A week later, around four in the afternoon, Kitahara Sousuke walked alongside the slightly hesitant Yoshida Saki as they made their way through the school. They eventually arrived at a seldom-visited part of the old school building.
As a member of the going-home club and someone with no plans to attend university again, Sousuke didn't frequent cram school either. He had plenty of free time after school, enough to hide in obscure places like this and engage in rather special activities, just like today.
"Move out of your house," he suddenly stated.
"Huh?" Yoshida Saki froze, her mouth hanging open in confusion. She had no idea what Sousuke was thinking.
Sousuke, however, had no intention of explaining himself. To mention someone's father as a "sugar daddy" without any evidence was preposterous. He knew full well that only a fool would believe such a claim. But he wasn't interested in conversing with this girl, he had no patience for it. So instead of a lengthy explanation, he took a more direct approach.
"I said move out of your house," he repeated with a blank expression.
"But..." Yoshida Saki hesitated, still unable to grasp the situation. This strange request was impossible for her to agree to.
Sousuke pressed on. "I want you to start being independent, even if you have to make up a reason. Just move out!"
Yoshida Saki was flustered. Her mind spun with possible explanations for Sousuke's behavior. She had recently changed her appearance and had become very popular in class. Was this why Sousuke was acting this way? Was he interested in her?
Sousuke, unaware of the scenarios playing out in her mind, continued his commands. "Also, stop hanging out with those shady people in our class. You're not in any clubs, so just go home straight after school."
His words only deepened the misunderstanding in Yoshida Saki's mind. She began to imagine that Sousuke had fallen for her but didn't know how to express his feelings. As a hardcore otaku, she spent most of her free time playing otome games, and now she imagined herself at the center of one.
But Sousuke had a completely different agenda. After arriving in this world, he'd started investigating various things out of curiosity. He discovered websites where girls were exchanging services for money. After making a few comparisons, he recognized some familiar faces in his class. Yoshida Saki's foolishness made her a perfect candidate for his intervention.
Yoshida Saki, still struggling to comprehend what was happening, snapped in protest. "No!"
She forced down her fear and loudly rejected Sousuke's demand. Her motivation for changing her appearance was to make friends, something she had desperately wanted for more than a decade. The thought of cutting ties with those friends was unbearable.
"In the end, you're not anyone to me! What right do you have to interfere in my life?!" she shouted.
Sousuke smiled nonchalantly. "You're right. I should provide some reasoning before making demands."
His tone softened, and he gave her a gentle smile. Then, without warning, he swung his hand and punched the air in front of him. The force of the blow scattered Yoshida Saki's carefully styled hair in all directions. For a split second, it felt as though she couldn't breathe.
"Is this reason enough?" he asked coolly.
Yoshida Saki, still in shock, stood speechless. Sousuke's face returned to its usual expressionless state, leaving her unable to process what had just happened.
Sousuke, on the other hand, wasn't trying to be cruel, he was simply trying to help her, or at least save her life. He didn't feel any obligation to her, nor did he believe his actions were anything remarkable. He was clear that his motivation was self-satisfaction, not compassion.
After all, this girl wasn't one of his "wives" from his previous life, who came with built-in favorability. His methods were a bit crude, but that didn't matter.
"You can go to the teacher or your parents if you want, but I probably won't admit to anything," Sousuke continued, his voice dripping with a hint of menace. "But you're not smart enough to secretly record this, so don't bother."
Yoshida Saki's confusion only grew as she processed the events, but Sousuke had made his decision. "If there are no objections, it's settled. I'll give you three days to move out."
With that, he turned and began to walk away. His schedule for the day wasn't finished, and he had more things to do. But on second thought, he reconsidered. Asking someone to move out of their house was excessive. So, he added, "Oh, and if you can't find a place, I can help."
Without looking back, he walked off, leaving Yoshida Saki standing there in a mix of fury and disbelief.
"What the hell was that?!" she muttered to herself, still trying to process the bizarre interaction.