Chapter 4: I hope you won’t take this the wrong way

Ren remained in the classroom long after the others had left.

He sat in silence, staring at the pile of folders on the desk.

Then, with a sigh, he picked them up and walked out.

He didn’t know how Arata would react when he would found out the others had backed out of the game.

But one thing was clear, Ren wasn't going to let them get expelled again.

If no one else would act, he would.

Four names.

Four teachers.

He was going to bring them down.

On his way back to his apartment, Ren's mind was heavy with the weight of the task ahead.

Destroying them wasn’t the hard part.

The real challenge was making sure they paid for what they had done without anyone innocent getting caught in the crossfire.

Their families, their children... they didn’t deserve to suffer.

That meant no public scandals.

No police.

No prison.

If the truth came out the wrong way, it would only drag their families down with them.

An idea kept creeping into his mind.

He kept pushing it away, forcing himself to think of another solution.

But by morning, after a restless night, he knew there was no other way.

And he needed help to do it.

Ren sat at his desk, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Then, he typed out an email.

It was addressed to the same mysterious contact that had sent him an invitation to the school a week ago.

He barely had time to step away from his laptop before his phone buzzed.

Arata.

Ren exhaled sharply before answering.

"Hello, Ren," Arata’s voice was smooth, amused. "That was fast. Didn’t expect to hear from you so soon."

"Arata-sama," Ren said, keeping his tone measured. "I need your help."

There was a brief silence. Then, a chuckle. "That so?"

"I figured out how to complete the task you gave us," Ren continued carefully. "But I’ll need, I mean we'll need your assistance." He avoided mentioning he was handling the four teachers alone.

No need to give Arata any more leverage over him than he already had. "I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, but… can you get me in contact with an ex-CIA agent?"

A beat of silence. Then, Arata laughed.

"Oh? CIA, huh? And what makes you think I have those kinds of connections?"

Ren didn’t respond immediately.

He knew better than to explain too much over the phone.

Arata clicked his tongue. "Why the CIA? Why not MI6?"

"I don’t think it’s safe to discuss this over the phone," Ren said, his voice even.

Another pause.

Then, Arata let out a hum of approval. "Alright. I’ll see what I can do."

Ren exhaled, his lips parting slightly as the weight of what he’d just set in motion settled over him.

"Thank you," he said. "Thank you very much."

On his way to school, Ren crossed paths with Yuna Tanaka, the student council vice president.

She was sharp, too sharp.

A girl who didn’t miss a thing.

And she was stunning.

"Hey, you’re Ren-kun, right?"

"Yeah, that’s me," he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

"I thought so," Yuna said, flashing a knowing smile. "I loved what you did in class. The wig... That was hilarious."

Ren grinned. "Oh, that? Just a last-minute improv. I get ideas like that all the time."

They walked together across the high school courtyard, the morning sun casting long shadows on them.

"You know," she continued, "I wanted to make a TikTuk video like yours. I even tried to copy your moves, but…" She pouted slightly. "I just couldn’t get it right. Can you show me?"

She attempted the moves, exaggerating how "badly" she was doing, deliberately missing steps.

Ren corrected her, giving simple instructions, but she kept fumbling.

Then, with an innocent tilt of her head, she stepped closer.

"Maybe you should just show me," she said, guiding his hands to her arms.

The moment he touched her, she let out soft, teasing sounds, small gasps, a whisper of a moan, the kind of thing meant to rattle him.

Then, in a brief, almost accidental motion, she shifted, just enough for him to catch a glimpse of lace beneath her uniform.

A pause.

Then, as if satisfied, she whispered, "Thank you, Ren-kun," her voice dipping into something warm, velvety dangerous.

And with that, she turned and walked away.

Ren watched her go, expression unreadable.

Then, under his breath, he chuckled.

"Congratulations," he murmured to himself. "Now you have me in your pocket."

He let a brief smile cross his lips, fleeting before it vanished settling into cold indifference.

As Yuna disappeared into the crowd, Ren’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

An unknown number.

"Hello?"

A smooth, measured voice came through the line. "Hello Ren?"

Ren’s grip on the phone tightened slightly. "Yes?"

"My name is Alex. I believe you wanted to speak with me about a certain matter."

Ren’s breath hitched. "That was fast. So this was the CIA agent." He thought to himself.

He hadn’t expected a response so soon, let alone a direct call.

Arata wasn’t playing around.

"Can we meet today?" Ren asked, masking his surprise.

"Sure," Alex replied, casual yet precise. "I’ll be free at the end of the day."

"Great. Let’s meet then."

"I’ll call you when it’s time," Alex added. "Since you don’t have my number."

The line went dead.

Ren lowered the phone, staring at the screen for a moment.

That was it.

No turning back now.

The idea he had tried so hard to push away, the despicable thought that had crept into his mind, was about to become reality.

As Ren entered the classroom, he spotted Kaede already at her desk.

Without hesitation, he walked up to her.

"Can we talk outside for a minute?" he asked.

Kaede blinked, caught off guard. "Uh… sure."

She followed him out near the stairwell, her thoughts racing. "What does he want? Was he about to confess? Or was this about something else entirely?" She thought to herself.

Ren, however, made no mention of the task.

Instead, he made small talk, his tone casual, too casual.

Kaede wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved or more on edge.

Then Hiroto arrived.

The second he joined them, Ren’s expression shifted.

The pretense of small talk vanished.

"I told Arata I’d do it," Ren lied to them. "I’m taking care of the four teachers. You two won’t be expelled."

Hiroto frowned. "Listen, you don’t have to do this for me. Don’t force yourself."

"He’s right," Kaede added. Her voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. "I’ve already made peace with being expelled. If Arata decides to kick me out, so be it."

"I feel the same way," Hiroto said. "But… thanks for thinking about us."

With that, the two turned and headed back to class, leaving Ren standing alone.

He watched them go, silent.

They weren’t backing down.

No matter the consequences, they had made their choice.

And if Arata found out the truth, there was a real chance he’d expel them.

Ren considered telling them more, but it would've

Instead, he followed them inside, slipping back into his seat.

But his mind wasn’t in the classroom.

His thoughts were miles away, already fixated on his upcoming meeting with the CIA agent.