“—So this is it…”

After sprinting at full speed, I arrived in front of the third building’s third-floor restroom.

This floor only has a computer room and isn’t frequently used for classes, so few students come here.

If it were me, in a situation like this—especially if I were someone who controlled the school—I’d purposely choose a crowded area, quietly clear the people out, and then bring someone in without being noticed.

At this rate, I probably could’ve found her even without the hint.

When you’re searching for someone, the first places you check are the ones people rarely approach.

“Wait here for a moment.”

I propped Shirayuki-san against the wall, hiding her in the shadow of the cleaning-supply closet.

I approached the restroom again and listened carefully, but I couldn’t hear any voices.

Still… there was definitely someone inside.

“Did Furei… let the others escape first?”

I could only sense one presence coming from the girls’ restroom—most likely Hina.

If Emera had contacted them, they would’ve taken Hina with them and fled. So it must have been Furei who contacted them first to make sure they didn’t run into me.

Well… I remember every single face of the girls who were in that classroom. All I have to do is look up the names of the Class A girls who came to school today and pick out the ones who weren’t there.

Those are almost certainly the culprits.

If anything, now that there’s no longer any danger of Hina being used as a hostage, things have actually gotten easier for me.

…Though, knowing Furei, that might have been part of her plan from the very beginning.

Considering the possibility that an assassin like Shirayuki-san might be lying in wait, I didn’t call out from outside. Instead, I quietly slipped into the girls’ restroom, making sure not to make a sound.

Sitting there was Hina—soaking wet, wearing nothing but her underwear, clutching her shredded, torn-apart clothes to her chest as she hung her head.

I felt heat surge through my body, but forced myself to speak calmly.

“Hina, are you okay?”

“Onii-chan…?”

When I finally spoke to her, Hina noticed my presence and slowly lifted her face.

As I approached—my footsteps splashing softly in the water—Hina flinched and trembled for a moment, then lowered her head again.

“Are you hurt…?”

“…No… they just poured water on me, that’s all…”

Just as Hina said, there were no signs of her face or body having been struck.

It was as if they had been explicitly forbidden from doing anything like that.

“Did Furei tell them not to hurt your face or body…?”

“Yeah… after she told them… to bring me here… she said she wouldn’t allow them… to leave any injuries on my face or body…”

I had assumed this place was chosen because of Emera’s short-sighted thinking, but it seems Furei deliberately picked it herself—choosing a spot that could be conveyed to me with a simple hint.

She must have known that if Hina were injured, it would cross a line with me, so she made sure they wouldn’t leave any marks on her face or body.

The girls around them didn’t think anything of that order—Hina had originally been one of Furei’s favorites, and they probably assumed it was because of her face.

But Furei… this already crosses the line.

“What else did they do to you besides pouring water on you?”

I knew Hina was emotionally hurt, but I needed to understand the situation clearly. Depending on that, I’d have to decide how to act next.

“They yelled at me… laughed at me… and kept pouring water on me. And also…”

Hina tightened her grip on the torn clothes in her arms.

Then, with a self-mocking smile, she let her tears fall.

“They… took a lot of pictures of me…”

“I see…”

There was no need to ask what kind of pictures they were.

Hina being in her underwear made everything clear enough.

Which meant that besides punishing Emera, I’d have to make sure they deleted every last picture.

“Sorry I’m late… For now, let’s go home. Leave everything that comes after to me.”

I took off my blazer and shirt, gently placing the shirt over Hina’s shoulders.

Then, though it looked a bit awkward, I wrapped the blazer around her waist like a makeshift skirt.

Thanks to how small she was, the shirt alone covered her underwear, but it still looked inappropriate, so I used the blazer on top of it as well.

“Onii-chan… you mustn’t get involved with those people…”

Hina clutched tightly at my undershirt.

I understood she was worried about me—but after what they did to her, there was no way I could stay silent.

More importantly, I needed to make them erase those photos.

“It’s okay. Trust me.”

I stroked Hina’s head to calm her down and guided her out into the hallway.

“Who is… that person?”

Noticing Shirayuki-san slumped unconscious against the wall, Hina looked at me in confusion.

If she didn’t know her despite being in the same class, then Emera must have called Shirayuki-san to school after Furei and Hina collided earlier.

“Well… a lot happened. Sorry, but I’m bringing her home with us too.”

Partly, it was to hide her from Emera.

But more than that, getting information straight from Shirayuki-san would be faster than tracking down Emera’s house. And while I went to deal with Emera, I needed someone to stay with Hina.

Even if she seemed stable, there was always a chance that after being hurt like this… she might make a choice I couldn’t undo.

After lifting Shirayuki-san onto my back again, I headed home, walking at a pace that matched Hina’s unsteady steps.

—Now then… what should I do?

The ones who hurt Hina… and Emera. I’m not forgiving any of them.

Unless I make them suffer more than Hina did, I won’t be satisfied.