"Set up a meeting for me, Masumi." Watanabe Hayabara picked up the coffee cup in front of him, tipped it back, and drained it in one go. Then he set it down on the table with a heavy thud.
Kamuro Masumi watched him curiously, resting her chin in her hand. "Who do you want to meet, Hayabara?"
Watanabe Hayabara fell silent for a moment, then answered slowly. "Sakayanagi Arisu."
"Huh?" Kamuro Masumi was clearly surprised. "Hayabara, you're not into little girls, are you...?" Her voice grew quieter and quieter until it was almost a whisper.
Kamuro Masumi lowered her head, seeming a little embarrassed. "She's just an isolated princess with a superiority complex. There's nothing special about her."
The corner of Watanabe Hayabara's mouth lifted in a faint, barely perceptible smile. He saw right through Kamuro Masumi's thoughts. "I know what you're thinking, Masumi. Don't get the wrong idea. I'm not particularly interested in her. But if she catches you stealing, you might understand why I want to meet her. If she'd caught you, you'd probably be her slave by now."
"So, in your eyes, is that all my ability is good for, Hayabara? Being a slave?"
The corner of Watanabe Hayabara's mouth rose in a teasing smile. He leaned toward Kamuro Masumi and gently lifted her chin with his right hand, as if she were a precious porcelain doll.
Kamuro Masumi's heart raced. She could feel Watanabe Hayabara's breath on her face, its warmth slowly bringing color to her cheeks.
Just as she was about to speak, Watanabe Hayabara suddenly kissed her.
"Mm... ah..." A soft sound escaped Kamuro Masumi's throat, and her body jolted. She instinctively tried to pull away, but Watanabe Hayabara's strength kept her from moving.
The kiss went on for a long time, so long that Kamuro Masumi nearly forgot to breathe. When their lips finally parted, her chest heaved as she gasped for air.
Watanabe Hayabara smiled at Kamuro Masumi, his gaze resting on her flushed face. "Why are you so shy, my little kitty?"
Kamuro Masumi's face grew even hotter. She glared at Watanabe Hayabara, puffing out her cheeks. "You kissed me out of nowhere, you pervert!"
Watanabe Hayabara merely raised an eyebrow and drawled, "What's wrong with showing affection to my pet?"
"You... you!" Kamuro Masumi turned away.
"See you tomorrow, Masumi. Remember to bring Classmate Sakayanagi along." After reminding her, Watanabe Hayabara got up and left, leaving Kamuro Masumi behind to glare after him resentfully.
"Could I bother you for a moment, Classmate Ayanokoji?" A hollow voice reached Watanabe Hayabara's ears.
"Is something the matter, Classmate Ayanokoji?" Watanabe Hayabara forced a smile.
"Nothing particularly important. Classmate Kushida asked me to invite you to a study group."
"A study group? I don't think I need one. My grades are already way ahead, in the nineties."
"Classmate Kushida suggested that you tutor the others. She said someone as kind as you wouldn't refuse."
"Is that so? Then I suppose I'll agree."
Kushida Kikyo sure knows how to make trouble for me.
At night, Watanabe Hayabara sat alone on the stairs near the rooftop. His eyes were shut as he enjoyed the quiet of the night, until he heard footsteps clattering up the stairs, followed shortly by a clanging sound.
She finally came.
Watanabe Hayabara slowly twisted his stiff neck, producing a faint series of cracks. Then he rose from his seat and shoved both hands deep into his pockets. His steps were heavy, as if he were carrying a thousand pounds on his shoulders.
Watanabe Hayabara climbed to the rooftop one step at a time, each step seeming like a struggle. When he finally stopped, his gaze naturally fell on the lonely figure standing there.
The figure faced the railing and kept kicking it, grumbling all the while. "Ah—this is so annoying. It's really annoying. I'm so mad. Why don't you just go die... Acting all high and mighty just because you think you're cute. You're probably just a slut anyway. A woman with that kind of personality could never teach anyone anything. Ah—it's awful. It's just awful, awful, awful. Horikita's so annoying. Horikita's so annoying... She's driving me crazy!"
Her voice was nothing like its usual lively, spirited self. Now it was low and oppressive, like a cursed incantation that sent a chill through anyone who heard it.
Watanabe Hayabara stood still, watching the figure, but a faint smile suddenly appeared on his lips. He began clapping softly. The sound of "clap, clap, clap" echoed across the empty rooftop, conspicuously loud.
At the sound, the figure spun around like a startled beast. Anger and irritation still lingered on Kushida Kikyo's face. When she saw Watanabe Hayabara, surprise flashed in her eyes before quickly giving way to cold indifference.
"Watanabe Hayabara, what are you doing here...?" Kushida Kikyo's voice was icy, without a trace of warmth, as if she were questioning a stranger.
Watanabe Hayabara put on an aggrieved expression and looked at Kushida Kikyo reproachfully. "That's cold, Kushida Kikyo. I thought I was Little Kikyo's confidant. After all, I saw Little Kikyo's true face on the bus."
"If you tell anyone what you just heard—if you let even one other person find out—I won't let you get away with it," Kushida Kikyo threatened viciously.
"If Little Kikyo is trying to scare me, I suggest you give up on that idea," Watanabe Hayabara said unconcernedly.
"If you tell anyone, I'll accuse you of assaulting me."
"Can Little Kikyo produce any evidence? Making something up will only ruin Little Kikyo's reputation further. Do you think I found out by accident?"
"Evidence? I'll have evidence soon. Then the assault won't be made up."
Kushida Kikyo approached Watanabe Hayabara step by step and leaned against him. She took his hand and pressed it against her chest.
Watanabe Hayabara felt the softness against his hand and smiled mockingly.
"Now your fingerprints are on it. I have evidence, too. I won't wash this uniform. I'll keep it in my room. If you betray me and tell anyone, I'll hand it over to the police."
"Is that so? I couldn't ask for more, Little Kikyo." As he spoke, Watanabe Hayabara began undoing the buttons on Kushida Kikyo's uniform of his own accord.
"What are you doing!?" Kushida Kikyo's voice was cold, but her shock was unmistakable.
"Obviously, I'm completing the evidence so Classmate Kushida will have a more complete case." Watanabe Hayabara undid one button after another, then took off his glasses and revealed his true face.
Kushida Kikyo's first reaction wasn't to struggle, but to laugh—a cold laugh. "So Classmate Watanabe is a dark person, too."
"Is that so? The sky is actually colorless. It never deceived you; your own eyes deceived you. You should be glad you're seeing the real me."
"But if you keep moving around, Classmate Watanabe, I'll call for help. This is so serious that you'll probably spend your youth in prison," Kushida Kikyo threatened.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Watanabe Hayabara laughed wildly, not at all concerned that anyone might come. "You were placed in Class D because of your true nature, right? Then why don't you guess why I was placed in Class D?"
"Could it be that your experiences are similar to mine?"
"That's a funny joke. I just went a little too far defending myself and accidentally sent four people to the afterlife. Now guess what my punishment was."
"What!?"
"Of course there was no punishment! The families of those four forgave me, so I wasn't punished!!"
"Why?! Why would they forgive you?!" Kushida Kikyo couldn't understand.
"Do you know Koenji's background? He's the heir to a conglomerate."
"And I was his classmate in middle school. Guess what kind of person I am."
"You're also the heir to a conglomerate?"
"Yes, though that's not quite accurate. So, have you thought it over, Kushida Kikyo?"
"No matter what, you can't stand up to public opinion!!!"
"If I say you did it willingly, then you did it willingly!"
"You... you!" Kushida Kikyo suddenly felt as if she couldn't catch her breath.
"What's wrong, Little Kikyo? If anything happened to you, what would I do?" Watanabe Hayabara's expression softened again, as if he were worried about his lover.
But when he saw Kushida Kikyo's helpless expression, he began to lose interest. "How boring!"
Watanabe Hayabara shook his head and released Kushida Kikyo's hand. She fell to the ground, her eyes devoid of life.
"I won't tell anyone, but you need to learn to hide yourself better, Kushida Kikyo. If someone finds out who you really are, no one will save you. If you need help, or if you're worried, you can come to my room in the dorm. I won't complete the evidence, Little Kikyo. Keep trying, okay? See you~"
Watanabe Hayabara waved and left the rooftop. Then he sent Kushida Kikyo a recording of everything that had happened, both video and audio, starting from the moment they met on the rooftop.
After sitting motionless for a long while, Kushida Kikyo picked up her vibrating phone and opened her chat with Watanabe Hayabara. She opened the video and watched for a while, then closed it without expression. She stood up and kicked the railing hard once more. "You'll regret this!!!"
Before you continue