When club activities ended after school, Sato walked out of the Afternoon Tea Club... no, the Light Music Club.
Come to think of it, ever since the school festival ended, the Light Music Club had returned to being a laid-back slacker club. Every day was just drinking tea and eating cake. Life truly could not be more comfortable...
Sawamura Eriri participated in the school's art club and was one of its ace artists. It could only be said that talented people would be treated as honored guests no matter where they went. That was an eternal truth.
The Far Eastern Magic Napping... Chuunibyou Club had no activities today. Takanashi Rikka, Nishimiya Shouko, and the others had already gone home early.
When he reached the ground floor of the club building, Eriri was waiting for him there.
The girl wore the proper Private Mixed High School uniform. The upper half was a light-colored sailor uniform, while the hem of her skirt stopped seven or eight centimeters above her knees, perfectly revealing her flawless calves wrapped in black stockings and a small portion of her smooth, fair thighs.
Ah, black stockings!
He had not even noticed earlier. Personally, he thought Eriri looked even better in white stockings.
"It's truly my honor to make the famous beauty of Private Mixed High School, Eriri, wait for me."
"Quit messing around!"
Eriri glared at Sato before extending her fair little hand.
"Where is it?"
"Here."
Sato handed over the thin stack of two pages in his hand.
After reading a few lines, satisfaction quickly appeared in her beautiful lake-blue eyes, curving into crescent moons.
"How is it?"
"This young lady is very satisfied!"
Sato smiled.
"As long as you're satisfied. Then I'll be going first."
"Wait!"
Eriri suddenly called out to him. But after he turned around, she suddenly became hesitant, avoiding his gaze as she muttered, "Let's leave together. I just happen to be heading home too."
"Hm?"
Sato looked at her in surprise. Seeing her awkward expression, he chuckled and teased, "Doesn't the young lady never walk together with boys?"
"Who told you that?"
"Everyone says so!"
"If I find out which bastard started that rumor, I'll sink him into Tokyo Bay!"
Eriri gritted her silver teeth, looking furious.
Sato laughed and shook his head.
"Alright then, let's go. You've already attracted a lot of attention around us. I'm guessing tomorrow there'll be rumors about the art club's ace beauty."
Hearing that, Sawamura Eriri's face reddened slightly. But she quickly snorted.
"We're just friends anyway. Let them say whatever they want!"
"But I'm scared! I still care about my reputation!"
"Hah?!"
Sawamura Eriri stared at Sato in shock. Looking at his serious expression, she could not help asking, "You're serious?"
"What's wrong?"
Sato raised a brow, puzzled by her reaction.
Sawamura Eriri parted her lips as though wanting to say something, but in the end said nothing. Still, the look she gave Sato was extremely strange.
Do you seriously not know, or are you pretending not to know? The famous "playboy" of Private Mixed High School.
Although Sato found Eriri's gaze rather puzzling, he did not think too much about it. Looking around at the surrounding stares, he said, "Forget it, let's leave quickly."
After the two turned and left, a figure hidden in a corner suddenly made a phone call.
...
The club building was located deep within Private Mixed High School. It took three or four minutes to walk to the school gates.
Many members of the soccer club were still active on the athletic field.
Seeing this scene, Sato sighed inwardly. Some people truly loved soccer from the bottom of their hearts, while others... best not to mention them.
After arriving at the school gate, Sato and Eriri parted ways.
As a proper young lady, she naturally had a chauffeured car waiting for her, while he could only walk home.
"How about I have the driver give you a ride?"
"No need. It's only about ten minutes on foot."
"Alright then! See you!"
"See you!"
At a street corner, inside a nearby alleyway.
"Sagara-san, that guy's come out! There's also a really hot girl with him!"
Sagara Takeshi slowly stepped out of the alley with both hands shoved into his pants pockets. Looking at Eriri waving goodbye to Sato, he raised an eyebrow.
A new one?
This guy really was something.
"You three go stop that girl. The rest of you come with me to block that brat."
"Got it!"
...
Sawamura Eriri hummed a cheerful tune as she walked toward where her family car was waiting, clearly in an excellent mood.
She was finally about to step out of the doujin world as well. She wondered when exactly the manga section of Sato's website would open. At that point, this young lady would surely become famous in one stroke!
Just as she was fantasizing about the future, several delinquent-looking thugs suddenly appeared in front of her.
Sawamura Eriri frowned and instinctively tried to avoid them.
But the three delinquents deliberately moved to block her path, disgusting smiles on their faces as they surrounded her.
She simply stopped walking and glared at them with an ugly expression.
"What do you want?!"
"Oh? Pretty calm for a beauty, aren't you?"
The lead delinquent stared at Sawamura Eriri with shining eyes. His gaze roaming up and down her body was downright vulgar.
"Suzuki, hurry up and bring her over already. Otherwise Sagara-san won't be happy."
"I know already! Nakamura, why are you so damn annoying?"
"Sagara-san's really pathetic though. Needing this many people just to deal with some honor student."
"Shh! Don't say stuff like that!"
Nakamura looked startled and quickly kicked Suzuki.
After that interruption, Suzuki seemed to lose interest in talking. A vicious grin suddenly spread across his face as he looked at Eriri.
"Beautiful lady, are you coming with us willingly, or do we have to do it ourselves?"
Sawamura Eriri was initially frightened by Suzuki's savage smile, but after quickly regaining her senses, she bit her lip and stared directly at him.
"Who are you trying to target? Sato?!"
"Oh? That look! Is this what love looks like?"
Nakamura exaggeratedly laughed and reached out to touch Eriri's face.
But midway, a large powerful hand suddenly grabbed his wrist.
"Which blind idiot dares to..."
Nakamura turned around with a vicious grin, only to be instantly intimidated by the two towering figures behind him. A freezing sensation immediately spread through his heart.
The other two delinquents also turned around cautiously and were equally stunned.
At some point, two gigantic men over 190 centimeters tall had appeared behind them. They wore black suits and dark sunglasses, exuding an intimidating aura.
More importantly, they were (Gaijin) foreigners.
In Japanese society, foreigners were basically the highest tier of all!
Delinquents < Yakuza < Zaibatsu < Politicians < Foreigners!
"Young miss, are you alright?"
One of them asked in somewhat clumsy Japanese.
The three delinquents instantly felt as though they had fallen into an ice cellar. Turning toward Eriri, disbelief filled their eyes.
Y-young miss?!
Sawamura Eriri quickly shook her head before anxiously saying, "I'm fine, Uncle Andre! Hurry, get in the car! My friend's in danger!"
"What about them?"
"Just have Uncle John keep an eye on them!"
"Understood."
After Sawamura Eriri and Andre left, the remaining three delinquents exchanged glances.
"Boys, I suggest you don't get any ideas about running away."
The white bodyguard suddenly grinned, then calmly pulled a long black object from inside his jacket. Cold steel gleamed ominously beneath the light.
The three delinquents instantly went numb with terror, their entire bodies freezing stiff.
The white bodyguard smiled and said, "The girl you just attempted to kidnap is the daughter of a British diplomat stationed in Japan. This is an international diplomatic incident!"
Britain?!
A diplomat?!
One of the three delinquents suddenly collapsed onto the ground, his heart ice cold with overwhelming fear...
Why would a diplomat's daughter attend a school like this?!