.

"This is the third theft already, damn it! They pull this stuff right when I'm about to finish my shift and count the stock! There goes my bonus for the month. What a pain in the ass..."

"If I catch them, I'll smash their head in. We have to report it to the police. This school hasn't managed to produce any decent people, but it sure has turned out plenty of thieves."

"What a headache..."

The adult world really was tough. Were there [convenience store thieves]? People who did nothing but cause trouble for others... They were awful to the extreme. Student theft was common in Neon, and even across the whole world. People like that were a complete failure of education.

But that had nothing to do with Star Color. If there was a bounty on someone like that, he might've been interested in joining in and becoming a [bounty hunter].

After buying his drinks, Star Color returned to his cozy little home to greet the next day.

(The next evening)

Boring classes, fun board games—another day behind him!

Star Color stretched and strolled around campus.

He planned to buy some snacks to stock up on before heading back to cook.

As Star Color looked at the shelves, he hesitated over whether he wanted potato chips or shrimp crackers.

"Kamuro?"

He saw her crouched by the bottom of the refrigerated display, furtively watching her surroundings...

"Isn't that where they keep the beer?"

Star Color peeked out from behind the shelves and quietly watched. Sneaky observation.JPG.

Was Masumi Kamuro a girl who liked to guzzle beer? She gave off such a stay-away-from-me vibe in class and deliberately kept her distance from the group. She was the classic example of someone who isolated herself from the entire class...

As for Masumi Kamuro's looks, she was definitely on the pretty side.

"Quite the contrast between her public and private sides."

Well, that was her hobby. Star Color didn't care, as long as she didn't cause trouble for anyone else...

"?"

What happened next left Star Color dumbfounded.

He watched Masumi Kamuro slip the beer into her backpack as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Stealing?"

Remembering the convenience store employees' complaints the previous night, he wondered if Masumi Kamuro was a repeat offender. How disgusting...

He felt disgusted. If she'd been from another class, Star Color would've reported her to the clerk already. He'd only kept watching because he trusted his classmate, but it turned out she really was a thief.

The timing was too perfect. She'd taken advantage of the clerk's patrol schedule and cleverly used her body and the camera's position to stay out of view. Her method was crude, but her actions made it obvious she was a repeat offender! She'd definitely planned this and scouted the place beforehand.

(Anyone who thought this clumsy theft was impressive, like Sakayanagi Arisu, was a real character.)

"Ugh, how awful."

Star Color took out his phone and recorded Masumi Kamuro stealing. If she realized her mistake, he'd delete the video. If she refused to change her ways, Star Color had no problem exposing her.

Just as Masumi Kamuro was about to stand up, Star Color was already behind her.

"Put it back, and I'll pretend I didn't see anything."

Star Color's soft voice sounded like a sharp blade to Masumi Kamuro.

She immediately turned around and saw the petite Star Color standing behind her.

"Otonashi... Star Color?"

"I recorded you committing a crime. Put the stolen item back, then apologize to the clerk, and I'll let it go."

Star Color pointed to the phone in his hand. Masumi Kamuro hadn't expected this guy to catch her.

"Put it back."

Star Color pointed at her backpack, then at the gap left by the bottle she'd stolen in the row of beer in the fridge.

"Fine, fine."

Masumi Kamuro wore an impatient look as she took the bottle out of her backpack and put it back.

Once Star Color saw her return it, he couldn't be bothered with her anymore. He went back to choosing snacks.

After paying, he left the convenience store.

"Why do you keep following me?"

Star Color looked helplessly at Masumi Kamuro, who was trailing behind him like a shadow.

"Delete the video."

"No. Not unless you apologize to the clerk."

"Why should I apologize?"

"You stole something. That's a crime. You caused trouble for the staff, too. And if you want beer, you could just bribe the clerk with points. Why steal it?"

"Beer? I don't even drink it."

"You son of a—if you don't drink it, why'd you steal it?"

Star Color couldn't help swearing. He spread his hands and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Are you some kind of thrill-seeker?"

Star Color's face was now full of question marks. He hadn't expected such a huge contrast between her public and private sides.

She was utterly selfish, the worst kind of evil. She only cared about her own excitement and pleasure, constantly causing trouble for other people.

Suddenly, Masumi Kamuro realized something and dragged Star Color by the hand into the bushes nearby.

"Wait... let go of me."

Star Color tried to pull away, but against Masumi Kamuro's strength, he was like an ant trying to move a tree. She had his wrist in a vice grip...

Star Color flung something away, then was dragged into the woods.

"Let go..."

Masumi Kamuro had never met a boy so weak. He couldn't break free from her grasp at all.

"Delete it."

Masumi Kamuro looked down at Star Color, a strange sense of [superiority] swelling inside her.

"No!"

"You're this weak? Are you even a boy?"

Masumi Kamuro only looked at Star Color with cold eyes as she held his slender wrist. There was a hint of mockery in her voice.

"When you threaten someone, don't you consider the difference in strength between you?"

Shit! After a week of peaceful campus life, he'd completely forgotten one thing: before making a move, you had to consider the power balance. When money and authority failed, you used [force]. That was the unreasonable reality of this sad world...

"Hmph, I'm not afraid of you."

Star Color didn't dare meet Masumi Kamuro's eyes. His body trembled slightly.

"Look at me."

Masumi Kamuro grabbed Star Color's cheeks and forced him to meet her gaze.

"Gah..."

Star Color let out a cute little shriek? Sure, why not.

Masumi Kamuro pushed Star Color down. His oversized, ill-fitting coat spread across the grass like the twelve-layered [jūnihitoe] robes of a kimono...

[Star Color's quirky trivia: The twelve-layered robes worn beneath a kimono are a pain to put on, as they're made up of many garments. But they're all tied together by a single length of cloth. If you're skilled, you can undress in an instant. Once the kimono falls away and piles up on the ground, it turns into a soft, makeshift bed.]

At that moment, Masumi Kamuro's [pleasure] and [sensory stimulation] gradually rose, along with a hint of [sadistic desire]. Compared to stealing, this kind of stimulation was something she'd never experienced before...