At first, I was full of anticipation, planning to write a story according to my own ideas. But as I worked on it, I found it hard to control where the story was going. After thinking it over, I realized there was no way to make it work by revising the original text, which was truly frustrating, so I decided to start over. I reorganized the outline and adjusted some of the settings. I've now finished revising everything written so far, so I hope you can read on with peace of mind. (July 16)
As a rookie writer just starting out, I'm always working to improve myself. I sincerely hope you'll continue to support me!
Rookie writer looking for support (｡･ω･･｡)ﾉ♡
The story begins below
As the morning sunlight crept through the gap in the curtains, Uesugi Hara was still fast asleep. Since it was the weekend and he didn't have to rush off to class, he'd completely let his guard down. Even his body clock was running half a beat late.
By the time he finally sat up in bed, the sky outside was already bright. The Terminal screen was lit up, displaying 10:00 a.m.
He had something very important to do today.
The Terminal showed that Karuizawa Kei had accepted his friend request. The time stamp read 7:17 that morning.
The night before, he'd asked Kushida Kikyo for Karuizawa Kei's contact information. She'd tilted her head and thought for a moment. "Kei-chan? She's a nice person, but she doesn't really like talking to students from other classes... Still, I have her contact info. What do you need it for, Uesugi?" Uesugi Hara had simply said he had "something to ask her about," and Kikyo had readily sent him a QR code for a friend request. She'd even reminded him, "Kei-chan can be a little slow to warm up, so be gentle with her, Uesugi."
He sent Karuizawa Kei a message: "Meet me at the Palette Cafe at four this afternoon. There are some things about your 'past' that I think we should talk about."
Her reply came quickly: "? I don't know you. Why can't you just say what you want over messages?"
Uesugi Hara tapped out a line on the screen and sent it: "For example, how a few people cornered you behind the gym in middle school and tried to take your pocket money. Or the scar left by a knife wound on your abdomen, just below your left chest. Do you know what I'm talking about now?"
There was silence on the other end for a full three minutes before a message appeared: "What do you want?"
"Let's talk in person." Uesugi Hara set down the Terminal and got up to wash. He knew Karuizawa Kei's weak spot all too well. This girl, who'd become the center of attention in Class D thanks to her cheerful persona and pretty looks, had buried her past experience with bullying as her deepest secret. The more she wanted to maintain her current image as the "queen bee," the more she feared that sordid past being exposed.
But that was for later.
For now, he was going to look around Keyaki Mall. He had plenty of points to spend and planned to buy a few things he needed.
He got dressed and headed out.
By the time he reached the mall, it was past eleven. Since it was the weekend, the place was packed.
Uesugi Hara picked a restaurant that looked quiet amid the crowds, ordered brunch, and took his time eating. Then he headed straight for the electronics section.
In this academy, where schemes and countless rules lurked around every corner, a few handy little gadgets always came in useful—like a voice recorder or a portable camera.
He browsed from one shop to the next, eventually stopping in front of a small storefront. There were few customers inside. The shelves held electronic accessories, and the lighting was dimmer than in the chain stores next door, giving the place a chilly air that clashed with the bustle around it.
Uesugi Hara pushed open the door and saw a red-haired girl with glasses and a huge chest standing by the counter. There was an unremarkable, country-bumpkin air about her.
She was staring down at the camera in her hands, reluctant to put it down, completely unaware of the possessive desire practically spilling from the shop assistant's eyes.
So this was the pervert from the story. No wonder the shop had so few customers, with a creep like him working there.
In Uesugi Hara's original plan, Sakura Airi had no part to play. There was nothing for him to gain from getting involved with her.
Uesugi Hara went up to the counter and waited quietly to the side.
His eyes happened to settle on the girl's impressively large chest. It was full and round. Hmm, its owner certainly hadn't been deprived when it came to her daily nutrition.
The girl seemed to suddenly notice his gaze and quickly shrank back half a step, her fingers tightening around the camera.
Only then did the shop assistant reluctantly tear his creepy gaze away. When he turned to Uesugi Hara, he forced a customer-service smile onto his face. "What can I do for you?" The smile was superficial, while his eyes clearly said, "Hurry up and leave."
Uesugi Hara suppressed the urge to punch him in the face and got straight to the point. "Do you have voice recorders and cameras?"
As soon as he spoke, the girl jumped back another two steps, nearly pressing herself against the shelves.
Hey, hey, was there any need to back away that far?
The air froze. The shop assistant opened his mouth, clearly not expecting anyone to ask so bluntly. After a long pause, he stammered, "C-Could you repeat that, sir? What do you want?"
"A voice recorder and a camera. Something easy to carry around, discreet, and with a long battery life. Do you have anything like that?" Uesugi Hara repeated, emphasizing the key words.
"We do, we do..."
"So, are you not allowed to sell them to students? I don't see them on the shelves."
"It's not that we can't sell them. We just can't display those things. They're kept in the storeroom."
"Then what are you standing around for? Go get them." Uesugi Hara lifted his chin, his tone utterly unapologetic.
The shop assistant walked to the storeroom, looking back every other step with obvious reluctance.
The shop fell quiet. Only Uesugi Hara and Sakura Airi remained.
Looking at the girl before him—the one who, in the original story, was ultimately "dealt with" by Ayanokouji for her lack of overall ability—Uesugi Hara had initially thought he might as well help her out. But as soon as he looked her way, she shuffled aside again, her shoulders taut as a drawn bowstring. He suddenly felt that the usual approach probably wouldn't work.
Uesugi Hara stepped in front of her and deliberately lowered his voice. "If you don't want anyone to find out you're 'Shizuku-chan,' come with me later. Got it?"
Hearing the words, which sounded like a gang boss threatening a schoolgirl, the girl shuddered. Her hands trembled around the camera, her fingertips turning white as she barely dared to breathe.
"Put the camera back now. Don't worry, I won't eat you. I'm not exactly a good... Pah! I mean, I'm not a bad person, okay? Nod if you understand."
The girl nodded and stepped over to put the camera back. Then she followed behind Uesugi Hara with her head down, her body trembling uncontrollably. Look how scared the poor girl is.
Uesugi Hara felt a little helpless. So be it!
Just then, the shop assistant returned. Seeing the girl following behind Uesugi Hara, a flash of jealousy and spite crossed his already cold eyes. He hadn't hidden those feelings very well, and Uesugi Hara saw them all.
But none of it escaped Uesugi Hara's notice. What kind of magic did the Japanese idol business have to make someone obsess over a girl involved in it to this degree? Uesugi Hara's mouth twitched.
"Everything you asked for is here, sir." His voice was stiff, and he struggled to suppress the urge to kick the person in front of him out of the store.
"Tell me about the equipment." Uesugi Hara ignored his attitude and pointed at the items on the counter.
The shop assistant picked up a voice recorder, clearly reluctant. "This one has a standby time of up to seven days, records clearly, and supports memory cards. You can just keep it in your pocket." Then he picked up a camera about the size of a matchbox. "This one's a pinhole camera. Its battery lasts three days, and it supports remote connection. You can stick it in a bag or on a collar, and it's hard to notice."
As he spoke, his eyes kept wandering toward Sakura Airi. Seeing her still looking down at the tips of her shoes, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes, he swallowed and grew even more curt. "They're the best models in the shop. More than enough for a student."
Uesugi Hara picked up the voice recorder and weighed it in his hand, then turned the camera over to check its ports. "Do you have anything with a longer battery life? Say, more than two weeks."
"Those are professional-grade. Expensive." The shop assistant scoffed. "Why would a student like you need anything that good?"
"Just tell me if you have one." Uesugi Hara tapped the counter with his fingers. "If you do, bring it out. If not, I'll go somewhere else."
The shop assistant hesitated. He clearly didn't want to lose the sale, but he also didn't want Sakura Airi to use the opportunity to run away. He gritted his teeth, went back into the storeroom, then came out with a black box. "This voice recorder has a standby time of fifteen days. Use this battery with the camera, and it'll last five days. But they cost twice as much as the ones I showed you."
"How much for two sets?"
"Two hundred thousand points!" The shop assistant's smile grew brighter. He thought the bastard was finally about to leave.
Uesugi Hara opened the box and took a look. When he looked up, he met the shop assistant's glare and suddenly smiled. "I'll take two sets. Wrap them both up."
The girl jerked her head up to look at him, forgetting to push her glasses up even as they slid down to the tip of her nose. What was this guy planning to do with so many surveillance devices?
After paying, Uesugi Hara left at once. The girl hurried after him.
The shop assistant didn't notice his smile stiffening.
"No!-----"