The moment those words left his mouth, Aragaki Shun suddenly stopped walking. Sakura, who was following beside him, couldn't stop in time and bumped into his back once again.
But the girl didn't fall. Instead, she took two lively steps backward, so Shun didn't bother with such a minor matter.
What concerned him was that when he'd mentioned the electronics store just now, a mysterious premonition had flashed through his mind again.
Unlike the pure sense of trouble he'd experienced before, this warning offered a more complicated insight. If he continued with their current plans, he would run into an annoying mosquito that would ruin his mood. But after swatting it, he might gain something unexpected.
So was this the result of combining his two talents?
A Shy Sakura Airi, Dizzy with Embarrassment
In the end, Aragaki Shun chose to keep going.
For one thing, he couldn't break a promise he'd made just because of a warning that didn't indicate any danger.
For another, he was curious about what the so-called unexpected gain might be.
"Judging by your expression, Sakura Airi, you've been to the electronics store before, haven't you?"
Shun looked at the red-haired girl, whose steps seemed to have grown heavier and whose whole body radiated hesitation and reluctance, and asked her directly.
Ever since she'd learned that their destination was the electronics store, Sakura's expression had turned strange, as if something unpleasant were waiting inside.
Her body trembled involuntarily, and her already anxious expression grew even more strained.
"Ah, um... I'm interested in photography, so I bought a camera there at the start of the school year..."
As if she were being interrogated, Sakura blurted out all the details at once.
Shun was a little dismayed by the image she had of him. Was she really so afraid of him that a slightly stern tone and a firm order would make her obey through tears?
Just like when Sakura had tried to run away earlier. He'd said, "Stop right there," and she'd immediately lost the nerve to keep running.
The camera in his hands was the same. She seemed to treasure it dearly, yet all he had to do was reach out, and she'd handed it over despite her reluctance.
He was certainly well-known at this school, but not so much that he should frighten people this badly.
So this had to be the girl's own problem!
"Okay, I understand." Shun gestured for her to stop. "So did you find something unpleasant there?"
Sakura Airi lowered her head slightly, her voice so quiet it was almost inaudible. "Mm... There's a clerk there whose stare is really creepy."
"I see." Shun thought it over, then decided that the best approach was to fight poison with poison. "So, who scares you more? Me or him?"
"Huh?"
Sakura's little head seemed to go blank. For a moment, she looked completely unable to understand what he meant.
"I checked your digital camera. It seems like something inside is broken, and a repair of this kind needs to be handled by a professional.
"So even if you don't want to go today, you'll still have to visit the electronics store by yourself in a few days. Why not go with me instead?"
Sakura looked up at Shun, still a little confused. But when her gaze met his somewhat sharp eyes, she instinctively looked away.
"Why is Aragaki-kun..."
"I broke your camera, so I'm helping you get it fixed. It's a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship. Why are you asking so many questions?"
"It's not Aragaki-kun's fault." Sakura's voice sounded a little subdued. "I'm just not very noticeable."
"You're kind of a handful, you know."
Shun sighed. "If the camera's badly damaged, I'll buy you a new one. If it isn't, we'll have the clerk repair it. But don't you think the electronics store clerk is creepy?"
Having gone this far, and seemingly sensing Shun's impatience, Sakura finally stopped objecting.
They continued on. The girl's steps still seemed heavy, but every now and then she glanced up at Shun. In the end, she didn't try to run away along the way.
Kodo Ikusei Senior High School had a large retail store that was famous throughout Sakurajima. The school seemed to have a business partnership with it.
Since its customers were limited to students and teachers, the store itself wasn't very large.
Still, it stocked a wide range of everyday necessities, as well as electronic products that students might use.
As soon as Shun led Sakura into the store, a nearly tangible, venomous glare pierced them from somewhere.
"Ah..."
For some reason, Sakura suddenly stopped.
Her profile made it clear that she'd seen something she disliked, and her disgust was written plainly across her face.
Shun frowned and followed Sakura's gaze. Sure enough, a middle-aged man in a clerk's uniform was staring at Sakura Airi with a terrifying look.
[Danger Sense] detected a strong malice, but no sense of threat. Confirmed: a weakling with a combat strength of less than five.
"Eh? Aragaki-kun?" Sakura exclaimed instinctively.
Shun suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around the red-haired girl's waist. Sakura Airi was pulled against his chest, her face turning bright red as dizzy circles seemed to appear in her eyes.
Of course, to an outsider, they looked like a loving young couple on a date. The girl's face was red with embarrassment, yet she still couldn't bring herself to reject the boy's affection.
"Play along for a bit. The malice coming from him is pretty intense. We should get him kicked out of the school."
Without realizing that Sakura had gone dizzy, Shun quietly explained near her ear. But to anyone unaware of the situation, the pose looked almost as if the boy were biting the tip of the girl's ear. They seemed far too intimate.
As a result, the malice coming from the clerk surged again. Shun didn't even need his talent to sense it; he could see the middle-aged man's face twisting with rage.
Shun pretended not to notice. Holding the dizzy Sakura Airi in his arms, he wandered around the electronics store, browsing the cameras and deliberately speaking in a suggestive tone, just loud enough for the clerk, who was sneaking closer, to hear.
"Hehe, Airi, tonight is our most important night. I'm going to use the best camera to preserve our wonderful moments."
"Eek~"
Even Sakura Airi, already in a daze, was jolted awake by such brazen words and let out a soft, instinctive whimper.
Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going?
Before Sakura's muddled mind could figure out the answers, she was startled by the middle-aged clerk's green-tinged face a few meters away. She instinctively lowered her head and tucked herself back into the arms of the person beside her.
"So you can't wait any longer?"
As if he understood, Shun tenderly stroked the girl's cheek. Then he slid one hand beneath her knees and lifted her into his arms in a bridal carry.
"Then let's head back to the dorm now. I'm looking forward to seeing every side of you, too, Airi."
Just like that, Shun walked toward the store exit without a care in the world, as if he really couldn't wait to hurry back and savor the sweetness of the lovely girl in his arms.
One step, two steps, three steps... Just as the boy was about to leave the store, an attack finally broke out, exactly as expected.
"AAAHHH!!! You bastard, go to hell!!!!"
The Man Who Raked in Another Windfall from the School
"AAAHHH!!! You bastard, go to hell!!!!"
Seeing that Sakura Airi was almost out of the store with Shun, the clerk finally lost control. Fuming with rage, he grabbed a nearby chair and hurled it at Shun, completely out of his mind.
He could no longer think about what would happen to him for doing something like this in a public place, inside an electronics store, under surveillance cameras.
The middle-aged clerk knew only that he had to beat the bastard in front of him to death for desecrating his goddess!
"AAAHHH!!! 'Shizuku' is mine! She belongs to me alone! I'm the only one who deserves to be with her forever..."
As the clerk shouted incomprehensible things and charged at him with the chair, Shun released Sakura and spun around in the blink of an eye, kicking the clerk in the side. The man toppled to the ground, and the chair flew from his hands, smashing into several things nearby.
"Attacking an ordinary student in full view of the public..." Shun strolled over to the clerk, who was groaning on the floor, and kicked him again to stop him struggling. "Sir, what exactly made you snap?"
Shun acted as if he couldn't understand the man's behavior. He simply disabled the clerk, and once the man had completely passed out, took out his phone and made a call.
"Ring~"
"Good afternoon, Aragaki-kun. What brings you to call at this hour?"
A warm, resonant voice quickly came from the other end of the line. It was Chairman Sakayanagi, whom Shun had met and spoken with once before.
Normally, if students ran into a problem they couldn't resolve, they would turn to the Student Council.
But this was a serious incident involving a shopping center employee, an adult clerk who had attacked a student. The best course of action would have been to call the police directly.
Of course, for the sake of Kodo Ikusei Senior High School's reputation, Shun thought it would be best not to make a big fuss.
He trusted this was merely an isolated failure on the school's part, and that it would offer suitable compensation. The school certainly wouldn't let down the great benefactor who had exposed a pest.
So Shun didn't conceal anything. He told Chairman Sakayanagi everything that had happened, making it clear that he hoped Kodo Ikusei would handle the matter properly.
"...I understand. I'll have someone look into it immediately. Please rest assured, Aragaki-kun."
Though this unexpected problem gave him a headache, it was ultimately the school's failure to manage its affairs that had allowed someone with ulterior motives to be hired. The chairman could only swallow his frustration and accept the blame.
"If the matter is as you've described, we'll discuss it with the electronics store's business partner and make sure we reach a reasonable solution. We certainly won't disappoint you or the other student, who must have been frightened."
"Sorry for the trouble, Chairman," Shun said simply, hinting that he wanted to end the call.
"Not at all. I'll take care of this now. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time at Kodo Ikusei, Aragaki-kun."
The chairman politely offered his well wishes. Before long, Shun put his phone, now showing that the call had ended, back in his pocket.
"Okay, that takes care of it. Now all we have to do is wait for the school's compensation!"
A smile appeared on Shun's face as he walked over to Sakura, who had been left standing by the entrance, utterly stunned by the chain of events.
"Looks like we won't be able to find anyone to repair your camera today. The school will deal with that man, and then a new clerk should be assigned here. Do you want to come back after the new clerk arrives, or would you rather have me buy you a brand-new camera now?"
"Huh?"
One question mark after another seemed to rise above Sakura's little head.
From the moment they'd entered the store and Shun had pulled her into his arms, the girl had been in a half-asleep, half-awake daze.
When she finally came to, she found that the clerk who'd always stared at her in a disgusting way, the man she'd hated, had been dealt with just like that?
Was she dreaming? Sakura's head felt foggy. She had no idea how things had ended up like this.
"You should come back to your senses."
Seeing that Sakura seemed distracted, Shun thought she was still embarrassed by their earlier intimacy or shaken by the clerk's behavior. "I was a little forward earlier, and I might have scared you. But I think it was the most efficient way to solve the problem."
They were practically strangers. Shun didn't have the time or energy to investigate what exactly had happened between that clerk and Sakura Airi.
But if he simply left things alone and something disgusting happened later, it would still leave him feeling unpleasant.
So he might as well deal with the man decisively. He could even make some Private Points from the school while he was at it.
"Ah, um... well..."
After Shun reminded her, Sakura Airi clearly recalled being carried in his arms. It looked as if steam might rise from her little head again.
But in the end, the girl shook her head, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down.
"It's, it's okay... I should be thanking Aragaki-kun... You really helped me..."
"Fine. Then we're even." Shun accepted her gratitude without hesitation. "I helped you solve this problem, and I made some Private Points in the process. The school will give you a hush payment. That's the end of it."
He was a little curious about the "Shizuku" the clerk had shouted about.
Perhaps it was a secret Sakura Airi had hidden away, and the reason the clerk had been so obsessed with her.
But it was a personal matter that had nothing to do with him, and Shun had no intention of digging into it.
One was the leader of Class A, and the other was an ordinary student from Class D. Given the girl's timid, cowardly nature, she didn't seem like someone who would be invited into Class A. Aside from this chance encounter, they probably wouldn't have much contact again.
Since that was the case, Shun had no desire to pry into her secret. It was best to wrap things up quickly.
Following his usual routine, he should have been in the library by now, memorizing all sorts of information and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere with the Literary Girl.
"Aragaki-kun?!" Sakura was dumbfounded as she watched Shun turn and walk away so decisively. She hurried after him. "P-please wait... Aragaki-kun..."
"What is it?" Shun looked at Sakura Airi, who came running over, out of breath. "Is there more than one pervert who's interested in you? Or are you too scared to go back to the dorm by yourself now?"
Shiina Hiyori Seemed to Be Jealous
Although Sakura had been the one to call Shun over, when he actually stopped and looked at her, the girl stammered for ages without managing to say anything. In the end, she turned and ran away.
This time, Shun didn't tell her to stop.
There was still plenty of time before evening, so he didn't hesitate. He headed straight to the library as planned.
As usual, when Shun reached his usual corner in the library, the Literary Girl, whose presence felt light and soft, had already been sitting quietly across from him for quite some time.
Before you continue