He tried to save the fallen girls, but they came after him instead.

Page 123

When Shirakawa arrived at his doorstep, he slightly opened the envelope and counted the money; inside were five thousand-yen bills.

There was also a small bookmark tucked between the coins, which read:

Little Shirakawa, we haven't decided who won yet. Let's go to the gym after school on Monday and have a good match.

...

I'll still get beaten up.

Shirakawa sealed the envelope, took out his phone, glanced at the time, and realized there was still some time before his dinner with Jacky.

There was also an unread message from Miike Naoko, asking if she could wear the clothes in the closet.

The message was sent before noon, but Shirakawa was working diligently and didn't have a moment to check it.

The clothes belonged to Jackie, and Shirakawa happened to be going home to get them too.

Don't put it on yet, don't rush, I'm home.

Shirakawa edited the message and sent it, then took out his key to open the door.

Ding Dong!

Michiko replied immediately.

Don't go home yet.

Huh? What do you mean? I can't even go back to my home?

But Shirakawa had already opened the door.

The three women, including Mito and her daughter, along with Miike Naoko, sat around the dining table in a very somber atmosphere.

Well...

Let's find somewhere outside to stay until night.

"Brother Shirakawa, I suggest you come in quickly if you don't want things to get worse," Sakura said slowly.

To an outsider, this statement sounds perfectly normal, but Shirakawa could detect a subtle difference in its meaning.

Mito Sakura was threatening him; she not only had photos of him, but they had also engaged in some intimate activities last night.

Either one of them would be a game-winning move.

Maki's reaction might actually lead her to kill herself with a hatchet.

Shirakawa had no choice but to open the door and enter.

Midori Kana, who was standing nearby, even pulled out a chair for him.

"Thank you, Auntie..." Shirakawa said as he sat down.

Aunt Meidu didn't speak, her usual gentle expression turning unusually serious.

The others also looked somber, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense after they sat down.

The girl who had been searching for her scent all night now looked like a child who had done something wrong, her head down and her gaze darting away.

Officer Miike, who had enjoyed a pleasant night with himself, was dressed in Mitsu Kana's clothes and dared not say a word.

Midori Kana was far too voluptuous compared to Miike Naoko, causing her t-shirt to be several sizes too big, reaching down to Miike's knees, and her tight jeans to look like loose athletic shorts.

Why is there such a big difference between women?

Midori also kept glancing at Miike furtively, her eyes filled with strong hostility.

He wasn't worried about whether Sakura would fight with Miike; what Shirakawa was most worried about was whether Sakura would expose him.

Although she is understanding and can read the atmosphere, she seems unable to keep secrets and easily lets things slip.

Unexpectedly, Kana Midori spoke first and asked a question.

"Shirakawa-kun...why is Inspector Miike at your house?"

Shirakawa had never heard his aunt speak to him in such a tone before.

Wow, they've gotten straight to the point.

100. Kana doesn't seem to be feeling well.

“Officer Miike is my friend. She came to visit me yesterday and stayed at my house, right?” Under the table where no one could see, Shirakawa gently kicked Miike and winked at her.

“Yes, yes, that’s right. I just came to his house for a visit. It’s too late, so I’ll stay at his house.” Miike Naeko continued, echoing Shirakawa.

"You didn't know each other when Officer Miike came to the school to give a lecture last time, right? How come you've become friends in just a few days?" Sakura questioned.

“We talked about the sports warehouse incident a few days ago, and surprisingly we had a lot in common, so we became a little closer,” Shirakawa explained.

"That doesn't make sense. When Officer Miike asked us to give our statements yesterday, you weren't that close, were you?"

Mitsu Sakura recalled Miike Naeko, who had given her statement yesterday. Judging from her tone, the two weren't even friends, yet today she suddenly appeared at Shirakawa's house...

"Wait, what were you two doing giving statements yesterday?" Mitsu Kana, the mother, suddenly became alert.

She only knew that Shirakawa and Sakura went out to play yesterday, but she didn't know what kind of statements they were making.

Huh? Did I let it slip again? Sakura suddenly panicked and quickly tried to make up a lie to cover it up.

She glanced at her sister, who was also looking down, seemingly lost in thought.

If my sister finds out that Shirakawa and I secretly went out to play...

The consequences could be disastrous!

"Well, I ran into Sakura while shopping at the mall yesterday. I was on my way home when I saw a group of delinquents fighting on the side of the road, so I called the police. Officer Miike took us to give our statements, right, Officer Miike?"

Shirakawa glanced at Maki's reaction; she seemed a little distracted.

Hmm~~ This explanation is for Maki to hear.

"Ah, that's right, that's right. There was a fight on the street, and they were taken to the police station as witnesses to give statements. It's nothing serious."

"Phew, that puts my mind at ease." Midori Kana breathed a sigh of relief; she didn't want Shirakawa and Sakura to encounter any danger.

Sakura realized she had let something slip, so she simply stopped talking.

Thinking about it carefully, Miike and Shirakawa are quite far apart in age, and she doesn't have that feminine charm. It seems unlikely that Shirakawa would end up with her...

Moreover, she is a police officer, so she should be very upright in her actions. It's unlikely that such an outrageous thing would happen.

Sakura kept trying to convince herself.

At this moment, Maki was not involved in the topic; she was constantly thinking about the student council president, Hoshimiya Shio.

Why did she bring such a large group of people to see Shirakawa? What did Shirakawa do to make her so concerned?

Didn't she already get the pocket watch and leave? Why is she back?

Maki thought about it for a long time but still couldn't figure it out.

But one thing is certain: Hoshiguchi Shio lied to her.

Maki needs to address this matter properly.

She suddenly stood up, her eyes fixed on Shirakawa.

"W-What are you doing, Maki-nee?" Shirakawa was startled.

"I...I'm sorry," Maki suddenly apologized.

"how?"

“Actually, I knew a long time ago that the girl was the student council president, but I kept it from you,” Maki explained. “She secretly told me that you were deceived by a group of bad people, and that she came to help, so she secretly went through your things when you weren’t around… I’m so sorry, I actually believed her.” Maki sincerely apologized.

She didn't want to create a rift between herself and Shirakawa over this. Even though she secretly liked him and would sneak up on him at night while he was sleeping, on the surface, her relationship with Shirakawa was still just that of ordinary friends, and they hadn't had any deep interactions yet.

"It's okay, Maki-nee, it didn't really bother me much, don't worry about it."

Shirakawa has also resolved his inner conflict; at least he knows that Maki didn't rummage through his things because of Shio's orders.

Maki was essentially thinking of him.

Seeing that Shirakawa accepted her apology, Maki felt a little better.

"Don't trust others so easily next time."

"I see."

Maki was also reflecting on herself. Sometimes she was indeed rigid in her actions. When she encountered Hoshimiya Shio, who had a lot of power, she was easily misled by her without thinking much.

Even though he had done such a thing, Shirakawa didn't blame himself too much. He really was the one destined for him.

"Hey, sister, how could you rummage through Shirakawa's things?" Sakura suddenly questioned.

She inadvertently turned her attacks on her sister.

In her heart, her older sister had subtly become an obstacle to Shirakawa and her own wonderful life.

What she had to do was prove that she was the right girlfriend for Shirakawa.

"I was just scammed."

"Oh, so whatever the student council president says goes, whatever he tells you to do goes, right? If you had thought about Shirakawa-nii back then, or secretly asked Shirakawa, this wouldn't have happened."