Without waiting for Kaoru to respond, she answered her own question.
"What a shame, this kouhai isn't some naive, easily fooled idiot. Senpai's kindness is completely useless on her. If she really wants to leave, she can leave anytime."
Amasawa Ichika smiled, "Now now, senpai, do you know what she's thinking right now?"
"Could it be that you want to teach me a lesson?"
Kaoru responded casually, his gaze drifting elsewhere.
"Senpai is so confident, it's disgusting."
Amasawa Ichika shook her head, "Wrong answer. She just came out this time to get close to someone."
"And after making contact?"
"She'll continue watching from nearby, watching as the final moment gradually approaches."
"In that case, am I interrupting your meeting?"
"Oh? Senpai is quite perceptive. Well, I've already forgiven my arrogant senpai, so it's fine. But there's one thing I want you to understand."
The previously smiling Amasawa Ichika suddenly wiped the expression from her face, her calm eyes seeming to hold unfathomable darkness.
"You know nothing about us. Please don't interfere in our affairs, or you'll regret it."
...
Kamuro Masumi watched the other party leave with a sense of schadenfreude.
'So this guy could have days like this too.'
This was too entertaining - it was the first time she'd seen Kaoru hit a wall, even if she didn't understand what the two were talking about.
"What are you secretly gloating about here?"
Hearing this voice, Kamuro Masumi looked up to see Kaoru already sitting beside her.
She froze - when had this guy noticed she was eavesdropping nearby?
She had been facing away from Kaoru and had deliberately disguised herself.
How could he still spot her?
Kamuro Masumi felt slightly frustrated, but maintained a calm facade, saying coolly.
"I noticed some people are getting increasingly overconfident, even daring to mess with their kouhai now."
"So Masumi is jealous, no wonder you've been following me all this way."
Kaoru naturally took her small hand in his.
Though both were girls, the feel of her hand was different from Amasawa Ichika's.
If Amasawa Ichika was like a cool, smooth piece of jade, then Kamuro Masumi was like a slightly rough plush toy - without that delicate fragility that made people afraid to use force, allowing him to handle her however he wanted.
Of course, this roughness was only relative to other girls. To a man, her small hand was still very soft and smooth.
"Who would follow you? If you hadn't told me to track these freshmen, why would I even be here?"
Kamuro Masumi's face darkened as she pulled her hand back, "Have you entered your rutting season or something?"
"Yeah, I was thinking about when I could have you."
Kaoru looked at her.
The girl's current outfit wasn't particularly eye-catching—she had her hair tied in a high ponytail, wore a baseball cap, and was dressed in a simple long-sleeved shirt with jeans.
Though it was casual style, it made people unable to help but take a second look.
Especially her chest, tightly outlined beneath the thin long-sleeved T-shirt, formed a full and perky shape.
Saying it would burst through the fabric was an exaggeration, but it couldn't be underestimated—this "bunny" was so plump it easily brought to mind an upside-down bowl resting on the ground.
Below, her jeans hid the sheen of her skin, yet the waist-cinching, form-fitting style snugly wrapped around the girl's pert bottom, fully revealing the curves of her ample thighs.
Her straight calves pressed tightly together, making Kaoru want to reach out and touch them.
"Aren't you the one who said we're like brothers?"
Kamuro Masumi's expression remained blank. "Someone who gets turned on by their 'brother' is disgusting."
"Who has a brother as cute as you?"
Kaoru poked her cheek. "To be honest, if Masumi felt that way about me, I could actually accept it."
Kamuro snorted coldly.
This guy must have struck out with Amasawa Ichika and was now trying to regain his sense of worth through her.
"Since you're so interested in your underclassman, I don't think there's anything left for me to do."
Kamuro grabbed his finger. "You clearly have time to stalk them yourself."
"I really don't have that much time. Who would stare at them all day?"
Kaoru tried to defend himself. "Besides, the person I asked you to follow wasn't Amasawa-san."
Amasawa, Nanase, and Yagami all had their aspirations, but they weren't the only first-years with ambitions.
Thus, Kaoru wanted Kamuro Masumi to help him investigate the remaining students.
Kamuro pursed her lips and said, "That Hōsen guy seems to intimidate his whole class with violence. I heard he knows Ryūen—someone saw them together before."
Kaoru understood.
No wonder Hōsen Kazuo treated Ryūen Kakeru poorly—they were old acquaintances.
A former delinquent junior chasing him all the way to Koudo Ikusei... now that's true love.
If ANHS were a school where violence reigned supreme, those two would probably be at each other's throats.
"Aside from this Class D, the other classes don't seem to have clear leaders. That Yagami you mentioned gives me vibes like Katsuragi or Class D's Hirata—seems like an extroverted handsome guy."
Although the first-years already knew the truth about the school, knowing was one thing, being able to act on it immediately was another.
"Still, I suspect it won't be long before Yagami becomes the leader of Class B."
Kamuro thought for a moment. "And as for Class A you asked me to watch, there's a boy named Takahashi Osamu who's really good at socializing. After noticing me, he even tried to strike up a conversation."
Her intel was simple, mostly based on her observations and eavesdropping.
From her description, this Takahashi Osamu gave Kaoru the impression of a carbon copy of Hashimoto Masayoshi.
Hashimoto Masayoshi was Sakayanagi Arisu's diplomat—charming and skilled, but ultimately an opportunist who was now slacking off.
"He's pretty close with another boy named Ishigami Kyo. I couldn't get near him, but a lot of people seem to trust this guy."
Kamuro paused. "Lastly, there's a boy named Utsunomiya Riku. He's been asking second-year students about you. Sakayanagi ran into him once and thinks he might become Class C's leader in the future."
Kamuro Masumi provided several valuable names—Takahashi Osamu, Ishigami Kyo, Riku Utsunomiya, and others—along with the OAA, giving Kaoru a general understanding of this year's first-year students.
"Good work, Masumi."
Kaoru glanced at the coffee in front of her. "It's on me today. Order whatever you like."
Kamuro Masumi shot him a glare before adding, "Someone's been gathering information about you. Aren't you worried?"
Kaoru looked puzzled. "Why should I be?"
Kamuro Masumi was momentarily speechless, then retorted irritably, "Aren't you in conflict with Nagumo? He might be teaming up with the first-years. You could be in serious trouble soon!"
Kaoru pondered this. It was indeed a valid concern, and even Kamuro Masumi seemed anxious on his behalf.
"Alright, since you've put it that way, I'll think about how to handle it."
In truth, Kaoru wasn't particularly concerned.
After all, he had been the one who initially placed a bounty on Nagumo Miyabi.
Now, he was more curious about what pretext Nagumo Miyabi would use to target him.
Kamuro Masumi fell silent, taking a sip of coffee and fiddling with her phone.
She seemed completely disinterested in her surroundings, like a girl on a blind date who had lost all enthusiasm.
However, a closer observer would notice her occasionally stealing glances at Kaoru, pretending nonchalance all the while.
When Kaoru snapped out of his thoughts and noticed her scrolling through her phone, he couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you doing? You're not leaving, not ordering anything—are you waiting for me to go back with you?"
Kamuro Masumi had intended to keep up the act a little longer, but she quickly decided that such hesitation was entirely out of character for her.
She cut to the chase, "Can I collect my reward now?"
"What reward?"
Kaoru was genuinely taken aback.
Kamuro Masumi raised an eyebrow, showing no trace of embarrassment.
"What did you and Sakayanagi do? I want to know."
In an instant, Kaoru's expression turned peculiar.
Did she really want to watch it live?