Ichinose's room. Kamio Tatsuya and Ichinose Honami sat facing each other.
Kamio Tatsuya looked relaxed, but Ichinose's expression was serious, or rather, intent.
Kamio Tatsuya had been curious for a while. Ichinose was incredibly smart, likely among the top few in the entire grade.
She wasn't lacking in athleticism either, and her social skills were off the charts. Any first-year student who had interacted with her only had good things to say about Ichinose.
Yet, someone like her had been placed in Class B.
Kamio Tatsuya had overheard teachers talking on the ship, and through those conversations, he learned something important: the school conducted background checks on students before they enrolled.
Combining these two facts led to one conclusion: Ichinose's background check likely revealed she wasn't the perfect student she appeared to be.
It was similar to Kushida's situation…
Except her issues were probably not as severe as Kushida's, which was why she wasn't placed in Class D.
As for Kushida, although he knew she had caused a major incident, he still didn't know what it was.
"I… I have a sin. I'm a sinner."
A sinner?
They were all minors. What crime could you possibly commit? Did you end up in juvenile detention?
Kamio Tatsuya was still capable of thinking about such things at this moment.
"I… I stole things."
Stealing, huh… Kamuro did that too.
As his relationship with Kamuro progressed, Kamio Tatsuya learned a lot about her, including details about her upbringing.
Due to her parents, she lived in a high-pressure environment, which led her to develop a bad habit of stealing by chance.
She didn't care about what she stole; it was purely for the thrill.
And she was also very talented. Despite committing multiple offenses, she was never caught until she met Kamio Tatsuya.
Not only did she stop stealing, but she also stole Kamio Tatsuya's heart.
In comparison, Kamio Tatsuya was even more curious about what Ichinose had stolen and why.
"My family is a single-parent household with just my mother. I haven't seen my father since I can remember. I have a sister two years younger than me. Although we weren't well-off, I never felt it was unfortunate."
Ichinose began to talk about her past. Kamio Tatsuya listened quietly.
What was going on with this school?
He himself was an orphan. Katsuragi, whom he met during the summer, was also an orphan. Now, here was Ichinose, who only had her mother.
"Since there was only one adult in the house, my mother had to raise two children while working. Even I could feel how hard she worked.
Because I always saw this, I thought I'd start working after middle school graduation to ease her burden and make my sister happy.
But when I mentioned this, my mother immediately dismissed it. Just as I wanted my sister to be happy, my mother wanted me to be happy too."
Kamio Tatsuya shook his head inwardly.
In this life, let alone, in his previous life, if he had offered to work part-time, his mother would have been delighted and said with a smile, "You've really grown up."
However, the circumstances of his previous life meant he couldn't work before the age of 16. Child labor was illegal, so no one would hire him.
But he wouldn't deny Ichinose's mother's actions, as she was a mother for the first time.
Since working wasn't an option, Ichinose chose another path: studying hard and earning school scholarships to lighten her mother's load.
And indeed, Ichinose succeeded, quickly achieving the top spot in the entire grade just after enrolling.
Ichinose's sister was also very well-behaved and sensible, never asking for anything and never playing with friends, always enduring.
But she was a child, a teenager. She became curious about the things around her and, for the first time, wanted something.
It was a hair clip from her favorite celebrity.
Speaking of which, Kamio Tatsuya finally understood. It was that hair clip, the one he had given to Kamuro, the one he had placed in Ichinose's palm during the sports festival.
No wonder that thing was so expensive.
"My mother took on extra work on top of her already packed schedule to buy my sister this hair clip, but she ended up collapsing and was hospitalized."
As Kamio Tatsuya had guessed, for some reason, Ichinose's sister didn't get the hair clip.
Even though Ichinose's mother earned extra money from working overtime, Kamio Tatsuya had once seen a joke.
It was about someone who, after acquiring a great fortune, took a taxi and asked the driver to take him to the most expensive place in the city, and they ended up at a hospital.
This illustrated how expensive medical care was.
So, Ichinose's sister's birthday present was likely a no-go.
Then, the item Ichinose stole must have been that hair clip. In terms of value, over 10,000 yen, it wasn't cheap.
"I still remember the look on my mother's face as she apologized to my sister while crying, and my sister's expression as she scolded her mother… She cried and shouted for the long-awaited hair clip."
Hearing this, Kamio Tatsuya fell silent.
He could understand Ichinose's sister's feelings. He had done something similar himself.
In his past life, his family wasn't well-off either, and he was a playful child, not as sensible as the sister Ichinose described.
He didn't have the toys his peers owned.
His family didn't even have a television. He had to go to other people's houses to watch popular dramas and cartoons, and he could only watch when others played video games.
If people were in a good mood, they'd let him play for a bit; otherwise, he'd just have to look.
That feeling of inferiority, anyone who experienced it would know.
Back then, his biggest wish was to have his own Famicom.
Later, for some reason, he had an outburst, and what he did then was almost identical to what Ichinose's sister did.
Though it seemed ridiculous now, at the time, all sorts of grievances flooded his heart, and negative emotions filled his mind.
How old was he then?
Kamio Tatsuya couldn't recall, but he felt he had no right to condemn Ichinose's sister.
She was just a child with insufficient psychological resilience.
Adults could break down in an instant; how much more so a child?
"I can't blame my sister for that. It was the only gift she ever asked for…" Ichinose's voice choked with emotion as she spoke.
Then, she looked up at Kamio Tatsuya.
"At that time, I thought, 'Ah, as an elder sister, I must find a way to restore my sister's smile.' So, on my sister's birthday, I went to the department store."
The rest of the story was basically clear.
"Even now, I remember how I felt back then. What's the big deal… Just once, doing something bad for my sister isn't that terrible. After all, there are so many people doing bad things in the world.
There's no need for us to be blamed for enduring so much. This will be forgiven. In that way, I hypnotized myself, and then I stole the hair clip that my sister had always wanted…"
Just as he thought.
"So, were you caught?"
"No, even though it was my first time stealing, I seemed to have a talent for it. No one found out," Ichinose shook her head, then gave a self-deprecating smile. "Maybe it would have been better if I had been caught then."
Hey, hey, hey, you shouldn't say that. Who knows what kind of adult material that might turn into? Ichinose was top-tier in both looks and figure, after all.
If her face wasn't so youthful, Kamio Tatsuya wouldn't have thought she was a high school student.
"This was an act that plunged everyone into misfortune, but at the time, I wanted to do something to make my sister happy. I realized nothing else.
But this was indeed wrong, wasn't it? In the end, a criminal act is a criminal act; it's a sin that repentance can never erase."
This wasn't an excuse, but Ichinose's true feelings.
"So, I brought the hair clip home and gave it to my dejected sister… Since it was stolen, I didn't wrap it at all, so it looked very rough, but my sister was still incredibly happy.
Seeing her smile, my sense of guilt instantly lessened, but that was wrong…"
"Since it was something that couldn't be seen in the light, I warned my sister not to tell our mother. However, my sister took the hair clip to visit our mother."
Oh…
This was truly tragic.
The reason Ichinose wanted her sister to keep it a secret was probably her fear that her mother would ask about its origin and she wouldn't be able to explain.
But Ichinose's sister believed it was a gift from her sister, and of course, she wanted to show it off.
As a result, Ichinose's mother immediately guessed where the hair clip came from.
After all, it was a valuable item costing over 10,000 yen. For Ichinose's family, this was a huge sum.
And Ichinose's mother didn't allow her children to work, so Ichinose, without any income, had few other ways to obtain it.
Besides stealing… she might have had to sell it.
Neither of which would be a good outcome.
"And my mother couldn't possibly miss that her daughter had done something wrong. That was the first time I saw my mother truly angry.
She slapped me hard and took the gift back from my sister… My sister, who was crying uncontrollably then, probably didn't understand why. She couldn't have imagined that her sister had stolen it."
"Then, my mother, who was still hospitalized at the time, took me to the store and knelt to beg for forgiveness… Seeing my mother kneeling and apologizing, I finally understood the immense weight of the sin I had committed."
"In the end, the store staff didn't hand me over to the police, but the commotion quickly spread. For the last six months of my third year of middle school, I was afraid to see anyone and spent all my time in my room."
"Later, my homeroom teacher told me about this school. Tuition and living expenses were waived, and I could get a job anywhere after graduation. Because I wanted a fresh start, I came to this school."
Kamio Tatsuya found it difficult to comment on this matter.
However, he finally understood why Ichinose had been assigned to Class B.
The school likely didn't discover her stealing. She was placed in Class B because she had been absent for six months.
Still, to have such good academic performance after half a year of not attending school was a bit unbelievable, friend.
Since joining the student council, Kamio Tatsuya had gained significant privileges, including the right to view academic records like entrance exam scores.
Ichinose had entered the school with the highest written exam score.
For the record, Horikita Suzune, who studied diligently every day, was third.
Complete defeat, Horikita Suzune.
A silence fell in Ichinose's room for a moment, and the atmosphere became gradually awkward.
"W-what should we talk about?"
"What should we talk about…" Kamio Tatsuya thought for a moment, then smiled at Ichinose. "It must have been hard, carrying all this."
Speaking of which, Ichinose's prolonged period of self-isolation was mainly her mother's fault.
From Kamio Tatsuya's perspective, he had no right to criticize, but he strongly disagreed with this method of educating children by harming oneself.
If he had done something like that in his previous life, his parents would have severely spanked him in front of the store staff rather than kneeling to anyone.
It was Ichinose's inherently kind nature that saved her. If it were someone with a bit of a dark side, they might have even thanked their mother for kneeling instead of them.
Thanks to this extreme educational approach, Ichinose became reclusive for half a year. It was a testament to her inner strength that she didn't develop depression.
However, this strong-willed girl now found tears uncontrollably streaming from her eyes.
Huh?
What was this now?
Damn, did I say something wrong again?
In reality, it was because no one had ever said something like that to Ichinose before.
Consider it: from the time she could remember, her family had lived a life of poverty. She studied desperately to ease her mother's burden.
Ichinose had just said her sister was sensible and had always endured, but wasn't Ichinose Honami herself enduring as well?
As the eldest daughter, Ichinose not only had to help her mother lessen the family's burden but also assist in taking care of her younger sister. Her pressure couldn't have been small.
It was natural to feel it was hard.
But her mother just saw her as sensible, and her sister thought her elder sister was amazing.
No one had ever told her: "You've worked hard."
So, upon hearing these words from Kamio Tatsuya, Ichinose could no longer control her emotions, and tears poured from her eyes.
At first, it was silent crying, then sobbing uncontrollably, crying with a heartbreak that was almost soul-wrenching.
Watching Ichinose cry herself out in his arms, Kamio Tatsuya scratched his head. What should he do?
After crying for a while, Ichinose gradually calmed down. Although she still sobbed occasionally, it was merely a residual effect of her intense weeping.
"I'm sorry for letting you see me like this."
"No, I think it's quite interesting, seeing another side of Ichinose," Kamio Tatsuya teased her.
"You're terrible, Kamio. You're so mean."
With the interruption, Ichinose seemed to have recovered somewhat.
"So, are you disillusioned?"
"Disillusioned?" Kamio Tatsuya asked, curious. "What do you mean? I never thought you were perfect to begin with. In fact, if there are any perfect people, please introduce them to me."
"Ahaha…"
"Alright, I should probably be going back now." Kamio Tatsuya stretched his legs, which had grown numb from sitting for too long.
"But Ichinose, the past is the past. You've been punished, and the store staff have already forgiven you. So, let it go."
"But…"
"No buts." Kamio Tatsuya interrupted her and took out a gift box from his pocket. "Oh, by the way, this is for you."
"Huh?"
Seeing the beautifully wrapped box in Kamio Tatsuya's hand, Ichinose looked confused.
"Aren't you going to open it?"
"Can I?"
"Of course."
Ichinose opened the box and found a silver hair clip lying quietly inside. He had bought it at the mall on impulse after deciding to visit her.
Kamio Tatsuya had been very quick; otherwise, half an hour would have been quite tight.
"Alright, the apology gift has been delivered. In that case, I'll be leaving now."
"Apology gift?"
"Yes, after all, I brought up the past you didn't want to recall."
After all, Kamio Tatsuya had put the hair clip into the lottery box, and he had given the same kind of hair clip to Ichinose.
While it wasn't intentional, he was the cause. And Kamio Tatsuya wasn't indifferent to Ichinose.
Especially after learning about her background.
Especially after succeeding with Kamuro.
Kamio Tatsuya felt he was clearly becoming worse. Though he wasn't a good person to begin with.
After giving the gift, Kamio Tatsuya stood up and prepared to leave.
However, as he reached the bedroom door, Ichinose suddenly hugged him from behind.
Wow, indeed. My previous feeling wasn't an illusion. This kid isn't wearing anything underneath, and she's so soft…
"Thank you, Kamio-kun."
"You're welcome."
This undoubtedly brought them closer. Kamio placed his hand on Ichinose's hand, which was clasped over his chest.
"By the way, I have a girlfriend."
"Yes, I know. It's Kamuro-san, right?" Ichinose's voice came from behind. "But even if I know, I can't control my feelings no matter what.
Kamio-kun, how do you see me?"
How do I see her…
"As a cute, gentle girl. Beautiful, with a great figure, and sometimes a little clumsy."
"Mmhmm…"
Ichinose seemed to be hugging him tighter, and the feeling from behind him became more pronounced, so soft…
Oh no, I'm getting aroused.
For a young man who had recently experienced intimacy, Ichinose's actions were like fanning the flames.
"So, Kamio-kun, do you like me?"
Huh?
Just as Kamio Tatsuya was about to speak, Ichinose let go of his hands.
"Sorry, forget it."
Forget it?
How could that be possible!
How could he miss such a golden opportunity!
"How could I forget that?" Kamio Tatsuya turned, grabbed Ichinose's hand, and said earnestly, "Of course, I like you."
"But… Kamuro-san."
"Of course, I won't give up!"
"Wow, Kamio-kun, you're saying such a scumbag thing with such a serious face."
Ichinose was dumbfounded, completely surprised by Kamio Tatsuya's words.
"If I gave up Masumi now and chose Ichinose, would Ichinose be happy?" Kamio Tatsuya looked into Ichinose's eyes. "If I can give up Ichinose for you today, I'll give you up for someone else tomorrow.
To avoid that, I choose to have it all!"
"I… I didn't expect Kamio-kun to be this kind of person."
"Yes, I am such a greedy scumbag. Are you disillusioned?" Kamio Tatsuya used Ichinose's earlier words to ask her back.
"No, because there are no perfect people," Ichinose also used Kamio Tatsuya's earlier answer to respond. "But, can you give me some time to think about it?"
That's right. Too much is as bad as too little. Although he could probably get what he wanted if he pushed a little harder.
But for the sake of future family harmony, he would make concessions and let Ichinose breathe for now.
"Of course. I'm greedy, but I won't force you."
This situation still required mutual consent. This scumbag isn't just any scumbag!
However, even with mutual consent, Kamio Tatsuya wouldn't stop doing things.
He still needed to increase her affection points.
Ichinose, you will never escape my grasp!
Furthermore, all of Ichinose's misfortunes were due to her family's poverty. If her family had been wealthy, she would never have resorted to stealing.
If she hadn't stolen, none of this would have happened.
After returning from Ichinose's room, Kamio Tatsuya immediately washed his clothes and took a shower.
Kamuro was coming over shortly, and he didn't want her to know about Ichinose's matter yet.
Speaking of which, recent battles with Kamuro had been somewhat unsatisfactory. Although they were both new, Kamio Tatsuya had a physically enhanced body.
Winning by a narrow margin every time was too undignified!
Therefore, the day she cries and begs for mercy will be the day.
Yes, I still need to train!
Since I've decided to be greedy, I will definitely satisfy them!
When he emerged from the bathroom, Kamuro, wearing casual clothes, was already sitting on the bed. However, she clearly showed displeasure when she saw Kamio Tatsuya coming out of the bathroom.
"What's wrong?"
"Why are you taking a bath now?" Kamuro grumbled discontentedly. "I wanted to take a bath with you too."
Wow, this person is so cute, so direct, I love it!
But Miss Kamuro, your face is red. Are you so attracted to my body?
However, it was the same the other way around. Kamio Tatsuya was also completely helpless against Kamuro's body. Could this be physiological attraction?
"Then we'll take another bath later."
Saying this, Kamio Tatsuya embraced Kamuro and rolled onto the bed.
"Aah!" Kamuro yelped in surprise. "Don't just ambush me like that."
...
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