A Small Disturbance at the Appliance Store

"I see." Shangguan Che rubbed his chin, looking at the camera Sakura was clutching tightly to her chest, and followed up with a question, "So, have you taken it to a repair shop to get it checked? Do you know what exactly is broken?"

Sakura shook her head gently, her voice as thin as a mosquito's hum: "Not yet... I'm a bit afraid to go alone."

"That's easy, I'll go with you!" Shangguan Che patted his chest, agreeing without a second thought.

He had originally planned to head back to the dorm to catch up on sleep this afternoon, but looking at Sakura's timid appearance, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.

Besides, helping a beautiful girl (even if she was a hidden gem) fix her camera could be considered an act of charity for his own soul.

"Wouldn't that be a bother for you, Shangguan?" Sakura immediately looked up, her eyes filled with worry, terrified of delaying his plans.

Shangguan Che chuckled to himself.

This girl was still so afraid of causing trouble for others.

He deliberately put on a look of "annoyance": "Well... it is a bit of a hassle. But, since you're my friend, I guess I have no choice. How about this: we'll just go to the repair shop today, and we'll put off that sightseeing trip you mentioned for now. That shouldn't be too much trouble, right?"

In truth, he hadn't wanted to go far anyway; solving the problem near the dorm was the best-case scenario.

"Okay!" Sakura nodded vigorously, her eyes lighting up instantly like a squirrel that had just been promised a nut. "Thank you, Shangguan!"

The two of them set off, following Sakura's directions until they reached an electronics store near the school.

Shangguan Che froze the moment he pushed the door open.

This wasn't a repair shop at all; it was a comprehensive electronics store selling computers, phones, and cameras, with shelves packed full of various gadgets.

"Sakura, are you sure this is the place?" Shangguan Che pointed at the sign by the door. "It says 'Sakura Electronics Store', it doesn't say anything about camera repairs."

"It's here," Sakura said, pointing to a small counter in the corner. "There's a repair section over there. I bought this camera here on my first day of school, and the owner said I could bring it back if it ever broke."

Shangguan Che followed her gaze and sure enough, he saw a counter with a "Repair Zone" sign. A boy wearing black-rimmed glasses and a plaid shirt was hunched over a laptop, looking like a textbook "otaku."

Just as he was about to pull Sakura over, his peripheral vision caught something on the shelf.

It was a hemispherical black device with a lens hidden in the center, and it looked awfully familiar.

"Wait a second, isn't that a surveillance camera?" Shangguan Che stopped in his tracks and leaned in to check the label. "It really is a dome camera. I didn't expect them to sell these here."

"Shangguan, what's wrong?" Sakura looked at him, puzzled.

"Nothing, just saw something interesting." Shangguan Che waved his hand and pulled her toward the repair counter. "By the way, when you bought the camera, did the store mention a warranty?"

He had never repaired an electronic device in his life and was clueless about the process, so he had to ask.

"Yes!" Sakura quickly pulled a crumpled warranty slip from her bag and carefully unfolded it. "The clerk said it covers one year of repairs, so I've been keeping it safe."

"That's good, let's go ask." Shangguan Che took the warranty slip and was about to speak when he felt Sakura tugging gently on the corner of his shirt from behind.

He looked back and saw Sakura burying her face in his back, leaving only her eyes visible as she peered timidly at the repair clerk.

Clearly, her social anxiety was acting up again.

Shangguan Che sighed inwardly and turned to give the clerk a polite smile: "Hello, can this camera be repaired? It was dropped by accident yesterday and won't turn on." As he spoke, he handed the camera over.

The repair clerk looked up, adjusted his glasses, and took the camera to tinker with it.

Shangguan Che took the opportunity to observe him.

The guy looked to be in his twenties, with messy hair, bloodshot eyes, and solder stains on his fingers—a typical tech geek.

At least he didn't notice Sakura's face, Shangguan Che muttered to himself. Otherwise, with her looks, it might deal ten thousand points of critical damage to this guy's peace of mind.

"Sakura, give me the warranty slip, I'll talk to the clerk," Shangguan Che whispered to the person behind him.

Sakura didn't speak, simply handing over the slip while gripping his shirt even tighter.

Shangguan Che's heart sank a little.

Sakura had always been shy, but not to this extent. Could her social anxiety have worsened after receiving those harassing letters?

Shangguan Che had been secretly keeping an eye on Sakura these past few days and had even staked out the spot where she found the letters several times, but aside from some scattered leaves, he hadn't found a single clue.

My luck is just terrible, Shangguan Che gritted his teeth. If all else fails, I won't sleep tonight and I'll stake it out again! I won't die from missing one night of sleep, and for a friend, it's worth it!

Just as his mind was wandering, the repair clerk suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked up at him, though his gaze flickered toward the person behind Shangguan Che.

Shangguan Che's heart skipped a beat.

Don't tell me he realized the camera isn't mine? A repair clerk with such sharp observation skills? That's way above the standard.

"It can be fixed," the clerk finally spoke, his voice as raspy as sandpaper on wood. "But it will take three days. Come back and pick it up in three days. Also, you need to fill out an information form." As he spoke, he pulled a form from the drawer and pushed it forward.

Shangguan Che was about to pick up the pen to fill it out when he heard the clerk add: "The owner of the camera needs to fill out this form."

Oh, great, I was caught, Shangguan Che thought, before realizing something.

Sakura had bought the camera here on her first day of school, so she must have filled out the information herself back then. The clerk might still remember her; he was definitely overthinking things.

But then, the clerk's eyes flickered toward Sakura again, a look of malicious curiosity that made Shangguan Che frown instantly.

He could clearly feel the force of Sakura's grip on his shirt increase, and her body began to tremble slightly.

"Can't you make an exception?" Shangguan Che pushed the form back, plastering a smile on his face. "My friend isn't feeling well and it's inconvenient for her to write. Can I fill it out for her? If any of my other classmates need to buy electronics, I'll definitely recommend your shop!"

To his surprise, the clerk turned his head away, his attitude rigid: "No. It's store policy. The owner must fill it out personally. Please hurry, I have other work to do."

Shangguan Che's temper flared up. This guy was clearly doing it on purpose! Was he trying to give Sakura a hard time just because she was timid? Could he be some kind of perverted stalker?

He suppressed his impulsive anger, a thought suddenly flashing through his mind.

In this school, what couldn't be settled with points?

"Then I'll spend points to buy the qualification to fill in my information," Shangguan Che looked at the clerk, his tone flat. "You name a number, how many points will it take to make an exception?"

He remembered seeing in the documents before that the school tacitly allowed students to purchase "special services" within the school using points; this should count as one, right?

When the clerk heard the word "points," his eyes flickered noticeably. He stole a glance to Shangguan Che's left before quickly retracting his gaze, his voice beginning to tremble. "This... this isn't really appropriate..."

Shangguan Che followed his line of sight and saw a surveillance camera hanging above the shelves, its red light blinking on and off.

He understood in an instant.

The school must monitor "special transactions" made by students using points, and the clerk was panicked because he feared being recorded.

"I see," Shangguan Che thought to himself. "It seems brute force won't work; I need to change tactics."

Meanwhile, the clerk's mind was in total chaos. He stared straight at Sakura, who was standing behind Shangguan Che.

Wasn't this his beloved "Shizuku-chan"? When Sakura came to buy a camera last time, he had found this girl exceptionally cute, secretly memorized her information, and even coined the nickname "Shizuku-chan" for her in his heart.

But now, this brat actually dared to "force" Shizuku-chan and even wanted to bribe him with points? Absolutely not! Shizuku-chan was his! If he reported this, his fabricated rule that "the owner must fill it out" would be exposed. If he lost his job, how could he "live happily ever after" with Shizuku-chan?

But if he didn't report it and this kid turned him in, he wouldn't have a good ending either.

Just as the clerk was agonizing over the dilemma, Shangguan Che suddenly picked up a pen, filled out the form in a flurry of "swish-swish-swish" sounds, and shoved it in front of him. "There, it's filled out. We'll come to pick it up in three days, no problem, right?"

The clerk was stunned, staring at the form for a long time before he finally reacted. "You... how did you fill it out?"

"What else? Wait for you to refuse?" Shangguan Che raised an eyebrow and pulled Sakura toward the door. "By the way, we'll pay the repair fees when we come to pick it up, that's fine, right?"

Before the clerk could answer, Shangguan Che pulled Sakura and walked quickly out of the electronics store.

Not until they were quite a distance away did Sakura let go of his sleeve and ask in a low voice, "Shangguan-san, is this really okay? Will that clerk be angry?"

"Don't worry, it'll definitely be fine!" Shangguan Che patted his chest, though he was secretly laughing to himself.

He had intentionally acted decisively just now, filling out the form while the clerk was conflicted so that even if the clerk wanted to refuse, he wouldn't have had the time.

Under normal circumstances, the clerk would definitely repair the camera; after all, filling out the form was just a minor detail.

Even if it failed, he could just come back and fill it out again next time. It was no big deal.

"Mm, I trust you, Shangguan-san." Sakura nodded, a faint smile finally appearing on her face.

"By the way, if it really doesn't work out, I'll accompany you again next time," Shangguan Che said casually.

"Ah?" Sakura froze, her eyes full of surprise.

"Ah what?" Shangguan Che ruffled her hair and smiled, changing the subject. "Are you hungry? It's almost lunchtime. Let me treat you to a meal, consider it... celebrating our successful submission of the camera for repairs!"

"Oh, okay!" Sakura nodded quickly, her steps becoming much lighter.

The two walked side by side on the street, the sunlight spilling over them, warm and cozy.

Shangguan Che looked at Sakura walking cautiously beside him and secretly decided: no matter who the person harassing Sakura was, he had to find them. He absolutely could not let Sakura suffer any more grievances.

As for Sakura, she looked at Shangguan Che's profile, feeling a warmth in her heart. With a friend like this by her side, even the scariest things didn't seem so frightening anymore.

As for the clerk in the electronics store, he was currently staring at the form Shangguan Che had filled out, slamming the table in anger. "Damn it! How dare you snatch my Shizuku-chan! Just you wait, I'll definitely 'teach you a lesson' later!"

But what he didn't know was that his little actions had long been recorded by the surveillance camera on the shelf, and this record would soon fall into the hands of someone unexpected.