The Underworld, Starting with Debt

"Hmm? What's wrong, Aiko?"

"Want to have a meal together? Hmm... I've said it quite a few times already, why are you so distracted today, Natsume? Do you have a cold?" Aiko, Natsume's friend, looked at her worriedly and reached out to touch Natsume's forehead.

"I'm fine, Aiko. I have something to do today, so I'll eat by myself. You don't need to wait for me," Natsumi Murasaki said apologetically to her friends, hurriedly grabbing her lunchbox and chasing after Ito Etsutoshi and the others.

Meanwhile, when Ito Koshitomo and Tsushima Rina arrived at the rooftop, Kurashiki Reina had been waiting for a long time.

"It's so slow, Rina, stop."

Kurashiki Rena was already sitting on a chair on the rooftop. As soon as she saw Ito Koshino and Tsushima Rina coming up the stairs, she crossed her arms and her crossed legs swayed slightly. A gentle breeze lifted her pleated skirt, which billowed with the movement of her legs, revealing glimpses of the girl's secret.

"Rena—please forgive me this time." Tsushima Rina walked up to Kurashiki Rena with a grin.

"Kurashiki-kun"

“Call me Rena,” Kurashiki Rena raised an eyebrow, her queen-like voice scoffing in displeasure. 'Hmph, just you wait. One day I'll make you, Ito, call me Your Majesty, and then you'll see if you can still pretend to be so reserved.'

"Hi, Reina."

"Thump thump ∽" A series of footsteps sounded from the stairs. Ito Koshitoshi turned around and saw someone he didn't expect.

"Purple Palace, what are you doing on the rooftop?"

"What, did I disturb you?" Natsumi Murasaki frowned, noticing another hot girl beside Ito Kozue. Her eyes held a worried look as she looked at Ito Kozue. 'Has Ito-kun become too deeply entangled? If this continues, he'll definitely be manipulated by bad women and become their plaything. I have to make him see through their schemes.'

"That's not true."

"What's wrong, Murasomiya?" Ito Koshitomo noticed that Murasomiya Natsuha's gaze was a little strange and asked. Murasomiya Natsuha shook her head, indicating that nothing was wrong. "Then, would you like to have a meal with us?"

Murasaki no Natsume's eyes narrowed; this was the moment she had been waiting for. Without hesitation, she nodded in agreement, "Of course."

Kurashiki Reina, who was observing Murasaki Natsume, frowned slightly upon hearing this, her narrow eyes narrowing slightly, but she said nothing. After all, although Kurashiki Reina was proud, she was quite understanding towards those she respected. She knew that contradicting Ito Koshitomo at this moment would put him in a difficult position. However, 'How should a subject who makes a decision without the Queen's consent be punished?'

Chapter Sixteen: The Rooftop (Part Two)

Ito Koshitomo only snapped out of his daze when he brought Murasaki Natsuha to the two glamorous girls. 'Oh no, I'm such an idiot!'

Recalling the unpleasant exchange between Shinomiya Natsumi and Tsushima Rina that morning, and how he had invited Shinomiya to join his two hot girls for a meal, Ito Koshito felt like slapping himself to death for his earlier behavior.

Looking at Tsushima Rina's furrowed brows and Kurashiki Reina's enigmatic smile, Ito Koshizumi thought with a headache, 'I'm the one who brought them together; I need to find a way to improve their relationship to prevent them from arguing.'

Rina Tsushima was whispering to Rena Kurashiki at that moment.

"Rena, this cow seems to have a very close relationship with Shi-kun. It looks like it's trying to steal Shi-kun from us. It's a formidable rival!"

Looking at the abundant fruits of Murasaki Natsume's harvest, Kurashiki Rena, despite comparing herself to others, remained confident.

"She's certainly a formidable rival, but whatever I, Kurashiki Reina, set my sights on, I will definitely get my hands on."

Finally, he murmured almost inaudibly, "It's more exciting to take other people's things... It would be even better if they were just other people's..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing." Kurashiki Rena glanced at Tsushima Rina, a pleased smile playing on her lips. She'd been quite excited to have tricked Ito Koshizumi into coming over from Tsushima Rina yesterday, though Tsushima Rina's clumsiness hadn't quite given her a sense of accomplishment. 'Murasaki Natsuha… I hope you can bring me even more pleasure.'

When Ito Koshitomo walked up to them with Murasomiya Natsuha, Kurashiki Rena rested her chin on her hand and looked at Ito Koshitomo with a flirtatious gaze. "Koshitomo, aren't you going to introduce this classmate next to you?"

"Haha, let me introduce you all. This is Reina Kurashiki from Class E; Reina, this is Natsuha Murasomiya, who is in the same class as me and Rina." Ito Koshichi laughed awkwardly twice and introduced them.

"Hello," Natsumi Murasaki nodded politely to Reina Kurashiki.

Kurashiki Rena glanced at her but didn't say anything. She simply patted the seat next to her and said, "Stop, sit here."

Ito Koshito looked left and right, sighed helplessly, and took out a piece of cloth from his pocket and spread it on the ground. "Let's sit on this."

Rena Kurashiki's eyes narrowed to slits, like a fox's, her long eyelashes casting shadows in the sunlight. Annoyance mingled with excitement within her. 'You've defied me again, haven't you? Natsume Murasaki, what would you do if I toyed with you a little in front of you?'

When Ito Koshichi laid out the tablecloth, Tsushima Rina snorted in dissatisfaction and remained seated without moving. However, after Kurashiki Reina whispered something in her ear, she first showed a slightly excited smile, then tried hard to suppress the curve of her lips and impatiently knelt down opposite Ito Koshichi.

Sunlight streamed through gaps in the blue sky, carpeting the rooftop with a warm, golden hue. A gentle spring breeze carried a delicate warmth and the subtle fragrance of cherry blossoms.

In the shadows somewhere on the rooftop, four people were having a meal around a piece of cloth. The people sitting counterclockwise from Ito Koshitoshi were Kurashiki Reina, Tsushima Rina, and Murasaki Natsuha.

At this moment, the warmth of the sun permeated the surroundings, and the four of them ate their bento boxes quietly, seemingly as easygoing and peaceful as friends. But when Ito Koshitoshi realized that this was merely the calm before the storm, and that Kurashiki Rena and Tsushima Rina were definitely not so easygoing, they were like hunters lurking in the grass, quietly waiting for their chance to strike.

In the end, it was Tsushima Rina who had the least patience and couldn't hold back any longer. She picked up a grilled sausage from the deluxe bento box and said, "Shi-kun, this is a grilled sausage that I specially made for you. Try it."

Rina Tsushima, holding a grilled sausage, was about to feed it to Ito Koshichi, but instead, she leaned back, stretching out her kneeling legs. Just as Ito Koshichi was puzzled, Rina slowly brought the chopsticks to her mouth, intending to bite one end of the sausage. However, the chains of time seemed to bind her, giving her unimaginable resistance, causing her movements to be incredibly slow. The sausage remained pressed against her lips, unable to go inside. This made Ito Koshichi anxious for her, desperately wanting to help her and put the sausage in her mouth.

"Rina, what are you doing?" Even Kurashiki Rena was puzzled by Tsushima Rina's behavior.

Rina Tsushima glanced at Rena Kurashiki without saying a word, then turned her gaze back to Koshito Ito. She slightly adjusted her bangs, her foxy eyes fixed on Koshito's eyes. With a forceful push, she shifted from a sitting to a kneeling position, her hands and two rounded knees resting on the cloth. Rena Kurashiki and Natsumi Murasaki were forced to stay put by Rina Tsushima's actions, which gave her room to maneuver.

She slowly leaned forward, her supple waist swaying, but instead of moving her upper body forward, she pressed herself against the ground, making her look like a lazy kitten stretching out, her buttocks raised high. The warm sunlight shone on the kitten, making Ito Koshino want to pet her immediately.

Although Rina Tsushima's gaze was lowered due to her lying down, her head, still holding the sausage in her mouth, remained tilted back, her eyes meeting Ito Koshitomo's eyes without ever looking away.

Because she was lying face down, her heavy dumplings fell to the ground. To clean them, she had to use the fabric on Ito Koshichi's body. To do this, she began to approach Ito Koshichi, stopping only when she was close to his legs where he was sitting cross-legged. Her supple waist moved as nimbly as a snake, twisting and rubbing Suzushima Rina's dumplings upwards, repeatedly rubbing them until they were finally clean. They looked like the white snow on a snow-capped peak, shimmering with a delicate luster in the sunlight.

Seeing the grilled sausage being fed to him, Ito Koshi kept swallowing hard because of the aroma. He couldn't help but exclaim in admiration of Tsushima Rina, who was so generous in sharing such a good thing with him, "Rina, you're so good at grilling! It smells amazing!"

Rina Tsushima was very pleased with Ito Koshichi's praise, her lips curving up even higher as she fed the sausage to Ito Koshichi, along with the part she was biting.

Beside them, Kurashiki Rena and Murasomiya Natsuha, who were essentially cooks but very skilled at cooking, were also amazed by Tsushima Rina and were so captivated by the scene that they momentarily forgot to stop her. As they watched closely, they were surprised to find that Tsushima Rina's grilled sausages were making their mouths water, their saliva soaking their clothes. This brought them back to their senses.

'She can be replaced.' That was Natsume Murasaki's first thought, then she realized, 'No, no, she already forcibly kissed Ito-kun, I have to help Ito-kun.'

"Get away from Ito-kun quickly," Natsumi Murasaki stepped forward and pulled Rina Tsushima away.

"Wave~" When Tsushima Rina was forcibly pulled away by Murasomiya Natsuha and forced to stop entangled with Ito Koshitomo, her pink, snake-like tongue was still moving, pulling out a seductive silver thread, and her small mouth opened and closed slightly, exhaling ambiguous hot breath.

"You shameless woman!" Seeing this, Shizumiya Natsume couldn't help but curse, a blush rising on her fair face, whether from anger or embarrassment, it was hard to tell.

"Hehe~" Tsushima Rina glanced contemptuously at Murasomiya Natsume, her slender, jade-like fingers severing the transparent, viscous thread, then sucking on it and tasting it, while her alluring eyes blinked gently at Ito Koshitomo.

"Don't look anymore!" Even Rina Tsushima, a girl, blushed and felt hot all over from watching what she was doing, let alone Ito Koshichi. So, in a moment of panic, Natsumi Murasaki grabbed Ito Koshichi's head and covered his eyes with a large pillow to prevent him from being bewitched by this enchantress, Rina Tsushima.

"Shameless? I don't think your behavior is any better, you rutting cow." Tsushima Rina interrupted her again, annoyed by Murasomiya Natsume's sarcastic remark.

Upon hearing this, Natsumi Murasaki's face flushed even more, her body seemingly heating up slightly, causing Ito Koshitoshi's forehead to bead with sweat. But she still didn't release Ito Koshitoshi; instead, she pressed the scalding hot water bottle against her skin, saying, 'This is merely a sacrifice to prevent Ito-kun from being seduced by bad women, not something I'm happy to do, that's right!'

"It's still better than you, you blue-haired wicked woman."

"Hehe, I only have eyes for Ito Koshizumi." Tsushima Rina ignored Murasomiya Natsume and instead smiled sweetly at Ito Koshizumi.

Suddenly, Natsumi Murasaki felt an even heavier, hotter breath pattering against her sensitive skin. 'No, this wicked woman is too good at this!'

Murasaki Natsumi silently packed up her and Ito Koshichi's lunchboxes and put them away. As for the cloth scraps, they were too difficult to pick up since they were stuck to the ground, so Ito Koshichi didn't want them. Murasaki Natsumi pulled Ito Koshichi out of the rooftop, and Ito Koshichi didn't resist. If they stayed here any longer, he was afraid that Tsushima Rina would make him explode.

Rina Tsushima didn't stop her, because she had already achieved her goal and believed that Ito Koshitoshi would never forget her after this.

"Rena, why weren't you saying anything?" Tsushima Rina only then noticed that her best friend, Kurashiki Rena, had been quiet the whole time. Turning to look at her, she gave a knowing smile. She knew why Rena hadn't spoken—she was busy wiping her mouth! 'Hmph, you call yourself the Queen, and you've already wilted so quickly.' Kurashiki Rena's behavior made Tsushima Rina feel that her chances of cheating were even better.

When Kurashiki Rena realized her friends had discovered her sneaking around, an alluring blush crept onto her cheeks. 'I didn't expect Rina to be so good at it. Just a simple suggestion of feeding play, and she turned it into something so seductive. I underestimated her.' Kurashiki Rena's original plan was to create conflict between Tsushima Rina and Murasomiya Natsuha, making them jealous of each other and diverting their attention so she could have a chance to steal a kiss. But Tsushima Rina's move was too much, leaving her breathless and unable to think straight.

Just as Ito Koshitomo and Shinomiya Natsuha walked down the rooftop and arrived at a certain floor of the building, Shinomiya Natsuha suddenly stopped. Ito Koshitomo, who was following behind her and was being pulled along, was distracted and couldn't stop in time, causing the energetic young Ito to bump directly into Shinomiya Natsuha's soft waist.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Murasaki no Miyako? Why aren't you leaving?"

"Wait for me a moment, I need to go to the restroom first." Shizumiya Natsume glared at Ito Koichi with annoyance, her delicate face flushed, and her charming wine-red eyes gradually misted over. She hurriedly went into the restroom, and her voice came from inside.

"Ugh—it's all Ito-kun's fault. It wasn't this wet to begin with, but now it's soaked through and I can't wear it." Natsumi Murasaki sat on the toilet seat, looking slightly distressed. "Oh well, I won't wear it. I'll just be careful. I'll have to ask for leave for club activities today too!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing Ito Koshino in its golden glow, as if draping him in a veil of gold. He sat quietly by the window, the warm light perfectly illuminating his silhouette, making him look like a beautiful painting. Many girls in the class were captivated by this beautiful scene, and Murasaki Natsumi was no exception.

"Ring ring—" A bell rang as Ito Koshitoshi finished writing the last stroke in his notebook. The atmosphere in the classroom began to stir from its quiet state.

With the teacher's words, "get out of class dismissed," most of the students immediately left the classroom. Rina Tsushima also said goodbye to Koshino Ito and left, saying that she had something to do at home.

Ito Koshito was preparing to leave, tidying up his neatly arranged stationery on his desk, when Shinonomiya Natsuha, who had been paying attention to Ito Koshito, came to his seat.

“Ito-kun, I’ll go to the student council with you!” said Natsumi Murasaki. Ito Koshitomo had been called to the student council office for a talk, and she also felt that she was partly to blame for it.

"Hmm? No need, Murasomiya. Don't you have club activities? I can go by myself."

"asked for leave."

"No need, I can handle the student council president myself."

Natsumi Murasaki remained silent, simply watching Ito Kozue quietly.

"Alright, alright, then I'll trouble Lady Murasaki to accompany me." Ito Kozue sighed helplessly. Although Murasaki Natsume was very cute, her constant staring made him uncomfortable, so he nodded in agreement.

"Hmph~"

Arriving at the place they had just become familiar with yesterday, they knocked on the door, and after a "Come in," Ito Koshitomo and Murasaki Natsume pushed open the door and walked into the student council office side by side.

"Student council president, excuse me."

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Mitarai Keiko looked up from her official duties with slight anticipation, only to find Ito Koshino accompanied by another person. Her burning excitement was like a bucket of water being poured over her, slowly cooling down.

Student Council President Natsumi Murasaki greeted Keiko Mitarai as well.

“Hmm…” Mitarai Keiko responded, but both Ito Koshitomo and Murasaki Natsuha could hear the displeasure in her tone. However, Murasaki Natsuha thought that Mitarai Keiko was annoyed because of what happened that morning, while Ito Koshitomo thought that Mitarai Keiko was angry because he had discovered her secret yesterday.

'I'll call him to my office alone next time! This time doesn't count, there wasn't one... Anyway, next time will definitely be the last time.' Mitarai Keiko thought to herself, she had no interest in talking to Ito Koshitomo in front of others.

So I briefly spoke to Ito Koshitomo and then prepared to let them go back.

"You can leave now. Be more mindful of your behavior in public in the future. Also, Ito-san, please give me your Line contact information. I'll be keeping a close eye on you." Mitarai Keiko casually made up an excuse to get Ito Koshito's Line contact information and waved her hand to indicate that they could leave.

Chapter Seventeen: Manipulation (Part 1)

"Chairman Mitarai isn't as serious as people say!"

As the sun began to set and cherry blossoms drifted down, a warm afternoon breeze gently caressed the girl's skirt. The pleasant breeze, however, brought a slight chill to the girl, forcing her to gently press her delicate hands against the skirt, as if trying to transfer the warmth of her hands through it.

"Hmm. Murasaki no Miyako, I'm about to leave now. Are you planning to go back to your club activities?" Ito Kozue had originally planned to go for an interview at the private Seika Girls' Academy, but last night when he was chatting with its chairman, Sumeragi Rikka asked him to send a few nude photos (only his underwear was visible) and to prepare a detailed family background information for him to send to Seishin Academy's email address. So she asked Ito Kozue to go to the private Seika Girls' Academy for an interview on Friday afternoon.

"No, I'm not available."

"Are you feeling unwell? Is something bothering you?" Upon hearing this, Ito Koshige hugged Murasomiya Natsume tightly, looking at her with concern in his eyes.

"Hehe, don't pry into a young girl's privacy." Sensing Ito Kozue's concern, Shizumiya Natsuha felt a surge of warmth in her heart, her delicate face flushing a subtle blush as she responded with a playful laugh.

"Privacy? I remember your period wasn't during..."

"Alright, let's stop discussing this." Natsumi Murasaki interrupted Ito Koshizumi in annoyance, gently punching Ito Koshizumi's arm.

Ito Koshitomo's eyes darted around, and he thought of a way to tease Murasomiya Natsuha. He clutched his shoulder, feigning pain, and wailed, "Ouch, ouch, ouch! Murasomiya, you used so much force! I feel like my arm is about to break, boohoo!"

Murasaki Natsume rolled her eyes at Ito Koshitomo, annoyed. Did she not know the effort Ito Koshitomo had put in? Besides, it was hard not to see through Ito Koshitomo's exaggerated acting, but…