Soft-heartedness is a Luxury

A few seconds of silence stretched out, feeling like a century.

Chabashira Sae's icy expression remained unchanged, but Toudou Shizuka keenly noticed the fingers holding the documents tighten infinitesimally. She gave Toudou a deep look, her gaze seeming to pierce through his glasses, trying to see what he was hiding.

In the end, she said nothing, merely letting out a faint, ambiguous cold snort from her nose before walking past them, the click of her heels echoing in the empty corridor with a suppressed rhythm.

She left, offering no promises or statements.

But Toudou Shizuka knew that brief pause and cold stare were her response. Chabashira Sae had received his signal—he possessed something she needed (evidence), or he knew the reason she didn't want to delve deeper (a loophole in the rules or class interests?). She chose to back down for now, but not without a warning.

"What...?" Kanzaki Ryuji watched Chabashira Sae's retreating back, his brow furrowed. "What does she mean by that?"

Toudou Shizuka withdrew his gaze, a gentle yet slightly helpless smile returning to his face. "It seems Teacher Chabashira has her own considerations. However, at least we've expressed our concern. Hopefully, she'll take it a bit more seriously." He skillfully sidestepped Chabashira's unusual reaction.

Kanzaki Ryuji was silent for a moment, clearly displeased with Chabashira's attitude but resigned. "I suppose that's all we can do. Toudou, thank you for being willing to step forward."

[Kanzaki Ryuji Affection +2 (Respect for maintaining his stance under pressure). Current: 38 (Neutral) -> Target 45 (Approval).]

Toudou Shizuka and Kanzaki parted ways, walking back to the dormitory alone. The afterglow of the setting sun stretched his shadow long. He touched the personal device in his pocket, where the two recordings and videos, enough to get Yamamoto fired or face even harsher penalties, lay silently.

Chabashira Sae's indifference was within his expectations, but it also gave him a clearer view of the cold rules governing this school. With the evidence in hand, he wouldn't play this card easily.

This card would only yield its greatest value at the most opportune moment—whether to force Chabashira to truly deal with Yamamoto and protect Sakura, or as leverage for future negotiations with Class D, or even with Chabashira herself.

He pushed open the door to Dormitory 307, shutting out the evening chill. On his desk, the bag of butter cookies Sakura Airi had given him still sat quietly. He picked one up and slowly chewed, the simple, warm sweetness melting in his mouth.

[Sakura Airi Affection +5 (Perceives her earnest attempt to report, grateful for her intentions despite failure). Current: 25 (Grateful) -> Target 60 (High Trust).]

[Simulation Points +5 (Prompted key figure to act, applied potential pressure). Current: 60 points.]

The points were accumulating steadily, bringing him closer to unlocking Shiranami Chihiro's Class B Information Synthesis Ability (Affection 21/40).

Chabashira Sae's situation was temporarily shelved, and Yamamoto remained a hidden danger, but he had been flagged. Ayanokoji's gaze hung over him like the Sword of Damocles, silent yet oppressive.

Toudou Shizuka sat at his desk, turning on his newly purchased miniature camera, and began organizing the seemingly trivial campus footage he had captured today.

Beneath the facade of the gentle and shy "Toudou Shizuka," the "Skill Hunter's" vision pierced through the fog, calmly assessing every piece on the chessboard and potential moves.

The next step: continue cultivating the fertile ground of Class B, or seize the opportunity to activate the buried foreshadowing?

The answer was quietly brewing under the dim dormitory light. (≖_≖ )(ㅍ_ㅍ)

Night fell like ink, the light from Dormitory 307 the only source in the quiet darkness. Toudou Shizuka sat at his desk, his fingertips tapping unconsciously on the surface. The screen was frozen on the unsettling video footage from the "Precision Electronics Workshop"—Yamamoto's fervent gaze, Sakura Airi's desperate trembling.

[Sakura Airi Affection: 25 (Grateful)]

[Simulation Points: 60]

The 25 points of gratitude, like a faint feather, gently tickled a corner of his heart, a corner wrapped in layers of calculation.

Beneath the system's cold numbers lay the image of the girl, trembling by the door, handing him a butter cookie still warm from her touch. She was like a fledgling bird, its wings soaked by the storm, its plea for help a broken whisper.

Her A-rank Social Phobia and inferiority complex were like heavy chains, imprisoning her astonishing Photography Talent (A-rank) and Observational Skill (B-rank) in darkness.

"Sakura..." Toudou Shizuka murmured, his gaze behind his glasses falling on the bag of simple cookies on the desk. An indescribable, almost unfamiliar emotion flickered through him.

Was it pity? Or... a ripple stirred by pure vulnerability? He was accustomed to calculating gains and losses, weighing pros and cons, transforming relationships into quantifiable affection points within the system, using them as keys to unlock power. But Sakura Airi's "gratitude" carried an unadulterated sincerity, so clumsy it made one... soften.

He squeezed his eyes shut forcefully, pushing that flicker of wavering back into the depths of his heart.

Softness was a luxury. (≖_≖ )

In this cage where strength reigned supreme, any weakness could become a fatal flaw. Ayanokoji's calm gaze, Chabashira Sae's cold indifference, Yamamoto's potential threat—all reminded him of the harsh reality.

The evidence in hand could not be left idle. Chabashira Sae needed to be "persuaded" to thoroughly eliminate Yamamoto, the hidden danger, in her capacity as Class D's homeroom teacher.

This was not just for Sakura's sake, but also to remove a potential risk that could affect him. (ㅍ_ㅍ)

At the same time, this was also a test—a test of Chabashira Sae's bottom line, a test of whether he could drop a stone into the deep waters of Class D and observe the ripples.

Toudou Shizuka accessed the audio and video files, performing final encryption and editing to ensure the key information was clear and unambiguous, while his own voice and image were technically altered. He picked up his personal device, accessed Chabashira Sae's work email—this wasn't difficult to obtain; the school directory provided basic access. He chose not to meet directly; email was safer and left more room for maneuver.

His fingertips tapped on the virtual keyboard, the wording cold and precise, like a scalpel:

To: Chabashira Sae (Class D Homeroom Teacher)

Subject: Supplementary Evidence and Request Regarding the Harassment of Class D Student Sakura Airi by Yamamoto, Clerk at the Commercial Street "Precision Electronics Workshop"

Teacher Chabashira, Apologies for the intrusion. As a member of Kōdo Ikusei High School, I am deeply concerned about the safety environment for students within the school. I recently learned that Class D student Sakura Airi had previously reported being harassed by Yamamoto, a clerk at the "Precision Electronics Workshop," and regret to hear that it could not be resolved properly due to "insufficient evidence."

Out of concern for student safety, I have inadvertently obtained partial audio-visual records from the day of the incident (Attachment 1: Audio.wav; Attachment 2: Video.mp4, encrypted, password: [One-time dynamic password]). These clearly record Yamamoto's verbal harassment of Sakura Airi, his attempted inappropriate physical contact, and his threatening remarks after being stopped.

His actions clearly violate school rules and basic moral standards, causing severe psychological distress to Sakura and constituting a hidden danger to campus safety.