The Amazing Sakura

"Let me show you something..."

"Wait!"

Before Long Aotian could finish speaking, Sakura cut him off. She came up beside him, frowned, and sniffed at him.

Strange. For some reason, he felt a little like he was breaking into a cold sweat, as if he'd been caught in a surprise inspection. But he hadn't done anything wrong.

"You smell like another woman."

"Huh?"

At those words, Long Aotian thought through everything that had happened that day.

"Don't overthink it. I'll show you a video."

Long Aotian turned and kissed her soft, pink lips. After a long moment, he gently pulled away and took out his phone.

This was a simple, direct solution. He hadn't done anything wrong, after all.

"But..."

"No buts. I'll shut you up if I have to. Watch the video."

Long Aotian interrupted her again and opened the video on his phone.

On the screen, Kushida Kikyo was trampling the flowers and plants while cursing him.

"That's Kushida Kikyo? Why is she cursing you?"

Sakura sat in front of the screen. The video she had just watched crept into her previously calm state of mind like a sudden chill.

Her brows knitted together. Her usually rational eyes were now veiled by a faint anger, and her gaze held unmistakable resolve and displeasure. Her hands clenched into fists without her realizing it.

"Waaah, don't be mad. I threatened her with the video from last time, so that's why she's so angry."

Long Aotian hurried to stop her. He had a feeling she would rush out and get into a fight with Kushida any second.

"Ah! Oh, okay."

Once she had calmed down, Sakura slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, her gaze had regained its usual clarity and determination.

"Whoa." Long Aotian stared, dumbfounded. Since when had she become like this?

After Sakura composed herself, she took a small key from her pocket. "By the way, Aotian, here. Take this key."

"Your room key?"

"No, it's Ayanokoji's key."

Sakura shook her head, then quickly continued, afraid Long Aotian might get the wrong idea.

"You said you were the one who got Sudo expelled, and then you said this world was all about the big fish eating the little fish. So I thought you might keep going after other people in Class D." Sakura took Long Aotian's hand and continued, "Sudo should've been expelled after failing the exam, but Horikita Suzune saved him. Later, at the celebration, I noticed Kushida Kikyo asking Ayanokoji if he was the one responsible."

"Ayanokoji said Horikita Suzune was responsible, but Kushida Kikyo suddenly looked gloomy. That made me think something was off, because Kushida Kikyo wouldn't have asked that for no reason. So I figured there was something up with Ayanokoji."

"After that, I contacted Ike under an anonymous name and offered him 50,000 points to get Ayanokoji's key and have a copy made. Then I had him put it somewhere, and I went to quietly pick it up. I thought you might be able to use it."

Note: In the anime, Ike managed to get Ayanokoji's key once and used it to open his room for a meeting. He said at the time that the building manager downstairs had a spare key to the room.

"Did I do something wrong?"

After Sakura finished speaking, she looked at Long Aotian nervously. It was the first time she had done something like this, and she didn't know if she had made a mistake or if it would upset him.

Long Aotian's eyes suddenly went wide, and his lips parted into a perfect "O," completely overturning his usual composed, confident image.

Damn... That was amazing. He had planned to use the school's text-message task to win over Ike and Yamauchi, then assign them the job of getting Ayanokoji's key copied. He hadn't expected it to be solved so easily.

If this world had things like soul possession from cultivation novels, Long Aotian would've wondered if someone else had taken over her body.

Seeing Sakura's nervous expression, Long Aotian stroked her delicate hand and hurriedly said, "N-no, you didn't do anything wrong. It's pretty useful to me. I should be praising you. It's just that you might get exposed. Was there a camera where you had him put the key? And did you avoid the cameras on the way there?"

"Really? I avoided the cameras. You always avoid them when you go out to do things, so I figured I should do the same."

When she heard he would praise her, Sakura's gaze softened. Her furrowed brows gradually relaxed, as if an invisible force were soothing the turmoil within her. The corners of her mouth lifted into a faint smile, which steadily widened into a bright, radiant grin.

Long Aotian watched Sakura break into a silly smile. He didn't know why, but she was especially impressive today.

Then he told her about how he wanted her to stay away from Kushida Kikyo.

Meanwhile, a teenage boy with short dark-brown hair took out his phone and snapped a picture of a spot where someone had trampled the flowers and plants, which he had just finished cleaning up. After taking the photo, he sent it in a text message.

"Heh heh heh, I've been so lucky today. First I got 50,000 points for getting a key copied, and then the school picked me to clean up the garden for 10,000 points."

"I should go find Yamauchi. I've been gone a while. But judging by his expression earlier, he probably had something to do as well. I'll send him a text first."

Ike chuckled as he spoke. He didn't think there was anything strange about it; he just felt lucky.

For the past few months, he'd had to eat vegetable set meals every day and couldn't buy a game console or anything else.

Yamauchi wasn't much different. He had just finished his task and sent the photo over.

"I wonder why Ike was in such a hurry to leave earlier. He was grinning so happily, you'd think he'd won a million."

"But it's fine. I had something to do too. I'm so lucky the school picked me for this easy task and gave me 10,000 points. I'm done now, so I should go find Ike."

Before long, the two met outside a restaurant...

"Yamauchi, why are you so happy?"

Ike looked at Yamauchi. Had he been picked too? He asked in confusion.

"D-do I look happy? I just went to the bathroom, hahaha."

Yamauchi's eyes darted about as he replied with an awkward laugh.

"Oh. Come on, let's eat. My treat, hahaha."

Ike didn't think much of it. He was the lucky one, after all. How could anyone else have gotten lucky too?

Ding~

Long Aotian received the message and immediately sent over 20,000 points.

No matter what, it was useful. Getting Ayanokoji's key was only one move in his plan.

"Aotian, what are you looking at?"

Sakura saw Long Aotian staring at his phone with a baffling, villainous grin and asked curiously.

"Nothing. Ike and Yamauchi from your class are pretty interesting."

He'd thought it would take a long time for those two to take the bait, but they'd fallen for it so quickly.

P.S. Thanks to Yuan Jie, who loves mushroom and pork-ball soup, for the little gift and the support!

I spent yesterday taking orders and reading novels. One completely wrecked my mood, and the other left me baffled, so I was in a terrible mood and didn't update. Sorry, sorry.