However, just as this warmth was quietly growing, Toudou Shizuka's senses, doubly enhanced by [Stamina Enhancement] and [Thought Acceleration], picked up an exceedingly faint feeling of being watched from behind and to the side!
It wasn't like Ayanokouji's earlier cold, impersonal observation. This gaze felt sticky and probing, clinging to him like a shadow!
As he scanned and bagged the groceries, he shifted slightly with perfect ease, the corner of his eye precisely sweeping over the magazine rack near the supermarket entrance.
A girl with light brown hair stood with her back to them, seemingly absorbed in a magazine. But the split-second perception granted by Toudou Shizuka's [Dynamic Vision] clearly caught the cover—it was an outdated car magazine!
The ear turned slightly toward them and her somewhat stiff posture gave away her true intentions!
Kushida Kikyo! She'd followed him all the way here. He glanced at her again from the corner of his eye.
He'd thought she looked familiar while they were browsing the produce section, as if he'd seen her there. Now they were at the checkout, and she was still nearby.
Kushida and I had only met a few times, and we hadn't even spoken much.
Was it a coincidence? But our routes overlapped far too much.
She kept her head down as she browsed the shelves, but every so often her gaze drifted toward us.
Meanwhile, Sakura was beside me, chatting about which brand of yogurt tasted best. I couldn't help wondering what Kushida was after.
Surely she hadn't followed Sakura and me just because she was curious about our relationship?
I kept my expression neutral, continuing to speak pleasantly with the cashier. I paid with my points, naturally covering Sakura's art supplies and snacks as well, without giving her a chance to refuse, then picked up two full shopping bags.
I turned to Sakura. My smile remained warm, but a hint of sharpness entered my eyes. "All done. Let's go. Want me to carry your art supplies back to your dorm?"
Sakura Airi was still caught up in that little flutter of excitement and warmth. Completely unaware of the eyes watching from the shadows, she nodded gratefully. "Mm... Thank you, Toudou..."
Carrying the bags, Toudou Shizuka walked out of the supermarket alongside Sakura.
The sunlight was a little harsh. He could clearly feel the sticky gaze behind them clinging to them like a burr, following them until they turned onto the path leading to the Dormitory Building, where it seemed to disappear.
[Kushida Kikyo Affection: 16 (Neutral) → 17 (Neutral)] - System Notice: Interest increased slightly due to continued observation of the target's interactions. Threat Assessment: Potential information gatherer. [Ayanokouji Kiyotaka Connection Notice: Kushida Kikyo's continued attention may become a reason for Ayanokouji to watch you.]
Toudou Shizuka walked Sakura to the Dormitory Building and handed her the bag of art supplies, his tone casual. "Thanks for your help shopping today, Sakura. Let's do it again next time."
"Mm... Goodbye, Toudou..." Sakura Airi took the bag. Behind her oversized glasses, she looked a little reluctant, but mostly content and reassured.
She turned and went upstairs, her steps seeming lighter than before.
Toudou Shizuka stood downstairs, watching her disappear. His warm smile gradually faded.
The sunlight fell on him, but he felt little warmth from it.
Kushida's tailing was like a small stone tossed into a calm lake.
Sakura's affection was at 65 points, and the A-Rank Photography Skill was within reach. His 65 Simulation Points were also enough to buy his next talent, though [Dynamic Vision (Fine Adjustment)] cost 120 points, leaving him 55 short.
But now, the danger hidden behind Kushida Kikyo's firmly closed door, and the invisible connection that might exist between her and Ayanokouji, had become a more urgent problem to deal with.
(At this point in the story, Class D was preparing for exams, so Ayanokouji needed Kushida to act as a facilitator and invite other students to join the Study Group.)
Carrying his own shopping bag, he turned and walked toward the Dormitory Building.
In his mind, [Rational Analysis B-rank] and [Information Synthesis B-rank] began whirring like precision gears, rapidly analyzing Kushida's Behavior Pattern, her possible motives, and... how to make use of this little "interest" she had in him.
He would use it to pry open the door to her trust and obtain the long-coveted A-rank Disguise Skill.
The faint light Sakura had brought remained in his heart, but the shadow cast by Kushida made the game at Advanced Nurturing High School murkier.
What should he do next? Continue helping Sakura grow, or step deliberately into the shadows and spar with the "Social Monster" named Kushida Kikyo?
Toudou Shizuka pushed up his glasses. The lenses reflected the blazing afternoon sun, as well as a thorn-covered road leading into an even deeper whirlpool.
Sakura Airi disappeared behind the Dormitory Building's entrance. Toudou Shizuka stood there for a while. The cool breeze of early autumn brushed his cheek, but it did nothing to dispel the weight of his thoughts.
Kushida Kikyo flashed through his mind, her gaze assessing him, with a hint of probing curiosity that was hard to detect.
He took a deep breath, forcing down the discomfort of being watched, then turned and headed for his dorm.
Now wasn't the time to dwell on this. Improving his own "skills" was what mattered.
Back in his simple single dorm room, he shut out the outside world.
He set the stationery and daily necessities he'd bought on the desk, but his gaze was drawn to the window.
Dusk had fallen, and lights came on across the campus one by one, outlining the buildings beneath the deepening blue-purple sky.
The light grew soft and layered. The streetlamps cast long reflections, subtly fading across the damp ground—this was the scene.
Night slowly spread across the sky. Once the lights came on, the buildings stood out clearly. The shadows on the ground blended into the moonlight, and somehow, the sight calmed him.
Just a few minutes ago, it had been an ordinary nightscape.
"System, enter the Virtual Training Ground. Simulated skill: A-Rank Photography (Composition and Light Capture)." He needed to master this precious gift from Sakura completely.
The instant he issued the command, the Pure White Space enveloped him.
There was no camera, no physical body—only pure consciousness and perception, magnified without limit and projected into the ever-changing Virtual Scene constructed by the system.
[Virtual Training Ground activated. Simulation target: A-Rank Photography (Composition and Light Capture). Simulation count: 1/1000.] [Scene Generation: Twilight Campus.]
The scene before his eyes wasn't a still image, but a flowing world of light and shadow.
He could "see" the path of the light, sense every ray scattering through the air and reflecting and refracting off the surfaces of objects.
The cold concrete walls of the Teaching Building, slanted across by the setting sun's afterglow, took on a warm golden-brown hue, starkly contrasting with the cool shadows.
This contrast was no longer simply one of light and dark. It carried a difference in emotional temperature.
[Composition Perception activated—Golden Ratio detection—Guide Lines generated]
With the faintest thought, pale gold auxiliary lines appeared in his field of view.
The edges of the buildings, the road stretching into the distance, even the blurred trails left by students running far away—all became potential Visual Guide Lines.
They drew his gaze toward the part of the image with the strongest sense of "breathing space"—the streetlamp that had just lit up, radiating a warm yellow glow.
It stood exactly at a Golden Ratio point that felt effortlessly pleasing to the eye.
Beneath the streetlamp, a few ginkgo leaves blown down by the wind looked translucent in its glow, making them the perfect touch of foreground detail.
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