"Kirisu-sensei…" Yoru's expression was extremely bitter.
Why did she insist on targeting him?
Just then, Utaha stepped in front of him and stared directly into his eyes.
"I'm still going to search. If I don't find anything, I promise not to blow this up."
"Fine."
Yoru nodded firmly, then added, "But only you. And you can only search inside the tent. You can't take anything out."
He remembered all the embarrassing stuff he had inside—if Utaha found those books, he'd die on the spot.
Letting her see them was as bad as letting the whole school see.
Once the agreement was made, Yoru stepped back into his tent.
Utaha frowned slightly but followed him in.
The tent wasn't too small—two people inside didn't feel too cramped.
Utaha scanned the interior before finally looking at Yoru, who was crouched in the corner.
"Disgusting…"
She muttered, then squatted down and started rummaging through the mess.
Her voice was low, but Yoru heard her. He clenched his fists tightly—then let go.
He sighed deeply in his heart. This might be the only time in his life he'd be alone with a girl like her.
How cruel.
Rustle—
Utaha began searching his luggage bag thoroughly, occasionally glancing at Yoru to watch his reaction.
Seeing how he stayed relatively calm, she wavered slightly again.
After searching the bag, she moved to his sleeping bag and food supplies.
Several minutes passed. Utaha's expression grew a little dark.
"Nothing…"
She muttered to herself. In her mind, she wondered, Did he hide it somewhere else? Not in the tent?
She glanced at Yoru, then looked away.
He was wearing just a T-shirt and shorts—no place to hide anything.
That left just the manga pile and that gaming console.
Utaha kept one eye on Yoru while sweeping aside the manga with her hand…
The next second, Utaha froze, her eyes locked onto the so-called pile of manga.
It wasn't manga at all.
They were all doujinshi—explicit ones filled with naked cartoon girls.
Just one glance made Utaha blush furiously, her breathing quickening.
"Th-That... can you hurry up?" Yoru bit his lower lip and urged her on impatiently.
"What are you in a rush for? Looking at stuff like this—so disgusting!" Utaha seemed startled and angrily looked up.
"This is my privacy..." Yoru paused, hesitating.
Though, in truth, there was more he didn't dare to say aloud.
He thought Utaha was so beautiful and well-developed that she must've had many boyfriends behind the scenes. Maybe she had already been "explored" thoroughly by some playboy, and the stuff in those doujinshi couldn't even compare to the things she'd done.
Yeah... that's what Yoru believed.
A bit envious, wondering who she had ended up with.
"Other people don't look at these things as disgustingly as you!" Utaha quickly flipped through them, her face slightly red, making sure Yoru hadn't hidden any stolen items among them.
Hypnosis, common sense modification, blackmail by hidden cameras...
"What... what is all this?!" Utaha pursed her lips tightly, her legs clenching unconsciously as a mix of shame and anger spread across her face. Yoru noticed everything.
But he wasn't feeling good either.
Outside the tent—
Kirisu and Hiratsuka were maintaining order, stopping the students from gossiping and discussing how to handle the situation.
Kaguya and Hayasaka were whispering to each other.
"Hayasaka, what if we don't find any evidence and can't confirm the culprit?"
"Even if there's no evidence, we can still tell if it's him. If it turns out not to be him, then we'll investigate someone else."
"I just had someone start remote-monitoring all the students' phones. If your photos show up, we can immediately identify the culprit. If not..."
"If there's no trace of your photos, then based on psychological profiling, many perverts like to take photos of their crimes. So you might not have actually been harmed."
"Let's hope it's just a girl's petty revenge."
Hayasaka sighed inwardly. There was still a lot to do.
She'd have to track and monitor Yoru, that damn fat otaku, to fully rule him out as a threat. It was exhausting just taking care of Kaguya-sama.
What a headache!
Just then—
There was a stir among the crowd, followed by a girl's shout.
"I found Kasumigaoka-senpai's stuff!"
Having found nothing inside the tent, Utaha immediately darted toward the commotion.
A girl in the crowd held tightly to a pair of black tights with a corner sticking out.
Several girls surrounded her, and Eriri was nearby, yawning as she watched.
"These are mine."
Utaha stepped forward excitedly, confirming it.
"All male students, turn away and avert your eyes! Want a fist to the face?!" Hiratsuka barked from outside.
The girl handed Utaha the personal item, and she carefully put it away.
Further back—
Hayasaka quietly observed Yoru as he stepped out of the tent.
The two had once been in the same class for a year, but Hayasaka had never cared to learn anything about him. Her only impression was: a gloomy, fat loser.
And: no girl would ever like someone like him.
"Let's get a DNA test on the item," Hayasaka thought to herself.
This situation was getting messier and messier.
Yoru was 99% likely the culprit, but there was still that 1% chance it was someone else.
They couldn't even be sure if the perpetrator was targeting Kaguya. Stealing Utaha's panties and stockings might just be a diversion.
After all, even the average person knew how terrifying the Shinomiya family was.
Hayasaka quietly walked back to Kaguya and whispered something in her ear.
Meanwhile, Utaha, having put away her belongings, thanked the girl and began asking questions.
The girl explained that she had just been watching the commotion in the crowd and, while being jostled, noticed that the sand under her feet felt off. When she crouched down and brushed it away, she discovered the item.
The spot was close to Yoru's tent—but also just as close to other boys' tents.
That didn't prove Yoru was the culprit, but it slightly reduced suspicion.
"If it really was Yoru, would he hide it there like that?"
"Could it be someone doesn't like me and is trying to get revenge or make me suffer?"
That thought flashed through Utaha's mind but was quickly dismissed.
"Damn it..."
She bit her lip in frustration.
She still suspected Yoru. She couldn't let it go.
This lack of direct evidence, only circumstantial, made her feel so suffocated—so helpless!
Was this how it was going to end?
"Kasumigaoka-senpai."
The crowd parted, and Kaguya stepped forward.
"Shinomiya-san, are you here to help me?" Utaha looked at her with a glimmer of hope.