Things Seem to Be Taking a Turn for the Worse

Despite Kiryuuin's unconventional personality, as a woman, she naturally detested any form of voyeurism or unauthorized photography. The latter, in particular, was not only more egregious but also constituted a criminal offense.

"Wait…! Who are you?" Karuizawa attempted to sound assertive. "I don't think I've ever seen you before. This is the first-year girls' changing room! You shouldn't just barge in!"

"Heh, that's not the point right now."

If it were an ordinary person, they might have argued, but Kiryuuin wasn't one to waste time. Without further ado, she pulled Karuizawa aside, revealing the situation with the ventilation duct completely.

"Oh, so you used the ventilation system, huh? The first-year students this year sure know how to get creative."

Kiryuuin crouched down, picking up the remote-controlled car and examining it for a moment before turning her gaze back to Karuizawa.

"Were you planning to film the girls changing and then sell the footage to the boys for points?"

If it had only been voyeurism, Karuizawa might have avoided suspicion as a fellow female. However, unauthorized photography was a different matter entirely, making it easier for someone like her to exploit her gender advantageously.

"Wha—? Of course not! Who would do something like that?"

Kiryuuin's unpredictable behavior threw Karuizawa into momentary confusion, but she quickly recovered and started to defend herself.

"I just noticed a light in the vent by chance, so I took it apart to have a look… By the way, who exactly are you?"

"Don't get it twisted. I'm the one asking the questions here."

"Ugh…"

Kiryuuin exuded an undeniable aura of authority, easily overwhelming Karuizawa.

"So, you're claiming you're completely innocent in all this?"

"O-of course I am!" Karuizawa insisted.

"Heh, good to know." Kiryuuin smiled ambiguously. "But just a heads up, since you're a junior: unauthorized photography is a serious offense. The school will definitely investigate this thoroughly. Whether it's the remote-controlled car, the camera, or even the memory card you just removed—there's no way someone involved in this kind of thing will get away with it."

"Uh…"

"But you're still students. If you come clean, the school might let you off with a warning."

Kiryuuin was attempting to bluff Karuizawa, but her words only bolstered Karuizawa's confidence.

The reason was simple: she was indeed innocent. She was merely following Ayanokoji's orders, and even if Ike and Yamauchi were caught, it wouldn't implicate her.

Karuizawa stood up abruptly, irritation evident in her voice. "You've been spouting nonsense from the start. I already told you I found it by chance. If you want to report it to the school, then go ahead."

"…Oh?"

Kiryuuin stared at her for a moment before shaking her head.

"Alright, let's assume that's true for now. But I'm going to need that memory card. It's important evidence, after all."

"W-why should I give it to you? Who even are you, and what gives you the right to boss me around?"

Karuizawa was right in her reasoning.

Unfortunately, she was up against someone as unpredictable as Koenji.

"Because I saw it, so I have to get involved," Kiryuuin replied confidently. "Of course, if you don't want to hand it over, that's fine. We can go to the student council right now, and you can be a witness since you were the first to discover it."

"…Tch, who has time for that? I have plans with my friends… Fine, take it!"

Karuizawa, visibly annoyed, pulled the memory card from her pocket and tossed it over.

"My, my, how rude," Kiryuuin mockingly shrugged, catching the memory card. She was about to leave with the remote-controlled car but then suddenly turned back.

"What now?" Karuizawa frowned.

"I was wondering… Can I borrow your phone?"

"Huh?! Why should I lend it to you?"

"I just want to check something," Kiryuuin said, twirling the memory card between her fingers. "I left my phone in my locker, so I'll need to borrow yours. Or are you worried that this memory card isn't the original?"

"What's your problem? Why are you so persistent… Hey, don't you agree with me?" Karuizawa sought support from Sato and Sinohara, but unfortunately, her two friends were too timid to stand up to Kiryuuin.

They were helpful when Karuizawa needed them to stay quiet, but in this situation, they were useless.

"I already told you, it's fine if you don't want to. We can head to the student council now."

Kiryuuin's sharp gaze bore into Karuizawa, making her feel uneasy.

"…Fine, whatever! I'll lend it to you!"

Resigned, Karuizawa unlocked her phone and threw it over.

"Let me make this clear! Don't you dare snoop through my stuff, or you'll regret it!"

"Don't worry, I'm not interested in your private life."

Kiryuuin expertly inserted the memory card into the phone. After a few seconds, she removed it and returned the phone to Karuizawa.

"The footage is quite clear… It seems the memory card hasn't been swapped."

"Duh! I had no reason to do that!"

Even though Karuizawa tried to play the victim, Kiryuuin didn't seem the least bit apologetic.

She stepped forward and said calmly, "Don't misunderstand. There's just no evidence yet. But my instincts tell me that you're not an innocent bystander and are somehow connected to this incident."

"Huh?"

"Whatever. The truth will come out eventually."

With that, Kiryuuin flashed a confident smile and inserted the memory card back into the remote-controlled car, showing it to Karuizawa.

"As long as this evidence exists, no one will escape."

"Hmph, I told you it has nothing to do with me!"

"Heh, we'll see."

With those parting words, Kiryuuin left the room.

Only then did Karuizawa breathe a sigh of relief.

She alone knew just how much pressure Kiryuuin's interrogation had put on her.

That woman was terrifying… Where had she come from?

At that moment, Karuizawa was grateful she had changed her mind at the last minute. She had indeed planned to swap out the memory card with a blank one, but upon realizing that Kiryuuin already had the remote-controlled car and camera, she decided it wasn't worth the risk.

The presence of those two items in the girls' changing room would certainly draw the school's attention, and Karuizawa didn't want to be further entangled.

She was lucky she backed down; otherwise, Kiryuuin would likely have searched her. If she had been caught with two memory cards, even if she wasn't expelled, she'd have no place in the class—or the entire school.

"Karuizawa… are you okay?"

Sato and Shinohara approached, concern written all over their faces.

Karuizawa forced a smile. "Thanks, but I'm fine. This won't affect us… I have something to do after this. Are you two planning to hang out?"

"Yeah, we are. We'll see you later."

The two nodded and quickly left the changing room.

Once they were gone, Karuizawa also left, finding a secluded corner where she pulled out her phone and dialed a number.

"Hello, Ayanokoji-kun, listen, things might be getting a bit tricky…"

---

Meanwhile, after entrusting Kiryuuin with the investigation, Hikigaya continued his patrol.

Since the situation involved the girls' changing room, he couldn't personally get involved. Fortunately, Kiryuuin was reliable, and there shouldn't be any problems.

Still, he hoped he was just being overly cautious.

As he prayed that nothing would go wrong, Hikigaya found himself wandering back to the entrance of the swimming pool, where he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

"Uh…"

"Why are you looking at me?"

"If you weren't looking at me, how would you know I was looking at you?" Hikigaya asked with a hint of exasperation.

He had planned to pretend he didn't see her, but Horikita seemed to lose her composure, speaking up first.

As expected by Hikigaya.

As soon as Horikita saw the message, she immediately rushed over alone.

No doubt about it, she's got a serious case of brother complex.

"Don't get the wrong idea," she began, unprovoked. "I didn't come here because of your message."

No one had even asked, yet she was quick to explain herself.

"I had already planned to come here for a swim, just for a bit of exercise. And you shouldn't be taking pictures of others so casually, let alone broadcasting them. What if it reflects poorly on the student council president? Besides, you didn't even get his permission beforehand, did you?"

"…Then why don't you just delete the photo?"

"And how do you know I didn't delete it already?"

Horikita's response was tinged with guilt, but Hikigaya didn't bother arguing with her. Instead, he simply pointed off to the side.

"The president's just over there, running his stall."

"I told you, I didn't come because of my brother."

"Just so you know, his business is booming. If you don't hurry, everything will be sold out."

"Hikigaya-kun… Sometimes, the way you act like you know everything is irritating," Horikita muttered, clearly annoyed.

"No, I don't know everything," Hikigaya sighed. "But I do have a sister, so I can somewhat understand how you feel."

"Oh? Is that so?" Horikita raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity in her voice. "But with a brother like you, with that rotten personality and those dead fish eyes, your sister must have a tough time."

"…Yeah, she does."

Hikigaya couldn't help but feel dejected at her remark.

"I saw Komachi a few days ago," Horikita continued, her tone softening slightly. "That child is so cheerful on the outside, but she must be so lonely inside… You're right. I am not a very good brother… I feel like dying."