Chapter 56: Rin's Iron Fist of Justice!
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Chabashira Sae, Asahina Nazuna, Shiina Hiyori, Kushida Kikyo, and the fifth one—her!
Horikita Suzune quickly dismissed Chabashira Sae, knowing she was just the homeroom teacher, but the other names on Rin Matsuoka's LINE account list caught her attention. It was clear from their names that they were girls!
She wanted to question Rin about it, but knowing it wasn't her place to ask, she simply kept a stern face. With an air of indifference, she walked away, her slender legs in black stockings swiftly carrying her out of Rin's line of sight.
Rin didn't seem to notice her discomfort as he continued shopping, casually selecting his daily necessities. When he reached the beverage section, his eyes lit up as he observed the variety of drinks.
"There are so many kinds of drinks," Rin remarked, picking a few that looked interesting and adding them to his cart. As he walked further down the aisle, his eyes caught a sign that read: 'Students are not allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages.'
"Tsk, no alcohol, huh? What a hassle," Rin muttered. He had been planning to buy some wine. With his intermediate cocktail-mixing skills, he wanted to create layered drinks with unique flavors by mixing beverages with alcohol.
But since buying alcohol was out of the question, Rin would have to figure out another way to get his hands on some. Just then, the narration system echoed in his mind:
[Everyone has a rebellious phase, but this girl became a habitual thief due to excessive rebellion. Now, she indulges in the twisted thrill of theft.]
[Stopping criminals and promoting positive energy begins with the host.]
[Host, please find the girl who stole the alcoholic beverages and punish her with the iron fist of justice.]
[Upon completing the task, you will receive intermediate-level makeup skills.]
Rin raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Why would I need makeup skills?" he questioned aloud.
[The host plans to find a girlfriend in high school. You could apply makeup for her, of course.]
The narration system's logic was oddly considerate, and Rin found himself nodding. "That makes sense."
Suddenly filled with motivation, Rin began scanning the area for the girl in question.
"From the narration, I know the target is a girl, and she's stealing alcohol. She should still be nearby," Rin thought as he discreetly observed his surroundings.
Before long, he spotted a girl matching the description. She had long lavender-red hair tied up on the right side of her head, with bangs pinned neatly on either side. Her slender legs, clad in black knee-high socks, revealed a stretch of pale skin between her skirt and the top of her socks.
From her uniform, Rin recognized her as a first-year student.
"Is she really a freshman? Don't they all have 100,000 personal points? Why would she need to steal?" Rin mused, but then the narrator's words echoed in his mind again. A habitual thief, it had said. The thrill of the theft was what drove her, not necessity.
And what she had stolen… was alcohol.
Rin Matsuoka muttered to himself as he observed the girl with long purple hair, "So she's an alcoholic?"
Since students were not allowed to buy alcoholic beverages, she, being a habitual thief, simply resorted to stealing them.
At this moment, Masumi Kamuro didn't realize that she had been targeted by Rin. She was completely immersed in the joy of her successful theft.
Rin silently watched Kamuro Masumi and soon noticed that she made another swift move. She grabbed a bottle of beer and quickly stashed it into the backpack on her shoulder.
Well, the system's narration was right—she was indeed the habitual thief.
After hiding the beer in her bag, Kamuro Masumi, still thrilled inside, maintained a calm expression, casually strolled out of the area, and headed towards the exit.
Rin knew she was planning to leave, but he didn't stop her immediately. The place was filled with students shopping, and exposing her theft in front of them would only bring her humiliation and social destruction.
Under the weight of everyone's judgment, her heart would surely suffer. Rin wasn't sure how this girl of the same age would cope with that pain. Would it lead her to a sense of inferiority? Despair? Or cause her to give up on herself entirely?
To avoid this unfortunate outcome, Rin chose not to confront her inside the store. Instead, he set his shopping basket aside, followed her outside, and left the mall with her.
Once outside Keyaki Shopping Center, Masumi Kamuro's pace quickened, clearly excited to get away. But just as she turned the corner, she felt a sharp pain at the top of her head.
Rin's iron fist of justice had landed!
"Ouch! It hurts!" Masumi Kamuro yelped, clutching her head in pain. She spun around, her eyes wide and filled with panic, glaring at Rin, who slowly retracted his fist.
Anger flared in Kamuro Masumi's purple eyes. "Why did you hit me?"
Rin pointed at her. "You're a thief."
Then, pointing at himself, he added, "I'm a good person."
"…"
The word "thief" immediately made Kamuro Masumi, who was still holding her head, panic. She wanted to argue, but Rin cut her off before she could speak.
"I saw you with my own eyes, hiding that bottle of alcohol in your backpack while we were in the store."
"…"
Masumi Kamuro fell silent, unable to make any excuses.
Rin extended his hand toward her. "Take out what you stole."
Still silent, Kamuro Masumi obediently unzipped her backpack and took out two bottles of alcohol she had stolen from the store.
Rin took the two cans of alcohol from her, then looked at them with disgust.
His look of disdain wasn't directed at Kamuro Masumi but at the two cans in his hand.
They were both beer. Rin didn't care for this kind of drink.
First off, the alcohol content was far too low, so drinking it would just make you bloated without giving any buzz.
Secondly, while beer could be used for mixing cocktails, due to its low alcohol content, it would be diluted to the point where it was practically just juice.
Rin realized that even though he had taken the beer stolen by Kamuro Masumi, he still hadn't completed the task assigned by the system. After a moment's hesitation, he raised his fist and struck Kamuro Masumi on the head again.
"Ah!"
[Congratulations to the host, you have dealt a righteous blow to the thieving girl, completed the mission, and earned the intermediate makeup technique.]
Rin withdrew his fist, smiling with satisfaction.
"You, you, you…" Masumi Kamuro stammered, her hands covering her head once more as she looked at the handsome boy standing before her, furious.
This guy had the audacity to smile after hitting her—what a hateful, terrifying person!