You Really Are a Bit Cruel

Walking out of the family restaurant, the cool evening breeze brushed against Imaizumi Keita’s face, but he didn’t head straight home.

He kept thinking about matters related to Yanaimi Anna, analyzing the likelihood of her approaching him again in the future.

Before considering any of that, he needed to prepare a foolproof insurance measure for himself.

His ability was supernatural — impossible to explain with common sense.

If any unexpected “loss of control” happened while interacting with others, what awaited him wouldn’t be a simple misunderstanding, but an inescapable swamp of accusations.

He needed objective, undeniable evidence to prove his innocence.

Thus, instead of going home, Imaizumi walked toward the large shopping mall on the other side of the station.

His goal was clear — the electronics section.

He needed two tools for “self-defense”:
a high-performance voice recorder, and a discreet enough camera.

Naturally, they wouldn’t be used under normal circumstances.

But if he ever sensed danger, those two devices would be far more convenient than a phone…

They could help record conversations or physical interactions that might later be twisted, preventing him from being dragged into unnecessary trouble.

Together, the two items cost a hefty sum for a high school student.

But to someone with memories of two lifetimes, this expense was completely justified…

If it helped him even once… then it could never be considered a loss.

…

Two days had passed since the family restaurant incident, and Imaizumi had already begun adapting to the side effects of his ability.

His daily life hadn’t changed much — except he now carried a voice recorder on standby in his pocket, and a small emergency-use camera tucked in his bag.

Entering the classroom, he was immediately greeted by the usual noisy morning chatter.

Then his eyes were drawn to the far side of the room.

Yanaimi Anna, Hakumada Sosuke, and the newly transferred girl Himiya Karen were gathered together.

Himiya Karen was dazzling — impossible to ignore.

With her silky pink long hair, snow-white skin, and a uniform that absolutely failed to conceal her voluptuous curves…

She emitted an aura of pure, natural innocence — perfectly fitting the “angelic transfer heroine” archetype.

Of course, that was only the surface-level first impression.

Right now, Himiya Karen was enthusiastically hugging Yanaimi Anna tightly from behind.

“Anna! Thank you so, sooo much! If you hadn’t pushed Sosuke toward me that day, I really might’ve ended up leaving for England alone!”

Her voice was sweet and sincere, carrying the relief of a close call and heartfelt gratitude toward her “savior.”

Her cheek affectionately nuzzled Anna’s face, conveying her soft warmth without restraint.

Meanwhile, Yanaimi stood stiff as a board.

Imaizumi could see that her smile was forced, completely lacking her usual lively spark.

Her eyes had no focus, staring blankly ahead…

“N-No big deal… We’re friends, right? It’s just what I should do…”

She squeezed the words out from between her teeth, lacking any enthusiasm.

Hakumada Sosuke stood beside them, wearing a bashful, blissful expression.

He scratched his head while looking at the two girls, his eyes overflowing with affection for Himiya Karen and gratitude toward Anna.

He seemed genuinely thankful for his childhood friend’s help…

A very classic scene.

The victor’s display and the loser’s forced smile.

The scene itself was a public execution for the defeated girl.

Students around them whispered quietly, their gazes drifting toward the center of this emotional battlefield.

A girl sitting in front of Imaizumi turned around, whispering gossipingly,
“Hey, Imaizumi, Yanaimi-chan’s face looks like it’s turning into stone… poor girl.”

Imaizumi didn’t take his eyes off the trio.

His lips curved in the faintest smile as he answered softly:

“Poor? Personally, I think it’s an honor to watch such high-level emotional composure for free.”

What a cruel comment.

The girl blinked, stunned — then her cheeks turned bright red.

She hadn’t expected such a wicked response.

Looking at his mischievous smirk, she found him unexpectedly handsome today, her heartbeat skipping uncontrollably.

“Y-You’re really kind of heartless…”

After saying that, she realized he wasn’t paying her any attention and quickly gave up on continuing the conversation, turning back around in disappointment.

Imaizumi didn’t bother with that small interruption.

He continued watching Yanaimi Anna’s misery, wondering how long it would take her to break free from such suffocating awkwardness.

Back in the family restaurant, she had personally pushed her childhood friend into another woman’s arms.

And now that very woman — the one who “took him away” — was hugging her and thanking her sweetly for her “blessing.”

Given how close the two girls seemed on the surface, Imaizumi suspected Anna might secretly wish their friendship would fall apart so she could have an excuse to fight…

Women fighting…
There aren’t many men who dislike watching that…

His mind began drifting.

He recalled how Sosuke had sprinted out of the restaurant without hesitation that day, then looked at Himiya Karen’s “innocent, easygoing” appearance, and the way Sosuke openly ogled her.

Dry firewood meets open flame.

Most likely, their relationship had skyrocketed to its deepest stage since that day.

Meaning—

While Yanaimi Anna was grieving the “loss” of her childhood friend…

Still believing this was merely an innocent romance rivalry…

The victor and her prize had probably already experienced physical “harmony” somewhere.

That was Yanaimi Anna’s greatest tragedy.

One side was still stuck in emotional heartbreak,
while the other had already advanced to bodily pleasure.

This invisible gap in information and awareness was a total, merciless crushing of the loser’s spirit and dignity.

She probably still believed she had only “lost his heart,”
when in reality, she had already lost the boy entirely.

A defeated girl kept in the dark…
The emotional energy she produced was, in Imaizumi’s eyes, quite rich.

But it also created a new problem.

If Yanaimi Anna’s emotional foundation had already collapsed,
then on what grounds should he approach her?

Pretending to comfort her?

Though Imaizumi didn’t dislike Anna, he resisted the idea of approaching her proactively.

He preferred a relationship based on equal cooperation or mutual benefit…

But such a dynamic wouldn’t arise easily.

It would require a catalyst — something that affected Anna on a deeper level.

Thinking about this, a more wicked — yet more logical — thought appeared in Imaizumi’s mind.

What if…

What if Himiya Karen wasn’t as harmless and innocent as she appeared?