"Nothing. I just have something to take care of here," Kitahara replied.
Good thing I got here early. Otherwise, they would've dealt with him first, and then how would I have earned any points?
Kitahara thought with lingering relief. He glanced at Horikita, who wore a serious expression, and silently grumbled:
"If I hadn't spent so long persuading you, I would've dealt with this problem ages ago."
"Um, Kitahara, what did you mean when you said just now that she was afraid to be alone?" Kushida asked, looking confused.
"Heh. That's something the Sakura Airi sitting next to you will have to explain herself."
Sakura tensed at being mentioned and stammered:
"I-It's nothing."
Her sudden change in attitude said it all. Everyone could tell something had happened that she didn't want to talk about.
They turned to Kitahara, silently asking him to explain what was going on.
Kitahara gently nudged Horikita and said, "I'll let my dear student council president explain the rest."
Everyone's attention shifted to Horikita.
Horikita began explaining the situation to them. Kitahara stepped back and quietly watched, muttering:
"Hmph. When I explained it to you yesterday, you didn't believe me. You said the school wouldn't make such a simple mistake. Even after you learned she was an idol outside school, you said there was no proof."
"Do you believe me now? I should've gone to Yanagihara from the start."
"With her temperament, she'd send someone to grab him right away, proof or not, and look for evidence afterward."
"She wouldn't drag her feet like you."
By the time Kitahara had finished complaining, Horikita had finished explaining things to the others.
Kushida turned to Sakura and said:
"So that's why you asked us to come with you? Why didn't you just tell us? We're friends, after all."
"W-Well, he..."
"He said he was your fan, and you didn't want to hurt him, so you didn't report him to the school, right?" Kitahara cut in, unable to bear Sakura's slow pace.
"But even so, he's basically a stalker, isn't he?" Kushida replied.
"Yeah. That's true, but there's still no direct evidence. The president and I came to find some, and we just happened to run into you."
"I see. What a coincidence."
"I know you're here to get your camera repaired, so go ahead. The president and I will watch from nearby," Kitahara continued.
"Okay, got it."
"Well, I don't think this can be repaired."
"I see. It's a power problem, right?" the clerk said after giving it a quick look.
"Looks like it won't work. Do you have your warranty card? Your warranty card." Under the clerk's gaze, Sakura couldn't help trembling.
Still, she handed over the warranty card from her bag. Ayanokoji and Kushida watched, but did nothing. Even though they knew there was something wrong with the man in front of them, they couldn't make a move before he exposed himself.
After taking the warranty card, the clerk looked it over and said:
"It's still under warranty, so I can replace it for free."
"How long will the repair take?" Kushida asked, drawing the clerk's attention to Sakura, who was still trembling.
"Two or three days. Two or three days. First, fill in the required fields on this form."
The clerk took out a form and looked at Sakura. "Address, name, and phone number." His voice held a note of excitement.
Sakura nervously took the pen, but couldn't bring herself to write. Ayanokoji understood what was going on. He took the pen from her and said:
"Once the camera's fixed, contact me." Then he filled in his own information on the form.
"You—you can't do that. She's the owner of this camera."
"That's a bit..." the clerk said urgently.
"You've already checked the manufacturer's warranty card, so I don't see what the problem is," Ayanokoji replied, handing him the completed form.
"Right. I suppose that's true..."
The three of them headed to the place they had agreed to meet earlier. On the way, Kushida said:
"He's definitely suspicious. The way he looked at Sakura just now was really strange."
"Yeah, he's definitely suspicious," Ayanokoji agreed.
Meanwhile, Kitahara turned to Horikita and said:
"You noticed it too, right, President? The way he acted around the display cameras when they arrived."
"Yes. The camera was already on when Sakura arrived, and it was pointed at her," Horikita replied.
"In that case, that alone should be enough for the school to launch an investigation, right?"
"Yes, it's enough."
"Hey, Kitahara. How did things go over here?" Kushida asked as she walked over.
"Thanks for your help. The Student Council will start investigating soon. If the allegations are confirmed, he'll be dealt with severely," Horikita said.
"Yeah, we've already found something suspicious about him," Kitahara added.
"Then you don't have to worry anymore, Sakura," Kushida said happily, looking at her.
But Sakura didn't seem all that happy. Instead, she looked a little hesitant.
Kushida noticed and looked puzzled. Kitahara knew what was going on, though, and could only say helplessly:
"You don't need to feel so guilty. What he's doing goes beyond the behavior of a normal fan, so try not to worry. Just relax and enjoy the rest of your time here."
After saying that, Kitahara and Horikita left.