"I…"
Midori Orikasa froze, the question catching her off guard for the first time.
After a moment, she mumbled sheepishly, "Senpai, I just wanted to protect everyone. I didn't mean to bully anyone."
"Good intentions can sometimes lead to bad outcomes. Think it over," Hayashi Shuichi said, patting her shoulder. "Don't forget about that girl."
With that, he waved goodbye and walked off.
Midori stood rooted, staring at Shuichi's retreating figure until the other delinquent girls approached, snapping her out of her daze.
"Boss, what's the deal with that pretty boy?" the yellow-haired girl, Yazuki, asked. "What'd he say to you?"
"…Nothing," Midori shook her head.
The matter of the girl in red shoes seeking an illegal abortion could ruin her if it got out. At best, she'd drop out; at worst, unable to bear the judgmental stares, she might even take her own life.
Shuichi had already stressed the sensitivity of the issue, so Midori kept her lips sealed.
Her evasiveness, however, sparked a misunderstanding.
"Boss, don't tell me you're falling for that pretty boy's charm!" Yazuki accused.
"Don't talk nonsense!" Midori's brows furrowed. "Senpai Shuichi's not like that."
"Senpai, huh…" Yazuki sneered. "You sound awfully chummy! Those pretty boys are the best at sweet-talking. Once they get close, they'll find ways to take advantage of you, and when they're done…"
"Enough!" Midori snapped, raising her wooden sword and slamming it onto Yazuki's bike. "I said, Senpai Shuichi's not that kind of guy. Drop it, Yazuki!"
Seeing Midori genuinely angry, Yazuki, though defiant, bit her tongue.
Despite their kendo training since joining the Thorn Rose Squad, none of the delinquent girls could match Midori's fighting prowess.
"Does anyone know that girl from earlier?" Midori asked.
"She's probably Ruko Nagashima from Class 3-4," one girl replied.
"Go to Class 3-4 and find out her address," Midori ordered firmly. "The rest of you, come with me to find her. We need to track her down tonight."
"Boss, why're we looking for her?" a girl with a high ponytail asked, confused. "Didn't you say she wasn't being bullied?"
"She's in some trouble," Midori said, rubbing her temples. "Senpai Shuichi was trying to help her, but we messed it up. If we don't find her and something happens, we'll be responsible."
"Is it really that serious?" Yazuki asked, skeptical. "What if that pretty boy's just tricking you?"
Midori didn't bother correcting her anymore. "Senpai Shuichi wouldn't lie about this. Just find her first!"
…
At the izakaya, Shuichi had barely settled in when Yukiko Fujimine burst through the door, dragging Yuka Takahashi behind her.
"So this is where you work?" Yuka said, curiously scanning the place.
Yukiko, meanwhile, sidled up to Shuichi, saying nothing but staring at him with a smug grin.
"What?" Shuichi asked, bewildered.
"I exposed that psychic in the underpass," Yukiko bragged, watching his reaction closely.
"I know," Shuichi nodded. "I was nearby."
"Tch," Yukiko pouted, deflated. "You're admitting it just like that? I thought you'd deny tailing us!"
"Why would I deny it?" Shuichi frowned. "When I called the cops, I gave my real name so they'd hurry over. You could've asked, or the officers might've mentioned I was there."
"See, Yukiko? You lost the bet," Yuka teased with a grin.
"This is your fault! You made me lose!" Yukiko huffed, elbowing Shuichi.
"You're blaming me for your own mistake?" Shuichi said, exasperated.
"Who's the mistake here?!" Yukiko shot back. "I saw through that psychic's trick dagger! Without me, exposing her would've been way harder."
"I knew something was off the moment I saw it," Shuichi said, rolling his eyes.
"No way!" Yukiko fumed. "What's your proof?"
"When the psychic was reading, she rolled up her sleeve, showing her arm," Shuichi explained. "It was completely smooth, not a single scar."
"If she was really cutting her arm for blood rituals all the time, how could it be scar-free?"
"But what if it was her first time doing it?" Yuka asked curiously.
"The crystal ball's surface was polished clean," Shuichi said, "but the base had plenty of red stains. That proves she's been doing those so-called blood rituals regularly."
"Ugh, why didn't I notice that?!" Yukiko groaned, smacking her forehead. "I only realized the dagger was fake when the fraud fell, and her sleeve wiped off some 'blood' without revealing a wound."
"You still did better than me," Yuka comforted. "If it wasn't for you, I'd still be clueless."
"If you were nearby, why didn't you stick around?!" Yukiko demanded, turning on Shuichi. "What if that psychic had thug accomplices? We could've been in trouble!"
"I checked the underpass when I got there. No thugs," Shuichi said, annoyed. "Besides, there were plenty of passersby. Even if there were goons, they wouldn't dare touch you."
"You still shouldn't have ditched us!" Yukiko pouted, getting unreasonable.
"Shuichi probably had something to do, right?" Yuka said, defending him.
"What could he have to do?" Yukiko scoffed. "Just coming back to the izakaya to prep for tonight's business."
"I went after that girl," Shuichi said, briefly recounting the events, though he kept quiet about the girl's medical issue.
"Sakuraoka Junior High, huh? I hear that place is rough," Yuka nodded. "It's full of delinquents, and their college admission rate is the lowest in Beika Town."
"I've heard that too," Yukiko mused. "A couple of years ago, there were some serious incidents targeting girls at that school. I think they were never solved."
(Chapter End)
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T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
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