The walk back with Airi Sakura wasn't smooth.
Like almost all schools, the student dormitories at the Advanced Nurturing High School are in a rather remote location, making it nearly impossible to avoid passing through some small alleys and corners.
Uncertain if the stalker was still around, Hiyori Shiina couldn't just foolishly head straight back to the dorms. She stuck to the main roads, walking alongside three girls who had been approaching from the opposite direction, and made her way unhurriedly to the outside of the student cafeteria.
It happened to be lunchtime, and the path between the cafeteria and the dorms was bustling with people. As the number of students around them gradually increased, the girl finally led Sakura in a turn, following some students who had just left the cafeteria, preparing to head back to the dorms.
As she turned, Hiyori Shiina glanced back and, as expected, could no longer see the stalker. He had apparently given up after realizing he had no opportunity.
Airi Sakura seemed to have noticed this as well. She paused for a moment and then visibly let out a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders gradually relaxing.
Noticing the change in the girl's state of mind, a smile appeared on Hiyori Shiina's face. Carrying her shopping bag, she walked unhurriedly ahead and said in a gentle tone:
"Pay attention, okay? If you realize you're being followed, remember to observe your surroundings and only walk on main roads and in crowded places. It's even better if you can shout for help."
"I... I know."
Airi Sakura shrank back, replying timidly—she couldn't do it.
...
Back at the dorm, Hiyori Shiina set the clothes aside for the moment and invited the girl to sit on the white rug, not rushing to ask any questions.
After offering a few words of comfort, Hiyori turned to prepare tea and snacks, intending to let the overly introverted girl first get comfortable with her surroundings.
A short while later, Hiyori Shiina came out with the tea and snacks, only to see Airi Sakura sitting in a W-sit, gazing at the full-length mirror in front of her. The corners of her mouth were curved in a faint smile, and she stealthily raised her hand to make a 'peace' sign in front of her chest—looking completely guilty!
"Oh my, it seems you've relaxed a bit," Hiyori chuckled, placing the tray in the center of the rug. Looking at the thoroughly blushing Airi Sakura, she asked curiously, "Do you like looking in the mirror too, Sakura-san?"
Don't ask why she used the word 'too.' That word was both the essence of the matter and a slippery slope not to be touched. You see, a certain someone was being very quiet right now, not interjecting at all.
"I... I... I..."
After stammering 'I' for a while, Sakura stole a glance at the gently smiling, angel-like girl. A complicated look gradually appeared in her eyes, and she suddenly lost all her courage, lowering her head in dejection.
It wasn't that she liked looking in the mirror; she liked taking photos and selfies, and even posted them online. If she said something like that, she'd be laughed at, wouldn't she? Hated, maybe?—I just don't want to be hated by someone like her, was Airi Sakura's thought at that moment.
"Well, it's okay if you don't want to talk about it. There's probably no one who likes looking in the mirror more than I do."
She silently emphasized the 'I' in her mind. Hiyori Shiina casually picked up her black tea, secretly teasing a certain ghost in her thoughts.
To this day, she still couldn't figure out Symon's true intention in having her buy a full-length mirror:
Was he satisfied with himself, or satisfied with 'himself'?
Did he like himself, or did he like 'himself'?
Or was it just a simple preference?
There were too many possible answers, making it a bit too difficult to guess.
Though, regardless of which it was, she had no intention of refusing. After all, compared to the friction and contact in their daily lives, this small matter was trivial.
As Hiyori was thinking this, Airi Sakura across from her clearly didn't follow her train of thought. She simply misunderstood that Hiyori was taking the lead in confessing a peculiar habit, and quickly waved her hands, saying with a blush:
"There's nothing wrong with liking mirrors! I like looking in the mirror too, and taking photos, and sel... selfies."
Hiyori Shiina: "?"
Symon Shiina: "?"
Not noticing the question marks Hiyori was practically radiating, Airi Sakura took out her phone, clutching it to her chest, and shyly lowered her head. "Shiina-san, do you... want to see?"
Hiyori Shiina tilted her head, thought for a moment, and then tentatively asked, "Is there anything... not quite suitable for others to see?"
You couldn't blame her for being nosy. Ever since Symon appeared in her life, the girl had maintained a considerable distance from other girls. She observed all the swimming lessons and never even set foot in places like the locker room. Symon never complained about this; it was a mutual understanding between them.
"If it's you, Shiina-san... it's okay."
Airi Sakura hesitated for a moment, then carefully woke up her screen. She found her blog account, named 'Shizuku,' opened it, and sat down next to Hiyori, scrolling through it with her.
Through Hiyori's eyes, Symon looked at Sakura's selfies with curiosity. They were called selfies, but in Symon's view, they were more like private photoshoots.
Just as his intuition had told him, Sakura was indeed very beautiful without her glasses and with a normal hairstyle; both her figure and her looks were top-tier. Compared to Ichinose, she was perhaps just a little behind in terms of looks, but her soft and gentle personality was a plus in his eyes, probably putting her on par with Ichinose.
Airi Sakura.jpg
After just a few pictures, Hiyori Shiina averted her gaze. Symon didn't mind and teased her in his thoughts, 'So, Hiyori, what do you think? I told you this girl was gorgeous, right?'
"That's certainly true. But I didn't expect this girl to be so bold," Hiyori Shiina remarked mentally.
"How should I put it..."
Symon pondered for a moment before speaking calmly, 'Aside from her clothing style being a bit bold, which, combined with a great figure, creates a strong visual impact, she's not actually revealing anything. It barely scrapes the threshold of being risqué.'
"However, for someone your age, showing these photos around would indeed be social suicide. If you hadn't helped her out, and if you weren't a girl yourself, she definitely wouldn't have shown them to you. Remember to keep it a secret for her."
"I see... I understand."
As Hiyori Shiina said this, she now began to look through the photos openly with Sakura, scrolling all the way from the most recent ones back to photos from two years ago, where the entries abruptly stopped.
Meanwhile, Airi Sakura quietly raised her head and looked at Hiyori nervously, hesitating as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.
"Please, don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
With an undisguisedly gentle smile, the girl raised her hand to her mouth and made a zipping motion, a gesture that was both cute and a little playful. Then she asked:
"Is this why you didn't want to make a scene? And what's the deal with that stalker? Is he using this to threaten or harass you?"
Airi Sakura visibly relaxed, hesitated, and then let out an 'Mm-hmm.' She randomly opened a blog post, found an account, opened its profile, and scrolled to the very bottom to show Hiyori Shiina all of his comments:
『Do you believe in fate? I do. From today on, we'll be together forever.』
『You were even cuter today.』
『Did you notice our eyes meet? I did.』
"Tsk... A sasaeng fan..."
Seeing this, Symon understood the situation. After a moment of thought, he spoke up: 'This is indeed tricky to handle. Hiyori, switch with me. I'll assess the situation.'
As he finished speaking, Hiyori Shiina didn't object, obediently relinquishing control of her body.
After taking over the body, Symon turned to Sakura beside him, thought for a moment, and then asked in a soft voice, 'Just in case, let me confirm first, do you have an agency contract, Sakura-san?'
Airi Sakura didn't understand why she was asking this and shook her head weakly. 'I've debuted on a magazine cover, but I don't have an agency contract.'
"Then do you know that person's identity?"
"He's a clerk at the electronics store on campus. I've been careful to avoid him, but it's no use..."
"Is the stalking frequent? When did it start?"
"Many times... ever since school started."
"Has he ever called you or sent you anything?"
"No..."
Through this back-and-forth, Symon gathered all the information. He searched for Japanese criminal law, and after putting down his terminal, he couldn't help but frown.
Noticing that he seemed to have run into a problem, Hiyori Shiina tentatively asked in her mind, 'Is something wrong, Mr. Ghost?'
"It's not a major issue. Getting him to leave the school is simple. The problem is that the sentence is only one year, with a fine of just one million."
Hiyori Shiina was stunned for a moment. After processing it, she chuckled and said, 'Mr. Ghost, you're thinking too far ahead. There are still three years until graduation. Besides, jobs in Japan are quite hard to find. Given the situation at the Advanced Nurturing High School, the pay must be quite generous.'
"No rush. Let me try something first."
Replying this in his mind, Symon's eyes darted. He found Ryūen's email on his terminal and his fingers began to move, typing out a bluff:
『Hiyori Shiina: I'm out of points. Send me 500,000. I'll give you a political achievement, and you might even be able to squeeze some points out of it.』
"Mr. Ghost, is this really okay?"
After seeing Symon's move, the girl spoke hesitantly, 'But we're asking for Ryūen-kun's help...'
"Is that a conflict? Don't worry, he'll be thanking me later."
Symon put away his personal terminal and looked at the clueless and timid Airi Sakura beside him, teasing in his mind, 'Besides, that Ryūen has already played the gallant protector twice now. I imagine one more time won't hurt.'
...
_____
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