Sakura's dorm was on the 11th floor. When Hikaru followed the red-haired girl into her room, he was immediately greeted by a faint, sweet fragrance.
This wasn't his first time entering a girl's dorm; he'd been to Ichinose's room before, as well as the rooms of Ando Sayo and Himeno Yuki from their class. But those were group gatherings—this time, it was just the two of them.
"Please… come in, Hikaru-kun." Her voice was soft and shy. She had seemed relatively composed outside, but now that they were alone in her dorm, she couldn't bring herself to meet his gaze.
"Excuse me for intruding."
Sakura's stock price had already climbed to 100. With 5,000 shares, this investment had great potential. Judging from how she had no reaction when he mentioned his brief conversation with Manabu, it was clear that she had no interest in the school's class competition.
This perfectly aligned with his initial assessment—Sakura was the kind of person who could be influenced through trust alone, without the complications of class politics. It was like mining a gold vein: as long as he maintained a steady, genuine relationship without any negative actions, her stock value would only continue to grow.
"Hikaru-kun, could you wait here for a moment? I just need to tidy up my bedroom."
After stealing a quick glance at him, Sakura blurted out the request and hurriedly retreated into her room, shutting the door behind her.
"Of course."
Hikaru casually took out his phone and began scrolling through the class group chat.
Meanwhile, in her room, Sakura's face was flushed as red as an apple. Her original plan had been to bring him straight into her bedroom to show him her blog, but the moment she stepped inside her dorm, she realized her bed was still strewn with various outfits from her last photoshoot.
If Hikaru-kun saw that mess, wouldn't he think she was weird?
Embarrassed, she opted to break from the plan and tidy her room first.
Sakura took a deep breath and began organizing the clothes, meticulously checking every corner of the room to ensure nothing embarrassing remained in sight. After folding the outfits and putting them back into the wardrobe, she removed her decorative glasses and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
About ten minutes later, she opened the door.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Hikaru-kun."
"No problem at all. It's not like I had any pressing plans."
When Hikaru looked up, he was genuinely taken aback.
Sakura had changed into a soft, flowing house dress that accentuated her slender, curvy figure. Without her red-rimmed glasses obscuring her face, her striking blue eyes stood out even more vividly. She'd also tied her hair into twin tails, framing her already cute features in a way that made her appear even more charming.
"That outfit really suits you, Sakura-san."
Hikaru didn't hesitate to compliment her—after all, that was the hallmark of a socially adept man.
"Th-thank you, Hikaru-kun."
Her heart fluttered at the unexpected praise. When she'd caught her reflection in the mirror earlier, she had spontaneously decided to change outfits, hoping to present a better version of herself to him.
Seeing the subtle glint of admiration in his eyes and hearing his genuine compliment made her decision feel completely justified.
She hated when others stared at her with strange or lustful expressions. But for some reason, Hikaru's gaze didn't bother her at all—in fact, it made her feel warm and… happy.
What's happening to me?
Just as her mind started wandering into unfamiliar territory, his voice brought her back to reality.
"So, are you ready, Sakura-san?"
"Ah—yes! I'm ready." She quickly shook off her distracting thoughts and led him into her bedroom.
Upon entering the room, Hikaru noticed the same faint fragrance lingering in the air. Sakura's room was quite minimalist; aside from the laptop on her desk, there were no plush toys, posters, or other decorations one might expect from a girl her age.
"Hikaru-kun, you can take a look at this. It's my blog and the content I usually post."
Sakura sat down at her desk and opened her homepage. The screen was soon filled with professional-quality photos of her modeling various outfits.
"Oh, wow…"
Hikaru leaned in, feigning surprise as he examined the images.
Sakura truly had the figure of a model. Her delicate features and impressive physique were perfectly accentuated by the stylish outfits. It was easy to see why she had a dedicated followers.
"This is amazing, Sakura-san."
Hikaru turned to her, his tone filled with genuine admiration. "I had no idea I was friends with such a popular blog idol. I should ask for your autograph while I still have the chance."
"My… my autograph?"
"Of course! You're famous, after all. Just look at your page's view count—it's really impressive." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Did you take all these photos yourself? Or do you work with a photographer?"
"Well… I started off doing everything on my own. I've always had a hard time relaxing in front of strangers, so I would set up the camera, take the shots myself, and then send the pictures to the magazine."
"They were surprisingly understanding about my situation, and I'm really grateful for that."
She dropped her gaze, visibly embarrassed. Even she realized that her solo-photography approach wasn't the industry standard.
"You're really amazing, Sakura-san. I bet most magazines wouldn't approve such an unconventional method."
Hikaru shifted his gaze from the screen to her face and smiled gently. "Well, now that you've shown me this secret side of yourself, it's only fair that I reciprocate. Do you have any questions for me? I promise to answer honestly."
Sakura froze.
The moment he made that offer, a rumor she'd once heard floated into her mind—a rumor she desperately wanted to confirm.
Steeling herself, she met his eyes and asked, "Hikaru-kun… are you dating anyone right now?"
"...?"
Where did that come from?
Thrown off by the sudden, personal question, instinctively responded, "No, of course not. I've never been in a relationship before. Why do you ask?"
"Oh… nothing in particular. I just… wondered." Sakura's cheeks burned as she hastily added, "Please don't take it the wrong way!"
His answer filled her with a strange sense of relief, even though she couldn't explain why.
"Anyway," she continued, "will you still be practicing photography in the future? If you want… I can help."
"Absolutely. After seeing your photos, I realize how much more I have to learn."
"I-I'll do my best then," she stammered, her heart fluttering at the thought of spending more time with him.
~~~
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