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"You seem to have taken a liking to this place, Light. Is there a specific reason?" Ryuk asked as I walked toward the electronics store.
"Any specific reason? Hard to say. There aren't any other electronics stores around here, so naturally I have to come to this one. But if another existed, I'd have no issue switching. Still, I've already invested in this store. The environment suits me. Even if a new place opened, I'd likely stay loyal to this one," I said under my breath.
"Invested, huh?" Ryuk glanced at the storefront. "You mean that girl who works here? I thought you'd aim higher than a minimum-wage store clerk. But I guess looks are what matter to you."
I let out a short laugh. "You know that isn't what I meant. But yes—your general assumption isn't wrong. I've invested too much time into her."
"Then I'm curious to see how that investment pays off," Ryuk said as I stepped inside.
Miyako noticed me almost immediately, raising her hand in a small wave. I returned it before moving toward the left side of the store. That section housed the cheaper items—flash drives, cables, adapters. With a new laptop, it was only natural to pick up storage.
Surveillance was heavy in this store thanks to the high-value hardware, but in this corner the cameras were fewer. Probably because nothing here costs enough to justify heavy monitoring, it was also close to the entrance—too exposed to steal from without drawing attention. A clerk could notice instantly, especially in a place with such low foot traffic.
I picked up three flash drives and walked to the counter.
"I wasn't expecting to see you again so soon," Miyako said, turning toward me as I approached.
"I didn't know you despised my company that much," I replied with a faint smile.
"Of course I don't." She let out a small laugh. "This store just doesn't get many repeat visitors. Most people come in once, maybe twice if they need repairs. Seeing someone again this quickly is rare."
"That makes sense," I said. "I came for flash drives. Feels necessary after buying the laptop you helped me choose."
"Ah, of course. How has the new laptop been? I remember you said you were excited when you bought it. I'd feel bad if it didn't work well, since I was the one who recommended it," Miyako asked.
"It's been great. I finally fit in with my seniors on the student council—they always bring their laptops. It's much more convenient than writing everything by hand and transferring it later in the dorms or the library," I said honestly.
"And school? How has that been?"
"Well… It's neither good nor bad. School itself isn't the problem. It's always the people. Like the previous worker here—the one you told me about," I replied.
Miyako frowned. "Yes. Even though I wasn't working here back then, I heard enough. He really was a disgusting individual, harassing students like that."
"Yes… Anyways, what about work? How's that been?"
Miyako gave a small, tired smile. "Average," she said with an awkward expression. "The work is easy. But with my younger siblings at home, my mom handles everything alone. The long commutes, the late shifts—I barely help at all. So socially, it hasn't been ideal. But that's not the job's fault. Just personal stuff. The pay is decent though, especially for how simple everything is. Maybe after this term, I'll look for something better."
"I see," I said softly. "Well, that's good. It serves its purpose."
She nodded as she rang up the items. "That'll be 2,500 points."
I reached for my phone and paid immediately.
"There. Anyway, I should get going. What time does this place usually close?"
"Eight p.m., with some exceptions," she answered after thinking for a moment.
"Well, we should talk sometime. Casually, of course. Outside this store."
"Huh?" Miyako blinked, confused. Understandably so. She worked late. And to an outsider, a twenty-year-old clerk talking casually with a high school student after hours would look strange.
"You're misunderstanding," I said as I turned to leave. "Don't think too much about it yet. You'll understand soon."
And just like that, I walked out the door.
Ryuk floated behind me, perplexed. "Light, why did you do that?" he asked.
"Do what?" I replied.
"You stole two flash drives. Running low on money? Are we going to have to start begging on the streets soon?" Ryuk joked.
I glanced at the receipt Miyako handed me.
One flash drive. 2,500 points.
Yet I had three in my pocket.
"I'm surprised you even got away with it," Ryuk added.
Of course I got away with it.
The cameras didn't cover that part of the aisle. And Miyako? She wasn't watching me. Not really. I bought a 300,000–point laptop from her. She would never suspect I'd bother stealing something so cheap.
I guess that's why, in the end, value is subjective.
***Kakeru Ryuen***
I was simply standing outside the school dorm building.
Well—"simply." I had rushed here the moment classes ended. So far, every plan was progressing without resistance. Matsushita refused to speak to me, but Kushida had already joined hands with me to betray Class D. Everything moved smoothly. No interruptions. No accidents. No complications.
And that bothered me.
Kushida had intended to provoke Horikita into a challenge, putting her expulsion on the line. I would use that to force the class mastermind to act. But Horikita declined, cutting off that avenue entirely.
Every door leading to the mastermind was closing.
I was certain he would counterattack once cornered. Instead, he showed nothing—complete indifference.
Why?
At the start of the year, they acted for their class. Now they seem like they couldn't care less about Class D. But class rankings mattered. If Class A was their end goal, there had to be a pressure point I could exploit.
Footsteps drew my attention. A student approached the dorm entrance.
Yosuke Hirata.
Call it desperation. You'd be right. Desperation has always driven me. My actions have always reflected that fact. I do whatever is necessary to reach my goals.
"Hirata," I said before he entered.
He looked healthy; his sports festival injuries had mostly healed. But this wasn't the same Hirata Class D once leaned on. Anyone could see it the moment he turned toward me. There was an edge to him—a shift that hadn't existed before. He'd always said he was willing to do anything for his class, but those had been empty words until a few weeks ago. Now he carried the weight of someone who finally meant it.
"What are you plotting, Ryuen?" Hirata asked.
I hadn't said anything beyond his name, and he was already assuming the worst. Natural, given who I am.
"I'm not plotting anything. I just wanted to talk to you. In private, preferably." I replied.
Hirata frowned. Conflict flickered behind his eyes.
"Ryuen, do you really expect me to trust you enough to follow you anywhere private? Everyone in school would call me a fool if I did."
I frowned back. He wasn't wrong. My reputation hadn't just dropped—it was still falling. Even the idiots in Class A, C, and D wouldn't follow me anywhere alone without assuming I was setting up an ambush.
"Then let's go by the water. There are cameras and benches there. We can find somewhere quiet without being completely out of sight."
Hirata paused, thinking it over. "Why?"
"I really just want to talk. Is that so hard to believe?" I replied, meeting his gaze.
His suspicion eased by a fraction. He let out a long exhale. "Alright, Ryuen. But I'll lead the way."
I nodded. I had no malicious intentions. So I followed him as we walked away from the dorms.
I spoke first. "What you pulled off during the sports festival was impressive."
"...It wasn't something I wanted to do," Hirata replied, his tone flat. "Nor would I ever wish for things to escalate like they did. And I can't say I feel any accomplishment from your compliment, considering you're the reason I had to act at all."
"Was it really all you?" I asked. "Someone must've pushed you. There was someone who motivated you, right?"
Hirata turned sharply. "You really are obsessed, aren't you? Let it go, Ryuen. The mastermind beat you. Accept it. You'll get plenty of chances later to challenge them again."
"I can't. This—I can't accept."
That was all I could say.
Hirata looked ahead again as we reached the waterfront.
"It means that much to you, huh? Then I guess… maybe I should thank you. For backing off Matsushita and her friends. I thought you'd really stalk them or even bully them until you got your way, but it seems you're not completely heartless."
I took in his words. He was wrong. I never let up on Matsushita.
I didn't stop.
Ibuki did.
My control over Class B was slipping. Even the posse I surrounded myself with had started drifting away, one by one. They didn't have a reason to tolerate me anymore. Class B had more than one capable leader. I was no longer the center of anything.
At this point, I was essentially on my own.
"Tyrants only survive when their strength outweighs their cruelty. The moment that balance shifts, people start asking questions." I said quietly. That's why Ibuki walks off when I give an order. That's why even the idiots in my class don't bother pretending to respect me.
I looked out at the water, lost in my own mess of thoughts.
"I built a system where I was the center. Fear held it all together. Fear made it efficient. Fear kept everyone in line." And now the same system I shaped is breaking apart.
"I can't lose. Especially not to someone like that—someone who shows no force, no threat, no ego."
If someone like that can beat me… then what does that make me?
Hirata seemed confused as he glanced at me, but I didn't bother clarifying. Instead, I said something else.
"I think we're more similar than you think, Hirata."
Hirata's reply was immediate. "No." Then more firmly: "My actions have a good purpose. Yours, on the other hand—"
"That's bullshit. You know it. Good or bad doesn't matter. You're like me—you'll do anything to achieve your—"
"We're not—" Hirata tried to cut in.
"Shut up!"
It ripped out before I could restrain it. The rest followed fast.
"Whatever reason you've got, whatever excuse—don't pretend it makes you better. Moral superiority doesn't change anything. You've shown your true self. You are willing to act. You are willing to push. You are willing to manipulate. You bend people for your goals. Same as me. It's the same damn thing!"
Silence. Long enough for the noise of the water and the rustling leaves to settle back into place, long enough for me to slowly regain control of myself.
I stepped toward Hirata. Close enough to test him. He didn't back down.
"Tell me who the mastermind is. If not, I'll keep probing. I've gone through Matsushita, and now you. Next will be Ayanokoji. And if that leads nowhere, I'll keep going. If my methods need to get more extreme, so be it. Whatever it takes."
"You don't even understand yourself, do you?" Hirata answered, calm, eyes never leaving mine. "It wouldn't matter whether I told you or not."
My breath hitched. Half a second frozen.
"…"
"You don't know anything," I muttered.
Hirata didn't relent. "I think I know enough. You can threaten everyone else. You can drag half the school through your games. But you can't compete with him. That's what's eating at you."
In that moment, everything around me faded—the water, the wind, even the leaves.
Hirata held my stare for one more beat. Then he turned and walked away, heading back toward the dorms, leaving his words suspended in the air like a blade still falling.
The moment he disappeared, something in me snapped.
My knee crashed into the railing. The metal rattled but stayed intact. That only twisted the feeling inside me tighter.
I hit it again—harder—my fist slamming into cold steel, pain shooting up my arm.
Still standing. Still unbothered. Like it didn't even acknowledge me.
The anger climbed higher.
Another kick. The frame screamed. My hand slammed down again, bone meeting metal with a dull, sharp sting—still nothing. The bar held.
I struck it again, just to feel something give, anything.
When the railing finally bent under the last kick, the sound wasn't satisfying. It was hollow.
I stood there, breathing hard, pain burning through my hand, staring at the warped metal like it had answered a question I didn't want asked.
I couldn't help but let out an empty laugh. "Hahaha… yes…"
My fist tightened.
"Everything is moving smoothly…"
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Leave me your comments on the chapter. Half the reason I write is because I love hearing everyone's thoughts on my work and what I have planned.
I was conflicted about writing this chapter. I didn't think you guys would like how I've developed Ryuen, but this is how I've imagined his development in my story. I genuinely like how the chapter ended, and I think by the end of this arc, you'll be happy with everything.
Additionally, sorry if the pace has slowed. Everything going on now is somewhat important, so there are many small things to focus on. I've tried to make it entertaining to read.
Also read my new story.