Chapter 9: The Wicked Woman

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At the end of the first class in the afternoon, Kitahara retracted his mechanical pencil. From today onward, he resolved to study seriously and aim for a higher level... At the very least, he wanted to enter a key program at one of the Empire’s top nine universities.

The little bread from Dali Garden had filled in his weakest area, and Kitahara was confident that his ranking in the next monthly test would rise by fifty places.

That ranking would likely secure admission to a decent university, such as Tokyo Metropolitan University or Gunma University in Tokyo... These schools would rank around 40th or 50th nationwide in his home country.

But that was far from enough.

Future failures had taught Kitahara that academic credentials were the best stepping stones. It wasn’t apparent in school, but once out in society, a résumé shone brightly... At thirty-five, he had only managed to get into a barely acceptable university, not even a top-tier one.

Now, he wanted to change his future, get into a prestigious university, and enroll in a flagship program.

At the same time, he planned to exercise.

He wanted to shed the excess weight, so he could easily confront his ex-wife and her connections with a burst of anger later on.

After school in the afternoon, Kitahara intended to visit the swimming club and ask his young girlfriend to help him join.

Why choose swimming over running?

Because running would eat away at his muscle... Also, he didn’t want to exhaust himself completely. Swimming was gentler on the knees, and the best part was, after tiring himself out, he could watch his little sister.

Two birds with one stone.

Lost in thought, the 0.5mm pencil lead slipped out and fell onto the wooden floor. Bending down to retrieve it, Kitahara saw a pair of smooth legs.

Reina Sakura.

“Why won’t you leave me alone?” Kitahara said as he picked up the pencil lead and put it back into his mechanical pencil, his tone less than pleasant.

He thought he hadn’t offended this girl.

Their interactions had been limited to everyday communication... Aside from that one movie, they hadn’t had much contact.

In fact, Kitahara had noticed something—recently, the boy who had been close to Reina Sakura looked gloomy, probably because their relationship had soured.

What had happened, Kitahara didn’t know.

But one thing was certain: he was being targeted... And the reason was probably his looks?

Kitahara’s charm rating was very high—an eight out of ten, far above average. Besides being noticed by girls since childhood, another major trait was that, regardless of what he was thinking inside, outwardly and temperamentally, he came off as a bright and gentle young man.

In other words, the kind of boy who was like a “first love.”

“Who told you to purposely piss me off?” Reina Sakura placed her hands on her hips. “I just wanted to chat a bit, but now you wait—I’m going to pester you every day.”

Kitahara had zero tolerance for this bratty tone.

His attitude toward people was always based on how much he liked them. For instance, with Reina Sakura right in front of him, he wanted to show no kindness at all.

“Go away.”

Kitahara’s face turned cold as he spoke bluntly.

[Character: Reina Sakura]

[Status: Slightly humiliated, unable to swallow her pride, swearing to make someone pay...]

[Affection Level: 5]

With an affection level of only five, it wasn’t like combat power. Kitahara, with his handsome face, usually earned at least fifteen points of goodwill even from strangers, yet in this girl’s eyes, he was treated with hostility.

Truly... baffling.

Kitahara wouldn’t hit her.

Because Reina Sakura hadn’t done anything yet, and as for whatever she might want to do, Kitahara couldn’t be bothered.

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As long as she didn’t harass him, at worst she was just a mosquito buzzing around.

“Are you sure you want me to leave?” Reina Sakura’s voice turned sinister. “Don’t regret it.”

“Hm?”

Kitahara frowned and looked back at her. The smile that suddenly appeared on her face was as enchanting as a witch savoring death.

He patiently asked, “What exactly do you want to say?”

“I have something to show you.” Reina Sakura waved her phone. “But this isn’t the right place. Will you come with me to the emergency exit?”

“I’m not interested.”

“Really? Let me warn you, it’s a one-time offer...” Reina Sakura sneered. “I saw everything clearly just now at the swimming pool, you and a girl from our class.”

Before she could finish, Kitahara suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her outside.

Their actions quickly drew the attention of their classmates.

Both the boys who often watched Reina Sakura closely and Kitahara’s mischievous friends all expressed shock in unison.

“Eh?”

Yuu Yoshimizu nearby was dumbfounded.

What was going on?

Why was Kitahara tangled up with one of the few pretty girls in the class?

Moreover,

Reina Sakura actually followed him out!

“They’re even holding hands. Are they that close?” someone whispered behind a hand.

“Damn, Reina really got caught by him...” This was from a boy who secretly liked Reina Sakura.

Though Reina Sakura’s nature was mean, she didn’t usually target ordinary boys, and since she was reasonably attractive, many boys liked her.

Kitahara didn’t care what his classmates thought. He pulled Reina Sakura toward the emergency exit on the second floor.

The place was dilapidated; the door creaked loudly when pushed open—typical of old buildings... The door’s scream could easily be used in a horror film at night.

Inside the hallway, shadows flickered dimly. Kitahara closed the door and silently stared at Reina Sakura.

“You were stalking me?”

His cold words made Reina Sakura shrink her neck uncomfortably.

But this was still school, so Kitahara dared not do anything.

She looked up and smiled coquettishly, “I just wanted to see what you were up to. Didn’t expect to find something so interesting—what a surprise.”

Kitahara remained silent.

“Hey, Kitahara... Spending money to have a girl in your class act like your girlfriend isn’t a good thing, right?” She stood on tiptoe and whispered lightly into Kitahara’s ear, “I don’t want to be too obvious, but isn’t this just like prostitution?”

“You wouldn’t want this to get out, would you?”

“If it spreads, not only her but you’ll get expelled.”

Her light words were full of threat.

She smiled smugly, hands tied behind her back. “Now, are you willing to listen to me?”

A wicked woman.

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“What do you want to say?” Kitahara asked expressionlessly.

“I don’t want to say much, just a reminder... Of course, if you agree to my demands, I might delete it.”

Seeing Kitahara’s ‘yielding’ expression, Reina Sakura felt a thrill.

This video—no matter which school it leaked in—would stir shocking social controversy. To have such a disgraceful incident in a school meant to nurture its students... Regardless of the reason, these two students would face severe punishment.

If Kitahara wanted to avoid punishment, he would have to obediently become her dog...

“I don’t understand why you’re targeting me. I think there’s some misunderstanding between us,” Kitahara said.

He was truly baffled.

Reina Sakura was also attractive. Normally, girls like her were cherished, so why bother scheming against him?

At this, Reina’s face suddenly turned cold: “Because you don’t like me—that’s the reason.”

“I won’t allow anyone to look down on me, no matter who they are.”

Kitahara stared at her thoughtfully.

NPD.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder, in short.

People with this disorder tend to exaggerate their own importance, crave excessive admiration, lack empathy for others... They spend a lot of time thinking about how to gain power, success, or enhance their outward image.

There are treatments.

A slap in the face can provide brief relief. Besides that, there’s another method, but it’s against social norms.

[Ding—] A system notification came.

Kitahara’s curiosity was piqued. Since the previous task was incomplete, here came another one... and it was related to Reina Sakura.

[Age 35, you encounter the popular star Reina Sakura, who is embroiled in scandal, wandering the streets despondently... You happen to know someone in the industry and have heard about her scandal.]

[Reina Sakura is quite promiscuous in love but got involved with a famous director... who later also got caught up in a scandal, shocking everyone.]

[He is an enthusiast of alphabetical art; every girlfriend suffered abuse and accused him of domestic violence in court.]

[Only Reina Sakura, as his secret lover, remained silent... When old classmates met, she approached you and invited you to a bar.]

[You thought it was a romantic encounter, but it was a trap... Reina Sakura threatens you with a drunken video, demanding money or she’ll cause a scene at your company.]

[You look at this wicked woman before you, anger flashing in your eyes. Suddenly, you have a bold idea...]

[Mission: Teach Reina Sakura a lesson]

[Reward: Mastery of tea arts]

...

A bold idea?

Kitahara was momentarily confused. How bold could itI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.