Chapter 99: The Robin Hood
Hera's inquiries, of course, led to no results.
She instinctively believed that the "underwear thief" must be a sleazy, perverted man. In fact, she suspected Makarios El Eudoxios, the chubby guy in the back row, of being the culprit.
Makarios was infamous for his crude jokes and lewd comments, and many boys gathered around him under the pretense of discussing academic matters, eagerly listening to his "Ways of Gentlemen."
Makarios was like a revered patriarch from a primordial fantasy novel. The only thing missing was a futon; whoever sat on it first would gain enlightenment and a chance to become a sage among men.
Although Sunny El Shinzou was Makarios's best friend in class and they shared a bunk bed in the dormitory, Makarios found Sunny's obsession with "soccer babes" rather annoying. Despite his extensive listening and japanese blood running through his veins, Sunny hadn't grasped the essence of the "Ways of Gentlemen." like what happen yesterday, receiving bunch of six-digit numbers in a paper he didn't know what they're for.
However, Makarios had high hopes for Dematero, who had distanced himself from the female crowd. Makarios believed Dematero had significant potential in understanding the "Ways of Gentlemen."
If Dematero could grasp the "Ways of Gentlemen," it would undoubtedly make his works more compelling. After all, whether writing online fiction or physical books, authors with superior "driving skills" are always more popular.
Hera, whose seat was also near the back row, often overheard Makarios’s lewd remarks and his blatant objectification of women, categorizing them into various levels. This extreme commodification of women fueled her prejudice against Makarios. She would never admit that according to Makarios's vulgar theory, she was placed at the very bottom—what an insult!
Moreover, why was Xanthia at the top? Hera never saw any charm in Xanthia. With such a thin and dry figure, Xanthia's high status among the boys must be due to her shameless flirting with them.
Hera found such behavior beneath her. She had always had a high opinion of herself and considered her future husband to be Dionysius El Papadopoulos…
Thinking about how her "husband" looked so handsome today leading the class flag, Hera regretted that the position of team leader for Class 3 was snatched by that shameless Xanthia. Otherwise, if she had led Class 3 in a formal dress, it would have perfectly complemented her "husband" from Class 1.
Such an innocent dream...
Every time this delusional child fantasized about this, her lips would curl into a sweet smile, and she would be filled with anticipation for the future.
Yet the reality was, among a group of "monsters and demons," Hera's carefully styled appearance failed to attract any attention. Even worse, she discovered that her underwear had been stolen when she returned to the classroom. What a stroke of bad luck!
Unable to find the thief, Hera naturally took her frustration out on Makarios, whom she had always despised for his sleazy behavior!
Fuming at the podium with few responses and no resolution in sight, Hera was ignored by Makarios, who was ready to leave the classroom to participate in the "voluntary" competition.
However, Hera blocked his way and pressed, "Makarios, stop right there! I suspect that you stole my underwear. You are the perverted underwear thief!"
Makarios’s pimpled, chubby face showed extreme disdain as he replied, "Accusing someone without evidence? And you actually think I’d be interested in your underwear? What level of taste do you think I have, and what level are you? Don’t make a fuss out of nothing!"
Several of Makarios’s followers, devoted to the "Ways of Gentlemen," also chimed in. Makarios, a master of appreciation with countless experiences, had a very high standard!
Although his practical experience was zero, his theoretical knowledge was profound. He could discuss any theory related to that subject with great eloquence, leaving people enlightened and impressed.
In reality, teenage girls who had yet to fully mature were not worth Makarios's attention, especially someone like Hera, whose appearance was rather ordinary and who had the "Fart Queen" buff. No sane guy would be interested in her!
To be blunt, a girl as unremarkable as Hera would probably not even be picked up at a bar unless someone was extremely desperate and indiscriminate.
Seeing Makarios surrounded by supporters, Hera, who always shied away from confrontation, had to step aside and let the master of perverts leave.
She then cast a resentful, cold glare at the "downward" boys in the class, convinced that all the boys were beneath her.
The only male classmate who could earn her recognition was Dionysius. As for the boys in Class 3, they were all of lower status and not worthy of her attention.
Even Kenny, the newly appointed "Urine King" sports committee member, who had always fawned over Hera, was not regarded highly by her. However, to maintain him as a useful tool, she would still treat him with some kindness.
Kenny, eager to please, felt important in Hera's eyes. Not only did she cover for him in critical moments, but he was also deeply touched by her attitude, which was different from how she treated other boys.
Since he was so eager to please, why would he dislike Hera like the other boys? He wanted to show his own attitude and embrace all her flaws.
In a sense, they were quite compatible, and locking in a relationship was the best outcome.
In reality, Hera had clearly fallen into a cognitive trap, never considering that the "underwear thief" might not be a boy. After all, why would a girl steal her underwear? Girls are usually very particular about intimate garments, unless they have an unusual fetish for wearing them as clothing.
In her futile rage, Hera found no results. Meanwhile, her deskmate Noemi, sitting next to her, squinted her single eyelids and had a faint smile at the corner of her lips, obviously in a good mood.
Noemi even took the initiative to comfort Hera at the podium, standing in solidarity with her and denouncing the sleazy "underwear thief" vigorously!
Hera was touched by this, even though she usually bullied Noemi, treating her poorly and reprimanding her at will.
But as the saying goes, "A friend in need is a friend indeed." In this moment of her "misfortune," Noemi stood firmly by her side. Hera found this mild-mannered girl quite reliable.
Gritting her teeth, Hera said to Noemi, "The 'underwear thief' will definitely strike again next time. I refuse to believe he can keep committing crimes without getting caught. This cat-and-mouse game has just begun!"
Noemi narrowed her eyes and firmly expressed her support for Hera: "If you have any plans to catch the thief, let me know. I also hate that sleazy 'underwear thief.' Who knows what more disgusting things he might do after stealing your underwear? Such scum needs to be brought to justice!"
"Good! It’s rare for you to show some backbone, Noemi. You should have been like this from the start. 'Good people' are always meant to be bullied!" Hera praised.
Little did Hera know that the "underwear thief" who embarrassed her today was right under her nose!
Noemi, in a bad mood, succumbed to her kleptomania and sought revenge with her exceptional stealing skills!
"Freeloader Queen" Chica had enjoyed Noemi's thefts for so long. When Noemi finally took action, it struck back, causing Chica to panic and scream about a "Thief" in the dormitory!
Noemi stole not for money but simply for the thrill of it.
Items she stole could be sold for money, which she would even donate, or if they couldn't be sold, she would donate them directly as charity!
This balanced approach gave her a bit of a "robin hood" vibe, though she was no hero, just a kleptomaniac. If anyone upset her, she would certainly resort to her compulsion; it's a psychological disorder.
Of course, she knew there are limits and Noemi wouldn't go as far as to cross the red line she firmly established.
In this parallel world, akin to the original world's America, homelessness was rampant. To prevent uprisings, free food and clothes were periodically distributed, though the food was nearly expired and the clothes were old.
Thus, numerous charitable organizations and donation channels existed. Noemi had many ways to donate the stolen goods, and even though she was a boarder, she had half a day off on Sundays. As a "Thief," she handled stolen goods with ease.
A thief who steals not for money and doesn’t care about it is often incredibly hard to catch.
Her motives were whimsical and elusive; she enjoyed the theft process and the frustration of the victim afterward.
Hera's recent public display of impotent rage had delighted Noemi, who wanted to see more of it in the future.
Since Hera was the type to flaunt her wealth with high-end perfumes and a sense of superiority, she was destined to face not only "Freeloader Queen" Chica’s schemes but also the attention of "Thief" Noemi!
Today, Hera was thoroughly dejected. She could only look forward to tomorrow, eagerly awaiting the scene of "Xanthia tortured by a 3000-meter run" to lift her spirits!
This was her meticulously planned scheme. She sacrificed "Kenny" as a pawn. His deliberate targeting of Xanthia had already significantly diminished his prestige in class, and whether he could remain a sports committee member was uncertain.
Even Dematero, the class clown, had leveraged Kenny’s downfall to make a comeback. His demonstrated "mystical" powers was quite formidable.