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Kamuro Masumi walked out of the cafe, the afternoon sun a bit dazzling.
She instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes, narrowing them slightly.
Although she hadn't caught the specific content of the conversation between the teacher and Sakamoto inside the cafe, she had a strange feeling about it.
She shook her head, trying to dispel these distracting thoughts.
Forget it, she wouldn't think about it anymore.
She walked along the wide, bright avenue of the shopping center, heading towards the dormitory area.
The shopping center was bustling with people on the weekend, students and couples everywhere.
Kamuro Masumi's pace was unhurried; she habitually observed her surroundings.
Reflections in glass display windows, people brushing past, footsteps coming from not far behind her... Her steps paused slightly.
Something was wrong.
A subtle, prickling sensation, like daggers in her back, quietly arose.
A flicker of wariness crossed the depths of her purple eyes.
Someone was following her.
This feeling was very familiar.
In middle school, because of her unsavory experiences with petty theft, she had developed a knack for evading pursuit.
She slowed her pace, pretending to admire the goods in a nearby display window, but her gaze, using the glass's reflection, quickly swept behind her.
People surged, faces varied. She couldn't immediately pinpoint a specific target.
But that feeling of being watched, like a persistent maggot, lingered.
And... it wasn't just one gaze.
At least two people.
Kamuro Masumi's heart sank slightly.
Who was it? Why were they following her? Had she done anything noticeable recently?
Besides... going to the cafe every day to watch Sakamoto?
Could it be Sakayanagi Arisu, or Ryuuen Kakeru?
They had discovered her eavesdropping on that day's conversation.
The thought sent a chill down her spine.
But she immediately dismissed it.
If they really knew, given their personalities, they wouldn't have waited a week to act.
Besides, to deal with her, why resort to tracking?
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
No matter who it was, she had to shake them off first.
Kamuro Masumi no longer hesitated, her steps suddenly quickening.
She didn't choose the main road back to the dormitory, which was a wide, bright, and crowded thoroughfare.
Normally, this would undoubtedly be the safest choice; with many people around, trackers would find it difficult to hide.
However, when that urgent sense of being pursued struck, her unpleasant middle school experiences instantly dominated her actions.
Her body reacted faster than her brain—just like when she used to evade pursuit, she instinctively ducked into a relatively quiet alley.
The alley was narrow, with towering apartment building walls on both sides. Sunlight was cut into long, thin strips, casting deep shadows.
This environment made her tense nerves subconsciously feel a sense of familiarity.
She quickened her steps, her loafers tapping on the concrete, emitting crisp, hurried echoes.
However, this time, the feeling of being pursued not only didn't disappear but grew closer.
The other party seemed to know her intentions perfectly, always blocking her potential escape routes in advance, forcing her to constantly change direction.
Kamuro's breathing began to quicken, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
She suddenly realized,
She had made a huge mistake.
She shouldn't have taken a shortcut. And she definitely shouldn't have ducked into such a secluded alley.
She had instinctively chosen the escape route she most frequently used in middle school, not realizing there could have been a more secure approach.
This alley, which she thought would offer refuge, now became a cage trapping her.
Fear seized her.
She wanted to get out immediately,
Back to the main road, back to where there were cameras and pedestrians.
But it was too late.
After another hasty turn, her steps abruptly halted; before her was a dead end.
Cold gray walls blocked the way, a few discarded cardboard boxes were piled in the corner, and the air was filled with a damp, moldy smell.
Kamuro's heart instantly sank to the bottom. She spun around abruptly, wanting to retrace her steps.
However, the light at the alley entrance was blocked by two tall figures.
Two boys wearing Koudo Ikusei High School uniforms, one on the left and one on the right, stood like two silent iron towers, blocking the only exit.
The one on the left was astonishingly burly, with dark skin, wearing sunglasses, standing silently like an unmovable wall.
He stood with his arms crossed, his bulging muscles straining his uniform, an invisible oppressive aura emanating from him.
The one on the right was of average build, with a roguish air about him, fierce eyes, and a hint of a malicious smile on his lips.
He stood with his hands in his pockets, openly scrutinizing Kamuro, his gaze unrestrained.
Kamuro's purple eyes narrowed, her heart pounding!
She didn't know these two people!
A chill instantly swept through her body.
She instinctively took a step back, her back pressing against the cold wall. No retreat!
"Oh, what a coincidence?"
A voice, tinged with mockery and coldness, came from deeper in the alley.
Kamuro abruptly looked in the direction of the sound!
A figure slowly emerged from the shadows behind Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert.
Ryuuen Kakeru.
He stood with his hands in his pockets, his chin slightly raised,
His sinister gaze, like a cold probe, pierced the dim light of the alley, landing precisely on Kamuro Masumi's slightly fearful face.
The curve of his lips was as calm as a cat toying with a mouse.
"Kamuro Masumi."
Ryuuen's voice was low and clear, echoing in the silent alley,
"We meet again."
Kamuro Masumi's heart felt as if it were being fiercely squeezed by an invisible hand.
He knew her name.
He really was here for her.
Fear, like a cold tide, instantly engulfed her, making it almost impossible to breathe.
He knew? He knew everything?
Sakayanagi and his conspiracy... she had overheard it... But Kamuro still quickly calmed down in a short time, her remaining rationality firmly suppressing this impulse.
She couldn't panic now, absolutely couldn't panic.
Ryuuen hadn't directly exposed her, so perhaps... he didn't know.
He might just be trying to extract information from Kamuro.
Kamuro Masumi bit her tongue; the pain instantly cleared her muddled thoughts a bit.
She straightened her back, her purple eyes meeting Ryuuen's sinister gaze, trying to make her voice sound calm, with a hint of confusion:
"Who are you? Why are you following me? What do you want by blocking me?"
Her voice carried a slight tremor,
But that forced composure made a flicker of surprise flash in Ryuuen's eyes.
Ryuuen didn't answer immediately.
He took two steps forward, stopping a few paces from Kamuro Masumi.
"Who am I?"
Ryuuen scoffed,
"Kamuro Masumi, Class A's honor student, Sakamoto's little follower... or rather, his dog? You stare at him in the cafe every day; have you forgotten your own classmates?"
"Sakamoto's little follower? His dog?"
Kamuro Masumi's face instantly turned ashen.
Not because of his insult, but because of the information revealed in Ryuuen's words.
He not only knew her name but also knew that she went to the cafe every day to observe Sakamoto.
Had he been monitoring her all this time? Monitoring Sakamoto?
A sense of humiliation and anger instantly dispelled some of her fear, and her voice took on a sharp edge:
"What nonsense are you talking about? I just... I just like the coffee at that cafe!"
"Like coffee?"
Ryuuen seemed to have heard the biggest joke, the mocking curve of his lips deepening,
"Every day, without fail, reporting on time, ordering one coffee, but your eyes are glued to Sakamoto? Kamuro Masumi, your way of 'liking' is truly unique."
He took a step closer, a powerful, almost tangible oppressive aura bearing down on her:
"What? Did Sakamoto tell you to do this? Or did you, yourself, insist on clinging to him as his shadow?"