On the way to school, Ren took another look at Aoi's profile on the list. It didn't say much other than her name, the places she frequented most, and a problem she was currently facing.
Ren made his way to the classroom and opened the door. Usually, he was one of the first to arrive at school, aside from the student in charge of morning duties. But now, the classroom was almost full. As he entered, he was met with numerous stares.
Ren wasn't the most popular person in class, but he was known for two things: his good grades, as he ranked second after Ritsu, and his friendship with Ritsu, Takeshi, and the other smart students in the classroom.
Ren walked between the desks without paying any attention to the students or their stares. As he did, Ritsu and some other students sitting next to him noticed his arrival.
"Oh, Ren! I thought you were sick. When I came in, I didn't see you. What happened?" Ritsu asked.
"Ah, nothing. I just overslept," Ren answered in his usual detached tone, even though this was probably the first time he had been this late.
As soon as Ren took his seat, the door opened, and the teacher entered and began the lesson.
Five minutes into the lesson, Ren was already focusing on something else.
Name: Aoi
Partner Potential (PP): 70%
Most frequented places: XXX School, Ban Coffee Shop, Home, XXX-District-78
Current Problem: [Embezzlement of Event Funds]
Status: [No Deal]
[Set as Target]
"Embezzlement? Really?" Ren thought about Aoi.
His eyes fell on the window as he looked outside, and her image came to mind.
A very beautiful young girl with shoulder-length black hair, pale white skin, and amethyst-purple eyes that were visible through her glasses. Her slim, well-proportioned figure looked good in the school uniform and thigh-high stockings.
Her aura gave off an impression of intelligence, calmness, and sharpness. She was the vice president of the student council, and Ren used to look up to her so much until she and Takeshi started dating. That was when he lost all interest in her, although his desires were still there, as the devil had proved.
'But someone like her... Someone like her embezzling funds? Can you elaborate, System?'
The moment he thought about it, the system answered.
[AOI HAS BEEN STRUGGLING WITH A MESS IN THE STUDENT COUNCIL OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. THE FUNDS FOR THE EVENTS HAVE COME UP SHORT. NO, SHE ISN'T THE ONE WHO TOOK THE MONEY. IT WAS HER BOYFRIEND, TAKESHI, THE TREASURER OF THE COUNCIL. SHE KNOWS ABOUT IT AND IS TRYING TO COVER IT UP BY EVERY MEANS POSSIBLE. TIME AND RESOURCES ARE PUSHING HER TO HER LIMITS AS SHE RUNS OUT OF WAYS TO COVER IT UP.]
As Ren heard the explanation, his confusion didn't go away. Quite the opposite. Takeshi, who was smart and good-looking, was the one who had taken the money, and Aoi knew about it and was covering for him.
'Why is that? This isn't like her. She's a straightforward person. Or has love changed her?'
Ren thought about it for a while before leaving the matter alone. To find out what would happen next, he would have to choose her as his target, and he wasn't sure about that yet. She was someone he knew, a member of his friend group, and his friend's girlfriend, so it might be too risky.
The whole thing might not have any consequences at the end of the devil's deal, but nothing said there wouldn't be consequences in real life. This wasn't a game.
While he was lost in thought, the bell rang, signaling the start of lunch break. Ren, as usual, ate with his friends, a group that included several flashy characters, two members of the student council, and the number-one student in the school. Ren wasn't falling behind either, as he ranked second after Ritsu.
Their table was usually the center of attention, but Ren didn't mind because he didn't care.
"Oh, I almost forgot. Here's your notebook."
Takeshi handed Ren the notebook he had borrowed yesterday.
At the table, Ren sat on the right side. Ritsu sat beside him, while Aoi, Takeshi, and Kenji, another mutual friend of theirs, sat on the other side.
Ren took the notebook without saying a word. He simply nodded to show his acceptance.
Aoi immediately turned to Takeshi and scolded him.
"Not again! You took Ren's notebook. How many times have I told you to stop doing that?"
"Oh, it's not that I can't write notes. It's just that I can't split my attention. I can't focus on the teacher and write notes at the same time. You have to understand."
Takeshi defended himself.
"You make it sound like rocket science, Takeshi," Kenji said in a sarcastic tone.
This triggered Aoi's protective instincts as Takeshi's girlfriend. She immediately looked at Kenji and spoke in a sharp tone.
"Stop making fun of someone when you don't even make an effort to write any notes yourself!"
Ritsu, who had been watching from the side, exhaled and complained in a tired voice.
"Not this topic again. How many times do we have to talk about this? Do we have to bring it up every time?"
"Yeah, he's right. Let's talk about something else," Takeshi immediately agreed, eager to move on from the topic.
The small talk continued, and Ren participated from time to time, usually saying only a word or two. It was normal for all of them, as they knew he wasn't a man of many words.
But the truth was that Ren was busy trying to decide whom he should choose as his target.
'A close person isn't a good choice since they know me. But an acquaintance isn't a good choice either, because there's no easy way to approach them. Looking at it from that perspective, both options could lead to consequences if things go wrong. However, with someone close to me, there's at least a way to approach them.'
Ren took a good look at Aoi, who was laughing at a joke Takeshi had just made. Then he looked at Takeshi. Both of them looked perfectly normal, as if the missing event funds had never been stolen.
Ren's eyes finally settled on the invisible window in front of him, displaying Aoi's profile.
Name: Aoi
Partner Potential (PP): 70%
Most frequented places: XXX School, Ban Coffee Shop, Home, XXX-District-78
Current Problem: [Embezzlement of Event Funds]
Status: [No Deal]
[Set as Target]
With a single thought, the [Set as Target] button glowed, and a new word appeared on Aoi's profile.
Name: Aoi
Partner Potential (PP): 70%
Most frequented places: XXX School, Ban Coffee Shop, Home, XXX-District-78
Current Problem: [Embezzlement of Event Funds]
Status: [No Deal] [Target]