She didn't expect her carefully decided plan to be disrupted so early and by someone so unexpected.
To defend herself and to secure the top spot in the hierarchy of the class she had requested and entered into a fake relationship with Hirata Yosuke, one of the most popular guys among the first years.
But she was sure that no one should've been suspecting anything.
Then why was the person in front of her looking at her with an amused look in his eyes?
And what did he mean by "Tough on the outside but broken from the inside."
Those strings of words cut deep into her heart, making it beat wildly.
At first, she thought that her fake relationship was exposed at most but his words implied something deeper.
Something she did not want to hear.
To hide her anxious heart she slammed the table and asked about his intentions rather aggressively.
"Now now, don't get too worked up." Tatsuya waved his hand in front of her and gestured for her to sit down. "We don't want to cause commotion, right...?"
Karuizawa stiffened hearing his words and mechanically sat down in her chair. She felt her mind react more slowly than usual and tried to calm down again.
"What do you mean?" She asked plainly and At Tatsuya chuckled.
"You know exactly what I mean. Whether it be the fake relationship with Hirata or the fact you're just the victim of bullying."
He was blunt.
Way too blunt for her liking.
But his words sent her heart down the deepest part of hell.
"Shut up! You're talking nonsense! If you're going to speak bullshit like this I'm leaving!"
Coarse words that matched the personality she created here were uttered in a rush.
"Oh? I'm talking nonsense?" The amused look on his face deepened and he pulled out his phone.
Seeing the content on his phone Karuizawa froze.
Despair.
"H-How...how?" She lowered her head and muttered incoherently. "How? How? How?"
Confusion.
With tears in her eyes and her body on the verge of hyperventilating she raised her head and looked at him with venom in her eye, "I'll report you to the school!" She practically growled.
Denial.
It was rather fortunate or unfortunate that no one besides them was in the cafe right now.
"Sure, do so. I don't mind. But if you do I'll expose your entire past to everyone in class and leak this photo."
Karuizawa looked at him with intense venom in her eyes but Tatsuya didn't stop there.
"Not only would you be dragged down from your status as the Queen Bee, leader of the girls but you're going to get bullied again. Maybe Hirata can save you in our class but can he protect you from other classes? Can he protect you 24/7?"
As his words sank in Karuizawa started trembling. The hands holding the glass of lemonade were practically shaking with such fervour that it wouldn't be a surprise if she dropped the glass.
Depression.
Tatsuya finished his lemonade with a happy expression.
"... Why r.. uo... ing.. his?"
She seemed to have muttered something incoherent and Tatsuya raised a brow in interest.
"... Why are you doing this to me?" She spoke in a dull voice.
She couldn't believe her fate was once again in the hands of another.
"Why huh..." Tatsuya repeated her words. "I wonder. Probably because I thought it would be fun."
His words were incredibly cruel and sadistic.
She raised her head and looked at the smiling Tatsuya with a blank look in her eyes.
She didn't understand.
Wasn't he gentle and kind?
Wasn't he the sweet and handsome leader of Class D?
So why...?
She felt like crying but she couldn't. She couldn't risk anyone seeing her like this.
She couldn't...
But... But...
Inevitably the rim of her eyes moistened against her will.
Just as she was about to break down Tatsuya got up and started leaving.
But he stopped next to her and patted her shoulder rather gently before whispering into her ear.
"For now I have no intentions of letting anyone know but that depends on your behaviour... See you later Kei-chan~"
He paid for the drinks and left her alone.
Karuizawa couldn't even be bothered about how he addressed her.
Darkness filled her.
She wiped the corner of her eyes as her heart fell into the deepest pits of hell.
Acceptance.
***
In the Student Council Room, a meeting was being held.
There were only three people present.
"How interesting..."
Such words occurred after seeing the scene on the monitor. After uttering those words he paused the video on the monitor and placed his hands on the table.
"Tell me your thoughts." He spoke with a calm voice as if he wasn't shaken by the scene that occurred on the monitor in the slightest.
"Wow... I must say... I didn't expect something like this to happen. It's just unbelievable."
The one who replied was a fair-skinned teenager with light blond hair and light blue eyes.
Vice Student Council President, Nagumo Miyabi.
"Isn't it so?" The man in front of the monitor nodded with a blank look. "Is there any way to explain this?"
The other person in the room was too shocked to respond. He heard about some rumours flying here and there but had initially ignored it.
But when the authorities were involved word couldn't be kept so easily. Not to mention the warning of deprivation of three months' worth of private points seemed like a hurried decision.
"H-How... How did you get your hands on this surveillance footage, Student Council President?"
This time it was a fair-skinned male with an average physical build, black hair that had bangs swept to the right who spoke.
His voice was laced with befuddlement. The contents of the video aside he couldn't understand how the President got his hands on such a thing.
Horikita Manabu looked at the questioning Kiriyama and spoke. "Points."
His answer was simple and concise but it stunned Kiriyama.
Indeed, how had he forgotten about such a thing?
Anything could be bought by Private Points.
He knew of this but didn't expect it from the stern and strict Student Council President. Buying surveillance footage seemed a bit... shady.
Nagumo snickered and ignored him turning to Horikita Manabu again.
"Horikita-senpai could you replay the video." He asked and Manabu complied.
The scene in the video was of SIVCameras in Keyaki Mall.
An ordinary middle-aged clerk was asking for details from the male student in front of him.
Everything seemed normal but something strange happened.
The clerk somehow caught on fire and started thrashing around the hall of the camera repair shop.
Since there wasn't any sound being produced from the surveillance heavy silence hung in the Student Council Room.
Nagumo who initially had a laid-back expression and seemed to be mocking Kiriyama straightened his back and attentively watched the video.
The clerk catching on fire while surprising wasn't out of the realm of possibility. No one knew what happened behind the counter but if that was only what happened Horikita Manabu wouldn't have been interested in the first place.
At most one would call it an unfortunate incident... Until something strange occurred.
The thrashing clerk was approached by the guards who wanted to help him but before they could touch or put out the fire the flames engulfing the clerk intensified as if powered by some magical force.
"How could a human turn into ash... like that in a few seconds?" Kiriyama muttered in disbelief.
Nagumo looked at the video with sparkling eyes. While he felt repulsed seeing someone just crumble into ash, he looked towards Horikita Manabu.
"Senpai... Do you think that the... supernatural exists?" His words weren't met with surprise.
After all, what happened in the video was anything but natural.
Horikita Manabu didn't answer him and seemed lost in thought.
Knock! Knock!
"Student Council President may I come in~?" A sweet submissive voice spoke from behind the closed doors and he spoke instantly, "Yes."
The door swung open and a teenage girl of average height with purple hair that was tied in two buns with bangs hanging over her eyebrows and peach-brown eyes entered the room.
Nagumo was the first to notice what Tachibana was holding.
"Are those details regarding the clerk?"
Horikita Manabu didn't answer but his eyes were drawn to the folder in her arms, "I suppose you haven't come back empty-handed."
"Yes!"
Akane Tachibana nodded resolutely, as the secretary it was her duty to fulfil his commands to the best of her abilities.
***
"I suppose you haven't come back empty-handed."
"Yes!"
Akane Tachibana nodded resolutely, as the secretary it was her duty to fulfil his commands to the best of her abilities.
Horikita Manabu nodded and extended his empty hand toward her and she jogged to him before handing him the file.
He opened the file and read the information of the clerk.
'I wonder if I can find something from this. Yukitsu Kusuda huh?'
The first few hundred words were meaningless drivel. Things like his past, track record and behaviour etc.
He had to hand it to his secretary.
While Akane was a bit clumsy she was truly talented in the field of gathering information.
In only an hour she had brought five pages worth of information in under an hour. That too regarding an ordinary unassuming clerk.
As he read through the file he suddenly paused at a certain string of words.
'I see. No wonder Akane looked angry.'
[Suspected of harassing and stalking a Class 1-D student.]
The glow in his eyes didn't escape Nagumo who was attentively observing him.
"Did you happen to find something Horikita-senpai?" He asked with an innocent smile and his expression caused Manabu to sigh.
"It seems like this Yukitsu Kusuda was stalking and harassing one of the new freshers."
"Hah?" Kiriyama let out a gasp of disbelief. He was going to curse the guy but remembering that he was already far beyond cursed he let it rest.
"Oh? Who's this student?" Nagumo continued to ask.
A certain feeling in his heart was telling him that if kept on asking something unexpected would surface.
"Sakura Airi from Class 1-D. A very shy and introverted student. Not good in either academics or sports nor has any friends. Ordinary looks."
"Well, that's a bit... I guess that's worthy of a student belonging to Class D." Nagumo mercilessly gave his judgement but no one was phased.
It was reality.
"But-" Nagumo didn't stop. "Doesn't it seem odd for this clerk to go after such a student? I believe if lust was a major factor in his actions there were many better options among the students in this school."
Manabu nodded, "What you say isn't wrong. Even if we assume he excluded the second and third years because he wanted to take advantage of a naive first year there were certainly better options."
"Maybe he felt that an ordinary girl like Sakura was insecure and wouldn't tattle on him easily. Could also be that he was investigating her and found out that she didn't have friends making her an easy target." Kiriyama who had been silently listening chipped in.
Both Nagumo and Manabu agreed with him.
Manabu scanned the last page of the file and raised an eyebrow in interest. He posed a questioning look towards Akane.
Seeing this Akane fiddled with her fingers before answering, "W-Well... I thought that since Sakura-chan was involved I would also ask for her whereabouts from today. It was just a random thought."
"I heard that some people saw her with Ichinose. Though it was hard to recognise her due to her new hairstyle and... lack of glasses."
She quickly pulled out a photo on her phone and transferred it to Manabu's phone. The person she was talking with was an admirer of Ichinose, he had taken a photo of her.
After chiding said student about such bad behaviour she forcibly took the photo from him.
Manabu feeling his phone buzz took it out and looked at the photo. A look of genuine interest took over his face.
"I see. It makes sense now."
As Nagumo and Kiriyama were puzzled Manabu sent both of them the photo.
Nagumo's eyes widened in surprise similar to Kiriyama's look of disbelief.
"Well, there goes our theories about why he chose her." He lamented with a sigh.
Everyone agreed with his words.
She was very beautiful. If she displayed herself like that every day her popularity would soon overtake Ichinose and Kushida, both the most popular girls from the first years.
"Looks like she's close with that tall guy among them. What was his name...?" Kiriyama muttered the last part to himself.
"Ah! It's Tatsuya Yamamoto from Class D. It's unofficial but it seems like he's the leader of the Class."
"Class D's leader huh..." Manabu nodded hearing that. "So she went to Keyaki Mall with Yamamoto-kun today? Is he involved somehow? Was it a coincidence or..." He continued.
"Horikita-senpai that's a bit far-fetched don't you think?" Nagumo quickly cut him off.
"Well, can you say with 100% certainty that they're not involved?" His sharp rebuttal caused Nagumo to turn silent.
Indeed, he had no basis for his claims.
"Call Ichinose from Class 1-B here," Manabu told Akane and she rushed off.
"Wasting no time eh? That's just like you." Nagumo said but Manabu was indifferent to his praise.
That didn't affect Nagumo though.
"According to how you do things you should already have tried to get some of Yukitsu Kusuda's personal stuff."
Manabu frowned after hearing that, "I did. Unfortunately, the authorities intervened. A mere student like me wasn't allowed to interfere in the matter. Most of Yukitsu Kusuda's stuff has been confiscated."
"I see... Speaking of Class D... Senpai, your little sister seems to be in Class D. If I remember correctly, Horikita Suzune, right?"
Kiriyama's eyes widened and the air between the two turned tense.
While Manabu still had the same expression as ever there was something different about it.
"Yes."
It was a simple yet intimidating affirmation.
"Don't you think it's unfair that your sister of all people was placed in Class D?"
"Hmph, genes for most of the part have nothing to do with individual capabilities. She has shown no feat worthy of being in any class higher than D."
"How harsh." Nagumo wasn't teasing him anymore, he was genuinely surprised.
'Seems like the siblings don't have a good relationship.'
"Shouldn't you have called Sakura and Yamamoto? Why bother with Ichinose?" Kiriyama was a little puzzled.
"I wanted to confirm some things from a third party's view before talking to the suspects. Nothing more."
"Ah "
Just as Kiriyama nodded a knock was heard on the door.
Seems like Ichinose was here.
***
Just as Kiriyama nodded a knock was heard on the door.
Seems like Ichinose was here.
"Come in." Said Manabu.
The moment his words fell the door opened and a girl with blonde pink hair entered the Student Council Room with a hesitant expression.
"Hello, Kaicho!" She greeted him enthusiastically even though her application to the Student Council had been rejected.
"Relax and sit down. I have a few questions for you."
"Oh, okay!" She made her way to the chairs unaware of Nagumo's look of interest.
...
Kiriyama was sitting to the right of Manabu and Nagumo to the left. Behind him stood Tachibana with a serious look.
Well, at least she was trying to look serious...
Ichinose was still confused regarding the sudden invitation. They weren't going to say something like, "Hey, on second thought we would like to welcome you to the Student Council.", right?
But seeing Manabu's stern expression she got rid of the ridiculous thoughts in her mind.
"Is there something I can help with Kaicho?" She asked with a polite tone.
"Indeed. Did you go to Keyaki Mall today?" It was a sudden question and even though he knew the answer he asked for the sake of formalities.
"Uh, well... I did, Kaicho."
While a bit confused by the personal question she didn't hesitate to answer.
"Were you alone?"
"No. I was with Kanzaki-kun, Tatsuya-kun and Sakura-san. We were having lunch in a restaurant."
After hearing her affirm the situation in the image he just saw he nodded.
"Oh? I presume you paid for the lunch?" It was Nagumo who spoke this time and Manabu observed him quietly.
"Eh?" The constant unexpected questions baffled her, "I paid for Kanzaki-kun and Tatsuya-kun paid for Sakura-san."
"Then could I make a bold request?" Nagumo spoke with a pleasant smile. "Could you show me the transaction history on your phone?"
Hearing that Ichinose's face froze and Nagumo hurriedly clarified.
"I don't intend to pry into your personal or class life. Just show me that one transaction made at the restaurant. You can keep your phone in your hand while showing me the screen if you still feel uncomfortable."
He truly had a way with words. Ichinose couldn't reject him without looking suspicious or guilty now.
Sighing to herself she showed them the transaction history with her phone in hand.
To her, it wasn't a big deal but the air in the room had turned heavy.
The unsettling feeling in her heart made Ichinose confused about the whole situation.
"Let me ask you something. Don't think about it and answer honestly." Manabu said.
"Did at any point of time the Tatsuya-kun and Sakura-san you mention, leave your side?"
Tatsuya-kun? Sakura-san? Why is he interested in them?
Her mind churned like lightning.
Why would the Kaicho ask such a weirdly stated question?
By 'leaving her side' he was obviously looking to confirm something if she answered positively.
Is he implying that something happened while we were in Keyaki Mall? Not to mentio- Ah!
She suddenly remembered the blaring alarms in the mall and the sudden order to return to the dorms.
Since no details were given she chalked it off as an odd incident.
Wait why are Tatsuya-kun and Sakura-san being suspected?
Even though he told her not to think about it, Ichinose wasn't just going to obey his orders like some pet dog.
But in the end, she knew she couldn't drag on too long with her act of 'remembering' and answered, "I don't know about anything after we exited Keyaki Mall but inside we never separated. Though there was this one-time Tatsuya-kun went to the restroom."
Hearing that Manubu's eyes turned sharp.
He looked at her intently for a few seconds before confirming that she was speaking the truth.
"Something doesn't add up..." Nagumo muttered to himself.
After having watched the video twice he mentally noted a few details.
After the clerk was out on fire he thrashed around for 2-3 minutes.
Another 2 minutes went by as Keyaki Mall fell into chaos and the students panicked.
The time it took the guards to rush towards SIVCameras was also approximately 2 minutes.
Unless this Tatsuya went to the restroom for ten minutes—
"How long did it take for him to return?"
Manabu's voice cut straight through his thoughts and Nagumo frowned.
'Looks like he came to the same conclusion.'
Nagumo looked at Ichinose with narrowed eyes.
If her answer turned out to be—
"I think it took him 8-10 minutes but I'm not sure. He did say that he got a call from his friend." Ichinose spoke with a finger on her lips as she recalled what happened.
Unbeknownst to her, after she spoke Nagumo flinched in his seat and Manabu's body stiffened.
The whole purpose of this investigation was to confirm the odd event they had just seen.
The scene of something that defied common sense.
It was as if they were charging ahead into uncharted territory and if they made a single mistake they would get buried alive.
If magical means were involved...
If they were to remove the possibility of Tatsuya knowing teleportation the travel time back and forth from the restaurant they were in completely matched with the time the incident occurred.
But their expressions didn't change.
"I see."
"Thank you for your time. You may leave now." Manabu placed his hand on the table and fell into deep thought.
With a slightly odd look, she got up from her seat.
She bowed to everyone in the room and started heading off.
But Nagumo stopped her.
He noticed something.
"The look on your face says you want to say something to us."
"Ah-" Was she that transparent? "No... I just..."
"You can speak freely." Manabu encouraged her.
Ichinose didn't know what overcame her but the unsettling feeling in her heart was like a seed that had been buried blossoming into a beautiful plant.
The combination of Tatsuya and Sakura made her feel uncomfortable. Especially after talking with Sakura.
With what she had observed, Sakura wasn't someone who liked to be in the spotlight. She wanted to avoid crowds as much as possible due to her introverted and timid nature.
So why would such a person be walking with Tatsuya of all people?
In the so-called ike-man list of the girls he was at the top, Tatsuya dominated the first position with a landslide in 80% of the lists, unless it was a list of gloomy men or loners.
Being the leader of a class full of defectives didn't even crack his position at the top.
Instead, it was widely accepted that the school had made a mistake.
But praises aside, why would Sakura agree to walk around with such a person?
Friend?
Love?
Nope!
All she saw was fear and resentment towards Tatsuya in Sakura's eyes.
Not to mention the eerie encounter of him standing behind them silently with a thin smile while Sakura was about to say something made her heart shudder.
Excluding the last part she explained her doubts regarding the relationship of Tatsuya and Sakura.
She also didn't go into too much detail and said that it didn't seem like Tatsuya and Sakura were friends.
She just wanted the stifling feeling in her heart gone.
Plus, in her mind, she was convinced that the Student Council wasn't going to unjustly harm any of the two.
After saying her piece she bowed once again and left.
Tachibana who was still out of the loop scurried away to bring another student.
Someone directly involved.
The Student Council Room was left in heavy silence.
"Yamamoto Tatsuya..."
***
With a stiff expression, Tachibana left the room leaving Kiriyama, Nagumo and Manabu alone.
"Kaicho... It can't be w-what I'm thinking right? There's got to be some trick to it!" Kiriyama stuttered and Manabu raised his hand.
"Calm down Kiriyama. Nothing's certain yet." He spoke with a calm voice, desperately hiding his own raging heart.
For two years he fought in this school and rose to the top, winning each and every battle.
But his struggles, victories and position meant nothing in front of someone who could kill him with a snap of his fingers.
Ironically, he meant to use the last phrase as a metaphor but Tatsuya could truly end him with a snap of his fingers.
Manabu didn't know that though.
At the moment he was more worried than excited.
Why would someone like this come to attend high school?
A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
On the other hand, Nagumo was thinking of something entirely different.
If our suspicions turn true and he truly isn't some ordinary human... Then is there a way for me to acquire abilities like him?
To Nagumo school or grades didn't matter. All he cared about was defeating and making Horikita Manabu acknowledge him.
But in this scenario, everything else could be pushed aside.
After all—
Knock! Knock!
"May I come in?"
The voice of a male student rang out from behind the door startling all three of them out of their reverie.
After pushing his glasses up with his middle finger Manabu said, "Come in."
At his words, the doorknob moved and a tall male student walked in. He had black messy hair and a curious look in his eyes.
His skin was fair and pristine and his face was sharp, without blemishes.
Behind him was Tachibana who quickly scurried behind Manabu and looked at Tatsuya as if he was some great enemy.
She wasn't permitted to watch the video of the clerk burning because Manabu didn't want to scare the pitiful girl.
As such while she knew something bad had happened she was unaware of what exactly happened.
"Please sit down."
Tatsuya nodded while looking at Manabu and sat down in front of him with a relaxed expression.
"So? Why was I called here?"
The lack of respect in his voice irked Nagumo but he remained quiet, even though Tachibana was scowling.
But since Manabu had forbidden her from speaking a word she had to swallow down her anger.
Manabu turned his computer screen to Tatsuya, "Watch."
Oh?
As he was looking at the video Tatsuya's mind was elsewhere.
I'm truly surprised. These people are really fitting for the category of 'Elite'. I wasn't expecting them to be so reckless...
His mind wandered to Sakura Airi.
That was the only possible link they could derive such a conclusion from.
Well even if they were suspecting him—
"How horrific."
He commented with a dull tone. He looked over to Manabu and matched his gaze.
"Don't you find something odd?" Manabu asked with a frown.
"What do you mean odd?" Tatsuya feigned confusion and Manabu sighed replaying the clip to the specific part when the security guards rushed in.
As the clerk was thrashing around the flames seemed to have awoken with life and engulfed his entire figure, leaving nothing behind.
"Do you still not find something odd, Kouhai?" Nagumo asked with a smirk on his face.
"Hmm... I see. I see." Tatsuya nodded with a profound expression but his voice was as dull as before.
"But... what does this have to do with me, Student Council President?"
Manabu was a bit frustrated by the lack of reaction. He wasn't giving him any openings to exploit.
If he wasn't going to allow a roundabout conversation then so be it.
"I suspect you're the murderer."
He dropped the bomb and everyone besides him and Tatsuya were startled.
"K-K-Kaicho what murder?! What are you talking about?" Tachibana was the first to be flustered and Kiriyama was stunned and speechless.
He often spoke less in front of Nagumo and Manabu but he had never been this quiet before.
Kiriyama felt his heart race.
Nagumo silently admired Manabu in his heart.
As expected the person he respected, if Tatsuya truly was the murderer then even he should be flustered by the blunt question.
The air in the room turned tense as Tatsuya and Manabu silently stared at each other.
Suddenly an amused look took over Tatsuya's eyes. There was no nervousness, no anger nor any confusion.
"Why do you say so? I don't believe you're speaking without any basis for your argument."
"Yukitsu Kusuda. The clerk in question," Manabu ignored the flustered Tachibana who was utterly confused, "He was suspected of harassing and stalking a Class 1-D student... Your class."
Tatsuya found the emphasis on 'your' interesting but he didn't interrupt him.
"Sakura Airi. A shy introverted student. Do you know of her?"
Tatsuya nodded, "I've just recently gotten to know her."
"You don't seem surprised over the fact she was being harassed," Manabu questioned him with an odd look in his eyes.
Tatsuya sighed.
If he was actually nervous or afraid of being found out he might've tried to act to the best of his abilities but he had different plans.
"Probably."
After uttering a vague single worded reply he turned silent and Manabu nodded to himself.
"Do you have any questions?"
"Oh definitely," Tatsuya nodded with an excited expression. He was truly curious how they arrived at him being the culprit so fast.
"If I understand correctly the person who seems to have been killed was stalking a classmate of mine... Someone I've just been acquainted with."
"But that really makes me question how you've arrived at the conclusion of me being the culprit. Simply because I'm the only person Sakura has talked to?"
Manabu shook his head, "I wouldn't accuse you so blatantly for such a trivial reason. Before you came here we had a talk with Ichinose Honami from Class B."
"Oh?"
"The time of the incident seemed to match the time you disappeared while you were in the restaurant together. Through the transaction time of Ichinose, we've confirmed the time of your disappearance is just a thin line away from murder time."
Hearing that Tatsuya laughed out loud. He couldn't control his laughter.
"Outstanding!" He applauded before the corner of his lips curved up, "You do realise that you're trying to insinuate that I'm some kind of Invisible Fire Weaver hidden in the shadows, right?"
Surprisingly, Manabu nodded without hesitation as Tachibana's eyes turned into swirls of confusion.
What was going on!?
Kiriyama and Nagumo were looking at him with their breaths held.
Seeing them like this Tatsuya sighed.
"You're a brave man, Horikita Manabu."
He got up from his seat causing Manabu to shift back on guard, worried that Tatsuya was about to take some impulsive action.
He was 90% sure Tatsuya wasn't going to harm them. That's why he showed no hesitation in calling him here and asking him questions.
But that 10%...
Luckily for them, Tatsuya didn't pay them any attention and glanced at the upper corner of the room.
With an expressionless look, he walked to the corner and jumped.
With a flick of his hand, he ripped the surveillance camera out mid-air under the astonished eyes of the Student Council.
With a soft thud, he landed on the ground and walked back to his seat calmly.
Crack! Kchk!
He crushed the camera in his hands.
"Let's have a proper talk now, shall we?"
***
I knew that what I was about to do was too risky.
It was, in fact, utterly foolish.
There was a reason why the school was desperately keeping the matter under the rug but I couldn't help it.
It was responsibility at first.
I'm the Student Council President.
Even if I didn't have much time left I still needed to make sure what was going on and thus I used my identity to negotiate for the surveillance footage.
It was by no means cheap.
But it was a worthwhile purchase.
It was utterly fascinating how instead of caring for the human being burnt alive my focus was on the unnatural appearance and behaviour of the flames itself.
It was not normal.
But that was where my responsibility should've ended fortunately I made a mistake and discovered something interesting.
The ominous premonition in my heart couldn't stop my mind from seeking answers and it didn't take long to narrow down the suspects from the data file of the clerk.
It seemed like the culprit of this murder was from Class 1-D.
Class 1-D.
Suzune.
The sole reason I decided to play with fire was because of her. My heart wouldn't allow such danger to be present around her.
I had to make her leave.
I knew I was powerless against someone with magical means but if I could make her even 1% safer then I would not hesitate to call the so-called murderer to the Student Council Room like this.
My eyes were involuntarily drawn to the bits and pieces of the now crumbled camera on the floor.
"Let's have a proper talk now shall we?" The first year in front of me sat down with an arrogant gait.
It was as if he didn't register us as a threat.
Nagumo was for sure irritated and I was sure he was going to do something foolish after I was gone. Everything depended on the conversation we were about to have.
But that wasn't what I cared about.
An odd unsettling feeling gnawed at my heart as I matched my gaze with the Tatsuya Yamamoto.
He was looking at me calmly but there were expectations in his eyes.
I wonder...
"Did you plan this meeting from the beginning?"
My words caused the silent Student Council Room to grow even more oppressive. Nagumo was looking at me with a surprised expression while Kiriyama had a confused look.
I'm sure Tachibana who was behind me was also wondering what I was saying.
But if what I thought was true...
"Assuming you were the culprit that would mean you had the ability to go invisible. If you could go invisible from the start then it would be foolish to take such conspicuous actions."
"Kaicho...?" Nagumo muttered as if finally grasping what I meant, "Do you mean he..."
Though it took him a bit more time I appreciated his sharpness.
Nonetheless, Tatsuya ignored Nagumo.
"Oh? What do you mean?" As if interested he leaned forward wanting to hear more.
"I can see that you have some kind of distorted relationship with the student named Sakura Airi, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Then that would establish the motive behind you murdering him since he was stalking and harassing her. However, I would have to say killing for such a matter seems a bit excessive.
But what I'm trying to say is that if all you wanted to do was kill him then you could've done it without leaving behind so many sloppy trails."
"Huh? What do you mean sloppy trails!?" Kiriyama bellowed from his seat and Nagumo shook his head.
"Senpai is correct. Look we've narrowed down our suspicions from just a few clues in a mere few hours. Anyone taking the case seriously would immediately be able to identify him as the most likely culprit."
I nodded at his words but Tatsuya interjected.
"Wow, what a show. You all seem so convinced of your theories that it's funny. What if I'm just an overly impulsive teenager with a few magical abilities that couldn't control himself?"
His words weren't without merit.
But—
"For an impulsive teenager, you sure took the perfect time to murder somebody."
"Let's say you were an overly impulsive teenager why did you wait for so long before killing him? I mean you wandered the mall for a bit before joining Ichinose for lunch. I believe an overly impulsive teenager with invisibility and fire magic abilities would act earlier." I continued.
"Hmm, your words make sense but as you seemed to have guessed I have a certain relationship with Airi-chan." He spoke without a change in expression, "With how much interest you've given this case you surely know what her personality is like. I'd rather not leave her alone so Ichinose and Kanzaki were a godsend."
"Hmph, if you didn't want to leave her alone why bring her with you in the first place?" I wasn't speaking this time.
It was Nagumo.
Indeed, if he ventured toward Keyaki Mall with a crime in mind then bringing Sakura Airi with him made absolutely zero sense.
Especially, if he said that he didn't want to leave Sakura Airi alone.
"I see..." Tatsuya nodded his head with understanding before looking at me with a deep gaze, "Student Council President, Horikita Manabu, what conclusion have you come to?"
Was he bored? Or was he tired? I didn't know but it seems like he didn't want to continue any longer.
"In simple words, you left behind simple clues that the less observant would've ignored. It was not us that called you here but you who wanted to come here in the first place."
"Let's have a proper talk now shall we..." I repeated his words which had a suspicious undertone and he looked impressed.
"Hahaha," he laughed unabashed.
I knew I was poking the devil but I had no choice.
Even if the person in front of me wasn't human...
Even if he was a monster, demon, or devil...
I had to confront him.
Not for my safety or the school's safety—
For her.
***
I didn't expect this at all.
I knew he was someone amazing and impressive but I was still a little surprised.
He had guessed everything.
Yes, I was enraged that someone dared to hurt my toy but if I simply wanted to kill the clerk I didn't have to take Airi with me.
That was completely unnecessary.
She would soon realize that the stalker had disappeared and at that point, like the guardian angel I promised to be her faith in me would skyrocket.
I had already planned to play around with the school and to do so more openly without using my abilities I needed the Student Council under me.
Yes, I could simply go to them and threaten them but that would be...
Boring, no?
Sure, I was using knowledge of the light novel to force girls to sleep with me but if I simply went and overpowered all of them that would be too boring.
Of course, revealing myself to him like this had a few downsides but they were negligible. The gains far outweighed the loss.
Ultimately, this world was not my focus. I would soon leave and whatever the consequences of my actions were I would not have to bear them.
Even if I revealed myself to the Student Council they could not do anything against me. I never once considered them as an 'enemy' or 'threat'.
What can the Student Council do?
Capture me?
Hahaha.
That's impossible, the smart students of the Student Council know why they should never attempt that.
Report me?
That'll be stupid as well, what if they make me angry and I decide to kill them? They could capture me by surprise but that would be too much of a gamble to take considering I had done nothing wrong till now, even now my action of killing the Clerk wasn't considered 'Evil' but Cruel and Ruthless considering Airi is 'close' to me...
Though I'll still have to see what actions the authorities will take, there's more merit than demerit to what I'm doing.
The whole purpose of this meeting was to make my future life easier, to achieve the end goal of this meeting I had to reveal myself.
Even though I didn't want this trip to be boring that wouldn't mean I would cause myself intentional trouble or headaches.
So, I intentionally set up a few clues and deliberately invited Ichinose to have lunch with us.
Knowing the personality of Horikita Manabu, he would definitely investigate the matter and if he did things right then everything would lead to me.
It wasn't a matter of if he found the culprit but when.
And he didn't disappoint.
It wasn't some kind of master plan worthy of praise but when confronted with matters that went far beyond the normal and mundane world I was curious as to how he would react.
Would he still have the same composure he showed in the light novel or would he crack?
I guess I had my answer.
All I saw was worry in his eyes.
But I suppose that worry wasn't misplaced.
After all—
I was in Class D.
And his sister...
Was one of my targets.
***
"Amazing." Tatsuya praised them wholeheartedly but none of them replied.
"Since you've somewhat realised what I want to do then I suppose there's no point in mincing my words."
His words caused the tension in the air to grow.
"But before that place your phones on the table please." He looked at Tachibana who was hiding behind Manabu and narrowed his eyes, "You too."
She flinched and hesitantly looked at the Manabu who nodded his head at her. She then placed her phone on the table before tiptoeing away.
Kiriyama followed suit and Nagumo didn't hesitate either.
Finally, Manabu placed his phone on the table.
Tatsuya checked the phones and turned his eyes towards Nagumo.
Nagumo stiffened under his gaze but didn't say anything.
"Quite the sly one aren't you." Tatsuya deleted the saved recording file and checked whether he had sent it anywhere.
After confirming that he hadn't sent it to anyone he placed the phone back on the table.
Had he tried to be cheeky he would've dished out punishment that would've made him cry.
"I believe you're all interested in my abilities, right?"
Tatsuya let out a grin and took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket before placing it on the table.
Everyone craned their neck to see what was written on it and as soon as Manabu finished reading it his eyes twitched.
He raised his eyes only to see a smirk on Tatsuya's face.
Sigh...
***
Leaving the Student Council Room with a satisfied expression he started humming while walking away.
'Now I have one less thing to worry about but there's still a few things to do. Karuizawa, Ichinose, Sae Chabashira and Suzune. It's time to pick one of them.'
Should he continue to blackmail and tease Karuizawa, slowly draining her mental strength?
Or should he force Ichinose?
Maybe scare Sae Chabashira?
Horikita Suzune... She was going to be his last and final meal of this world.
A smile formed on his face but something unexpected happened.
Two people appeared in front of him at the end of the corridor. His eyes narrowed at the girl with a cane in her hand.
It was a petite teenage girl with lilac-coloured hair and violet eyes.
She wore the standard female school uniform, with her accessories being a black beret on her head with a grey ribbon connected to it and a white pair of stockings with garter belts.
(Image)
The girl next to her had thigh-length purple hair that was tied in a long ponytail on the right side with bangs to the right side and purple eyes.
(Image)
"Oh my, Tatsuya Yamamoto-kun from Class D, am I correct?" Arisu's bell-like giggle echoed in the corridor.
Kamuro who was next to her snorted at her feigning confusion but said nothing.
Tatsuya looked at them alternatively before letting out a chuckle of his own.
"Being known by you seems like an honour for an unknown like me. I wonder what brings the Leader of Class A here, meeting with the Student Council President eh?"
"Fufu, calling yourself unknown, how amusing." As if she had heard a joke she laughed silently, "I did indeed have some questions for the Student Council but it seems like you were a step ahead."
Her eyes peered at Tatsuya who simply smiled back.
"Of course, I was a step ahead of you." He eyed her cane, "It's not your fault."
Kamuro who hadn't said anything till now flinched. Was this guy serious?
Did he just insult her?
"Whatever do you mean?" Sakayanagi tilted her head in mock confusion, "I presume the Leader of Defects must've been quite anxious to know a few things. I simply took my leisure time."
Kamuro felt the air between them solidify. She knew that Sakayanagi was now angry even if she didn't show it.
'She's incredibly petty, especially if someone looks down on her.'
Tatsuya's smile widened to a terrifying degree which unsettled her.
"An interesting conjecture but unfortunately you're wrong. Unlike you, I have no questions that need answers. I was called by the Student Council."
"Oh?"
His words seem to have caught her attention.
"Could Yamamoto-kun perhaps have an idea of what occurred at Keyaki Mall earlier?"
The order to retreat to the dorms was way too sudden and Sakayanagi and doubts regarding it.
She knew the school all too well.
For such a panicky announcement something interesting had definitely happened.
That's why she had come to the Student Council, they would have more information than her.
"I don't see what that has to do with you. Little girls should stay out of adult matters." Tatsuya smiled gently while chiding her with a polite tone as if talking to a child.
Sakayanagi's smiling face faltered and she looked at him with an icy gaze. "I don't appreciate you looking down at me again and again. Aren't you too conceited for someone in Class D?"
"Haha, get taller than me little girl and perhaps I'll stop looking down on you." Tatsuya walked past her, "Perhaps I would've been in Class A as well if my father was the Chairman, even if I had the biggest defect in this school." He spoke while eyeing her cane.
"You-!" Kamuro pointed at him with an angry expression.
It was too despicable to treat someone with a disability like this!
"Masumi-chan," Sakayanagi spoke in a low tone and Kamuro stopped looking at Tatsuya's back with a disgusted expression.
Soon he disappeared leaving the two of them alone.
Silence hung in the air as Kamuro hesitantly parted her lips but before she could say anything—
"Fufufu, the gentle and kind leader of Class D?" A thin smile broke out on Sakayanagi's face, "How interesting."
This creepy loli... Kamuro took a step away from her.
...
Tatsuya soon arrived at his destination.
He had already received a message from Karuizawa that today Horikita was holding a study session with Sudo and the others.
He had ordered her to inform him of when Horikita was going to hold her study group.
It was time.
An evil grin crept up to his face as he waited outside the library wearing the invisibility cloak.
He waited patiently, occasionally groping a few girls who entered and exited the library much to their displeasure.
It wasn't that he was a pervert, he was just testing the effectiveness of the cloak.
Yeah... testing...
Time passed and a sad Kushida rushed out of the library. Tatsuya's expression turned excited and he quickly followed after her.
After a minute he noticed that Ayanokouji had also started searching for Kushida.
Kushida climbed the stairs of a building and entered the rooftop. As soon as she reached the rooftop Ayanokouji started climbing the stairs.
But just before he arrived at the rooftop—
'System!'
'Use the Space Isolation Barrier!'
***
Ayanokouji followed Kushida up the stairs to the second floor. The sound of footsteps continued up to the third floor.
The next level after that was the roof, wasn't it?
Students were free to use the roof during lunchtime, but it should've been locked after class.
While he thought it was strange, he still went up the stairs, trying to hide his presence as best as he could in case she was meeting with someone.
Then, he stopped partway.
Her presence—
It disappeared?
He peeked through the slit of the rooftop door but there was nothing in sight. He stood there in silence for a minute before opening the rooftop door and walking through it.
It was empty.
The wind brushed against his hair and rustled his clothes.
There was no one on the rooftop.
Did Kushida notice him following and throw him off? That seemed highly unlikely.
"Hmm..."
...
[Tatsuya]
"You... what are you... doing here?" A voice full of frost entered my ears.
Ah, for how long was I awaiting this moment?
My heart was beating in excitement. The closer I stood to her the more I realised how beautiful she was.
Her sharp narrow eyes were like daggers stabbing straight through me.
(Image)
"I'm talking to you."
Looks like my lack of response had irked her.
"I just happened to see you enter the building with a sad face." Besides the 'just happened' part I wasn't lying.
"I see..." She muttered without a change in expression perhaps she knew it was too late to revert to her usual angelic avatar so she didn't bother.
With light steps, she entered my personal space.
The distance between me and her wasn't even an inch anymore.
"Did you... hear anything?" Her face was dangerously close to mine but unfortunately, she lacked the necessary height to appear intimidating.
She was 5'1 and I was 6'1.
Maybe this was the reason she hadn't tried to push me against the wall like a certain someone.
"Yes, I heard everything."
Was that too blunt?
Looking at her shocked face that lasted for a brief second it seems like she was expecting me to deny it.
"If you tell anyone what you just heard, I won't forgive you." Her words were ice, and I tried my best to suppress my grin.
It was coming.
Now I just had to repeat a certain set of words—
"And if I did tell?"
"In that case, I would tell everyone that you raped me," she said.
Yes!
My heart jumped with joy, perhaps I was the only odd human that was getting excited over being accused of rape.
"That's a false charge, you know."
"That's okay. It wouldn't be false."
As she spoke, Kushida grabbed my right wrist and slowly opened my hand. She pushed my palm up against her soft breast.
I felt my fingers melt into her flesh. This scenario was way too exciting.
"Your fingerprints are on my clothes. That's evidence of my claim. I'm being serious. Understand?"
Her expression which was initially stern and cold morphed into one of confusion as my lips twitched and slowly formed into a smile.
"But Kushida," I spoke up with a confused expression but the smile on my face might've made my expression look distorted, "You do realise that in at most a week these fingerprints of mine will distort and disappear due to the rough fabric of the clothes, right?"
Fingerprints didn't disappear so fast, but she shouldn't have the mental capacity to worry about that right now.
"Shut up!" She yelled and backed away seeing that I wasn't scared by her threats.
But how could I let her do that? I tightly clenched my hand and grasped her right knocker in my hand, holding her in place.
"Eek- What the f*ck? Argh-" she groaned in slight pain as I spun her around and slammed her back against the wall.
"W-What the f*ck do you think you're doing Yamamoto!" I clasped both her hands above her head with my left hand and my right hand was still squeezing her chest.
How soft~
"Asshole! Let me g-go." She tried speaking while letting out rough gasps. Perhaps she was still shaken by the sudden change in situation.
My hand slipped past her boobs and I gently wrapped my fingers around her neck much to her confusion.
Wonderful. Yes, wonderful.
Savour this confusion to your heart's content.
Because what's about to happen is something you would've never imagined.
Kikyo Kushida.
...
[Kushida]
Just how bad was my luck?
I couldn't stand Horikita's arrogant behaviour and came to vent on the rooftop. Was some alone time that hard to ask for?
Not to mention I've always had to deal with shitheads with a smile on my face.
It's fucking exhausting.
But suddenly I felt someone standing behind me. Startled, I turned around and saw the worst possible person witnessing my outrage.
Tatsuya Yamamoto...
He was tall, incredibly so. Even Sudo was a bit smaller than him, not to mention he was well-built.
And if I remember correctly he said he did Martial Arts...?
My mind whirled with chaos. I had to do something, if Tatsuya went on and blabbered about my secret then it would be too huge of a blow to recover from.
Yes, I was popular- No.
I was one of the most popular people in the first years but he... Why the f*ck was this guy in Class D?
Almost everyone in the female body of the school would support him. They would eat me alive if I tried to go against him.
Even if I tried rallying the support of the boys they would be intimidated by the girls so counting on them was meaningless.
The current situation was incredibly dangerous...
"You... what are you... doing here?" I spoke coldly, with as much intimidation as I could. He should be surprised by my sudden change, right?
As long as he was flustered, I could probably fix this situation.
But why did he still have a blank look on his face? Was he scared? Or is it that he can't believe this is my true self?
"I'm talking to you."
"I just happened to see you enter the building with a sad face."
Was it really a coincidence...? I wondered but it couldn't be anything else. It wasn't as if he waiting for me to leave the library and it wasn't like he knew I was going to come to a rooftop to vent my feelings.
"I see..."
Even if the situation was a coincidence I didn't have the option to brush it off as a misunderstanding. It was too late to try and fool him.
Not to mention he was smart. It would backfire if I was deceived by him instead.
With light steps, I entered his personal space.
The distance between him and me wasn't even an inch anymore.
At first, I wanted to push him against the wall to scare him but I immediately discarded that idea. It wouldn't work against him.
Maybe if it was someone like Yamauchi or Ayanokouji then it would've worked.
I had to take him by surprise.
I had to take control of this situation.
"Did you... hear anything?" I closed in on his face with sharp eyes, trying to lessen the distance as much as I could while tiptoeing to close the height gap.
I hope he tries to deny it, as long as panics I'll take over the conversation.
"Yes, I heard everything."
I was surprised but instantly hid it, he shouldn't have noticed.
But why didn't he try to deny it? Is he truly not phased by this situation? God dammit.
"If you tell anyone what you just heard, I won't forgive you," I spoke up coldly.
"And if I did tell?"
I had to do it.
I couldn't let him destroy my high school life.
"In that case, I would tell everyone that you raped me," I said.
"That's a false charge, you know."
"That's okay. It wouldn't be false."
I grabbed his hand and pushed it against my breast. I nervously calmed my racing heart as his palm rested on my body.
"Your fingerprints are on my clothes. That's evidence of my claim. I'm being serious. Understand?"
It was a flimsy idea.
"But Kushida," he spoke up with a confused expression.
Why did he have a weird smile on his face?
"You do realise that in at most a week these fingerprints of mine will distort and disappear due to the rough fabric of the clothes, right?"
Shit! Shit! Shit!
He wasn't panicking, he wasn't flustered!
"Shut up!" I yelled losing my sanity.
I couldn't stand the feeling of his palm on my breasts and tried to move away but—
"Argh—"
Pain shot through my body.
He wasn't letting me leave!
Before I could register what happened I was slammed against the wall.
"Eek- What the f*ck? Argh-"
It hurt so much! I had a bit of trouble breathing as my body squirmed under his grasp. With whatever defiance was left in me I yelled in rage.
"W-What the f*ck do you think you're doing Yamamoto!" I cursed venomously as he roughly smacked my hands above my head and held them there.
"Asshole! Let me g-go."
I was truly panicking now.
How did it come to this?
Taking Tatsuya's personality into account I never imagined something like this would happen.
Was he angry?
I tried to look between the tears that made my eyes misty but I'm sure I saw a calm expression on his face.
His hand slipped past my chest and he softly wrapped his fingers around my neck.
What the hell...?
I tried to speak but all of a sudden the pressure on my neck increased as his fingers dug into my throat.
Don't tell me—
Much to her horror, the firm strong hand resting against her neck slowly tightened up. She felt her breath hitch and panic started to grip her mind.
She flailed her legs kicking him with as much strength as she could muster but he stood there in silence looking at her actions with interest as if her attacks did not affect him.
She tried pinching, scratching his arms but he remained unmoved as the pain intensified. It was as if there was a plastic sheet wrapped around her face, not allowing her to breathe.
Each intake of breath she could barely scrape through the little gaps from his grip was agonizingly painful.
"Hmm, looks like I'm not really a sadist after all." He spoke but Kushida was far too occupied with saving her own life to hear exactly what he said.
Tatsuya was using her as an experiment to check whether inflicting pain on someone was included in his fetish list.
Of course, he wouldn't use cute little Airi for that... for now.
So, the next best option was Kushida.
Of course, Karuizawa was also an option but she would break far too quickly for his liking, it would be more fun to play around with Karuizawa in risky situations like groping her in class and the like than taking her immediately.
He loosened the grip on her neck but still made sure she was held up nicely against the wall.
Just as Kushida felt her vision blur she was suddenly able to breathe again. As if God had descended to help her himself.
After taking a few mouthfuls of air, something she wasn't that appreciative of before, she looked at Tatsuya with fear and hatred.
"I'm surprised you can still give me a look like that," Seeing the hatred in her eyes he muttered in surprise.
"W-What do you... think you're doing? Have you gone mad? If I let the school know of this not only will they expel you but you'll also be taken to jail."
Tatsuya had to praise her mental strength. Even in such a situation, she was able to quickly think of options to try and shake his confidence.
After all, any normal student would fear the police wouldn't he?
Tatsuya smiled.
"Jail? Me?" He tilted his head in confusion at her words. "Hahaha,"
Then he laughed.
An outrageously obnoxious laugh.
It grated her ears.
She looked at him in confusion. Just what the f*ck was going on? The series of events that happened today was incredibly confusing.
"Hey Kushida," His cold voice brought her back to reality and she stared into his eyes, unable to look away, "Do you know why I'm in Class D?"
Why was he in Class D...?
At first, when Chabashira-sensei mentioned that they were defects Kushida found it insulting and ridiculous.
But for an extreme social butterfly like herself, she had a more open-minded view than Horikita objectively and knowing her true self and past actions gave her the hint she needed.
Past actions and personality were quite the major factors in class allotment. It was pretty obvious.
For Horikita, her superior attitude.
For Koenji, his attitude.
For her, Kushida Kikyo, it was her true personality.
And if she were to guess about Tatsuya then it had to be—
She looked away from his cold, detached eyes. The creepy feeling that he didn't even see her as a human was eating away at her heart.
If she were to praise one skill of herself then it had to be her understanding of people and being able to get close to them.
But even though Tatsuya had been polite to her the past month he had never let her get too close, as if he disdained contact with her.
Sensing this Kushida didn't push him and waited, only for her to find out that he had some kind of connection to Horikita.
The first question that emerged in her mind was if he was from her middle school but instantly discarded that idea.
She found it impossible that she wouldn't know that someone like Tatsuya existed in her middle school.
But that didn't take away the mysterious connection he had with Horikita.
Though now wasn't the best time to think of these things.
The best-case scenario would be that someone might come to the rooftop.
She shifted as she tried to get comfortable under his grip after all she knew it was impossible to escape.
"B-Because you're a nasty pervert! Absolutely disgusting!" She spat with venom as Tatsuya used his free hand to unbutton her uniform.
But Tatsuya could see it.
He could see the emotion hidden behind the facade of anger.
It was fear.
His hand slipped past the unbuttoned uniform and he played with her breasts much to her anxiety.
Her lower lip quivered as she looked at him with misty eyes.
But Tatsuya paid her no heed and fully enjoyed the flesh he was gripping. Her boobs were soft, incredibly so. It was an entirely different feel from Airi.
It was incredible how different it felt considering it was just a pair of breasts.
"Mmh~" he flicked her nipple and an unwilling moan escaped her tight glossy lips and immediately an expression of shame that coloured her cheeks red appeared.
That was all it took for Tatsuya to lose control.
He removed her from his lock and stepped back letting her fall with a soft thud. She coughed in surprise and rubbed her neck with teary eyes.
Suddenly she heard the sounds of clothes rustling and she tilted her head in confusion with a cute expression.
"Ah, Eek!" A surprised gasp escaped her lips as she hurriedly crawled back in panic.
Thud!
Her back hit the wall and she looked back in panic only to see colored concrete.
"N-N-No!" She waved her hands in front of her as her hands trembled, "No! No!"
Tatsuya stood in front of her, completely naked. His clothes had fallen to the ground and he was walking towards her with a smirk and lustful look in his eyes.
Tatsuya caught one of her hands and placed it on his throbbing cock. She flinched at the sudden warmness.
She tried to pull back but he forced her fair little dainty fingers to wrap around his pulsating member and moved her unwilling hand.
"Yes, just like that~" he spoke softly causing her to shiver in surprise and disgust.
Was this guy serious? Who let this deranged madman escape prison?
She shakily looked up at him only to see him smiling at her gently. It was the same look he had in class.
The kind and gentle Tatsuya...
Ps! Ps! Pa!
... grabbed her face and slapped his cock on her fair soft cheeks repeatedly, as if punishing a bad girl.
The musky smell made her feel light-headed.
He grabbed her face with surprising force, "You will obediently open your mouth and listen to my orders from now on, do you understand? If you try anything funny..."
The threat in his voice was laid bare as he increased the strength of his grip on her face and Kushida felt her jaw would crack if he went any further.
She hurriedly nodded, hiding the venom in her eyes. She then looked up with gentle panic-stricken eyes hoping to soften his heart.
He grabbed his cock and placed it against her soft supple lips. He rubbed his cock against them for a few seconds before looking back at her eyes.
And as if on command she opened her mouth wide which Tatsuya gratefully accepted before slamming his cock deep down her wet mouth pussy.
You couldn't blame him, her mouth was practically inviting him.
"G-wak!"
Just as his cock reached the back of her throat and he was expecting her to gag, Kushida's eyes shone with ferocity.
How dare you mess with me god damn rapist!
She clamped her teeth down as hard as she could!
He would never have seen it coming!
Thud!
Before her teeth could cause any damage Tatsuya's hand flashed before her eyes and before she knew it she was once again in the air, though this time she was being held by her cheeks.
"Kruk-!"
"I told you not to try anything funny."
A cold and dull voice reached her ears and she felt her vision blur.
"H-Huh?"
A second later she was on the ground, lying on her stomach. Before she could register what happened Tatsuya grabbed her hips and pulled her back.
He pulled her skirt down and slid her panties to the right.
The winds attacked her naked pussy and asshole causing her to shiver.
Suddenly, she felt something thick push against her hole-
Her... asshole?
"WAIT! W-Wait! Stop, don't!" But Tatsuya didn't stop, "No, no, no, no, no, no, you c-cant! Please, I'm sorry I'm sorry I won't go a-against you I'm sorry!!!"
At that moment a condescending chuckle entered her ears.
"Nooooooo!"
She cried, she pleaded.
She grew anxious, she grew fearful.
Horrified—
At that moment a condescending chuckle entered her ears.
"No need to accuse me of r*pe now."
"Noo-AHHH!"
Pain!
Sharp pain assaulted her as she felt her ass being split in two. Without a moment of hesitation, he began his assault on her.
With a swift thrust, he completely pierced her cute little opening. It was an entirely different feeling from a pussy.
Tatsuya's expression morphed into surprise as he felt incredible pressure on his dick. If he didn't know better he would think that her hole was actively trying to push him out.
Kushida cried out in pain but he ignored her. How dare she accuse him of something he hadn't done?
But if that was what she wished, being the kind person he was, he would fulfill it.
Her inner walls clenched around his throbbing cock and Tatsuya grunted in pleasure as Kushida was forced into the humiliating posture of a dog.
Tatsuya swung his hips without a care in the world as Kushida's voice was a mixture of pleasure and pain, though the pleasure was minimal.
Pa!
Pa! Pa!
Pa! Pa! Pa!
Continuous ruthless thrusts produced the sounds of flesh meeting flesh.
With his legs on the side, he squatted above her.
He wrapped his muscular arm around her neck, forcing her down with a menacing air, as she gasped in surprise.
She could feel her stomach clench, her heart beating out of her chest.
He rammed himself inside her and she arched in surprise, struggling against his hold, but he was simply too strong. His grip was like iron, keeping her in place.
She was his completely, to do with as he pleased.
"How is it?" He leaned against the side of her neck, taking in her scent, "Not so good when it's not just an accusation, right~?"
He picked at both her mind and body, thoroughly intending to destroy both.
"Hurts doesn't it?" He pulled back and gave a strong thrust, a loud clapping sound echoed.
PA!
"But that's not the worst part, is it? Just imagine feeling good from getting pounded like a b*tch."
Words she never expected to hear from the kind and gentle leader twisted in her mind.
"You're not a naughty little slut that would get off r*pe, right~?"
"S-S-Shut up!" She growled weakly, unable to speak in between his rapid thrusting.
His words caused her to shiver as she tried to escape but it was futile.
"I- I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I—Eek?!"
Clap!
Another strong thrust caused her to sputter like a broken doll.
The rooftop had hard ground and she felt her hands getting scratched against the jarred surface of the floor.
So many emotions, so many feelings. All too much for her to handle, his grip around her neck tightened, and her spit was slathered against the floor.
Her voice was nothing more than a jumbling mess as her body started heating up.
Tatsuya suddenly noticed something amongst the intense pleasure he was feeling.
"Hahaha,"
He cracked a laugh and his free hand crossed over from her front before finally resting just below the hole that he was slamming into repeatedly.
He gave her pussy a few pats and shoved two fingers in causing her to tremble.
He pulled out his fingers and a strange fluid created a bridge as he separated his fingers.
Tatsuya laughed as she squealed like a stuck pig, wanting to immediately deny the wetness around her exposed slit.
But he had her pinned down so no matter how much she flailed, she couldn't hope to escape.
Maybe her body was adapting to the situation she was in but her cute little butt no longer tried to push him out, instead it snugly wrapped around his pulsating cock like a blanket.
After a few minutes of playing with her, he turned her on her side and let her leg rest on his shoulder creating a horizontal V with her legs (<).
This allowed him to push even deeper into her.
"Heh, Don't tell me you're enjoying this, Kushida Kikyo!" His yelling rattled her out of her reverie. Her eyes which had gone blank due to him choking her returned to life.
Her face was flushed red and she was panting heavily.
"W-What?"
Reality set in again.
"P-Please," She whispered as her face twisted between the pleasure and pain, "Let me go..."
She pleaded, the hatred in her eyes had long gone.
He continued thrusting, ignoring her as usual.
"I knew it! You're a naughty little slut!"
Crude words attacked her mind.
"No wonder you let me touch your boobs so casually. Hey Kushida, did you want me to r*pe you? Could that be it? You're definitely enjoying this, aren't you~?"
Am I really a slut...?
"No!"
Am I enjoying this situation...?
"I'm not!"
Doubts began creeping into her strong mental barrier.
...
Tatsuya smiled as he continued to plow the helpless 'angel' under him with forceful thrusts.
Was Kushida Kikyo tamed?
Absolutely not.
She would wake up and return to her usual self, she was too strong-willed. She would do anything it took to take revenge on him.
That was why—
He would continue, if not today then tomorrow. If not tomorrow then the day after.
She could never escape.
Again and again and again.
All she could do now was cry under him.
****
The sun descended, painting the sky in hues of warm orange and pink. Its fading glow kissed the rooftops, casting long shadows as the day gracefully started giving way to night.
Tatsuya had a blank look as he stared at the unconscious girl on the floor, she was covered in cum and sweat.
She was truly beautiful.
Her fair cheeks were tinted red as tear stains decorated her face. Tatsuya walked over to her and flipped her naked body over.
He had thoroughly run through her while dirty-talking her, cum leaked out and dripped from both her holes.
With a smirk, he pushed his cock covered with fluids into her mouth and face-fucked her for a few minutes before pulling his cock out with a pop.
Now that his dick was slightly clean he absorbed the information the system just sent him.
[First Intimate Encounter with Main Cast Complete!]
[Kissing- 100 SP (First Time Bonus!)]
[Blowjob- 500 + 500 SP (Rough+First Time Bonus!)]
[Anal- 2000 + 500 + 500 (Rough+Virgin+First Time Bonus!)]
[Pussy Sex- 1500 +500 + 500 SP (Rough+Virgin+First Time Bonus!)]
[Creampie- 100+ 100 SP (Vaginal+Anal—First Time Bonus!)]
[Ding!]
[Detected Pending Condition 2! (2/5)!]
[Multiversal Travel- Locked!]
[Ding!]
[Bonus Function Unlocked- System Request!]
[Old SP Balance- 1100]
[Current SP Balance- 1100 + 6800 = 7900]
Ah, so that's how it worked. There's a first time and extra bonus for every individual Main Cast girl.
After a quick little calculation, he had about 39 spins.
"Wow..."
This was really fun.
A demonic smile made its way to his face as he tried his best to not burst out into maniacal laughter.
"Ah~ System you're the best." Thanking the system for this opportunity once again he decided to spin the wheel later.
He had barely 7 minutes left before the barrier crumbled away and disappeared. If anyone arrived after the barrier was gone then another murder would have to take place if it was a male student.
But if it was a female student...
"Let's not think about these things and quickly clean up." He picked up his clothes and started wearing them.
Kushida was messed up and in a very bad state. Tatsuya frowned before suddenly remembering something.
"System Request... I hope this works."
According to the description of this function, he could place a request that should come in line with the theme of his system.
The request could be anything as long as it was related to sex and laziness.
Suddenly, a weird question popped up in his mind.
"Requesting remote abortion."
[Request Received!]
[Select Target! Cost- 10000 SP]
Tatsuya felt his lips twitch and he used the function again, restating his request.
"Requesting remote pregnancy."
[Request Received!]
[Select Target! Cost- 20000 SP]
"This... This is truly the laziest system I've ever seen."
He didn't even have to f*ck to make women pregnant now?
But in the end, these were only examples, he wasn't going to place such requests unless it was absolutely necessary.
A few minutes passed and Tatsuya stopped playing with the Request Function.
"Requesting Magic- Clean."
[Request Received!]
[Cost- 600 SP]
"Purchase."
He didn't have to really speak it out but since no one was here he didn't mind. Sometimes speaking out loud was helpful for inner peace.
[SP Balance- 7300]
His SP went down and a particular... formula was etched in his mind.
"Weird..."
Using the skill he just got he aimed his palm toward Kushida and soon a dreamy white glow appeared on the surface of his palm before shooting towards Kushida in a straight line.
Kushida was enveloped by the light and soon she was covered in a translucent cocoon which burst merely a second later.
"How fascinating, even though I've gotten used to this stuff it never fails to amuse me."
Kushida was now lying on the ground spotless, it was as if she was sleeping soundlessly in peace. Though the marks from his rough behaviour remained.
There was barely a minute before the barrier crumbled.
"I guess I don't have the time to wake her up and get her dressed."
He sighed before picking Kushida's clothes up. After stuffing them to the inner side of his belt he walked towards Kushida.
He donned the invisibility cloak and picked Kushida up. He tried to cover her along with him in a princess carry.
But something awkward happened.
At times her hands or her legs were spilling out of the cloak.
Tatsuya felt his lips twitch once again...
There were ten seconds before the barrier crumbled.
"I swear to god..."
He struggled a bit before finally placing her on his back. He gripped her legs and crouched forward to make sure she didn't fall.
Having a beautiful naked woman on his back was certainly arousing but Tatsuya controlled himself.
Csk!
Suddenly a crisp sound echoed on the rooftop and Tatsuya's eyes narrowed into thin slits as he noticed the wet stains on the ground disappear.
The rooftop had returned to how it was before he started banging Kushida.
How convenient.
Tatsuya walked to the door of the rooftop and moved his hand towards the doorknob but for a brief moment, he froze.
This-!?
A gentle smile surfaced on his face as he retracted his hand.
"How interesting..."
He moved away from the door and walked to the edge of the rooftop. The building was four floors tall.
If he had to guess then maybe 14 meters?
Well, not like he cared.
Since the backside of the building was connected to a wall and there were no cameras it shouldn't be a problem.
He leapt up from the edge of the building and gravity did its thing. Had Kushida been awake she would have shrieked like a frightened little cat.
The wind bellowed against his body and face but Tatsuya found the feeling of being airborne comforting.
Shi!
Just as he was about to hit the floor he twisted his body mid-air and landed softly.
Thump!
Thankfully no one was around or they would've seen Kushida appearing and disappearing in the sky.
Quite a way to scare the living daylights out of someone.
Soon with Kushida, he disappeared.
...
[Ayanokouji]
Three hours had passed as I remained standing silently in front of the closed door of the rooftop. At first, when I entered the empty rooftop I was surprised to find no one there.
After thinking for a second I decided to leave and close the door.
But for some reason I found myself staring at the closed door quietly.
How could Kushida just disappear like that? I might not be the best at stealth but I don't think Kushida's capable of escaping my eyes.
I haven't noticed any hints of extraordinary physical qualities from her either. It was impossible for her to suddenly disappear out of nowhere.
It was truly a miracle and maybe that's why I, based on my instinct, intended to stay here for some time before the odd feeling in my heart settled down.
Since I had nothing to do I thought about today's study group with Horikita. This stubborn ice queen was really making it hard for herself.
I wonder if she's still motivated for her study group. Feeling a little troubled I let out a sigh. I can't let her fail here and wallow in regret.
I'll have to give her a bit of a rude awakening later, I can't have her growth stop here.
Chabashira-sensei was really making me do something annoying.
As two hours passed, I could feel a sudden presence appear in front of the door. There was certainly someone standing behind the door and I would probably come face to face with them if I merely opened the door.
But I didn't move.
Interestingly enough the presence disappeared after a few seconds. Just what was going on?
Could they have realised I was here?
Was I really that bad at stealth?
Feeling baffled I waited for another hour before deciding to leave. It was getting late and I needed to talk to Horikita as well.
I had a few suspicions but I needed a bit more information to confirm some things.
Nonetheless, I was a bit disappointed. I thought this school was made for elites yet all I saw were diamonds in the rough.
Many of these diamonds would fade into obscurity and disappear. To prevent that I had to make a few moves regardless of whether Chabashira-sensei was threatening me or not.
After all—
My destruction-my defeat-would mean that the old man would lose.
I wanted the sad contradiction I carried within me to be destroyed. I wished for that from the bottom of my heart.
-x-X-x-
[Ayanokouji]
I was a bit tired after standing for so long and doing nothing so I bought some juice from the lobby's vending machine and headed back for the elevator.
"Hmm?"
I could see that the elevator had stopped on the seventh floor.
Curious, I decided to check out the CCTV, which showed what was happening inside the elevator car. I saw Horikita, still dressed in her school uniform.
"Well, I don't really need to hide, but…"
Seeing her might be awkward right now, so I hid behind the vending machine. Horikita arrived at the first floor.
Looking wary of her surroundings, she exited the building. After she'd vanished into the night, I decided to follow after her.
However, I instinctively hid again after I turned the corner.
Horikita stopped in her tracks. I sensed another person was with her. "Suzune. I didn't think you'd follow me this far," he said.
Had she left in the dead of night to rendezvous with some guy?
"Hmph. I'm far different from the useless girl you once knew, niisan. I came here to catch you."
"Catch me, hmm?"
Niisan? In the dark, I couldn't see the person she was talking to. Was she meeting her older brother?
"I heard you were placed in Class D. I suppose nothing has really changed in the last three years. You've always been fixated on following me, and as a result, you don't notice your own flaws. Choosing to come to this school was a mistake."
"That's… You're wrong about that. I'll show you. I'll reach Class A right away, then—"
"It's pointless. You will never reach Class A. In fact, your class will fall apart soon enough. Things at this school aren't as simple as you think, there's more danger than you expect."
"I will definitely, definitely reach—"
"I told you, it's pointless. You really are a disobedient little sister, even if you're trying to prove yourself to me it doesn't have to be now. Even if you reach Class A I won't be impressed."
His voice was incredibly stern.
Horikita's brother stepped closer to her. From my hiding spot, I could see him plainly. It was Student Council President Horikita. He displayed no hint of emotion.
It was like he was staring at an uninteresting object.
He grabbed his younger sister by the wrist—she offered no resistance—and pushed her against the wall.
"No matter how I try to avoid you, the fact remains that you're my little sister. If people around here learned the truth, I would be humiliated. Leave this school immediately."
"I-I can't do that… I will definitely reach Class A. I'll show you!"
"How incredibly stupid. Do you want to relive the pain of the past?"
"Niisan, I…"
"You possess neither the abilities nor the qualities needed to reach Class A. Get that through your head. I'll repeat myself, leave this school at once, Suzune."
He moved forward, as if about to act. The situation looked fraught with danger. Resigned to facing Horikita's anger, I leapt out from my hiding space and went after her brother.
Before he knew I was there, I grabbed his right arm, which he was using to pin his sister.
"What? You…" He stared at his arm and slowly turned to me with a sharp gleam in his eye.
"A-Ayanokouji-kun?!" Horikita cried.
"You were about to throw your sister to the ground, weren't you? You do realize the floor here is concrete, right? You might be siblings, but you should know the difference between right and wrong."
"Eavesdropping is not an admirable quality," he said.
"Fine. Then let go."
"That's my line."
We glared at each other in complete silence.
"Stop it, Ayanokouji-kun," said Horikita, her voice strained.
I'd never heard her voice like that before.
Reluctantly, I released her brother.
Instantly, he tried to backhand me in the face. I instinctively took a step back to avoid it.
For such a lightly built guy, he was a nasty attacker. He then aimed a sharp kick at my unguarded spot.
"Watch it!" He had enough power to knock me out with one blow. Looking slightly confused, he exhaled deeply, extended his right arm, and opened his hand.
If I grabbed his hand, he'd probably throw me to the ground. Instead, I slapped his hand away.
"Good reflexes. I didn't imagine you could evade all of my blows so quickly. Also, you seemed to understand quite well what I was trying to do. Have you been taught?"
After the attacks stopped, the questions began.
"Yes, I was taught piano and calligraphy. Also, when I was in elementary school, I won a national music competition," I said.
"You're in Class D, too, aren't you? What a unique boy, Suzune."
After he let go of his younger sister, he turned to face me.
"No. Unlike Horikita, I'm pretty incompetent."
"Suzune, is this boy your friend? I'm honestly surprised."
"He's…not my friend. Just my classmate." Horikita faced her brother fully, as if denying him.
"You continue to confuse independence with solitude. And you, Ayanokouji... You're interesting but I'll advise both of you to leave this school at once. Consider it an advice and request of min-."
He suddenly paused and a dangerous look flashed through his eyes while looking behind me.
For a second, I might've seen a flash of... fear?
Was someone there? I turned around slightly but the area was empty.
He walked past me and disappeared into the night. So, that was the distinguished student council president. His presence explained some of Horikita's weird behavior.
But what did he mean by that last part? Why would he request us to leave? It was understandable if he wanted Horikita to drop out but why include me? Also what was that glance at the end?
This was confusing.
I felt as if he was trying to insinuate that there was some kind of threat in this school but maybe I was just overthinking it.
"I'm going to drag myself up to Class A even if it kills me," she said. With her brother gone, the night was silent once more. Horikita sat up against the wall, her head hanging low.
Maybe I'd made things worse by getting involved. I was about to return to the dorms when Horikita called out to me.
"Did you hear everything? Or was it just a coincidence?"
"Oh. Uh, it was half coincidence, I'd say. I saw you when I bought some juice from the vending machine. I was kind of curious, so I followed you. However, I really didn't mean to meddle in your business."
Horikita fell silent once again.
"Your older brother is really strong. He doesn't lack ferocity."
"He's ranked fifth dan in karate and fourth dan in aikido."
Whew, he was really strong. If I hadn't pulled away, it would've ended badly for me.
"You also practice martial arts, don't you, Ayanokouji-kun? You must hold a dan rank."
"I told you, didn't I? Just piano and tea ceremony."
"You said calligraphy before."
"I…did calligraphy in addition to those, yes."
"You purposefully get lower test scores, and you say that you studied piano and calligraphy. I really don't understand you."
"My scores were a coincidence. I really did do piano, tea ceremony, and calligraphy." If there were a piano here, I could at least have performed "Für Elise."
"You saw a strange side of me."
"On the contrary, I always thought of you as a normal girl. Well, not really."
Horikita glared at me.
"Let's go back. If anyone saw us out here, they'd prob—"
Suddenly we heard something, Horikita's head snapped towards where her brother had left and she ran out.
I followed behind her and only a few seconds later I saw Horikita freeze in shock. Her eyes were filled with disbelief.
Curious I followed her gaze and saw something unexpected.
Horikita Manabu, who should've left by now was standing in front of the bench looking at a certain male student with a grim and heavy expression.
It was utterly different from the calm and composed expression from before.
But that wasn't why Horikita was shocked, or maybe part of why she was shocked. It was mainly due to the student that Elder Horikita was talking with.
The student was sitting on the bench with a laid-back expression. There wasn't a hint of respect in his behaviour or gaze.
He was very handsome and had a strong build. He had lengthy black hair which added to his looks.
(Image)
He wore a black pant and a black t-shirt which stuck to his skin, showing off his muscles, the veins on his hands and biceps in particular were bulging and was that a visible vein I saw through his shirt on his shoulder...?
I wonder how many steroids he's taken. Lean yet bulky, was this the physique that broke the paradox of either lean when naked or bulky in clothes?
There was no way he was natural.
He was sipping on orange juice with an amused expression.
"W-Why..." Horikita mumbled.
Her shock was understandable and I too was wary of this particular student. There were many mysteries surrounding him.
As if just noticing us, he tilted his head and sent us a sidelong glance.
"Yamamoto Tatsuya..."
I muttered.