He had to... keep fighting.
Don't underestimate the power of a handsome man of Sakurato, dammit.
Oreki Gen lifted his head. This time, he didn't bother crafting a suitable expression. Of course, he also wasn't about to expose the fact that she could stop time — that would be actual suicide.
Courage didn't mean stupidity. He forced himself to push those horrific ending scenes as far from his mind as possible.
He looked at Sakuraba Mitsuki.
"Sakuraba-san... While I can assure you these photos weren't taken by me, I don't want you to blow this up, either. After all, it wouldn't reflect well on you, either."
Sakuraba Mitsuki noticed the shift in his demeanor.
He was remarkably calm — not the slightest hint of panic from her probing.
As intriguing a personality as his looks suggested, it seemed.
Well, of course. How could someone with a face like that be ordinary? His soul couldn't afford to be mundane, either.
On her expressionless face, a trace of a smile appeared — arrogant and self-assured.
"It wouldn't affect me at all. When it comes to perverts, being soft and conceding ground step by step is what's truly fatal. Speaking up and stating the truth is the right move in these situations, isn't it?"
Shall I speak up about your time stop, then? ...Alright, bad joke.
Oreki Gen let out what seemed like a sigh.
"Then how does Sakuraba-san propose we resolve this?"
Sakuraba Mitsuki's confident smile grew more pronounced.
"If you'd rather I didn't go to the police... I can offer you a chance to make amends."
"First of all, I'm not that kind of pervert. That said, let's hear your terms. If they're reasonable, I'll treat it as an even exchange."
This wasn't what Sakuraba Mitsuki had expected. Her gaze froze for a split second.
The young man in front of her was almost unreasonably composed — as if the threat of police involvement or the weight of her family's resources didn't faze him in the slightest.
Ah... perhaps that made things more interesting. It seemed she'd stumbled upon a rather entertaining game.
For a girl who'd long since felt that nothing around her posed the slightest challenge, a spark of excitement now kindled in the depths of her dark pupils.
"I see... Quite the negotiator, aren't you? Though I don't think my terms are unreasonable."
Sakuraba Mitsuki's narrowed eyes studied the handsome boy. A summer breeze stirred the hair that fell lightly across his forehead, and his refined features gleamed like scattered starlight.
"Go ahead, Sakuraba-san."
"It's simple. I like to draw. Lately, I've been wanting to start a new series, but I'm lacking inspiration for the male lead... Your look fits. I need you to be my model."
Just as he'd thought...
Her goal matched his suspicions exactly.
The model thing — her mumbling during the time stops had already given it away.
This world's course-correction ability was truly something... He'd locked down every avenue, and it still found a crack.
Oreki Gen pretended to consider it, then looked at Sakuraba Mitsuki.
"That's really all?"
"That's really all."
"I can agree... but not today."
Sakuraba Mitsuki regarded the young man with mild surprise. Every guy in this school fantasized about the chance to speak with her, to share even a moment of her attention. Yet this one remained utterly unperturbed — as though such an opportunity was anything but a gift... Interesting.
And so she, too, restored her proper bearing. Cold. Detached. Arctic.
"Why?"
Oreki Gen shook his head.
"I don't have time today. I need to get to work."
"You should know — money is the last thing I'm short on."
She seemed to be telling him that cooperation would come with compensation — possibly quite generous — the same way the original story's scummy, gold-digging male lead had been treated.
But Oreki Gen was still Oreki Gen, and yet also not the same Oreki Gen. He wasn't about to walk down that "dead-end" path.
"I'm the one who's short on it — specifically, money I can earn with a clear conscience. Now, if there's nothing else, I really need to go. I'm going to be late."
Something shifted behind Sakuraba Mitsuki's gaze, an unreadable emotion surging beneath the surface.
"Then at least give me a date. Otherwise it's just an empty promise — and I despise being lied to. Absolutely despise it."
Oreki Gen thought for a moment.
"The weekend. I'm free on the weekend."
"Fine."
Sakuraba Mitsuki didn't try to keep him. She let the young man walk away across the now-empty athletic field, bathed in the burnt-orange light of the sinking sun.
The sunset's glow illuminated her long, dense black hair.
Her face was still breathtakingly beautiful, the blazing sky serving as the perfect backdrop.
A summer breeze rolled in from the distant hillside, carrying the scent of green grass and the drone of cicadas.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
"Perhaps you're even more interesting than I imagined, Oreki-kun."
***
"Sir, would you like me to ring up that pack of cigarettes in your pocket as well? If not, please put it back on the shelf."
The young man, scanning items with perfect composure, smiled at the middle-aged man before him.
The man blinked.
"I don't know what you're talking about..."
His eyes darted away, as if dodging something.
Oreki Gen remained calm, still smiling.
"Shall I be more specific? I saw you take that pack of Marlboros off the shelf and slip it into your pocket."
"The hell?! That's bullshit! You little punk — barely got hair on your lip and already running your mouth! You got proof?!"
Oreki Gen calmly picked up his phone.
"In that case, I'll be calling the police. Don't worry, the store has security cameras. They should have a very clear recording. Would you like to wait for the officers to handle this, or would you prefer to put the cigarettes back and pretend this never happened?"
"You—!"
Oreki Gen had already begun pressing buttons on his phone, the tapping clearly audible.
Sweat beaded on the man's forehead.
"Fine! Stop calling!"
The man spun around, shoved the cigarettes back onto the shelf, and stormed out of the convenience store without even taking the items he'd already paid for — cursing under his breath the whole way out.
Oreki Gen put down his phone. All he'd actually opened was the calculator.
He'd just test-driven his X-Ray Vision, and it had instantly revealed the man's theft.
Sure, using a bluff like that ran the risk of escalating the confrontation. But Oreki Gen's unflinching composure was the best deterrent he had. If he'd shown even a hint of weakness, the man would have tried something else.
As for why Oreki Gen had bothered at all... obviously. If merchandise went missing on his watch, it came out of his pay — and not just the item's price. His final paycheck would get docked too. He wasn't about to lose money over some petty thief.
Oreki Gen let out a sigh.
At least there were only twenty minutes left until his shift ended. The curtain of night had already fallen outside.
Stars dotted the sky overhead.
Until about 8:40, close to the end of his shift.
Oreki Gen was scanning items as usual.
"Just these, please."
A soft, pleasant voice didn't draw any particular attention from Oreki Gen. He was tired now and just wanted to clock out.
A pale, slender hand pushed a few convenience-store ready-meals across the counter.
Oreki Gen scanned them with practiced ease.
"That'll be 3,000 yen."
But instead of paying, the customer let out a note of surprise.
"Oh — Oreki-kun? So this is where you work?"
Oreki Gen looked up, mildly puzzled, and found himself face to face with a woman of mature elegance. She wore a black outfit, the neckline swelling prominently over a white top underneath. The buttons at her chest looked like they might give way at any moment.
Looking at him was a pretty face marked with mild surprise — long lashes, large eyes. Beneath her right eye, that signature beauty mark...
"Ah... Kikyou-san."
The convenience store was indeed close to the apartment, but... how had they managed to run into each other here, of all places?
He didn't remember a convenience-store encounter being part of the doujin's plotline at all.
Yet the surprise on Kikyou Satomi's face didn't look staged.
Kikyou Satomi tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and broke into a smile laden with mature charm.
"I happened to be out of food at home, so I popped in to grab a few things. I had no idea you worked here, Oreki-kun."
Seemed like a perfectly normal conversation, but Oreki Gen didn't dare let his guard down for even a second.
The young man immediately defaulted to a smile that was polite yet distant.
"Yeah... just making a bit of spending money. That'll be 3,000 yen — cash or mobile payment, Kikyou-san?"
Normal conversation. Then a swift wrap-up.
Kikyou Satomi didn't seem inclined to linger, either. She fished cash from her wallet. "Cash."
"Got it. 3,000 yen received. Here are your items."
Kikyou Satomi took her things and really should have just turned and left. But she paused.
"Oh, one more thing."
"Hm?"
Oreki Gen's guard shot up instantly.
She looked at him with something that resembled hesitation.
"It's late. You probably haven't eaten yet, have you? Why don't you come over after your shift and I'll make you something? I live alone anyway, and I always end up cooking more than I can eat."
There it was again. Yesterday she'd tried to invite him over for dinner too... Once could be dismissed. But twice meant it was time to take these anomalies seriously.
Oreki Gen genuinely hadn't eaten, but he smiled and said, "No need — I already had dinner. Thanks, though, Kikyou-san."
Kikyou Satomi gave a faintly wistful nod.
"Alright then. Get home safe, Oreki-kun."
"You too, Kikyou-san."
Kikyou Satomi finally left. Oreki Gen exhaled in relief. The air in front of him still carried the faint trace of her perfume.
The interaction had been normal enough, but would her knowing he worked here lead to consequences? He was probably going to have to find a new part-time job — preferably farther from home.
Oreki Gen had already done the mental math. He settled in to quietly wait out the rest of his shift.
Until —
"Ding~"
That familiar sound. From his phone.
With a twinge of foreboding, Oreki Gen opened it and saw the text.
【Oreki-kun~ Look at me... look at me. I'm trembling because of you right now. Look — look~~~!】