Kamishiro looked in surprise at Rie standing not far away, unable to understand why she was here.
And there wasn't even a trace of his stand-in nearby.
"Is she... awake now?"
"And then she kicked away the stand-in?"
At that thought, Kamishiro couldn't help but feel genuinely happy for the girl.
Finally!
She's finally come to her senses!
"..."
The others nearby gave Kamishiro odd looks.
Seriously, when is this bastard going to fix his habit of casually calling people by names like that?!
Of course...
Hanabi didn't recognize this "Rie."
Hearing that intimate nickname, Hanabi's eyes turned murderous as she glared at Kamishiro.
How many side chicks does this damn pigeon have out there?!
At that moment—
Rie also noticed the group and ran over with a big smile. "Yoshiwara-san!"
Out of everyone here, Rie was a bit more familiar with Aina; she had been invited to their previous mixer.
Although… that was actually a fishing expedition…
As for Kamishiro and the others—
They were her boyfriend's good-for-nothing buddies, so of course, she knew them a bit too.
Only—
Rie's understanding of Kamishiro and the others mostly came from Mitarai's descriptions.
And Mitarai's descriptions...
Basically painted them as stalker perverts!
So compared to Kamishiro and the gang, Rie much preferred interacting with the harmless Aina~
"Hello, Rei-san…"
Rie's sudden appearance only startled Aina for a second before she sank back into her listless, soul-drained state.
Without youth, she just couldn't bring herself to care anymore...
Rie: ???
Why does Aina san look even more troubled than she is?
"So Rie-chan, are you here traveling with your new boyfriend?"
Kamishiro glanced left and right, wanting to scope out the next unfortunate victim after his own stand-in.
That's right!
Unfortunate victim!
After all, Rie's combat prowess... was enough to rival even the senpai!
"New boyfriend?"
A beat late, Iori also started looking around.
Had that bastard Mitarai just rejoined the group like that?
Boyfriend?
Hanabi looked at Kamishiro in surprise. So… this damn pigeon is trying to pull off a real-life NTR now?
That's just scummy!
"..."
Rie's face darkened as she stared at the two of them. She had only just said hello—how did it suddenly turn into "new boyfriend"?
She and Yuu-oniichan hadn't even broken up!
They were pure love, okay?!
To stop everyone from misunderstanding, Rie quickly explained, "Um… you've got it wrong. I don't have a new boyfriend, I'm here traveling with Yuu-oniichan."
At that, her face flushed with shy happiness.
Giggle giggle.
This scene—
Made Kamishiro and Iori's expressions turn slightly twisted. The shy look on the girl's face already confirmed a lot.
They both smiled politely, but the veins on their foreheads began to throb.
Kamishiro: "So, when did you arrive in Okinawa?"
Rie: "Eh? We just got here today."
Upon hearing that, the two men sighed in relief. Thank goodness—at least the worst hadn't happened yet.
They didn't object to Mitarai dating Rie, but if that stand-in made any moves with his hands… that was a no-go!
Especially Kitahara. He absolutely would not allow another Kamishiro in their group of degenerates!
"So where is that scumbag Mitarai now?"
Iori asked expressionlessly.
Prepare for judgment, bastard!!!
Hearing that, Rie suddenly looked a bit anxious.
She had just been fantasizing about how romantic tonight would be—completely forgetting something very important!
"Yuu-oniichan got kidnapped!"
"Kidnapped?!" ×n
Everyone was shocked. There's human trafficking in Okinawa?
Wait, why would traffickers go after Mitarai anyway? With that kind of body, you couldn't even get good money selling him for parts.
His kidneys were so weak, they'd already shriveled up.
"Um, Rei san, don't worry. Tell us what happened in detail—we'll help you find him."
Chisa and Hanabi quickly comforted her. They could relate—being a young girl lost in an unfamiliar place must feel helpless.
From the earlier conversation, Hanabi now more or less understood—this girl and Kamishiro didn't have the kind of relationship she had feared.
It was clearly just that damn pigeon's passive skill acting up again.
Apparently, the two of them had underestimated Rie.
Kamishiro and Iori strongly suspected that if there really were kidnappers, they probably sensed the terrifying aura Rie gave off—and decided to kidnap Mitarai instead.
Though… it might not have even been a kidnapping.
More likely, he just ran off.
Iori: "Maybe that guy just got lost on his own."
Kamishiro: "Or maybe he saw a pretty girl and followed her. He's done that plenty of times before."
Kouhei: "Uhh… yeah!"
Even the usually silent Kouhei, being dragged along, agreed with Kamishiro and Iori.
No doubt about it—guys with squinty eyes are always trash!
BANG!
Just as the two were about to list all of Mitarai's sins, a loud crash grabbed their attention.
The previously intact water bottle in Rie's hand was now completely crushed. Water streamed down her muscular arm onto the ground.
In the next instant—Rie vanished from sight and reappeared in front of them like she had teleported.
With a nuclear smile, she looked at them.
"You two—could you please elaborate on what you meant by Yuu-oniichan following other girls~?"
Oh, Yuu-oniichan, you're such a little rascal~
You already said that couples should be honest with each other, and now you're hiding something so important?
Looks like we'll need to have a nice long "talk" when I find you~
"Ah, that—well, it's just…" POW "You bastard, what was that for?!"
Iori was about to spice up the story with some juicy dirt on Mitarai when Kamishiro elbowed him hard to shut him up.
He looked at Kamishiro, baffled. Why stop him?
Was Kamishiro trying to protect Mitarai?
No way!
Out of everyone here, Kamishiro is the last person who would protect Mitarai.
He sweetly calls him "stand-in" while happily sending his stand-in straight to hell.
What's that supposed to be?
Atonement?
You torture the stand-in but not the real guy?
Kamishiro didn't respond. He just smiled and straightened the clothes he had just put on.
"Miss Rie, you should know—even though Mitarai isn't a good person, he's still our beloved comrade, our brother!"
"What could have possibly given you the idea that we would ever betray our own brother?"
Kamishiro's voice was full of righteous conviction. If the people here didn't already know his true nature, they might have believed him.
Unfortunately, everyone here knew him too well—so clearly, this bastard was up to no good!
At those words—
Rie gave Kamishiro a long, deep look. "Is that so?"
The next second—
Two thousand-yen bills were shoved into Kamishiro's hands.
"How about now?"
"You insult our brotherly bond!"
SMACK!
Another bill.
"And now?"
"Mitarai and I go way back—he's like family!"
SMACK!
Another bill.
"We…"
SMACK!
"That's the last one."
This time, she didn't even let Kamishiro finish—she slapped one more bill into his hands.
Looking at the 14 Fukuzawa Yukichi (i.e., 14,000 yen) in his hands, Kamishiro's smile nearly reached his ears.
"Alrighty then, dear guest—let me tell you the tale~"
With the power of cash backing him, Kamishiro suddenly transformed into a master storyteller, vividly painting the entire scene for Rie.
This—was simply the principle of doing business.
We must continue offering services that satisfy our guests~
Unlike the others, Kamishiro Kamishiro was already a popular figure even at Omu University.
Many girls often dreamed of a romantic "coincidental" encounter with Kamishiro at Izu University.
He even had his own fan club back at Omu!
Among all the shady friends in Mitarai's circle, Rie knew Kamishiro the best through these channels.
And more importantly—
She had previously worked with Kamishiro. She knew exactly what he wanted!
It's just that the price was a bit high this time.
But that's okay!
She…
Could afford it!
After all, it wasn't her money~
"..."
Staring at the wad of cash in Kamishiro's hand, Iori next to him was red with jealousy.
Damn it!!!
He never imagined you could earn money like this! Just a few words and 14,000 yen?
In Iori's mind, even bundling up the four perverts and selling them wouldn't fetch that much!
Aaaaghhh!!!
Also, the wallet Rie pulled out just now… wasn't that Mitarai's?
At this realization, Iori suddenly felt a bit sorry for Mitarai.
Not only had he been kidnapped, but his girlfriend was now using his money to pay a more handsome, squinty-eyed bastard for dirt on his past perversions.
"..."
Damn it!
That really hurts!
Of course, it wasn't Mitarai he felt sorry for—he and Kamishiro were the kinds of people you didn't need to consider as human.
No, the one he felt sorry for… was himself!
Had he known it could go down like this, he would've done it too! Apparently, shamelessness is the key to wealth!
So maybe… if he pestered Kamishiro to split the take, would that work?
Iori stroked his chin, seriously pondering the idea.
Meanwhile—
Kamishiro had already given a thoroughly embellished account of everything about Mitarai.
Stuffing the money into his pocket and seeing the black aura rising from Rie, Kamishiro revealed a satisfied smirk.
Just a few simple words, and he not only made money but also successfully blocked that bastard Mitarai from taking his final step into manhood.
absolutely perfect!
Only one thing was still bothering him:
"So… who the hell were those guys who took Mitarai? So brazen in broad daylight?"
Kamishiro asked in confusion. Shouldn't something like this be reported to the police immediately?
Why had Rie been running around like a headless chicken looking for him?
Upon hearing this—
Chisa and the others also turned to Rie, puzzled.
"Yeah, what exactly happened back then?"
"Did you get tangled up with the local yakuza?"
"Why didn't we run into the kidnappers…"
Aina muttered vacantly. "If the kidnappers had taken Iori instead… maybe her youth could've been restored?"
"..."
Kamishiro wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. This girl had clearly lost it.
Hearing everyone's questions, the still-angry Rie snorted coldly, "Hmph, forget about him. He'll come crawling back in a few days anyway. Thinking back, going out alone with him was way too impulsive. We'll talk again when he's ready to come clean!
Aina san, can I sleep with you tonight?"
Rie blinked and looked at Aina expectantly. Being alone was just too boring.
"Eh?" Aina froze, "Is that really okay?"
Isn't he your boyfriend?
Are relationships this casual for you guys?
This was nothing like what happens in TV dramas!
"Don't worry about it, really. Mitarai was taken by his friends. He should be safe."
Rie waved her hand dismissively. She'd originally come to spend an unforgettable night with Mitarai.
But now that she knew her dear "big brother" liked stalking people… So much for a romantic evening!
Let him reflect on that before anything else!
"..."
Well then. Aina and the others were speechless. Even her way of addressing him had changed—looks like Mitarai's road to redemption was going to be rocky.
Unlike the girls, Kamishiro and Iori caught on to a key word!
"Mitarai's…"
"Friends?!"
Their expressions stiffened. As far as they knew, Mitarai didn't really have any male friends outside of their group.
Hmm…
Mainly because Izu University was already full of perverts.
The local pervert population was already saturated—no more needed!
So if that's the case…
Could it be those guys they were thinking of?!
"Eh? Yeah… I'm talking about Yamamoto and the others. You didn't know they were in Okinawa too?"
Rie was puzzled. She had assumed Kamishiro and the rest had come with Yamamoto's group—hence her earlier excitement.
She thought maybe they could bring Mitarai back.
But now… there wasn't really a need for that anymore.
"..."
So it was them!!!
Yamamoto… Miss Rie, are you sure your boyfriend is safe?
Those guys were scarier than any ordinary kidnapper!
Kamishiro and Iori were on the verge of breaking down.
Why, why were those bastards also in Okinawa?!
Japan is huge, can't they go literally anywhere else?
This was supposed to be a rare vacation! Shouldn't those guys be holed up in their rooms reading their precious dirty magazines?
Even if they wanted to see girls in swimsuits, they didn't have to come all the way to Okinawa!
Izu would've been enough for that!
Kamishiro and Iori exchanged glances and saw deep confusion in each other's eyes.
They had no idea why those animals were here!
But they did know one thing:
They absolutely could not let those guys find them!!!
If they found out the two of them had gone on a solo trip with girls…
They'd be sleeping with the fishes for sure!!!
"Ha ha, since we're not going to look for Mitarai anymore, let's head back to the inn. It's already…"
Just as Kamishiro was about to lead everyone back, a van screeched to a stop right beside them.
And then—
To Kamishiro's horror, several arms shot out from the van and, in the blink of an eye, dragged him inside.
Of course, Iori was snatched up too—and even the heartbroken Kohei couldn't escape their clutches!
Inside the van—
They were greeted by two hideously menacing faces.
Like demons from hell, ready to devour them.
"Found you!"
Traitors to the organization!