A Soft Heart Was a Luxury

The few seconds of silence stretched on like a century.

Chabashira Sae's icy expression didn't change, but Toudou Shizuka keenly caught the almost imperceptible tightening of her fingers around the file. She gave Toudou a long, searching look, as though trying to see through his glasses and uncover what he was hiding.

In the end, she said nothing. She merely let out an exceedingly faint, indecipherable snort through her nose, then started walking, passing straight by the two of them. The click of her heels echoed down the empty corridor in a restrained rhythm.

She left without making any promises or stating her position.

But Toudou Shizuka knew that her brief pause and icy stare were her response. Chabashira Sae had received his signal—he had something she needed (evidence), or he knew the reason she didn't want to investigate further (a loophole in the rules or the class's interests?). She had chosen to back off for now, but she'd also left a warning.

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

Toudou Shizuka looked away, a warm but faintly helpless smile returning to his face. "Looks like Teacher Chabashira has her own considerations. Still, at least we've expressed our concern. Hopefully, she'll take it more seriously." He deftly avoided addressing Chabashira's unusual reaction.

Kanzaki Ryuji fell silent for a moment, clearly unhappy with Chabashira's attitude, but there was nothing he could do about it. "I suppose that's all we can do. Toudou, thanks for being willing to speak up."

[Kanzaki Ryuji Affection +2 (Respects his determination to stand by his principles under pressure). Current: 38 (Neutral) -> Target: 45 (Recognition).]

Toudou Shizuka parted ways with Kanzaki and headed back to the dorm alone. The setting sun stretched his shadow long across the ground. He touched the Personal Device in his pocket, where the audio recording and video footage lay, either of which could cost Yamamoto his job or even earn him a harsher punishment.

Chabashira Sae's indifference had been exactly what he expected, but it had also given him a clearer view of how coldly the rules were enforced at this school. He had the evidence, but he wouldn't play that card lightly.

It would only be worth using at the right moment, when it could have the greatest impact—whether to force Chabashira to deal with Yamamoto properly and protect Sakura, or as leverage in future negotiations with Class D, or even Chabashira herself.

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

[Sakura Airi Affection +5 (Appreciates that he recognized her effort to report the incident, even though she failed). Current: 25 (Gratitude) -> Target: 60 (High Trust).]

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

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

The Chabashira matter was on hold for now. Yamamoto remained a potential threat, but he'd been marked. Ayanokoji's gaze hung overhead like a Damocles Sword, silent yet oppressive.

Toudou Shizuka sat down at his desk, took out the Miniature Camera he'd just bought, and began sorting through the seemingly insignificant campus footage he'd recorded that day.

Beneath the mild, shy facade of "Toudou Shizuka," Skill Hunter's gaze pierced the fog, coolly surveying every piece on the board and every potential move.

Should he keep cultivating the fertile ground of Class B, or wait for a chance to activate the seeds he'd planted?

The answer quietly took shape beneath the dorm's silent lights. (≖_≖ )(ㅍ_ㅍ)

Night was as dark as ink, and the light in Dormitory 307 was the only glow in the silence. Toudou Shizuka sat at his desk, his fingers tapping absently on its surface. Frozen on the screen was an unsettling video from the Precision Electronics Workshop—Yamamoto's feverish eyes and Sakura Airi's desperate trembling.

[Sakura Airi Affection: 25 (Gratitude)]

[Simulation Points: 60]

Twenty-five points of gratitude felt like a faint feather, lightly brushing against some corner of his heart, wrapped in layers of calculation.

Beneath the system's cold numbers was the girl who'd trembled by the door, offering him butter cookies still warm from her hands. She was like a fledgling with rain-soaked wings, her plea for help fractured by trembling sobs.

Her A-rank Social Phobia and inferiority complex were heavy chains, keeping her astonishing A-rank Photography Talent and B-rank Observational Skill imprisoned in darkness.

"Sakura..." Toudou Shizuka murmured. His gaze fell on the bag of homely cookies on the desk, and an indescribable, almost unfamiliar emotion quietly passed through him.

Was it pity? Or... a faint stir, moved by someone's unguarded vulnerability? He was used to calculating gains and losses, weighing pros and cons, and turning relationships into measurable Affection values in the system—keys to unlocking power. But Sakura Airi's gratitude held a sincerity untouched by ulterior motives. Her clumsy earnestness made it hard not to... feel softhearted.

He squeezed his eyes shut, forcing that wavering feeling back down.

A soft heart was a luxury. (≖_≖)

In this cage where survival of the fittest reigned, any weakness could become a fatal flaw. Ayanokoji's calm gaze, Chabashira Sae's icy indifference, and the potential threat posed by Yamamoto all reminded him how cruel reality was.

He had the evidence, and he couldn't let it go to waste. Chabashira Sae needed to be "persuaded," in her capacity as Class D Homeroom Teacher, to remove the threat Yamamoto posed once and for all.

That wasn't just for Sakura's sake. It would also eliminate a potential risk that could affect him. (ㅍ_ㅍ)

At the same time, it was a test—a test of Chabashira Sae's limits, and of whether he could toss a pebble into the deep waters of Class D and watch the ripples spread.

Toudou Shizuka opened the audio and video files, applying final encryption and edits to ensure that the key information was clear and his own voice and appearance had been digitally altered. He took out his Personal Device and opened Chabashira Sae's work email address. It hadn't been hard to find; the school directory granted basic access. Rather than meet her directly, he chose email. It was safer and left more room to maneuver.

His fingers tapped across the virtual keyboard, his wording as cold and precise as a scalpel:

To: Chabashira Sae (Class D Homeroom Teacher)

Subject: Supplementary Evidence and Request Regarding Clerk Yamamoto of the "Precision Electronics Workshop" Harassing Class D Student Sakura Airi

Teacher Chabashira,

Sorry for the intrusion. As a member of Kōdo Ikusei High School, I'm deeply concerned about the safety of students on campus. I recently learned that Sakura Airi of Class D had reported being harassed by Yamamoto, a clerk at the Precision Electronics Workshop, and was sorry to hear that the matter had not been properly resolved due to "insufficient evidence."

Out of concern for student safety, I happened to obtain some audio and video recordings from the day of the incident (Attachment 1: audio.wav; Attachment 2: video.mp4; encrypted with password: [one-time dynamic password]). They clearly record Yamamoto verbally harassing Sakura Airi, attempting inappropriate physical contact, and making threatening remarks after being stopped.

His conduct clearly violated the school rules and basic standards of decency. It caused Sakura serious psychological harm and posed a threat to campus safety.