The Story About How I Was Fired From My Company and Then Picked up by a Possessive Streamer With Over 5 Million Subscribers

Chapter 112: Secret

“What are you doing here?”

Standing in the doorway was the one person you should never cross at school—the flashy party girl.

Seeing her, Rinmei’s expression tightened. She stepped in front of Haruka, shielding her protectively.

“…Did you say something to Haruka?”

“Huh? What are you talking about? I didn’t say anything. I just got a little help from her, that’s all… isn’t that right?”

“…”

Haruka said nothing, but the fear in her eyes as she looked at the girl was unmistakable.

“Come on, hurry up and get over here. There’s still something I need you to do. If you don’t move quickly… I’ll let everyone know about that.”

“Ah! W-Wait!! I’ll come, I’ll come right away!!”

At those words, Haruka panicked and began to move toward the girl. But her feet stopped before she could reach her.

“…Rinmei-chan?”

“Haruka… if you go now, you’ll be giving her exactly what she wants.”

“But…”

“Haruka. Trust me.”

At Rinmei’s words, Haruka raised her downcast face and saw Rinmei offering her a small, reassuring smile.

“Back off from Haruka. You’re not going to ruin her life.”

“…What?”

The girl’s confused response escaped her lips involuntarily. A few seconds passed, and then she laughed mockingly through her nose.

“And what right do you have to say that? I’m just accepting her kindness, you know?”

“…Kindness? From someone who constantly mocks others? Don’t push your luck.”

As Rinmei’s tone grew sharper, Haruka realized something—Rinmei was genuinely angry.

“Want to prove it’s true? Why don’t you ask her yourself? Hey, Glasses?”

“Ah!?”

“Come on, admit it. You’re just helping me out of the goodness of your heart, aren’t you? You really are too much of a pushover, you know that?”

…Scary.

Each of the girl’s words felt like a heavy blow to Haruka.

It was as if she were saying, You know what’ll happen if you defy me, right?

If I resist her, I won’t be able to stay in this school anymore… but…

(If I keep letting her control me like this…)

Wouldn’t that betray Rinmei-chan, who believes in me?

Haruka glanced at Rinmei. She was still standing there, fighting for her, trusting her, as her friend.

“…I-I’m sorry.”

Even if it meant risking expulsion, Haruka couldn’t betray that trust.

“I… can’t do it.”

Haruka spoke, her voice trembling but firm.

“…What? Are you serious? Do you even realize what you’re saying?”

“I-I’m sorry… but I can’t do it… I can’t betray Rinmei-chan!”

“…Haruka.”

Rinmei was both surprised and deeply moved by Haruka’s words. Someone who once claimed she didn’t need friends had changed so much.

“…Ugh, is everyone here just stupid? You’re giving me a headache… Fine, if that’s how it is, I’ll spread it around. And first… I’ll start with your little songbird over there.”

“…What do you mean?”

Rinmei narrowed her eyes, puzzled by the girl’s words. But the party girl continued without pause.

“Hey, did you know? This school has a strict no-part-time-jobs rule. Especially for jobs in certain… industries. Though, obviously, the second one’s a no-brainer.”

She pointed her finger at Haruka and declared:

“That one—she apparently worked in one of those places. Even if it was just once.”

Haruka closed her eyes as if bracing herself, while Rinmei stood frozen in shock, her mouth unable to form words.

—

Chapter 113: Are You Okay With This?

“…A part-time job? Haruka?”

If it were just a regular part-time job, Rinmei wouldn’t have been so shocked. But hearing it was related to the adult entertainment industry made her ask again.

“That’s right. For some reason, she secretly started working there. I mean, there are plenty of other jobs out there.”

As she spoke, the flashy girl casually held out her phone, showing something on the screen. It was a picture of Haruka working—not in a flashy dress, but wearing a suit.

“Well, it’s just a girl’s bar, right? Apparently, she didn’t work at a cabaret club or anything like that. Still, it’s just so gross, isn’t it?”

“!”

Looking at Haruka like she was trash, the girl sneered. Haruka, trembling, began to speak.

“…We didn’t have any money. My family has been in debt for years… My mom and dad both worked hard, but they ruined their health… So I had to find a way to work somehow…”

“And that’s the job you chose? How ridiculous.”

“…Shut up. Be quiet for a bit.”

“Wow, the songbird’s scary~!”

The girl mocked Rinmei, raising her hand in a theatrical display of fear. But her taunts didn’t seem to faze Rinmei.

“…So, you kept it a secret from the school and worked through a connection your mom found?”

Haruka nodded silently.

“…I see… Haruka.”

“Ah! I-I’m sorry, Rinmei-chan. It’s disgusting, isn’t it? Someone like me, doing that kind of work…”

“…No, that’s not it. Thank you for telling me. I’m glad you trusted me with your secret.”

“…Huh?”

Haruka stared in disbelief as Rinmei turned to face the girl.

“A girl’s bar isn’t part of the adult entertainment industry. And Haruka worked there because she had no other choice. I don’t think she’s disgusting for that.”

“R-Rinmei-chan…”

“Hah… That’s your take? You’re so gross. I seriously don’t get you at all.”

“…I’m just saying what I believe. Mocking others like you do makes you the one who’s disgusting.”

The two clashed, trading barbs, while Haruka silently watched. No, it wasn’t that she didn’t want to speak—she couldn’t.

Even though she had kept secrets, Rinmei still believed in her. That truth left Haruka at a loss for words.

“…Whatever. Say whatever you want. I don’t care.”

The girl turned off her phone, twisting her expression into a sneer.

“Then I’ll spill it. I’ll tell the whole school.”

“…Are you serious?”

“Of course. She broke our agreement. Online, people might defend her, but at school? Let’s see how that goes.”

The girl held the entire school in the palm of her hand, a fact that Rinmei and Haruka both knew all too well. It was her weapon of fear.

“It’s only fair, right? You’re the one who betrayed me first. A promise is a promise.”

Her shrill laugh echoed through the classroom.

“…This school…”

“Huh? What about it?”

“I’ll quit this school myself!”

Haruka’s sudden declaration silenced the girl’s laughter. Both Rinmei and the girl widened their eyes in surprise.

“…H-Haruka?”

“All these threats, all this backstabbing… I don’t need a school like this! Besides, I’m already in debt!! I don’t have any big dreams for the future, and I’m sick of living like this!!”

Haruka turned to Rinmei, her expression softening.

“…Thank you, Rinmei-chan. For standing up for me like this… I was really happy.”

“…Haruka.”

“…So, go ahead and tell everyone. I’ll just live my own life!”

“…Hah… What’s that supposed to mean?”

The girl’s voice, low and heavy with anger, broke the silence.

“Fine. If you want to quit that badly… I’ll make sure you’re kicked out.”

Her sneer was gone now, replaced by cold fury. She started to leave the classroom when—

“…Are you really okay with this?”

Rinmei’s voice rang out, stopping her in her tracks.

“…What? Don’t get in my way…”

The girl turned to snap back but froze.