Ren remained calm under the sharp gaze of the female tyrannosaurus. Even if Hiratsuka were to punch him with all her might, her attack wouldn't have the slightest effect on him. However, rather than letting the situation drag on, it was better to explain things quickly.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, I didn't come here alone."
"What! You have an accomplice in your crime—"
"Don't let your imagination run wild. I'm here with my girlfriend. Isn't this a normal couple activity? Oops, sorry, Hiratsuka-sensei. I forgot you don't have any romantic experience."
"I take back my words, Rokuhara. You are a problematic student."
A vein pulsed on Hiratsuka's forehead. Her fists clenched as if ready to punch her disrespectful student. What frustrated her the most? She couldn't refute it!
At her age, already in her 30s, she was still single. Not only was she unmarried—she had never even had a boyfriend! Every time she went on a blind date, the men would always back off after seeing her true personality.
"You're not lying, are you?"
"Proving it is simple. When she comes out of the fitting room, Hiratsuka-sensei will know for yourself whether I'm lying or not."
As he spoke, Ren didn't avoid her interrogative gaze. His expression remained calm and relaxed.
Just then, the sound of a curtain sliding open was heard. Masha pulled the fitting room curtain aside and stepped out fully dressed, carrying a few pieces of underwear she had chosen.
Upon seeing someone she recognized, Masha was startled. "Hiratsuka-sensei? I didn't expect to see you here."
Unlike before, Hiratsuka immediately dropped her fierce demeanor and put on the face of a kind and friendly older sister.
"Oh, it's Kujou. Are you dating Rokuhara?"
Masha glanced at Ren briefly before nodding slowly. "Yes... we are dating."
Although it was a bit awkward to admit, there was no point in lying. Of course, she kept the fact of her pregnancy a secret. If that were revealed, the problem would become even bigger.
"Hiratsuka-sensei, can you keep this a secret?" Masha asked softly, looking at their teacher with hope.
"Hmm... Well, as long as you two don't break any school rules, I don't mind keeping it a secret."
Ohananomitsu High School didn't forbid students from dating. Hiratsuka had no right to interfere in this matter.
After that, Ren and Masha bid farewell to Hiratsuka and headed to the cashier to pay for their purchases.
Hiratsuka could only sigh again as she watched them leave.
"Haaah... Young people these days sure like to play around, huh."
"Who would've thought that two students who seemed like ordinary classmates at school were secretly a loving couple? They even shopped for underwear together without hesitation. Wait... Could it be that they've already crossed the line of a healthy relationship?"
"Rokuhara... That kid is full of bad rumors, but he managed to win over a girl like Kujou. Meanwhile, I..."
Hiratsuka rubbed her throbbing forehead as if facing a bitter reality.
She glanced at her reflection in the store mirror. With her elegant outfit and pretty face, she still looked young in her 30s. But still, the men who approached her always backed off after seeing her true personality.
"When will the man destined for me appear? I'm not going to be single forever, am I?"
Seeing her students dating was not good for her mental health and heart.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
After leaving the underwear store, Ren and Masha didn't head home immediately. They still wanted to enjoy their time together in the bustling shopping mall.
Masha casually held Ren's hand as they walked past various stores. Occasionally, she would stop to look at clothes in boutique windows, try on some accessories, or simply admire the jewelry on display. Ren wasn't particularly interested in shopping, but he patiently accompanied her, offering his opinion when asked.
As they passed by a stuffed animal store, Masha suddenly stopped and stared at a display shelf with sparkling eyes. Her hand quickly grabbed a white cat plushie, her eyes softening as she examined it.
"Oh my, this cat plushie looks just like Alya-chan." She murmured with a sweet smile.
Ren glanced at the plushie. Indeed, its cute shape and slightly arrogant expression somehow reminded him of Alya.
"Since this cat is cute, I'll buy it for myself." Masha continued, hugging the cat plushie tightly. Then, she handed a black rabbit plushie to Ren. "And this one is for Ren-kun."
Ren looked at the plushie in his hand. A black rabbit with a mysterious expression, different from the white cat that looked more innocent.
"A rabbit, huh... That's the iconic animal representing a playboy. Masha, you did that on purpose, didn't you?" He asked, looking at Masha.
Masha covered her mouth with her hand, hiding her mischievous smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about~" She replied playfully before turning around and heading to the cashier to pay for the plushies.
"Oh well, as long as she's happy, let it be. After all, it's true." Ren smiled resignedly. Without much protest, he followed Masha out of the store, carrying the black rabbit plushie in his hand.
As the evening grew later, the shopping mall began to fill with flickering lights. After spending time together, Ren and Masha finally decided to end their date.
At the mall entrance, Masha ordered a taxi first. Once the car stopped in front of them, she turned to Ren, still clutching the white cat plushie tightly.
"Thank you for spending the day with me, Ren-kun. This date was really fun." She said with a soft smile.
"Don't forget to let me know when you get home."
"Mm. See you tomorrow, Ren-kun."
Masha kissed his cheek before getting into the taxi. After making sure the door was closed, Ren stood still, waiting until the car disappeared into the distance.
Only then did he order a taxi for himself. It didn't take long for the next car to stop in front of him.
As he got in and leaned back in the seat, he glanced at the black rabbit plushie he was still holding. A small smile appeared at the corner of his lips.
"A rabbit, huh..." He murmured softly before turning his gaze to the window, watching the city lights flicker in the distance. The taxi drove off, taking him back to his home.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Tobe walked lightly on the sidewalk with his hands in his jacket pockets. The night air was cool, and the streets were relatively empty, with only the occasional vehicle passing by. However, his attention wasn't on his surroundings but on the conversation he had earlier at the karaoke place.
"Ebina-san talked to me a lot today... Isn't this a good sign?"
He smiled slightly, remembering how the girl he liked seemed comfortable chatting with him.
"If I confess my feelings now, would she accept it?"
Tobe kept imagining various possibilities—how Ebina would blush upon hearing his confession, how they would start dating, and then he could finally lose his virginity with Ebina at a love hotel.
"Ehehehe..."
Too lost in his sweet fantasies, Tobe didn't notice the presence of a black van slowly driving behind him. Its headlights dimmed, following him quietly.
As he entered a quieter street, the vehicle suddenly stopped beside him. Before he could turn around, the van's sliding door opened, and two burly men quickly stepped out with swift, trained movements.
Tobe jolted, but before he could scream, one of the men swiftly covered his mouth, while the other tightly grabbed his legs.
Panicked, he tried to struggle, but their grip was too strong. His breath quickened, his heart racing in fear.
'What's happening?! Who are they?!'
He tried to fight back—kicking, biting the hand covering his mouth, even swinging his arms with all his might. However, his resistance meant nothing against his kidnappers, who were far stronger.
In an instant, his body was lifted and thrown into the vehicle. The sliding door was immediately shut tight, muffling any sound from inside.
The van quickly drove off, disappearing into the darkness of the night without a trace.
Tobe, who just moments ago was lost in sweet daydreams about his love life, now found himself trapped in a situation he had never imagined.
Inside the shaking van, Tobe could only writhe in panic. His mouth was gagged with thick cloth, his eyes tightly blindfolded, and his hands and feet bound tightly. He couldn't see, couldn't speak, could only feel his body trembling violently in fear.
"This is just a dream... This must be just a dream..."
But the sound of the van's engine and the tight ropes around his wrists felt all too real. His body felt weak, but his breath was ragged, as if his lungs were lacking air. Tears began to flow from behind the blindfold, mixing with snot that he couldn't control.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
It was unclear how long the van had been driving, but eventually, he felt the vehicle come to a stop. Soon after, someone roughly pulled him out. Tobe wanted to resist, but his efforts were futile. His body was too weak compared to his kidnappers.
Suddenly, the cloth covering his eyes was removed. Blinding light pierced his senses, forcing him to squint for a moment before he could see clearly.
What greeted him was an abandoned warehouse—its walls dull and cracked, the floor dirty and littered with debris. But what was more terrifying than that were the ten burly men standing around him, staring at him expressionlessly.
Fear gripped his chest even tighter. With a trembling voice, he mustered the courage to speak.
"W-what do you want from me...?"
"..."
No one answered.
"Did you get the wrong person...? I'm nobody! My family isn't rich! It's useless if you want ransom money!"
"..."
Still no response.
Tobe felt his body go limp. Even begging for mercy seemed pointless.
Without a word, one of the men approached, easily grabbing him as if he were nothing more than a rag, and lifted him into an upright metal drum standing on the warehouse floor.
Tobe began to scream.
"What are you doing?! Please, let me go! I'll do anything!!"
However, his fear turned into uncontrollable horror when he saw someone bringing a large bucket filled with thick gray liquid.
Cement.
Without needing an explanation, his mind immediately grasped what was about to happen. This was a scene he had often seen in crime movies.
'They're going to bury me alive in cement...!'
Absolute fear took over him.
"NO! DON'T!!"
His screams echoed through the vast warehouse, bouncing off the walls.
"PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING! DON'T DO THIS!!"
His cries grew more desperate. His body thrashed with all his might, but the metal drum was too narrow for him to move freely.
Yet, the men remained silent. Not a single one showed any mercy.
The cement began to pour, flowing slowly into the drum, covering his feet. Cold and sticky.
And at that moment, Tobe realized something.
He was really going to die!
The cold, sticky cement continued to flow, slowly enveloping Tobe's body until it reached his neck. The cold pierced his skin, hardening more and more, as if locking his body in an impenetrable prison.
Tobe cried and screamed, struggling in vain. His breath was ragged, his chest tight with fear that choked him.
"Please! I beg you, let me go!"
But his screams only echoed without response. No one cared about his pleas. No one smirked or showed satisfied looks. They were just silent, like professional executioners simply carrying out their duty.
In the midst of his despair, one of the men stepped forward. Unlike the others, his gaze wasn't filled with hatred but with absolute indifference. He looked at Tobe, trapped in the hardening cement, before finally speaking in a flat voice.
"Clown, don't spread rumors about others carelessly. You never know who you might offend. In your next life, be a good person instead of a sycophant."
Those words struck deep into Tobe's heart, deeper than the fear that gripped him.
"That's a message from the person you provoked." The man added indifferently.
"...?!!!"
At that moment, Tobe felt as if the world had collapsed.
It didn't take long for him to understand the meaning behind the man's words.
Rokuhara Ren.
That name flashed in his mind like lightning in the darkness.
He remembered how he had spread rumors about Ren, talking about things he hadn't even confirmed just to make himself look better in front of his friends. He had done all that out of baseless envy.
And now...
Regret, too late, gripped his heart.
Why?
Why was he so stupid?
Why did he have to provoke someone like Ren out of jealousy?
Tobe opened his mouth to speak, to try to defend himself or at least beg for mercy one more time. But his voice caught in his throat.
There was nothing more he could say.
There was nothing more he could do.
He could only stare at the man in front of him with wide eyes, his body trembling even as it was almost completely locked in the hardening cement.
And so, the man named Tobe Kakeru became nourishment for the fish in Tokyo Bay.