Sakayanagi Arisu

"Kato Satsu..."

Arisu whispered the name to herself. "Is that the handsome guy who got two second-year students expelled just two days after school started?"

"Just a moment ago, he made a member of the school staff leave as well."

Narimori's expression was grave. "However, this matter will be kept under wraps."

"Oh~?"

"Is Father afraid that at this rate, the school will be empty in less than a year?" Arisu asked, half-jokingly.

"No, there is a deeper reason."

Seeing that her father was unwilling to discuss it further, Arisu did not press the issue.

She nodded slightly and said calmly, "I understand. Since Father specifically asked me to find a way, then this person must have something special about him that prevents you from forcing his expulsion, right?"

"You could say that. Here is his file; you will understand once you read it."

With that, Narimori placed a document on the table.

Seeing that it was just a single, flimsy sheet of paper, Arisu couldn't help but feel curious.

One had to realize that this school conducted extremely thorough background checks on incoming students; it was virtually impossible for a student's file to be contained on a single sheet of paper.

Upon seeing the contents of the page, Arisu was instantly shocked and cried out, "This is impossible!"

The paper only contained three lines: Satsu's name and the fact that he had not participated in the entrance interview or written exam.

In other words, this file implied one thing: there was no record for a person named Kato Satsu.

"If he didn't take the written exam or the interview, he couldn't have been admitted unless Father personally authorized it."

"Since Father wants him expelled, it means he isn't someone you recruited."

"But if the other party bypassed me to force him in, then only one possibility remains," Narimori said, taking over the conversation.

A spark of intelligence flashed in both their eyes. The unspoken rapport unique to father and daughter was on full display as they spoke in unison.

"A proxy test-taker!"

"A Kato Satsu did indeed take the written exam and the interview, but it wasn't the one currently here."

"Once the real Kato Satsu enrolled, they altered the school's system."

"That is the most terrifying part. Although I don't know why they went to the trouble of replacing it with the real Satsu's data, the fact that they could alter the school's system without anyone noticing..."

The father and daughter traded sentences, and as they parsed through the information, the complex situation gradually became clear.

"Father, it seems the school has been targeted by someone and forced into some kind of conspiracy."

Hearing Arisu's words, Narimori did not rush to answer. He walked slowly to the window, feeling the cold night wind hit his face.

Narimori couldn't help but think of the name Wolf Spider had told him: "The Web."

"The Web... Wolf Spider."

"What was that?"

Hearing Narimori's mutterings, Arisu asked in confusion.

"Arisu, beneath the night sky, the spider is already weaving that deadly web according to its will."

"We must sever every silver thread that descends, otherwise..."

"We will only be able to watch in despair as we are devoured whole!"

Narimori did not look at Arisu, but quietly watched the night view of the campus. The polished glass reflected his stern face; the atmosphere was heavy, but not deathly silent.

Arisu did not respond, instead rising to leave the room.

Inside the restaurant, the gathering continued.

Since they could no longer stay in the private room, everyone moved to the main hall. Each table was filled with the food they liked, though the portions were modest.

The thunderous noise Yamauchi had made earlier had dampened everyone's appetite, and adhering to the principle of not wasting food, everyone ordered only what they could eat.

Except for Yamauchi. He took the menu and ordered without restraint, specifically picking the most expensive items—especially various types of seafood—without a care for whether he could actually finish them.

There were many people in the hall, and seeing the waiter continuously bringing dishes to Yamauchi, everyone's attention was drawn to them.

"Where did this glutton come from?" (Unnamed male student)

"Is something wrong with this guy's brain? Wearing such a slim-fit suit and eating this much, isn't he afraid of bursting?" (A sharp-tongued female student)

Looking at the mountain of food in front of Yamauchi, Kikyo couldn't help but ask, "Can you really eat all of this, Yamauchi?"

"Just take your time eating."

As he spoke, Yamauchi looked at Satsu, using a tone that was surprisingly catty for a grown man: "Satsu won't mind, right? I just have a bit of a big appetite."

You little brat, since you wanted to act rich and treat everyone, I'll make sure you pay until you're broke. (Haruki Yamauchi)

What kind of idiot is this? (Kato Satsu)

Satsu naturally expressed that it was fine, continuing to chat harmoniously with the others.

With the aid of mind-reading, Satsu was able to seamlessly pick up on every topic, and in no time at all, he had completely taken control of the conversation.

"Kato, with your way with words and a face like that, you must have dated quite a few girls, right?"

Haruki Yamauchi suddenly blurted this out, and the words hit the room like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the heated atmosphere.

Everyone turned their gazes toward Yamauchi in unison, then shifted them to Satsu, waiting in anticipation for his reply.

He really knows how to pick a topic. (Ayanokoji Kiyotaka)

Can't this sex-crazed baboon just eat his meal in silence? (Kikyo Kushida)

If Satsu admits it, he's a playboy; if he denies it, he's basically admitting he's useless—having such good looks but no girlfriend. (Haruka Hasebe)

Satsu did not choose to lie, instead answering with complete candor: "Actually, that's not the case. I've always hoped to find a girl who truly understands me."

"At the end of the day, it's just a lack of charm. Having a pretty face is useless; what matters is what's on the inside," Yamauchi said, using a tone almost like an elder lecturing a child.

He even pointed a finger at Satsu, seemingly treating him as the inferior party.

Just then, a commotion broke out at the entrance of the restaurant. When everyone looked over, they saw a petite girl with fair skin and a cute face.

She had high-quality, shoulder-length lavender hair paired with matching purple eyes.

Wearing a black beret tied with a grey ribbon, a school uniform, white knee-high socks, and a garter belt, the cane in her hand silently announced her physical condition.

"That looks like Arisu Sakayanagi from Class A," Kikyo said calmly.

Watching Arisu at the door, a devious idea suddenly surfaced in Yamauchi's mind.

"Perfect. Watch closely, Kato. I'm about to show you what a man's charm really looks like!" Yamauchi said, heading toward the entrance.

"You aren't actually going to go up and ask for her contact info, are you?" Haruka asked in disbelief.

"Of course. A girl like that won't be able to refuse me."

If I can get her contact info, I can definitely prove to Kikyo just how popular I am. (Haruki Yamauchi)

Satsu was laughing his head off internally; struggling to keep his lips from curling up was truly a difficult task.

"How about we make a bet? Yamauchi, let's bet on whether or not you can get her contact info," Satsu suddenly proposed.

"Fine, but playing by myself is boring. We'll take turns going up, and whoever gets it wins."

"If you fail to get it, you'll have to call me 'Big Brother' and be responsible for serving me tea and water every day," Yamauchi said dismissively.

Satsu replied readily, "And if you lose, you're paying for your own meal!"