He had put "maintaining stability in Class D" and "avoiding trouble" out in the open, implying that he understood the class's predicament while subtly pointing out that "interested parties" (such as Class A) might exploit the situation. That better suited Chabashira Sae's position as Class D's guardian, even if her methods were cold.
Chabashira Sae fell silent. Wind swept across the rooftop, lifting a few strands of her meticulously arranged hair. Her icy gaze roamed over Toudou Shizuka's composed face, as though trying to dig out every thought buried deep in his soul.
Toudou Shizuka met her gaze without flinching, presenting himself as an observer who had a sense of justice but understood the need to weigh the pros and cons, and had no desire to make enemies.
After a long while, the chill in Chabashira Sae's eyes seemed to thaw by the slightest degree, though they remained unfathomably deep. At last, she spoke. Her voice was still cold, but it held less open hostility and more scrutiny, along with... the faintest hint of approval?
"You're good with words, Toudou Shizuka. And... good at knowing where to draw the line." She spoke slowly. "I'll handle Yamamoto's situation.
"By tomorrow, he'll be gone from the Commercial Street, and he'll sign a written pledge never to come near the school again. I'll keep an eye on Sakura Airi's safety."
She had made a clear, firm promise. The promise itself proved the value of the evidence and showed that she had been persuaded.
"As for you..." Chabashira Sae's gaze turned sharp as a blade again. "Remember what you said. 'No intention of interfering in Class D's affairs,' and 'no intention of blackmailing me.'
"Today never happened. The original evidence will be destroyed, and there'd better be no backups. If I find out you used this incident, or Sakura Airi, to do anything that harms Class D's interests..."
She left the threat unfinished, but the full force of her A-rank presence surged out again, washing over Toudou Shizuka like a cold tide. Her unspoken words carried a ruthless warning.
"I understand." Toudou Shizuka gave a slight nod, respectful in his manner but calm and unbowed in his tone. "Please don't worry, Teacher Chabashira. I've already achieved my goal.
"Sakura's safe, and the threat has been eliminated. That's enough for me. I'll delete the email and its attachments completely."
The deal was done: a cold exchange based on self-interest and intimidation.
Chabashira Sae gave him one last, searching look. Her expression was hard to read, carrying wariness, scrutiny, and a hint of apprehension—perhaps even a faint sense of recognizing someone like herself?
Then she said no more. Turning away, she walked off, her heels striking the concrete with a crisp, lonely echo until she disappeared through the rooftop entrance.
Toudou Shizuka stood alone on the empty rooftop, his shadow stretched long and crooked by the setting sun. The evening breeze cooled his back, dispersing the faint cold sweat that had gathered there. His confrontation with Chabashira Sae had been like dancing on the edge of a blade.
He had won. He had dealt with Yamamoto and secured Sakura's safety for the time being, but he had also thoroughly exposed himself as "unusual" in Chabashira Sae's eyes. That undoubtedly added another risk.
[Simulation Points +25 (Successfully used evidence to compel a key figure to act, eliminated a major threat, and established a potential deterrent relationship). Current: 85 points!] [Chabashira Sae's Affection: -20 (Highly wary and hostile) → -15 (Highly wary, but recognizes his ability and restraint).] -- Her hostility has eased slightly, but her wariness has deepened.
Just as he was about to leave, the corner of his eye caught the dense holly bushes below the rooftop. Their leaves swayed gently in the evening breeze.
[Thought Acceleration] instantly replayed and magnified the scene he had just noticed. In the brief seconds after Chabashira Sae left and he was standing alone, there had seemed to be... a faint glint of reflected light from a lens, visible through a gap in the bushes. It had vanished in a flash, so quickly that it might have been his imagination.
Toudou Shizuka's heart clenched! Ayanokouji Kiyotaka? Or... someone else? Had a third eye—or ear—caught his conversation with Chabashira Sae?
A chill crept up his spine and settled at the back of his neck. Without giving anything away, he straightened his collar as if he hadn't noticed a thing, then walked down from the rooftop at an unhurried pace. His steps were steady, but the alarm bells inside him were blaring at full volume.
When he returned to his dorm, the first thing Toudou Shizuka did was thoroughly destroy the email and the original evidence files. (Of course, a backup lay dormant in a heavily encrypted corner of the cloud.)
Then he sat at his desk, looking at the 85 Simulation Points displayed on the System Interface and Shiranami Chihiro's Affection, which had already reached 28—she was close to unlocking B-rank Information Synthesis Ability at 40 points.
This should have been a satisfying moment, with his plans progressing smoothly and a haul of points to show for it. But the possible glint from the rooftop, along with the unfathomable look in Chabashira Sae's eyes, hung over him like storm clouds.
His gaze involuntarily returned to the bag of butter cookies. Sakura Airi's face, hidden behind oversized glasses and full of fear and gratitude, appeared clearly in his mind.
He reached out and picked up a cookie. Its simple sweetness melted on his tongue, carrying a clumsy sort of warmth. The suspicious glint in the bushes flashed through his mind, followed by Chabashira Sae's cold warning and Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's silent gaze... Yet the modest sweetness in his mouth somehow softened those cold and dangerous fragments.
"Sakura..." he murmured, unconsciously rubbing the cookie bag with his fingertips.
To protect that clumsy gratitude, he had used a contingency plan to keep Class D from getting back on its feet for a while, struck a deal with Class D's Class Teacher, Chabashira Sae, and might even have drawn the gaze of someone watching from deeper in the shadows. Was it worth it? The system's Affection value—25—clearly told him this was far from the optimal choice.
But the rough paper bag beneath his fingertips, the plain sweetness spreading through his mouth, and the memory of those eyes, wide with tears and helpless fright... These things couldn't be quantified, yet they were like a tiny thorn lodged in his layers of mental defenses, bringing a faint but genuine ache—and... softness.
"You've made me go soft, Sakura Airi." Toudou Shizuka sighed soundlessly into the empty dorm room.
That softness might be the most dangerous flaw he had accidentally revealed in this cold world. But it might also be... the last faint glimmer in the depths of his heart, belonging to the soul of "Toudou Shizuka," not yet completely devoured by the Involution Core System.
He picked up his Personal Device, its screen lighting his calm face. The 85 Simulation Points shimmered with temptation. Should he buy [Dynamic Vision (Fine-Tuning)] for 120 points, or keep saving? Shiranami Chihiro's Affection still needed a little more effort, and the targets of Kanzaki and Ichinose were within reach. He needed to investigate the glint on the rooftop, stay wary of Ayanokouji's gaze, and carefully maintain Chabashira Sae's "approval."
The board remained complicated and full of dangers. But for now, Toudou Shizuka simply chewed his plain butter cookie in silence, letting its insignificant sweetness and the unfamiliar softness in his heart quietly spread through the stillness of the dorm.
Before you continue