After the teacher left, Watanabe Hayabara found that everything in the School History Museum had become dull and uninteresting.
As he left the School History Museum, Watanabe Hayabara's pace unconsciously quickened. He didn't stop again, heading straight for the convenience store. The sky was already growing dim, and the once-crowded campus paths had become much quieter. Some students hurried back to their dorms, while others walked in groups of two or three, chatting softly. Watanabe Hayabara passed them by.
Like a gust of wind, Watanabe Hayabara took two steps at a time and rushed into the convenience store. Before he even crossed the threshold, his eyes began scanning the place like radar. They darted from corner to corner, missing nothing, as though he meant to see through the entire little store.
The most eye-catching items were the various game consoles and expensive products, along with cosmetics, accessories, and toys. Some food and daily necessities, meanwhile, had been placed in a corner at the back of the store.
[Is this where they lure you into spending points?]
Without giving it a second thought, Watanabe Hayabara headed for the daily necessities. To his surprise, he found free items.
Everyday products like toothbrushes and bandages filled a shelf marked "Free."
Watanabe Hayabara picked up a towel and felt its texture, then compared it with one from another shelf that cost points. The materials were much the same, though the paid towel was slightly softer and larger.
[The best salvation for people without points, huh? How boring.]
Watanabe Hayabara wasn't short on the meager number of points these items cost, so he naturally wouldn't choose the "free" ones. He stayed well clear of such inferior goods.
After filling half his shopping cart with carefully selected daily necessities, Watanabe Hayabara headed for the food and drinks.
That was when he spotted a furtive figure with long purple hair in front of the refrigerated drinks.
"Would you mind if I got to know you? I was taken with you at first sight." Watanabe Hayabara came up behind her without making a sound.
"Who's there?!" The purple-haired girl flinched, clearly startled, and the beer in her hand nearly slipped.
Her face turned pale. She could already picture the bottle hitting the floor with a crash, drawing everyone's eyes. Even though it was late and there weren't many students in the store, she had still taken care to choose the right time.
Watanabe Hayabara slipped one hand around the girl's waist from behind and swiftly caught the falling beer with the other.
Feeling warmth at her waist and hearing no crash, the girl slowly turned around. She saw a handsome boy wearing glasses, and a blush quickly spread across her face.
As soon as Watanabe Hayabara sensed she was about to turn, he withdrew his hand and held the beer bottle out in front of her.
"Would you mind if I got to know you?" Watanabe Hayabara smiled.
"I... I don't mind..." Without thinking it through, she answered. Her mind was still replaying how she'd tried to steal the beer, and she wondered if the boy in front of her had recorded what she did.
"Then allow me to introduce myself first." As he spoke, Watanabe Hayabara brushed a hand past her cheek and returned the beer bottle to the refrigerator.
"I'm Watanabe Hayabara, from Class D."
"I'm from Class A. My name is Kamuro Masumi." Kamuro Masumi twisted her hands together, unsure what to do.
"Kamuro, don't you want to know why I wanted to meet you?"
"W-why?" Kamuro Masumi was nervous and stammered. Had he found out? Oh no, she thought. Her hands twisted together even more, and she grew visibly uneasy.
"Are you nervous because I'm here, Kamuro?"
"N-no, that's not it."
"But you're acting strangely. I just thought you were pretty, so I wanted to get to know you. Do you dislike me that much?"
"I don't think so," Kamuro Masumi said, letting out a quiet breath of relief. Good, he hadn't noticed. Right now, she just wanted to get away from him and leave the convenience store.
"But isn't a little kitten who meows and secretly takes things adorable?" Watanabe Hayabara leaned forward, bent down, and brought his lips close to Kamuro Masumi's ear to whisper.
Compared to the ticklish breath that made her ear itch, Kamuro Masumi was more concerned by Watanabe Hayabara's words. She froze for a moment, then blushed again and retorted, "Who's a kitten?! You and your whole family meow!"
"So you admit you were secretly taking things, Kamuro? I don't think you're someone who can't afford a few points. Or are you a thieving cat who just likes stealing?" Watanabe Hayabara stayed close to her ear, lowering his voice so only Kamuro Masumi could hear.
Kamuro Masumi's face grew even redder. "Don't make false accusations! I was just looking. Why would I steal beer?"
"Really? Then I'll have to let everyone see the little kitten in action. A kitten everyone despises might be even more pitiful, don't you think?"
"You... you!" Kamuro Masumi was at a loss for words.
"Delete the video. Whatever you want, if I can do it, just say so." After a moment of silence, that was all Kamuro Masumi could manage.
"I'm a kind person. I can't stand to see an adorable kitten despised. But I would like to adopt one." As he spoke, Watanabe Hayabara took off his glasses and ran a hand through his hair, his expression turning cold. He looked like an entirely different person.
So handsome! That was Kamuro Masumi's first thought.
"You... you want me to sell myself? Dream on!" But she quickly came to her senses.
"People who dote on kittens like me are rare. But of course, I'm not asking you to sell yourself. I just want you not to turn me down when I need your help."
"So I just have to help you when you need me, right?"
"Simply put, yes."
"Then I'll help you. Can you delete the video now?"
"Actually, I never recorded a video. But teasing a kitten really is fun." As he spoke, Watanabe Hayabara stroked her purple hair.
"You... you?!" Kamuro Masumi realized he'd been playing with her, and she was furious. She sprang back a step, then swung a side kick at him, aiming straight for his groin.
But Watanabe Hayabara reacted quickly and grabbed her ankle, stopping her in place.
Watanabe Hayabara gradually tightened his grip. A soft moan escaped Kamuro Masumi's lips.
"Mm, let go of me!"
"If a kitten gets too wild, she needs to be disciplined. I may not have recorded a video, but I did record our entire conversation. You don't want others finding out you stole something and seeing you humiliated, do you?"
"I... I'm sorry. Put me down. You'll see everything... I... I'll help you." Kamuro Masumi lowered her head, not daring to look Watanabe Hayabara in the eye.
After lowering Kamuro Masumi's leg, Watanabe Hayabara put his glasses back on and smoothed his hair. Then he smiled. "Kamuro, would you mind adding me as a contact?"
With that, Watanabe Hayabara took out his student ID.
Kamuro Masumi was clearly taken aback by how quickly his attitude had changed. Only then did she take out her communicator, and the two exchanged contact information.
"All right, Kamuro. It's getting late. If you have any problems, just message me. I'll do my best to help." Watanabe Hayabara smiled and left.
Watching Watanabe Hayabara's retreating figure, Kamuro Masumi reached out. Her lips moved and parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out. She could only shake her head helplessly.
She'd been caught the first time her urge struck, and now she'd gotten herself entangled with him, too. What should she do? How annoying.
Thinking this, Kamuro Masumi trudged toward the convenience store's entrance, head hanging. She hadn't bought anything.
Long after leaving the convenience store, Watanabe Hayabara suddenly stopped and glanced back toward it, the corner of his mouth twitching.
[What would the little kitten do if she knew I hadn't recorded anything either?]
Watanabe Hayabara took out his student ID and transferred 200,000 points to Kamuro Masumi, along with a few messages.
"My kitten, remember to buy the best daily necessities."
"Don't let me catch you stealing again. I really dislike kittens who make mistakes and refuse to learn from them."
"If you want to steal something next time, try stealing my heart instead. I like kittens."
"If you can, keep an eye on the students in Class A. I'd be very happy."
Watanabe Hayabara looked at the messages he'd sent and smiled meaningfully.
[This school really is interesting.]
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
Kamuro Masumi was heading back to the dorm when she suddenly felt her communicator vibrate in her pocket.
She took it out and looked at the messages.
"You transferred 200,000 points to me?!"
"Don't we only get 100,000 points a month? Where did you get so many points?"
"What do you mean, I'm your kitten?!"
"With this many points, I would've bought good daily necessities even without you reminding me, okay?"
"I'd never steal your heart, you jerk!"
"Fine, I'll treat keeping an eye on Class A as a 200,000-point job. I'm not going to pay attention to them on my own, and I definitely won't do it just to make you happy!"
"I absolutely refuse to be your kitten!!!!"
After replying, Kamuro Masumi continued toward the dormitory.
Watanabe Hayabara saw Kamuro Masumi's replies and chose not to answer.
After returning to her room, Kamuro Masumi waited nearly ten minutes, but Watanabe Hayabara still hadn't replied. She began to grow anxious.
"Why aren't you replying?!!!" She added an angry sticker.
After sending the message, Kamuro Masumi suddenly realized something was wrong. Why was she angry that Watanabe Hayabara hadn't replied? Did she care that much about him?
When she tried to unsend the message, she found she couldn't. In a huff, she threw her communicator onto the bedside table.
She turned off the light, covered her face with the blanket, and forced herself to sleep.
Before you continue