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[Prepare four million yen in cash within a week! Mail it to Wada Coarse Snack Shop in Hirao Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture! Otherwise, we will send out the photos to your family, friends, classmates, and you will lose all your dignity. Your Teacher Sato will also be dismissed from his job!]
After school at 3:30 pm, when Ruzaki Mami showed the text message she had received to Ayakoji Chiyoko, this is what it said.
Hirao Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture is a rural area far from Tokyo; presumably, it must be the hometown of one of the three extortionists.
"Four million yen is not a small amount," Ayakoji Chiyoko said as she handed back Ruzaki Mami's phone, suggesting, "If you are willing to report this to the police, they will take care of it."
"I... I won't report it to the police," Ruzaki Mami said, maturing a bit after several days of anxious toil, but still not daring to look Ayakoji Chiyoko in the eye, she looked down slightly, "I don't want Teacher Sato to be fired!"