This Happened in the Very First Class? (Continued)

Keima Katsuragi first went to the game section nearby to buy a second handheld console, while Airi Sakura headed to the camera section.

When she saw the dazzling array of cameras in the store, Airi Sakura's eyes nearly lit up. She spotted the pink camera she'd admired last time and carefully cradled it in her hands.

"Miss, it looks like you really like this camera."

Just then, the clerk in charge of the area came over, wearing what seemed like a friendly smile as he looked Airi Sakura up and down.

"This model is on sale right now, so you can get a pretty good deal!"

His looks were below average—some might even call him ugly—and his smile made him seem even more sleazy.

The moment she saw him, some of Airi Sakura's enthusiasm faded.

An immense pressure weighed down on her shoulders like invisible hands, leaving her almost unable to breathe.

"I, I..."

Airi Sakura tried to say something, but it was as if something had lodged in her throat. She couldn't get a word out, and her breathing grew a little ragged.

Even the man's gaze made her feel unbearably uncomfortable.

"Would you like me to tell you about this camera? I remember you came in last time, too!"

The clerk took another step forward, stopping less than a meter from Airi Sakura.

She could feel his heavy, stuffy breathing, which seemed to be growing more labored.

And he seemed to remember her...

That made Airi Sakura feel even more uncomfortable.

"I..."

Just as Airi Sakura was at a loss, Keima Katsuragi's voice came from beside her:

"No need to trouble yourself. We'll take a look on our own."

Keima Katsuragi stood next to Airi Sakura, holding the new handheld console he'd just picked out.

"Sir, there are huge differences between these cameras. If you're buying one for the first time, you won't know the advantages of each model or how they differ. And you probably don't know how to use them, either..."

"No, we know very well."

Keima Katsuragi replied at once.

"All right. If you need anything later, just come find me."

The clerk gave an awkward smile, then quickly moved a little farther away.

Keima Katsuragi watched him, his brow furrowing slightly.

He'd heard the clerk's conversation with Airi Sakura.

Although Airi Sakura was strikingly beautiful and had a great figure, she usually wore glasses and kept her head down, hiding her looks. Her uniform also concealed her figure.

In that state, Airi Sakura hardly seemed like someone who would stand out.

The school was busy, and staff members shopped here as well as students.

Airi Sakura had only been here once before, so the clerk shouldn't have remembered her so well.

And the way he'd looked at Airi Sakura seemed to linger far too long.

Besides...

The guy's looks and behavior were straight out of a typical perverted villain in a game.

"Keima... have you finished buying your stuff?"

Airi Sakura asked quietly.

"Yeah. I'd already decided what model to buy before I came, so it didn't take long."

Keima Katsuragi looked contentedly at the handheld console in his hands, then quickly turned his gaze to Airi Sakura.

"Classmate Sakura, I'm guessing you already have a model in mind, too."

"Mm... this one..."

Airi Sakura raised her hand slightly to show him the camera.

"Then let's go pay."

"Pay..."

Airi Sakura pressed her lips together, hesitating. She turned around. The clerk was smiling as he watched her from a distance.

That uncomfortable feeling was growing stronger.

Last time, right at this point, the little courage Airi Sakura had managed to gather had been completely crushed.

"Paying separately would be a bit of a hassle. How about I pay for you, and you transfer the points to me afterward?"

"Can we do that...?"

Airi Sakura was surprised. It hadn't occurred to her that they could do that.

This way, she could avoid the awkwardness of paying at the counter.

"Sure. Paying separately would take a little longer."

"All right... then sorry for the trouble, Keima..."

Airi Sakura took out her terminal and exchanged contact information with Keima Katsuragi.

It was the first time she'd exchanged contact information with anyone.

After transferring the points to Keima Katsuragi, he went to the register to pay, while Airi Sakura waited outside the supermarket.

A short while later, Keima Katsuragi came out and handed her the packaged camera.

Airi Sakura hugged the camera to her chest. For the first time in a long while, a happy smile appeared on her usually timid face.

But she soon put the camera away and looked up at Keima Katsuragi. He had already taken out his new handheld console and started playing. The game's images reflected in his glasses.

"Is there anything else you want to buy?"

"N-no, that's all! Thank you so much for keeping me company, Keima... If you hadn't been there, I don't think I'd have dared to talk to the clerk..."

"That's understandable. Even I thought the clerk looked a little scary."

"N-no, it's not just the clerk... I'm just not good at this sort of thing... I'm sorry for troubling you, Keima..."

"There's no need to apologize. Everyone has a different personality and different ways of thinking. Some people are good at socializing, and some aren't. That isn't your fault, classmate Sakura. You don't need to blame yourself or change anything. People should live in whatever way makes them comfortable."

Keima Katsuragi looked away from the screen, meeting Airi Sakura's gaze.

The sudden eye contact startled her. She quickly looked away, her cheeks turning a little red.

"Let's head back, then."

"Mm."

Meanwhile, in a corner of the school café, a petite, white-haired girl held a cup of hot coffee and gently blew on it.

"It seems Class D has also found out about the school rules."

Beside the white-haired girl, another girl, tall and pretty, asked with a worried expression.

"Other classes will probably find out soon, too, won't they? Then our advantage..."

"Don't worry too much, Masumi~ That'll make things more interesting, don't you think?"

The girl named Sakayanagi Arisu smiled meaningfully.

Sakayanagi Arisu had also figured out the school's rules within just a few days of starting classes.

She had always been exceptionally clever—

And besides, Sakayanagi Arisu's father was the chairman of the school.

She had been frail since childhood, so her physical fitness had received the lowest rating in the school's entrance assessment.

No matter how excellent her grades were, her physical condition meant she shouldn't have been admitted to Class A; she should have gone to Class C or Class D.

But because her father was the chairman, Sakayanagi Arisu had managed to get into Class A. After all, she had built her own faction within the class in just a few days.

Of course, there was someone in the class who might become a rival, but Sakayanagi Arisu didn't care.

Sakayanagi Arisu was haughty and queenlike. The only person who had caught her interest, even slightly, was Ryuen Kakeru, a boy in Class C.

In just a few days, he had taken complete control of his class and become the one calling the shots.

As for Class D, Sakayanagi Arisu hadn't cared about it at all.

That was until just now, when one of their Class A classmates received a message from Class D and learned that they'd also figured out the school's rules.

Sakayanagi Arisu hadn't expected the class ranked last to uncover the information so quickly.

"Maybe there's someone interesting in Class D."

"But I'm a little confused. If Class D already knew the information, why would they share it with us? Some people in Class A had found out about the S-System ahead of time, and even those who didn't know about it follow classroom rules, so they're unlikely to lose many points. But if Class D kept this secret, they could have narrowed the gap with the other two classes—or even overtaken Class C, couldn't they?"

Masumi Kamuro didn't understand.

"Maybe there are some unpredictable factors in Class D~"

Sakayanagi Arisu smiled and drained the rest of her coffee.

She picked up the cane beside the table and used it to support her small frame as she stood.

"We should head back, too."

After parting ways with Airi Sakura, Keima Katsuragi returned to the door of his dorm room.

"I've cleared another game today. I'll find a chance to write up a guide tonight."

Keima Katsuragi smiled, then opened the dorm room door and went inside.

"God of Conquest! Help me!"

Just then, someone rushed out and threw herself at Keima Katsuragi.

"Whoa!"

Keima Katsuragi jumped in fright and stumbled backward, falling to the floor.

Elsie, who had rushed out, was so excited that she tripped and fell face-first onto the floor, too.

Keima Katsuragi immediately checked the handheld console. Only after making sure it was unharmed did he let out a sigh of relief and stand up.

"Thank goodness it's okay! What's wrong with you?!"

Keima Katsuragi demanded, then glanced around to make sure no one had seen him and Elsie before pulling her into the room.

"God of Conquest!"