Soubu High had a high academic deviation score — and equally strict regulations.The Disciplinary Committee even patrolled between classes, ensuring that "improper relationships" between boys and girls didn't appear anywhere on campus.
Perhaps because of that, the students poured all their unspent youthful energy into club activities instead.Soubu's clubs regularly earned impressive results in competitions, and the more successful a club became, the stricter it was in choosing its members for tournaments.
Hayase Saki, the ace of the Girls' Competitive Swimming Club and already one of the top athletes despite being only a second-year, had no reason to worry about selection.(Illustration: viewable after the next update.)
Her childhood friend Fukuyama Keita, however — a first-year who had joined the Swimming Club not long ago — wasn't so lucky.
She'd secretly gone to check on him several times during practice, only to see him struggling. His times hadn't improved, his form was off, and from the looks of it, Keita wouldn't even make the preliminary list for the upcoming championship.
Saki had always been introverted and shy, with few friends of her own, so she hadn't told anyone about it.But unfortunately, one of her classmates in the Swimming Club — Miwa Kenichirou — had noticed her sneaking around.
"So, have you given it any more thought?""The final roster's being decided soon. If your little first-year crush can't make a proper impression, he won't even be listed as a reserve."
Outside the club's changing room, in a secluded corner behind the pool building, a boy and a girl stood talking in hushed voices.
The girl wore Soubu High's uniform, her blouse stretched taut across an astonishing curve.The boy, still dripping from practice, wore only swim trunks — his gaze burning with desire as he stared at the pure-faced, beautifully built girl in front of him.
"You… you don't have to do that," Saki murmured, eyes darting away. "Keita will be fine. I know he will…"
Once, her childhood friend had been exceptional — talented and hardworking.But at some point, his progress had stalled, and now he couldn't even qualify for the preliminaries.
"You get how it is, right?" Miwa leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "If I'm competing, that slot won't go to him. So why don't you reconsider my offer? Relax — I won't go all the way."
His tone was smooth, practiced — the patience of someone used to manipulating others.Miwa Kenichirou forced himself to suppress the hunger twisting inside him as he looked at her: that angelic face paired with a sinful body.
Soubu's disciplinary code was tight. Not every corner had cameras, but most did.If he pushed her and she broke free, if the cameras caught it, he'd be expelled — or worse.
Fortunately, this girl was as naïve as her childhood friend. A few gentle words and she was already wavering.
Once she agreed to his little "condition," he'd have what he wanted.And later, when he got bored, he could always share her with others who liked that sort of thing.
"Mmm…"Saki bit her lip hard, trembling. It was a request she should have refused instantly — yet she hesitated. After a long silence, she whispered,"If… if you promise no kissing, no going all the way… and you never bother me again afterward…"
Got her!
Miwa's heart leapt with glee. Just as he was about to seal his disgusting deal, a calm voice called out behind him.
"Yukinoshita-san, did you get all that on video?"
"Everything. It's all recorded."
Yukinoshita Yukino saved the video backup, then raised her phone again as she stepped out from the shadows alongside Hikigaya Hachiman.Her gaze was icy as she looked at the stunned Miwa and the trembling Saki.
At first, she hadn't understood what Hachiman meant by "Minotaurs."But after witnessing this exchange, she understood all too well.
That such things could happen even in a school as strict as Soubu High — it was beyond appalling.She couldn't even imagine what went on at lesser schools.
"Wh-When did you start recording?! Delete it! Delete that right now!!!"
Miwa lunged toward her, reaching for her phone —only to collapse to his knees a second later, screaming in pain.
Yukino had been ready to discipline the scum herself using her Aikido training — but when she looked up, Hachiman was already in front of her.
He had kicked Miwa so hard that his face twitched involuntarily.Yukino paused for two seconds, then spoke coldly.
"I don't know who you think you are, but using your tournament qualification to coerce someone into indecent acts—"
Her eyes narrowed.
"—the Disciplinary Committee will make sure you pay for it. And the Student Council will be considering whether you deserve expulsion."
"And if you try to lay a hand on either of us again," Hachiman added, his voice flat, "you'll be spending your time in prison."
Miwa's face twisted in rage and fear. The pain from Hachiman's kick still throbbed through his body.He looked between the two of them — the girl he'd been about to exploit, and the pair of interlopers who'd ruined everything — and said nothing.
Hachiman, his trademark dead-fish eyes unblinking, silently watched him, ready to react if the jerk tried anything desperate.
He'd taken off his hooded assassin robe before coming here. The outfit's concealing design was useful, but far too conspicuous for something like this.He could wear it when hunting alone, but not while working alongside Yukino.
Even though the Assassin Template hadn't strengthened his physical body — he was still just an ordinary high schooler — its skills, reflexes, and experience were more than enough to handle a scumbag like this.
He'd never actually killed anyone in this world, but the memories that came with the template contained vivid, lifelike scenes of assassination.Maybe because of that, he didn't feel much resistance toward killing when faced with evil.
Now, seeing this Miwa Kenichirou glowing red in his Eagle Vision, he couldn't help wanting to flick out his hidden blade and collect his Minotaur Hunt reward.
But this was school — with cameras everywhere.If he "accidentally" killed someone here, the one in trouble would be him.
Miwa, still weighing his options, suddenly realized that the boy with the dead-fish eyes had been silently tracing his gaze over his vital points — head, neck, heart, abdomen.A chill ran down his spine. He turned on his heel and left without another word.
As he left, he glared at the dazed Hayase Saki, blaming his misfortune on the "big-breasted airhead" who had gotten him into this mess.
Of course, he recognized Yukinoshita Yukino the moment she'd appeared — her beauty, reputation, and family name were legendary in Chiba.He'd never dared to touch her; he only wanted to grab her phone and destroy the evidence.But seeing that it was impossible, he could only retreat.
The Yukinoshita family might not be on the level of the national zaibatsu, but for a commoner like him, they were untouchable.If he made her angry, she could have him quietly buried behind paperwork and legal "accidents" before the week was over.
Still, as far as he was concerned, that video couldn't actually hurt him much.At worst, it would ruin his reputation — not that it was great to begin with — and cost him his tournament slot. Expulsion? Whatever. He'd just transfer to another school.
He hated this uptight place anyway.The rules were suffocating — even the Swimming Club was divided by gender, wasting so many pretty girls on the all-female division.
He should've joined the Soccer Club. They had female managers in shorts who fussed over the players all summer long. Way better than a pool full of sweaty guys.
"Tch…" Miwa cursed under his breath as he stalked off. "I'll make that idiot Fukuyama pay for this…"
The thought of Saki's sweet-faced, big-hearted childhood friend made him boil with jealousy.He needed someone to take his anger out on.
He didn't realize that Hikigaya Hachiman was silently watching his retreating back, calculating the perfect moment to strike.
Attempted coercion or not, it wasn't a death sentence.Even if reported, Miwa would only be expelled — maybe jailed for a while.
But Hachiman was no ordinary student anymore.
He was a Brotherhood Assassin.
And a true Assassin did not let morality — or the law — decide who deserved to live.