“Wah…”
Ike Kanji’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his mouth half-open.
“…She actually did something like that?
That’s too exciting!”
Sudo Ken scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest.
He clearly disdained such behavior.
However, the most intense reaction came from Yamauchi Haruki.
His breathing became heavy, and his cheeks flushed red from excessive excitement.
He didn’t see theft; he saw a golden opportunity.
A beautiful woman, her secret held in his hands.
What did this mean?
It meant he could do whatever he wanted!
He could make her obey his every command and even…
become his girlfriend to show off in front of everyone.
“This…
this video…”
Yamauchi Haruki’s voice trembled with excitement.
He suddenly looked up at Kaedehara Tōru, his eyes filled with greedy desire.
“You…
you’re willing to give it to me?”
“Give it to you?”
Kaedehara Tōru retrieved his phone, and the screen went dark.
He picked up the iced Americano on the table, took a sip, and then frowned slightly at the bitterness, as if he didn’t care about their anxious expressions at all.
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch; you should understand that, right?”
His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Yamauchi Haruki’s fiery head.
“What do you want?”
“It’s simple.”
Kaedehara Tōru put down the cup and held up two fingers.
“Fifty thousand points.
Transfer them to my account, and the right to use this video will be yours.”
“Fifty thousand!
That’s too much!”
It was only the second day of school.
Ten thousand points seemed like a lot, but for them, who were extravagant, they had probably already spent a good deal.
Asking them to produce fifty thousand all at once was like cutting off their flesh.
“Hey, you three can just pool your money.
Besides, the academy gives out 100,000 every month, so 50,000 is nothing!” Kaedehara Tōru tempted them.
Seeing no movement yet, Kaedehara Tōru smiled, stood up, and made to leave: “Then there’s nothing I can do.
It seems you’re not very interested in this opportunity.”
“Wait!” Yamauchi Haruki hastily stood up and grabbed Kaedehara Tōru’s arm.
“Fifty thousand it is!
We’ll pool it for you!”
He turned to Ike Kanji and Sudo Ken: “You two, quickly transfer your points to me!
I’ll pay you back next month.”
Incited by Yamauchi Haruki, Ike Kanji and Sudo Ken, though extremely reluctant, eventually transferred their points to him.
Yamauchi Haruki gritted his teeth, pooled his points, and, with trembling hands, transferred fifty thousand points to the anonymous account provided by Kaedehara Tōru.
“Ding!”
The successful transfer notification sounded.
Kaedehara Tōru nodded in satisfaction, operated his finger on the screen a few times, and then sent the video, which he had meticulously “edited,” to Yamauchi Haruki’s phone.
“I believe with your intelligence, Yamauchi-san, you can certainly make some ‘small requests’ that she can’t refuse, right?
For example, having a coffee after school or going shopping together on the weekend…
Take your time; don’t rush.”
He specifically emphasized “take your time,” because he knew very well that, given Yamauchi Haruki’s character, he would absolutely not “take his time.”
He would impatiently make all sorts of excessive demands, and this was the best fuel to ignite Kamuro Masumi’s anger.
Kamuro Masumi, with her personality, would never agree to Yamauchi Haruki’s vulgar, lust-filled threats.
Her resistance would inevitably infuriate the extremely vain Yamauchi Haruki, ultimately causing him to become enraged and expose the matter to the school.
“I…
I understand!”
Yamauchi Haruki clutched his phone, as if holding a key to heaven.
Beside him, Ike Kanji also rubbed his hands excitedly, constantly nudging Yamauchi Haruki with his elbow, letting out silly giggles.
Only Sudo Ken frowned deeply, feeling that something was off but couldn’t quite pinpoint it.
He had no interest in using such despicable methods against women; he just snorted coldly and said nothing more.
“I’ve given you the item.
How you use it is your business.” Kaedehara Tōru patted Yamauchi-san’s shoulder.
He straightened up, no longer lingering, and picked up his mostly untouched iced Americano before turning to leave the cafe.
The first step of the plan went smoother than expected.
Kaedehara Tōru walked back to the school building, feeling very relaxed.
Yamauchi Haruki had already received the edited video.
When would Yamauchi Haruki make his move?
Not today.
He just got the video today, and the excitement and fantasies in his heart still needed to ferment.
He would spend an entire evening concocting the script for his “grand entrance.”
Tomorrow, most likely during lunch break or after school.
He would choose a relatively private place that could still be “accidentally” seen by others—this was a result of his vanity.
He wanted others to see his heroic posture of “conquering” a girl.
What would he do?
He would stop Kamuro Masumi, and his opening line would probably be an extremely foolish and greasy self-introduction.
Then, after being treated coldly by Kamuro, he would angrily reveal his trump card—that video.
He would make a demand, very likely directly asking her to “be my girlfriend” or “go on a date with me.”
How would Kamuro Masumi react?
Would she yield?
Absolutely not.
Although she had a fetish for stealing, her essence was prideful.
Making her bow to an idiot like Yamauchi Haruki, whom she despised from the bottom of her heart, would be more unbearable than killing her.
She would use the most scathing language to humiliate Yamauchi Haruki, trampling his self-esteem into dust.
She might pretend to be indifferent, or even threaten Yamauchi in return, accusing him of blackmail.
After being mercilessly crushed by Kamuro Masumi, Yamauchi Haruki’s fantasies would be completely shattered.
He would realize that he couldn’t get what he wanted through “conciliatory” means.
He would immediately rush to the teacher’s office, find Class D’s homeroom teacher Chabashira Sae, or go directly to someone higher up.
He would submit that video as “evidence,” accusing Class A’s Kamuro Masumi of misconduct and theft.
He would package himself as a hero who couldn’t stand evil and was full of righteousness.
Once the matter reached the teachers, the school would inevitably intervene and investigate, and Kamuro Masumi would be called in for questioning.
At this point, Yamauchi Haruki would have an absolute advantage and would absolutely not stop.
If he chose to back down, then he would be the one with the problem.
This was Kaedehara Tōru’s moment to appear.
When Yamauchi Haruki adamantly accused Kamuro with the video, Kaedehara Tōru would unleash his true trump card.
He would tell Kamuro Masumi that the video was likely problematic.
It was maliciously edited, with parts cut out, and even the characters in the video were maliciously altered to change an unknown person into Kamuro Masumi for his own desires.
Thus, the tables would instantly turn.
Yamauchi Haruki would transform from a “righteous whistleblower” into a despicable villain who “maliciously edited videos, attempted blackmail, and then falsely accused someone.”
All his explanations would be pale and powerless in the face of irrefutable evidence.
His foolishness would doom him forever.
At the same time, Kamuro Masumi would develop an extremely complex emotion towards Kaedehara Tōru, who pulled her back from the edge of the abyss.