Ichika instantly pouted in annoyance. "Akasaka-senpai, Senpai is interrupting my lunch."
She seemed deeply displeased by Ryunosuke's sudden appearance. Moreover, because of this bastard of a man, her monthly allowance—including funds for the next three years—had become extremely tight. Even inside her own lunchbox, it was terribly depressing as there wasn't a single piece of meat to be found.
Ryunosuke didn't have the time to care about that and asked directly.
"Is there any wish you want to fulfill?"
"Huh? What nonsense is Senpai talking about? Do you think you're Santa Claus?" Ichika sneered disdainfully. She picked up her chopsticks again and continued eating the miserable vegetable salad in her lunchbox.
The more she ate, the more irritated she became.
(What kind of food am I even eating? This is all because of this guy, yet he has the nerve to show up in front of me.)
Even though she had kindly tipped him off by betraying Ayanokouji, whom she had always idolized, the result she got turned out like this. The more Ichika thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt.
Ryunosuke didn't want to waste any more time. He was just about to tell the truth, but seeing the look of utter frustration on Ichika's face, possessed by some unknown impulse, he suddenly reached out with his right hand and patted Ichika's fluffy, burgundy-colored hair.
Feeling the weight on top of her head, Ichika shook her head to brush away Ryunosuke's hand, signaling that she didn't want to be petted. She looked as though she was sulking.
Ryunosuke smiled slightly at first, then reached out his hand again to pat her once more. But Ichika successfully dodged while protecting her twin tails. She slid her bottom backward. "What does Senpai want to do?!"
Ryunosuke kept pressing forward, while Ichika kept retreating backward, until finally she couldn't move back any further because she was already at the very edge of the long bench.
Ichika finally gave up. She lowered the hand that was protecting her twin tails. "Geez, fine, go ahead and pet it."
Ryunosuke patted it without a moment's hesitation. He ruffled that hair vigorously, almost making Ichika's hair resemble a bird's nest.
The chopsticks in Ichika's hand actually snapped in half from being squeezed. She picked up her lunchbox and made a motion to hurl it toward Ryunosuke.
"Doesn't Senpai know that hair is life to a girl?! Every morning I have to spend half an hour styling this hairstyle!"
Ryunosuke was somewhat baffled. "Isn't this just a regular double ponytail?"
Ichika sat back down. At first, she wanted to reply while eating, but she just realized that her chopsticks were already broken. This bento could no longer be eaten, so she put it away with a face full of vexation.
"What does Senpai mean by just a regular double ponytail? What do you know? Don't you feel like my hair is exceptionally fluffy?"
Ryunosuke rubbed his chin. "It is indeed very fluffy, and the sensation when touching it is also very nice and soft."
Ichika glared sharply at him, no longer even willing to call him Senpai. "What on earth did you come here for?"
Ryunosuke reached his hand out to her hair again, and this time Ichika didn't dodge.
Ryunosuke thought to himself while continuing to pet her. Gradually, his hand brushed against the drill-shaped parts of Ichika's double ponytail.
Ichika put on a dead-fish eye expression and stared straight at him.
(This hairstyle is going to have to be restyled from scratch again,) she muttered in her heart.
Ryunosuke had his fill of petting, then withdrew his hand and uttered a baffling sentence. "Consider this as the reward."
Rising to his feet and leaving the rooftop, he unhesitatingly pulled out his phone and sent a message to Megumi, stating that Yagami was allowed to be rescued and brought out as well.
This whole process only took a brief 15 minutes, and Ryunosuke still somehow found the time to flirt with a girl.
Meanwhile, Ichika sitting on the rooftop felt that this was extremely confusing, yet she still stroked her hair, which had been messed up.
"I'll have to waste time styling it again, how annoying."
"But, do you actually like this kind of hairstyle?"
Ichika hadn't noticed the change in her heart. She seemed to be starting to grow a little fond of Ryunosuke. Even for a long time in the future, she would subconsciously style her hair this way every single day and never change it.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
On the other side, after receiving the instructions, Megumi successfully brought Yagami out. However, she warned the man to behave himself and refrain from doing any unnecessary actions.
Yagami flexed his punching wrist, indicating that he understood. For him, the most important thing was escaping the White Room. As long as he could flee from this white cage, he would be free. Then he would just need to find a place to hide his identity so he could spend the rest of his life in peace.
By the time Atsuomi received the news, those people had long since fled. He gnashed his teeth in fierce rage.
"Are all of you just a bunch of useless people?!"
"You can't even guard a single person properly; why do I even bother keeping you?!"
Everyone who was scolded didn't dare to raise their heads an inch. After all, those people had vanished right under their noses, and even all the security camera equipment had been smashed.
Atsuomi was also painfully aware of this. Sitting in his luxurious chair, he propped his forehead, which felt somewhat throbbing with a headache.
(But I honestly cannot wrap my head around how those people managed to vanish right under his nose.)
(Inside the White Room, which is packed with security cameras.)
(Coupled with a number of subordinates reaching into the hundreds.)
(How on earth did the opposing side manage to sneak in and rescue those people out?)
Right now there were simply too many things Atsuomi couldn't comprehend, unless the opposing side could turn invisible.
◆━⊰✿✧✿⊱━◆
Meanwhile, Megumi along with the two people who successfully escaped only arrived back at the Advanced Nurturing High School when night had already fallen. Ryunosuke, together with Narumori, had been waiting for their arrival for a long time.
The reason Ryunosuke asked Narumori for help was to pick them up and bring them back, while simultaneously keeping everything about them hidden so it wouldn't be known to the outside world. That was why they picked them up at night when there was nobody around.
Megumi led Ayanokouji and Yagami off the boat onto the shore, then walked over to Ryunosuke's side to report that the mission was accomplished.
Ryunosuke stroked her bobbed hair. Megumi thoroughly enjoyed those strokes, acting pampered like an obedient cat.
This sight instantly left Ayanokouji and Yagami, who were watching from the side, astonished and baffled.
It was just this woman who had single-handedly broken into the White Room to rescue them, yet now she was displaying such an obedient attitude. They didn't even know what to comment from any angle.
Narumori, who was standing nearby, also wore an expression full of utter confusion.
"Is this girl a student at our school?"
"Why do I have no memory of her whatsoever?"
What Narumori didn't realize was that under normal circumstances, if an unfamiliar girl approached his prospective son-in-law, he would surely speak up to prevent it. But for some reason, when facing this girl, such an urge didn't arise at all.
More accurately, he had completely ignored her existence.
Just like someone who is fundamentally considered non-existent, no one would ever perceive her as a threat.
Therefore, Megumi took full advantage of this faint presence of hers. Even if she openly showed affection with Ryunosuke, nobody would make any comments, because everyone instinctively ignored it.
This was a concept. As well as a condition residing within Megumi's body. Much like Puberty Syndrome.
Ryunosuke didn't know if this was the same thing, but if this condition ended up disrupting Megumi's normal life, he would still have to figure out a way to cure her.