After resolving the camera issue, the four of them left the electronics store.
"Sakura, now that we've taken care of the camera problem, can we discuss yesterday's issue?" Kushida's attention had been on this all along; it was her main purpose for coming today.
"Well..."
Though she had agreed to come out with Kushida today, for some reason, Sakura Airi could sense an inexplicable attitude from the short-haired girl that even felt somewhat dangerous.
"Hey, Kushida, can you not be so impatient?"
Seeing Sakura Airi's hesitant expression, Yudao understood that besides being shy, this girl was probably also timid. Even if she had witnessed a violent incident, getting her to agree to testify wouldn't be easy.
"That's right, let's give Sakura some time to think," said ichinose Honami.
As an expert at reading social cues, she had clearly noticed that Sakura didn't seem particularly adept at socializing.
"Well, alright. If you make up your mind, Sakura, be sure to tell me right away."
Hearing these two suddenly unite in their stance, Kushida Kikyou immediately changed her tone.
"Mmm..."
Sakura Airi nodded gently, but her gaze unconsciously drifted toward the only male in the group, Yudao Guang.
"Um, thank you for earlier, Yudao. I was a bit..." She felt she should thank him for his help, especially when facing the clerk's frightening gaze that had left her speechless.
"It's no problem. Everyone has things they're good at and things they're not. If you encounter difficulties, you can always rely on friends around you."
A smile appeared on the young man's face as he pointed to Kushida Kikyou and ichinose Honami beside him. He continued slowly, "If Sakura has any problems, both Kushida and ichinose will help you. You can trust them."
"That's right, we all want to be Sakura's support," said ichinose Honami, who excelled at uniting classmates. She quickly understood Yudao's meaning and spoke up, "Even if we're not in the same class, if Sakura has any difficulties, I'll definitely lend a hand."
"Me too, me too," Kushida added.
"Thank you... all of you."
Although grateful, Sakura Airi inherently couldn't express her feelings straightforwardly. In this situation, besides saying thanks, she couldn't respond with any other promises or statements.
"And me too. If Sakura has any questions for me, I promise to answer honestly."
After confirming the analysis of [Sakura Airi Stock], Yudao immediately began testing his approach.
Since this girl was so shy, he needed to control his pace carefully. If he made her uncomfortable, it would be troublesome.
So from earlier, the young man's demeanor and gaze had been gentle, avoiding any appearance of being overly eager to get close.
"Mm."
Sakura Airi looked at Yudao's face, and when their eyes met, she once again experienced that sense of calm from before.
Indeed, this Yudao didn't seem to have those strange thoughts that other boys had when dealing with her.
Sakura Airi confirmed her feelings repeatedly and found they were genuine. This was the first time since entering this school.
For the first time when facing a boy's gaze, she didn't feel fear or the need to escape.
As the four of them were walking toward the exit of Zelkova Shopping Center, several female figures appeared ahead on the street. They looked like Ando Sayo and Himeno's group.
They naturally saw the group at the roadside and waved, seeming to want to come over and say hello.
Yudao keenly noticed Sakura Airi's face turning slightly pale beside him and made a decision: "Since we've run into acquaintances, why don't ichinose and Kushida go say hello?"
"Doesn't Yudao want to go?" ichinose Honami asked, puzzled. They were all classmates, after all.
"Don't forget, we have another companion with us. Do you want to leave Sakura here by herself?"
Yudao explained his reasoning with a smile. Both girls were smart enough to understand his meaning: Sakura Airi probably wouldn't want to go over and say hello.
"Then Yudao can stay here with Sakura. We'll be right back," said ichinose Honami, nodding after glancing at Sakura Airi's lowered head.
"Yes, we'll just go say hi."
Despite wearing a mask of politeness, Kushida Kikyou's social butterfly image was deeply ingrained, so she couldn't refuse to say hello. After all, relationships between girls can be quite delicate. If someone waves at you in greeting and you pretend not to see, things can get complicated.
After the two girls left, only Yudao Guang and Sakura Airi remained.
"Thank you, Yudao..." The red-haired girl's voice was faint, but she understood his kindness.
"It's nothing. I'm sure they'll explain on my behalf. We're all acquaintances anyway."
Seeing Yudao's relaxed expression and the consistent gentle attitude he projected, Sakura Airi mustered her courage and spoke to him.
"Yudao has probably heard about me from Kushida, about being a witness."
"Indeed."
Yudao recalled the specific information from [Sakura Airi Stock]. Things that would lower her stock price included forcing her to do things she didn't want to do or pushing her into the spotlight.
Given her naturally shy and timid personality, asking her to do such things was truly difficult.
"So, what does Yudao think I should do?" Sakura Airi looked at his face, wanting to hear his opinion.
"Well..."
Yudao carefully chose his words. Unlike ichinose Honami and Kushida Kikyou, who were both adept at social interactions and could handle more direct conversation without fear of cutting off communication or refusing to talk, this red-haired girl was completely different. Before establishing a relationship of trust, he had to treat her with the gentlest approach.
"My thought is actually quite simple. Sakura should just be herself."
Yudao didn't deliberately observe Sakura Airi's expression. Instead, he kept his gaze on the girls gathered on the roadside ahead, keeping the conversation light. "Remember what I said earlier? Everyone has things they're good at and things they're not. Even if Sakura is truly connected to this incident, it doesn't mean you have to take on this responsibility."
"Because it's not your fault, so you don't need to bear the pressure."
"If you have evidence, you can certainly turn it over to others who can handle it," Yudao's tone was light, but his meaning was clear. "If not, then just provide a simple statement to express your position."
"Before you decide whether to actively help others, no one can force you to make a decision. I hope Sakura can be yourself."
"Be... myself?"
Sakura Airi placed her hands on her chest, seriously contemplating the meaning of these words.
"Yes, be yourself. You can decide what you want to do and what you don't want to do."
Yudao looked at the system stock again, believing this approach was correct.
Sure enough, a moment later, the system's message appeared.
[Your words have given Sakura Airi courage. She wants to help her class. Sakura Airi has become more trusting and attentive toward you. Sakura Airi stock price increased by 10 points, current price: 40.]
After glancing at the system prompt, Yudao understood his direction was right. To build trust with this shy and timid Sakura, he needed to proceed slowly, not forcing but guiding her to think for herself.
It would be best to increase his own significance in this process to better improve the stock price.
"I've made up my mind. I'll tell Kushida about what happened that day," Sakura Airi strengthened her resolve.
"Good. Sakura just needs to confirm your own thoughts. There's no need to compromise yourself."
After saying this, Yudao pondered for a moment. His plan yesterday had been to gather and organize relevant information after confirming the witness, to perhaps plan some countermeasures for the upcoming hearing.
But after interacting with Sakura Airi and buying her stock, his thoughts had changed.
This red-haired girl's personality traits were very clear. If he advised her and taught her how to perform at the hearing, it might lower her stock price.
After all, Yudao hadn't yet established a closer relationship of trust with Sakura, and the girl's abilities and personality weren't suited for performing in front of teachers and student council members during a hearing.
It seemed he needed to change direction and select someone more suitable to lead the hearing.
"What is Yudao thinking about?"
Seeing the contemplative expression on the young man's face, Sakura Airi actively expressed her curiosity.
"Just some simple things, nothing important," Yudao shook his head slightly and said softly to Sakura Airi, "Sakura just needs to remember to put yourself first. Don't force yourself."
"If you encounter particularly thorny issues, don't bear the pressure. You can seek help from others."
Yudao looked at the two girls who had finished their greetings and were walking back, then turned to Sakura Airi and said gently, "Everyone is here for you."
"Mm."
Sakura Airi silently remembered Yudao's words, but for her to truly take the first step would not be easy. The girl herself had little confidence.
"We're back, Yudao."
After ichinose Honami and Kushida returned to the two, everyone made their way back to the dormitory together.