Fresh Food and Drinks

Long Aotian walked slowly out of Kushida Kikyo's dormitory, calculating his next move in his mind.

He planned to head to Sakura's dorm, carrying a large bag of groceries and drinks he had just "restocked" from Kushida Kikyo's refrigerator. A smug smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he thought, Heh, Sakura's fridge is going to be "filled" by me now!

Before long, Long Aotian arrived at Sakura's door, looking a bit travel-worn. He pressed the doorbell lightly.

"Ding—" The crisp sound echoed through the quiet hallway.

Sakura was sitting at her desk, pen in hand, lost in deep thought.

Hearing the bell, she jerked her head up, a flash of surprise and curiosity crossing her eyes. She set her pen down gently, stood up, and walked toward the door with light steps.

The door opened slowly, revealing Sakura's face. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and her eyes sparkled with joy. Standing outside, Long Aotian wore a matching smile, as if there were some unspoken understanding and anticipation between them.

"Hi, Sakura, I'm here." Long Aotian greeted her with a smile, his tone warm and intimate.

Sakura nodded with a smile and stepped aside, signaling for Long Aotian to come in.

He walked into Sakura's kitchen with fluid, practiced movements, opened the fridge, and began placing the items from the bag inside one by one.

"These are all for you. Just restocked from the fridge, fresh and safe to eat."

After putting everything away, Long Aotian turned to Sakura and said.

Back at Kushida Kikyo's, not long after Long Aotian left, she composed herself.

A trace of hesitation flickered in her heart; she didn't feel like going to the gathering anymore. She had only agreed because she intended to get a free meal, and she was puzzled as to where Ike had found the spare cash and the mood to host.

Could Long Aotian be pulling the strings behind the scenes? Kushida Kikyo suddenly recalled that handsome face, her brows furrowing with confusion and doubt. She shook her head slightly, as if trying to banish the thought from her mind.

Then, a self-deprecating smile tugged at her lips as she continued, "Impossible. How could he possibly have that many points? That's like a fairy tale." Having said that, she shook her head again, her eyes filled with disbelief at the very notion.

Ever since Long Aotian had gifted her one million points, her state of mind had undergone a seismic shift. She didn't really want to go anymore, but since she had already agreed, it would be awkward to back out now. She still had to make an appearance.

Since there was someone filming the video, finding that person became the only lead.

At this moment, Ayanokoji stood side-by-side with Horikita Suzune in front of the monitors in the surveillance room, both of their gazes fixed on the flickering screens.

Horikita Suzune had her arms crossed, her expression serious and focused. Her brows would furrow slightly from time to time, revealing her firm determination to solve the mystery.

"According to information I received from a teacher a day or two ago," Horikita Suzune said slowly, her fingertip tracing the screen to point at a specific timestamp, "Sudo was lured there after receiving a text message." Her tone carried a hint of certainty, as if every detail had already been pieced together in her mind.

Her lips were pressed into a thin line, betraying a tenacity that refused to give up.

Hearing this, Ayanokoji nodded, his gaze sweeping over every detail on the screen with even greater sharpness, as if trying to catch that one elusive clue from every corner of the footage.

The two worked in silent coordination, meticulously analyzing the surveillance footage while exchanging thoughts and conjectures. Every movement betrayed their persistent pursuit of the truth.

After an exhaustive search and analysis, Ayanokoji and Horikita Suzune exchanged a look, both of their eyes reflecting a sense of helplessness.

Despite repeated viewings of the footage and careful scrutiny of every detail, it was like a stone dropped into the ocean—not a single ripple regarding the suspect had surfaced.

"It seems we need to approach this from another angle." Horikita Suzune's voice was soft, yet it carried an unquestionable firmness.

It was only natural that they couldn't find the suspect; Long Aotian was simply too cunning, avoiding cameras and using cheat-like methods such as [Flying Thunder God].

After the fruitless search, Ayanokoji and Horikita Suzune left the surveillance room, feeling defeated.

"I didn't expect checking the surveillance would cost ten thousand points." There was a hint of bitterness in Horikita Suzune's voice; she knew full well this was no small expense.

Faced with the ten thousand points, Horikita Suzune felt no need to return them to Kushida Kikyo. Instead, she considered these points a contribution to the class, viewing Kushida Kikyo's provision as a necessity for the class.

Perhaps sensing that there were no obvious leads to follow, Ayanokoji announced expressionlessly, "I'm heading back to my dorm."

Horikita Suzune didn't say anything else and departed as well.

Not long after, Ayanokoji walked slowly to his dorm door, turned the lock, and pushed it open.

As soon as he entered, he saw Ike Kanji and Yamauchi Haruki lounging comfortably on the edge of the bed, their hands full of various snacks. They were chewing incessantly, their faces beaming with satisfied, happy smiles.

Kushida Kikyo sat on the floor opposite them, holding a bag of potato chips, elegantly feeding them to herself one by one with a gentle smile on her face. The atmosphere among the three was relaxed and cheerful, as if they were immersed in some interesting topic of conversation.

"Hey, you're back, Ayanokoji!" The moment Ike Kanji saw Ayanokoji step into the room, he dropped his snacks, his face breaking into a bright smile as he waved and greeted him enthusiastically.

Ayanokoji paced slowly to the bedside and stopped, a hint of confusion and doubt in his eyes as he asked expressionlessly, "How... did you get in?"

"It's like this," Ike Kanji said, habitually scratching his head. A dismissive smile tugged at his lips, and his eyes held a sense of ease and self-satisfaction as he said, "I made a special trip to the dorm management office and borrowed a spare key from the administrator. That's how we got in."

There wasn't a shred of apology in his words; instead, they carried an air of "it's no big deal." He looked completely at ease, as if he didn't think his actions were the least bit inappropriate.

"Then why my room?"

Ayanokoji's face was as calm as water, though his eyes betrayed a trace of confusion as he asked again, his tone composed.

"Didn't we have a celebration here last time? So I thought this would be a great place for a gathering." Ike said casually, continuing to stuff snacks into his mouth without a care.

Ayanokoji's expression remained indifferent, showing no change at all. He remained silent, simply turning around. After a quick scan of his surroundings, he walked slowly to a chair and sat down, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him.

"U-um, I'll stay behind later to help you sweep the floor and tidy up the room."

Kushida Kikyo furrowed her brows slightly, a look of concern in her eyes. She looked at Ayanokoji gently and spoke in a soft, hushed voice.