Outside the teaching building, beneath a large tree by the lawn, Akane Nanao, Kanna Hiiragi, and Tosaka Fuyuka gathered together. Leaning against the tree trunk, they occasionally glanced up toward the classroom windows.
"He's still not out?" Kanna Hiiragi lightly kicked a pebble on the ground. "What do those hot girls want with him? Are they planning to bully Kazuma again?"
"Kanna, don't worry," Akane Nanao said softly as she watched Tosaka Fuyuka crouching nearby, playing with a little black cat. "They're all terrified of him now. They avoid him like the plague. Still… how does a senior who dislikes strangers get along so well with a cat?"
"Meow?"
Tosaka Fuyuka looked a little embarrassed. "Maybe because I fed it."
"It wouldn't eat food from a stranger."
"A few days ago, Kazuma and I bumped into you in the hallway," Kanna Hiiragi said thoughtfully. "Back then, we were just ordinary students to you. I didn't expect the three of us to become this familiar in just two days."
"A lot has happened," Tosaka Fuyuka said as she stood up. Her tall figure was graceful and athletic, her thighs beneath the pleated skirt firm and toned from regular exercise. The sight made Akane and Kanna feel a little envious.
"You're eating together later, right?" she asked hesitantly. "Is it okay if I join… or should I forget it?"
"It's fine," Kanna Hiiragi said warmly, pulling her closer. "We were just thinking of becoming friends with you, senpai. There's always been a rumor that Tosaka-senpai is cold and distant, but I think you're actually very gentle."
This is the first time someone's said that…
Well, not exactly. Kazuma said the same thing.
Tosaka Fuyuka blushed slightly. She always became shy when praised.
"You're all wonderful girls—beautiful, cute, and kind."
"Hehe, I can't compare to you, Tosaka-senpai," Akane Nanao said modestly.
"By the way," Tosaka Fuyuka asked after hesitating for a moment, "you two are close to Kazuma, right? Do you know what's going on with him? He stays in the old school building at night and doesn't go home."
He even knows Ms. Mira Tsubakihara…
Kanna and Akane exchanged a glance.
"So he really is sleeping in the old school building."
"Even though we expected it, it still feels heavy," Akane murmured.
"What happened?" Tosaka Fuyuka pressed gently.
Kanna Hiiragi sighed. "Senpai… it's not that he doesn't want to go home. It's that he has nowhere to go."
"Huh?"
Akane Nanao said quietly, "Kazuma is all alone. No parents, no relatives, no home. So he can only live in a place like that."
Alone…?
So he was just like me—someone who had lost everything, yet still smiled as if nothing was wrong.
Tosaka Fuyuka pressed her lips together, her heart softening as complicated emotions welled up inside her.
Back in the classroom, the rebound hypnosis continued to hold the four girls in its grip.
Unlike the others, Saki Yoshida swayed slightly before regaining consciousness. When she opened her eyes, she saw Kazuma standing before her, holding the dark, eerie notebook with a strange smile.
"Kazuma…?"
"Saki Yoshida, you're awake? How does it feel?"
"Why…?"
"Still haven't figured it out?" Kazuma lightly waved the hypnosis notebook, his smile widening.
"The hypnosis just now—was it real?" she exclaimed belatedly. "We were… hypnotized?"
"To be precise," Kazuma said, shadows creeping across his face as his smile turned dangerous, "you were hypnotized. In a sense, all of you now belong to me. You're my playthings."
"K-Kazuma-kun…" Saki swallowed hard. "You… you wouldn't really do that, right?"
"What are you saying?" Kazuma chuckled softly. "I'm a normal guy too. If I could do whatever I wanted with such a beautiful girl, even I might do something wicked. Saki Yoshida, what do you think?"
"…"
Saki Yoshida was terrified by his wicked smile. She turned to look at Izumi Nogami beside her. The girl who had once been arrogant and domineering now sat blankly in her chair, like a doll that had lost its soul. Fear surged through Saki Yoshida's heart.
Will I end up like Izumi? No, no! Terror filled the girl's eyes. At that moment, an exclamation mark suddenly appeared above her head—a wish list had manifested.
She shot to her feet, not even realizing when she had regained her ability to move.
"Um, I… I have something urgent to take care of…"
Saki Yoshida grabbed her schoolbag and fled the classroom in panic. Watching the girl with the wish list run away, Kazuma couldn't help but smile.
"I thought she'd just accept it. Looks like she's scared too."
He had done it on purpose—deliberately frightening her away.
"Extraordinary Item Recycling: This Hypnosis Notebook is worth three lottery coins? Not bad…"
Still, Kazuma wasn't in a hurry to recycle it. For now, he wasn't lacking in props. He snapped his fingers, watching as the confusion in the girls' eyes gradually faded. Izumi Nogami's expression shifted—surprise, horror, shock, fear—before finally settling into an ingratiating smile.
"Kazuma-kun, that…"
"Your smile's too stiff. It's obvious you've never tried pleasing anyone before."
"That's mine!!" she shouted in frustration.
"It's mine now. What, you're unhappy? Then I'll just hypnotize you again."
"Wait! No—" Izumi Nogami bit her lip in humiliation. "What exactly do you want?"
"Be a good girl, and I'll consider giving it back to you," Kazuma replied calmly.
"…"
Izumi Nogami's vision went dark. It's over. She was completely under this guy's control. Hypnosis was far too terrifying. Having experienced it firsthand, she never wanted to go through it again—absolutely not.
"I understand… I'll be obedient," the girl said, lowering her head in humiliation.
"Don't look like you're heading to the gallows. I'm not trying to make trouble for you on purpose. I just need you to do something for me." Kazuma was very satisfied with her attitude. At this stage, he needed to develop discreetly. Personal strength mattered, but external forces were just as important.
That meant allies.
"You know about the Tosaka family's situation, right? Use your family's resources to help her."
"Huh?! Why should I do something like that?!" Izumi Nogami snapped angrily. "Do you have any idea how much debt the Tosaka family has? That's an astronomical sum!"
"I believe your family can handle it. No matter how much money you have, can it compare to superhuman power?" Kazuma smiled faintly. "Izumi Nogami, you know which one is more valuable."
"Of course I do… but will you give me the notebook back?" Her gaze was sharp as she bit her lip. Deep down, she already knew the answer.
As if performing a magic trick, Kazuma produced a camera out of thin air.
"Feeling underestimated? To be honest, I have plenty of extraordinary items like this. If you behave, not only can I return it, I can also give you many more valuable—and interesting—things."
"Consider this camera an advance reward."
Witnessing the impossible scene, Izumi Nogami appeared calm on the surface, but inside she was in turmoil. This guy… does that mean he's had superpowers from the very beginning? He knew about extraordinary abilities all along?
Who exactly is he?
In the eyes of the girls around him, Kazuma gained yet another layer of mystery.
As the daughter of a powerful family, Izumi Nogami had been given everything since birth—luxurious toys, exquisite gifts, gourmet food, servants, and bodyguards.
Because she lacked nothing, she often felt bored. Even the most entertaining things lost their novelty after a few days. Over time, she developed a taste for bullying others. To her, controlling someone's fate was far more entertaining than any toy.
Then, she met Kazuma.
The ponytailed girl stared at him intently, her bright, jewel-like eyes gleaming.
Now, she had encountered something even more fascinating—superpowers. What began as idle curiosity quickly turned into genuine excitement. Extraordinary abilities truly existed, and even more unbelievably, Kazuma himself was a superpower user. This unremarkable boy had been hiding such a secret all along.
Compared to bullying, this was far more interesting.
"Fine. As long as you keep your word, I'll listen to you," Izumi Nogami finally said, making her promise. The two girls beside her watched in shock, never imagining that Izumi would one day willingly compromise with someone else.
"I'll ask my family to help the Tosaka family pay off their debts."
She gave her word.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Tosaka-senpai might become one of us in the future. This is about comrades helping each other. If you ever run into trouble, I'll help you too."
"Hmph~."
That made her feel a little better.
"Give me your phone number." Kazuma handed her a slip of paper.
"Why go through all this trouble? I could just add you as a contact. Though I guess you'd be my first male friend," Izumi Nogami muttered.
Kazuma's eye twitched. "I don't have a phone. Did you forget already?"
"…"
Right. She remembered.
"Primitive man," Izumi Nogami muttered as she wrote down her number. She then watched Kazuma walk out of the classroom with his hands behind his back, his steps slightly unsteady. Just before leaving, he turned around.
"Oh, right—don't tell anyone about this secret, Izumi. You wouldn't want to be targeted by someone with ulterior motives, would you?"
"I know! You don't need to tell me—I'm not stupid."
This guy actually dared to call me by my name. Oh well, I'd already been offended enough today. This was nothing.
After Kazuma left, only three hot girls remained in the classroom, staring at one another.
Minako Sanada and Sae Hinata spoke cautiously, "Izumi, do we really want to go with him…?"
In response, Izumi Nogami stayed calm and said, "That's how it is. I won't force you if you don't want to."
"No, no, I was just asking…"
"That guy wouldn't come to you two if he had problems—he's definitely planning to use me. Alright, come help me see what this camera can do. He didn't even explain it before leaving, seriously."
Watching her enthusiastically fiddle with the camera, Sae Hinata and Minako Sanada exchanged glances. This was the first time they had ever seen Izumi in such a good mood—even after being threatened and having her things taken.
She seemed completely obsessed with her new toy.
*****
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