"Thank you for coming with me to get my camera fixed today, Byakuya." At the entrance to Keyaki Mall, Sakura bowed deeply to Ying.
"Not at all, Sakura. You're too kind. I'm the one who accidentally broke your camera, so of course I'd come with you to get it fixed," Ying said with a smile. It definitely wasn't because he'd thought he could go shopping with a cute girl.
"No, it was my own carelessness that day. I'm truly grateful you could come with me, Byakuya," Sakura said quickly.
He felt like they were about to get caught in some kind of endless loop, so Ying hurriedly said, "Then, Sakura, let's get going."
"R-right."
Then Ying and Sakura entered the shopping district, walking along in silence...
Dude, this is getting kind of awkward... Ying thought.
"Um, Byakuya, is there anything you want to buy?" Sakura seemed unable to stand the awkward atmosphere either, and spoke up.
"No," Ying answered instinctively.
"Oh. Sorry."
"..."
Ying: I'm such a fucking idiot.
"Sakura, I just remembered I have a camera too. You'll probably have some trouble while yours is being repaired, so you can use this one for now." Trying to make up for his blunder, Ying said this as he took out the camera.
"N-no, thank you for the offer, Byakuya. I can wait until my camera is fixed," Sakura said quickly, trying to refuse.
But Ying didn't want to waste any more time arguing with Sakura. He shoved the camera into her hands and said, "If I'm giving it to you, just take it. It's a token of my goodwill. You can return it once your camera's fixed. And this isn't an ordinary camera—it can also be used as an MP3 player. You should definitely give it a try."
In the end, Sakura accepted Ying's kind offer and began examining this "MP3 camera."
"Um, Byakuya, your memory card..." Sakura took a memory card out of the camera and said timidly.
"That came with the camera. It can hold three cards, so don't worry." Ying thought back. He hadn't taken many pictures himself, just some landscape shots back when he was trying to boost his image. He hadn't used it much after that. The last time, he'd lent it to Beppu to use as an MP3 player. He hadn't taken any random pictures, had he...
"How beautiful! Did you take all these landscape photos, Byakuya? Ah, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have looked without asking!" After putting the card back in, Sakura saw the camera display the photos automatically and had glanced at them without thinking.
"It's fine, look all you want. There's nothing embarrassing on there." It seemed Beppu hadn't done anything weird. Ying breathed a sigh of relief.
"There are videos on here, too," Sakura said, playing one.
Ying: ?
Confused, Ying leaned over beside Sakura to see what was going on.
The video showed Ying performing a brick-breaking demonstration with his bare hands.
"Uh, this is a silly video I made with a friend," Ying said with a stiff smile.
Then Sakura played another video...
"...Melancholy, melancholy..."
Ying: ...
"I don't know much about music, but I think you sang pretty well, Byakuya," Sakura praised him.
Ying: Then you really don't know music.
On the way, Ying and Sakura watched Beppu's secretly recorded videos the whole time. At last, they arrived at their destination.
Beppu, you're done for today! Ying thought to himself.
As they entered the electronics store, Ying immediately recognized the clerk. He was the one who'd tricked Ying into buying X-ray glasses, a future video camera, and a long-range camera.
"Oh! It's you, buddy. We've got a new shipment in. Interested in taking a look? This time, we've got a super camera that can capture everything in 360 degrees!" The clerk spotted Ying and came over with a big smile.
"Kisama! Do you think I'd believe you again? I haven't even settled the score with you for scamming me last time. You believe I'll report you to the Kouiku Market Supervision Department?" As Ying spoke, he clenched his fists, making them crack.
"Come on, buddy, this one's the real deal. It's only 1,888, and you get one free!"
"Do you think I'm stupid!? That's just a regular security camera!"
"Seven-day no-questions-asked returns!"
"You're messing with me, right? I'll give you one last chance! Pack it up for me. If it's fake, you're finished!"
"Take care, buddy!"
Ying was just about to leave when he noticed Sakura's timid expression. Only then did he remember he'd come along to help her get her camera fixed, so he quickly told her to hand it to the clerk.
As soon as the clerk noticed Sakura, he perked up, completely ignoring Ying as he started chatting to her about this and that. Seeing him act that way reminded Ying that the guy wasn't just a con artist—he was also a perverted stalker fan.
Noticing Sakura's pale face, Ying hurriedly spoke up. "You're here to fix the camera. Don't pull any of that other crap."
This time, the clerk openly glared at Ying with disgust, but Ying paid him no mind and simply told Sakura to take out the camera.
The clerk took the camera and inspected it. "It's pretty badly damaged from the fall, but it's not beyond repair. Do you still have the warranty slip?"
Sakura quickly took out the warranty. Ying glanced at it; it said repairs were free within one year.
"Free repairs. Get to work, you," Ying said.
"Free repairs only apply to defects in the product itself. Damage caused by an external force still comes with a repair fee. But since you're a regular customer, and it's still under warranty, I'll give you a discount. Three thousand points. I guarantee it'll be fixed by tomorrow," the clerk said with a sly grin.
"What the fuck are you talking about? Believe me, I'll report you." As he spoke, Ying took out his terminal and was about to call the reporting hotline.
"Three hundred, three hundred. I mistook the point for a comma just now. Haha..." the clerk said with a laugh.
Ying: I fucking...
After paying the fee, the clerk asked Sakura to fill in her personal information. But Sakura gripped the pen tightly, unable to bring herself to write. The clerk stood nearby, staring at her openly.
Ying slapped the counter. "Just use the information I gave you before."
"B-but that wouldn't be proper procedure..." the clerk said.
"Hmm!? Believe me, I'll report you."
"Actually, I think that's still within the rules."
Afterward, the two of them left the electronics store together. Sakura thanked Ying. "Thank you for helping me today, Byakuya. I'm really bad at talking to people, so having you with me was wonderful."
"Not at all."
"I'm sure you already know. I was a witness to the fight that day, right?" Sakura said, lowering her head.
Ying nodded. "I do."
"I'm really troubled right now. If I don't testify this time, our class might receive a very serious punishment. But I don't have the courage. Do you think I should stand up and speak out, Byakuya?" Sakura looked at Ying anxiously.
Looking at Sakura like this, Ying couldn't help thinking that she reminded him of a character from an anime he'd watched in his previous life. So he said:
"I once heard a story. The main character, Bocchi-chan, had a personality a lot like yours, Sakura. She was terrible at talking to people, but she dreamed of becoming an amazing guitarist and performing on the biggest stage in the world. At first, she only posted videos of herself playing guitar online. But then, by a twist of fate, she formed a band with three other people. Little by little, her introverted personality started to change. She worked hard to pursue her dream, and her band grew more and more famous. Surely she eventually achieved her dream."
Sakura stared at Ying with wide eyes after hearing this. "So you already figured it out, Byakuya! I want to become someone like that, too. I know what I have to do now. Thank you, Byakuya." After saying this, Sakura bowed, said goodbye to Ying, and left.
Ying figured that he'd only told her a story and hadn't even stated his opinion. He also didn't understand why Sakura said he'd figured something out. But since Sakura already knew what she had to do, he decided to leave it at that.
Before you continue