Conflict

He took the camera.

Xu Nuo glanced at it casually; with the skills of a Phantom Thief, he quickly figured out which parts needed replacing.

It would probably take less than ten minutes once the parts were bought.

"..."

Meanwhile.

Airi Sakura watched him carefully examine the camera, and a strange feeling welled up in her heart.

It wasn't fear.

It wasn't nervousness either.

And it certainly wasn't that usual urge to run away at any given moment; instead, it was a bittersweet and warm sensation.

It was as if...

As if a little deer were bumping around inside her chest.

He was so handsome!

Airi Sakura stared dotingly at Xu Nuo's nearly perfect profile, her eyes misting over slightly.

"Wow, look over there—"

"Huh?"

"Isn't that Xu Nuo? The number one heartthrob of our grade!"

"He really is so handsome!"

"Should we go ask for his Line?"

"Who is that with him? I've never seen her before."

"She looks so plain..."

At that moment.

Whispers drifted over from the surroundings.

Several girls shopping nearby had stopped in their tracks, casting undisguised gazes toward them, their eyes filled with curiosity and gossip.

"That girl with the glasses must be a classmate..."

"Probably from Class D, too."

"I don't know, she looks so plain..."

"To think Xu Nuo would actually talk to someone like that?"

The voices were neither loud nor soft, discussing them without restraint, and they quickly reached Airi Sakura's ears.

In an instant.

The girl's body stiffened.

That familiar feeling of suffocation surged back into her heart—being watched, being discussed, being judged.

She could feel those gazes like thorns.

Stabbing deeply into her skin.

Reminding her at every moment how unremarkable she was, and that she wasn't even worthy of standing by Xu Nuo's side.

"I, I..."

Airi Sakura's face turned deathly pale, her hands gripping the hem of her shirt tightly. She began to tremble, her eyes darting around in search of an escape route.

No.

She wanted to run away so badly.

She wanted to find a hole to crawl into.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, her breathing became rapid, and a buzzing sound filled her ears.

Just as Airi prepared to turn and flee.

A hand.

Caught her wrist. The warm touch made the girl's heart tremble. She looked up timidly to see Xu Nuo offering a reassuring smile.

The smile was gentle and so handsome!

In an instant.

An inexplicable courage was transmitted into her heart.

So warm...

Airi Sakura stood rooted to the spot, a jolt of electricity rising from the base of her spine. Her body went slightly weak, and this unprecedented sense of security made her shiver.

Furthermore.

It was strange to say, but when she stood by his side, those gazes didn't seem quite so terrifying anymore.

It was as if...

It was as if she had found an omnipotent guardian.

Ah, what on earth am I thinking!

Airi Sakura shook her head vigorously, trying to shake these chaotic thoughts out of her mind.

These are all just your delusions. Xu Nuo is just helping out. Airi Sakura, you must not develop strange misunderstandings about someone else's kindness.

It will only trouble others!

But...

Airi Sakura secretly raised her eyes to steal a glance at him, and was once again dazzled by that brilliant smile.

Oh no...

My heart is about to jump out...

At this moment.

Seeing the startled little rabbit finally calmed down.

Thank goodness.

Xu Nuo breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can you all shut up?"

Immediately following.

He narrowed his eyes, sweeping a cold gaze over the surrounding girls, and an inexplicable sense of oppression permeated the air.

It was suffocating.

"..."

For a moment.

The gossiping girls fell silent, trembling like cicadas in late autumn.

"What the..."

"So scary..."

"To think he'd do this for a country bumpkin..."

Meanwhile.

Seeing Xu Nuo standing up for her, Airi Sakura's azure eyes were practically sparkling with hearts, and her legs unconsciously pressed together.

This feeling...

This is bad, my body is starting to feel strange...

"Screw your grandfather!"

Suddenly.

A furious roar exploded from not far away.

The volume was so great.

It almost drowned out all the noise in the plaza, instantly attracting everyone's attention.

Including the girls who had been gossiping about the two of them.

They all turned their heads in unison.

They saw.

On the other side of the plaza.

A tall, red-haired figure was confronting several boys wearing first-year uniforms.

It was Sudo Ken.

His face was flushed, his fists were clenched tight, and his chest heaved violently, like an enraged lion.

And standing opposite him.

Were several freshmen, seemingly from Class C.

The leader was a guy with dyed yellow hair, looking sloppy and hanging loose, with a contemptuous smile on his face.

"Yo, yo, yo, why so much fire?"

As he spoke.

The yellow-haired guy took an exaggerated step back, pretending to be scared, but his tone was full of mockery. "Let me guess, you must be from Class D, right?"

"Class D, huh!"

He turned his head to look at his companions, tapped his forehead in mock surprise, and said with a sudden realization:

"No wonder you have no class."

"As expected, a trash class really is different."

"The hell—!"

Sudo Ken's eyes turned bloodshot.

He lunged forward, his right hand already balled into a fist and raised high. His muscles tensed, veins bulging, as if he were about to throw a punch directly.

In an instant.

The air seemed to freeze.

The surrounding students retreated one after another; some gasped, while others pulled out their phones to record.

More and more onlookers gathered around.

They formed a substantial human wall.

"Oh? Want to fight?"

The blond student didn't panic at all; instead, he laughed even harder. He spread his arms wide, posing as if he were at Sudo's mercy, showing no intention of resisting.

"Come on then!"

"Go ahead and strike, right in front of all these people."

"Let everyone get a good look at what you trash from Class D can do besides fighting."

In an instant.

Sudo Ken's fist froze in mid-air.

His breathing grew increasingly ragged, his fierce eyes nearly bulging from their sockets, and the veins on his forehead throbbed violently.

But his reason told him—

He couldn't strike.

But.

He couldn't swallow that bitter pill.

What right did these pieces of shit have to look down on him?

Sudo Ken's rage surged violently, the mixture of humiliation and anger making him feel as though he were about to explode.

Oh?

Had that tyrant started making his move?

Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow, watching the scene with a thoughtful expression. It was clear the other party had gathered the intelligence and taken action at the first opportunity.

He wondered.

Whether Suzune had successfully completed the transaction on her end.

"What, too scared?"

At the same time.

Seeing his hesitation, the blond student grew even more smug, even beckoning him forward with a provocative crook of his finger.

"Tsk, is that all?"

"I thought the delinquents of Class D had some guts."

"Turns out you're just a coward."

Immediately after.

Snickers erupted from the crowd, and people whispered among themselves:

"So they're from Class D, figures..."

"Good grief."

"That redhead looked so fierce, but he chickened out?"

"How embarrassing!"

These voices pierced Sudo Ken's ears like needles, causing his entire face to flush a deep, heated red.

"Hhh..."

His eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched so hard he was panting like an ox, and a low, growling sound escaped his throat. He was like a bomb on the verge of detonating.

The next second.

Sudo Ken couldn't hold back any longer.