Shimizu Akira lowered his head slightly, about to pull out his phone to check the time.
"It's currently 10:14:23."
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly announced from beside him, her voice light and amused.
The unexpected timekeeping made Shimizu Akira pause—for a brief moment, it almost felt like being served by a beautiful girl alarm clock.
Instinctively, he glanced at his phone screen—10:14, exactly as she said.
"You don't even trust me on this? How suspicious." Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head slightly, her silver-white hair swaying with the motion. "You were much more enthusiastic when talking to that black-haired girl, weren't you?"
"You saw that too?" Shimizu Akira stiffened, reflexively taking half a step back to put distance between them.
Sakayanagi Arisu froze.
Was he really that repulsed?!
She gritted her teeth internally—in terms of looks and presence, she was surely no less than that other girl.
"My hair is silver-white, you know?" She twirled a strand around her finger defiantly. "Isn't this the hair color Asians admire most? Does it really not interest you at all? Why do you always avoid me?"
Since their first meeting, she had been unable to understand—why did this boy act like she was some kind of natural disaster, always looking for an escape route the moment he saw her?
"The hair color is beautiful. I'd honestly like to touch it." Shimizu Akira admitted bluntly, then immediately shifted tone. "But I'm more worried about the day you secretly record me, or suddenly make me a pawn in one of your schemes, leaving me with a mountain of trouble."
True, the girl before him had delicate features, but behind those seemingly innocent eyes—who knew how many calculations were hidden?
For scheming characters like this, no matter how cute they looked, he firmly maintained a safe distance.
Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly let out a soft laugh, a flicker of seriousness passing through her eyes.
"I see… so that's what you're afraid of." Her voice softened slightly. "Rest assured, I would never use underhanded methods like secret recordings to threaten you."
She met Shimizu Akira's gaze squarely, enunciating each word:
"For a worthy opponent, resorting to such tactics would be far too disrespectful."
Seeing her sincerity, Shimizu Akira nodded. "Well, since you put it that way, I'll believe you this once."
"However—" Sakayanagi Arisu's tone suddenly shifted. "By that logic, that black-haired girl must be the naive, innocent type, right? That's why you can talk to her so freely?"
"Naive and innocent?" Shimizu Akira chuckled dryly. "She's not stupid at all. Just… overly persistent sometimes."
Sakayanagi Arisu's smile deepened. "I see~" She deliberately drew out the syllable. "Boys are all like this—they prefer sweet, simple girls, don't they?"
Shimizu Akira shrugged. "I won't deny that. Now you understand why I keep my distance from you, right?"
Dealing with too-smart girls felt like constantly being on guard—exhausting.
Sakayanagi Arisu's thoughts split into two conflicting streams.
She recognized the dual meaning in his words—it was both praise for her intellect and a clear declaration of avoidance.
This realization left her with a complicated feeling.
The corner of her lips twitched upward briefly before pressing into a thin line.
Of course, she didn't harbor any special feelings for this boy. It was just…
Like spotting a unique accessory in a boutique's display window.
Before she could decide whether to buy it, someone else had already taken it—that faint sense of regret mixed with unwillingness.
In a way, men and women's standards for partners were oddly similar.
Just as most women instinctively admired strong, accomplished, wealthy men, men tended to prefer sweet, simple, emotionally supportive partners.
This understanding made her press her lips together unconsciously.
If she hadn't acknowledged Shimizu Akira's abilities, why would she have proposed that bet in the first place?
After all, very few people met her standards.
But then, Sakayanagi Arisu's attention was abruptly captured by Kamuro Masumi in the distance.
The purple-haired girl was stealthily reaching toward the convenience store's beer shelf.
"Should we call it out now?" Shimizu Akira whispered.
"Not yet…" Sakayanagi Arisu shook her head slightly, her silver-white hair swaying.
"She's already reaching for it, though?"
"Shimizu-kun," Sakayanagi Arisu turned to him abruptly, "please don't interfere with my judgment."
Shimizu Akira raised an eyebrow, then leaned against the wall with folded arms, watching the silent battle of wits with amusement.
A few minutes later, Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly spoke, her voice crisp and certain:
"Kamuro Masumi will steal that can of beer between 10:29:30 and 10:30:30."
Her tone wasn't speculative—it sounded like she was declaring an established fact.
The moment the words left her mouth, Kamuro Masumi's fingers froze mid-air, as if under a spell.
Shimizu Akira saw the slight tremor in her hand—a sign of fierce internal conflict.
"28 seconds… 29 seconds…" Sakayanagi Arisu counted down softly, her voice brimming with confidence.
The instant she hit "30 seconds"—
Kamuro Masumi snatched the beer, stuffing it into her blazer in one swift motion.
Sakayanagi Arisu turned elegantly. "Well? My deduction was flawless, wasn't it?" Her voice carried unmistakable satisfaction.
Shimizu Akira instinctively cross-referenced the information in his mind:
[Intel #1] (Today, 10:30 sharp) After the entrance ceremony… Kamuro Masumi will "help herself" to a can of beer from the school convenience store.
Every detail matched perfectly.
He stared at the petite silver-haired girl before him, feeling a surge of complicated admiration.
Not only had Sakayanagi Arisu perfectly predicted the theft—she had pinpointed the timing down to the second.
"Brilliant." Shimizu Akira clapped sincerely. "Sakayanagi-san, I must admit—you're the smartest girl I've ever met."
His gaze swept over her delicate features, that striking silver hair, and the ever-present hint of arrogance in her expression.
Though she always acted aloof toward ordinary people, she was surprisingly genuine with those she acknowledged.
This contradiction only made her more… fascinating.
Sakayanagi Arisu rested a slender finger against her chin. "To receive such high praise from Shimizu-kun… I'm truly flattered."
Shimizu Akira spread his hands calmly. *"However… I actually decided to give that beer to Kamuro-san at 9:55 this morning."* He paused, his gaze steady. "So technically, this doesn't qualify as theft. It seems you've misjudged this time, Sakayanagi-san."
"What?!" Sakayanagi Arisu's pupils constricted briefly before she regained her composure. "Interesting… May I see proof?"
Shimizu Akira unhurriedly displayed his phone screen.
It showed a brief LINE conversation:
[Today, 9:55]
Shimizu Akira:Chabashira-sensei, could you buy all the single-serve beers at the convenience store for me?
Chabashira Sae:Asking a teacher to buy alcohol for a minor? You'd better have a good explanation.
Shimizu Akira:Not for drinking. I've noticed a female student planning to steal some. I'd like you to purchase them first, then temporarily return them to the shelf.
Chabashira Sae:And the point of this roundabout method is?
Shimizu Akira:A certain bet regarding "whether a crime can be established."
Chabashira Sae:…So legally, I'm the one who bought the beer. Whether her actions constitute theft depends entirely on your discretion now?
Sakayanagi Arisu fell into a rare silence.
"I see… So as early as 9:55, you had already set everything in motion?" She suddenly laughed, though her voice carried a hint of something unreadable.