Ryuen's expression darkened when Tennoji Kaede stopped him, clearly demanding an explanation.
"She's a student in First Year Class D. She overheard a bit of what we were saying just now, but it's no big deal."
Sakura Airi trembled all over. She glanced at Kaede, who seemed to be speaking up for her, and wisely stopped screaming.
After a moment's thought, Ryuen withdrew his hand. Tennoji Kaede gave him a helpless shrug.
"Leave her to me... And give me that camera, too. We can talk about the rest another time."
Ryuen tossed him the digital camera. Kaede caught it steadily, turned it over in his hands, and confirmed that it didn't seem to be broken. He swiftly removed the memory card.
"Woman, I've memorized your face. You know who I am, too, don't you?"
"Eek! I understand! I didn't see or hear anything today, and I won't tell anyone! I'm sorry..."
Ryuen shot Sakura another sharp look, radiating a terrifying presence. He'd turned around and threatened her again.
This time, Kaede didn't stop him. He and Ryuen were partners, not superior and subordinate. Each had his own way of doing things, and they had to show each other basic respect.
Ryuen hadn't tried to control what Kaede did afterward, either. Since Kaede had said he'd handle the matter, Ryuen was willing to accept it.
Sakura kept apologizing over and over.
"...Hmph. What a buzzkill!"
Ryuen let the pressure around him fade, his expression settling. "If you don't know what's good for you this time, next time I'll have some fun with that pretty, tempting body of yours..."
Sakura Airi was terrified. She clutched her chest with both arms.
Tennoji Kaede broke into a silent sweat... That was just so Ryuen.
After making his threat, Ryuen sauntered away from the Special Classroom Building.
Once he'd watched Ryuen leave, Kaede loosened his belt.
"Ah, don't be nervous. I really was just loosening my belt..." Tennoji Kaede laughed and held out his hand to her. "Sorry I scared you earlier. Do you have the strength to stand? If not, you can sit here and rest for a while."
Sakura Airi fell silent.
"Then just sit there and take a moment to calm down, Sakura."
"Y-you are...?"
Sakura Airi looked up in confusion. Her matching hair-colored glasses frames and messy bangs hid her expression.
"You're Sakura Airi from First Year Class D, if I remember correctly? I'm Tennoji Kaede from Class C."
Kaede figured he might as well play the good cop while he was at it...
"Don't take what Ryuen said too seriously. He was just trying to scare you. After all... you must've overheard our conversation by accident, right, Sakura?"
Sakura Airi nodded vigorously. "I really wasn't trying to eavesdrop. Today, I came here to... to..."
"It's all right. I'm willing to believe you, Sakura."
Sakura secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"But..." Kaede continued, changing his tone as he raised the digital camera, its memory card back in place. "I can return your camera, but you saw how our class leader acted earlier..."
Sakura looked completely bewildered. She clearly didn't understand what Kaede meant.
"I'm sorry, Sakura. Whether I look at it emotionally or rationally, I can't just trust your verbal promise. So I need to check the photos stored on your digital camera. What do you think?"
What?! Check the camera? But that meant...
Kaede continued, "You have to understand, Sakura: you were holding a camera while eavesdropping on the leaders of another class~"
"I'm willing to believe it was an accident, but this could easily lead to a misunderstanding. If I don't check, I won't be able to explain myself to Ryuen..."
Sakura stammered, looking up and down several times. Kaede kept up his helpless expression, and in the end, she could only nod faintly.
[Detected a failing work by Sakura Airi, rated 59 points by the Black House]
[Applied a Causal Mark to Sakura Airi]
[Cause: Sakura Airi hopes you won't discover her true Internet Celebrity identity]
[Effect: Charisma +5, Personality Disguise +10, Makeup Art +20]
[Under ordinary circumstances, a normal person's potential is measured in units of 10]
Now he'd learned how to do makeup, too. He really was turning into an actor...
Kaede sighed inwardly, asked Sakura to confirm once more, then started searching through the photos stored on the camera...
Wow~ They really were... pretty damn risqué. Kaede examined each one impassively.
Every photo showed her taking a selfie in a pose worthy of a glamour model. Skimpy clothing was the norm; the real emphasis was on her ample cleavage.
Kaede frowned and scrolled through the album faster.
He'd naturally expected to find certain things on Sakura's camera, but the truth might have been even worse than he'd imagined.
Sakura Airi was a famous, popular online idol and pin-up model. Her online handle was "Shizuku," and she had over five thousand Twitter followers—not an insignificant fanbase.
The woman in the photos was indeed the same person as the one standing before him, but the divide between their personalities was rather severe.
To put it simply, Sakura Airi was extremely socially anxious, yet desperately yearned to connect with others.
So, without realizing it, she'd created a second personality and allowed the two sides of herself to communicate with each other.
Gradually, she'd developed two completely opposite ways of living in the online and real worlds: outgoing and afraid of people.
The two sides of her personality understood and supported each other.
As far as Kaede could tell, Sakura was somewhere between dissociative identity disorder and the normal persona of an online celebrity. Her condition was rather serious.
Kaede deleted the photos that Sakura had probably taken of them without thinking, then returned the camera without scolding her.
"Sakura, here's your camera."
Sakura Airi timidly took her beloved camera from Kaede, a faint blush on her face.
He'd seen every single photo...
"You take pretty good pictures, Sakura. Just don't let your curiosity get the better of you next time. This school is very unusual, and you should understand that as a student in Class D."
Sakura lowered her head. "Y-yes... Thank you, Tennoji."
Kaede noticed that the back of Sakura's clothes was especially dirty. Ryuen had dragged her roughly down the corridor...
Kaede held out his hand again. "You shouldn't sit for too long, or your legs will go numb. Come on, get up. Let's see if you're hurt anywhere."
Kaede took her trembling, delicate, cold hand and gently pulled her upper body upright.
Sakura swayed, and Kaede quickly grabbed her arm.
"Shiori! Steady... You don't seem to have any external injuries. Ryuen was careful not to overdo it."
Her stockings weren't torn, either. That was good. But the hem of her top was scratched in a few places. She couldn't wear it anymore.
"Thank you..."
Sakura had lost count of how many times she'd said "I'm sorry" and "thank you" that day.
"Sakura, you can't wear your uniform jacket out like that. Wear mine home for now. They're the same, anyway."
Kaede raised a hand to stop Sakura from speaking.
"Just do as I say. It's no big deal for a guy to go back to the dorm without his jacket. Afterward, I'll get another women's uniform jacket in the same size. We can get in touch another day and meet up to exchange them."
"You don't need to take my jacket out to be cleaned, either. I'll take care of it after we exchange them."
Sakura quietly accepted Kaede's neat uniform jacket.
"Also, don't tell anyone in Class D what you saw today. I'll transfer you 10,000 Private Points later... I said to listen to me, so don't rush to refuse."
"If you feel unwell when you get back, treat it as compensation for your medicine. If you feel bad about it, you can transfer any points you don't spend on medicine back to me later. Remember, your health comes first."
Thinking of how Sakura Airi would later be expelled for no apparent reason, Kaede genuinely treated her like a socially anxious little sister of his own. His concern for her came from the heart.
Who could see her get expelled and not be furious enough to curse the world?
Even if she was only a minor female character, she shouldn't have been made a sacrifice!
Kaede turned away to give her privacy. Sakura quickly changed clothes, and the two of them exchanged contact information.
After confirming that Sakura had accepted the 10,000 Private Points, Kaede followed at a distance behind her. They left the Special Classroom Building separately, one after the other.
At a crossroads, they went their separate ways.
Sakura Airi looked back. She watched quietly as the man with his shirt hanging out and his jacket in his hands disappeared into the distance.
After seeing Sakura head back, Kaede stopped in his tracks.
Once he'd confirmed something he'd been waiting on, he nodded faintly and continued on his way...
Before you continue