It was past 10:00 p.m.
Only a handful of customers remained inside the convenience store at Keyaki Mall.
(…No one noticed today either.)
Masumi Kamuro’s fingertips brushed against the cold aluminum cans on the shelf.
She wasn’t thirsty.
Nor did she lack money.
What she sought was something else entirely.
The illicit thrill that came from crossing the line.
Taking advantage of the moment when the cashier looked away, she smoothly slipped two cans of beer into the pocket of her track jacket.
Her movements were clean.
Natural.
Far too practiced for an ordinary high school student.
At the checkout, Hanayama Kaoru had just finished paying for a bag of beef jerky.
As he glanced toward the drink aisle, his eyes happened to catch the scene.
(…A rat making a living the crooked way.)
His expression didn’t change.
To Hanayama, reporting someone to the staff over petty theft wasn’t worth his time.
The underworld had never been a place where survival was always honest.
Still…
Pretending he had seen nothing didn’t sit well with his own code of honor either.
“Thank you for shopping with us.”
The automatic doors slid open.
Hanayama stepped into the cool night air.
A few minutes later…
Kamuro cautiously left the convenience store, discreetly checking her surroundings.
Just as she began walking away—
“Hey.”
A deep voice called from behind.
Kamuro’s shoulders stiffened.
Slowly…
She turned around.
The excitement she’d felt moments earlier vanished, replaced by cold vigilance.
(…He saw me?)
(When?)
“…What?”
“What do you want?”
Her tone was sharp.
Whether he had actually seen anything or not…
She intended to bluff her way through it.
It was pure survival instinct.
“I don’t remember knowing anyone like you.”
She even forced out a faint, mocking smile.
It was all an act.
Inside her jacket pocket… Visit g.com for the full chapter.
The stolen beer suddenly felt unbearably heavy.
(This is bad.)
(Of all people…)
(Some giant thug saw me.)
(How much is he going to extort?)
(Fifty thousand points?)
(A hundred thousand?)
(Or… something worse?)
Countless unpleasant scenarios flashed through her mind.
Hanayama simply extended one hand.
“Since I caught you…”
“We split it.”
“…Huh?”
Kamuro stared blankly.
“What?”
“You caught me stealing…”
“And you’re asking for hush money?”
Hanayama shook his head.
“I said…”
“We split it.”
He wasn’t threatening her.
He wasn’t lecturing her.
He simply wanted half.
It was such an absurd request that Kamuro completely lost her train of thought.
There was no righteous anger.
No smug satisfaction.
Only a straightforward request.
“Share what you stole.”
For some reason…
Refusing never even crossed her mind.
“…I seriously don’t understand you.”
Clicking her tongue, she pulled one of the stolen cans from her pocket and tossed it toward him.
“There.”
Hanayama caught it effortlessly with one hand.
Pop.
The pull tab came off with a flick of his thumb.
Foam hissed from the opening.
Without hesitation…
He tilted the can upward.
Gulp.
Gulp.
Gulp. This chapter is updated first at g.com.
The entire 500 mL can disappeared in barely two seconds.
“…Haa.”
He let out a satisfied breath.
It had been a long time since he’d tasted alcohol.
Even a single can was enough to slightly ease the craving.
Kamuro could only stare.
Stealing was one thing.
But what kind of high school student casually drank stolen beer outside a convenience store?
Hanayama looked around.
There wasn’t a trash can nearby.
Silently…
He crushed the empty can in his right hand.
The aluminum folded inward with a series of metallic crunches.
Within seconds…
The beer can had become a tiny, coin-sized lump of compressed metal.
Every trace of its original shape had vanished.
Hanayama slipped the metal disc into his pocket.
Then looked back at Kamuro.
“…Thanks for the drink.”
“But even people who live in the shadows should know when to stop.”
That was all.
Without another word…
He turned around and calmly walked back toward the dormitories.
Kamuro remained where she stood.
Silently watching Hanayama disappear into the darkness.
The remaining can of beer felt cold in her pocket.
The excitement she’d felt after stealing it…
Had completely vanished.
(…Who exactly is that guy?)
He hadn’t blackmailed her.
He hadn’t reported her.
He hadn’t even tried to scare her.
He had simply taken one can.
Drunk it.
Crushed the evidence with his bare hand.
And left.
“…What an idiot.”
She laughed bitterly.
“…A complete idiot.”
For the first time in a long while…
Masumi Kamuro looked at something she had stolen…
And no longer felt any satisfaction.
Clutching the remaining can in silence…
She slowly made her way back to her dorm room, carrying nothing but an unfamiliar sense of emptiness.