I hadn't expected to see Kamuro Masumi here, not in a setting like this.
The quiet convenience store outside of campus was far from the calculated battlefield of Advanced Nurturing High School.
But there she was. Her cool, distant demeanor betraying nothing as she stood by a shelf of cosmetics.
She glanced briefly toward the security cameras, then, in one fluid motion, slipped a small item into her bag.
Shoplifting--again ain't she?
But now it wasn't a can of beer.
The act itself was simple, mundane even. But coming from her, it was strange. Kamuro Masumi was a known associate of Sakayanagi Arisu, a girl with carefully cultivated control over her surroundings and her subordinates.
For someone so tightly woven into Sakayanagi's schemes to risk such a petty crime seemed out of place. Or perhaps, not out of place but... desperate. Why would someone like her resort to this?
A question that begged an answer.
I followed her outside, making sure to stay just far enough that she wouldn't notice me until I was ready.
As I matched her pace, I wondered if this was an opportunity or a complication. Either way, I intended to find out.
"Kamuro," I called out, my voice cutting through the quiet afternoon air.
She stopped but didn't turn immediately. For a second, I could see her shoulders tense, but when she finally turned to face me, her expression was as indifferent as ever.
"...Ayanokouji," she said, her voice flat, but there was an edge to it-something that suggested she wasn't in the mood for games. "Following me now? I didn't take you for the tailing type."
There it was: the immediate dismissal. She wasn't going to be easily cornered, at least not openly.
She would resist the obvious play, of course. That was what made her interesting.
"I wasn't following you," I replied, keeping my tone neutral. "But I couldn't help but notice something back in the store."
Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the only indication that she was bothered by my presence. But her expression remained composed, her usual nonchalance firmly in place.
"And what, exactly, did you notice?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
I took a step closer, but not too close. She needed space to think, to feel like she still had control.
The subtle psychological distance would make her drop her guard-or at least allow me to maneuver more freely.
"The perfume you took," I said, my voice calm, almost casual. "You didn't pay for it."
Her reaction was slow and deliberate. She let the words hang in the air for a moment before responding, a wry smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Is that all?" she asked, her tone almost mocking. "You think catching me shoplifting gives you some kind of leverage?"
She crossed her arms and leaned slightly back, her posture suggesting she wasn't taking this seriously.
But I could see the flicker of calculation behind her eyes.
She wasn't underestimating me-she was waiting to see my next move.
I mirrored her calm demeanor, not allowing the conversation to shift in her favor. "It's not about the shoplifting. It's about what comes next. You're someone who values discretion, Kamuro. Wouldn't you agree?"
