Editor's note:
I have only edited one singular sentence in this entire chapter. The first person who finds that line gets $50 paypal or any other coupon of their choice. It'll be very easy to notice because it has proper grammar and punctuation usage.(I just have a prepaid bank card that I cant really use)
Ayanokoji (POV)
After returning to my dorm, I lay in my bed and absentmindedly watched TV. My mind was kind of a blank, as I let myself relax. Then, I got an email from Sakura.
Ike -"Wait, ayanokoji you said you have contact of 3 girls in your previous video so was one of them sakura-san, because last time what was shown to us that must be your first time meeting her,right" he said, apparently he is smarter in noticing these kinds of things.
Ayanokoji -"Well , Airi's contact made it 4, and yeah the first time i talked with airi was when we were in special annex , this is after when kushida and I accompanied airi to electronic's shop for her camera reapair "
Ike -"why the hell are you close with all the girls YOU BASTARD, wait a second with kushida-chan what's that suppose to mean"
Kushida -"well it's just sakura-san asked me and ayanokoji-kun to help her camera broken which was my fault so we both accompanied her like ayanoko-kun said"
Miyamoto -"ok i understand why kushida -san accompanied sakura-san but why did sakura-san asked ayanokoji-kun too"
Kirito -"It will be explained just watch the video"
"If I was absent from school tomorrow, what do you think would happen?"
Miyamoto -" what's that supposed to mean "
Kushida -"is this by chance the day before student council was going to judge sudo -kun's case" she asked in response airi just nodded.
Okitani -" then why would you say something like that i mean you should have helped the class from the begining " he said in a little angry tone making sakura scare
Haruka -"hey it's her choice weather she wants to do it or not why do you even care weren't you one of the students who didn't did anything that time"
Okitani -"but it's not like i was the witness"
Haruka -"Oooh, so did you volunteer in search for witness in class that time" she said , she used the fact to her advantage, at that time people were more inclined with letting sudo have the punishment students were helping because of hirata and kushida but not everyone helped in the class.
Okitani -"that ...." to haruka's words he can't say anything since he was one of those who didn't helped that time.
"What do you mean?"
Even though my reply had been short, I waited a while for her response.
"What are you doing right now?"
That was her answer. I replied that I was in my room by myself.
"If it's okay with you, could we meet right now? I'm in room 1106."
"If you could keep this a secret from everyone... That would really help me out."
Ike -"DAMN IT FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING WHY IS YOU GETTING ATTENTION FROM HER ISN'T SHE SUPPOSED SHY THEN WHY IN THE WORLD ARE YOU ABLE TO TALK TO HER " he said , he isn't even trying to hide his frustration.
Shinohara -"could you shut your mouth you idiot , you are annoying and disturbing others " she said irritably.
I received two messages from her in quick succession. It was more like texting than email. What exactly was she getting at, I wondered? I thought about asking her why, but then stopped typing. If I bungled this, she might keep messaging me, but it would probably get more difficult to pay her a visit. I had the gut feeling that it would be better for us to meet directly, so I started rewriting my response.
"I'll head over there in about five minutes."
After sending my reply, I reached for my coat, but stopped. Since we were in the same dorm, going out with just a jersey on was probably fine. I headed towards Sakura's room. The upper level...in other words, where the girls lived. This was my first time setting foot there. The school didn't necessarily prohibit boys from entering. Even if someone saw me going there, it wouldn't be a problem. In fact, the popular guys often headed up there to hang out and have fun.
Although we were allowed a relative degree of freedom, entry was prohibited after 8:00 PM. Naturally, going to the girls' floor in the middle of the night was prohibited.
Hoshinomiya -"Well it's true that after 8 entering in girls dorm is prohibited but i guess many students still break that rule ayanokoji -kun , didn't i tell you the story once about it" (referring to what she talk with ayano in vol.11 about dating and stuff)
Chabshira -"could you stop getting involved with my students chie "she said with stern voice.
I pushed the elevator's call button. When the doors slid open, Horikita was standing there. What horrible timing.
Professor -" oh, that's the so called cliched scene" other student just ignored him
"............"
For some reason, I was completely unable to move. I just stood there. Was this good luck or bad? In the case of bumping into an acquaintance, I had to wonder.
"What? You're not getting on?" she asked.
While she stared at me, she tried to close the doors.
"Ah, yeah. I'm getting on..."
While I felt like this was probably a bad idea, I hopped in and pushed the button for the eleventh floor. I saw that the button for the thirteenth floor was also lit. That must've been Horikita's floor. For some reason, I got the strange feeling that she was watching me from behind.
Hashimoto -"even though you are not looking backwards you can tell she is staring at you huh" he said he wasn't able to sense me back then when i was following him or perhaps it's just she is staring so closely he thought
Ayanokoji -"It's just she was staring at me closely that's all, you are thinking too much about it"
"You're...heading home late tonight, huh?" I asked, without looking at her. The silence was unbearable.
"I was out shopping. Did you not see?"
I heard the rustle of vinyl bags.
"That reminds me. You cook for yourself, don't you?"
It felt like the elevator was going more slowly than usual. We were still only on the sixth floor. Being stealthily invited over by a girl was a stressful situation. My unease meant I had to say something.
"This isn't the tenth floor. Is that okay?"
Why in the world was she asking me about the tenth floor? What was her intention?
"For someone who dislikes trouble, you've been extremely proactive in involving yourself with this case. Or perhaps you have ulterior motives?" Horikita was clearly probing.
"If you have something to say, why not come out and say it?"
"You're going to meet with Sakura-san, aren't you?" she asked.
Ike -"Are you an esper horikita -san "
Shinohara -"how did you even know that "
Professor -"when a girl is being cheated on their women's intuition became more powerful it happens a lot in rom-com anime" he said
Horikita -"Sotomora -kun do you want to die" she said in a cold voice those words were more than enough to the students professor could be seen shivering, this girl sure is scary.
"No, I'm not." I immediately denied it, but wondered if Horikita could see the truth.
"Well. I suppose where you go is none of my business."
In that case, don't ask me about it! Well, that was what I wanted to say, but I spoke the words only in my head.
Horikita -"you made the right choice, saying that in your head at that time ayanokoji-kun"
Ayanokoji - "looks like you have grown you didn't hit me this time" i sighed in relief
Horikita -"ooh, didn't i said i am gonna buy compass box when we get back" she said , this girl she isn't just scary she is a demon.
Horikita -" you are having rude thoughts ayanokoji-kun"
Ayanokoji - Is she a psychic "sorry".
After a long time, we finally arrived at the eleventh floor in complete silence. I stepped off the elevator, trying to remain calm. I didn't look back.
"Pardon me for intruding..." I said at Sakura's door.
"Come on in." She greeted me wearing casual clothes.
"So. What did you need from me?"
"Umm... Ayanokouji-kun, do you remember what you said before? You said I wasn't obligated to step forward, even though I was the witness. You also said it was meaningless to force me to testify."
That was back when I'd met Sakura by accident. I gave a slight nod.
"I...just don't have any self-confidence after all."
"Is this about speaking in front of other people?"
"I've been terrible at it for so long... I'm not good at speaking in front of others. If I'm asked to testify in front of the teachers tomorrow, I don't think I'll have the confidence to answer properly. So..."
"So you're considering taking the day off from school?"
Sakura gave a slight nod before collapsing and laying her forehead onto the table.
"Ahhhhh. Jeez, why am I so completely useless?!" She shrank into herself, clearly ashamed. It was the first time I'd seen her like that.
Ike - cough cough cough cough. "what the hell is it she is so cute "
Shinohara -"hey, she is like a completely different person"
Haruka -"Airi, even I didn't know about this side of yours "
Ike -"wait, can someone tell me why ayanokoji is eligible to see this heavens picture in person"
"Sakura, you're surprisingly high-strung, huh?"
I felt the gap between the person I saw now and her usual behavior, and was a little taken aback. Or rather, I was shocked.
Miyamoto -"yeah we are shocked too"
"Huh?!"
Sakura, realizing she'd let me see this side of her, blushed and shook her head. "N-no! I'm not like that at all."
So she could be animated. I'd had no idea, considering her usually depressed look.
Haruka -"So only kiyopon is allowed to see is cute side of your's airi, huh" she said teasingly.
Sakura -"it's ..n..not ...like that .. haruka-san"
"Hey, can I ask you just one thing? Why did you call me?" Kushida or somebody else would've been friendlier, easier to talk to."
Miyamoto -"yeah, i am also thinking the same think why did you talk to ayanokoji-kun wouldn't kushida-san or hirata-kun way better than him"
Kirito -" keep watching you idiot"
"That's because I'm not afraid of your eyes, Ayanokouji-kun..."
Kei -cough .cough.cough" 'what the heck is that supposed to mean not scary ask me if anything that those eyes of his or more accurately his real eyes are the most scariest thing i have ever seen that darkness in them .well i guess on surface it doesn't look and well i guess she is right kiyotaka's eyes don't show anything at all and but if you try to look in it you can only see darkness but i don't think kiyotaka will ever show those eyes to her'
Hirata -"well i wouldn't say scary but the deep eerie darkness in his eyes is something sakura-san isn't aware of and i think it's good if she don't see those eyes too"
Ike -"huh, what's that supposed to mean"
Huh? What did that mean? I certainly didn't have scary eyes or anything, but...
"If you're looking for someone to talk to, Kushida is a much warmer, more outgoing person. She has a lot of friends, too."
"Oh, no. I don't mean the eyes that you've seen me with. I mean the pupils, way back in the eyes... If you look someone deep in their eyes, you'll understand. I'm sorry, I can't really explain it well."
Shibita -" i am a little lost here"
Ike -"yeah i don't get anything either"
So, was it like insight into a person's true self? When someone looked at me, would they see that I was insubstantial and lack ambition? This was kind of complicated.
Boys -" yeah it's too complicated "
"Well, it's just... When I see a man...even if he seems kind...I suddenly get afraid."
Perhaps that came with a woman's point of view. It might have been natural for her to be uncomfortable around men, but Sakura had an abnormally terrified expression. Speaking of which, I recalled the day we'd gone to get her digital camera repaired...
It was certainly true that men and women generally differed in physical strength and stamina. However, some girls were overly mindful of that fact, and lived in abnormal degrees of fear. I wondered if something had happened in Sakura's past to cause her intense fear of men.
Why the heck was I arbitrarily analyzing her? I felt a little disgusted with myself, as usual.
"I know it would be good to simply say what it is I saw. But no matter what I do, I can't seem to imagine it... How can I speak that assertively?"
She was so worried that she'd asked a student like me for help. She'd probably been agonizing over it for the past few days. Even with a helping hand from me, she appeared to be suffering.
"If you want to quit, would you like me to talk?"
Miyamoto -"rather than asking her to quit, shouldn't you just encourage her"
Horikita -"Can you stop being annoying she showed herself in testimony that means ayanokoji-kun must have done something could you stop you idiotic assumptions without watching things first " she said , maybe perhaps maybe horikita isn't a bad person
Ayanokoji - "umm.. thanks" i whispered to her
Horikita -"i just want this to end quickly and then return back to buy compass" she said, give me back my praise she is a demon no doubt.
"You're not going to get mad?"
"I told you before, didn't I? If we forced you to testify, it would be meaningless."
Sakura was an invaluable witness, but her evidence wasn't automatically reliable. She might not have any influence on the outcome. However, if she were absent, Sudou might get angry. I should probably try to coax her into participating, but I had no idea how to do it.
"Umm... What do you think would be best to do, Ayanokouji-kun?"
"I think you should do what you want, Sakura."
She probably wanted more concrete guidance, but unfortunately this was the best I could do. I wasn't an outstanding person, and certainly not qualified to guide anyone. I wasn't suited for that job.
Keisei - "So, it's not like you don't want to help her you just don't know what to do "
Ayanokoji -"yeah i don't think i am fit for the job"
Ichinose -"NO! i think ayanokoji-kun is the best person to ask for guidance" she said shocking everyone even i was taken aback a little by this.
Ichinose -"sor..sorry , we should continue" she said realizing what she just did
"I see. Well, I suppose it's probably bothersome to ask you for help like that... I'm just no good. It's probably why I can't even make a single friend myself."
Sakura shrugged and smiled bitterly. She seemed disgusted with herself.
"Sakura, I think you'll be able to make friends with someone in no time."
"I'm sorry. I don't know how to best say what I feel... You seem to get along really well with a lot of people, Ayanokouji-kun. I'm a bit envious."
"No, I don't."
Apparently Sakura believed that I had many friends and lots of fun.
"It might be presumptuous for me to say this, but I think that we're like friends. We are," I said.
Sakura and I stared at each other.
"We're friends? Really?" she whispered.
"If you don't think so, Sakura, then that's different."
"No... It does make me happy...to hear you say that," replied Sakura, while still looking somewhat perplexed.
I began to realize that if people didn't talk face to face, they wouldn't get a feel for what the other person was really like. I was surprised by the discovery of Sakura's unexpected side. If she let this part of her out more, she'd probably make friends right away. Honestly, even a minor adjustment would do wonders. But for her, I supposed making even a minor adjustment would be difficult. What might seem trivial to one person could be quite difficult for another, depending on their issues.
Shinohara - "I guess looking like that it's true sometimes it difficult for me to do some things while my sister can do it easily at home , i guess i kinda understand what she is feeling now" (i just made the part of her sister i don't know if she has one or not)
"Thank you for coming to see me today," Sakura said.
"It's no big deal. You can call me anytime."
If I could ease Sakura's burdens even slightly, then it was worth it. I'd leave it up to Sakura herself to decide whether or not she'd come to school tomorrow. Thinking that our conversation was over, I stood and started to leave, but Sakura looked like she still wasn't feeling well.
"Do you have any plans for tonight? For right now?" I asked.
"Right now? No, I don't have anything planned. Or rather, I didn't make any plans."
Hmm. Even I felt a little sad when I heard someone say that.
"Well, why not go out with me for a while? If it's not a bother, of course."
Ike -"hey where are taking her "he said enviously
Shinohara -"i guess now he is going to help her i mean she did went to testify right"
Onodera -"so now you feel like helping"
I decided to be daring and invite Sakura. She stiffened, almost like she had forgotten the time and realized she had to be somewhere important. She looked like she couldn't understand what I'd meant. Then, without any hesitation, she shot up out of her seat.
"Huh?!" As she leapt up, she banged her knees against the table and doubled over in agony. Her glasses flew off her face.
"That looked like it really hurt just now. Are you okay?" I asked.
"I...I'm perfectly fine!"
She wasn't very convincing; the pain was so intense that she was on the verge of tears. I picked up her glasses. Just as I'd thought, there were no lenses. I handed her glasses back. Her hands trembled when she took them, and she thanked me. Sakura wrestled with her pain for about a minute before she finally calmed down and quieted.
"Wh-where do you want to go?" she asked.
She was on her guard, but I didn't understand why. Maybe she believed I was some kind of pick-up artist trying to smooth talk her. If that were the case, it was bad.
"I haven't really decided. Just kind of felt like wandering around, you know? Ah, but I hate being in hot places..."
Sakura responded cautiously, as if worried about what to say. "If you don't mind...there is someplace I'd like to go. Is that all right?"
"Huh? Yeah, sure, I don't mind. Please lead the way."
I didn't really care about the location; I just wanted to get a change of scenery and talk. If Sakura had a place she preferred, then everything would be going according to plan.
Sakura took me to the place she wanted to visit. I must admit, I hadn't expected the location. We went to a part of the building used specifically for club activities, located away from the school. She guided me around a building that had a pronounced Japanese flair, one that hosted things like the archery club and the tea ceremony club. From a short distance away, we could hear the sound of arrows being fired.
"You're not doing any club activities, right?"
"I'm not, but I've wanted to come here at least once. I'd stand out if I came by myself, so..."
kanzaki -"well i guess given her personality i guess she wasn't able to see the place"
Haruka -"Airi , if there is any place then you can ask to to come with you"she said
Sakura -" huh..ok"
If you hung around here on your own, people would think you were interested in joining their club. However, if a couple came together, then people would just assume they were on a date.
"Why did you ask me to come out, anyway?" she asked.
"Hmm? Why? It's kind of hard to answer when you ask me like that." I was worried about how everything would go tomorrow. But even if I said something, I'd still feel uneasy. "I asked you because I thought it would be good to get a change of scenery, I suppose. I mean, I'm kind of a loner, so I usually just stay in my room. I have a tendency to hang back all the time."
Onodera -"what's that supposed to mean i thought you were going to tell her something for tomorrow"
Sakura looked somewhat unconvinced by my roundabout answer. "Ayanokouji-kun, don't you have lots of friends?"
"I do? Like who?"
Sudo -"bro did you just forget about me" he said
kushida -"yeah aren't we supposed to be friends ayanokoji-kun"she said with a cute expression i wonder what she really thinks about me.
"Horikita-san, Kushida-san, Ike-kun, Sudou-kun, Yamauchi-kun..." She listed their names while counting them on her fingers.
"Well, they're just for show. No, you're right, a friend is a friend. I guess what I mean is, I feel like that's all we are. I feel like I'm still kind of standing outside the group and looking in. Do you think we get all along, Sakura?"
Horikita -"well you are always like that you want to make friends but you don't take the initiative this reminds me of your pathetic everyday attempts you were making during the staring of the year to make friends . You always look from a distance like a person who dislikes trouble and don't want to get involved too much" she said. It stung my heart a little but it's also true that i never tried to get too close to them.
Sakura nodded without hesitation. If she said so, perhaps it was true. I guess I just didn't understand myself.
"I don't know how to make friends at all. I'm envious. You were the first person to call me a friend."
"What about Kushida? Wasn't she the first person who invited you out?"
Sheepishly, Sakura gave a self-deprecating smile. "Yeah. I should apologize to Kushida-san sometime. She was the first one to call and invite me out, because I didn't have the courage... I actually wanted to hang out with her. I just couldn't answer her, no matter what I did. I'm so pathetic."
Kushida -" no, you don't need to worry about it sakura-san"
If you were good at making conversation with other people, you'd have an easier time of it. I was once again impressed by Horikita's ability to make fun of Ike and Yamauchi while also dealing naturally with complete strangers. That was a splendid talent.
Horikita -" GOD , why did i even did to you that you just keep saying to me so sarcastically" she said exasparated
Ayanokoji -"i really think it's splendid talent of yours though" i said ,horikita hit me really what the problem with this women.
"Can I give you one bit of advice for tomorrow?"
I didn't intend to give her empty encouragement like "Do your best." Sakura should face tomorrow entirely as herself.
Onodera -"what do you mean by that isn't saying "do your best" is the best way to encourage someone"
Kushida- "I think ayanokoji-kun is right "do your best" is a way to encourage someone but it also in a way ends up with the impression for the person to think like they need to match other's pace only ending up resulting in more pressure , in sakura-san case it would only lead to increase her anxieties" she said , listening to her onodera seem to think about a little more.
"For Sudou. For Kushida. For your classmates. Throw all of those thoughts away."
keisei -"Huh? Throw them away...?" he seemed confused.
Ike -"what that supposed to mean?"
"Huh? Throw them...all away?"
"When you testify tomorrow, speak for yourself. As someone who tells the truth of what she saw, as a witness."
It was good for a self-reliant person to try doing something for other people. However, Sakura still couldn't properly take care of herself. She had a tendency to wrap herself up and endure pain, sorrow, and suffering alone. If you weren't happy yourself, then you couldn't make others happy, either.
"Tell the truth for your own sake. Do that, and Sudou will be saved. That's enough."
Ike -"ahmm, i don't know but these words of yours seems to be persausive"
Onodera -"well couldn't you have said those words sooner" she said
Haruka -" well, i guess i now understand why airi loves him so much" she thought
I didn't know how effective my advice would be. It probably was meaningless blather, actually. But perhaps it was right to encourage Sakura to speak for herself. Maybe I did it because I understood how it felt to be wanted. Because I needed someone to know I understood the pain and anguish of battling loneliness.
"Thank you, Ayanokouji-kun."
Hopefully, my words had found purchase somewhere in Sakura's heart.
Ike -" But i still don't get why she is so afraid to start conversation, I understand she is shy but it's still too much" he said
Kirito -"well i will now show you the reason for that"
My phone's tracking data displayed the entrance of the electronics store. Not to be put off, Ichinose came running after me and stuck close. As we approached our destination, I was incredibly winded. I had to stop and catch my breath. Just as a precaution, I signaled Ichinose to be quiet.
Ike -"now you are with ichinose what's with this luck of yours"
Professor -"it's normal ike, all the loner mc get to know the popular girls in anime it's very typical"
Ike -"So you are saying i just have to become a loner to attract all these girls"
Chihiro -"If you even came near to ichinose-san i will kill you"she said with stern voice ike gulped hearing that.
Shibita -"leaving them aside Ichinose-san why were you running what's happening"
Ichinose -"oh you will see soon, it's easier to understand that way"
"Please don't contact me anymore!"
Haruka -"is that you airi but who are you saying that to" she asked though airi was a little scared remembering what happened back then seeing that haruka didn't persue any further.
"Why would you say something like that? You're my treasure... Ever since I first saw you in a magazine, I've loved you. Meeting you again here, I felt like it was destiny. I love you... I can't stop feeling this way about you!"
Kushida -"If i remember correctly isn't that the electronic store employ is that why you asked us to accompany you sakura-san"
Sakura -"y..yes"
Kanzaki -"so that's why she is afraid of making contact with other's"
"Stop... Please, stop it!" Sakura shouted. She took something out of her bag. Letters. It looked like dozens...no, hundreds of letters. I wondered how many this man had sent.
Some girls just looked with disgust looking at those
Shinohara -"you should have just told us sakura-san we could have reported him"
Onodera -"yeah, he is disgusting"
"How do you know my room number? Why do you keep sending these?"
"Why? Of course I would know your room number and send you letters. It's because our hearts are connected."
Okitani -"he is too creepy"
Ike -"yeah it's too much even for me"
Sakura had probably been suffering ever since she started school here. Her fan knew her identity, and she had to deal with his attention every day. However, Sakura had had enough and, thanks to her newfound courage, was going to break away. She'd decided to free herself from him here and now. Her resolve made sense now.
Haruka -"well looks like kiyopon's words helped her to stand but airi if you have any problems plz don't hesitate to ask for help i will always be there for you i am your friend after all"
Akito -"yeah you can rely on us too ayanokoji-group will always help you"
Airi -"thank ..you"
"Please stop it. It's bothering me!"
She tossed the bundle of letters to the floors, rejecting the man's unrequited love.
"Why... Why would you do something like that? Even after I wrote out my feelings to you!"
"D-don't come any closer!"
Keisei -"this doesn't look good i have a bad feeling"
The man closed the distance between him and Sakura. He walked with an intensity that made it look as though he were about to attack. Latching onto Sakura's arm, he shoved her up against the store's shuttered door.
Many students just looked away watching this .
"I'll show you just how much I love you now... If I do that, then you'll understand, Sakura."
"No, let me go!"
Mashima sensei -" we need to talk about this to school about students safety i think we need to increase security "
Chabashira -"yeah, as there homroom teacher i can't overlook this either"
Hoshonomiya -"i didn't know we have creepy people in here i vouch with you for increasing the security"
Sakagami -"i also think the same"
Ichinose tugged on my sleeve. Apparently, we couldn't leave things alone any longer. I'd wanted to wait until we could catch him in the act with something definitive, but it looks like I had no choice. Taking Ichinose's arm, we strutted out like a delinquent couple. While walking by, we took pictures with our phones, our cameras clicking repeatedly.
"Ah, looks like we caught them! That old guy's doing something naughty!"
Ike -" huh?! , ayanokoji i didn't know you can speak like that"
"Huh?!"
Sakura was completely dumbfounded after hearing me speak in the unfamiliar tone of a delinquent. It was incredibly embarrassing, but I dealt with it.
Horikita -"couldn't you have just said normally"
Ayanokoji -" i needed to intimidate him so that he won't come near her again"
"Ooh, 'Adult harasses high school girl.' I can just see the headlines tomorrow; it'll be a huge scandal!"
"N-no! That's wrong. You're wrong!"
"Hmm, it certainly doesn't sound wrong. Does it? It kind of looks that way, don't you think?"
Ichinose tried to match my performance, but her tone was cruel. The man, now flustered, hurriedly pulled away from Sakura. But we were prepared with our cameras.
"Wrong? I don't think so. Whoa, look at all those letters! Gross. Are you a stalker?"
She pinched her nose as she picked up the letters, as if grabbing someone else's socks. She picked them up by their corners, using only her index finger and thumb.
"You're wrong. It's just...yeah, that. She said she wanted someone to teach her how to use a digital camera, so I said I'd teach her one-on-one. That's all."
"Hmmm."
I drew closer to the man, pressing him up against the shutter.
Everyone -"Ayonokoji !"well looks like they didn't expect me to act like that at all
Ryuuen -"Well that's the only way , after all violence is the ultimate weapon to win"he said.
"Me and my girlfriend saw everything. So we took pictures. If you show your face to that girl again, or send her any more disgusting letters, we'll expose you. Got it?"
"Ha ha ha ha! What are you talking about? I really don't...know what you're talking about."
"You don't know what I'm talking about? You're not weaseling out of this, old man. If you so much as raise a hand at or even just ogle this idol, that'll be the end for you. I'll beat the shit out of you. Got it?"
Ike -"I didn't expect this for real"
Haruka -"you looks kinda cool kiyopon"
Professor -"oh this is the typical happening where mc saves a girl and then she falls in love with him but the mc is too dense to see that and just start acting like he always does"
Airi -"eeeeeeeh!!, ...It's nothing....like ..that" she said
Ayanokoji -"don't take him seriously i know it's not like that " i told her but when i said that airi seemed a little disappointed and haruka sighed in exasperation.
"Eek!"
After he completely lost his will to fight, I deliberately gave him some time to escape.
"G-goodbye! I won't do that ever again!"
The store clerk raced back inside the store to get away from us. With the source of her terror gone, Sakura suddenly looked exhausted. She looked like she was going to topple over and collapse, so I hurriedly grabbed her arms and held her up.
"You did really well."
I'd preached at her a lot, but that was probably unnecessary now. She'd been trying to vanquish the suffering she'd faced on her own. I had to consider her feelings.
"Ayanokouji... kun. Why are you here?"
"I'm really glad that I exchanged contact information with you." I took out my phone, which showed Sakura's location.
Ike -"so that's how to reached there but why were you looking for her location "
Ayanokoji -"I saw Airi being followed by the clerk something was looking off so i decided to follow them with Ichinose"
"I guess I'm no good after all... I couldn't do anything by myself in the end."
Shinohara -"that's not true you were amazing sakura-san when you throw away all those letters"
karuizawa -"yeah that was kind of cool"
Hirata -"Ayanokoji-kun thank you for always helping the class"
Ayanokoji -"anyone would have done the same it's nothing special"
"That's not true. It was really cool when you threw those letters to the ground." I pointed to the mess of multicolored paper scattered everywhere.
"Hey, hey. Who's this mystery person you mentioned? Some idol?" Ichinose tossed one of the disgusting letters to the ground, tilting her head in confusion.
"That's..."
Although I didn't want to hide anything from Ichinose, I hesitated to speak without Sakura's permission. However, Sakura met my eyes and gave me a slight nod.
"Sakura over here was an idol when she was in junior high. Her name was Shizuku."
Everyone -" she is an idol!!1!!!1"
Shinohara -"wait so that means we have an idol in our class"
Onodera -"i never know about it"
Some students started to gather around sakura asking for signature
Kirito -"could you stop your gathering i have to complete the chapter " i don't know what he meant but it was enough to make everyone follow his command and airi sighed in relief.
"Huh?! Idol?! That's amazing! She's an entertainer! Ooh, shake my hand, shake my hand!" Ichinose was filled with childlike excitement.
"But I never appeared on TV or anything..."
"Even so, that's so amazing! I've never thought about becoming an idol or anything."
I didn't know about that. I thought that Ichinose had the face and figure for it... No, rather, I thought she had the necessary qualities.
"When did you realize, Ayanokouji-kun?" Sakura asked.
"A little while ago. Sorry. Several other people in class realized, too." Since she was going to find out eventually, I decided to just tell her.
"I think I'm actually glad about this, though... It's been hard to lie."
If this situation had given Sakura the ability to finally remove her mask, then it was a good thing.
"At any rate, you were way too brave. I was going to have to step in if something happened."
"Ha ha... Yeah, you're probably right. I was so scared."
The girl who had openly cried in front of me yesterday was now laughing in a rather peculiar way. She laughed while seemingly on the verge of tears.
Shinohara -"wait , she cried i don't remember that watching"
Kirito -"because that happened on the day of testimony i didn't show you how it went"
Shinohara -"but why didn't you show us what happened in the meeting"
kirito -"because i don't want to write much just keep watching "
Shinohara -"write..."
"Ayanokouji-kun... Don't look at me with such strange eyes."
"Strange eyes?"
"Never mind, it's nothing." Sakura didn't clarify, but she wore a slightly happy smile on her face. "Do you think everyone would notice if I came to class without my glasses, and changed my hairstyle?"
"I think there's a possibility that people at school might panic when they notice...but I think it'll be fine."
Ike -"yeah it will be cause ruckus in the whole school but you never came to school like that sakura-san"
Shinohara -"It's because of perverts like you"
Ike -"what did you say !"
I suddenly pictured a beautiful girl, with tons of spectators rushing forward to catch a glimpse of her. She had a gentle disposition, and qualities that would make boys naturally crowd around her.
"Whoa... You're so amazingly cute! You make a completely different impression without your glasses!"
It seemed as though Ichinose had looked up Shizuku on her phone. She seemed excited by what she found. Even though the incident with Sudou might have endangered our class and highlighted our lack of unity, at least it had given Sakura a chance to grow. Maybe it was all worth it, in the end.
Horikita -"Well, you are right about it if sudo's case would have never happened you wouldn't have a chance to get to know her and who know's what would have happened, then but the way you are saying it sounds like a parent "
Ayanokoji -"i don't know about that"
Wait. I really wasn't the type of person to think like that. Or, perhaps, I should say that I didn't know what kind of person I was in the first place. Was this the real me? I felt a bit confused.
Sakayanagi- "of course you felt confused after all this is the first time you are given the chance to take actions according to your own will "she thought amusingly watching her childhood friends actions since enrollment.
Ike -"huh, what's that supposed to mean"
Keisei- "yeah what do you mean it's as if you don't know who you are"
I just stayed silent since i don't know what my response should be
Kei -"well i guess i understand that it was something same when i asked him weather it's his true self or not it's like he don't know his own personality, he is like a child born yesterday with super intelligence and physical strength" she thought
"Sorry. For being quiet for so long."
"It's nothing you have to apologize for. We don't have to talk about it. However, I think that now we have the type of relationship where we can talk about things. If you're suffering or if you feel lost, you can talk to me. You should consult Horikita and Kushida, too."
Kushida - "yeah you can always count on me sakura -san"
Horikita -"I don't know how much i will be able to help but you can consult with me "she said and then "I don't think you can talk good things about me like that so were you trying to throw the responsiblity on us while looking for a way to get out of trouble you might have to deal with later answer honsetly"she whispered it into my ear
Ayanokoji -"i was being honest" i said while horikita gave me incomprehensible look.
Behind me, Ichinose purposefully flopped over in an exaggerated manner.
"So, you're telling her 'You can talk to me.' I wonder what you mean?"
Shibita -"I didn't think you would tease Ayanokoji-kun like that... Were you already friends by then?"
Ichinose -"huh, well he helped me many times"
Ike -"Wait, if i remember correctly you called ichinose-san your GIRLFRIEND DIDN'T YOU I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ANY REASON TO PRETEND OR WAS THERE" the moment ike said that everyone noticed that too , i don't know why but ichinose was blushing a little it's true that there was no reason for me to call her girlfriend but that time i didn't thought much about it, now then how should i get out of this situation.
Ayanokoji -"i was playing the role of delinquent so i thought that was how i should speak i didn't meant anything really" some boys were still glaring at me, ichinose after hearing my response seem a little down for who knows why, and sakayanagi and ryuuen seem to be enjoying the situation.
I had no answer for that.
"Okay. I understand," Sakura murmured.
"Ah, I'll help out too." Though Ichinose didn't know her too well, she still smiled at Sakura.
"I'm Ichinose, from Class B. It's nice to meet you, Sakura-san."
Sakura looked a little hesitant, but shook Ichinose's outstretched hand.
(Go on, find the text. If you can, that is...)