Kiyomizu lowered his head slightly, about to pull out his phone to check the time.
"It's 10:14:23 right now," Sakayanagi said with a cheerful smile from beside him.
The sudden time announcement startled Kiyomizu for a moment, giving him the strange feeling of being served by a beautiful girl alarm clock. He subconsciously glanced at his phone screen—10:14, exactly.
"You don't even trust me with this? You're so suspicious," Sakayanagi's silver hair swayed as she shook her head. "You were much more enthusiastic when you were talking to that black-haired girl."
"You saw that too?" Kiyomizu was surprised and reflexively took a step back, putting some distance between them.
Sakayanagi was taken aback. Was he really that repulsed by her?! She gritted her teeth. In terms of looks and aura, she was definitely not inferior to that girl.
"My hair is silver, you know!" she said, unconvinced, twirling a strand of hair with her finger. "Isn't this the hair color that Asians admire most? Does it not attract you at all? Why do you always avoid me?"
From their very first meeting, she couldn't understand it—why this boy acted like he had seen a monster every time they met, wanting nothing more than to flee immediately.
"The hair color is very pretty. I do want to touch it," Kiyomizu admitted frankly, then changed the subject. "But I'm more worried about you secretly recording me or me becoming a pawn in one of your schemes and ending up in a world of trouble."
Admittedly, the girl before him had a delicate face, but who knew how many schemes were hidden behind those seemingly innocent eyes? For this type of black-bellied character, no matter how cute their appearance, he was determined to maintain a safe distance.
Sakayanagi suddenly let out a soft laugh, a serious look flashing in her eyes. "I see... you're afraid of those things." Her voice suddenly softened. "Please rest assured, I would never resort to such despicable methods as secret recordings to threaten you." She looked directly into Kiyomizu's eyes and said, word for word, "Using such means against a respected opponent would be far too disrespectful."
Seeing her sincerity, Kiyomizu nodded. "Since you put it that way, I'll trust you this once."
"However—" Sakayanagi suddenly changed her tone, "it seems that black-haired girl must be the innocent and naive type, then? Is that why you can talk to her without any defenses up?"
"Innocent and naive?" Kiyomizu chuckled and shook his head. "She's not foolish at all, just a bit too stubborn at times."
The smile on Sakayanagi's lips deepened. "I get it~" she dragged out the last syllable. "Boys are all like that, you prefer to be with simple and cute girls!"
Kiyomizu shrugged. "I won't deny that. You should understand now why I keep my distance from you."
Being around girls who were too smart was exhausting; it felt like you always had to be on guard.
Sakayanagi's thoughts subtly split into two. She realized the double meaning in Kiyomizu's words—it was both an acknowledgment of her intelligence and a clear expression of his distance. This realization left her with mixed feelings. Her lips unconsciously curved into a slight smile, only to be pressed into a thin line the next second.
Of course, it wasn't that she had any special feelings for the boy in front of her. It was just... like spotting a unique accessory in a boutique window. Before you've even decided whether to buy it, you watch someone else walk away with it. That feeling—a faint regret mixed with a hint of unwillingness.
In a way, the criteria for choosing a partner were surprisingly similar for men and women. Just as most women instinctively admire powerful, successful, and wealthy men, men also tend to prefer partners who are simple, cute, and provide emotional value. This realization made her purse her lips unconsciously. If she hadn't acknowledged Kiyomizu's abilities, why would she have proposed the bet in the first place? After all, in her eyes, there weren't many people worthy of her notice.
However, Sakayanagi's attention was suddenly drawn to Masumi Kamuro not far away. The purple-haired girl was stealthily reaching for the beer shelf in the convenience store.
"Should I call it out now?" Kiyomizu asked in a low voice.
"Not yet..." Sakayanagi shook her head gently, her silver hair swaying with the movement.
"She's already reaching for it."
"Kiyomizu-kun," Sakayanagi suddenly turned her head, "please do not interfere with my judgment."
Kiyomizu raised an eyebrow, then simply crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, watching the silent game unfold with interest.
A few minutes later, Sakayanagi suddenly spoke, her voice clear and confident: "Masumi Kamuro will steal that can of beer between 10:29:30 and 10:30:30." Her tone wasn't one of speculation, but rather a declaration of established fact.
The moment her words fell, Masumi Kamuro's fingers, as if by magic, froze precisely over the can of beer. Kiyomizu saw her fingers tremble slightly, as if she were going through a fierce internal struggle.
"28 seconds... 29 seconds..." Sakayanagi counted down softly, her voice filled with the calm confidence of a winner. The moment she counted "30 seconds," Masumi Kamuro snatched the beer and stuffed it into her school jacket with lightning speed.
Sakayanagi turned around gracefully. "How was that? My reasoning was completely correct, wasn't it~" Her voice was filled with unconcealed delight.
Kiyomizu unconsciously re-confirmed the intel in his mind:
[Intel 1: (Today at 10:30 sharp) After the opening ceremony... Masumi Kamuro will shoplift a can of beer from the school convenience store.]
Every detail was perfect. He looked at the petite, silver-haired girl before him, a complex sense of admiration welling up inside him. Sakayanagi had not only perfectly predicted the act of theft, but had even timed it down to the second.
"Brilliant!" Kiyomizu applauded sincerely. "Sakayanagi-san, I must admit, you are the smartest girl I have ever met." His gaze swept over her delicate face, her eye-catching silver hair, and her perpetually proud expression. Although she always acted superior towards ordinary people, she was surprisingly sincere with those she acknowledged. This contradictory trait actually made her seem more... charming.
Sakayanagi's slender fingers rested gently on her chin. "To receive such high praise from you, Kiyomizu-kun, is truly flattering."
Kiyomizu spread his hands calmly. "However... I decided to give this can of beer to Kamuro-san back at 9:55." He paused, looking at her with a calm gaze. "So strictly speaking, this does not constitute an act of theft. It seems you've misjudged this time, Sakayanagi-san."
"What?!" Sakayanagi's pupils contracted sharply, but she quickly recovered her composed smile. "Interesting... May I see the proof?"
Kiyomizu unhurriedly showed her his phone screen. It was a short LINE conversation:
[Today 9:55]
Kiyomizu Akira: Chabashira-sensei, could I ask you to purchase all the individual cans of beer from the convenience store on my behalf?
Sae Chabashira: Having a teacher buy alcohol for a minor? You'd better have a reasonable explanation.
Kiyomizu Akira: It's not for drinking. I discovered a female student plans to shoplift, and I'd like you to buy it first and then temporarily place it back on the shelf.
Sae Chabashira: And the reason for this elaborate plan is?
Kiyomizu Akira: A bet with someone, concerning whether a 'crime can be established.'
Sae Chabashira: ...So, you're saying I, as an adult, legally purchased the beer for you. And whether that girl's action constitutes theft depends entirely on your judgment?
Arisu Sakayanagi fell into a rare, brief silence.
"I see... you started putting your plan into motion at 9:55?" She suddenly let out a soft laugh, but it was tinged with complex emotions.
-------
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