Class C's Plan (7)

"Nothing much, I just came here to handle a little matter," Kitahara replied.

It's a good thing I arrived early; otherwise, they would have solved it first, and then how would I have earned my points?

Kitahara thought with lingering fear, then glanced at the serious-looking Horikita beside him and cursed under his breath:

"If it hadn't taken so long to convince you, I would have resolved this problem ages ago."

"Um, Kitahara, what did you mean earlier when you said you were afraid of someone?" Kushida asked, looking confused.

"Heh, that question is one that Sakura Airi, who is sitting right next to you, will have to explain herself."

Sakura, suddenly being called out, grew nervous and stammered:

"It... it's nothing."

This sudden shift in attitude said it all; everyone knew there was definitely something she didn't want to bring up.

They immediately turned their gazes toward Kitahara, signaling for him to explain what was going on.

At this, Kitahara nudged Horikita gently and said, "I'll leave the explanation to my dear President."

The eyes of everyone in the room immediately shifted to Horikita.

Horikita began to explain the situation to them, while Kitahara, stepping back, watched the scene quietly and muttered:

"Hmph, when I explained it to you yesterday, you didn't believe me. You said the school wouldn't make such a simple mistake, and even when you knew she was an idol, you insisted there was no evidence."

"Do you believe me now? I should have just gone to Sakayanagi."

"With her temperament, evidence or not, she would have sent people to take him down first and looked for the proof later."

"Not like you, being so indecisive."

Once Kitahara finished his grumbling, Horikita had finished her explanation as well.

At this point, Kushida looked at 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."

"This... actually, he..."

"He said he was your fan, and since you didn't want to hurt him, you chose not to report it to the school, right?" Kitahara interjected, unable to stand Sakura's slow pace.

"But even so, this already counts as stalking, doesn't it?" Kushida replied.

"Yeah, that's true, but there's no direct evidence yet. That's why the President and I came to find proof, and we just happened to run into you guys."

"Is that so? That really is a coincidence."

"I know you're here to get the camera fixed, so go ahead. The President and I will keep watch from the side," Kitahara continued.

"Yeah, we understand."

"Well, it looks like this can't be repaired."

"I see. Is it a power issue?" the clerk asked after a rough inspection.

"It seems not. Where is your warranty card? The warranty card." Sakura, feeling the clerk's gaze, couldn't help but tremble.

She handed over the warranty card from her bag. Ayanokoji and Kushida, watching this, didn't intervene; even though they knew the man in front of them was suspicious, they couldn't act rashly until he exposed himself.

The clerk took the warranty card, looked it over, and said:

"It's still under warranty, so we can replace it for you for free."

"How long will the repair take?" Kushida asked, trying to draw the clerk's attention away from the trembling Sakura.

"Two or three days. Two or three days. Just fill out the required fields on this form first."

"Address, name, and phone number," the clerk said, handing the form to Sakura with a hint of excitement in his tone.

Sakura nervously took the pen but hesitated to write. Ayanokoji, knowing the situation, took the pen from her hand and said:

"Just contact me once the camera is fixed." Ayanokoji then filled in his own information on the form.

"You, you guy, she's the owner of this camera, right?"

"You're being a bit..." the clerk said urgently.

"You've already checked the manufacturer's warranty card, so I assume there's no confusion there," Ayanokoji replied, handing him the completed form.

"Is that so? I suppose you're right..."

The three of them finished their business and headed toward the previously agreed-upon location. On the way, Kushida said:

"He definitely has a problem. The way he looked at Sakura just now was completely abnormal."

"Yes, he is definitely suspicious," Ayanokoji agreed.

Meanwhile, over with Kitahara and Horikita, Kitahara said to her:

"President, you noticed it, didn't you? What he did with the camera on the display stand when they arrived."

"Yes, that camera was already turned on when Sakura arrived, and it was pointed directly at her," Horikita replied.

"In that case, this alone should be enough for the school to launch an investigation, right?"

"Yeah, that's enough."

"Hi, Kitahara, how are things going on your end?" Kushida asked as she walked over.

"Thank you for your hard work. The Student Council will intervene and investigate shortly; once confirmed, he will be dealt with severely," Horikita stated.

"Mm, we've already uncovered his tricks," Kitahara added.

"In that case, Sakura, you don't have to worry anymore," Kushida said, looking at Sakura with a smile.

However, Sakura, standing to the side, did not seem particularly happy; instead, she appeared somewhat hesitant.

Kushida noticed this and felt a bit puzzled, but Kitahara, knowing the situation, could only say helplessly:

"You really don't need to feel overly guilty. At this level, his actions can no longer be considered those of a normal fan, so please set your mind at ease and enjoy the rest of your life."

After saying this, Kitahara and Horikita walked away.