On Thursday, Shimizu Akira's training schedule was interrupted by an unexpected phone call.
Picking up his phone from the bedside table, the name flashing on the screen gave him a slight surprise—Shiina Hiyori.
So she's more invested in uncovering the "mysterious person" than I thought.
Last night, just before bed at around 9 PM, he had casually sent her a message: "There's a flaw in your reasoning." He hadn't expected her to call him at barely 6 AM the next morning.
After a brief pause, he swiped to answer.
Shiina's voice, tinged with urgency, came through immediately: "Shimizu-kun, what did you mean last night when you said my deduction was flawed?"
"The logic is simple." Shimizu's tone was calm and measured. "You previously speculated that the 'mysterious person' was most likely a Class D student, but you missed the most critical step—confirming who Class D's central figure is now. That's Kushida Kikyō. Our class's Kushida's social skills are on par with Ichinose from Class B. Forget classmates—she even has connections with upperclassmen. So you see, your reasoning was flawed from the very foundation."
A long silence followed on the other end, so prolonged that Shimizu almost thought the call had dropped. Then, Shiina's voice, laced with realization, murmured: "I see… I made a fundamental mistake. I didn't even verify who Class D's de facto leader was. If it's Kushida-san, then my conclusion indeed falls apart."
"More importantly—" Shimizu abruptly shifted the topic, recalling the need to mislead her. His tone took on deliberate certainty. "The essence of this matter is actually quite simple. I've already found another crucial clue left by the 'mysterious person.'"
Shiina's voice instantly sharpened: "Shimizu-kun? What's your line of reasoning?"
"The answer is a laptop." Shimizu paused for half a second, emphasizing his words. "Since the other party purchased surveillance access, when our class's Kushida rented the cameras, the senior explicitly stated that a laptop was required to install the corresponding monitoring software. In other words, the moment the 'mysterious person' rented the surveillance, they must have had a laptop in hand."
He let the implication hang before completing the logic chain:
"The school prohibits students from bringing excess electronics. If the culprit is a first-year, they would've had to buy the laptop from the campus electronics store. All we need is the purchase records from the staff—finding the 'mysterious person' would then be child's play."
Internally, he ran through his own calculations.
When Kushida rented the cameras, a laptop had indeed been necessary. At the time, it was their class's "Doctor" who volunteered his own device to install the software. Following this logic, the other three classes likely faced the same requirement—activating the surveillance system necessitated a computer.
Thus, his argument appeared airtight: if the culprit were truly a first-year, they must have bought a laptop from the campus store, making the purchase records the key lead.
But only he knew the truth—his own laptop hadn't been purchased from the store. Student Council President Horikita Manabu had given it to him.
So while his words framed him as an eager "Watson" assisting in the deduction, they also subtly absolved him of suspicion.
"That's… right! Our class's Ryūen-kun… does indeed have a laptop!" Shiina's voice faltered momentarily, clearly deep in thought again.
A beat later, a soft gasp of realization came through the receiver, as if she'd finally grasped the crux. "You're absolutely correct! Regardless, the 'mysterious person' must possess a laptop!"
"Exactly." Shimizu agreed, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the laptop at the edge of his desk—its screen still faintly warm from recent use, as if silently echoing his thoughts.
His fingers tapped idly against the desk.
How did something as mundane as renting surveillance cameras suddenly make me feel like some mastermind?
But Shiina wasn't wrong.
The "mysterious person" had to have a laptop.
Otherwise, how could they access the surveillance feeds of other classes?
Shimizu ended the call shortly after.
From the start of the term until now, plenty of first-years must have bought laptops—Sakayanagi Arisu's name would undoubtedly be on that list.
Given her modus operandi, purchasing a laptop would be perfectly in character.
Thus, even if Shiina did obtain the records, the sheer volume of names—especially one as weighty as Sakayanagi's—would inevitably send her down a time-consuming rabbit hole.
In a way, this misleading lead could buy him at least ten to fifteen days.
Before he could fully organize his thoughts, his phone screen lit up again—this time with a message from Kamuro Masumi.
Kamuro Masumi: I know you're awake. At this hour, you probably haven't gone for your run yet, right?
Kamuro Masumi: Heads up—Sakayanagi and I are coming to your class at noon today.
Shimizu blinked, then quickly pieced it together—Is Sakayanagi planning to sell intel to Class D in person?
But what she didn't know was that Class D had practically no points left to trade.
With everyone's monthly allowance capped at a mere 8,000 points, he wondered how much she intended to charge for her information.
Regardless… noon should be entertaining.
What surprised him more, however, was the other detail in the message—Kamuro Masumi would be accompanying Sakayanagi.
So Sakayanagi's more capable than I gave her credit for.
I didn't think she'd actually succeed in recruiting Kamuro.
His fingers flew across the screen as he rapid-fired replies:
Shimizu Akira: What did she use to win you over? You're not being blackmailed, are you?
Shimizu Akira: If you're in trouble, tell me. Let's see if I can help.
His thumb hovered over the send button briefly.
Kamuro Masumi wasn't just anyone—she was someone who genuinely treated him as a friend (albeit with her usual tsundere disdain).
Reciprocating that sincerity, he couldn't just stand by if Sakayanagi was coercing her.
Frankly, in his mind, Kamuro's importance far outweighed that of the so-called "princess" of Class A.
Kamuro's response arrived swiftly, her words brimming with her trademark bluntness:
Kamuro Masumi: Idiot, stop overthinking! This is purely a business transaction—she's paying me 20,000 points, and I'm taking the job. Don't worry about me!
Shimizu's eyes widened at the text.
What kind of development is this?! Kamuro Masumi actually turned the tables on Sakayanagi Arisu?
Am I dreaming?