The gurgling sound of boiling water echoed in the small kitchen, and white steam blurred Kaedehara Tōru’s vision.
He casually stirred the water a few times with his chopsticks, his gaze falling blankly upon the churning ripples.
Directly threatening Kamuro Masumi with the video was indeed the simplest method.
He could easily make her his dog, having her handle some shady business and satisfy his various demands.
But a relationship built on fear is fragile and easily shattered.
Should something change—for instance, if the video leaked or if Kamuro Masumi found a new backer—this “dog” could bite back at any moment.
A dog that thinks and holds grudges is always a hidden danger.
What he wanted went far beyond that.
What he truly desired was absolute, unbetrayable loyalty, stemming from the heart.
To make someone completely submit, one must first destroy everything she has, plunge her into bottomless despair, and then, at her most helpless moment, descend as a “savior” and grant her redemption.
By then, he would no longer be a threat, but her only anchor.
As the udon noodles slowly unfurled in the pot, Kaedehara Tōru’s thoughts, like the noodles, gradually became clearer.
He needed a knife—one foolish enough that it could be used and discarded without leaving any trouble behind.
Class A students wouldn’t do.
Internal turmoil would affect his own interests.
Class B had Ichinose; given her personality, she would likely turn the whole thing into a heartwarming session of “mutual understanding,” completely ruining his plan.
Class C…
Kaedehara Tōru curled his lip.
That group was probably still a disorganized mess; their internal power struggles hadn’t ended yet, and rash contact would only attract unnecessary attention.
In that case, only Class D remained.
A gathering place for “inferior goods.”
A group of students assessed by the school as the worst due to various issues.
Three people immediately came to mind.
“Sudo Ken, Ike Kanji, Yamauchi Haruki…”
Class D’s “Three Stooges.”
Sudo Ken: violent, impulsive, simple-minded, and prone to losing control.
Ike Kanji: lecherous, loves to brag, but timid and prone to backing down at critical moments.
Yamauchi Haruki…
Kaedehara Tōru tapped his finger lightly on the name “Yamauchi Haruki.” He was the one.
This man was extremely vain, loved to show off, and always wanted to perform for girls, yet lacked the corresponding ability.
He craved attention and validation, lacked high intelligence, and was easily misled and instigated—a perfect pawn tailor-made for this plan.
Yamauchi Haruki was foolish enough to believe Sakayanagi Arisu when she claimed “love at first sight,” believing she would become his girlfriend.
He was utterly foolish to believe Sakayanagi Arisu’s verbal promise that Class A would cast praise votes for him in the class vote, leading him to try and force Ayanokōji to drop out.
If he were given video proof that was more tangible than a verbal promise, his expression would become even uglier.
He needed to hand the video over to him, letting him “uphold justice” and stir up trouble.
Given Yamauchi Haruki’s personality, once he obtained this “weapon” capable of attacking a Class A student, he would undoubtedly rush to make it public to show off his own “capability”… Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
On the second day of school, since classes had just begun, the teachers primarily introduced the upcoming course content.
Morning passed quickly, and it was soon lunchtime.
The moment the bell rang, Kaedehara Tōru immediately left the classroom and headed straight for the Class D corridor.
His eyes quickly scanned the crowd, searching for the three targets he was looking for.
Thanks to Sudo Ken’s conspicuous red buzz cut, Kaedehara Tōru quickly spotted his three targets.
The three were walking together, chatting and laughing, oblivious to Kaedehara Tōru’s presence.
Kaedehara Tōru followed behind them, maintaining a certain distance to avoid alerting them.
Soon, they arrived at the cafeteria.
The cafeteria was packed with people, and noisy chatter filled the entire space.
Kaedehara Tōru watched helplessly as the three navigated the crowd, searching for seats.
Because there were too many people around, he couldn’t get close to them, let alone talk to them.
After a while, the three finished their meal, stood up, and left the cafeteria.
Seeing this, Kaedehara Tōru quickly followed.
They walked out of the cafeteria and headed in the direction of Keyaki Mall.
When they walked into a coffee shop, Kaedehara Tōru felt a bit surprised.
He had expected them to go shopping or do something else, so he hadn’t anticipated them coming here.
The coffee shop wasn’t crowded in the afternoon, and soft jazz music was playing.
He chose a corner seat by the window, ordered an iced Americano, took out his phone, and casually scrolled through videos.
“Pah, it’s so bitter.
I don’t get why anyone would drink this awful stuff.”
“Eh, it’s just what people who care about appearances like to drink!”
“Spending so much money to drink this stuff feels almost like a scam.”
The complaints quickly reached Kaedehara Tōru’s ears.
He didn’t act immediately but continued to wait patiently for the right moment.
After the trio finished their coffee, the conversation quickly turned to girls.
“Hey, don’t you guys think Ichinose Honami is totally top-tier?
That figure, tsk tsk…” Ike Kanji looked wistful.
“Hmph, so what?
If you ask me, that Sakayanagi girl from Class A is the best.
That aura…
If only I could make her my girlfriend…” Yamauchi Haruki began his daydream.
“Get real.
You think you can chase girls?” Sudo Ken scoffed disdainfully.
Now was the time.
Kaedehara Tōru put down his coffee cup, stood up, and, holding the cup, walked directly toward the trio’s table.
He stopped beside their seats and looked down at Yamauchi Haruki, who was daydreaming lewdly, a frivolous and teasing smile on his face.
“Excuse me, I think I just heard you say you want to pursue Sakayanagi from my class?”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it clearly reached the ears of the three boys. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
All three looked up simultaneously and froze when they saw Kaedehara Tōru standing before them.
“W-who are you?
From Class A?” Yamauchi Haruki felt unnerved by his scrutiny.
“Just a Class A student passing by.
I heard some interesting comments, so I came over to say hello.”
Kaedehara Tōru pulled over an empty chair nearby and sat down unceremoniously at their table, placing his iced Americano down.
His gaze swept over the three faces, finally resting on Yamauchi Haruki’s: “Sakayanagi isn’t that easy to pursue.
However…
I can offer you guys a chance for ‘intimate contact’ with a Class A girl.
It just depends on whether you have the guts.”
“What kind of chance?” Ike Kanji immediately became interested, his eyes sparkling.
“In our Class A, there is a girl.
On the surface, she seems very aloof, like an Ice Beauty.
But in reality…”
He deliberately drew out the last word, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.
“She has a dirty little habit.”
“A little habit?” Ike Kanji’s curiosity was completely piqued.
“A habit…
of liking to steal things.”
Kaedehara Tōru tossed out this bombshell with an air of understatement.
Hearing this, the three exchanged glances, their faces simultaneously showing shock and disbelief.
“Is that for real?”
“See for yourselves.”
Kaedehara Tōru first adjusted his chair, making sure his back completely blocked the camera behind him, before stopping.
He pulled out his phone.
Instead of handing it over, he operated it a few times in his hands, then placed it on the table near his side, ensuring the camera couldn’t film the screen from above.
He turned the screen toward them.
On the screen, a video began to play.
Against the backdrop of the shelves, Kamuro Masumi’s profile was clearly visible.
The camera shook slightly, lending it the authenticity of a secretly filmed video.
The three unconsciously leaned in, their heads pressed together, staring intently at the small screen.
They watched Kamuro Masumi pick up a lipstick.
She pretended to put it back, but the moment her wrist twisted, the lipstick vanished as if by magic, smoothly sliding into the pocket of her school uniform skirt.
The entire process was crystal clear and undeniable.
The video was only a short dozen seconds long, playing on a loop.