Chance Encounter and Probing at the Shopping Mall

The Beech Shopping Center was always bustling on weekends, like a miniature bustling society. Bright lights illuminated the polished floor tiles, and the sounds of promotional broadcasts and students' cheerful chatter emanated from various shops. This was a place entirely different from the atmosphere of competition and rules within Kōtō Ikusei High School, a haven for students to temporarily forget their point worries and enjoy material life. However, even such a place was not entirely unrelated to the undercurrents of the school.

Fūki Ran weaved through the throng of people, his goal clear—the "Wilderness Survivalist" specialty store on the third floor of the shopping center. Although the specific format of the Special Exam had not yet been announced, combining the existing information with the school's usual style, conducting some forward-looking material research would never be wrong. He needed to understand the level of outdoor equipment in this world, the price ranges, and which items might play a crucial role in extreme environments. Knowledge is power, and sufficient information is the foundation for making correct decisions.

He seemed out of place in the specialty store. Most other students were merely curiously fiddling with camping lanterns or multi-tools, while Fūki held a notebook, meticulously recording the filter life and purification efficiency of different brands of water purifiers, comparing the load-bearing parameters and weights of several high-strength nylon ropes, and even asking the clerk about the durability of certain professional equipment in hot and humid island environments. His calm, focused demeanor and the professional questions he asked made even the experienced clerk glance at him more than once.

Just as Fūki picked up a high-end, German-made tactical pen that combined a window breaker and seatbelt cutter, weighing its balance and checking its craftsmanship, a female voice, a mixture of surprise, delight, and a hint of imperceptible nervousness, came from behind him.

"Ah! Fūki-kun? I never expected to run into you here! What a coincidence!"

Fūki's movements didn't stop. He placed the tactical pen back on the display rack before calmly turning around. Standing before him was Karuizawa Kei. She had clearly dressed up today, with exquisite makeup, wearing a trendy seasonal dress and a cardigan, and carrying several shopping bags with the logos of famous fashion brands, appearing to have had a fruitful shopping trip. Her face was filled with a perfectly timed surprise at the chance encounter, her lips curved into a perfect arc, and her large eyes looked at him, trying to convey harmlessness and friendliness.

But Fūki's gaze was like the most precise scanner, instantly capturing the subtle cracks beneath her perfect smile—the fleeting awkwardness deep in her eyes, and the slight anxiety revealed by her fingertips, which were gripping the handles of the shopping bags a little too tightly. Her attire and shopping haul created a subtle dissonance with the general shortage of points in Class D, especially her occasional expressions of worry about points.

"Karuizawa-san," Fūki nodded slightly, his tone as flat as water, neither impolite nor overly warm. His reaction left Karuizawa's prepared follow-up pleasantries somewhat without leverage.

"This is quite rare," Karuizawa quickly adjusted her expression, took a small step forward, naturally standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him, her gaze sweeping over the tactical pen he had been looking at and other equipment on the adjacent shelf. Her tone carried just the right amount of curiosity, as if asking casually, "Fūki-kun, are you interested in these outdoor adventure items? They look very professional."

"Just looking around, learning some basic knowledge," Fūki's reply was still brief, with no intention of expanding the topic. He noticed her pupils contract for a split second as her gaze swept over the price tags of those items. The prices of these things were clearly not something ordinary students could easily afford.

Karuizawa seemed hesitant. She gently bit her lower lip, a subtle movement that disrupted her deliberately maintained relaxed facade. When she looked up again, the smile she had tried to force onto her face carried an obvious hint of difficulty and pleading, and her voice lowered slightly, ensuring the surrounding noise could mask their conversation.

"Um... Fūki-kun, actually... there's something, it might be a bit sudden, but... could I trouble you for something?" Her words carried a cautious probing, her eyes fixed on Fūki's expression, not missing any subtle changes.

Fūki looked at her silently, not urging her on, nor showing any emotion, merely granting her permission to continue with his deep, calm eyes. This silence, however, brought an invisible pressure.

Karuizawa took a deep breath, as if making up her mind, and her speech quickened slightly: "I... I had a budget when I came out today, but... but I just saw a limited edition Givenchy silk scarf from this season downstairs, and I really, really loved it. It was the last one... I'm just short by a little bit, only three thousand points... Could you... could you lend me some to tide me over? I promise! As soon as my points arrive next month, I'll pay you back immediately!" Her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with anticipation, even with a hint of desperation, portraying a slightly vain yet pitiable high school girl who had fallen into a small predicament due to impulse shopping.

Fūki listened to her request quietly, his face unreadable. He could almost be certain that the so-called "miscalculated budget" and "limited edition silk scarf" were just a carefully woven, seemingly plausible excuse. Karuizawa Kei, as an influential figure among the girls in the class, usually paid great attention to her image and spending habits. In the context of general point scarcity, her ability to make such a large purchase was itself noteworthy. More importantly, given her social circle and personality, if she truly had a financial shortfall, her first choice for help would likely be Hirata Yousuke, or other close female friends. It would never be him, a male classmate with whom she had almost no private interaction and who even seemed somewhat distant.

She bypassed all more reasonable options and approached him, an "outsider," alone. There must be a reason hidden behind this that she didn't want Hirata or her clique to know. These three thousand points might not be for a scarf, but to silence someone? Or to cover up a larger, hidden debt?

Fūki did not expose her nor show any suspicion. He asked nothing, but simply took out his Student Terminal and operated it skillfully. The screen's dim light reflected on his expressionless face.

"Transferred," he turned the screen to Karuizawa, showing that the transaction was complete.

Karuizawa clearly hadn't expected him to be so straightforward and efficient, not even asking a single question, and was momentarily stunned. She quickly took out her own terminal to confirm. Seeing that the three thousand points had indeed arrived, the tension in her shoulders visibly relaxed, and she let out a long sigh of relief. The smile on her face instantly became much more genuine and bright, filled with relief and gratitude.

"That's great! Thank you so much, Fūki-kun! You've been a huge help!" she said repeatedly, her tone light, "Don't worry, I keep my word. I'll pay you back next month!"

"Mm," Fūki merely responded indifferently, retracting his terminal, his gaze returning to the equipment on the shelf, as if the loan, neither large nor small, was just an insignificant interlude. "No rush."

His nonchalant attitude, however, made Karuizawa somewhat at a loss. She stood there, watching him become engrossed again in examining a portable solar charger, seemingly completely immersed in his own world, leaving her aside. She opened her mouth, wanting to say something more to ease the atmosphere or build rapport, but in the end, she just softly said "Thank you" again, then turned and walked away from the outdoor equipment section with slightly hurried steps, heading towards the expensive boutique downstairs.

Fūki watched her hasty departure from the corner of his eye until she disappeared at the entrance of the escalator. A faint trace of thought flickered in his deep eyes. The unexpected interlude with Karuizawa Kei was like a stone dropped into a calm lake. What he lost was merely three thousand points, a negligible amount, but what he might gain was a window into the dynamics of another faction within Class D, or even a future leverage against Karuizawa Kei herself. He knew very well that when a person starts using lies to conceal their true needs, it often means they are in some kind of predicament or holding a secret.

He etched the information "Karuizawa Kei's unusual loan" into a specific area of his mind, along with today's date and details. Then, he refocused his attention on the solar charger in front of him, carefully reading its specifications, as if everything that had just happened had never occurred. However, the threads of fate had, due to this seemingly accidental encounter, quietly intertwined into a new knot.