Importance

"Hoshino-kun, what are you thinking about?" Hoshino had been staring at her, lost in thought for a long while, and Shiina blushed slightly.

"Um, I was thinking about you... no, it's nothing!" Halfway through his sentence, Hoshino hurriedly covered his mouth.

He had originally intended to say that Shiina wasn't exactly a pushover either, but upon reflection, Hoshino felt a lingering fear. He really needed to break this habit of zoning out; it was exactly how he'd gotten entangled with Sakayanagi last time. He'd been lucky then, but he might not be so fortunate next time.

"...Honestly!" Although she didn't say it aloud, Shiina seemed to understand something. Her face flushed a light red, and she puffed out her cheeks in a show of mock annoyance.

Such a gentle and beautiful girl, even her angry expression was incredibly cute! Hoshino felt like he was about to have a nosebleed!

"...Sorry, sorry!" Hoshino snapped back to reality and apologized.

"Hmph, hmph! I forgive you!" Shiina suddenly dropped her angry facade, a mischievous smirk spreading across her face.

He'd been baited! A flash of realization struck Hoshino's mind, and he understood everything in an instant.

"Then, thank you, Lady Shiina?" He could only offer a helpless, wry smile.

"You're welcome!"

"..." Hoshino felt like he'd been played.

"By the way, Hoshino-kun, have you read this book?" Shiina returned to her usual smile and held up the book she had been reading.

Hoshino finally made out the title—Don Quixote. It was a fairly famous work, and even Hoshino had some knowledge of it. He had a deep impression of it, though he didn't particularly like it.

The story was roughly about a country squire in his fifties who, obsessed with chivalric romances, often fantasized that he was a medieval knight. He dubbed himself "Don Quixote" and set out on an adventure, committing many absurd acts before finally coming to his senses on his deathbed.

The reason he didn't like it was probably the atmosphere. Everyone viewed the protagonist as a ridiculous clown. Hoshino wasn't sure what the author was satirizing, but he simply didn't like it. The way the people around him mocked a man pursuing his ideals—regardless of the outcome—felt quite sad to Hoshino.

"I've read it... it's alright, I guess?" Hoshino gave an uncertain assessment.

"...I think you're quite similar to the protagonist." Shiina put down the book, rested her chin on her hands, and studied Hoshino carefully for a moment.

"...Are you mocking me for being a fool?" Hoshino rolled his eyes helplessly and opened the book he had just picked up.

"No, I just think you're quite brave!" A gentle smile hung on Shiina's face.

"What makes you say that?" He scanned the illustrations and the table of contents in the book.

"Look, you actually dared to take points from Ryuen-kun, and you even succeeded! Aren't you afraid he'll retaliate against you next time?" Shiina said in an exaggerated tone.

"...Why do I feel like there's a hidden meaning in your words? Wait, you are still mocking me, aren't you? Hey, hey..." As Hoshino flipped through the book, it suddenly dawned on him.

"Ah! You figured it out!..." There was no trace of embarrassment on Shiina's face; the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.

Hoshino could understand why. After all, he was just one person, and Ryuen was on the verge of completely controlling Class C. This move looked exactly like "throwing an egg against a rock." Based on his understanding of Ryuen, it was impossible for him to let Hoshino walk away with so many points without a fight; there would definitely be follow-up actions.

"Hoshino-kun, you need to be careful from now on!..." Dropping the playfulness, Shiina warned him with a serious expression.

"Yeah."

As the saying goes, listen to advice and you'll always have a full meal.

Although Hoshino was already somewhat wary of Ryuen's next move, he hadn't placed too much importance on it.

However, since Shiina had gone out of her way to say that, Hoshino subconsciously began to take the threat from Ryuen seriously and started to briefly consider what actions he needed to take.

The main issue with guys like Ryuen was that while their actions might be easy to predict, the timing was much harder to gauge. He wasn't the type of opponent who would attack you head-on. Therefore, some preventive measures were necessary.

After much thought, Hoshino decided to buy some portable recording or video equipment, something small and easy to carry. That way, he might be able to secure evidence and trap Ryuen once again.

After all, this was a school; as long as he didn't provoke Ryuen too excessively, Hoshino felt that Ryuen wouldn't blow things out of proportion.

Action followed thought. Early the next morning, Hoshino arrived at the electronics store.

"What can I help you with, customer?" The clerk was a stubbly-faced man with a slightly sleazy look, greeting him with a fawning expression.

Hoshino briefly stated his requirements: portable, high-definition, night vision, long battery life, drop-resistant... He suddenly realized his demands were quite high.

After a moment of thought, he confirmed there was nothing else to add.

The clerk pondered for a bit before starting to search the shelves.

A short while later, the clerk brought out a black camera. It was indeed very compact compared to the others and looked quite high-end.

When he saw the price tag, Hoshino froze. One hundred thousand points! That was expensive!

"Are you sure this meets my requirements? If the quality doesn't meet my standards, I'm going to return it!" Hoshino picked up the camera, half-doubting, and began to examine it.

"Rest assured, it absolutely meets them! If it's not suitable, just bring it back for a refund!" The clerk patted his chest, looking full of confidence.

Hoshino couldn't be bothered to haggle over something like this. After learning the basics, he paid the points.

"Come again soon!... Hehe... Hurry, hurry!..." The clerk didn't even walk him out, rushing back to the counter to pull out his phone and start watching something, his face full of fanaticism...

Hoshino felt a bit... disgusted.

Walking out of the mall and looking at the camera in his hand, Hoshino suddenly sighed: money really didn't last long at all.

After returning to the dormitory and studying the manual, Hoshino understood the general operating procedures.

In the days that followed, Hoshino carried the camera with him everywhere. He acted like a thief, sticking to crowded areas as much as possible to avoid giving Ryuen any opportunities, and returning to his dorm as soon as school ended.

As it turned out, Hoshino seemed to have overthought things. Many days passed, and everything remained peaceful.

Sometimes, Hoshino even wondered if he was being a bit too neurotic.

But better safe than sorry! Hoshino immediately extinguished those thoughts.

Still, Hoshino made some adjustments to his daily routine. After all, if he stayed too tense all the time, he would be completely exhausted by the time something actually happened.