The Heroines All Regretted It

In a lavishly decorated bedroom full of cute girlish charm.

Eriri, normally proud and aloof, always cold toward boys...

Now sat curled up in a corner, her hair a mess, twin tails undone, a huge red slap mark on her pale cheek.

Tears streamed down her face as she trembled uncontrollably, utterly helpless.

Standing before her was a fat NEET with long bangs covering his eyes and a bulky frame.

Eriri sobbed, begging pitifully for mercy...

Her heart was drowning in despair and fear.

"You want me to let you go?"

"Sawamura, you ruined my life. So now, I'm going to ruin yours!"

The NEET roared in pure rage and reached out with a massive hand toward the helpless Eriri.

"No! Please, no!"

Eriri, dressed in loose pajamas and covered with a light blanket, suddenly twitched her eyebrows and jolted awake with a loud gasp.

As soon as she opened her eyes, she instinctively sat up and bent forward, gasping heavily for air.

The familiar surroundings of her room slowly settled into focus.

"Hah..."

"Why am I having nightmares again..."

Coming to her senses, Eriri realized it had been another nightmare. She reached out and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

If you've done nothing wrong, there's nothing to fear from.

"It's not even dawn yet..."

She glanced toward the balcony. It was still pitch black outside.

After sitting for a while, her body temperature started to drop rapidly.

The cold sweat from the nightmare had soaked her luxurious silk pajamas, sticking tightly to her delicate skin, leaving her with a clammy chill.

Pulling off the blanket, Eriri slipped into her slippers. Seeing that it was only 4:30 a.m., she decided to take a shower.

In the bathroom.

Completely naked, Eriri washed her fair and soft body in front of the mirror and lightly pinched her own cute cheeks.

Who knows who'll end up getting lucky with such a cute little girl...

After bathing, feeling refreshed, she returned to bed to get some more sleep.

Two hours later, she headed off to school like usual.

It had been over a month since Yoru last came to school.

Eriri hadn't seen him since that morning.

At first, rumors spread that he'd been bullied into dropping out.

Later, word around school was that Yoru had a mental breakdown and jumped off a platform on his way to school...

Or jumped off a building...

Or had been beaten into a vegetative state...

Or had schizophrenia and was sent to a mental hospital.

Countless rumors—no one knew which ones were even remotely true.

Eriri walked into Shuchiin Academy in silence, her head down, gripping her backpack straps tightly.

"Achoo—"

At the hospital, while packing up to leave, Yoru suddenly sneezed for no reason.

He'd just finished his final checkup yesterday. His body was healthy enough for discharge.

Just had to watch his mood and avoid getting angry too often.

"Dad, let's go."

Yoru confirmed nothing was left behind and spoke to his father.

"Alright."

Kitakami Toyotani nodded, grabbed the luggage, and left the hospital with Yoru.

At the firm insistence of both parents, Yoru had to stay home for a few days to ease his mother's heart after all the recent worry.

A few missed days of school wouldn't matter much.

Especially since the end-of-term exams were only two weeks away, followed by summer vacation.

Sitting in the back seat, Yoru sent a message to Megumi, Gabriel, Nanami, and Hiratsuka Shizuka.

He let them know he was discharged.

Ding—

During a break after morning reading, Nanami, who was resting her head on the desk to nap, suddenly heard her phone chime.

She didn't have many friends, so messages were rare.

Taking it out, she saw it was from Yoru.

He'd informed her he was out of the hospital and thanked her for visiting.

Nanami smiled, happy to hear a friend was recovering.

"Why is Aoyama smiling so sweetly..."

Sorata pretended to look at the scenery but was actually watching Nanami the whole time.

He liked the things he couldn't have even more.

He had never given up.

Since Yoru stopped coming to school, Sorata was secretly thrilled and even felt a new glimmer of hope.

Time would erase everything.

He didn't understand why Aoyama and Kitakami were so close.

Surely Aoyama couldn't fall for a gross, fat NEET like that?

That's what Sorata fantasized with glee.

Once she cooled off, he planned to approach her again.

After replying to Yoru, Nanami put away her phone and noticed someone staring at her.

Turning her head, she saw it was Kanda Sorata.

The smile on her face instantly vanished and was replaced by a look of disgust.

The more she saw his face, the more nauseated she felt, unable to stop thinking about being tricked into pretending he was her boyfriend.

"Gross. Disgusting."

She muttered quietly.

Meanwhile.

Yoru had returned home—not to his apartment, but to his parents' house.

Normally at this hour, his parents would be at work.

But for this special day, they both stayed home.

"Go take a bath first. The hospital probably didn't have any decent ones, right?"

His mother, Kitakami Megumi, still a stunning beauty, gave Yoru the suggestion with a teasing tone, but inwardly, she was overjoyed.

"Okay."

Yoru was starving. He glanced at the table full of food, a spread that rivaled a high-end buffet, and reluctantly went to bathe.

No hospital bath could compare to the one at home.

After cleaning up, he ran a hot bath and stood before the full-length mirror, observing his body.

Without exercising, he had lost over 20 pounds in the past month or so, reaching a weight loss plateau.

Two faint reddish scars remained on his chest—each about two centimeters long.

"Whew..."

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, adrenaline surged through Yoru. He desperately wanted to know who had caused all this.

And Eriri...

He stripped off his underwear and sank into the bathtub.

Half an hour later, he emerged and headed to the dining room.

"It's all your favorites, mostly low-fat and low-oil..."

Megumi said with satisfaction, glancing at her husband.

Her son had finally committed to losing weight and stuck with it.

His parents had already eaten, so Yoru didn't hold back. He grabbed a piece of wagyu beef and stuffed it into his mouth.

While chewing, he looked at his parents.

His dad was fat and ugly—how did he land such a gorgeous wife?

"Drink some water."

Megumi handed him a 500ml bottle of sugar-free cola, worried he might choke.

"This bottle's tiny."

Yoru muttered, running his hand from the cap to the base in confusion.

...

A few more days passed at home.

That evening, Yoru packed his bags and prepared to return to his apartment.

He turned down his dad's offer to drive. He wanted to enjoy the breeze.

He walked and reflected on his time in the hospital.

Eventually arriving at the station, he took the train home.

It was around 9 PM when Yoru finally returned to his apartment, luggage in tow.

As he pushed open the door, the air inside, stale from disuse, rushed out.

"It's been a while."

He sighed, changing into his indoor slippers at the entryway.

The kind-hearted landlady had waived half a month's rent upon hearing he was hospitalized.

Carrying his bags inside, he switched on the lights.

The place was clean. San-san must have been staying at Gabriel's.

"Wonder if San-san still remembers me as its owner?"

Yoru chuckled as he checked the apartment.

The utilities had been shut off during his stay.

Most of the food in the fridge had spoiled, except for some condiments.

After spending ten minutes packing up the trash, he flopped onto his bed and dazed out.

Then he got up and went to knock on Gabriel's door.

"Gabriel, it's me. I'm back."

Knock knock knock—

"Oh, welcome back. The door's not locked."

Her voice came quickly from inside.

Yoru gently pushed open the door and stepped inside—it was his first time entering Gabriel's apartment.

The layout was identical to his own.

It didn't look like she'd changed much.

Reaching the living room, he spotted San-san's litter box and food dish.

"San-san?"

Yoru called out, trying to find where the cat had gone.

"Meow~"

The next second, a round, chubby black cat darted out from under the sofa and rushed straight toward Yoru.

"Looks like I pampered you enough—you still remember me. Smart cat."

Yoru picked up San-San, carefully checked it from head to tail, and gently patted its round little head.

Everything seemed fine.

But Gabriel was nowhere to be seen.

"Gabriel, I'm coming in."

Yoru called toward the inside as he walked in holding San-San.

Gabriel's place was still quite tidy.

Of course, Yoru didn't know it was Vignette who had come over yesterday to help clean.

"Come in..."

Gabriel responded nonchalantly.

"Playing games?"

As he reached the door, Yoru cautiously poked his head in after hearing some sounds.

Gabriel's room was very plain and simple.

She herself was lying mostly on the bed, legs dangling off the edge, her delicate little feet swaying in the air, eyes glued to the computer screen as she played her game.

Yoru walked inside.

To be honest, Gabriel's appearance was rather revealing now.

She was only wearing a loose nightshirt and didn't seem to care at all.

"Evening~"

Suddenly, Gabriel turned her head and yawned.

Yoru was almost startled by the sight.

In his memory, Gabriel had always been neat, polite, and very attentive to etiquette.

Now...

Her hair was messy and sticking up like a bird's nest, crumbs from snacks clung to the corners of her mouth, and the dark circles under her eyes were heavy.

"Gabriel, are you okay?"

It took Yoru a few seconds to recover. He almost thought Gabriel had been possessed.

"I'm fine. Come help me look at my laptop. It charges way too slowly."

Gabriel waved him over indifferently.

Yoru walked over, crouched down, glanced at her again, and reminded her, "Gabriel, maybe put on some pants. You're kind of exposed."

Even though part of him wanted to look, she was still a friend.

"Ugh..."

Gabriel just pointed at the laptop and shook her head.

Yoru checked and found that the charging problem was due to a low-power adapter.

After fixing it, he took San-San and started moving the cat supplies back home.

He also reminded Gabriel not to get too addicted to gaming.

Apparently, he might've been the indirect cause of all this.

While he was moving the supplies, Nanami returned and greeted Yoru.

"Working that late?"

By now, Yoru knew Nanami had come from Osaka to chase her dreams.

"Yeah~ Meow~"

Nanami chuckled shyly, crouched down, and patted San-San on the head.

"Grrrr—"

Yoru's stomach growled at the worst possible time.

He hadn't eaten much dinner, walked for a long time, and digested what little he did eat quickly.

"Yoru, you didn't have dinner?"

Nanami looked up and asked.

"No. The food in my fridge went bad. What about you?"

Yoru gestured with his eyes.

If she hadn't eaten either, maybe they could go out together.

"I'm short on time. Need to practice for a voice acting script."

"If you don't mind, I could cook you some noodles?"

Nanami tilted her head and asked again.

"A veggie salad works too. You're dieting, right? Avoiding carbs?"

"Sure, sorry to bother you."

And so, Yoru followed Nanami back to her apartment.

A fat shut-in visiting two beautiful girls' apartments in one night—no wonder it would lead to misunderstanding.

Nanami's place hadn't changed much. The only addition was a secondhand mini-fridge.

Yoru sat on the couch sipping water as sounds of cooking came from the kitchen.

"Aoyama-san really is a kind, traditional, pure girl. But her boyfriend…?"

Yoru still didn't know the truth about Sorata.

After eating a beauty's specially made salad with a dash of salt, Yoru watched Nanami practice her voice acting lines for a bit, then left.

The next day.

Yoru was back to a normal routine.

He tried to exercise a bit. His stamina had dropped from lying in bed too long.

Right before he left, Gabriel messaged that she had taken the day off. So Yoru had to head to school alone.

"Is she really sick or just faking it..."

He thought about it for a moment, then pushed it out of his mind.

The more important matter—one he'd been anticipating for a long time.

"Sawamura..."

Yoru kept a calm expression, but for a brief moment, a devilish look flickered across his face like a demon from hell.

As soon as he boarded the train car—

A few sharp-eyed Shuchiin girls spotted him and began whispering.

"Wait, isn't that the fat creep?"

"Yeah, that's him. I heard he died already."

"He must've gone insane. Can he even be cured?"

"Back in school again? The semester's almost over. Disgusting."

Their voices were very quiet.

Yoru couldn't hear them—but he used his mind-reading ability.

After a few minutes, his head began to feel dizzy, and he stopped.

Mind-reading has its limits.

It consumes mental energy and takes time to recover.

But that much was enough.

One-on-one, he could read someone's thoughts for about ten minutes before dizziness kicked in.

After arriving at his stop—

Yoru picked up his backpack and walked to a nearby vending machine to buy breakfast.

There was no food left at home.

"Guess I'll just get some milk. I can pick up some bread on the way through the shopping street."

Yoru hesitated before inserting coins. The machine clunked, and out came a bottle of milk.

His bulky body struggled to squat down, and his pudgy hands had a hard time reaching into the gap to retrieve the bottle.

"You?"

Just as he stood up, a familiar voice sounded behind him.

"Kasumigaoka Utaha?!"

Before he could even turn around, his brain had already reacted.

Wearing a white hairband, a stunning, curvaceous girl stood behind him, a coin between her fingers.

"I thought you'd finally come to your senses and dropped out."

Utaha looked Yoru up and down. His hair covered his eyes and ears. Her lips curled with disdain.

"I'm alive and well."

Yoru wasn't the same as before. He no longer panicked or wanted to flee just because a girl was talking to him.

"Hmph."

Utaha narrowed her crimson eyes and snorted softly.

'Too bad. That time-reversal ability only worked once. If it could be used again... I wouldn't hesitate.'

Yoru sighed inwardly and ignored her.

His silent demeanor and flat expression made Utaha pause for a second.

The snide remarks she had planned got stuck in her throat.

"The stockings and panties—I didn't steal them. Whether you believe it or not."

Yoru inserted the straw into the milk and sipped calmly.

Like nothing happened...

Utaha watched, inexplicably irritated. She immediately struck at his sore spot.

"Really?"

"A disgusting, foot-fetish, pervert pig. You saw a pair of nice feet and shoved them in your... bringing something that gross on the field trip..."

"You..."

Yoru nearly choked on the milk.

Passersby at the station turned to look in curiosity.

A disgusting fat guy chatting with a beautiful girl in black stockings.

"Heh..."

Utaha sneered, suddenly remembering the stalking incident.

'And the stalking hasn't stopped. Since the start of the semester...'

'Sigh...'

'My bag is full of pepper spray, stun guns, and spring-loaded knives... it's so heavy.'

'And I have to stay on high alert every single day.'

Utaha thought this as she walked along.

'Being stalked?'

With his mind-reading active, Yoru caught most of what she was thinking and vaguely remembered a glasses-wearing boy who once confronted him.

He even picked up a private artbook from an illustrator.

But Utaha's level of caution and self-defense was genuinely scary.

After finishing the milk, he crumpled the carton and left.

As he passed a bakery on the shopping street, Yoru stepped inside and bought a few slices of whole wheat nut toast, munching as he walked out.

In front of the bakery were two benches by the wall, set out for resting customers.

Yumiko, Yui, and Ebina were sitting together.

Yoru walked right past them, distracted by his thoughts, and didn't even notice them.

In the end, it was Yui who called out to him.

"Ki... Kitakami-kun."

Yui waved awkwardly, glancing nervously at Yumiko and Hina beside her.

As Yui's best friends, of course they knew about Yoru's real situation.

But since it had been days since they'd last seen him, they were caught off guard.

"Yuigahama-san."

Yoru was equally surprised, nodding at her. His eyes landed on Yumiko.

"You're out of the hospital? Feeling better?" Yui asked politely.

"Totally fine now. Thanks." Yoru looked away.

That's when Yui noticed that something was strange about how Yoru looked at Yumiko.

Yumiko's expression was also off.

Yui, being good at reading people and familiar with both Yumiko and Yoru, sensed something was off.

After Yoru walked away—

Yui gathered her courage and cautiously asked, "Yumiko... was it just me, or was Kitakami-kun looking at you a bit differently?"

Ebina also turned to look.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a small misunderstanding," Yumiko replied, with no need to hide it.

Of course, she left out the details.

She couldn't very well admit she confronted him over a misunderstanding involving Yui, accidentally fell, got exposed, and ended up pinned against an alley wall by her wrist and forced to apologize.

Yumiko grumbled inwardly.

As Yoru approached the school gates, his heart stirred as he looked at the school building in the distance.

He tried to suppress his emotions, but he needed a release.

"At this time, Eriri should be here too, right?"

Yoru shook his head and headed into the school.

In the next classroom over—

Eriri rested her cheek on one hand, yawning as she stared out the window.

Tears welled up. She closed her eyes and rubbed them.

When she opened them again—

She saw Yoru standing just outside the window, his expression indifferent.

In the next second—

That dreadful fat loser from her nightmares appeared in her clear eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat, nearly crashing.

Yoru still hadn't cut his hair.

Eriri's face turned pale, bloodless. She entered a strange mental state.

All she could hear was her own heartbeat. Everything else faded, like she'd slipped into a 2D world.

Yoru frowned slightly. His mind-reading was still active.

It seemed Eriri had been scared senseless. He couldn't sense anything from her except fear and shock.

No thoughts to read—no data to extract.

"I'll try again this afternoon."

Without saying a word, Yoru entered the classroom through the back door.

From being falsely accused on the school trip, hated by everyone, demanded to drop out, with even Hiratsuka-sensei stepping in, and Shinomiya Kaguya stirring things up—

To being cursed daily, having his shoe locker and desk graffitied and filled with trash—

To being lied to by Eriri in the rain, having trouble breathing, freezing with a fever for hours in a filthy bathroom corner—

To being treated with contempt, insulted, scrubbed down, rushed to the hospital, surgery—

And now… today.

When he entered the classroom, many students seemed surprised by his sudden return.

Yoru knew what kind of rumors had spread about him around school.

When the bell for morning self-study rang—

Yoru opened his book and scratched his head in frustration.

He hadn't been to class for over a month. He hadn't learned a thing.

So frustrating.

And then there was Student Council's Chika Fujiwara.

Yoru remembered clearly how she helped him—running around for him in the hospital, staying at his side.

Without her, he probably would've collapsed waiting for help and an ambulance.

"There really are good people in the student council."

"How should I thank Fujiwara-san?"

Yoru bit his pen, troubled again.

Chika's status was sky-high. Her family background was so powerful you couldn't find many like it in all of Japan.

If Kaguya was money, then Fujiwara was the peak of power.

With power, who needs money?

"A simple thank-you wouldn't be enough..."

Yoru pondered, head aching.

The whole day, his mood stayed low.

First, he couldn't understand a word the teachers were saying. The lessons might as well have been in another language.

Second, he was impatient for the end of the day.

As soon as the dismissal bell rang—

Yoru grabbed his bag and rushed downstairs.

Good—Eriri hadn't left yet.

After changing shoes at the first-floor lockers, Yoru waited outside the school building.

"Sawamura Eriri…"

"Most likely… it's you…"

Yoru narrowed his eyes. His expression gave nothing away, but inside, he was tense and furious.

A few moments later—

Eriri, now wearing indoor shoes, walked out alone from the building.

Yoru's sudden appearance this morning had really scared her. She had never been so frightened in her life.

Then again, she felt a bit relieved.

At least Yoru hadn't turned out like the rumors said—schizophrenic or suicidal.

She didn't know the details, but since he was okay, her faint guilt had quietly faded.

"I'll just give him more money to compensate. That should be fine, right?"

Eriri thought with relief.

Completely unaware—

Of just how deeply her actions had hurt Yoru.

Money?

It couldn't compensate for the rage and lost sanity of someone who still held the power of time reversal.

Eriri lowered her pretty head. Her shining twin tails swayed with each step.

"Sawamura-san, can we talk?"

Yoru walked up, keeping a bit of distance to avoid startling her.

He needed to activate his ability—mind reading.

Although even without reading her thoughts, his instincts and all the clues pointed to one thing: the culprit was none other than the arrogant half-British bitch, Sawamura Spencer Eriri.

Always bossing people around, secretly looking down on him, calling him a gross fat creep, rolling her eyes at him…

"I'll give you your umbrella and money back another day. Just don't come near me..."

Eriri looked at him warily, speaking fast while backing away.

That previous sudden confrontation had already made her more alert.

This wariness—Yoru could sense it clearly.

"Sawamura-san, relax. We're still on school grounds. I only want to get back my umbrella and money," Yoru said with a slight frown, keeping his tone calm.

Seeing that Yoru really just wanted to talk, Eriri immediately took a step back. "Don't come any closer..."

In her mind, she was already cursing him as a gross pervert.

"Sawamura-san…"

Yoru was on the verge of snapping. His tone took on a faint edge.

"T-then let's talk somewhere else."

Afraid Yoru would do something reckless, Eriri agreed nervously.

She quickly led him to a flowerbed path behind the school building.

She wasn't too worried about Yoru doing anything there.

Other students taking out trash for cleaning duty would pass by.

"Alright, what do you want?" Eriri crossed her arms, clearly annoyed.

She had no idea what Yoru was about to say.

"You were the one who stole Kasumigaoka Utaha's stockings and panties and pinned it on me… weren't you?"

A cold, faint smile hung on Yoru's lips as he spoke calmly.

He had expected to be anxious or agitated.

But now, right at the critical moment, he was surprisingly composed—his mind clear and calm.

Maybe this was just the effect of pain reaching its peak and flipping over.

"Ha!"

Eriri's blue eyes shrank, her rosy lips parted in shock, revealing neat white teeth.

Such a perfect mouth—too bad the words that came out of it were vile. He wondered how it would feel to kiss her?

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting?"

Eriri quickly regained composure, one hand slipping behind her back to pinch her waist hard.

Her feet, clad in elegant black mid-calf socks, dug into her shoe soles.

She was doing all she could to distract herself, trying hard not to let anything slip.

Honestly, Eriri was good at acting.

Her expressions and timing fooled Yoru yet again.

[How... how does he know...?]

[No way... How could anyone possibly suspect me?!]

[This... this has to be fake...!]

Thanks to his mind-reading, Yoru heard it all—her emotional reactions, her inner thoughts.

Yoru's cold smile deepened.

"What nonsense are you spewing?"

"You disgusting fatty! Stay away from me or I'll tell a teacher!"

"Are you trying to make me take the fall for your own crime, to clear your name?"

"You're so gross, just die already...!"

Eriri acted completely innocent, like a passerby caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. She shouted at Yoru in disbelief and disgust, pretending to be the victim.

She even gave him that signature look of haughty disdain, then turned as if to walk away, unaffected.

Yoru was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected a rich, prideful girl like Eriri to do something like this out of revenge against Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Was it some kind of deep grudge? A love-rivalry?

He stepped forward abruptly, blocking her path.

Eriri couldn't stop in time and nearly stumbled.

"You got into a fight with Kasumigaoka Utaha and tried to get back at her. So, late at night, you snuck in and stole her stockings and underwear, didn't you?"

Yoru's tone and expression were calm and unreadable.

Which made it even harder for Eriri to guess what he was really thinking.

[Mom... Dad... what do I do…]

[You're back in England... Who can help me now...?]

Eriri tried to stay calm, but her fear was bubbling up violently.

Fear. Regret. Panic. Helplessness.

"All alone at home?"

Yoru murmured under his breath.

...

"Go ahead and keep living in your delusions. Just stay away from me!"

Eriri was on the brink of collapse inside, but her performance was flawless, worthy of an Oscar.

"Do you have proof? Ridiculous."

She changed direction and tried to leave again.

She was certain Yoru had no evidence and couldn't do anything to her.

"I do. Someone saw you. I just found her recently."

"The flashlight on your phone was pretty bright, Sawamura-san."

Yoru didn't try to stop her this time. He just said it softly to her back.

His emotionless voice drifted to Eriri on the wind.

The leaves rustled gently, and sunlight filtered through the gaps.

Eriri bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her footsteps faltered.

Out of Yoru's sight, with no one around, her legs suddenly gave out and she dropped to her knees, hands covering her face.

Realizing she wasn't safe there, she bolted into a nearby bathroom, slammed the door shut, and sat on the toilet seat, clutching her mouth, unable to hold it in anymore.

Yes—she had done it.

Back then, she had invited Tomoya to her birthday, only for Utaha to show up halfway, steal the spotlight, and mock her with her usual venom.

Eriri had been furious.

Then, just days later during the school trip, she got into another intense argument with Utaha under a tree.

Eriri was so upset she couldn't sleep for days, obsessed with getting revenge and humiliating Utaha.

One night, drowsy and overwhelmed, she acted on impulse...

And committed the crime.

Since then, she had been a nervous wreck—scared, regretful, full of guilt and dread...

Until Yoru got caught and became the scapegoat.

Rumors were already flying that Yoru had a leg fetish and was into Utaha.

Back then, Eriri convinced herself that Yoru, that disgusting fatty, probably wasn't a good person anyway...

She kept rationalizing, hypnotizing herself, and didn't dare confess to Utaha.

Then the rumors about Yoru attempting suicide, having a mental breakdown, jumping off buildings—those made her panic.

She even followed him once, sneaking onto the rooftop, but was in such a rush to leave she forgot to close the door.

After seeing that Yoru was still alive and fine, she slowly tried to put it all behind her and forget...

"Uu... uu..."

Eriri sat in the bathroom, sobbing into her hands, tears soaking her face, the skin around her eyes rubbed raw and painful.

Her small body trembled uncontrollably, like someone suffering from Parkinson's.

She didn't know what to do.

Her parents weren't even home!

...

Yoru wasn't going to let Eriri off the hook.

As for evidence?

He didn't need it.

He'd just make her confess.

And if not?

Maybe he'd use a red-hot iron rod on her, like in that popular manga Redo of Healer.

Leaving the back of the school building—

Yoru wasn't in a hurry. He went straight to find Hiratsuka Shizuka.

He wanted to ask her for the school trip housing list, to find out where Eriri lived.

But she wasn't in.

"I'll try again tomorrow. For now, I'll go to the Service Club."

Yoru remained unnervingly calm. Cold, calculating.

At the Service Club—

Voices drifted from inside. Yukino and Yui were talking.

Yoru knocked lightly, then opened the door and stepped in.

"There you are. Good afternoon, Kitakami-kun." Yui, being in the same class, had known since morning that Yoru was back.

"Good afternoon," Yukino added. She had already heard from Yui.

"Afternoon," Yoru nodded.

"So, have you been keeping up with your studies?" Yukino got straight to the point.

"Yukinooon~" Yui pouted playfully.

She wanted to ask Yoru about what happened between him and Yumiko, maybe clear up the misunderstanding.

"I did. Since I was hospitalized, I had extra time. I reviewed all the first-year materials."

"This semester's content, though... well…"

Yoru scratched his head.

"No need to worry. Let's start with this practice test."

"And here—take this home and look it over, compare it with your textbooks…"

Yukino opened her bag and pulled out a test paper and a thick notebook.

She slid them over to Yoru with a blank expression.

It was another familiar handout, this time printed.

The notebook was filled with notes from all subjects, dated to match Yoru's time in the hospital.

Yukino had clearly been preparing these for him the whole time.

Her own knowledge was far beyond the curriculum. She had no need for simple notes—but this notebook was full of detailed explanations.

"This must've taken so much effort... and time..."

Yui flipped through it, stunned.

"I had plenty of time." Yukino turned her head away, ignoring the gratitude in Yoru's eyes.

She wasn't lying.

Yoru felt deeply thankful, but briefly considered using his mind-reading on Yukino.

He immediately stopped himself and felt ashamed.

You can't just use that ability recklessly.

After the club meeting ended—

The three left together, just like old times.

Halfway, Yui split off to find Yumiko and the others.

Yoru and Yukino entered the station, getting on the same train car.

There were no seats this time, and even handrails were scarce.

They each grabbed one, standing close together, side by side. It felt a little awkward.

The train started to move, rocking gently.

"Um… how's your cat doing?"

Yukino couldn't take the silence anymore and blurted something out.

Of course she'd bring up her cat. Classic cat lover.

"Oh. She's doing fine."

Yoru opened his mouth to answer.

The air suddenly fell silent.

He started to feel awkward.

Fortunately, Yukino was only riding for one stop.

Soon, the next stop arrived.

Passengers poured out, freeing up space. Yukino and Yoru each managed to grab a seat.

"Huh? Weren't you getting off at the next stop?"

Yoru asked.

"I need to buy something," Yukino replied calmly.

"Same here," Yoru nodded.

Half an hour later.

They arrived.

Yoru and Yukinoshita stood up at the same time, perfectly synchronized.

Even the way they turned their heads in surprise was identical.

"You're heading to the mall?"

Yoru asked.

"Looks like you are too," Yukino sighed.

...

Yoru and Yukino got off together and headed to the nearby mall.

One in front, one behind. It was a bit awkward.

Soon after, they separated.

Yukino had no idea what she wanted to buy.

Yoru went to check the prices of compact HD camcorders. He also looked at new phones, especially those with long battery life, and a few USB drives.

The new ones were pricey.

After thinking it over, Yoru turned back to look for second-hand items. After all, they worked just as well.

In Akihabara, he bought a used Sony camcorder that also worked as a camera, a durable second-hand phone, a few USB drives, and an anonymous data SIM card that could only be used to go online or register apps—it couldn't make calls.

With everything prepared, Yoru took a deep breath before heading home.

The next day at school.

Gabriel used the excuse of being sick and stayed home.

Yoru was, once again, alone.

He took the train and headed to school.

As he walked to class, he glanced at Eriri's seat.

To his surprise, Eriri was here today and hadn't avoided him.

She was slumped over her desk, head buried in her arms.

Last night, Eriri cried all night after getting home.

She had no idea what to do.

Her only plan was to use money—a lot of it—to make peace with Yoru and offer it as compensation.

Who doesn't like money, right?

Poor Eriri still hadn't realized that Yoru wouldn't let her off that easily.

The damage she'd caused couldn't be fixed with money.

And Yoru didn't need it.

Back in the classroom, Yoru sat quietly. The aura he gave off made Yumiko feel strangely nervous.

After morning reading period ended...

Yoru went straight to the faculty office building and found Hiratsuka Shizuka.

"Hiratsuka-sensei, I have a request," Yoru got straight to the point.

"Speak," Hiratsuka responded curtly.

"I'd like you to get me the student list from the last school trip. With detailed profiles," Yoru said, taking a deep breath.

He was worried Hiratsuka would refuse.

And she'd have good reason to—he wouldn't be able to argue.

But this was probably his best shot at getting Eriri's home address.

Fast, convenient, and risk-free.

"What do you want it for?" Hiratsuka frowned in surprise.

"To see who might be the culprit."

Yoru couldn't just tell her it was Eriri. He needed proof.

"You…"

Hiratsuka was stunned for a second—her first thought was that this was impossible.

Find the culprit just by looking at student profiles?

Ridiculous.

Totally unrealistic.

Then she remembered Yoru had only recently returned to school from the hospital. If she rejected him…

If he got emotional…

It could be bad.

"Alright. Come find me after school to get it," Hiratsuka nodded.

Yoru kept his expression in check and thanked her before leaving.

That file had to include Eriri's address.

He was going to hit back hard.

"Whew…"

Outside, Yoru exhaled and quickly headed downstairs.

Just then, Kirisu Mafuyu came up from below, and they met on the stairs.

"Kirisu-sensei…"

Yoru greeted her with feigned politeness. He still needed to keep up appearances.

He hadn't forgotten what Kirisu had done to him.

"Mm."

Kirisu gave a cold nod, barely acknowledging him.

If it had been another student—especially one with good grades—this icy teacher would've been a lot gentler.

Back in class, Yoru lay on his desk scrolling through news, quietly waiting for the afternoon.

At lunch break, he went out and came back with a bottle of black coffee.

Eriri saw Yoru walk past and wanted to catch up to him, but fear held her back.

Until the end of the school day, she still hadn't returned the umbrella or the money she promised.

Feeling anxious and hopeful, Yoru went to the faculty office and found Hiratsuka.

"Here's what you wanted. Look at it here—you can't take it," Hiratsuka said, tossing the file onto the desk.

She still didn't understand how looking at profiles could help identify a culprit.

It was basically meaningless, right?

Might as well be a placebo to make Yoru feel better.

Rustle—

Yoru carefully opened the file, tense. If there wasn't an address listed, this would be a bust.

Flipping a random page—his own?

"Heh…"

Yoru couldn't help but chuckle when he saw the photo of his formerly fat self.

Hiratsuka glanced over, then stepped out to smoke.

The addresses were there. All of them. Detailed.

Yoru felt no fear now. He quickly flipped to Eriri's page and memorized her address while Hiratsuka was gone.

He took out his phone, snapped a photo, then nervously tucked it away.

He pretended to read the file a bit longer—dragging it out for over ten minutes before leaving.

"Got any leads?" Hiratsuka asked casually.

"No. Just grasping at straws," Yoru shook his head, said goodbye, and quickly left.

He didn't stop by the Service Club. He grabbed his bag and headed straight for the station.

That day, Eriri hadn't gone to the Art Club either—or home.

After school, she went to Izumi Sagiri to pour her heart out and seek comfort.

"This address…"

Yoru rode the train, then caught a cab. He finally reached the area near Eriri's house.

It was still a bit far.

But once he arrived, he was shocked.

It was a luxury villa district, sparsely populated, with beautiful landscaping.

The pedestrian paths were wide, and even the streetlights looked high-end.

The road lanes were broader than most highways and immaculately clean.

The occasional car driving by was worth tens of millions of yen—and those were the lower-end ones.

"No wonder she's a rich girl…"

Yoru sneered, then turned a corner and arrived at a steep slope.

These luxury homes were spread far apart, leaving ample private space.

Tall walls surrounded the villas, with an inner garden area.

Even the iron gate at the front had a paved road stretching several dozen meters to it.

Luxurious. Extravagant. Words barely did it justice.

Soon, Yoru located Eriri's house—but didn't get close.

There were cameras mounted on the gate.

He stepped back a few paces and muttered to himself for a while before finally leaving.

"Nice scenery…"

"Clean… quiet…"

"This is the perfect time of night to take a cute little dog out for a walk."

...

It was Friday.

Just over a week remained before finals.

The atmosphere at Shuchiin had shifted.

Yoru had prepared everything and drafted several plans.

After school, he was planning to lie in wait for Eriri.

To his surprise, she came to him directly.

"Hey, I've got the money ready."

Today, Eriri was wearing thick white over-knee socks that squeezed her thighs a bit, making her look slightly chubby.

"It's for the umbrella I borrowed."

"And also, I didn't steal any of Kasumigaoka Utaha's stockings or panties, so don't go around saying that."

"I've added interest, and I'm willing to pay extra. Name your price…"

She adamantly denied being the culprit but was willing to pay to settle things.

If what she'd done in a moment of impulse was made public, she'd be finished.

Even Aki would likely abandon her for Kasumigaoka Utaha.

Eriri had no choice but to pin the blame on Yoru.

"Is that so? I want ten million. Can you afford that?"

Yoru replied flatly.

Eriri had basically walked into his trap.

"I can."

She didn't hesitate for even a second and nodded firmly.

"Wh-what?"

Yoru had only tossed out that number casually.

Ten million yen!

That was a fortune for a high school student.

Just because your family's rich doesn't mean you can freely spend that kind of money.

Especially not for something like this.

"Once I give it to you, you're to stay far away from me like nothing ever happened," Eriri said, seeing Yoru's surprised expression and secretly sighing in relief.

Yoru could hear the implied offer of a truce in her words.

Forever? Like nothing happened?

That's basically an indirect confession.

"So you're admitting you were the real culprit?" Yoru activated his mind-reading ability.

"What are you even talking about? Gross."

"That money is for the trouble I caused you in the rain. You'd better take it and transfer schools."

Eriri crossed her arms proudly, glaring at him with disdain.

Of course, she wouldn't admit it.

As a doujin artist, she knew all about traps like this.

What if he was recording?

But with that much money…

This whole thing should go away, right?

And if not, she could add more.

Judging by his reaction, he was clearly tempted.

If he was tempted, she could work with that.

Eriri waited for Yoru's response, thinking this over.

Unaware that every single one of her thoughts was being read.

"Looks like you still don't realize just how much damage you've done to me," Yoru sniffed, muttering to himself.

Fine. You think I love money?

Then I'll let you lower your guard.

"Alright. But I want it right now."

Yoru deliberately showed a hint of eagerness.

Seeing this, Eriri's heart finally began to settle.

She had no idea he could read minds, so she relaxed a little more.

"That's a lot of money. I need time to prepare it. I'll give it to you next week," Eriri replied.

Ten million was a huge sum, but she could manage it.

She was a rich heiress and a well-known doujin artist.

She didn't spend extravagantly. Her biggest expenses were clothes, shoes, skincare, and makeup.

Naturally, she had saved up a good amount.

"Where is the money? Cash or transfer?" Yoru patted his bag, which was packed with tools.

"It's in my card. The card's at home."

Eriri answered nervously, sweating from the scented heat rising off her skin.

"I want it now. Once I get the money, we're done."

Yoru's tone carried a faint urgency.

Ha, just as expected—he really is into money.

Perfect.

Yoru read her mind again and sensed she had relaxed even more.

"I want the card now. I'm going home with you to get it."

He made his demand.

But the truth was, he didn't actually care about the card.

He just wanted to get Eriri alone in a private place.

Originally, he'd gone through all that trouble—asking Hiratsuka for the trip roster, checking the address, scouting the area—just to go confront Eriri head-on and get revenge.

But now she was handing him the opportunity.

"No way. Absolutely not."

Seeing his current expression, Eriri quickly shook her head.

He was like the figure from her nightmares.

She was scared. There was no way.

"I just want to get the money quickly. I think you're stalling."

"You already lied to me once, didn't you?"

Yoru again hinted at his obsession with money.

"No…"

Eriri trembled, overwhelmed by anxiety. She was mentally fragile at the moment.

"If you don't give it to me now, I'm dragging you to the principal's office. Ever heard of a lie detector?"

Yoru threatened her coldly.

Eriri, whose mental defenses were in shambles, immediately panicked.

That was just who she was.

She'd abandoned Aki in the past because of her weak psyche.

Drawing doujinshi had her living in fear of being exposed.

She had no one to confide in besides her "little sister" Izumi Sagiri.

At school, she always put on an act. At home, she let go.

Lately, her mental health had been deteriorating.

Physical problems were sometimes easier to treat than these.

[F-fine.]

[I'll have him wait at the gate. That works, right?]

Suddenly, Eriri changed her mind.

"F-fine."

She agreed.

...

With mind-reading, Yoru understood everything.

"Then let's hurry. I can't wait to see my money."

He rubbed his fingers together like a greedy miser.

"Hmph. Don't get too close. You're not allowed in my house."

Eriri snorted, clenching her fists as she turned away.

Her palms and back were soaked in cold sweat from fear and nerves.

"Move it."

Yoru urged her.

Eriri took the lead, walking ahead as they left Shuchiin.

She wore brown leather loafers made more for looks than comfort.

No matter how high-end, they didn't breathe.

With all the sweating and thick white stockings, her feet were bound to stink inside those shoes, especially mixed with the leather scent.

On the way to Eriri's home...

Yoru kept his distance, occasionally reading her mind and pretending to be money-hungry.

Eriri felt a bit more at ease.

She didn't know he could read thoughts.

And in that time, the progress on her gold treasure chest increased significantly.

Yoru didn't just want revenge—he wanted to fully open that golden treasure chest too.

When they reached her luxurious villa...

"This is your house? You live here?"

Yoru exaggerated his expression, though part of it was genuine.

"You already know what kind of family I'm from. Don't try to fool me and go back on your word once you get the money."

"My mom's home. Don't get impatient. I'll bring out the card, and you just wait quietly."

They were almost home when Eriri lied, trying to intimidate Yoru.

'Your parents aren't home. They've returned to England since the new prime minister took office, right?' Yoru thought, feeling the anger he'd been suppressing start to boil over.

Looks like he really does love money.

Eriri let out a breath of relief as she led Yoru to her house gate. The camera at the entrance wasn't connected to any network. That didn't matter to Yoru—but it was still better if her parents didn't find out.

Eriri took out a key, unlocked the large gate, and glanced at Yoru with caution.

"You're not allowed to come in. We agreed on that," she said nervously as she slipped through the gate.

"I won't enter the house, okay? But now, I want fifteen million," Yoru suddenly said with a grin.

"You jerk, gross, go die…" Eriri was stunned but didn't get truly angry. In fact, she looked more at ease.

So long as he's obsessed with money, she thought, she had something to work with.

Yoru successfully entered the outer gate. Inside the garden, trees were planted near the second-floor balcony. If he were thinner, he could probably climb one.

"Keep your distance. My mom is probably cleaning inside. Don't make a sound, or she'll hear us," Eriri said, keeping at least three meters between them, her guard still up.

Besides, Yoru wouldn't dare do anything to her—right? He was so timid at school. He couldn't even defend himself when Kasumigaoka Utaha misunderstood him…

The yard was big, with a central path and gardens on both sides, carrying a faint floral scent. Yoru took a deep breath as the house drew nearer, keeping his eyes fixed on the front door.

It had a smart lock.

"Alright, stay right there," Eriri said, stopping about five meters away. She turned back and warned Yoru again, then called out loudly, "Okaasan, I'm home!"

Had Eriri calmed down, she might've noticed something was off. But if people could always stay calm, so many conflicts wouldn't happen.

"Okay," Yoru replied.

The moment was ripe. All the resentment that had built up within him surged out.

Tokyo's temperature—hot enough to burn.

Eriri turned around and had barely taken a few steps toward the door when Yoru, still heavyset but moving fast, rushed forward.

He collided with her from behind.

The impact sent Eriri flying and crashing onto the ground.

"Ah! That hurts!"

Their size difference was obvious. Yoru's bulk was enough to overpower her with ease.

Eriri instinctively cried out in pain. Everything had happened so fast that her mind couldn't catch up.

"Eriri Sawamura…"

Yoru's face twisted into something unrecognizable as he walked toward her.

Shivering, Eriri tried to turn herself over. "You… y-you freak…"

Before she could finish, Yoru reached out and grabbed one of her signature twin tails—the same ones admired by so many boys at school.

He yanked it harshly. Her scalp felt like it was tearing. She was forced upright.

Without hesitation, Yoru struck her stomach with his fist.

"Ugh!"

Eriri spat out a mouthful of air, her eyes bulging, her body curling up, her mouth agape.

"Eriri Sawamura, do you have any idea what you did to me?" Yoru shouted furiously.

Dragging her by her twin tail like a rag doll, he hauled her toward the door.

He used her hand to unlock the fingerprint scanner. The door clicked open.

Without looking back, Yoru tossed her into the entryway.

He locked the door behind him.