The Little Angel's Request

"Kushida-san, is there something you need?"

Upon hearing this.

Such a blunt remark left Kushida Kikyo stunned. It seemed she wasn't accustomed to such efficient communication, and even the smile on her face stiffened for a moment.

Immediately after.

She began her performance.

As if caught off guard by the question, the blonde girl put on a troubled and shy expression, lowering her head as her two index fingers fidgeted nervously against each other.

"Um... actually..."

Her voice became even softer than before, carrying a hint of perfectly measured timidity and pleading.

"I was..."

"Hoping to ask Xu Nuo-kun for a favor."

"Let's hear it."

Xu Nuo was lost in thought.

He had a vague guess; although he didn't know the specifics, it certainly had to do with Horikita Suzune.

Sure enough.

"It's just... about Horikita-san..." Kushida Kikyo seemed a bit embarrassed, two faint blushes appearing on her cheeks.

Her acting was truly realistic.

"It's like this."

"Horikita-san is always by herself, and she looks so lonely and hard to approach... but I really, really want to be friends with her!"

"But it seems she has some kind of misunderstanding about me."

"She keeps distancing herself..."

This line of reasoning.

It was filled with goodwill and sincerity. Her face was etched with worry, and by the end, her expression had turned dejected, portraying someone who was misunderstood yet still persevering.

It was enough to move the listener to tears.

Just think about it.

A kind-hearted girl, going out of her way to seek help from others just to help a reclusive classmate integrate into the group.

Tsk, tsk.

What a touching script.

If he didn't know her true colors, even he might have been deceived by such exquisite acting.

"Hmm..."

Xu Nuo didn't speak, appearing to be in deep contemplation.

He seemed to be thinking it over.

Seeing that he hadn't immediately refused, Kushida Kikyo felt a surge of joy internally and decided to press her advantage.

She unleashed her trump card—

She took a small step forward, pressed her hands together in front of her chest, leaned in, and looked up at Xu Nuo pitifully with those watery purple eyes.

Even her voice.

Carried a hint of a coquettish nasal tone.

"Xu Nuo-kun, you're Horikita-san's neighbor and are closest to her, so could you..."

"Please help me?"

"I really, really, really want to become good friends with Horikita-san!"

Three "reallys" in a row.

After finishing, she stared directly at Xu Nuo with eager eyes.

Her gaze was filled with anticipation.

That incredibly cute appearance could melt any man's heart, making it impossible to refuse.

"I suppose I could."

"But... what do I get out of it?"

Xu Nuo smiled.

He didn't bother with polite excuses like saying he wasn't close to Suzune, even though that was the truth.

"Eh?"

Upon hearing this.

Kushida Kikyo's expression stiffened. She then tilted her head, her purple eyes revealing a look of pure innocence and confusion, tinged with a clear trace of disappointment.

"I had thought, Xu Nuo, that you weren't the type to calculate gains and losses."

This rhetorical technique was truly masterful.

She stood directly on the moral high ground, pinning the label of "petty" onto someone.

What a textbook case of moral kidnapping!

Unfortunately.

The social combination move that had always worked on others hit a steel plate today.

"Of course I do."

Xu Nuo maintained his smile, unmoved.

"I am the Ultimate Phantom Thief, not a philanthropist. I can't be bothered to do things without a return."

This was the legendary approach.

As long as you have no morals, you cannot be kidnapped.

"Then..."

She wasn't discouraged.

Kushida Kikyo wore a conflicted expression, as if making a difficult decision, and muttered softly:

"If..."

"If I agree to one request from you, Xu Nuo..."

"C-can I?"

Her voice was very light, carrying a hint of grievance and pleading, yet just loud enough for Xu Nuo to hear clearly.

With that pitiful appearance.

No one would ever guess she was cursing up a storm inside.

"Any request?"

Xu Nuo pressed.

"E-except for requests that are too much... like going shopping with you, Xu Nuo, anything is fine."

Her voice was almost inaudible. Kushida Kikyo bit her lip, seemingly forcing herself to endure the shyness, her cheeks flushing a matching crimson red.

She looked incredibly bashful.

"Deal."

Xu Nuo snapped his fingers, concise and to the point.

He seemed to have been waiting for those exact words. Having received the answer he wanted, he didn't say another word of nonsense, his decisiveness leaving the girl unable to react in time.

She instinctively felt that something was wrong.

But things had reached this point, and she couldn't take back her promise.

Anyway, the specific decision-making power was in her hands; if she wanted to refuse, it would just be a matter of making an excuse.

"Then it's a deal!"

After adding each other on Line.

Kushida Kikyo had no reason to stay any longer.

Maintaining her persona, she let out a sigh of relief, then trotted back to her seat, where she was immediately surrounded by her little clique, chirping with questions.

To this.

The girl naturally explained the misunderstanding with a face full of smiles.

What an acting genius.

Xu Nuo sighed with some emotion.

He hadn't agreed to her request for the sake of the date she hinted at; that would just be letting a bottom-tier girl off too easily.

After all, he would have to pay for the shopping trip himself.

In fact.

Xu Nuo was quite happy to help.

Demanding a favor served two purposes: first, he didn't want others to think of him as a pushover and keep coming to him for freebies; second, with this request, he could occasionally tease Kushida-chan.

Meanwhile.

On the other side of the classroom.

The blonde gal who had been secretly observing the battlefield from the start—Karuizawa Kei.

As she saw Kushida leave.

Her tense body visibly relaxed.

She let out a long breath.

She left.

That hypocritical green tea bitch finally left.

Damn it, they actually talked for so long... and stood so close... she muttered frantically in her heart.

"Ring—"

Just then, the class bell rang abruptly.

Everyone returned to their seats one after another, still laughing and joking, showing absolutely no discipline.

Soon.

The classroom door was slid open with a "whoosh."

Sae Chabashira walked in carrying her lesson plan, her high heels clicking against the floor. She wore her usual cold and indifferent expression, though a hint of displeasure was faintly visible.

Following behind her was another figure.

It was Horikita Suzune.

However.

At this moment, her face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water. She radiated an inexplicable low pressure that caused the temperature in the surrounding area to drop by several degrees.

As soon as she entered the classroom.

She didn't glance at anyone, walking straight to her seat and sitting down heavily.

She kept a sour face throughout the entire process.

Not saying a word.

Seeing this, Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow calmly.

Oh?

It seemed she knew.

She knew the cruel fact that she, an honor student, had been assigned to a class of defective goods.

It seemed.

His words yesterday hadn't been in vain.

Xu Nuo smiled with amusement to himself, then leaned his head toward her, feigning curiosity.

"Ahem—"

"Suzune, what happened?"

"Your complexion is so poor, do you need any help?"