Only after actually exploring the school's shopping mall did Satsu realize how ridiculously large it was.
With this many students, could they really support a mall of this size?
Satsu wondered about it.
But he didn't think too much about the question. After all, he hadn't come here today to investigate the foot traffic.
After a while, Satsu found his target: the electronics store!
There were no customers inside, just a middle-aged man in a store uniform, sitting at the counter and fiddling with a digital camera.
His face was sallow and bloated. He stared greedily at whatever was on the camera screen, panting heavily as a little drool trickled from his mouth.
He looked like the sort of creep who had to take care of his needs under the covers every night.
"Finally found you, you pervert who harassed Airi."
He was so certain for two reasons. One was the man's face; the other was that, through mind reading, Satsu had learned what was on the digital camera.
It was full of girls' photos—an astonishing number of them. Every single one showed a student from this school, and they were all taken from bizarre angles.
There was no doubt about it: they were the fruits of his years of secretly taking photos around the school.
"Tonight, I'll get off to her pictures. No, I can't wait. I'm going to the bathroom right now." (Creepy store clerk)
"Now that's something."
Talking to himself, Satsu walked over. "I could've stepped in when you harassed Airi, then used the opportunity to win her heart."
"But I've changed my mind."
"Have any new camera models come out recently? I'd like to buy one."
"No, we don't! Now get lost!"
Satsu's sudden question had clearly interrupted the clerk's fun. He waved him away impatiently and snapped back.
"Really? Price isn't a problem."
"I said we don't have any, you—!"
The clerk shouted as he looked up, but the moment he saw Satsu, he fell silent.
"Man, that face pisses me off." (Creepy middle-aged man)
"He looks strong, too. Just standing there, he seems like the kind of guy girls would flock to." (Creepy middle-aged man)
"He wants to buy a camera? Perfect. I'll rip him off and make myself some pocket money." (Creepy middle-aged man)
After a brief pause, the clerk's tone suddenly turned ingratiating. "So you want to buy a camera! Come on inside and we'll talk."
They'd barely entered the back room, and hadn't even sat down, when Satsu spoke first.
"You look like the kind of guy who sees a pretty girl sit beside him, starts having dirty thoughts, then gets himself all worked up."
The clerk immediately spun around and glared at Satsu. He didn't say a word, but his eyes spoke volumes.
"This kid... he's got me pegged!" (Creepy store clerk)
"Unbelievable." (Kato Satsu)
Satsu paid no attention to the clerk's expression and continued, "But looking at you, I doubt you'll ever get near a girl in your life. I bet that bothers you a lot."
As he spoke, Satsu's tone suddenly turned cold. "You've harassed, followed, spied on, and secretly photographed plenty of girls, haven't you?"
The unsettling smile on Satsu's face sent a chill down the clerk's back. It felt as if someone had seen straight through him, inside and out.
Almost without thinking, he snapped, "What the hell are you talking about? You have no proof. I could report you to your homeroom teacher!"
"Proof? That digital camera you were looking at is full of photos you secretly took of female students. And..."
Satsu paused deliberately, giving the man time to imagine that he had even more evidence.
"Oh, and you've got more photos in your dorm room, including some from the girls' bathroom. You even have a few sets of women's underwear on your bed!"
"Wow! You really are a pervert, mister. What do you think will happen if I tell the school?"
Satsu held out his hand and counted off the consequences on his fingers. "You'll be kicked out of the school and face legal consequences. You probably won't get a very severe punishment for this stuff, but!"
"You don't need me to remind you how influential this school is, do you?"
Satsu's tone suddenly turned harsh, sending a shiver through the air. "You'll never find another job for the rest of your life!"
At that, the clerk suddenly flew into a rage and swung his fist with a shout, but Satsu caught it with ease.
"Easy, easy."
"There are security cameras in the store."
At Satsu's friendly reminder, the clerk slowly lowered his fist and asked uneasily, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"Me? I just want to know whether you school employees get paid in points or cash, and whether you use points for your expenses around campus."
Hearing this, the clerk understood what Satsu meant almost at once. He answered,
"Our wages are paid in cash, but since we can only spend points on campus, we can convert points and cash back and forth at a one-to-one rate."
"That's different from how it works for students. They can't convert points and cash back and forth." (Kato Satsu)
"That makes sense. Employees can't be expected to live at school forever, and points are useless outside the school." (Kato Satsu)
As Satsu stroked his chin, thinking it over, the clerk suddenly spoke up.
"How much do you want?"
"Hey, what do you take me for? A blackmailer? That's against the law and school rules. I don't want to get expelled."
Satsu spoke with righteous indignation, a trace of mockery appearing on his face.
"But since you asked, how much do you make in a month, mister?"
"The same as you students... one hundred thousand points."
"Oh, so it's one hundred and twenty thousand!"
At that, the clerk's pupils trembled.
In front of this student, he felt like he had no secrets at all, as if he'd been seen through completely.
A suffocating sense of helplessness tightened around the clerk's neck. His breathing grew ragged, and he repeated his earlier question.
"How much do you want?"
"Didn't I say? I can't bring myself to blackmail someone."
"It's just that I recently came into a batch of secondhand personal items. They're all in great condition, practically like new. I'm sure you'll need them."
Seeing the look on Satsu's face, as if he already had the clerk in the palm of his hand, the man cursed furiously to himself.
"Bullshit! In the end, it's still blackmail." (Creepy store clerk)
"I do need them."
"They're only three hundred thousand points!"
"Th—!"
The clerk almost cursed aloud, but Satsu's friendly "Hm?" reminder helped him regain control.
"How much has this bastard dug up about me? He even knows how much I've saved over the years. He's obviously planning to clean me out!" (Creepy store clerk)
"Ah... Pay up and make the trouble go away!" (Creepy store clerk)
The clerk nearly ground his teeth to dust before he finally forced out, "Fine!"
"Then let's both get our things ready. We'll make the deal here in an hour."
To avoid giving the clerk time to change his mind, Satsu decided to act immediately. The clerk, of course, had no choice but to agree.
An hour later, after confirming that the points had arrived, Satsu was in an excellent mood.
By contrast, the clerk looked as if the family horse had died.
Satsu draped an arm over the clerk's shoulder and said teasingly, "From now on, remember to transfer half your wages to me every month."
"Don't worry, mister. It's only three years. Just hang in there, and it'll be over before you know it."
After saying that, he even gave the clerk a playful pat on the shoulder.
The clerk didn't speak or move, but murderous intent was already rising in his heart.
"Kill him!" (Creepy store clerk)
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