Suddenly being treated so rudely, Ichinose Honami instinctively tried to push him away. But just as she lifted her hand, Kaoru Mitoma, as if he'd expected it, grabbed her wrist in advance and pinned it hard against the wall.
"Let go of me…"
"Was it this hand you used to steal back then?"
Ichinose Honami, who had been about to struggle, suddenly froze. Then her whole body started trembling uncontrollably, her face drained of all color. Forget fighting back—she couldn't even get a single word out now.
The painful memories she thought she'd left behind flashed before her eyes again her bedridden mother face twisted in anger, her little sister sobbing nonstop—these were memories she'd never be able to forget for the rest of her life.
Ichinose Honami was overwhelmed by intense pain. Because of her mistake back then, she had shut herself away at home for half a year. She had sworn to herself that she would put an end to this painful past, face the crime head-on, and stop running away. But for some reason, hearing Kaoru Mitoma say those words out loud shattered all of Ichinose Honami's strength and defenses in an instant, piercing straight through to her core.
"I... I already apologized. The people at the store didn't hand me over to the police... I just want to start over, to begin again from zero... "
Ichinose Honami tried to suppress her emotions, holding back the urge to cry out or burst into tears, but her voice still trembled with a hint of sobbing. After her mom found out she had shoplifted, she immediately dragged her to the store.
In front of everyone, the two of them knelt on the ground and bowed their heads, begging the staff for forgiveness. Ichinose Honami could still remember how the stares from everyone around felt like needles pricking her skin, and how the tears burned her face, making her whole body feel hot and weak.
She just kept repeating her pleas for forgiveness, so many times that she'd lost count. But a crime is still a crime, and it wouldn't disappear just because she tried to run away from it.
"Are you trying to get my sympathy, Ichinose?"
Kaoru Mitoma pressed down on her wrist with one hand, while the other gently slid along her thigh.
"Sorry, but I'm the kind of guy who likes to make deals. If you can't give me a price that satisfies me, I can't guarantee I won't let something slip."
The girl skin was unbelievably smooth and soft. Not only could he feel the supple, springy flesh of her thigh, but further down was the sensation of her stockings, wrapping around her slender calves—so delicate it was hard to let go.
At the same time, one of her wishes disappeared.
"Ding! Wish fully granted—experience the feel of Ichinose Honami body."
"Obtained... ... "
So it was the thigh, not the oppai?
Just then, Kaoru Mitoma heard Ichinose Honami's voice.
"Please don't do this... You want personal points, right? I still have quite a lot, I can give you eighty thousand personal points, just please forget what I said just now."
She should have pushed him away, but for some reason, she couldn't muster any strength at all. It was as if his words just now carried some kind of magical power. Ichinose Honami felt like her whole body was pinned in place by some force, unable to move.
"Eighty thousand... That number doesn't really suit you. Actually, I think pretty highly of you. I heard you were top of the entrance exam, and everyone in Class B likes you. They all agreed you should be class president. For such an outstanding rival, I think it should be at least a million personal points."
Kaoru Mitoma kept reaching for her, and she instinctively pressed her thighs together, not leaving the slightest opening.
"A million is fine too, I can pay you back little by little, but can you please stop touching me now?"
Ichinose Honami bit her lip. She knew exactly what this kind of teasing meant—she wasn't a kid anymore.
"I didn't expect the class rep of Class B to have such nice hands. If i don't take this chance to touch a bit more, i might not get another opportunity. Who knows, i might even get expelled."
Even though he said that, he was actually a little surprised inside. He hadn't expected that even in this situation, Ichinose Honami still hadn't reached her breaking point. Ichinose Honami stiffened.
Suddenly, she understood—Kaoru Mitoma real target was her. That was why he showed up in front of her and Nagumo Miyabi right away, instead of sneaking off. Only when the person involved knows their weakness is in someone else's hands does it become the biggest threat.
"Do you want my body?"
Ichinose Honami looked at him firmly.
"That's absolutely not happening. Please give up on that idea. That kind of thing should only be done with someone you like, Mitoma-kun."
Kaoru Mitoma expression turned odd. Even at this point, Ichinose Honami was still trying to talk him out of it, as if she thought she could persuade him.
"What if I say no?"
Sensing that he was starting to get handsy again, Ichinose Honami bit her lip.
"There are cameras in the hallway. Please don't force me to scream for help."
That's right—every move they made was being watched by the cameras on the ceiling. That was also why Kaoru Mitoma had given up on installing a bug earlier.
This was Ichinose Honami little act of resistance, her attempt to make Kaoru Mitoma back off. Unfortunately, it didn't work on Kaoru Mitoma at all.
"Alright, then please shout it out loud right now, Ichinose. I think the whole school should know there's a thief in Class 1-B, so that if someone gets something stolen one day, at least they'll know why." Ichinose Honami almost caved.
Was he not afraid of being punished by the school at all?
"No... please... " Her words came out in broken fragments, and the tiny spark of resistance she'd managed to muster was mercilessly snuffed out by Kaoru Mitoma. It was kind of interesting—she'd only stolen a hair clip, yet she was weighed down by such heavy guilt and self-reproach. Kaoru Mitoma watched her pained expression with amusement.
"Spread your legs."
At his words, Ichinose Honami started trembling uncontrollably, a look of struggle flashing in her eyes as she pleaded, "You can't keep going... I'll agree to anything else, just not this."
Kaoru Mitoma replied calmly, "Ichinose, if you don't spread them, I can't get my hand out."
Maybe she was too nervous—her body's self-protective reaction actually made it impossible for Kaoru Mitoma to move, and it even hurt a little.
Although the girs thighs felt warm and soft to the touch— Ichinose Honami was stunned for a moment, then her face turned bright red as she let go of his hand, her whole body nearly collapsing as she panted lightly.
"Ding! Wish fully granted—got to see her face completely flushed with embarrassment."
"Reward obtained... "
Kaoru Mitoma was a bit surprised. She hadn't been embarrassed just now, but now she was?
He really couldn't figure her out. Still, it didn't really matter to him.
"You'll agree to any request I make, is that your offer?"
Kaoru Mitoma asked.
"As long as you don't do anything bad to me, and you can't do anything bad to everyone else either, I'll agree to any other request."
"Afraid I'll use you to do something to Class B?"
Ichinose Honami stayed silent. She knew her own value very well—either get toyed with by Kaoru Mitoma, or get used by him against her own class.
"Alright, I accept your terms."
Kaoru Mitoma pinched her cheek.
"As part of the deal, Ichinose-san, from now on, I want you to obey my every command, no matter how ridiculous or absurd my requests are."
Ichinose Honami stared blankly into his eyes. She had to do whatever he said?
But if she refused, dropping out would be her only option, right?
If everyone found out she was a criminal, how would they look at her?
In that moment, those needle-like stares from the past returned to her, and it hurt.
"I... I agree too, Mitoma-kun."
Would she regret this in the future?
She didn't know. She just didn't want to lose,... everything she'd finally managed to regain.