Explanation, Sakura Airi

At first, I was full of anticipation, intending to craft a story according to my own vision. However, during the creative process, I found it difficult to control the direction of the narrative. After some thought, I realized that modifying the original text was no longer feasible. Feeling truly helpless, I decided to tear it all down and start over. Consequently, I reorganized the story outline and made adjustments to several settings. Currently, the preceding text has been completely revised, so I hope everyone can read it with peace of mind. (July 16)

As a novice author just stepping into the field of writing, I am constantly striving to improve myself. Here, I sincerely hope that everyone can give me plenty of support!

A new author seeking support (｡･ω･･｡)ﾉ♡

Below is the main text.

When the morning sunlight spilled through the gaps in the curtains, Uesugi Hara was still deep in sleep. Since it was the weekend and he didn't have to rush to class, he had completely let his guard down, his internal clock even running a beat slow.

By the time he finally sat up in bed, the sky outside was already bright and clear—the terminal screen was lit, showing it was 10:00 AM.

He had something very important to do today.

The terminal displayed a notification that Karuizawa Kei had accepted his friend request, with the timestamp showing 7:17 AM.

Last night, he had gone to Kushida Kikyo to ask for Karuizawa Kei's contact information. She had tilted her head and thought for a moment: "Kei-chan? She's a nice person, though she doesn't really like talking to people from other classes... But I do have her contact info. Why does Uesugi-kun need it?" Uesugi Hara only said, "I have something I'd like to ask her," and Kikyo readily sent over the QR code for the friend request, not forgetting to add, "Kei-chan can be a bit slow to warm up, so Uesugi-kun should be gentle."

He sent a message to Karuizawa Kei: "4:00 PM, Palette Cafe. There are some things regarding the 'past' that I think we should discuss."

The reply came quickly: "? I don't know you. Is there anything that can't be said over message?"

Uesugi Hara's fingertips tapped out a line on the screen and sent it: "For example, the time in middle school when you were cornered behind the gymnasium by a few people who stole your pocket money. Or, the scar left by a blade on your abdomen, just below your left breast. Do you know now?"

The other side was silent for a full three minutes before a message popped up: "What do you want?"

"Let's talk in person." Uesugi Hara put down the terminal and got up to wash. He knew Karuizawa Kei's soft underbelly all too well—this girl, who had become the center of attention in Class D by relying on a cheerful persona and a pretty face, had long ago hidden that past of being bullied as her deepest secret. The more she wanted to maintain her current image as the "Queen of Popularity," the more she feared those unsightly parts of her past being ripped open.

But those were matters for later.

For now, he was going to head to Keyaki Mall; with a large sum of money in hand, he intended to buy some necessary items.

After dressing neatly, he set off.

It was past 11:00 AM when he arrived at the shopping mall. Because it was the weekend, the place was crowded.

Uesugi Hara picked a quiet-looking restaurant amidst the flow of people, ordered a brunch, and ate slowly before heading straight for the electronics center.

In this academy where everything is a calculation and countless rules are hidden, one always needs some handy little tools—like a voice recorder or a portable hidden camera.

He strolled past the shops one by one, finally stopping in front of a small storefront. There were few customers inside, and the shelves were stocked with electronic accessories. The lighting was dimmer than the chain stores nearby, exuding a coldness that felt out of place with the surrounding bustle.

Uesugi Hara pushed the door open and entered, seeing a red-haired, bespectacled girl standing at the counter, her entire being radiating an inconspicuous, dowdy air.

She was looking down at the camera in her hands, clearly enamored with it, completely unaware of the possessiveness surging in the clerk's eyes—a gaze so intense it was practically overflowing.

So, this was the creep from the plot. Looking at his lecherous demeanor, it was no wonder this shop had no customers.

In Uesugi Hara's original plan, there was no role for Sakura Airi, as interacting with her held no value for him.

Uesugi Hara walked to the counter and waited quietly to the side.

His eyes inadvertently focused on the heavy, ample chest that looked quite weighted; full and rounded. Hmm, its owner certainly hadn't skimped on her daily nutritional intake.

The girl seemed to suddenly notice his gaze and recoiled half a step, her fingers gripping the camera tightening.

Only then did the clerk reluctantly withdraw his lecherous gaze. When he turned to Uesugi Hara, he forced a customer-service smile onto his face: "Customer, what do you need?" The smile floated on the surface, but his eyes clearly spelled out "get out quickly."

Uesugi Hara suppressed the urge to punch him in the face and got straight to the point: "Do you have voice recorders and cameras here?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the girl retreated another two steps with a "thud," almost pressing against the shelf.

Hey, hey, was it really necessary to back away that far?

The air instantly froze. The clerk opened his mouth, clearly not expecting someone to ask so bluntly. After a long while, he stammered to confirm: "C-customer, could you say that again? What do you want?"

"Voice recorders and cameras. The kind that are easy to carry, have good concealment, and long standby times. Do you have them?" Uesugi Hara emphasized the keywords when he repeated himself.

"Yes, we do have them, but..."

"Are they not allowed to be sold to students? Why didn't I see them on the shelves?"

"It's not that they aren't allowed to be sold; it's just that those items can't be displayed. They're all stored in the warehouse."

"Then what are you standing there for? Go get them." Uesugi Hara tilted his chin, his tone devoid of any politeness.

The clerk walked toward the warehouse, looking back every few steps with a lingering, reluctant expression.

The air in the shop turned quiet, leaving only Uesugi Hara and Sakura Airi.

Looking at the girl before him—the girl who, in the original work, was "disposed of" by Ayanokouji due to insufficient overall ability—Uesugi Hara had originally thought about helping her if he could. But the moment his gaze fell on her, the girl shifted away again, her shoulders tensed like a pulled string. He suddenly felt that the usual approach probably wouldn't work.

Uesugi Hara stepped in front of her and deliberately lowered his voice: "If you don't want the identity of 'Shizuku-chan' to be known, follow me later. Understand?"

Hearing this, which sounded like a gang boss threatening a schoolgirl, the girl trembled all over. Her hand holding the camera shook, her fingertips turning white, and she even held her breath.

"Put the camera back now. Don't worry, I won't eat you. After all, I'm not some... pfft! After all, I'm not a bad person, understand? If you understand, nod."

The girl nodded and moved to put the camera back in its place. She followed behind Uesugi Hara with her head down, her body trembling uncontrollably. Geez, look how scared the kid is.

Uesugi Hara felt a bit helpless. Just let it be!

At this moment, the clerk returned. Seeing the girl following behind Uesugi Hara, a flash of jealousy and malice crossed his eyes, which had been devoid of warmth to begin with—that emotion wasn't well-hidden, and Uesugi Hara caught it all.

However, none of this escaped Uesugi Hara's eyes. This Japanese idol industry... what kind of magic did it have to make someone so obsessed with a related girl to this extent? Uesugi Hara's mouth twitched.

"The things you wanted are all here, customer." His voice was stiff, struggling to restrain the urge to drive the person in front of him out.

"Introduce these devices." Uesugi Hara ignored his attitude and pointed at the items on the counter.

The clerk reluctantly picked up a voice recorder: "This one has a standby time of up to seven days, clear audio, supports memory expansion cards, and fits right in your pocket." He then picked up a matchbox-sized camera: "This is a pinhole type, three-day battery life, supports remote connection, and is hard to spot when stuck inside a bag or on a collar."

As he spoke, his eyes kept darting toward Sakura Airi. Seeing the girl constantly looking down at her shoetips, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her shirt, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his tone grew even worse: "These are the best models in the shop, more than enough for a student."

Uesugi Hara picked up the voice recorder to weigh it, then flipped the camera over to inspect the ports: "Do you have anything with a longer battery life? Like two weeks or more?"

"That's professional-grade stuff, it's expensive." The clerk scoffed. "Why would a student need something that good?"

"Just answer whether you have it or not." Uesugi Hara tapped his fingertips on the counter. "If you have it, bring it out; if not, I'll go to another shop."

The clerk hesitated; he clearly didn't want to lose the sale, nor did he want to let Sakura Airi slip away during the delay. Gritting his teeth, he turned and went back into the storeroom, returning with a black box in his hand: "This voice recorder has a fifteen-day standby, and the camera uses this battery pack, which can extend it to five days. But the price is double the previous ones."

"How much for two sets?"

"200,000 points!" Hearing this, the clerk's smile grew even brighter, thinking to himself that this bastard was finally going to leave.

Uesugi Hara opened the box to take a look, and when he looked up, he happened to meet the clerk's glaring gaze. He suddenly smiled: "I'll take these two sets, wrap them both up."

The girl looked up at him abruptly, not even bothering to push up her glasses as they slid to the tip of her nose—what on earth was this person planning to do with so many surveillance devices?

After settling the bill, Uesugi Hara walked straight out. The girl behind him hurried to catch up.

Neither of them noticed the smile freezing on the clerk's face.

"No!-----"