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"...Now that you have the Japanese Language exam papers, do you still plan to study? If not needed, I can refund all your points." Horikita pondered briefly, her tone still direct.
"Yes, I will," Akira replied promptly. "But I'll have to wait until I'm done with this busy period—Japanese Language tutoring will continue as usual, it's just that I have a lot of things to do this week, so let's postpone it until next week."
He mused inwardly: He'd just told Shiina this morning about the computer-related information, so she'd most likely contact him this week. As for Japanese Language... relying on the exam papers might get him through the midterm exam this time, but he might not be so lucky with future exams. Better safe than sorry, it's always good to build a solid foundation in advance.
As soon as he finished speaking, his phone in his pocket suddenly vibrated.
Akira took out his phone, and the name flashing on the screen was exactly as he expected—Shiina.
"Shimizu-kun, do you have time after school today? Could you accompany me to the electronics store near the school?" The voice on the other end of the phone was very soft, with a hint of cautious inquiry.
"Okay," he replied readily.
"Then... can we meet at the electronics store entrance at four o'clock?"
"Yes."
He hung up the phone and checked the time—there was still half an hour until school ended.
Akira recalled what he'd told Shiina this morning—the deliberately mixed misleading information had indeed led her to make an incorrect deduction.
He went back to his dorm to rest for a while, and only when the clock on the wall pointed to three fifty did he get up and walk to the school's electronics store.
This store was considered the largest comprehensive electronics store on campus: from small kitchen appliances to digital products like laptops and digital cameras, and even mobile phones and accessories, it had everything.
If a phone broke down, it could also be repaired here, which was quite convenient.
As soon as he stood at the store entrance, he saw that Shiina had already arrived.
As the two were about to walk in, a middle-aged, overweight man who was in charge of reception came up to them—the man was slightly plump, and his gaze lingered on Shiina's face and silver hair for a moment, with a hint of undisguised scrutiny in his eyes. He even subconsciously widened his eyes, as if surprised by her exceptionally outstanding appearance and rare hair color.
Akira subtly moved half a step closer to Shiina, just enough to block the man's somewhat blatant gaze. "Uncle, stop staring. Think about your age, it's not appropriate."
"You—" The overweight man suddenly froze, clearly not expecting the student to be so direct, and the smile on his face stiffened.
"You misunderstood." He quickly forced a smile again, though the warmth didn't reach his eyes, and his tone carried a greasy hint of explanation. "I was just surprised by this student's hair color, it's truly rare."
"Let's hope so," Akira replied blandly, his perfunctory tone undisguised.
He turned and tilted his head towards Shiina. "Let's find another staff member."
With that, he led Shiina towards the inner part of the store, deliberately avoiding the man.
"Shimizu-kun... you..." Shiina seemed to have just come to her senses, blinking her eyes, her tone filled with confusion and helplessness.
"Don't blame my strong attitude. That person doesn't seem like a good person," Akira slowed his pace and turned his head to explain to her.
He was, after all, her temporary "consultant," so he couldn't just watch her be offended by such a gaze.
"You misunderstood... I didn't mean to blame you, you know." Shiina chuckled and shook her head, the confusion in her eyes dissipating, replaced by clear gratitude. "On the contrary, I should thank you."
As a girl, she was more sensitive than anyone—she knew perfectly well what was hidden in that man's gaze towards her just now.
There was an astonishment at her rare silver hair, and even that undisguised desire that made one feel repulsed.
Before she could react, Akira had subtly shielded her behind him.
From helping her sort out her deductions about the computer this morning, to this timely rescue just now... unconsciously, he'd helped her quite a lot.
Shiina looked at Akira walking beside her, a faint arc curving on her lips, and said softly. "Shimizu-kun, you really are a very competent assistant."
"Because you paid points," Akira replied. "It's an equal exchange."
Although he said that, a subtle sense of guilt inexplicably arose in his heart.
After all, his initial proactive contact with Shiina was precisely because she was investigating the "surveillance rental"—in a sense, he approached her with an ulterior motive.
Shiina's personality was still very good. She was gentle, and her voice when speaking was soft, clear, and gentle like a voice actor's, so much so that just listening to her speak could unconsciously calm one's inner agitation.
She was like she came with a purifying aura—no matter how irritable a person was, spending time with her would unconsciously make them calm down.
In a way, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a "true angel."
It was just a pity that her current identity was that of a detective.
As this thought flashed, Akira had already raised his hand and pointed forward. "There are other staff members over there, let's go ask them. And see if we can find a list of all students who've bought computers here since the start of school."
Shiina immediately understood, nodded, and followed his steps. "Hmm! We might discover something, but I think that person is most likely a first-year student, otherwise they wouldn't know so much about who the core figures of the four classes are. We should mainly look at the first-year list."
The person who greeted them this time was a young, bespectacled staff member, who spoke politely. "What would you two like to look at?"
"We want to check the records of first-year students who bought computers in the store since the start of school," Akira stated his intention directly. "Preferably with the purchase date and specific student information. If we want to buy this information, how many points do we need to pay?"
Seeing the staff member's hesitation, he added, "We can provide class identification and sign a confidentiality agreement, we won't disclose it to others—how many points can exchange for this qualified purchase record?"
This statement made the meaning of "equal exchange" perfectly clear.
The staff member's fingers, holding the tablet, moved slightly, clearly weighing the options—transactions within the school were often settled with points, and the other party had proactively offered a guarantee. After all, it was just a list of computer buyers, not an excessive request.
She hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded. "I'll go ask the store manager for the price. Please wait here."
As the staff member turned and walked towards the back room, Shiina quietly nudged Akira's arm, her voice very low. "I'll pay for the points. I have investigation funds from Ryuuen-kun here."
Akira raised an eyebrow, looking at her with some surprise.
'I didn't expect her to be a rich girl with "public funds."'