Sakura Airi had woken up by now. She was looking at the message she'd received yesterday on her phone, along with her own reply!
What was wrong with me? Why did I reply "Okay"? She hurriedly sent another message.
[Sakura: Long, I'm sorry! I fell asleep yesterday!]
Long Aotian still hadn't replied. Why wasn't he answering? Did he hate me now?
Long Aotian was still asleep. Zzz.
It wasn't until around 11:20 that Long Aotian finally tore himself away from his soft, cozy bed, eyes brimming with tears (to brush his teeth and wash his face).
He checked the message Sakura Airi had sent while brushing his teeth.
P.S. Wait a moment, I'll send everyone the chat history so things are a little clearer (I won't tell you the main reason is that I want to pad the word count).
[Sakura Airi (so cute)]
23:46
[Long: I fixed your camera. Let me know when you want me to bring it over.]
23:47
[Sakura: Okay]
9:28
[Sakura: Long, I'm sorry! I fell asleep yesterday!]
11:35
[Long: It's fine. Let me know when you're free, and I'll bring you your camera.]
After replying, Long Aotian put his phone down, spat out the water in his mouth, and continued washing his face.
Ding! His phone rang again.
Over with Sakura Airi~
"Ah!" Sakura Airi was cooking when she saw Long Aotian's message. She was about to reply that she was free anytime.
But then she remembered what Long Aotian had said yesterday: "Maybe I can try some of your cooking sometime?"
Should I... invite Long over to eat now?
Yes, that's it! Be bold and invite him. You can do it, Sakura Airi! She picked up her phone and sent a message.
11:38
[Sakura: Um, I'm free anytime. Long, did you just wake up? I made some food in my dorm. Would you like to come over and eat with me?]
Phew, done!
11:40
[Long: Okay]
11:40
[Sakura: ...Dorm xxx...]
By 12:15, Long Aotian was standing outside Sakura Airi's door, pressing the doorbell.
Ding-dong~ The doorbell rang.
Sakura Airi had finished cooking and was waiting for Long Aotian to arrive. When she heard the doorbell, she hurried over. "Coming!"
Creak~
Long Aotian hadn't come empty-handed. He'd brought a case of milk.
"Here's your camera, Airi. And this case of milk is for you." Long Aotian stepped inside and found somewhere to set them down.
"Have you been waiting long?"
Sakura Airi hurriedly waved her hands. "Not at all, Long. You came at just the right time."
He glanced around Sakura Airi's room. It didn't have much decoration.
Back in his previous life, taking photos with a good background meant fussing over the poses, clothes, decorations, and all sorts of other things.
Just then, Sakura Airi brought over a bowl and handed it to him.
"Thanks." Long Aotian accepted the bowl and looked at the dishes.
They were just simple home-cooked dishes: three in all. Maybe she'd made three because Long Aotian was coming over today.
Usually, when cooking for one, two dishes were enough; three was the most. Of course, if you were in a good mood and had money, you could make as many as you wanted.
He picked up some shredded potato stir-fried with meat and put it in his mouth.
Sakura Airi watched Long Aotian and blinked.
Why is she looking at me? Isn't she going to eat? Could there be poison in the food?
Oh, right~
"Airi, your cooking is really delicious," Long Aotian said as he realized what was going on.
"I'm glad you like it, Long." Sakura Airi shyly lowered her head and spoke softly.
For a cook, the happiest thing about making a meal for friends or classmates was hearing them say it tasted good.
As he ate, he thought about things. The month was almost over, and the story would begin next month.
When the D Points results came out, oh boy, it'd be a disaster.
The class would also see a lot of people asking to borrow money. He wondered whether Sakura Airi would be asked. Probably.
Given this girl's usual habits, she'd most likely lend some out. Whether she'd get it back was another question.
Honestly, there were ways to protect Sakura Airi, but she was just too timid.
People's personalities were hard to change. You could help someone for a while, but you couldn't help them forever.
Whatever. He could afford to take care of a cute little thing like her.
Sakura Airi didn't have a very good ending in the story, either. She was expelled.
The school's OAA System was supposed to assess who contributed the least to the class.
And then Horikita Suzune actually sacrificed her classmate Sakura Airi to protect the traitor Kushida Kikyo. I'd have to give this girl a hand~
As for Horikita Suzune, she just needed to stay out of my way. Otherwise, I'd make her pay.
Ahem, ahem~
I should still warn her. "Airi, if anyone asks to borrow money next month, don't lend them any."
"Ah?" Sakura Airi was a little confused by Long Aotian's words. Didn't they get 100,000 points every month? Still, she nodded. "O-okay."
Once they'd nearly finished eating, Long Aotian got up, gathered the bowls and plates, and prepared to wash them.
"I'll wash them." Seeing Long Aotian getting ready to do the dishes, Sakura Airi hurried over.
He reached up and patted Sakura Airi's head. "No need. I'll do it. Go check whether there's anything wrong with your camera. Oh, right, there's a case of milk over there. Take a bottle and have some."
"...Okay."
How should I put it? Her hair felt nice to the touch. Why did I want to ruffle it?
A little while later~
Long Aotian came out of the kitchenette. "Finally done washing up."
Sakura Airi was looking over the camera, with a bottle of milk and a straw beside her.
"Long, are you done washing?" She saw Long Aotian come out and walked over to ask.
"Done." He waved his hands in front of Sakura Airi. "They're just a little wet."
"I'll get you some paper." The girl put down the camera and ran to fetch some tissues.
"Okay." As Long Aotian waited for Sakura Airi to bring the tissues, he thought for a moment and held out his hands. "Could you dry them for me?"
Sakura Airi paused when she came over, but she still took the tissue and wiped his hands.
It only took a wipe or two, but Sakura Airi, why were you being so careful?
Afterward, he shook his hands, leaving not a drop of water on them~.
P.S.
First thing: I've been playing Honor of Kings too much lately, and I ended up missing a day of writing. I started writing this novel on December 1. I estimate I'll start publishing it on December 8 or a little later, since I ran into a problem linking Tomato Writing and Tomato Novel.
Second thing: The plot might move a little slowly, since the original story hasn't started yet. When I get to the plot and start interfering with it, things might go off the rails. This is a fanfic with Long Aotian as the protagonist, not Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
The novel site's connection is really fast. I scared myself for nothing~
"Airi, I want to tell you something." He found a place to sit down.
Hearing him, Sakura Airi sat beside Long Aotian and looked up at him slightly, as if it were something serious. "Mm-hmm."
Long Aotian thought it over and decided to prepare her in advance. He said solemnly, "Actually, the school has a lot of hidden rules. We don't get a fixed 100,000 points every month. The rules and penalties determine how many points we receive."
"For example, being late, talking in class, sleeping in class, littering, and so on. These violations will reduce your points. Our first month at school is a probationary period, in particular, so most violations are recorded through the cameras."
"These penalties aren't announced right away. Instead, points are deducted, and the results are only revealed after this month's observation period ends."
"From what I know of your class, you've broken these rules plenty of times. Given how things have been going, your class's points might be zero next month."
"What?" Sakura Airi was shocked to hear that they might have no points next month. The points she had now wouldn't last more than a month or two. She looked at Long Aotian and hurriedly asked, "Th-then what should I do?"
Noticing Sakura Airi's gaze and anxious expression, he felt an urge to touch her face.
He did just that, gently cupping Sakura Airi's cheeks in both hands and rubbing them. "It's okay. I'll take care of you."
Before you continue