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★★★
Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
First up was the behavioral standards exam, which assessed the principles a good student should uphold.
The students in the Class had probably experienced the pain, so today, surprisingly, no one touched their phones during Class.
But once Class was dismissed, they couldn't resist.
After all, phones had become an extension of their hands.
However.
Throughout the day, Hachiman couldn't find another opportunity to talk to Sakura.
He had originally intended to approach her after School, but she seemed to usually take her pink camera and explore the campus alone after afternoon classes, so he decided not to ruin her good mood.
After all, Hachiman wasn't that excessive.
And rather than finding reliable partners, Hachiman felt that Sakura should just remain cute.
So Hachiman felt it was better not to bother with Hirata's suggestion.
That's how it was supposed to be.
On his way back to the dorm after School in the afternoon, Hachiman found Kushida greeting students from other Classes in the Floor lobby.
It seemed she was planning to go back to the dorms to change out of her uniform before going shopping together in the Shopping Street.
Hachiman actually thought that since the Shopping Street was so close to the dorms and everyone was a student, they could just go in their uniforms.
However, girls also liked to dress up and show a different side of themselves.
And sometimes, you could see casual clothes you wouldn't normally see, so wasn't that quite nice?
Although he had no intention of getting close to anyone, Hachiman felt that this kind of School life was quite good.
However, as he was getting on the elevator, he suddenly stopped.
Because he found a black camera in a corner of the elevator.
And it probably hadn't been noticed, as there was a clear footprint on it.
It had been stepped on, and he didn't know if it was broken.
Now, Hachiman was alone in the elevator, so he squatted down and picked up the camera.
The step had caused some chipping on the camera's edge, and he didn't know if its functions were damaged.
"This is..."
As Hachiman turned on the camera, he saw a series of colorful landscapes.
Uh.
Hachiman felt that this thing probably couldn't be left with the staff on the Floor as lost and found.
...
"Good morning, Sakura."
The next morning, Hachiman arrived in the classroom as usual, waiting for Sakura to arrive, and preparing to greet her.
However, Sakura arrived very late today.
And her face looked a bit haggard.
She seemed to have not slept well.
Could it be that she encountered something unpleasant while exploring the campus alone with her pink camera yesterday?
"Ah... Mm, ah. Mm. Good, good morning." But Sakura responded with effort.
Although still timid, it was clear she was distracted.
"Did something happen?" Hachiman asked, considering briefly.
"No, nothing, that..." Sakura shook her head repeatedly, then seemed to be in low spirits as she folded her hands on the desk and buried her face in them.
However, Hachiman used this posture as a camera, and Sakura was probably very emotionally unstable.
But there's a technique to asking girls questions.
So he'd send a message to Kushida later, asking her to pay attention.
Kushida wants to be friends with everyone, so she might be willing to gain some friend points and solidify those relationships, right?
So, at lunchtime, just like yesterday, the Class went to the cafeteria to eat, leaving Hachiman and Horikita.
...
Horikita's lunch was still delicious.
Opening the bento box made one's appetite soar.
After Hachiman finished eating the convenience store rice ball he bought, he took out the camera he found yesterday.
"If it's lost and found, then it would be better to send it to the Student Council." Horikita Suzune said from the next seat.
"Why do you think it's something I found?" Hachiman asked.
"You don't look like someone who would be interested in photography." Horikita said.
Is that so?
Don't look down on photographers.
Hachiman remembered an anime called "Kaguya-sama: Love Is War." where the female protagonist, despite being incredibly wealthy, had a life dream of becoming a photographer to capture beauty.
And if he were to photograph, he could also capture beauty.
And speaking of beauty, Hachiman had said that coming to this Class, it felt very strange.
Why were there so many beautiful girls?
And girls like Horikita Suzune and Kushida, and even Kei Karuizawa, Hasebe, and Matsushita from the gyaru group, were all worth capturing.
Although Sakura tied her long pink hair into fluffy twin tails with two hair ties, making her seem a bit old-fashioned.
But Hachiman thought she was quite cute, and she wore glasses.
Wasn't there a saying? Some people look better with glasses, and some look worse.
So Sakura might also be one of those who sealed her attractiveness with glasses.
Overall, the girls he encountered didn't seem like the kind you'd normally come across.
So if there were cameras to record beauty, then their looks would definitely make the list.
And from other Classes, Hachiman only knew Sakayanagi Arisu.
Sakayanagi, though a bit childlike in appearance, was quite cute, so she also qualified to be recorded.
But if she knew someone was going to record her with a camera, she would definitely tease him mercilessly.
In fact, besides these girls, Hachiman occasionally encountered a beautiful girl with long, golden-pink hair when going up and down the dorms.
She was cheerful and enthusiastic, occasionally a bit clumsy.
But she had many friends.
Very outgoing.
So, if a camera were to record, this student should also be given a spot, right?
Hachiman privately thought her looks were no worse than Horikita's.
"..."
He had to stop these dangerous thoughts.
However, since Horikita had taken the initiative to speak, Hachiman decided to respond to her.
"I did want to return it." Hachiman said.
"But this thing probably can't be seen by others. If it's released, it'll be public execution."
?
Horikita finished her lunch very quickly today, and the dishes she brought were also changed, equally delicious.
It was already the second day, but Horikita still ignored him in the classroom and didn't show any humility.
Hachiman had given up hope.
However, he took out the black camera he found last night.
Because for something like this, it might be better for a girl to handle it.
"Don't be surprised." Hachiman said. "I found this in the elevator."
"Because I saw it had been stepped on, I was curious and turned it on to check if it was broken."
"Oh."
Horikita Suzune said.
She originally didn't care much, but Hikigaya was someone her brother approved of.
And her brother had told her to pay attention to Hikigaya, so she would also dedicate some thought to seeing what he was doing.
Like the recent incident where he deliberately destroyed the camera, got points deducted, and exposed the Class evaluation scores.
He probably thought that even if the true nature of this school was known and told to the students, they wouldn't comply, or even care.
So.
He used the method of directly exposing the score, making everyone face such a situation in advance.
And Horikita Suzune couldn't think of this operation.
This Hikigaya Hachiman brought new things to her.
So she held a sense of respect for Hikigaya.
Therefore, Horikita still thought he was doing something very profound.
That's what she originally thought.
Why say that?
Because.
After Hachiman turned on the power, what Horikita Suzune saw were selfies of a super beautiful pink-haired girl in different environments and outfits.
Moreover, most of the photos were quite revealing.
Just like... suggestive images.
"I misjudged you." Horikita Suzune immediately said.
"I thought you were different from ordinary boys."
"As it turns out."
Horikita Suzune began to look at him with the eyes of someone looking at trash.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Hachiman immediately realized his reputation was being damaged.
"This is a camera I found, it's not mine, and if it really were my camera, why would I put suggestive images in a camera? Isn't it easier to put them on a phone?"
"..." Horikita's expression didn't say she believed him or not.
But this was indeed a misunderstanding.
Because Hachiman's phone was really clean, with no strange pictures.
After all, he was always alone before.
So he didn't use his phone much, and he didn't even have friends who would share such content.
Moreover, Komachi was also at home, and if he put something inappropriate on his phone and his sister learned bad things, it would be terrible.
So this was a brother's broad mind.
Only.
"Actually, these aren't bad photos." At that moment, a voice rang out.
It turned out that a student had returned to the classroom early.
She had short golden hair and an angel like cute face.
It was Kushida, who was gentle with everyone.
Perhaps for two consecutive lunch breaks, she noticed that Hachiman and Horikita Suzune didn't go to the cafeteria but stayed in the classroom, so she specifically rushed back after eating lunch to continue her task of befriending Horikita Suzune.
But.
Kushida actually noticed the camera Hachiman was holding.
She said.
"These are a girl's selfies." Kushida said. "If they're not returned to her, she'll be very worried."
?
"Since this morning, Sakura's condition hasn't been quite right." Kushida said.
Huh?
Is that so?
He forgot.
Hachiman had thought about sending a message to Kushida to pay attention to Sakura, thinking that if there were any girl-related topics, Kushida would handle them well.
But he forgot for a moment.
And because he had to follow behavioral norms, he was also forcibly abstaining from using his phone.
So he forgot to send a message to Kushida.
Only.
"So you were paying attention to Sakura's condition? She really wasn't doing well today." Hachiman said.
"I was also wondering what happened, and it turns out you found her camera." Kushida said.
?
Hachiman looked at Kushida strangely.
"Don't trick me, Sakura's camera is pink."
"She usually takes her pink camera and goes around the school taking pictures alone after school." Hachiman said.
"Hikigaya really pays attention to Sakura." Kushida said.
Please call him a human observer.
He paid attention to most of his classmates, and Sakura's seat was so close, so naturally, he paid attention to her early.
"Although you said she usually carries a pink camera, this black camera is indeed Sakura's." Kushida said assertively.
"Why?"
"Because these photos are her selfies, and if she puts selfies in a camera, it must be her own." Kushida said.
"And the one she usually uses at school is probably just a regular camera for recording."
"Sakura used to be a print model, so it's not strange for her to have two or even three cameras." Kushida said.
Oh.
I see.
So the suggestive images are Sakura's... bah, I mean, this is Sakura's camera?
"Eh!"
Upon learning this fact, Hachiman almost stood up immediately.
Because.
Sakura's true face is suggestive images... bah, I mean, beneath her glasses is indeed a super beautiful face?
So his guess was correct after all.
Glasses are a seal on one's looks.
Hachiman felt he should buy a pair of plain glasses to wear, because his sister also said his eyes were too dull.
Like dead fish.
So, is it possible that by wearing glasses, he would also become a bit more handsome?
...
That afternoon, at the time of dismissal, Sakura Airi, who had appeared haggard and dejected in the morning, instantly changed her mental state.
If one were to describe it, it would probably be like suddenly changing from withered to blooming passionately.
And the reason was very clear.
She had been troubled in the morning, but now she was relieved.
And the reason for her haggardness was probably that after realizing her camera was missing, she searched everywhere, because the contents of the photos were her selfies, including swimsuit photos and close-ups in her room.
Such photos, if seen by others, would make her feel very ashamed.
At the same time.
The photos showed her true face.
So.
Whether it was the exposure of her past as a print model, or the exposure of the fact that her current deliberately old-fashioned appearance actually concealed a super beautiful girl, both would cause her distress.
"If there really is such a thing as glasses sealing one's looks, then should I buy a pair of plain glasses?" Hachiman said.
"Maybe my evaluation will improve that way."
?
Horikita Suzune looked over, puzzled.
"What foolishness are you talking about?" Horikita said.
"By the way, do you really think this is okay?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's the camera. You had Kushida return the camera to Sakura, but Sakura has no idea you were involved in this matter." Horikita said.
"So isn't that doing a good deed, but the other person is completely unaware?"
Huh?
So, Horikita, you're the kind of person who, after doing a good deed, has to inform the other party, right?
That's why Horikita is so rigid.
There's nothing wrong with that.
If I want to improve my relationship with Horikita, I have to do things in front of her.
Let her see and experience it.
I absolutely cannot use any secret protection or anything like that.
Because she is a block of wood, she won't guess what you mean unless you tell her.
And about this point.
I slightly understood why Kushida was so diligent and overtly showed her efforts in front of Horikita when she was asked to spread rumors that day.
Because Kushida already knows what kind of person Horikita Suzune is.
It's just a pity that Horikita is too aloof, and Kushida still can't win her over.
"This is where your thinking isn't delicate enough, Horikita." Hachiman said.
"What would Sakura do if she knew I had seen her photos?"
"?"
"She would feel very embarrassed, right? Because if her precious photos were seen by someone, she might overthink things, or even develop a romantic relationship because of it." Hachiman said.
"Would something like that happen?" Horikita Suzune seemed to be hearing this for the first time.
Yes, it would.
For example, you're usually alone, then you go to junior high, everyone buys a phone, you buy one too, but no one exchanges numbers with you.
Then a good-looking, cheerful girl, while exchanging numbers with others, notices you and exchanges numbers with you too.
It seems like a trivial matter, but for different people, the understanding is different.
Some people might become interested in this girl because of it, and then enter their adolescence.
But if I were to continue, it would probably be a dark history.
Hachiman stopped there.
He slightly understood why Komachi always hoped he would interact with others and make friends.
Because if he had a friend, he probably wouldn't misunderstand a girl's good intentions so easily.
And he didn't want to interact with people in that way and leave an impression on their hearts.
However, the fact that Sakura is a gravure idol was information Hachiman hadn't observed.
In other words, in terms of gathering intelligence and information, Hikigaya's camera actually lost to Kushida.
Kushida, you're strong!
It's just that.
The content Kushida obtained might not have been observed, but rather by entering the other person's heart, and then the other person was willing to tell her about their past.
Therefore, Kushida's invasiveness is extremely strong.
She constantly breaks through the gaps in others' hearts.
...