“What—?!”
Looking at the fist rapidly expanding in his vision, Sakata was rooted to the spot in shock.
Too fast!
Although he was decent-looking, his physical fitness was that of an ordinary, unexercised teenager.
Faced with Kuroe’s terrifying strength, even though Sakata realized what was happening and desperately wanted to dodge, his body simply couldn’t react in time!
*BANG—!!!*
A dull impact echoed through the hallway.
“Ggah—!”
Sakata let out a miserable shriek.
As if hit head-on by a speeding semi-truck, his feet left the ground completely as he went flying backward!
*Crash!*
He crumpled to the ground like a sack of bricks, curling up in agony while clutching his face.
*Drip, drip…*
Fresh blood leaked through the gaps of his fingers, pooling onto the floor.
“You…
are you crazy…?”
Sakata raised his head in horror, his face twisted in pure agony.
Where did this monster come from?!
The sheer force of that single punch made him feel like he’d been hit by a runaway train.
“The only one who’s crazy is a scumbag like you!”
Kuroe casually shook out his wrist.
Even he was a bit surprised by the power behind that punch.
A Physique attribute of 20 was actually this fierce!
He had literally sent the guy flying.
He looked over at Yumiko Miura, who was standing there, frozen in shock.
“Miura-san, are you alright?” Kuroe asked.
“I, I…” Miura stared blankly at the boy in front of her.
With his ordinary appearance, he usually had almost zero presence in class.
“You…
how did you know he wanted to…” she stammered.
“Well…
if I had to say…
I just had a feeling,” Kuroe fabricated a random excuse on the spot, his gaze locking back onto Sakata, who was still groveling on the floor.
“Hey, scumbag.
Hand over the phone.”
Hearing this, Sakata’s heart sank.
He had no idea how Kuroe knew he was using a recording to threaten Miura.
But he knew all too well that if he actually handed it over, he would be completely ruined!
Forcing himself to swallow the sharp pain in his face, Sakata took a deep breath and immediately put on a shocked, innocent act.
“Kuroe-kun…
what are you talking about?” He clutched his bleeding nose, his voice trembling.
“I just saw that Miura-san wasn’t feeling well and wanted to take her to the infirmary…
Why did you suddenly attack me?
What phone?”
As long as he stuck to his guns, denied everything, and made enough noise to draw the teachers over, Kuroe’s unprovoked assault on a classmate would definitely backfire on him!
“You’re still acting?!” Miura trembled with rage at his pathetic, deceitful face.
“You clearly said that if I didn’t go into the storage room with you, you’d send my…
my recording to Hayato…”
“Miura-san, what nonsense are you talking about…” Sakata let out a bitter smile and shook his head.
“If you dislike me, you could have just—”
*Grab!*
Before he could finish, Kuroe lost his patience.
Stepping forward, he seized Sakata by the collar and hoisted him off the ground like a helpless chick.
“Cut the crap!
I’ll count to three.
Unlock the phone and hand it over!”
Kuroe raised his fist.
Blue veins bulged across his massive knuckles, radiating a terrifying threat.
Staring at the iron fist that had just blasted him away, a glimmer of genuine terror finally flashed in Sakata’s eyes.
He considered himself a smart person, and smart people knew how to read the room.
The guy standing in front of him was a complete brute.
If he kept being stubborn, Kuroe might actually beat him to death!
“One,” Kuroe counted coldly.
“Wait…
I’ll give it to you!
I’ll give it to you!”
Gritting his teeth in utter humiliation, Sakata pulled the phone from his pocket.
With a trembling thumb, he scanned his fingerprint to unlock it and handed it over.
Kuroe snatched the device.
Reflecting on it, he realized that recordings and photos could easily be recovered through data forensics.
So, he tightened his grip.
*Groan—CRACK!*
Under the horrified gazes of the two students, the metal-cased phone was forcefully crushed and twisted out of shape by Kuroe’s bare hand.
*Clatter.*
Kuroe casually tossed the crumpled hunk of electronic waste at Sakata’s feet.
“My bad, Sakata.
I used a bit too much force.” He clapped the dust off his hands.
“I-it’s fine…”
Sakata clutched his swollen cheek, his back completely drenched in cold sweat.
*Monster.
The guy is a total monster!* Not only was his strength inhuman, but he also left absolutely no room for negotiation.
“Let’s go, Miura-san.” Kuroe turned around and gave her a reassuring smile.
“If a scumbag ever tries something like this again, don’t be scared.
Just call the police or go straight to a teacher.”
“Right!”
Miura wiped her tears and nodded vigorously, looking at him with eyes full of gratitude.
[Ding!
Congratulations to the Host for successfully stopping a malicious event (Attempted NTR/Coercion)!]
[Successfully saved the innocent girl: Yumiko Miura!]
[Event Rating: Grade A.]
[Reward settlement in progress…]
[Obtained Justice Points: 500 points.]
[Obtained Random Item: [Veritaserum] x1 (Upon use, makes the target unable to lie for ten minutes).]
Hearing the notifications ring in his mind, Kuroe was in high spirits.
Not only had he secured his first batch of Justice Points, but he had also scored a highly practical item.
He could use it right away to check if Sakata kept a backup of the recording.
Having consumed plenty of similar fiction, he knew that scumbags like this always kept a hidden card.
Just as he was about to make his move, a flurry of hurried footsteps echoed from the stairwell leading to the roof.
“Yumiko!
Are you up there?!”
Along with the anxious shout, two figures rounded the corner of the stairs.
The boy in the lead had a striking head of blond hair and a handsome, sun-kissed face.
It was none other than the undisputed king of their class’s social hierarchy, Hayama Hayato.
Spotting the newcomers, Sakata—who had been lying on the floor like a dead dog—had a sudden gleam in his eyes.
Lunging forward like a drowning man grasping at a straw, he scrambled toward Hayama, coughing up blood while shrieking pitifully:
“Hayama-kun!
Help me!
Save me!”
“Kuroe’s insane!
I just saw that Miura-san wasn’t feeling well and wanted to take her to the nurse’s office, but he came out of nowhere and beat me half to death!
He even destroyed my phone!
He’s trying to kill me!”
Bruised and bloodied, Sakata retained none of his usual good looks.
Combined with the mangled phone lying nearby, anyone walking into the scene would instinctively assume he was the victim.
“Yumiko!
Are you okay?”
Yui Yuigahama rushed over to Miura’s side, looking at her pale face with deep concern.
Surveying the grim scene, Hayama’s brows knit tightly together.
He turned a solemn gaze toward Kuroe.
“Kuroe-kun, is what Sakata is saying true?
Why would you go this far?”
Faced with Hayama’s interrogation, Miura panicked and opened her mouth to defend him.
“No, that’s not what happened!
Hayato, it was Sakata who—”
But as the words reached the tip of her tongue, she choked, unable to force them out.