For a moment, Kiyomizu almost thought the girl had a special intelligence system just like him. But after hearing her meticulous analysis, he realized—it was all based purely on observation. To find a high school student with such keen insight was truly rare.
(Hmm? She knows Masumi Kamuro? Does that mean she's also a Class A student?)
The thought flashed through his mind. Kiyomizu pondered for a moment before offering a different opinion: "Precisely because it's peak shopping time, the high foot traffic actually makes it easier to get away with it. Acting now makes it less likely to be noticed."
"...Correct." The silver-haired girl's lips curved upwards, her moon-like hair swaying gently as she nodded. "From her body language, she's clearly a habitual thief. She's enjoying the thrill of the crime. Your observation is very accurate."
"You were testing me just now, weren't you?" Kiyomizu suddenly realized.
The girl didn't answer directly, only offering a meaningful chuckle. "Why don't you listen to my judgment—" She paused, her voice carrying an unshakable certainty. "I believe she will choose to act after the opening ceremony."
This conclusion took Kiyomizu by surprise. What she said was exactly the same as the intelligence he possessed.
"So then, can you guess the basis for my reasoning this time?" the silver-haired girl leaned in slightly.
Kiyomizu didn't respond directly, instead turning his gaze to the thinning crowd in the convenience store. "Because the opening ceremony is about to start."
"Absolutely correct!" The girl snapped her fingers in delight. "To be precise, in 32 seconds."
As if to prove her prediction, 32 seconds later the school broadcast sounded: "All students, please proceed to the gymnasium immediately. The opening ceremony is about to begin."
Not far away, Masumi Kamuro turned stiffly and blended into the stream of students leaving the store. Her retreating figure looked less like she was giving up and more like a predator temporarily retracting its claws.
"Mental arithmetic?" Kiyomizu asked.
"Just a little pastime to kill time."
"Then can you calculate 15 times 24 times 16 in under a minute?"
Arisu Sakayanagi's expression instantly froze. The question was so simple it felt insulting. "...5760," she answered coldly, her voice laced with clear annoyance. "Even a middle schooler could do that in their head. If you really want to test my mental arithmetic, you should at least give me a four-digit problem."
"Is that so?" Kiyomizu smiled, unfazed. "But for an average high school student, getting the answer in under a minute isn't easy." He suddenly changed the subject. "Do you feel offended? Then why didn't I feel offended by the two probing questions you just threw at me?"
(She's been testing me with a condescending attitude from the start, but now she's acting insulted over a simple arithmetic problem...)
(That level of arrogance is like an innate sense of privilege. As expected of a Class A student.)
He took one last look at the silver-haired girl. She was undeniably beautiful, but the superiority complex etched into her very bones was even more memorable. Hmm? Is this young lady a cheeky brat type?
Kiyomizu was turning to leave when, after only a few steps, a clear, bell-like voice rang out from behind him.
"Please wait a moment."
Before the words had faded, there was a sharp clatter. The cane flew through the air and landed a meter in front of Kiyomizu's feet.
He stopped abruptly, first looking down at the cane blocking his path, then slowly turning his head back. The silver-haired girl had her head slightly bowed, making her current expression unreadable.
"I am Arisu Sakayanagi from Class A." Her voice was like melting snow, completely devoid of its earlier sharpness. "As you can see, this body's heart is rather useless. I can't even run to catch up, so I had to resort to such a measure." She pointed at the cane and looked at Kiyomizu, her expression full of apology. "That was rude of me. Can you forgive me? If you're still angry, feel free to hit me a couple of times with it."
Kiyomizu's eyebrow twitched, a flash of surprise in his eyes. This superior young lady was now able to apologize so frankly—she was more interesting than he thought.
However, in the next second, he froze. Why did that line sound so familiar? An image of Horikita Suzune flashed through his mind. Wasn't this the exact same tactic of feigning weakness to advance that he had just used?
Kiyomizu's gaze lingered on Arisu Sakayanagi for a moment. With her head slightly bowed, she looked even more frail, as if a gust of wind could blow her over. Would a normal person hit her? Especially a frail girl with a weak heart?
His gaze shifted discreetly upwards, catching the blinking light of a security camera in the corner. The cold lens was silently recording the scene.
I see.
To hit her would be to hand her leverage. Not to hit her would be to silently accept her apology. The silver-haired girl maintained her humble posture, but Kiyomizu clearly saw the fleeting curve of her lips. A brilliant checkmate, leaving him no good moves.
"Sakayanagi-san, you really are cunning."
Kiyomizu suddenly closed the distance. Under Arisu Sakayanagi's stunned gaze, his finger flicked out.
Thump—
A crisp flick landed on her smooth forehead. The force wasn't heavy, but it was enough to make her frown slightly.
"You—!" Arisu Sakayanagi covered her reddening forehead, a rare ripple of emotion flashing in her eyes. "To strike a lady with mobility issues."
"Mobility issues?" Kiyomizu chuckled, bending down to pick up the discarded cane. He tapped his knuckles against it. "You didn't seem to hesitate when you threw it like a weapon just now. Besides, didn't you tell me to vent my anger?"
He handed the cane back to her, his fingertips brushing against her cool palm for a fleeting moment. "Consider this forehead flick as us being even." Kiyomizu took half a step back, his eyes glancing at the blinking security camera in the corner. "It leaves no evidence, and it counts as me accepting your apology—a fair trade, wouldn't you say?" He paused. "Also, a piece of advice: stop putting yourself on a pedestal all the time."
Arisu Sakayanagi's slender fingers slowly tightened around the cane. She suddenly looked up, a sharp smile on her lips. "The gap between people is sometimes determined by talent—like the bird in the sky and the fish in the pond, destined to live in different worlds. How can you expect me to treat those mediocre people as my equals?"
Kiyomizu couldn't help but laugh out loud. "With how much conviction did you manage to say such an embarrassing line? Are you some kind of chuunibyou?"
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