I had already said I wouldn't do anything to him, but some people just don't know when to quit. His cheekbones cracked, and he kept cursing, his words getting nastier by the second.
In the end, I had no choice but to help him face reality.
The process wasn't exactly family-friendly, so let's skip the details.
By the time the school security team arrived two minutes later, he was sprawled on the ground, barely conscious, making hoarse, wheezing sounds.
"I'm sorry," I said, leaning against the concrete wall of the alley as the security guards stared at the scene. "He was too noisy, kept cursing—very unpleasant stuff. So, I had to temporarily shut down his throat."
I snapped my fingers with a smirk. "No worries, though. Give it a week, and he'll be fine. Just needs some rest. Oh, and no spicy or greasy food for a while—might irritate his throat. But hey, free of charge, I've gifted him that deep, raspy 'smoker's voice.' Not a bad deal, right?"
The security team was silent.
To be honest, if they hadn't received a report beforehand, with video evidence, this scene would've looked exactly like some delinquent assaulting a staff member.
Still, no point in debating it. They had a job to do.
The senior officer gave a nod, and two younger guards stepped forward to lift the guy off the ground.
Just as one reached down to grab him, the man's body trembled violently, his wheezing turning into sharp, panicked gasps.
"Oh, right," I added casually. "Forgot to mention—he kept trying to run earlier, so I had to, uh… keep him in place. I dislocated all his major joints. Be careful when you move him."
The guards froze mid-motion.
A visible shudder ran through the group.
The two younger ones exchanged glances before adjusting their approach, one securing the guy's torso while the other methodically popped his joints back into place.
Crack. Crack. Crack.
With each adjustment, the guy let out strangled cries, his face contorting in agony.
To their credit, the security team worked fast. Less than ten minutes later, they had him standing—wobbling, but standing. Without a word, they escorted him away.
Finally, the alley fell silent.
I waited a moment before kicking the wall behind me with my heel and glancing toward the shadowed corner.
"Alright, you can come out now. They're gone."
A few seconds passed before a familiar flush of pink peeked out from behind the wall. A small, nervous face beneath plain glasses followed.
"I-It's okay now?" she asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, don't worry. The noise was just from the joint resets. He'll be fine in a week."
I shrugged. "Honestly, I doubt he'll show his face around school again."
Airi let out a quiet sigh of relief, her tension easing just a little.
Though whether she felt more relieved for herself or for him… well, that was hard to say.
After all, she was a kind girl.
---
As I turned to leave, Airi suddenly called out.
"K-Kure Ragna, wait a second."
I glanced back as she raised her hands behind her head, undoing the ribbon holding her ponytail in place.
Her long, silky hair cascaded down her back, framing her delicate face as she removed her glasses and tucked them away.
Then, clasping her hands in front of her, she took a careful step forward, looking up at me with nervous anticipation.
It was the unmistakable image of Shizuku, the gravure idol.
"How… do I look?" she asked shyly.
I gave my honest reaction without thinking.
"You look like someone from the Nakano family."
She blinked.
"...Huh?"
I waved off her confusion. "Forget it. Just a dumb reference. What I meant to say is—it suits you. You look good."
A soft pink dusted her cheeks.
"T-Thank you…"
We resumed our walk toward the dormitory.
As we strolled, Airi hesitated before speaking again.
"By the way, Kure Ragna… how did you know that guy would follow me?"
"Simple. I guessed."
She blinked at me.
"...You guessed?"
"Alright, fine. It wasn't just a guess." I shrugged. "I talked to him yesterday. He's completely obsessed—textbook fanatic behavior. No way he'd just accept rejection and move on."
"Then, there's you. You always arrive at the classroom at the same time as everyone else, but you never actually walk with anyone. No one ever mentions seeing you on the way, either. That meant you were taking a different route—one with fewer people."
I glanced at her.
"A lonely girl, walking a quiet path, while an unstable guy is looking for an opportunity? Not hard to figure out what would happen next."
Airi's eyes widened slightly. "...I see."
"In the morning, the shopping center is full of workers preparing for the day, so an out-of-place store would draw attention. But in the afternoon? A weekday, when barely any students go shopping? That's different. A store with its lights on and a 'Temporarily Closed' sign wouldn't raise suspicion."
I exhaled.
"All those factors lined up, so I figured I should follow just in case."
Airi listened in awe, her icy-blue eyes sparkling.
She was clearly impressed.
I sighed again, suddenly remembering something important.
"Ah, crap."
She flinched at my sudden outburst. "Wh-What's wrong?"
"I forgot to leave my phone number on the warranty card yesterday," I groaned, rubbing my forehead. "I was too focused on catching that guy's handwriting. Now, even if they fix the camera, there's no way for them to contact me. And since he's getting arrested, that's another dead end…"
Airi immediately perked up. "I-I can pick it up for you!"
I shook my head. "Nope. My name's on the warranty card. You won't be able to claim it."
She hesitated for a moment, then, with a determination I hadn't expected, she made a surprising offer.
"T-Then… let's go together!"
--------------------------------------
Support me at patreon.com/Arthorain and read upto 100 Advanced Chapters and Exclusive R-18 Content!