The sky was clear and blue, with clouds drifting lazily by like cotton candy.
A gentle breeze brushed past, and birds gathered overhead, creating a beautiful scene.
The plane left a long white streak across the blue canvas. Dappled shadows swayed beneath the trees, and summer filled the air.
It was a bright morning in the classroom.
Horikita Suzune, seated to Zhuge Linghao's right, scoffed. "Final exams are coming up. How can you sleep?"
Zhuge Linghao yawned. "Mostly because the teachers' lectures are so sleep-inducing. When you suddenly spoke, I thought it was lunchtime."
Horikita looked at Zhuge Linghao, who had slumped over his desk and fallen asleep again. "A dunce will always be a dunce. You don't understand the point of studying at all."
Horikita took back the respect she'd recently gained for him.
In a dimly lit restroom, Airi Sakura hid away, scrolling through the comments on her photos with her phone in hand.
Most of the comments with the most likes were compliments and praise.
For example: [Ah, Shizuku is as cute as ever.]
Or: [I've always supported you. Looking forward to your next update!]
Or: [You've barely posted lately. Can't wait for the goddess to update~]
But as Airi Sakura kept scrolling, she came across comments that were disgusting and frightening.
[I'm always by your side!]
[Shizuku, it's a shame we couldn't meet alone last time.]
[You want to meet me alone too, don't you?]
[We'll meet soon!]
[Next time, I'll make sure we meet alone!]
[We're destined for each other. I'm always watching you.]
[You've breathed in the same air as me.]
Airi Sakura was under immense psychological pressure. She felt that someone had been following and secretly photographing her lately, and it was very likely that person...
So overwhelmed by anxiety, she fumbled her phone and dropped it on the floor. Covering her eyes, she began to sob.
At lunchtime, in front of the deserted shoe lockers.
Feeling a little better, Airi went to her shoe locker. It hadn't been shut properly, and a pink letter lay inside.
Frowning, she reached out with her slender hand and opened the letter, trembling slightly.
Inside were nothing but photos of her taken without her knowledge!
She was struck by another emotional blow and slowly sank to her knees, crying again.
Meanwhile, the photos scattered across the floor.
One cute profile shot happened to slide right to Zhuge Linghao's feet as he passed by.
Stunned by how skilled the photographer was, Zhuge Linghao silently stuffed the photo into his schoolbag in 0.1 seconds.
Pretending nothing had happened, Zhuge Linghao walked over to Airi and asked with concern, "Sakura, are you okay?"
Hearing someone speak, Airi sprang to her feet in fright and quickly wiped her face with both hands.
Only after she saw who it was did Airi answer awkwardly, "I... I'm fine. Sorry for troubling you just now... Zhuge."
"You don't look well. Is something wrong? And what are these photos?"
Airi hurriedly crouched down and gathered the photos in a fluster.
Seeing this, Zhuge Linghao crouched down to help her!
Zhuge Linghao smiled. "I really appreciate you coming forward to testify earlier! By the way, after that violent incident, you don't seem all that afraid of me."
Airi lowered her head timidly. "I... I just wanted to have fewer regrets about my youth. Um... because your eyes aren't scary."
Zhuge Linghao tilted his head up at a 45-degree angle. "Thanks for trusting me. In return, if you're ever in trouble, I'll help you."
Airi felt a little reassured. "Thank you."
Zhuge Linghao continued, "It's not just me. I'm sure Kushida, Ayanokoji, Horikita, and the others would help you too."
Airi finally made up her mind. Looking uneasy, she said, "Um... there's something I'm scared of, and I don't know if I should tell you."
Zhuge Linghao was delighted. This is great!
The more trouble you get into, the more emotional points I earn!
Zhuge Linghao looked resolute. "Don't worry. Tell me anything. I love helping people!"
Zhuge Linghao picked up one of the photos and exclaimed, "Wow! Who took such a great picture of you?"
Airi glanced away. "I... I don't know. That's what I wanted to tell you."
Zhuge Linghao looked at Airi, puzzled. "You looked really scared just now. Has some creep been harassing you by taking photos?"
Airi nodded. "Y-yes. Especially lately. It's been happening more and more often."
As a hopelessly blunt guy, Zhuge Linghao had no idea how to comfort someone. "Well, don't be scared! Here's what I think: if someone secretly took photos of me, I'd be overjoyed! I'd even tell them to make me look handsome! Someone taking your picture just means you're attractive, right?"
Airi was stunned, and some of her other emotions faded. She retorted, "Th-that's probably just something a weirdo like you would think. You're... a pervert..."
Zhuge Linghao looked hurt, his eyebrows drooping into a frown. "Geniuses really are lonely. It hurts when no one understands you. I'm heading out. The cafeteria will run out of food soon. See you."
After school, Zhuge Linghao, with nothing better to do, secretly followed Airi Sakura.
He had a feeling something would happen soon.
After following her for over an hour, Zhuge Linghao began to wonder if no incident would happen today after all—or perhaps not until tomorrow or the day after.
Suddenly sensing something, Airi Sakura hurried into a cold, narrow alley.
Zhuge Linghao couldn't help thinking, Come on, miss! Go somewhere crowded! Aren't you just giving someone the perfect opportunity?
A man in a baseball cap followed her into the alley.
Back with Airi Sakura, the sleazy man grabbed both her hands and covered her mouth with his other hand.
The man, now revealed, was indeed the employee from the repair shop.
The sleazy employee said, "Did you read the letter I wrote? You know how I feel..."
Tears streamed down Airi Sakura's face as she stared off to the side. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed onto the ground, unable even to cry for help. "Somebody, please save me!"
The sleazy employee was about to take advantage of her...
[Beep... The host's classmate, Sakura, has been detected in the midst of an attack. Triggering a choice mission.]
[Option A: Passerby. The scenery you pass can sometimes be stunningly beautiful, and sometimes leave you with a painful blow to the balls. As a passerby, the host must aim a vicious kick at the sleazy employee's crotch.]
[Option B: Sprinter. Fast as a cheetah, the host must sprint past the two of them at full speed, then turn back and do it three times. This is a serious mission, and not the slightest mistake can be tolerated. The goal is to scare the sleazy employee into impotence! On the final sprint, aim a vicious kick at his crotch.]
[Option C: Hero. A chivalrous heart, a hero saving a beauty—a tale to be passed down through the ages! The host, playing the hero, must rush to the scene and shout, "In broad daylight, beneath the clear sky, how could a shameless pervert commit such an immoral and illegal act? Take this!" Then aim a vicious kick at the sleazy employee's crotch.]
Before you continue