Sakura's Invitation

The aftermath of the Sudo Ken incident had settled. Ishizaki Daichi and his two companions from Class C voluntarily withdrew their report, Class D successfully averted the crisis, and Class C's carefully laid trap ended in failure. Based on the intelligence Shimiya Kuki had gathered, that plan of Class C's had failed. Given his personality, that sense of defeat would transform into deeper hostility, and in the short term, his target would inevitably be locked onto Class D. For Class B, this should mean their gaze wouldn't fall on them for a while.

Time entered July, the summer heat growing thicker. The focus of school life shifted to the end-of-month final exams. A tense atmosphere of studying spread throughout.

In early July, personal points were distributed as scheduled. Every student in Class B once again received 74700 points, thanks to the class points still maintaining a high of 747 points. When homeroom teacher Hoshinomiya Chie-sensei announced this news, a murmur of relief rippled through the classroom.

However, beneath Hoshinomiya-sensei's trademark sweet smile, the rules she revealed were more complex: "Everyone thinks last month was smooth sailing, right? Actually, it's not that there were no violations~" She raised one finger and wagged it. "It's that everyone's penalty deductions for violations were kept within the school's allowable 'quota' for that month, so the class points weren't deducted!"

Her words made many students look surprised.

"But~" Hoshinomiya-sensei's tone turned slightly more serious, "Don't let your guard down because of this! Those 'forgiven' deductions haven't disappeared; they've been recorded cumulatively!" She looked around the classroom. "The school will add up these violation deductions month by month. Once, in a certain month, a class's violation deductions exceed the school's 'safety quota,' then all the accumulated deductions from all previous months for all classes will be deducted at once! That would be a devastating blow to the class points!"

Seeing the students' solemn expressions, she switched to an encouraging smile: "Of course, to reward everyone for their usual efforts to follow the rules and control deductions, when calculating the deducted points, the formula is: current month's actual deductions + (total past accumulated deductions / 2). That means past accumulated deductions only count as half when making the judgment! So, keep it up, minimize violations, and that's the real way to go!" (PS: This is a bit of a patch for the original work. In the original, deductions were only clearly mentioned for the first two months, and never again after that. I don't believe not a single class had any violations.)

One week after the points distribution, in the evening.

Shimiya Kuki had just finished showering and was resting on his bed. The terminal by his pillow vibrated. He picked it up and unlocked the screen.

The home screen showed a new message. Sender: Sakura Airi.

Shimiya opened the message.

Sakura Airi: Shimiya-kun, good evening.

Sakura Airi: Can I invite you to the shopping street for dessert tomorrow? I want to thank you for helping me before. I'm sorry it took me so long to ask.

Sakura Airi: If you have other plans tomorrow, another time is fine too.

The text carried a cautious, tentative tone and sincere apology.

Shimiya Kuki: I don't have any other plans tomorrow. Is it okay after school in the afternoon?

A reply came quickly:

Sakura Airi: Okay. I'm free all afternoon.

Shimiya Kuki: Where?

This time, after the message was sent, the other side fell into a long silence. Several minutes passed. The status showed "Read," but no reply. Shimiya looked at the screen, thought for a moment, and understood the reason—given Sakura Airi's extremely introverted, shy, and socially awkward personality, she had probably never gone to a café or dessert shop on the shopping street with a classmate or friend since enrolling. Those places were completely unfamiliar to her; she had no idea how to choose a suitable location. Right now, she was probably staring at her terminal screen, lost in confusion and the dilemma of choice.

He calmly typed again:

Shimiya Kuki: If you don't have a particular place in mind, I can recommend one.

This time, the reply came quickly, with obvious relief:

Sakura Airi: Okay. Please do.

Shimiya sent a location pin for the shopping street.

Shimiya Kuki: [Shopping Street Area Location] See you tomorrow.

Sakura Airi: Okay. See you tomorrow.

After ending the conversation, Shimiya switched contacts and sent a few brief messages. After receiving an affirmative reply, he placed the terminal back by his pillow.

The next afternoon, Ismo Cafe Second Floor Terrace.

Sunlight filtered through the sun umbrella, casting patterns of light and shadow. Shimiya Kuki arrived a little early and chose a quiet corner. Soon, Sakura Airi's figure appeared at the top of the stairs. She was still wearing those slightly plain-looking glasses, her pink hair simply tied back, dressed in her modest school uniform, with a nervous expression on her face as she cautiously looked around. When she saw Shimiya, she visibly relaxed and quickly walked over.

"Shi, Shimiya-kun, good afternoon. Thank you for coming." Sakura gave a slight bow, her voice soft and thin.

"Good afternoon, Sakura-kun." Shimiya gave a slight nod, gesturing for her to sit.

They sat down and ordered drinks and desserts. Sakura hesitated for a moment before ordering a very delicate and cute-looking strawberry parfait, while Shimiya ordered black coffee. The glass door to the terrace slid open.

A waitress in a blue and white maid uniform walked in carrying a tray. She had short, refreshing blue hair tied back, lively eyes, and a bright, slightly mischievous smile on her face.

"Sorry to keep you waiting~ Your desserts and coffee~" She set down the items gracefully, her gaze shifting between Shimiya and Sakura with undisguised curiosity, finally settling on Shimiya. Her voice was crisp and laughing: "Oh my! How rare! Little Shimiya--" She deliberately drew out the last syllable, "--actually having dessert alone with a girl on a date? The sun must be rising in the west!"

Shimiya's expression was calm. He picked up his black coffee and took a sip, not responding.

Sakura's face instantly turned red. She quickly waved her hands to explain: "No, it's not! It's, it's me who invited Shimiya-kun..."

"Oh~?" The blue-haired waitress turned her gaze to Sakura, her smile deepening. "I see~ Little Shimiya is unexpectedly popular?" She winked playfully, then gave a formal slight bow to Sakura. "Forgot to introduce myself. I'm Amamiya Nina from Class 3-D, your senior~ What's your name, little classmate?"

Sakura stood up flusteredly to return the bow: "A, Amamiya-senpai, hello! I'm Sakura Airi from Class 1-D. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too, little Sakura~" Amamiya Nina said with a beaming smile, her gaze drifting back to Shimiya. "Don't let our little Shimiya's cold, aloof demeanor fool you, like he's a block of ice," she lowered her voice, as if sharing a secret. "He's actually very kind-hearted and reliable! You definitely can't go wrong choosing him as a boyfriend!" She pretended to sigh dramatically. "Ah, if only I weren't graduating next year, I'd definitely launch a fierce offensive on him and melt this ice block! What a pity~"

"Se, senpai!" Sakura's face turned even redder, almost burying it in her parfait.

Shimiya Kuki put down his coffee cup, looked up at Amamiya Nina, who was still enthusiastically gossiping, and reminded her in a flat, emotionless tone: "By the way, senpai. Is it okay to leave your work unattended? It sounds like a customer downstairs rang the bell." His tone was unreadable, but the meaning was clear.

"Ah! Oh no!" Amamiya Nina exaggeratedly covered her mouth and glanced at a watch that wasn't on her wrist. "Got too caught up in the gossip! Well then, I won't disturb your 'afternoon tea'~" She playfully stuck out her tongue, gave Sakura an exaggerated wink, mouthed the words "Good luck!", and then, humming a cheerful tune, turned and left the terrace.

With Amamiya-senpai's departure, the awkward and subtle atmosphere on the terrace finally eased. Sakura Airi took a few deep breaths before recovering from her ostrich-like state. The two began to enjoy their desserts. Unexpectedly, in the time that followed, Sakura Airi seemed to open up.

Perhaps it was the comfortable environment, perhaps Shimiya's silent, listening posture made her feel at ease, or perhaps she had been holding things in for too long and needed to talk. In a soft voice, she started with the anxiety and loneliness she felt upon entering Advanced Nurturing High School, talked about the struggle of carefully hiding her past identity in the class, then the fear of encountering a stalker, and finally the relief she felt yesterday when she mustered the courage to say "I hate it." She even told a few small stories from her time as "Shizuku"—the tension under the spotlight, the warmth of fan support, and the reason she ultimately chose to leave that world.

Shimiya Kuki mostly just listened quietly, occasionally nodding slightly at key points or using brief "Mm" and "And then?" to show he was listening. He was like a reliable tree hollow, absorbing the emotions Sakura had pent up for so long. Sakura's words went from nervous stuttering at first to gradually becoming smoother and more relaxed, and a faint, genuine smile appeared on her face. Unnoticed, two hours slipped by. It was clear that this outpouring meant a great deal to her.

Their desserts and coffee were long finished. The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the terrace gold. The two prepared to leave.

Going downstairs to pay, they ran into Amamiya Nina again.

"Leaving already? Little Shimiya, little Sakura~" Amamiya-senpai leaned in with a mischievous grin. "Did you have a good chat this afternoon? Did you... hmm~ get any further?"

Sakura's face flushed slightly as she explained seriously: "Amamiya-senpai, you really misunderstood. I invited Shimiya-kun purely to thank him for saving me. It's not that kind of relationship."

"Alright, alright~ I'm just teasing you!" Amamiya Nina waved her hand with a grin, but her eyes held a hint of insight. "Last month, behind the alley next to your place, I happened to catch a bit of the 'tail end' of things from the third floor." She winked at Sakura. "But hey, 'Hero Saves Beauty' stuff like that is often the start of a romantic story! That's how it goes in novels!"

Before Sakura could explain further, she pulled out the bill from behind the register, tapped it briskly, and announced to the two of them: "This meal's on me, your senpai! Think of it as—" She looked at Sakura. "—a little comfort for little Sakura, for surviving that ordeal, and to calm your nerves." Then she turned to Shimiya, a faint trace of approval in her eyes. "And a reward for little Shimiya's act of bravery! How about that? Pretty generous of your senpai, right?"

"Huh?!" Sakura's eyes went wide in surprise. "Th-That won't do! I was the one planning to thank Shimiya-kun... and making you pay, senpai..."

"Relax, relax~" Amamiya Nina waved her hand magnanimously, cutting Sakura off. "Just a few desserts and coffees—I can afford that! It's settled!" Spotting new customers entering, she quickly added, "Alright, senpai's got work to do! Have a safe trip back to the dorms! See you later, little Sakura! See you later, Little Ice Cube!" She playfully made a face at Shimiya, then turned to warmly greet the new arrivals.

Sakura watched Amamiya-senpai's busy back, then glanced at Shimiya, a mix of helplessness and gratitude on her face. "Amamiya-senpai... she's really warm-hearted."

The two stepped out of Ismo Cafe. The evening breeze carried a hint of coolness.

"Do you need me to walk you back to the dorm?" Shimiya Kuki stopped, looking at Sakura Airi beside him, his tone flat as he asked.

Sakura quickly waved her hand, her face showing sincere thanks and a touch of apology. "Ah, no need, no need! Shimiya-kun, I've already taken up so much of your time this afternoon. I'm really grateful you came to listen to me talk so much... The dorm's close by—I can go back on my own! I can't trouble you any further!" Her tone was firm, clearly feeling she'd already taken up too much of his time.

Shimiya didn't insist, just nodded. "Alright. Take care on the way."

"Mm! Shimiya-kun, you take care too! Today... thank you so much!" Sakura Airi bowed deeply to Shimiya once more, then turned and walked off toward the Class D girls' dormitory, her steps much lighter than when she'd arrived.

Shimiya Kuki pushed open the dormitory door, the familiar sense of tranquility washing over him. At the entrance, a pink sticky note was posted in a conspicuous spot, bearing Ichinose Honami's neat handwriting:

Shimiya-kun:

Tonight, I've made plans with Shiratori-san to eat at the new ramen shop on the shopping street, so no need to prepare dinner for me! ˙ᗜ˙

—Ichinose

Just as she'd mentioned before. Shimiya put the note away, changed into indoor shoes, and headed straight for the kitchen. The empty living room felt quieter than usual. He opened the fridge, took out ingredients, and began skillfully preparing dinner for one. The rhythmic, soft sound of the knife against the cutting board filled the air, steam rose from the pot, and the aroma of food gradually spread.

In the gap while waiting for the soup to boil, Shimiya pulled out his terminal and opened the chat interface with Amamiya Nina. The afternoon's bill amount was clear in his memory. His fingers moved quickly, inputting the exact sum, then confirming the transfer.

No sooner had the transfer success notification popped up than a system alert from Amamiya Nina appeared:

[System Notice: Amamiya Nina has refunded you Points XXX]

Right after came a brief message:

Amamiya Nina: I meant what I said at the cafe. This is a reward for you. Hope little Shimiya can keep it up forever.

Shimiya stared at the short message and the refund notice on the screen, silent for a moment. Amamiya-senpai's intent was clear and resolute.

In the end, he didn't try to transfer again. He just turned off the terminal screen and put it back in his pocket. The soup in the pot had just started to bubble and roll, white steam rising in wisps. Shimiya put the prepared ingredients into the pot, covered the lid, and turned down the heat. The kitchen was left with only the faint sound of the simmering liquid and the scent of food.