After morning exercises, the early sunlight streamed through the leaves and fell across the track. Ichinose Honami deftly took the plastic bag containing chocolate pies out of her schoolbag, then opened a bottle of mineral water. Her stash of snacks, originally enough to last her all day, had now naturally become breakfast for her, Wu Qiao, and Ayanokoji Kiyoha.
"Does this count as Wu-kun treating us today?" Ichinose Honami asked with a beaming smile as she unwrapped a chocolate pie and held it out to him.
"I guess so." Wu Qiao took the pie and bit into it, his gaze seemingly sweeping casually over the area. "But I've got something to do in a bit, so I'll head off first."
"Okay, Wu-kun. Be careful on your way!" Ichinose Honami waved at him obediently. She wasn't curious about what he had to do. After all, Wu Qiao always had his own plans and pace.
Watching Wu Qiao turn and head toward the school building, Ichinose Honami looked away and took small bites of the sweet chocolate pie, feeling completely at ease.
At the entrance to the school building, where students changed into their indoor shoes, Wu Qiao took advantage of the empty hallway and hurried over to Sakura Airi's shoe locker.
After fumbling around for a moment, he retrieved a tiny recording device he'd hidden beforehand in a concealed gap above the locker. All he had to do was take it back and analyze the footage, and he'd be able to pin down the pervert's movements and obtain solid evidence.
However, just as Wu Qiao slipped the device into his pocket and prepared to leave as though nothing had happened, a petite figure suddenly darted out from around the nearby corner.
The next second, a small, cool hand grabbed his sleeve.
She wasn't very fast—in fact, she was rather clumsy—but in the quiet of early morning, her sudden appearance was enough to catch him off guard.
Wu Qiao stopped and turned around, meeting a pair of bloodshot eyes filled with fear and pleading.
It was Sakura Airi.
She had clearly been waiting here for a long time. Even her breathing was somewhat ragged.
"W-Wu-kun..." Sakura Airi's voice trembled violently, tears welling in her eyes as though they might spill over at any moment. She clutched the edge of Wu Qiao's sleeve so tightly that her knuckles had turned white. "Please... don't make a big deal out of this, okay? I... I'm really scared..."
Looking at her pitiful expression, Wu Qiao furrowed his brow slightly. He knew, of course, what Sakura Airi was afraid of.
Sakura Airi also knew that Wu Qiao was helping her deal with the disgusting creep who had sent her harassing letters and secretly taken photos of her. But for a girl who had spent years living in the shadows and suffered from extreme social anxiety, even the slightest chance of drawing public attention or attracting the school's notice felt like a catastrophe.
"I don't want anyone to find out about those photos... and I don't want my classmates to think I'm a burden..." Sakura Airi lowered her head, her voice meek and subdued. "I know you're trying to help me, but... if this gets out of hand, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle the pressure..."
Wu Qiao stood quietly where he was, letting her hold on to his sleeve. He looked down at the fragile girl, as delicate as a glass doll that might shatter at a touch, and fell silent for a moment before giving a soft sigh.
"I understand." Wu Qiao's voice was calm and low, carrying a reassuring strength. "I won't report this to the school through the usual channels, and I won't let anyone find out who you are. I'll take care of this in my own way."
At those words, the tension finally eased from Sakura Airi's body a little. She looked up at Wu Qiao with tearful eyes and nodded emphatically, as if he were a lifeline she'd managed to grasp.
In class, Wu Qiao's mind raced as he quickly sifted through his thoughts and came up with a workable plan.
However, the plan had some rather strict requirements. It would need Ichinose Honami to use the Student Council's connections to pull a few strings.
The paperwork was a little troublesome, and it would take some "personal points" to grease the wheels. After all that effort and back-and-forth, he'd still have to pay up in the end.
Wu Qiao sighed helplessly to himself, but there was nothing he could do about it. Sakura Airi already had serious psychological issues. She was extremely socially anxious and far too timid.
If he made her face all those tedious investigative procedures directly, the frightened little rabbit would probably break down on the spot.
To protect her fragile nerves, he'd have to be the one pulling the strings behind the scenes.
The bell signaling the end of the last class of the afternoon had barely rung before a clamor of students packing their bags filled the classroom.
Wu Qiao didn't take his time putting his books away as usual. Instead, he quickly tore off a sticky note, scribbled a line on it, and slipped it into Wang Meiyu's hand while the moving crowd obscured them from view. Then he hurried out of the classroom without looking back.
Wang Meiyu paused, glancing at the slightly crumpled note in her hand as she raised an eyebrow. She went to a corner by the window and opened it. A line of Chinese was written on it:
[Please stop Sakura from going to the Student Council Office for an hour.]
Wang Meiyu stared at it in bewilderment, confusion flashing in her clear eyes. She had no idea what Wu Qiao was up to. Why had he gone out of his way to ask her to do something that made no sense?
Even so, she immediately stood up and called Hasebe Haruka, who was about to leave. The two of them hurried after Sakura Airi, who had just walked out of the classroom.
Sure enough, Sakura Airi was heading straight for the Student Council Office. Her steps were small but hurried and determined. She was clearly planning to go there.
"Hasebe!" Seeing this, Wang Meiyu lowered her voice and called to her companion. "Quick, go stop her up ahead."
Hasebe was utterly confused, a string of question marks practically floating above her head. "Huh? Why? Meiyu, what's gotten into you all of a sudden?"
"Don't ask so many questions. Just do it!" Wang Meiyu pushed Hasebe forward without further explanation.
Though Hasebe was still puzzled, she did as she was told. She quickened her pace, circled around to the corner ahead, and grabbed Sakura Airi just as she was about to turn.
"Huh? H-Hasebe..." Sakura Airi jumped, shrinking back like a startled bird.
"Um, Sakura! I have a question for you about photography..." Hasebe made up an excuse on the spot, held tightly to Sakura Airi's wrist, and forcibly pulled her in the opposite direction.
Only after she'd settled Sakura Airi in a nearby lounge did Hasebe let out a long sigh of relief. She turned to Wang Meiyu, who had come running over, panting, and put her hands on her hips. "You'd better explain what's going on afterward! What is all this about?"
Wang Meiyu patted her on the shoulder, the corner of her mouth curling into a mysterious smile. "Don't worry. You should find out soon enough."