"All right, that's it for now. I'll handle the prep work for stealing the Treasure, so you guys just head home and get some rest."
After exiting the Palace, Rinto said goodbye to the Phantom Thieves as usual, and walked the Yoshizawa twins home.
They had been exploring for nearly three hours, and it was already dusk. Even heart-stealing Phantom Thieves who could change the world were still well-behaved high school students. Dinner time meant they had to hurry home, especially the Yoshizawa twins.
Right now, Rinto genuinely felt obligated to safely deliver these two precious girls (in every sense of the word) directly to their parents. His sense of responsibility was soaring!
...However.
That might be how Rinto felt, but clearly, the girls had different ideas.
"Rinto-senpai, over here, quickly!"
As they approached the residential area near their house, the twins suddenly tugged him forcefully into a nearby alleyway.
They were extremely close.
The girls pressed against Rinto without hesitation, nothing separating them but their clothing. The soft, luxurious sensation immediately made Rinto tense up.
"Wait! Didn't you say you wanted to keep this relationship a secret? Especially from your parents—then don't do something so risky!"
Rinto thought his words were perfectly logical. Nine out of ten bystanders would agree he was a good, sensible young man.
Yet, the twins' response left him utterly confused.
Kasumi smiled slyly. "Keeping things secret is important, but we're still your official girlfriends, you know."
Sumire continued playfully, "And since we're your official girlfriends, don't we have certain obligations to fulfill?"
Obligations? What obligations exactly did girlfriends have?
The Yoshizawa twins' eyes glittered with mischievous excitement, completely shedding the obedient masks they'd worn before their relationship became official.
No longer needing to maintain their polite "good student" personas, they openly teased their boyfriend, their delicate hands wandering over Rinto's chest and waist without restraint. Even their voices became sweet and seductive.
Kasumi whispered softly, "Senpai... What we didn't finish at the hotel this morning—you wanted to continue that, didn't you?"
Sumire murmured shyly, "Honestly, I've been thinking about it nonstop during class today... You remember how we promised to keep our mouths shut, right? Let's fulfill that promise now~?"
The twins began moving downward together, even showing signs they might kneel before him right then and there!
"—Absolutely not!"
Instantly, Rinto wrapped his arms around them tightly, prompting delighted squeals from both girls.
He stared at them with utmost seriousness:
"I'm glad you want to do these things with me, really. But at the very least, not here, not in some random alley—this would be disrespectful to you both."
"I want to cherish you properly. So next time, when we have a day off this weekend, let's go back to the hotel together, okay?"
"—You promised, okay?" the twins instantly replied in perfect unison, as if they'd already rehearsed their response.
Rinto was speechless, realizing he'd fallen into their trap yet again!
These sneaky girls were just testing him! Toying with his pure, innocent heart!
His eye twitched in frustration—now he was truly irritated.
"You two little devils, don't mess with your boyfriend like this!"
"Ahaha~! Senpai's angry~! ♥"
Holding both twins tightly, Rinto turned and pressed them against the alley wall, using a kabedon—the favored punishment for mischievous girls—delivered thoroughly over a span of about 5,000 words!
...And in the end, they made a new promise:
Every day when parting ways, they would fulfill their "couple's obligation" by sharing at least one kiss.
And whenever two out of three of them agreed, they'd definitely visit a hotel again!
Although this sounded suspiciously like a one-sided contract, given the democratic principle of majority rule, there was no way Rinto could ever outvote these perfectly synchronized twins.
Perhaps this is a trial every couple has to face to become closer, Rinto thought with deep understanding.
Later that same night.
After Rinto returned home, cooked dinner, and ate with Momoka, he headed back out, having scheduled an extra late-night shift in Shinjuku.
This district was among Tokyo's liveliest, packed with countless "adult establishments." As a high schooler, simply walking around here risked being stopped by patrolling officers for questioning.
Fortunately, dressed in casual clothes, Rinto looked mature enough to easily pass as an adult, which proved convenient tonight.
After all, the place Rinto was heading to for work was indeed an adult bar called "Crossroads."
Stepping through the narrow, suggestive entrance, he greeted the bar's manager and its single patron:
"Evening, Lala-chan. Good to see you too, Ohya-san—thanks for coming."
"Ohh~! Evening, Rinto-chan! You look just as handsome as ever as a high schooler! Come here and let big sis give you a kiss~ (づ￣3￣)づ♥~"
Already half-drunk, the woman cheerfully waved her glass at Rinto, pursing her brightly painted lips playfully, as if she were about to devour him whole.
Luckily, the robust owner—Lala-chan—swiftly slapped her hand away:
"You're way too old to keep teasing this nice young man, Ichiko! …Sorry about this, Rinto-chan. This hopeless lady never learns. Sorry you have to babysit her."
"It's all right."
Rinto smiled and shook his head, putting on his apron behind the bar. "I'm the one who invited Ohya-san tonight anyway, so I don't mind a bit of teasing."
"Ohya-san" was Ohya Ichiko, the woman already half-drunk before the bar even opened. She was one of Rinto's few acquaintances in Tokyo, having known her for over two years now.
Ohya worked as a reporter at one of Japan's most famous news agencies and was actually quite capable in her job. But her shameless, drunken persona reminded Rinto far too much of his alcoholic roommate Momoka, and he swore he'd never introduce the two women to each other.
As Rinto assisted Lala-chan in preparing for opening, he bluntly addressed Ohya Ichiko:
"Ohya-san, you might want to start staking out Shujin Academy over the next few days. You know that PE teacher, Suguru Kamoshida, right?"
"—Ohh! So that former Olympic medalist is the Phantom Thieves' next target?"
The legendary "Phantom Thief" reporter's eyes sparkled with excitement, her earlier drunken demeanor vanishing instantly.
The arrangement between Rinto and Ohya Ichiko was simple: he provided her advance notice about who the Phantom Thieves' next target would be, allowing her to report the story immediately after their target had a change of heart.
Of course, Rinto hadn't revealed his true identity—at least not openly. His excuse was always, "The Phantom Thief sent me."
He'd built himself an identity as a faithful messenger for the elusive Phantom Thief, neither explaining exactly how hearts were stolen nor revealing genuine secrets.
Naturally, this carried some risk, but Rinto considered it worthwhile.
He nodded clearly:
"The Phantom Thief intends to make Kamoshida repent. But even afterward, it's unlikely he'll face any legal repercussions, since there's no concrete proof."
"That's why the Phantom Thief asked me to approach you, Ohya-san. Do you recognize this TV announcer?"
Rinto showed her a profile from an online encyclopedia he'd searched earlier.
This woman was precisely the same announcer previously caught up in a scandal with Kamoshida—the starting point of his descent into twisted desire.