FlyingPirateCat

Thank you very much @Puggan Se for your patronage

Revised previous chapter about the photo price.

While Rimu was busy in front of her computer, Riku continued to play PS2 in the living room.

The game he was playing was still in the middle of an important plot and he wasn't willing to let it hang like this. It had to be completed at least until the end of the chapter or else he wouldn't be able to sleep well.

But even though Riku's hands were busy moving the controller, half of his mind wasn't in the game.

'What Rimu said most likely wasn't everything.'

He was still thinking about what happened in the bathroom earlier, about Rimu selling his photos without permission.

Maybe because Rimu is his twin sister, Riku is very sensitive and knows whether she is lying or telling the truth. And the conclusion he arrived at the bathroom earlier was that she wasn't lying, but she was still hiding something. As for what she was hiding, he didn't know. However, he can try to deduce.

Riku tried to reconstruct the scene of Rimu's behavior the past few days in his memory palace.

This technique is called the method of loci¹https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_of_loci, otherwise known as memory palace, or mind palace, a memory enhancement technique that uses visualization of familiar places to help the brain remember information, and this also the main reason for his outstanding academic grade.

His father, Seigo had told Riku as well as Rimu about the greatness of this technique when they were in 2nd grade, and taught various related tricks about it. But regretfully, it seems that only he paid close attention and managed to apply it in practice.

As for Rimu, most likely she didn't pay much attention, maybe she just thought of it as small talk at the dinner table.

Riku recalled various scenes from his memory.

One of them was that on the last day before Golden Week, they met up with Kouta on their way to school as usual. But there was something wrong with Rimu and Kouta's atmosphere, as if they were planning something bad. And the strange behavior of the students he met at school, including his classmates.

Then, the day before, and the day before that...

"I see, so Kouta is an accomplice! That punk..."

Riku became irritated by the conclusion he came to from his memories.

This causes him to make a blunder, leading his game character take a lot of damage from the mobs. Nonetheless, with his quick response, he immediately controlled his character to flee with a back slide, and continued to play as nothing happened.

'I guess this is it. I wouldn't be able to enjoy playing any games in my current state.'

He immediately returned to the nearest save point, saved the game and put down the controller. Then, he reached for his smartphone which was still charging near the TV, and sent a LINE message to his trusted aide.

— Riku: "A-chan, can you find out about the photo of me that was spread in the school?"

This girl, Arakawa Akina, is a girl in the class next door who is engrossed in her role-playing(?) as Riku's servant, and seems willing to be ordered by him.

Riku himself was still unsure what to do with this girl, but she was undoubtedly a competent aide. She had assisted him many times and her abilities were nothing to complain about.

It didn't take a lot of time for him to receive a reply from her.

— Akina: "Yes, Your Excellency. I also bought them with a discounted bundle. A set of fifteen photos for just ¥5000."

She also posted a picture of several photos spread evenly across her desk.

Looking at the message on his phone, Riku couldn't help but feel betrayed. Unexpectedly, Akina also bought the photos without his knowledge.

— Akina: "As expected, Your Excellency is very cute."

STAB!

Et tu, Brutè?

It seems like other people, even Akina doesn't recognize him as a boy either. This is sad, because he also knows very well that his appearance is really cuter than the girls in the school.

But he quickly calmed himself down and typed another message.

— Riku: "Are those all the photos? If there are others, let me see them."

— Akina: "Wait a minute, I bought 10 sets."

She bought so many sets, and 10 sets meant she spent ¥50000!

Riku was speechless by this fact, and couldn't bear to tell her to throw it all away. However, from the photos shown, they were captured well and there was not a single indecent photo that harmed his dignity.

If that was the case, then he could compromise. Nevertheless, since Rimu earned a lot of money from selling his photos, that meant he also had the right to claim his rights.

— Riku: "Okay, you can keep those photos. That's all."

— Akina: "Thank you very much."

Now that the matter was over, the burden on Riku's mind was lifted, and he could enjoy the game with ease. He put down his phone and was about to continue playing PS2.

But when his hand was about to hold the controller, he heard his mother's voice from the kitchen.

"Riku, call your sister down. It's time for dinner."

"Okay..."

Now that he looked at the clock, it was already 7pm.

Riku put down the controller again and went to the bedroom.