Panic.
That was Nagasaki Soyo’s first thought upon hearing those words.
This had to be the most terrifying opponent she had encountered in this second run. At least for now, Tsuzuki Chihiro was clearly not on her side. Of course, Soyo had no idea what exactly this person’s motives were for infiltrating their school.
Calm down. Her perfect mind needed to stay composed to figure out the best countermeasure.
Soyo silently cheered herself on because she knew that the most important thing right now wasn’t trying to outmaneuver the other person. It was making sure she didn’t show any suspicious expressions in front of Tsuzuki Chihiro.
Wait… Could it be that Tsuzuki Chihiro was after her mother’s wealth?
Had she secretly investigated everyone connected to Soyo, using the guise of a caring teacher to gain her trust, only to eventually come up with an excuse to swindle a large sum of money from their family?
That… actually sounded pretty plausible.
“What’s wrong, Soyo-san?”
“Nothing, I’m just surprised. How do you know Sakiko?”
Soyo put on a natural expression. Though she was anxious to leave and find Lise, she knew she couldn’t rush things now. She had to handle this encounter properly.
“Because I’ve already met her.”
“What?!”
Seeing Nagasaki Soyo’s visibly shaken reaction, Tsuzuki Chihiro’s lips curled slightly. She had already considered multiple possibilities in her mind.
But all she really needed to confirm was that this girl in front of her genuinely cared about Sakiko.
And it wasn’t like Chihiro was oblivious—Soyo had followed her the other day, meaning she was already suspicious of her identity.
Not to mention, Soyo’s odd behavior over the past two days—deliberately avoiding her—only made Chihiro, who had always been highly vigilant, more suspicious.
However… that didn’t mean she was at a disadvantage.
At the very least, she was certain that Soyo’s primary concern was that disbanded band. And it seemed that, among all the members, the only one Soyo truly cared about was Togawa Sakiko.
“Let’s find somewhere off-campus to talk. What do you think?”
“…Alright.”
Soyo’s expression darkened slightly, but after thinking it over, she realized this might actually be the perfect opportunity to lay everything on the table.
The two of them barely spoke on the way to the café Soyo had chosen—a place where they could see RiNG’s entrance. She didn’t bother breaking the silence either.
Once they arrived, Soyo ordered a cup of black tea, then picked a secluded corner to sit in. A confident, almost smug smile spread across her face.
“Iseri-sensei… Oh wait, or should I call you Tsuzuki Chihiro instead?”
“Either one works. Up to you.”
“…Seriously? Can’t you at least react a little?”
Watching Chihiro sit there, legs crossed and completely unfazed, Soyo suddenly felt ridiculous.
Seriously? No reaction at all? She had just exposed her disguise, and she couldn’t even get a wow out of her?
No, she couldn’t let this throw her off. Taking a deep breath, Soyo reminded herself to stay composed.
“You’re not actually a teacher, are you?”
“Nope.”
“Then what exactly are you doing at our school?”
“Looking for a meal ticket.”
“…”
Soyo suddenly felt incredibly frustrated, like she had just punched a pile of cotton.
“That Four Seasons hotel you’re staying at doesn’t seem like something an unemployed drifter could afford, does it?”
“…Sakiko mentioned you.”
“Huh?! What did she say about me?!”
“You really care about her, huh?” Chihiro raised an eyebrow, her expression a mix of amusement and mild surprise. “Too bad, I was just messing with you. She didn’t mention you at all.”
“…”
Seeing the frustration on Soyo’s face, Chihiro couldn’t help but chuckle.
Sure, she had slipped up in front of this girl—who, despite seeming a bit naïve, was actually quite sharp—but in truth, the main reason was simply that she was exhausted.
Living a life of constant deception meant never having anyone she could truly open up to. Even in front of Anon, Chihiro chose to keep up the act.
She was tired of it.
What she hadn’t expected was that the first person she didn’t feel the need to manipulate wasn’t Togawa Sakiko… but the girl sitting across from her right now.
Even with Sakiko, she had withheld certain truths.
“You’re pretty smart.”
“A lot of people say that.” Soyo shamelessly bragged.
“But unfortunately for you, there’s nothing you can do to me. Sure, I faked being a teacher, but my English classes have been well-received, haven’t they?”
“But—”
“No buts. I didn’t steal any salary. All I did was mooch off your school lunches for three days. Moon no Mori isn’t going to make a big deal out of something like that. If anything, a lot of students would probably defend me.”
“…”
Soyo had to admit she didn’t have a solid counterargument for that. After all, Chihiro really had earned the students’ approval with her teaching skills. Not to mention, she was incredibly attractive and had gained quite a bit of popularity at school.
“And as for the hotel… You think I can’t afford it, but if you really knew the details, you’d realize I checked in under someone else’s name at first, but I covered the cost myself the next day.”
“What, did you think a five-star hotel would just let me stay for three nights without paying a single yen?”
Of course, the money wasn’t technically hers. She had borrowed it. But there was no need to explain that part.
“I…”
Soyo felt completely cornered. She hated to admit it, but she couldn’t do anything about this woman.
And Chihiro had clearly figured out that Soyo would react strongly when it came to Sakiko—turning what should’ve been a weak point into her own advantage.
This is infuriating!
“Still, I have to say, you did well. At least from tomorrow onward, I don’t plan on freeloading at your school anymore.”
“I’m curious—don’t five-star hotels have food?”
“Paid food doesn’t taste as good as free food.”
“You…” Soyo was momentarily speechless.
But she quickly thought of something else to say.
“What about after that?”
“After that?” Chihiro frowned slightly, as if she had already guessed what Soyo was about to say.
“If you were really rich, you wouldn’t be scamming free meals like this. And you won’t be able to stay at that hotel forever either, right?”
“If you want to keep living like this, are you just going to keep lying to people? It’s unstable, and the risks are high. Is that really the best way to live?”
“…I can get a job.”
Hearing Chihiro’s tone lose some of its previous confidence, Soyo felt like she was regaining control. Her confidence returned.
“How about this—you can stay at my house. It’s big, probably not much different from a five-star hotel in terms of quality.”
“And I’ll pay you. Think of it as a salary. Of course, all I need in return is a little favor. What do you say?”
—
T/N: heh its over soyo-chan you’ve fell into my trap card!
This is a fan translation of 素世同学，恭喜你被我优化了 by 杰克喵. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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