Lead #2 — Shirō Satō: After getting upset over Hazuki Uta last night, a frustrated Shirō was dragged to a bar by some classmates. There, a hostess took his virginity.
The hostess's business card is still in Shirō's pocket. Tragically, Hirose Yoru seems to have picked up on something about this incident.
If the school found out, Shirō would face disciplinary action.
(System note: Shirō now feels intense guilt toward Hirose Yoru. Combined with Yoru's suspicions, this lead is all you need to gain leverage over her.)
Lead #3 — Hirose Yoru: Hirose Yoru has developed complicated feelings toward Shirō Satō—feelings she doesn't fully understand. She's also noticed signs that Shirō may have been involved with a hostess, but she refuses to believe it's true.
Her mother needs a large sum of money to cover outstanding debts. Yoru is deeply distressed about this.
(System note: One million yen. If you can provide it, Hiros Yoru might be willing to do… anything. Perhaps with a very thick red underline.)
Incredible.
Riku was starting to think the [Secret Explorer] title might be the most broken ability he'd gotten so far.
Three leads, every single one useful.
The name Hazuki Uta rang a bell. She was in his grade—beautiful, but quiet. The kind of person who flew under the radar. He'd heard about her looks, though. She had no shortage of admirers.
And she had a connection to Shirō Satō?
You've got some luck, Shirō. Too bad you don't appreciate it.
Riku was starting to think Shirō might actually be the NTR protagonist.
"Shirō! Yoru!"
He called out to them as if it were a chance encounter.
The moment Hirose Yoru saw him, her gaze darted away—obvious, unmistakable avoidance.
Shirō, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
He remembered this guy. Hayanui Riku—the one who'd made sure Yoru got home safe last time. He hadn't even had a chance to thank him properly.
"Hayanui Riku!"
Riku smiled.
"Shirō, I'm impressed you remembered my name. Morning, Yoru."
Hirose Yoru did not respond.
She didn't even look at him.
The awkwardness between them was so thick it was almost visible.
Shirō noticed immediately. He leaned toward Yoru and said gently, "Yoru, Riku's saying hello."
Riku was genuinely taken aback by Shirō's obliviousness.
Instead of responding to her boyfriend's prompting, Yoru's expression soured further. She turned her head away and said nothing.
Shirō stood there, embarrassed. Even in front of someone else, his girlfriend wouldn't give him the time of day.
No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't figure out that the problem wasn't him—it was Riku.
Riku was about to change the subject when—
[Despicable Orator] title activated.
"On a hot day like this," Riku began, "nothing hits the spot like a cold drink, right, Shirō?"
Under the influence of [Despicable Orator] , Shirō nodded enthusiastically, deeply resonating with Riku's words.
Riku nearly added, "If you understand, applaud!" but managed to stop himself.
"Yoru, Riku—wait here. I'll go grab some drinks."
Shirō hurried off to buy water.
And just like that, Riku and Hirose Yoru were alone on the street.
Damn, Riku thought. [Despicable Orator] was ridiculously useful. One sentence, and Shirō had conveniently excused himself, leaving Riku alone with his girlfriend.
He took a step closer to Yoru.
Her eyes were filled with disgust and wariness
"What do you want, you scumbag? What are you plotting?"
Riku spread his hands innocently.
"Just a coincidence, running into you two. Though it looks like you and your boyfriend are having some issues."
The words cut deeper than he probably realized.
If it weren't for this bastard, she thought, tricking me, then violating me in that phone booth while Shirō was on the other end of the line…
We wouldn't be like this!
It's all his fault!
...
"Do you think things turned out this way because of me?"
[Despicable Orator] remained active for a while after being triggered. Its effect hadn't worn off yet.
"Isn't it?" she spat. "You scumbag!"
"You can call me a scumbag," Rikusaid evenly. "But you can't deny that even without me, you and Shirō weren't going to make it."
"That's a lie!" Her voice cracked with emotion.
She looked like a cornered kitten, hackles raised.
Riku took a half-step back, giving her space. Enough to let her feel safe. Enough to let her calm down.
Because [Despicable Orator] worked best when the target was stable.
When her breathing steadied, he continued.
"You've already noticed something, haven't you? The fact that he did what he did just because you pulled away a little—do you really think he's still worth your trust?"
"You're trying to trick me again!"
How could he possibly know about Shirō and that hostess? She'd barely pieced it together herself!
He was doing the same thing as before—when he had been pretending to have a non-existent video. He wants to cheat me again.
"You don't believe me?" Riku's voice was calm, almost pitying. "Check the inside pocket of Shirō's jacket. You'll find something there. As for how I know… that's a secret. If you really want to find out, you'll have to pay a little interest."
The word interest made her pupils contract violently.
"You really are a scumbag."
Riku almost smiled. She still only had one insult for him. It was almost… endearing.
The narration chimed in.
[Your use of Despicable Orator has deeply shaken Hirose Yoru. Once she confirms what you've told her is true, she'll agree to any demand you make—if only to preserve the last shred of dignity in her relationship with Shirō. And that's exactly what you want…]
Now Riku understood why the title started with despicable.
With just a few words, he'd reignited her doubts about Shirō.
"Oh, by the way," he said casually. "Tomorrow's your birthday, isn't it?"
Her eyes snapped to him, sharp and suspicious.
"What are you planning?"
"Nothing much." He shrugged. "If it's not too much trouble, you should invite me."
"You're dreaming."
There was no way she was inviting this scumbag to her birthday.
Tomorrow, her mother was preparing a nice lunch to celebrate. She'd already invited Shirō.
Before Riku could say anything else, Shirō returned, three bottles of water in hand.
"Here you go, Riku."
His arrival cut off whatever Riku had been about to say.
Riku took the bottle and nodded. "Thanks."
He smiled. "Well, I've got things to do. Don't let me interrupt your date."