Kagura Hikaru and Suse were walking home.

Tonight, the moonlight was bright, and the residential area was quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps.

A cat meowed from the depths of a dark alley they passed, but it didn't draw any attention, like breath vapor on a winter night, quickly dissipating.

Maybe they should talk to lighten the mood, both thought.

But at this moment, neither of them felt like speaking, just walking drearily.

They had argued...

It was their first fight since they started dating.

Could this affect their relationship? Kagura Hikaru anxiously wondered.

He was nervous and somewhat regretted speaking harshly—now that Suse's life was tied with his, pushing her away was akin to suicide.

Kagura Hikaru was completely submissive to her, willing to indulge her even if she wanted to play SM games.

But this time, Suse's ideas were too radical, crossing his boundaries.

It didn't matter how the two of them played, but involving others was another matter.

Since the Mind Reading Technique went out of control, Kagura Hikaru's foresight ability hadn't reappeared for a long time, making the future unclear, and he couldn't judge whether the "happy ending" Suse talked about was good or bad.

But at least he knew one thing, Suse's actions introduced variables, bringing uncertainty to their relationship.

Starting a harem... having another girlfriend seemed nice, but such a challenge to societal norms would undoubtedly cost them.

Kagura Hikaru was a pessimist; he didn't see it favorably and refused to take such risks. Any unknown change frightened him now.

In the past, he once met an elderly fortune teller during a late-night outing, who told him 'a great opportunity lies ahead'; now, the answer was clear.

Kohinata Suse was his 'great opportunity'.

He was lucky to have grabbed the last straw on the cliff edge and held on tight, ready never to let go.

"Are you... angry?"

After a long hesitation, Kagura Hikaru carefully asked the person next to him.

Suse glanced at his expression and was instantly reminded of the small puppy (a real dog) at her cousin's home in Capital City, looking exactly like it.

Though she preferred cats, she had no resistance against such a soft, adorable animal.

This was a rare moment of her boyfriend acting coquettishly.

"...No," she tenderly responded.

"Really?"

"Really."

Suse held her boyfriend's hand, soothing him in a few words, but deep down, she still felt uneasy. Readaheadandgetupdates

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She just wanted to be with Mister Hikaru and Hina forever; it was a good thing, so why was it so difficult? Everyone was opposing her.

So-called common sense, public opinion, were they that important? They could make someone give up readily available happiness.

This kind of fervor alone wouldn't work; since no one else saw it positively, it seemed the plan had to be stopped.

But, if she must proceed, it wasn't impossible.

Kagura Hikaru was traditional, and Hina was also a type with a sharp tongue but a soft heart; their weaknesses overlapped—just arranging an opportunity for them to be caught in a done deal, she wouldn't worry about their continued opposition.

As long as she created an alibi, she even had the capability to remove herself from responsibility and naturally become the 'beneficiary.'

Such tasks presented no difficulty to her.

Ambitious and wicked plans sprung one after another from Suse's clever mind; she meticulously thought of every detail – where to set up the incident, who to ask for an alibi, and even forged the excuses for afterwards, perfecting them all.

However, after glancing secretly at Kagura Hikaru, she eventually dismissed this idea.

According to the Roka Exchange Law, whenever two objects come into contact, a transfer phenomenon occurs; something is taken and something is left behind.

Hence, there are no perfect crimes in this world; every object leaves a trace.

Her motive was too strong, and she would be the primary suspect no matter what after the incident occurred, even if she fled to the other side of the earth.

With Kagura Hikaru's keenness, the plan would likely be exposed halfway through, ultimately ruining the relationship between them and ironically benefiting Hina.

That would indeed make her the laughing stock if she naively went through with it.

At this thought, Suse reluctantly let go of her eager desires, switching reluctantly from Plan A to Plan B.

It seemed impossible to carry out the Paradise Plan; thus, she had to switch to the Sibling Plan and try to mend the relationship.

If not as family, becoming close friends again was acceptable.

She was prepared for this backup plan, and even had some assistance.

It was none other than one of her love rivals, Ayakoji Chiyoko.

Hina was probably scheming to obstruct her relationship with her boyfriend by now; naturally, she would pull Ayakoji Chiyoko to her side as an ally. However, knowing Ayakoji Chiyoko's personality, her motivation to cooperate wouldn't be high. If she noticed Hina going too far, she'd definitely change her stance and intervene.

Similarly, from what she knew about Hina, it was certain that she would go overboard... after all, that's typical of Hina, proficient at accelerating but stumbling when it comes to braking, often crashing - that was just her way.

In a nutshell: Decisive, but lacks foresight.

When that time came, she would go directly to Ayakoji Chiyoko; having a common goal, they could naturally become friends—though this 'friendship' would be somewhat superficial as long as it was helpful. She was also prepared to pay the price for this.

Even if it meant continuing to stay close to Kagura Hikaru after graduation, she would consider it appropriately.

Such actions, akin to handing opportunities to a rival, might lead to a downfall; Suse wasn't entirely certain, she simply chose to trust.

If it were the old her, she probably wouldn't have given such opportunities, but Suse had learned from past events and dared not hold on to Kagura Hikaru too tightly, fearing it would strain his nerves again.

Though she didn't know why Kagura Hikaru's gaze turned towards her, Suse knew this was the best chance heaven had given her, and possibly the final opportunity to be with her beloved - she wouldn't miss it again.

She was very aware that she was taking advantage of someone else's misfortune.

Now might be the most vulnerable moment in Kagura Hikaru's life, yet she was exploiting this, relentlessly satisfying her own desires, no different from those disgusting men who intoxicate women and take them to hotels.

Right now, she was greedily seizing her own happiness.

However, inevitably, a sense of guilt quietly climbed inside her, gradually corroding her will, questioning the correctness of her actions.

In a daze, Kohinata Motoyo seemed to see a tightrope; she was walking on it, with a skyscraper beneath her.

The wind was strong at the rooftop, and she instinctively grasped tighter onto Kagura Hikaru's hand.

"What's wrong?" Kagura Hikaru looked over, his eyes filled with concern, and his face still bearing that gentle expression.

Suse thought she might gain some warmth and motivation from her boyfriend, but unexpectedly, she only felt emptiness.

It was as if she was embracing not a person, but a dummy.

This illusion flashed by, and she forced a smile, shaking her head.

"It's nothing... just feeling a bit cold."