Utaha hesitated for a moment, then frowned and looked away, muttering with disdain, "Stay out of my sight from now on. You're disgusting..."
"Kasumigaoka... Utaha..." Yoru forced himself to stop crying and gritted her name out between clenched teeth.
His fists clenched like sandbags. His jaw trembled as he glanced back toward the principal's office.
The heavy door blocked his view.
And then—Kaguya Shinomiya!
Rage and hatred surged within him. If his emotions could ignite, the flames would consume everything.
Huff—
Yoru loosened his blood-red fists and took a deep breath, stepping away from the principal's office.
It was lunchtime.
After finding a hidden spot on campus to cry his heart out and dry his tears, Yoru finally picked up his backpack and left.
He was afraid he'd lose control and cry on the way home. That would be too humiliating.
He especially didn't want to cry at home and worry his parents.
...
Yoru lived in northern Shinagawa, near the border of Minato Ward.
His commute usually took half an hour by train.
But today, feeling emotionally wrecked, he decided to walk home, carrying his bag through the bustling city and tall buildings, letting the wind clear his head.
Minato Ward had beautiful scenery, especially near Shuchiin.
Tokyo Tower, the largest waterfront park in Japan, equestrian fields...
It took Yoru an hour and a half to walk home.
His house was a luxurious two-story single-family home with a spacious yard.
At this hour, his parents hadn't returned from work yet.
So Yoru was relieved as he unlocked the door and stepped inside.
Back in the warm comfort of his home, Yoru switched shoes at the entryway—and once again, tears started falling.
But after crying so much earlier, his eyes were dry. Only a few stray tears slipped down his cheeks.
Sniff... sniff...
He sniffled as he climbed the stairs to his bedroom.
Throwing himself onto his soft bed, Yoru buried his face deep into the mattress, clenching his fists.
He kept telling himself to be strong. Don't cry. Be strong.
After squeezing out a few more tears, he forced the sadness down and began thinking.
Mafuyu Kirisu—the one who aggressively threatened to call the police and ruin his life!
Kasumigaoka Utaha—the one who cursed him, insulted him, and tried to get him expelled without any proof!
Kaguya Shinomiya—the one who, for no reason, targeted him and made things worse!
Those three Fucking bitches!
Yoru's heart swelled with hatred. He suddenly raised his face from the pillow.
His features were twisted with fury, his eyes bloodshot and bulging.
THUD!
Out of nowhere, he slammed his fist into the bed.
The bed frame shook violently from the impact.
"AHH! AHH!"
Yoru shot upright and began furiously pounding the mattress with both fists, releasing his fury.
"Why won't anyone believe me?! Why does everyone suspect me?! Damn it... damn it all!"
His screams echoed through the room, muffled only by the thick walls.
Thankfully, the house was well-built and soundproof—no one outside could hear.
After venting for a while, his thoughts still a tangled mess, Yoru sat up cross-legged on the bed.
Suddenly, he remembered something—
Last night, when he returned from the bathhouse, he saw a faint light near his tent!
"Was that the real culprit?"
The idea flashed through his mind.
At the time, he'd thought someone was about to mess with his tent, so he ran back right away.
The person must've panicked at being discovered and hastily buried Utaha's panties and stockings in the sand.
The discovery site was indeed very close to Yoru's tent...
"Wait—"
Yoru's brow twitched as he realized something critical.
If the culprit's goal had been Utaha's underwear, they wouldn't have buried it.
They could've just run off with it. That would've been much faster than burying it and then escaping.
So that meant the culprit didn't want to keep Utaha's underwear as a trophy.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone through so much risk only to bury it afterward.
At the very least, that much was clear.
"Thinking about it... maybe the culprit wasn't even male?"
Yoru sat upright, now fully serious.
"Then the motive was just as I suspected?!"
"To frame Kasumigaoka Utaha—or... to frame me?"
Yoru's eyes widened as he exhaled a cold breath.
The more he followed this train of thought, the more confident he became.
He could even boldly claim—it must be true!
Yoru cursed himself for panicking earlier and forgetting this crucial detail. He leapt to his feet.
But just as he raised a leg, he slumped back down again.
Utaha would probably just assume he made this all up after the fact, trying to deflect suspicion...
Frustrated, Yoru pounded the bed again and kept thinking about the culprit's motive.
To get revenge on Utaha? On him? Or both?
So—who could it be?
Who had a bad relationship with Utaha and wanted to retaliate?
Maybe someone jealous of her, who thought it would be hilarious to hand her intimate items over to the most disgusting fat loser at Shuchiin—Yoru?
"Damn it, don't let me find out who you are...!"
Yoru's face twisted once again into a terrifying mask of rage.
That damn culprit... don't let me find out who you are.
If you're a man, I'll make you regret ever being born male.
If you're a woman, I'll make you experience being a whore!
Right now—
That unknown culprit—whose gender and motive remained a mystery—had already been marked for death in Yoru's heart.
His hatred for the culprit had even surpassed his hatred for Utaha.
"The culprit… Kasumigaoka Utaha, Kaguya Shinomiya, Mafuyu Kirisu…"
"I will never forgive you. Just wait until I get the chance…"
Yoru's hoarse voice sounded like the creaking of a dried-up tree being stripped of its bark—eerie and chilling.
Not now.
A gentleman's revenge may take ten years.
At worst, once his parents were gone, he'd have nothing left to worry about. He was already just a useless fat shut-in who couldn't survive without his mom and dad.
He'd never known much happiness anyway.
When the time came, what would he have to fear?
Might as well fight back!
Yoru recalled a certain Korean webtoon.