In Class D's dormitory, Ishizaki Daichi's room.
"I feel like someone saw us back then..." Ishizaki, wrapped in bandages, muttered to the two others in the room.
Komiya Kyōgo and Kondō Reo, both involved in framing Sudō Ken, exchanged glances. Ishizaki's face was bruised, not entirely from Sudō's doing but from Ryūen's deliberate plan to make him look like a victim.
Once a bully in his previous school, Ishizaki had been brought under Ryūen's control since high school and was now his loyal subordinate.
"You're probably overthinking it," Komiya reassured. "Even Classes C and B are still looking for witnesses, offering points as a reward. If there were any, they'd have shown up by now. That place is usually deserted. Don't worry about it."
"As long as things go smoothly, the punishment should come down by next Monday," Kondō added. "That Sudō Ken from Class C will get what's coming to him. Ryūen even said this might cause internal conflict in Class C, maybe even point deductions."
"It's a shame I couldn't beat that Sudō myself," Ishizaki grumbled. "I'm sure I could've taken him, especially with three of us here. But Ryūen didn't let us fight back."
The three discussed their plans against Class C, unaware of a fourth presence in the room—Saiki Kusuo.
Using his invisibility, Saiki had slipped into Ishizaki's room earlier.
'They're spilling everything on their own, huh?' Saiki thought, his gaze fixed on the trio. Even if they hadn't discussed their plans, he could've used his telepathy to guide their conversation.
He activated his phone's recorder.
...
Half an hour later, Saiki returned to his dorm.
He'd successfully recorded the conversation and anonymously sent it to the student council. Technically, one phone could only bind one account, but with some tricks, he'd created a second account to remain anonymous.
'If Ayanokōji got that recording, he'd probably use it to threaten Class D for more benefits. But I don't want that kind of trouble.'
Saiki returned to his room, ready to end the exhausting day.
Before he could sit, a faint knock came from the door—so quiet it might've gone unnoticed if not for his telepathy.
'Sakura Airi... Is she here to see me?'
Saiki opened the door.
"Saiki... Saiki-kun!" Sakura stammered, her eyes darting away. Social interactions were still difficult for her.
"Is something wrong, Sakura?" Saiki asked.
"I... wanted to thank you again for helping me earlier with Kushida... I caused you trouble, and I haven't even thanked Kushida in person..." Sakura's voice trailed off as she stared at the floor.
"I'll pass it on to Kushida," Saiki replied, confused by her visit.
"And... one more thing... Saiki-kun... was it you who did that earlier?"
"What do you mean?"
"In the group chat... about the store clerk... I'm not sure how to ask..."
Saiki checked the messages:
Ike Kanji: Big news!
Kushida Kikyō: What happened, Ike?
Ike Kanji: I saw a bunch of security guards. They caught a stalker—a Digital City employee! Yamauchi recognized him!
Ike Kanji: #Image.JPG
Kushida Kikyō: That's the electronics repair guy! I saw him this morning!
Ike Kanji: Someone reported him. He was muttering strange things when caught. Seems mentally unstable.
'Ike was there? With so many people, their thoughts overlap like a market. Hard to pinpoint who's who.'
"I heard someone anonymously reported the clerk... Was it you, Saiki-kun?" Sakura asked, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment.
She knew the clerk had been stalking her, a secret she'd never shared. But she'd noticed Saiki's subtle change in expression earlier, as if he'd seen through the clerk.
'Her intuition's off the charts,' Saiki thought. 'I'll have to be more careful around her.'
"Sorry, I just heard about it," he lied, shaking his head.
"So the clerk was like that? Good thing we didn't ask him for repairs."
"You didn't know?"
"No, I had no idea."
"Alright... Sorry to bother you so late..."
"It's fine," Saiki said as Sakura left.
'Barely got away with that... Too much trouble today. Time to rest.'
Saiki teleported home.
...
Back in her room, Sakura smiled faintly.
"Saiki-kun denied it... But I'm even more sure it was him. When the news came out, he didn't look surprised. Kushida's reaction suggests they knew about me... But Saiki-kun didn't say anything...
"He must've known about the clerk earlier, which is why he stopped me from touching him and fixed my camera. He denied involvement just now... Maybe he didn't want to upset me. I never thought Saiki-kun was like that... If so... I'll stand up too, next Monday..."
...
The next morning, Saiki returned to class.
He found the Idiot Trio, Ayanokōji, and Kushida huddled together, discussing something excitedly.
"Saiki!" Sudō waved.
'Don't yell like we're friends,' Saiki thought, walking over.
"The student council called. Class D's complaint was withdrawn, and those guys are getting suspended for a few weeks!" Sudō grinned.
"Oh? Why?" Saiki asked, playing ignorant.
"Their conversation was recorded and leaked! It proved they were framing me! I'm off the hook, and they're in trouble. It's perfect!"
Sudō didn't care who did it, which suited Saiki.
But someone else was curious.
'Who got the recording? How?' Horikita wondered, deep in thought.
Ayanokōji turned to Saiki.
'He didn't react when Sudō mentioned it. Does he already know? But he's always expressionless...'
'This affects Classes C and D directly, so the culprit's likely from one of us.���
'The recording's clear, so it was close-range, probably in their dorm. That means the fourth person recorded them... Most likely...'
'Probably someone from Class D. Ryūen controls them, but many resent him. Someone must've acted against him.'
Saiki observed Ayanokōji, impressed yet uneasy. 'His reasoning's terrifying. I'd better be careful.'