Beech Shopping Center was always bustling on weekends, like a miniature society in full swing. Bright lights reflected off the polished floor tiles, while promotional announcements and students' cheerful chatter drifted from the various stores. It was a place entirely unlike the atmosphere inside Kōtō Ikusei High School, with its unspoken competition and rules—a haven where students could temporarily forget their point troubles and enjoy the material comforts of life. Yet even a place like this was not entirely free from the undercurrents running through the school.
Fūki Ran wove through the crowds, headed for one place in particular: the Wilderness Survivalist store on the shopping center's third floor. Although the details of the Special Exam had yet to be announced, given what they already knew and the school's usual style, it couldn't hurt to research supplies in advance. He needed to learn about the level of outdoor gear available, its price range, and which items might prove vital in extreme conditions. Knowledge was power, and having enough information was the foundation for making sound decisions.
He stood out in the store. Most of the other students were simply curious, fiddling with camping lanterns or multitools. Fūki, however, held a notebook and carefully recorded the filter lifespans and purification rates of different brands of water purifiers. He compared the load capacities and weights of several high-strength nylon ropes, and even asked the clerk about the durability of certain professional-grade equipment in hot, humid island conditions. His calm, focused demeanor and technical questions made even the experienced clerk take a closer look at him.
Just as Fūki picked up a high-end, German-made Tactical Pen that doubled as a window breaker and seat-belt cutter, weighing it in his hand to check its balance and inspecting its craftsmanship, a woman's voice came from behind him, tinged with surprise, delight, and a hint of barely concealed tension.
"Ah! Fūki-kun? I never expected to run into you here! What a coincidence!"
Fūki didn't pause. He returned the Tactical Pen to its display stand before turning around at his leisure. Karuizawa Kei stood before him. She had clearly dressed up for the occasion, with immaculate makeup and a fashionable seasonal dress and outer layer. Several shopping bags bearing the logos of well-known fashion brands hung from her hands; she seemed to have had quite a successful shopping trip. Her face wore just the right expression of delighted surprise, her lips curved in a perfect smile, and her big eyes gazed at him, trying to convey friendliness and innocence.
But Fūki's gaze was like a precision scanner, instantly catching the tiny cracks beneath her perfect smile: a fleeting trace of unease deep in her eyes, and a hint of anxiety betrayed by the slight tension in her fingertips as they gripped the shopping-bag handles. Her outfit and haul were subtly at odds with Class D's general shortage of points, especially given the occasional concern she had previously shown about her point balance.
"Karuizawa-san." Fūki gave a slight nod, his tone as calm and flat as still water—not impolite, but hardly warm. His response left Karuizawa's prepared small talk with nowhere to go.
"What a rare coincidence," Karuizawa said, quickly adjusting her expression. She stepped a little closer and naturally took her place beside him, her gaze passing over the Tactical Pen he had been looking at and the other gear on the shelf nearby. Her tone held just the right amount of curiosity, as if she were merely asking offhandedly. "Are you interested in this kind of outdoor adventure gear, Fūki-kun? You seem so knowledgeable."
"Just looking around and picking up some basics." Fūki's answer was as brief as before, offering no invitation to continue the conversation. He noticed Karuizawa's pupils contract for an instant as her gaze swept over the price tags. These items were clearly beyond the reach of most students.
Karuizawa seemed hesitant. She lightly bit her lower lip, a small gesture that disrupted the casual air she had been trying to maintain. When she looked up again, the smile she forced onto her face carried an unmistakable hint of embarrassment and pleading. She lowered her voice, making sure the noisy surroundings would drown out their conversation.
"Um... Fūki-kun, actually... there's something I'd like to ask you. It might be a bit sudden, but... could I trouble you for a favor?" Her words carried a tentative note, and she fixed her eyes on Fūki's expression, watching for the slightest change.
Fūki watched her in silence. He neither urged her on nor showed any emotion; he simply gave her permission to continue with his deep, tranquil gaze. His silence only added an invisible pressure.
Karuizawa took a deep breath, as if she had finally made up her mind, and spoke a little faster. "I... I came out today with a budget worked out, but... but downstairs I saw a limited-edition Givenchy scarf from this season, and I really, really liked it. It was the last one in that design... I was only a little short—just three thousand points... Could you... could you lend them to me for now? I promise! As soon as next month's points come in, I'll pay you back right away!" Her cheeks flushed, and her eyes brimmed with hope, even a hint of desperation. She played the part of a slightly vain yet endearing high school girl, caught in a minor bind after an impulsive shopping spree, to perfection.
Fūki listened to her request without so much as a flicker of expression. He was almost certain that the story about miscalculating her budget and the limited-edition scarf was just a carefully crafted, plausible excuse. As an influential figure among the girls in her class, Karuizawa paid close attention to her appearance and the level of her spending. Against a backdrop of widespread point shortages, the scale of her shopping was already worth noting. More importantly, given her social circle and personality, if she had genuinely run short of money, her first choice would have been Hirata Yousuke or one of her close female friends. There was no reason she would turn to him—a boy with whom she had almost no personal relationship and who usually kept his distance.
She had bypassed every more reasonable option to approach him, an outsider. There had to be a reason she didn't want Hirata or her little group to know. Perhaps the three thousand points weren't for a scarf, but to keep someone quiet? Or to plug some bigger hole she couldn't afford to expose?
Fūki didn't call her out or show any suspicion. He asked nothing. He simply took out his Student Terminal and operated it with practiced ease, its dim glow falling across his expressionless face.
"I've transferred it." He turned the screen toward Karuizawa, showing that the transaction was complete.
Karuizawa clearly hadn't expected him to agree so readily, without even asking a question. She froze for a moment, then hurriedly took out her own terminal to check. When she saw that the three thousand points had indeed arrived, her tense shoulders visibly relaxed, and she let out a long breath. Her smile instantly became much more genuine and bright, full of relieved gratitude.
"That's such a relief! Thank you so much, Fūki-kun! You've really helped me out!" She thanked him repeatedly, her voice light. "Don't worry, I'll keep my word. I'll pay you back next month!"
"Mm." Fūki merely replied in a neutral tone, put away his terminal, and turned his attention back to the gear on the shelves, as if the small loan had been an insignificant interruption. "No rush."
His complete lack of concern seemed to leave Karuizawa at a loss. She stood there, watching him resume his focused study of a portable solar charger, apparently lost in his own world and leaving her on the sidelines. She opened her mouth, as if to say something to ease the awkwardness or draw closer to him, but in the end she only murmured another "Thank you." Then she turned and hurried out of the outdoor gear section, heading toward the expensive boutique downstairs.
Fūki watched her hurried retreat from the corner of his eye until she disappeared at the escalator. A faint glimmer of thought crossed his deep-set eyes. The unexpected interruption of Karuizawa Kei was like a stone tossed into a still lake. He had lost only three thousand points, a negligible sum, but in return he might have gained a window into the movements of another faction within Class D—or even leverage regarding Karuizawa Kei herself that might prove useful in the future. He knew all too well that when someone started using lies to conceal what they truly needed, it usually meant they were in some kind of trouble or holding a secret.
He etched the information "Karuizawa Kei's unusual loan request," along with the date and details, into a particular part of his memory. Then he turned his attention back to the solar charger before him and carefully read its specifications, as if nothing had happened. Yet the threads of fate had already begun to wind around a new knot because of this seemingly chance encounter.
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