Chapter 59 Ordinary Classmates

"Do not watch!"

Just as Jack and the accompanying police officer picked up the two cameras to play the recorded footage, Reimu Watanabe suddenly remembered something. A blush spread across her face, and the strength that had drained from her body due to shock all rushed back. She shoved Hayato Kurobane aside, propped herself up against the low coffee table, pointed directly at the camera, and shouted.

Hayato Kurobane was somewhat baffled by Reimu's shove. Having his first encounter with a girl and with romance, he had never imagined a girl's mind could be so complicated.

In his still-confused understanding, she had initially tacitly consented to his confession and accepted his kiss. Yet, she was the one who pushed him away, kicked him, caused his nose to bleed, and made the police officer misunderstand.

Just moments ago, she had spoken up to defend him, and now she didn't want the police to watch the very footage that could prove his innocence.

"What is it, Reimu?" Kimio Kimura was the only person here who truly understood Reimu Watanabe. Having worked with her for so long, the moment he saw her nervous expression, he knew there must be something in that camera that made her anxious.

"Can't we watch it?" Jack asked politely, though it was merely a formality. As a police officer, he had the authority to examine all evidence related to the case.

Reimu walked over to Kimio Kimura, stood on tiptoe, and whispered something meant for his ears alone. Kimio cooperated by leaning his ear down.

"What!"

Upon hearing Reimu's words, when Kimio raised his head again, the look he gave Hayato Kurobane was filled with vigilance.

"Can we watch it?"

Jack looked at Kimio and asked again. After all, Kimio was the person in charge here, and everything on these premises was under his supervision.

"Officer, you can watch it, but only you alone. Because some of the contents belong to our theater's secrets, and it's inconvenient for too many people to know." Kimio naturally knew that even if he said no, Jack could legally compel them to view it. If the contents leaked out and adversely affected Reimu's idol career—even though she was entirely blameless and a victim herself—the media never showed mercy to the entertainment industry. Who knew what they might write?

***

"Hmm?"

Jack thought for a moment and motioned for the other officer to hand the camera over to Kimio. By this time, the "battered" crime scene had mostly been cleared up, so Jack ordered the rest of the personnel to step outside. Only three principals remained in the room: Jack, Kimio, and Hayato Kurobane, along with Reimu Watanabe.

Hayato Kurobane said nothing. He climbed up from the floor, brushed the dust off himself, and sat down on the sofa.

While Jack was viewing the footage, Kimio picked up the other camera to watch as well, casting occasional warning glances at Hayato while shielding Reimu behind him.

Kimio's viewing speed was much faster than Jack's, or rather, he was watching with a specific purpose—primarily to find the segment Reimu had mentioned, so as to ascertain the facts and judge how to resolve the matter.

When Kimio saw the video of Hayato forcefully kissing Reimu, his expression instantly turned grave. He looked up at Jack several times, opening his mouth to speak before stopping himself. He wanted to report Hayato for sexual harassment, but doing so would tip off the reporters, and Reimu's pure maiden image would inevitably suffer. Yet, failing to report it would mean condoning a "perverted" and "creepy" guy like Hayato.

Kimio fell into hesitation and self-reproach. Ultimately, it was all his fault. How could he have come up with such a risky activity as private meet-and-greets to boost ticket sales? If he had implemented proper security measures from the start and stayed by Reimu's side the whole time, this would never have happened. Kimio had already decided that after today, he would cancel the distribution of private meeting tickets.

Standing behind Kimio, Reimu naturally saw the footage on the screen. Her somewhat pale and haggard face flushed with a crimson hue, and shame and anger flared in her eyes. However, sensing Kimio's rising fury and fearing he might act rashly and call the police, she reached out with her right hand and nudged Kimio's right elbow.

"What's wrong, Reimu? Do you want to call the police? If you decide to, the company will fully support you." Having walked the brink of life and death, Kimio had seen through certain things. Realizing that a decision of his had nearly cost an underage girl her precious life, it was time for him to do right by her, even if it meant the company suffered some losses.

"Never mind."

Just as Kimio resolved to make the decision for Reimu and report to the police, Reimu uttered two words that left him in disbelief. Could there be something between her and Hayato? Surely not. If there were, she wouldn't have kicked him so ruthlessly after being forcibly kissed. They must simply be ordinary classmates.

"Hayato Kurobane, you saved me just now, so let's pretend today's events never happened. I hope you forget about it and never pull a stunt like that again. We are merely ordinary classmates. If you ever do this again, I will call the police." Reimu ignored Kimio's puzzled gaze, turning directly to address Hayato in a flat tone devoid of any emotional coloring. Her words both addressed Hayato and provided Kimio with an explanation.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Hayato Kurobane raised an eyebrow, his lips parting slightly as he stared at Reimu in astonishment. What was this supposed to mean? What did "pretend nothing happened" mean? What did "we are merely ordinary classmates" mean?

"Mr. Kimura, may I leave now?"

Reimu turned around, completely ignoring Hayato's gaze, and walked out the door without waiting for a reply from Kimio or Jack.

Reimu's suspicion had already been cleared the moment several young police officers recognized her. Currently, only Hayato remained under suspicion. Reimu and Kimio were merely here as victims and witnesses assisting with the investigation. Since they had no involvement and had provided video evidence far more compelling than mere words, naturally no one stopped her.

"Reimu, wait for me!"

Kimio hurried after her. A seventeen-year-old girl who had been through such an ordeal could hardly feel well. Even now, lingering fear gripped him, let alone Reimu. As her elder, manager, and guardian, he had to push his own lingering fears aside and go take care of her emotional well-being first.

To thoroughly understand what had transpired in this room and whether Hayato was truly innocent, Jack continued watching the footage intently. When he saw Hayato enter the room, carelessly toss the light stick onto the table, and leave without paying it any mind, he could already sense that Hayato had nothing to do with the overarching crime.

However, police work demanded evidence, especially since there had been casualties during this capture operation. He had to be rigorous and could not let a single suspicious suspect slip by, so he continued watching the footage with utmost concentration.

When Jack—as someone with life experience—saw Hayato's awkwardness during his confession to Reimu, his misinterpretation leading to the forced kiss, and the kick that caused the nosebleed, he couldn't help chuckling quietly to himself. At the same time, he finally understood why Hayato had been suspected of drug use.

Imagine, a new type of synthetic drug, caused lowered immunity and frequent nosebleeds after consumption. Therefore, in a case involving the trafficking of Imagine, and without knowing the preceding events, one could easily be mistaken for a drug user.