Chapter 43

As expected, the moment the glass door of the digital shop—adorned with an "Open" wooden sign—was pushed open a crack, the owner poked his head out from behind the counter. Upon seeing Watanabe Hayabara at the entrance, he reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He immediately hurried around the counter to block Watanabe Hayabara at the door, arms crossed over his chest, his face etched with wariness.

"Long time no see, Boss." Watanabe Hayabara acted as if he didn't notice the other man's defensive stance, wearing a relaxed smile and greeting the shop owner with a familiarity that made it seem as though he were just a neighbor dropping by for a chat.

"Why is it you again?!" The digital shop owner's eyes widened instantly, his brows knitting into a knot. He was clearly stunned, his tone filled with surprise and hostility, as if he had just encountered something troublesome. He looked Watanabe Hayabara up and down, his wariness deepening.

"Boss, no need for that reaction." Watanabe Hayabara shrugged helplessly, the smile still lingering on his lips. "I only took advantage of you a little bit last time; there's no need to hold such a grudge, right? I'm here to introduce a client to you today." As he spoke, he smiled and stepped aside, revealing Airi Sakura, who had been keeping her head down behind him.

Pushed to the front so suddenly, Airi Sakura stiffened slightly. She looked up at the stern-faced owner, her cheeks instantly flushing, and managed a weak, quiet greeting: "Hello, Boss..." She quickly lowered her head again, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her skirt.

Seeing that a timid female student was indeed following behind Watanabe Hayabara, the suspicion in the owner's eyes faded slightly. He nodded faintly, his expression softening, though he still looked at Watanabe Hayabara with caution, as if guarding against some new scheme.

"Come in, then." The digital shop owner stepped aside to clear the path, his tone flat as he ushered the two into the shop. The store was packed with various digital products; cameras and lenses were neatly arranged on the shelves, and the air was filled with the faint scent of electronic components.

The owner sat down behind the counter and, looking past Watanabe Hayabara, fixed his gaze directly on Airi Sakura. Deliberately ignoring Watanabe Hayabara, he asked, "Tell me, student, what do you need?" His tone, while not exactly warm, was much gentler than it had been toward Watanabe Hayabara.

"Th... that...", Airi Sakura felt even more nervous under the owner's gaze. Her cheeks turned as red as ripe cherries, and she stammered, her eyes darting around, unable to get a coherent sentence out.

"Let me handle this, Boss." Seeing this, Watanabe Hayabara smiled and stepped forward to rescue Airi Sakura. "My friend here is a bit introverted and isn't very good at communicating with others." To the owner, however, his smile looked full of ulterior motives, as if he were plotting something else.

The owner's face twitched visibly, his mouth spasming uncontrollably. He glared at Watanabe Hayabara and finally squeezed two words through his teeth: "Speak." His tone was impatient, but he ultimately refrained from giving Airi Sakura a hard time.

Watanabe Hayabara didn't mind the owner's attitude. He smiled and took out Airi Sakura's camera, placing the scuffed device on the counter. "Boss, my friend's camera was accidentally dropped. The lens cap is loose and the screen is a bit scratched. Could you see if you can fix it? The most important thing is to save the content in the storage; I've checked it briefly, and the memory unit seems to be fine."

The owner forced a smile, though he was cursing internally, Damn it, you've already pointed out the problem, what am I supposed to profit from? How unlucky.

"I'm sorry to trouble you. Please work overtime to get this fixed; I'll pay extra points." Watanabe Hayabara looked at the owner with a sincere tone.

Hearing this, the digital shop owner felt like he had been fed excrement given Watanabe Hayabara's current attitude. What are you putting on an act for? Money is hard to earn and dignity is hard to swallow.

He said firmly, "20,000 points. Not a single point less." He crossed his arms and lifted his chin, looking unyielding, clearly intending to take advantage of the situation to gouge them.

"Fine." Watanabe Hayabara agreed readily without a moment's hesitation. He immediately took out his student ID and quickly operated it to complete the transfer. The entire process was clean and efficient, without a hint of hesitation.

Hearing the notification sound from the student ID indicating the points had arrived, the expression on the owner's face softened slightly, but he still began to shoo them away impatiently: "Alright, go, go. Stay far away from my shop." It was as if their presence for even one more second would bring him trouble.

Watanabe Hayabara, however, smiled nonchalantly and called out to the shop, "Boss, I'll bring you more business when I have the time."

"No need, I have enough business as it is," the owner retorted mercilessly from inside, his tone full of rejection.

"A businessman shouldn't turn down extra points. I'll be sure to patronize you again." Watanabe Hayabara continued to respond with a smile, completely unaffected by the owner's attitude.

"Please don't come back, I'm begging you. I'll fix this for free this time; come pick it up tomorrow noon." As soon as the owner's voice fell, the shop door was slammed shut with a "bang," making the wind chimes at the entrance jingle loudly.

Watanabe Hayabara looked down at his student ID and saw that the record of the points being refunded was indeed displayed. He shook his head helplessly, then turned to look at Airi Sakura beside him and smiled. "This boss is a good person; he's fixing it for free. We must have caught some of your luck, Airi."

"Is that so...?" Airi Sakura tilted her head slightly, her eyes filled with a hint of doubt. She spoke slowly, "I feel like this boss seems very wary of you..." Her voice was very soft, as if she were sharing a secret.

Watanabe Hayabara asked with feigned surprise, "Do I look that scary, Airi?"

Airi Sakura hadn't expected Watanabe Hayabara to ask that and was stunned for a moment, her cheeks flushing slightly. She thought about it seriously for a while before answering in a small voice, "No, Hayabara-kun is very handsome, how could you be scary...?" Having said that, she lowered her head shyly, not daring to look at Watanabe Hayabara again.

Watanabe Hayabara patted his chest confidently and said, "So, the boss must have waived the fee because of my good looks."

Watching him look so full of himself, Airi Sakura couldn't help but laugh softly, nodding as she whispered, "Mm."

If it were any other girl, she would have already labeled Watanabe Hayabara as a "down-to-earth" or "arrogant" guy, but standing before Watanabe Hayabara was Airi Sakura—a pure and innocent little lamb.

After the two had walked for a long time, Watanabe Hayabara suddenly turned his head with a playful smile, though Airi Sakura didn't notice. He asked, "Airi, have you thought about what kind of work you want to do in the future?"

Hearing this sudden question, Airi Sakura was clearly taken aback, and her footsteps slowed instinctively. She looked up, blinking those clear, large eyes, her long lashes casting faint shadows under her lids. She thought about it seriously for a long time, her fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of her school uniform, before she replied softly, "Hayabara-kun, I haven't thought about it yet." Having said that, as if remembering something, she curiously asked in return, "Does Hayabara-kun have any plans?"