After Shiomiya Yo left, he could no longer hide his smile. The corners of his mouth lifted on their own.
"Kushida Kikyo, you still haven't disappointed me!"
I hope you can become the person you want to be.
Shiomiya Yo was in high spirits. The feeling of having Kushida Kikyo wrapped around his finger brought back memories.
It was... utterly intoxicating!
Looks like Advanced Nurturing is my lucky place! I can get the Shinomiya Family to invest more in it later.
Though Shiomiya Yo wasn't part of the main branch, his exceptional intelligence had helped the Shinomiya Family earn quite a lot, and he'd gained a fair amount of influence in return. But he'd soon grown bored, left them a development plan, and stopped getting involved.
Shiomiya Yo really was an impatient person!
Humming a tune, Shiomiya Yo cheerfully headed into a store to buy some daily necessities. That was when he noticed something strange about someone.
She was a tall girl with long purple hair, one side of which was tied into a small braid. Black stockings hugged her long, shapely legs.
She seemed to be browsing the merchandise, but every so often she glanced around. Her body also seemed tense.
Most interesting of all, a petite girl with short, light-purple hair and a beret was hiding herself while keeping an eye on the tall girl, too.
The situation was just too interesting. Shiomiya Yo became curious and joined in the observing.
Though he kept an eye on both of them.
The tall girl's movements were natural. As she picked up an item and put it back, her handbag drew close to the shelf. Her other hand moved to steady it, and in the process, she slipped a can of beer into the bag.
A master thief!
Shiomiya Yo wouldn't have noticed those details if he hadn't been watching the whole time.
The tall girl left as if nothing had happened. The petite girl followed close behind, and Shiomiya Yo wasn't about to let them get ahead of him.
One after another, the three of them left the supermarket.
Perhaps the tall girl had a guilty conscience; she walked very quickly. The poor little girl behind her had to hurry along on her short legs, leaning on a cane to keep up.
Seeing this, Shiomiya Yo couldn't help grinning. Was this a story about a frail younger sister trying to reform her delinquent older sister?
He suddenly wanted to play the demon who dragged the older sister into the abyss: kick away the younger sister's cane and make her fall, leaving her to watch helplessly as her sister was led away.
Shiomiya Yo hoped that was what was happening, but it probably wasn't. Or perhaps both were possible. That was the answer!
Either way, Shiomiya Yo had nothing to lose.
After they'd walked for a while, the number of people around them gradually dwindled.
The petite girl called out to the tall girl.
"Classmate Kamuro, wait a moment!"
Hearing someone call her name, Kamuro Masumi paused slightly, then turned around.
She recognized the petite girl behind her as Sakayanagi Arisu, a classmate. Though a little surprised, she remained mostly composed.
"Classmate Sakayanagi, what is it?"
Sakayanagi Arisu stepped forward, her face flushed and her breathing slightly uneven. She looked Kamuro Masumi straight in the eye, her tone firm.
"Classmate Kamuro, you just stole a can of beer, didn't you?"
Kamuro Masumi's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to stay calm.
"Classmate Sakayanagi, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Don't play dumb, Classmate Kamuro. I recorded it all."
With that, Sakayanagi Arisu opened her phone and played a video from inside the supermarket.
Kamuro Masumi could clearly see that she was the person in the video.
Shiomiya Yo watched the scene from a corner and started recording, too.
Who would've thought this frail little girl named Sakayanagi was so devious? The contrast was off the charts.
And that girl named Kamuro was clearly looking for a thrill. Chances were, she enjoyed the rush of committing a crime and possibly getting caught.
The conversation continued.
Sakayanagi Arisu gave a sly smile, the corners of her mouth curling up slightly.
"Classmate Kamuro, you wouldn't want anyone else to find out you steal, would you?"
Shiomiya Yo: Hm? Such a classic line? Let's see where this goes!
Kamuro Masumi seemed ready to throw caution to the wind. She pulled the beer from her handbag and handed it to Sakayanagi Arisu.
"Then go report me! I'll just drop out!"
Shiomiya Yo: Fight! Fight!
Seeing how worked up she was, Sakayanagi Arisu immediately tried to calm her down.
"Don't worry, Classmate Kamuro. I won't do that. Just do as I say, and we can put this behind us."
Kamuro Masumi seemed tempted. Seeing that, Shiomiya Yo knew he couldn't stay silent any longer.
He had to step in for justice, or this would all be over.
"Stop! Classmate Sakayanagi, how can you threaten your classmate?"
Shiomiya Yo stepped forward and spoke with righteous indignation.
Shiomiya Yo stood in front of Kamuro Masumi, looking every bit the hero of justice.
Kamuro Masumi looked at the figure in front of her and felt a warmth in her heart.
So there really is someone who'll protect me.
"No, I'm not," Sakayanagi Arisu said innocently. "What are you talking about, Classmate?"
"I recorded it!" With that, Shiomiya Yo pulled out his phone and played the video.
The familiar scene gave Sakayanagi Arisu a very bad feeling.
Shiomiya Yo's expression shifted, and he flashed a sly grin.
"You wouldn't want people to find out you threatened someone, would you?"
Sakayanagi Arisu could no longer keep her expression composed. Her face darkened, and she fell silent.
Kamuro Masumi looked at Shiomiya Yo, whose whole demeanor had suddenly changed, and fell silent, too.
Kamuro Masumi: Give me back the warm, fuzzy feeling!
Shiomiya Yo paid no attention to their reactions. He was already lost in his own world.
What a rush!
Sakayanagi Arisu suppressed her anger and asked Shiomiya Yo,
"What do you want, Classmate?"
At that, Shiomiya Yo realized he hadn't actually decided. He'd only gotten himself involved to have an excuse to stir things up.
"Hmm... Let me think... How about you two just..."
As he spoke, Shiomiya Yo looked both of them up and down.
Kamuro Masumi immediately covered her chest with both hands, bristling like a startled cat!
"Pervert! We'd never agree to anything like that!"
Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze also turned dark.
"Is your mind full of dirty thoughts? And aren't you a little too confident?" Shiomiya Yo said coolly.
"Forget it. Just do something that entertains me!"
Kamuro Masumi looked completely bewildered. What kind of demand was that?
Sakayanagi Arisu immediately objected, too.
"'Entertain me' is far too vague. You should be more specific."
"I don't care. That's your problem," Shiomiya Yo said nonchalantly.
Just as Sakayanagi Arisu was about to say something, Kamuro Masumi cut her off.
"Wait. You were threatening Classmate Sakayanagi just now, so what does this have to do with me?"
Shiomiya Yo froze, then realized what she meant. He immediately opened his phone and played another video—the one of her stealing.
"I almost forgot. Thanks for the reminder." Shiomiya Yo grinned.
That's right. Shiomiya Yo had recorded what happened at the supermarket, too!
Kamuro Masumi began to doubt her own skills. How had two people managed to record evidence of her at the same time?
Sakayanagi Arisu spoke coldly. "Following and secretly filming two girls could already be considered harassment, Pervert."
Hearing that, Shiomiya Yo replied nonchalantly, "You can't go making accusations without evidence. I just saw a crime and stepped in to help."
"Now, think about how you're going to entertain me, Class...mate...Sa...ka...ya...na...gi..."
Before you continue