Sweat. At this utterly crucial moment, Liko was actually breaking out in a sweat.
The reason she'd dared to "assign a task" to Cynthia last night was simply because she was sure Cynthia wouldn't dare disobey her orders.
She could tell that Miss Cynthia, though seemingly harboring some strange and extreme desires deep inside, was also someone who cared a great deal about appearances—especially when it came to how Haru viewed her.
That meant that even if Cynthia had gone through some… "interesting" experiences, she would most likely swallow her anger rather than make a scene. And that gave bad girl Liko her chance.
What's more, Liko was convinced Cynthia would never sell her out afterward, which was why she had been so bold.
But now…
Cynthia was clearly ready to blow things wide open. Completely different from what Liko had expected.
Up until this point, everything had spun out of control.
Liko, who had thought she'd never be "caught," had been seized on the spot.
Of course, in truth, Liko had always known deep down this outcome was possible. From the moment she slipped Cynthia that note, she had already prepared herself for the risk of being exposed.
And in that same moment, she had also hidden a certain anticipation in her heart…
If Haru were to discover her note and her intent, what kind of "punishment" would await her?
Would it be painful punishment? Thrilling punishment? Or perhaps… pleasurable punishment?
Liko knew full well that these kinds of thoughts were nothing but the "bad kid" mindset. But some things simply couldn't be controlled.
When it came to desire, humans were rarely able to hold the reins.
And the instant Haru laid those two things in front of her, what Liko felt wasn't only fear or dread, but something else—something closer to… anticipation.
It's here. The thrilling, pleasurable punishment is really coming!?
That was the first thought that exploded in the girl's mind.
But then, by chance, she caught sight of herself in the room's mirror—and suddenly felt a rush of shame.
Look at that reflection. How much of the old you is even left?
Goddammit, Liko, what have you become!?
Broken… she was completely broken. Day after day, what the hell was she thinking about? Facing something like this, shouldn't she feel shame instead?
Liko, Liko… you can't keep sinking any further!
And yet, even as those thoughts churned in her head, her trembling hand still reached out—toward the collar and blindfold beside Haru's left hand.
The collar was black, with a silver keyhole carved with a tiny heart at its center.
The blindfold was the same color, though compared to the collar it looked plain, almost ordinary.
Taken by itself, it might not spark any dangerous associations—but placed together with the collar, the implications were impossible to ignore.
Yes, one of the "options" Haru had presented was none other than the standard set you'd expect to find on certain websites: collar and blindfold.
Not only that, the quality of the collar was excellent—comfortable to wear, not the least bit unpleasant.
Naturally, since it was a collar, it also came with a leash. If Haru wished, he could lead the wearer wherever he pleased…
As for the other item Haru had pulled out, it was a "manual."
The cover bore the bold title: Triple-Point High-Speed Rotation Strike.
That was its true name.
And in the corner, in tiny lettering, were the words: Special Edition for High-Altitude Aircraft.
This was a technique that demanded long, arduous study.
To master it, one needed top-tier ropework skills and precision guidance. Psychics like Caitlin or Sabrina would naturally have an advantage.
But in truth, Haru had only brought these two things out to frighten Liko, to let her stew in shame and reflect on herself.
From his perspective, that was perfectly reasonable.
What he never expected was the choice Liko made…
"What are you doing?"
When he saw her neck moving closer and closer to the collar, Haru finally couldn't hold back anymore.
He had the distinct feeling Liko was completely misunderstanding something…
Seriously, why did things always veer off in such bizarre directions?
Was he cursed? Mew, are you behind this!?
Haru muttered inwardly.
"Eh? I—I'm just doing as you instructed."
As she spoke, Liko unfastened the clasp, clearly intending to put the collar on herself.
"…"
Cynthia's expression froze.
Even now, she felt she still didn't really understand Liko.
She had already imagined Liko to be quite the eccentric—but the girl's actual eccentricity went beyond her wildest guesses.
Was this girl… really just an ordinary girl?
The Sinnoh Champion quickly realized how naïve that thought was.
After all, could a girl who wrote such a note ever be considered "ordinary"?
No—people should never be judged by the surface alone.
Haru, meanwhile, saw Liko's intent and immediately tried to force her hand away.
He'd come here to interrogate Liko, not to… insert himself into her life in some other way.
But the moment he grabbed, disaster struck.
Liko's hand had been quicker, and by the time Haru touched her, the collar was already around her neck. His hand landed squarely on the leash attached to it.
With a tug, the seated Liko was pulled forward, sprawling onto the soft carpet.
Her reflexes saved her—she caught herself with her hands before fully falling.
But with Haru holding the leash and Liko in that position, the scene looked… uncomfortably like something straight out of certain websites.
"…"
Wait, what did I come here for again? Am I hallucinating?
Miss Cynthia—the "only sane one" present—watched in silence, deep in thought.
And then Liko, realizing the leash was in Haru's hand, grew excited:
"Haru… Master, you couldn't wait any longer, could you?
At least let me put on the blindfold first. Without it, watashi…"
The girl, seemingly awakened to some terrifying new hobby, raised her flushed face from all fours. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Take that damn thing off! Just… act a little normal for once!"
Haru was done. Completely done.
What the hell had Liko turned into!?
Was his "teaching" that flawed?
In that instant, Haru couldn't help but doubt himself.
In his mind, Liko had always been shy, socially anxious, the reserved type.
So how had she ended up… this? Had Mew spread some kind of memetic infection to her?
"Master… you don't want Liko?"
Her pitiful eyes glistened like an abandoned puppy's.
Which, well—considering the leash, she really was a puppy now.
Helpless, Haru hauled her up and plopped her back into her seat, then shot Cynthia a deeply apologetic look.
As for the Triple-Point High-Speed Rotation Strike manual, he quickly stashed it away before anything worse could happen.
No more accidents. Any further and he might transform into a prawn courtesy of his own towering pillar.
"Let's talk business."
He glanced at both Cynthia and the still-blushing Liko, then pulled out his "evidence" and laid it on the table.
"Tell me, Liko—why did you issue this order yesterday?"
He tapped the note, his voice low.
In truth, from the twisted handwriting alone, no one could have guessed who wrote it.
Liko had used her left hand to disguise it. Without Cynthia's direct accusation, Haru couldn't have pinned it on her.
"This question…"
At the mention of the note, the once-bold Liko suddenly faltered.
Compared to the collar, this simple question seemed harder to face.
"Answer me, Liko. I want to know your real thoughts."
Haru placed the note between them, seating himself opposite her.
The girl stared at it for a long time. Three minutes later, she flipped it over as if unable to face "reality."
"What if I said… it was to help Miss Cynthia 'see herself clearly'? Would you believe me?"
"See myself clearly?"
This time, it was Cynthia who spoke, utterly taken aback.
In her view, the note had been nothing more than the product of Liko's twisted psychology—her sick little hobby.
And now she was claiming it was some grand excuse about "self-discovery"?
"You don't believe me?"
Liko suddenly found confidence, her words tumbling out faster.
"They say only when freedom is stripped away can a person truly understand themselves.
I wondered… how well do you know yourself, Miss Cynthia?"
"My note was designed to strip away that 'freedom.' But tell me—were you truly that unwilling?"
Her tone sharpened. She was preparing to debate.
Cynthia shot back immediately:
"I'm a decent person! Of course I'd resist something like that!"
"If you really resisted, then the moment you received that note, you could've gone straight to Mr. Haru and told him everything.
Had he known, he would've confronted me, and the whole matter would've ended there.
You know perfectly well Professor Haru can rein me in, and I would've listened to him. Nothing would have happened."
"So dealing with it should've been the simplest thing in the world."
"Even if you didn't want to involve Professor Haru, you could've just ignored my order—pretended you never saw it.
Even if I tried to spread rumors online, I'd have no evidence. No one would believe me."
"And yet, despite having two simple solutions right before you, you chose neither."
Pushing her glasses up in a faux-detective gesture—except she wasn't wearing any—Riko leaned forward.
"So here's the question: if you rejected the obvious solutions, then what were you really thinking?
They say once all impossibilities are eliminated, whatever remains, no matter how unlikely, must be the truth."
Still wearing the collar, the girl stood and leaned close to Cynthia, whispering her verdict:
"Admit it, Sinnoh Champion Cynthia. Deep down, you've been enjoying all of this, haven't you?
Morality, feminine restraint, the pride of a top trainer—trivial things, all of them. Chains binding your instincts.
I merely gave you an excuse to let it out."
"Is that really so wrong?"
"I… I'm not! I didn't!"
Flustered. Cynthia finally cracked under Liko's machine-gun barrage.
Why hadn't she simply given the note to Haru? Why had it felt so hard to do?
Even she began to question herself.
Meanwhile, Liko pressed the advantage:
"Think about it—could a pure, innocent girl really stomach what was written on that note?
It wasn't just a threat—it asked you to get personally involved, to… assist.
Would you obey so easily, just from my words? Surely you aren't that cheap, Miss Cynthia."
"No… an ordinary girl wouldn't have accepted it at all."
She paused, then continued her relentless assault.
"Maybe you think I'm hopeless. But isn't it possible… that we're the same?
The only difference is I face myself honestly, while you're still running away."
"At this point… isn't there no need to keep lying to yourself?"
With that, she reached up—not to remove, but to unfasten—the heart-shaped lock on the collar.
She neatly folded the collar and leash, placing them in front of Cynthia, along with the blindfold.
"Face yourself.
Or will you keep running?"
The girl stretched out her hand toward the Sinnoh Champion.
Cynthia… fell into silence.
"…"