Members Result in Point Deductions?
After sending Kushida Kikyou away, Hashima Hikaru returned to his desk. He planned to check out the blog where Sakura Airi was active as an idol. Not only did it feature many photo sets of the girl, but it also had comments from fans supporting her.
Having just bought her stock, Hashima felt that if he wanted to get closer to her, this aspect of Sakura Airi would be an important breakthrough point. It might potentially lead to a substantial increase in stock price, so doing some homework in advance would be beneficial.
However, as he browsed through the photos, he noticed something strange.
One commenter showed extremely fanatical behavior, replying to almost every update Sakura Airi posted. It would be fine if they were just expressing support, but this person's comments were filled with an unhealthy obsessive tone.
Comments like "I'll always be watching Shizuku-chan," "Our hearts are definitely connected," and "I'll support Shizuku-chan non-stop" were scattered throughout.
If these were just simple fantasy comments, it wouldn't be concerning, but one particular comment caught the young man's attention:
[Shizuku-chan's casual outfit today is very tasteful. Did you choose it especially for me?]
To conceal her identity, besides the photos posted on her blog, Sakura Airi usually dressed very simply at school.
Even that day when they went to retrieve the camera together, the girl was wearing simple long-sleeved tops and pants, looking very modest.
Yet this commenter mentioned her casual outfit. Could they know Sakura Airi's real identity?
Hashima rubbed his chin, quickly connecting this to the male store clerk at the electronics shop he had noticed earlier. That guy had clearly shown excessive interest in Sakura Airi, even to a creepy degree.
"Could it be the same person? But there's no evidence..."
The young man lightly tapped the table. If he confronted the clerk directly, he might not get any answers.
After all, the man was a staff member employed by the school. Beyond his basic job duties, he had no obligation to answer questions.
"I need to gather more information first. Maybe I can start by approaching Sakura?"
Hashima returned to the main screen of his phone. In the chat section with friends, there was a unique feature—after exchanging contact information, if location information sharing was allowed, one could see the other person's location.
The young man had discovered this feature long ago but hadn't used it much. After all, when coordinating with classmates before, they could just talk directly in the classroom.
But now, with Sakura Airi being in a different class, this feature might come in handy.
"I should keep an eye on her movements. This level of stalking must be causing her a lot of trouble," Hashima sighed. "I've emphasized several times that she can confide her troubles in me as a friend. Haven't I earned her deeper trust yet?"
After finishing his thoughts, the young man prepared to go to the swimming pool to exercise. Let's take it step by step—he'd find opportunities to get closer.
By the next day, after a day of classes and just before school ended, Hashima suddenly received a text message from Sakura Airi.
Sakura Airi: Hashima-san, I have something to tell you today. Can we meet before dinner?
The young man didn't hesitate at all and immediately replied.
Hashima Hikaru: Sure, I'm free anytime.
But after sending this message, he didn't receive a response. Hashima immediately took out his phone and began checking Sakura Airi's location information.
"Where is she going? This is..."
After roughly seeing her destination on the map, Hashima's expression changed. He immediately grabbed his bag and rushed out of the classroom, causing nearby classmates to turn and look. Even Ichinose Honami's face showed surprise.
Was there some urgent matter?
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Meanwhile, Sakura Airi had mustered up her courage to confront the fan who had been harassing her with letters. It turned out to be the male clerk she had seen at the electronics store. When he saw the girl appear, the corners of his mouth curved into a smug smile.
"So it really is Shizuku-chan. I knew it. I knew you would come to see me. This is our destiny..."
Before he could finish, Sakura interrupted him. Although her heart was pounding nervously, she forced herself to speak through her discomfort: "Please stop contacting me. I'm very troubled by it!"
"What are you saying? You're very important to me, Shizuku-chan. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you in that magazine. The fact that we can meet here—doesn't that prove we're destined to be together?" The clerk's expression grew increasingly fanatical, his words completely devoid of logic.
"Please stop doing this. How did you know my shoe locker? I don't want any of these things."
Sakura Airi took out a large stack of colorful envelopes from her bag and threw them on the ground.
"...Do you even need to ask? Our hearts are connected, so of course I'd know where your shoe locker is."
After seeing the girl throw all the envelopes on the ground, a hint of viciousness appeared on the clerk's face, and his tone darkened: "These are all expressions of my love. Why are you rejecting my love?"
"We should be meant for each other. I... I must make you feel my love."
With those words, the clerk suddenly began to close the distance between himself and Sakura Airi. When the girl noticed this, she was immediately terrified, her legs beginning to tremble involuntarily.
"Don't... don't come any closer."
She now realized she had thought too simply—this person couldn't be reasoned with through words.
Just as Sakura Airi's heart was beating faster and her expression growing more terrified, she suddenly spotted a figure behind the male clerk, someone who looked familiar.
"Is that... Hashima-san?"
Sakura Airi rubbed her eyes, not quite believing it, but that figure became increasingly clear. Then she heard the young man's voice.
"Hey! You really don't know when to quit, do you? She's already rejected you so clearly. Continuing to harass her is just pathetic."
Hearing this, the clerk frowned. As he turned around, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his stomach because the figure had already rushed up close and kicked him hard in the abdomen.
"You must be the culprit! Unbelievable."
After recognizing this man as the obsessive stalker harassing Sakura Airi, Hashima didn't waste time with questions—he went straight into action.
Take this, you beast!
The combat techniques he had mastered yesterday proved their worth. After that kick, Hashima's movements became extremely fast. He quickly reached out and grabbed the man's head, then delivered a knee strike to his abdomen.
"Ugh..." The clerk struggled, letting out a painful howl.
[Combat Technique (Master)] not only taught Hashima fighting skills but also showed him which areas to avoid striking too hard and which areas could cause internal injuries without visible external marks.
So the young man proceeded with a series of precise strikes. After a final hit to the clerk's back, a scream echoed through the alley, and the man lost all strength, collapsing on the ground.
"Hmph, that all you got?"
Hashima dusted off his hands and immediately took out his phone to message someone he hadn't contacted in a long time.
Hashima Hikaru: Horikita-senpai, will beating a staff member on the artificial island result in class points being deducted?
Horikita Senpai: ?