About This Three-Person Group Buying Thing

"Dad, I'm fine, yeah yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about me. Yeah yeah, I'm fine, really. I was just half-asleep earlier, my brain wasn’t working right."

The middle school-aged boy hung up the phone, wiped the blood off his arm with a tissue, and stuffed his phone into his pocket.

"Senior, why did he say he was fine even though he was bleeding?"

Watching the boy’s actions, the Disciplinary Committee Member couldn’t help but whisper the question.

Hoshino Mirai sighed and explained, "As expected, he was probably abused by someone at school with powerful connections and ran here to escape. But knowing his family can’t stand up to them, he chose to endure it."

She understood these people’s mindsets all too well.

To put it bluntly, if he really told his parents, they might not even protect him. Instead, they’d likely beat him and force him to kneel in apology that very night. Such things had happened before.

"Ah, how could the school have such awful people?"

The Disciplinary Committee Member immediately grew indignant—she despised bullies who picked on the weak.

"I’m going to help him, make him stand up for himself! Then report this!"

She declared firmly.

"It’s no use."

Hoshino Mirai looked at the girl, reminded of her younger self, and shook her head.

"Hey, wait a second!"

But the young Disciplinary Committee Member, brimming with a sense of justice, refused to give up. She quickly ran over and blocked the middle schooler’s path.

"What? What do you want?"

The boy stared at her in confusion.

The Disciplinary Committee Member mustered her courage, pointed at the badge on her shoulder, and announced loudly, "I’m a Disciplinary Committee Member! I represent justice! If you have any problems, you can file a complaint with me! You can’t keep being weak like this!"

With that, she stood tall in front of him, chest puffed out, as if ready to charge into battle.

"I’m in middle school. What does this have to do with you high schoolers?"

The boy, however, just looked at her like she was an idiot, completely baffled.

"……"

The Disciplinary Committee Member froze, not expecting this response. Her cheeks instantly flushed red.

"But… your arm."

Finally, she could only point at the wound on his arm.

"I hurt myself by accident. None of your business."

The boy scoffed, then turned and walked away without another glance.

"Hey… hey!"

She called after him, but he didn’t stop, disappearing around the corner in seconds.

For someone trying to uphold justice for the first time, it was a crushing blow. She stood there, lost and disheartened.

"He didn’t believe me…"

She murmured, her face full of sorrow, her faith in the role of a Disciplinary Committee Member shaken for the first time.

She had once admired the position so much, but reality had dealt her a harsh lesson, leaving her utterly devastated.

"Then… can’t we help him at all?"

"If you try, he might even resent you for it."

"Then what should we…"

"Alright, let’s keep patrolling."

Hoshino Mirai didn’t say much, yet her words carried volumes.

Though she was often stubborn and inflexible—traits that had distanced her from friends—countless setbacks had taught her the harsh realities of these situations.

The Disciplinary Committee Member stood dazed for a long moment before slowly following Hoshino Mirai to resume their duties.

---

Meanwhile…

"Guan Qi, there’s something here that requires a three-person group purchase. I’ll share the link—just tap it, okay?"

Zhao Yan launched another round of probing. Though her tone was casual, her eyes were fixed intently on Li Guanqi’s movements.

She had deliberately chosen a time-limited group deal—once three people joined, each could only buy three shades, and the window was just ten minutes.

The item itself was a limited-edition new release, exclusive to this store and unavailable anywhere else.

She wanted to see what was on Li Guanqi’s phone—or if there was anything unusual about it.

Xuan Ying, standing behind Li Guanqi, wasn’t as scheming as Zhao Yan. She simply assumed the bookish Li Guanqi didn’t know how to operate such a complex app.

Seeing her hesitate, Xuan Ying leaned in with her own phone, demonstrating:

"Look, just tap the group link Zhao Yan sent to join. Here, I’ll do it first."

She brought her phone closer to Li Guanqi. "See? I’ve joined. Now it’s your turn."

But even after her explanation, Li Guanqi remained motionless.

"Huh?"

Xuan Ying tilted her head in confusion, their faces just inches apart.

Li Guanqi’s expression remained calm as she said evenly, "Let me find my phone first."

With that, she stood up and rummaged through her bag, adding, "Wait for me a second."

"Sure, no problem."

Xuan Ying didn’t think much of it, but Zhao Yan frowned slightly.

She distinctly remembered Li Guanqi’s phone wasn’t in her bag—it was in her skirt pocket.

Sure enough, Li Guanqi didn’t retrieve it from the bag. Instead, she set the bag down and pulled the phone from her skirt pocket, turning her back to them as she operated it, giving no chance for anyone to peek at the screen.

So that was the goal—standing up!

There was definitely something on that phone.

Something obvious, too—most likely the lock screen or wallpaper.

Zhao Yan’s curiosity skyrocketed, but privacy was privacy. She couldn’t peek, couldn’t demand, and certainly couldn’t snatch the phone. All she could do was wait for an opportunity—or create one—to uncover the secret.

But she couldn’t let Li Guanqi keep fiddling with it now. If it really was the wallpaper, she might change it immediately.

Thinking fast, Zhao Yan’s eyes glinted with mischief. She stretched lazily and stood up as if nothing was amiss.

Just as expected, the moment she rose, Li Guanqi locked her phone, slipped it back into her pocket, and sat down again, her tone as flat as ever:

"I’ve joined."

"Yep, she’s in. Zhao Yan, you can place the order now."

Xuan Ying glanced at her phone and confirmed Li Guanqi’s participation before reminding Zhao Yan.

"Mm. Thanks, both of you."

Zhao Yan smiled sweetly as she sat back down, unlocking her phone with a playful grin.

"This limited-edition stockings… what a coincidence, huh?"

"Oh? How so?"

Xuan Ying asked curiously.

"Heh. Last time, someone actually came up to me and asked how I take care of my legs. After I told them, they even asked what brand these were."

Zhao Yan casually scrolled through her phone to finalize the purchase, her slender fingers gliding over the screen.

The moment those words left her lips, Li Guanqi’s body stiffened ever so slightly.

Xuan Ying immediately whipped her head around to look at Zhao Yan, asking excitedly, "Really?"