"So you're worried about money, Senpai?"
Hayashi Maki pressed gently.
He genuinely admired Katsura Hinagiku.
As the student council president she was not only capable and kind, but also very pretty—and with terrifying talent in kendo. A prime candidate to become one of his familiars.
At his question, Hinagiku sighed again.
"It's not just about money. It's more… I'm tired of dealing with my family."
"Hayashi Maki-kun, have you ever seen parents who leave behind tens of millions in debt, run off, and use their own daughter as collateral?"
"Uh… so what you're saying is, your parents dumped tens of millions in debt on you?"
He was stunned.
"In that case, I'll lend you the money. Pay off the debt as soon as you can. Rather than owing some shady loan sharks, you'd be better off owing me. I don't want anything else—just you, as collateral."
He made the suggestion in all seriousness.
Hinagiku instantly stepped back two paces, looking at him with a twitching mouth.
"And how is that any different from the loan sharks?"
Hayashi Maki chuckled.
"Big difference! If you owe the sharks, they'll make you sell your body and anything else of value. If you owe me, Hinagiku-senpai, you can take your time paying it back. I won't be breathing down your neck."
"I'll pass. You worked hard to earn your money—how could I dump my mess on you?"
She shook her head quickly.
"And besides, it's not that simple."
"Those debts were already paid off by my sister. The way she did it wasn't exactly… clean, but the debt was cleared."
"But a few days ago, people from that company came again. They said my parents borrowed another 185 million from them, and told me to figure out how to pay it back."
Hayashi Maki frowned.
"So what are you going to do? 180-plus million… even for me, that's a lot to cough up."
Unless he borrowed from Sanzenin Nagi, there was no way he could pull that much out of nowhere.
Hinagiku just shrugged, her tone firm.
"I'm not planning to pay them a cent. My sister and I have already cut ties with those two. We're living with our adoptive parents now."
"Uh, but if they came knocking, they must have something in mind—some leverage, some way they think you can pay."
"Yeah, probably. Worst case, I'll just call the police. I'm not going to pay for those two again, and I can't pay that much anyway."
She gave a breezy little smile and finished her drink.
"Thank you for listening, Hayashi Maki-kun. And for the soda. I should get back to the student council room. See you."
With that, she jogged off.
Hayashi Maki watched her back, feeling more and more certain this wouldn't be simple.
Hinagiku was tough; she was probably planning to walk into the loan company's lair alone and face them head-on.
He'd have to tail her and see what happened.
…
That afternoon.
Hinagiku left school.
Two men in sunglasses and suits, radiating "do not mess with us" vibes, approached her—behind them waited a black sedan.
"This way, Katsura Hinagiku-san," one of them said.
She snorted but didn't resist, sliding into the back seat.
The sedan rolled out.
About forty minutes later, it stopped in front of a nondescript office building.
They took the elevator up. Guided by the two suited men, Hinagiku entered a spacious office.
The first thing she saw was a woman tied to a chair.
Short green hair, long legs, and a tall, model-like figure—Katsura Yukiji forced an awkward smile.
"Yo, Hinagiku-chan, you're finally here! If you hadn't come, your big sister's chastity would've been gone, boo-hoo!"
Hinagiku frowned. "Sis… what is going on?"
Yukiji ducked her head in embarrassment and said nothing.
A white-haired man in a flashy shirt strutted in with a smug grin.
"Let me explain."
"Your dear sister, Miss Katsura Yukiji, found out your parents were in our hands and thought she could pay off their debt by gambling."
"She cheated and got caught red-handed. So now, after rounding off the small change, her debt stands at three billion dollars."
Hinagiku's eyes flew open wide.
"Three billion… dollars?!"
"How is anyone supposed to pay that?!"
"Heh. That's where our expertise comes in," the white-haired man said, licking his lips as he looked her up and down.
"Your sister's body isn't bad. We can have her sell herself to chip away at the debt. Failing that, we can polish her up a bit and hand her off as a politician's mistress. That'd rake in a fortune."
"As for you, Katsura Hinagiku-san—you're even cuter, and clearly more capable. Our plan is to package you as a national idol, hold concert tours, and earn big."
"Once you make it big, we'll move you into TV dramas and movies—full-on actress track."
"And once you become an international superstar, your virginity alone will fetch a lovely price. I'm sure plenty of big shots from around the world would be eager to 'enjoy' the body of a famous star."
Hinagiku's expression went ice-cold.
Yukiji's hands clenched into furious fists.
These bastards had really calculated every last drop of value they could squeeze from the two sisters.
Hinagiku took a deep breath and forced herself to remain calm.
"…And my parents?" she asked. "Where are they?"
The white-haired man grinned.
"Long gone, of course. If we hadn't used them as bait, how else were we going to get you two to walk into our office?"
"Katsura Hinagiku-san, we've heard you're the student council president of St. Hakuou. If you're willing to work for us—obediently follow our commands—we can be very flexible about the debt."
"And we might even help you track down those lovely deadbeat parents of yours. After all, they still owe us money too."
Hinagiku narrowed her eyes, gaze sharpening.
"What exactly do you want me to do?"
The white-haired man chuckled and pulled out a tablet, swiping to a photo.
"See this girl? Sanzenin Nagi. Heiress of the Sanzenin family. All you need to do is kidnap her and deliver her to a designated location. We'll take it from there."
"And your debt will be wiped clean."
Hinagiku frowned. "Why me? You've got muscle, cars—kidnapping one girl shouldn't be that hard."
"Oh, it's very hard," he said. "Sanzenin Nagi almost never leaves home. You are the student council president; you have a legitimate reason to visit her estate."
"At that point, you just take the chance to snatch her and bring her in."
He spoke, eyes repeatedly lingering on her body with greasy interest.
"Of course, you can refuse. But then we'll start with your sister here… maybe debut her in a nice, long, 'multi-man' movie. I guarantee the tapes would sell like hotcakes."
Yukiji's face went chalk white.
"Y-You're disgusting! A-and what do you mean, 'multi-man'—Hinagiku, help me, please!"
"Shut up!" Hinagiku snapped, glaring at her.
"I told you to stop gambling! And borrowing from loan sharks to do it? How could that possibly end well?"
~~~
You're Welcome!