"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—"
In the women's restroom of the administrative building, the sound of running water echoed.
Arisu stood in front of the sink. The faucet's flow was fast and forceful. She scrubbed her hands hard until the sticky sensation was completely gone, then finally let out a soft breath.
She never expected Toru would actually go through with it.
She had originally just intended to test him, to see where his limits were. But what Arisu hadn't anticipated was that his moral bottom line was so unbelievably low.
After confirming there were no cameras in the hallway, that man had actually dared to unbuckle his belt right in front of her.
Fortunately, he didn't directly push her against the wall. He only asked her to use her hand to help resolve it.
But even so, Arisu was still shocked, and she had gained a new understanding of Toru's shamelessness.
"I really was stupid. He knew I was coming, yet he still did that kind of thing to that Yukino in the sports equipment room. How could he possibly go easy on me?"
Arisu gave a self-deprecating laugh.
From the reflection in the mirror, she caught a glimpse of someone standing behind her and immediately felt a jolt in her chest.
Could it be that guy followed her into the women's restroom and wanted her to do something even more outrageous?
She turned around, about to scold him in a flustered mix of anger and embarrassment, but when she saw that it wasn't Toru, she quickly returned to her calm and elegant demeanor.
"Horikita-san, why are you here? Today is Saturday. Shouldn't you be at home?"
Standing at the entrance of the women's restroom was none other than Horikita Suzune.
She wasn't in her Advanced Nurturing High School uniform, but a casual college-style outfit. Her features were striking, and her expression was as cool as ever.
Suzune's gaze landed on the suspicious whitish liquid in the sink, slowly being washed away by the running water. She said in a cold tone, "So it's A-Class's Sakayanagi."
"I just came back to grab something important I left behind."
"But this is the faculty building, not the student dorms."
"I drank too much water before coming. I just came here to use the restroom."
Alright, a reasonable excuse.
Suzune then asked in return, "Sakayanagi-san, why are you in the faculty building?"
"My father is the chairman. I just came to see him."
"Chairman Sakayanagi really is dedicated, working even on the weekend. Would you mind stepping aside?"
"Please, go ahead."
Arisu subtly shifted her position, moving only slightly.
Mainly because... she wasn't wearing anything under her short skirt right now.
Her panties were too wet to wear, so she had just taken them off. She hadn't expected to run into Horikita Suzune here.
Her movement was small, but Suzune still noticed. She thought Arisu's leg was bothering her.
She asked with concern, "Sakayanagi-san, is your leg hurting? Do you need help?"
Arisu looked a bit awkward. "No, it's alright. Thank you very much, Horikita-san."
Suzune gave her a curious glance but didn't ask any further. She nodded and went into a stall.
Arisu let out a soft sigh of relief. Thank goodness Suzune hadn't noticed. She quickly picked up her cane and hurried away.
There was no one else in the faculty building, so she didn't have to worry about being caught without panties.
Downstairs, Toru saw Inoue Akihiko standing respectfully as if waiting for him, and asked curiously, "Mr. Inoue, were you waiting for me?"
Inoue Akihiko quickly replied, "I forgot to say goodbye earlier. That was my mistake."
Toru frowned slightly. Inoue Akihiko was at least the number two figure in the Special Investigation Department. Even if he wanted to be humble, he shouldn't have to stoop so low.
Sure enough, Inoue continued, "I worked hard to be assigned this mission so I could assist Fujiwara-kun."
"Director Sakai originally wanted to send Matsushima, but I was worried that guy might neglect Fujiwara-kun, so I volunteered."
"Fujiwara-kun, if you ever need anything done, please don't hesitate to let me know. Even if it involves the Special Investigation Department, I can help with a thing or two."
Toru's thoughts turned sharply. He replied, "Then I'll trouble you in the future, Mr. Inoue."
The two exchanged a few pleasantries and contact information before Inoue Akihiko finally took his leave.
"These people, their words are always a blend of truth and falsehood."
Toru shook his head.
In just a few words, Inoue had revealed a lot.
Matsushima was the third-in-command of the Special Investigation Department. Director Sakai had originally wanted to send him, but Inoue had disobeyed orders and forced his way in.
"It seems my previous guess was wrong. Inoue Akihiko isn't Sakai's trusted man, or maybe he's no longer in favor and is threatening Sakai's position."
"The reason he came to me is that he wants me as a backer, but that's wishful thinking. Even though I'm in charge of the Japan branch, the Special Investigation Department appointments are decided by headquarters. I don't have that kind of authority."
Toru thought it over.
Still, this wasn't a bad thing.
The reason the Director of the Special Investigation Department was so deferential toward him wasn't because of Toru himself. It was because of their fear of CIA Director Spencer.
In other words, Director Sakai Takaaki and Toru weren't on the same side. He could oppose him anytime for Spencer's sake.
Meanwhile, Inoue, trying to hold onto his position, couldn't reach Spencer, so he came to seek Toru's help.
"Then I'll plant a nail in the Special Investigation Department. Make him my man. If I help him keep his position, I'll have someone inside the department too."
If he could truly control the Special Investigation Department, rather than just rely on Spencer's authority, then even if he couldn't act without restraint in Japan, he could at least operate freely. And few would dare stand against him.
Just then, Toru's gaze shifted. He saw Arisu standing at the entrance of the faculty building, leaning on her cane with her right hand.
His eyes fell on her left hand, which was tightly holding down the hem of her skirt. A smirk appeared on Toru's lips.
Arisu still wore her confident and composed expression, but a gust of wind made her legs under the skirt tremble slightly.
She hadn't expected going without panties to be so stimulating—it was freezing!
"Adult conversations really are subtle."
"Did you hear what I said to Inoue Akihiko just now?"
"Yes. I could basically tell his position is unstable."
"I told you, Arisu, you're very smart."
"But not smart enough. I lack experience."
"That's why I'm helping you. Helping you gain experience."
Toru stepped forward with a faint, teasing smile. "Arisu, your learning ability is incredible. Just now, your hand went from clumsy to smooth in under a minute."
Arisu didn't react to Toru's overly familiar tone. "Should I be thankful you only asked for my hand, and not something more?"
"You can thank me now, but I like to take things step by step. This time it was your hand, next time, it might go further."
Arisu wasn't angry or flustered. She was calm and sharp. She asked, "Why me?"
She wasn't stupid. How could she not see that Toru was targeting her? All of this was orchestrated to corner her.
"Because you're very beautiful?"
"Hah, so beauty really is a kind of original sin."
Arisu didn't show anger. On the contrary, she looked somewhat proud. After all, Toru's words were still a compliment to her looks.
"You went as far as personally interfering in a billion-dollar deal just to turn me into your toy. I should feel honored."
She didn't sound sarcastic, but her eyes narrowed slightly, making it hard to tell what she was thinking.
Toru laughed. "You're giving yourself too much credit. You're excellent and beautiful, yes, but you're not worth tens of billions."
Why had he gotten involved?
Simple. Because he could profit from it.
Toru didn't need to spend much. He just had to use his identity to coordinate the resources.
The money came from the Shinomiya family. The blame was taken by the Shinomiya family and the Special Investigation Department.
The benefits went to Fujiwara. Sakanayagi was pulled into the Fujiwara political system.
Toru himself also earned a hundred million dollars for free. If he could use that to make a beautiful girl obedient, of course he would go all in.
"Should I walk you back to the dorm?"
Even though it was the weekend and there weren't many people at school, Arisu, who wasn't wearing underwear, still risked getting exposed.
Arisu didn't refuse. She followed beside Toru as they walked toward the dormitory building.
"As your assistant, what do you want me to do?"
"I thought you didn't want to work."
"I don't want to be a caged canary, nor a doll for you to toy with. I need to prove my ability and show you that I'm not just a pretty face."
Arisu spoke calmly.
She called herself a genius and was indeed top-tier among her peers. What she hated most was being underestimated.
"When we get back, I'll send you a standard document. Write reports according to that format. Your first job will be to submit a funding request on my behalf."
"Alright."
Toru hadn't brought Arisu on just for her looks.
He really did need a competent assistant.
He found writing reports annoying, but it had to be done. Now, all those tasks could be handed to Arisu.
With her abilities, this kind of work would be easy for her.
At the front entrance of the faculty building, Horikita Suzune walked out after using the restroom. She stared at the backs of the man and woman walking away.
"That's Fujiwara Toru... Why is he at school? And why is Sakayanagi-san so close to him?"
Horikita recalled what she had seen in the restroom earlier and suddenly had a wild thought.
Could the two of them have done something... inappropriate in the faculty hallway?
At the entrance of the girls' dormitory, Arisu said, "You can drop me off here, Fujiwara-kun. Beyond this is the girls' dorm."
"Not inviting me in to visit your dorm?"
Arisu's face stiffened slightly. She sighed. "If you really want to come in, then please, go ahead."
They'd already done something in the hallway. Did Toru really want to push things further in the girls' dorm?
Unexpectedly, Toru chuckled. "Forget it. Next time. Don't forget to check your email tonight."
Watching him leave so easily, Arisu was left a little stunned.
This man... is really hard to read.
(To be continued.)
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