Not long after Nanao left the library, she saw Hasumi Ren waving to her from a distance.
To be honest, she was a bit surprised.
The boys' dormitory was quite a distance away, yet Ren had managed to make the round trip in such a short time.
'Has Ren's Shunpo speed already become this fast?'
"What's wrong? Why such a surprised expression?"
Seeing Ren's curious look, Nanao scratched her cheek.
"Has your Shunpo improved again?"
"I don't think so; I just walked a bit faster."
"Is that so..."
Noticing Nanao's suspicious gaze, Ren laughed it off and changed the subject.
Led by Nanao, the two of them walked briskly toward the place where the middle-aged man had set up his stall.
It wasn't far, and they arrived soon.
The man selling fruit was crouching in an inconspicuous corner with a bamboo basket in front of him.
Inside were those strange purple fruits, shimmering with faint glints like shards.
However, before they could even get close, a heated argument broke out.
"Huh?! A thousand? Why don't you just rob someone, you bald old man!"
A crisp, rowdy female voice called out.
Ren looked closer.
It was the black-haired girl wearing a white headband who had followed Shiba Kaien yesterday.
Shiba Kukaku stood with her hands on her hips, glaring aggressively at the vendor.
"These are just wild fruits found all over the back mountains of Rukongai, yet you dare sell them for this price? Two hundred per catty—take it or leave it!"
Although the vendor looked honest, a glint of shrewdness showed in his eyes.
The girl in front of him clearly knew her stuff; otherwise, she would have just turned around and left instead of arguing.
At that thought, he put on a troubled face but kept his tone firm.
"Young lady, you can't say that. I went to a lot of trouble to pick these from the deep mountains, and they're good for your health. A thousand really isn't expensive. Just look at the color, the size..."
"Forget that. I just tried one; aside from the taste being okay, I didn't feel anything special. Three hundred is the highest I'll go!"
Shiba Kukaku refused to back down an inch. Beside her, Shiba Ganju joined his sister in their shared indignation, baring his teeth at the vendor.
As the two caused a scene, a small crowd of onlookers began to gather.
Panic set in for the vendor. He was setting up shop illegally; if the patrolling guards spotted him, he'd be lucky not to get fined.
The vendor lowered his voice, "Please, little miss, stop shouting. Eight hundred. That's truly my lowest. Any lower and I won't sell!"
While they were arguing, two guards in simple armor noticed the crowd and walked over impatiently.
"No street vending allowed in front of the Academy! Pack up your things and get lost. If we catch you again, we'll confiscate it all! And the rest of you, quit the racket and disperse."
The appearance of the guards turned the vendor's face pale, and he quickly bowed with a forced smile.
"Yes, yes, I'm going right now, right now..."
The vendor hurriedly began packing his basket, his face filled with frustration and fear.
Kukaku was stunned. She only wanted to haggle; she hadn't expected to shut him down.
"Wait, don't..."
Watching the vendor prepare to leave, she felt like it would be a loss to buy them at the high price now, her face scrunched up in conflict.
Ren watched the chaotic scene, glad he had arrived just in time.
He stepped toward the vendor, his voice calm yet carrying a reassuring weight.
"Don't worry, sir. I'll take this entire basket of fruit."
"Huh?"
The vendor, Kukaku, and even the guards were taken aback.
The guards looked Ren up and down.
He was exceptionally handsome but wore no expensive accessories. With his modest attitude, he likely wasn't a young master from a noble family.
The two guards exchanged a glance.
They decided to take a gamble.
"Hey, even if you're a student of the Academy, you can't interfere with our official duties..."
Ren walked up to them and discreetly pressed a small pouch into their hands.
"Please, show a little flexibility."
One guard peeked into the bag and his expression immediately brightened.
"Of course, of course."
Ren smiled as he saw the guards off, then turned to the middle-aged man and pulled out a bulging coin purse.
"Let's go with eight hundred per catty. It looks like there's about twenty catties left in this basket, so here is sixteen thousand. Please count it."
He counted out the money and placed it in the dazed vendor's hands.
The vendor took the money with trembling fingers. He hadn't expected things to take such a sudden turn.
"You're a lifesaver! Thank you, thank you so much!"
Watching the transaction conclude, Shiba Kukaku stood in a daze for a moment before feeling quite frustrated.
She was clearly the one who had seen them first; it was only the price they hadn't agreed on. She never expected someone to swoop in and take them.
But since she had nearly ruined the man's business, she felt a bit guilty and was too embarrassed to say anything.
As she watched Ren lift the basket of fruit, Kukaku scratched her cheek, her heart itching with curiosity.
Ren found Kukaku's conflicted expression quite amusing.
"Miss, I see you wanted these fruits as well. It would be a bit cold of me to take them all. How about this?"
Ren changed his tone, asked the vendor for a bag, and reached into the basket to grab two handfuls—about three or four catties—and handed them to Kukaku.
"Share and share alike. These are for you to try—think of it as a gesture of goodwill."
"Eh?"
Kukaku was stunned by Ren's gesture and took them subconsciously.
The scent of fruit wafted up as she took the bag.
Looking at Ren's sincere smile and then at the fresh fruit in her hands, Kukaku scratched her messy hair.
"I recognize you. I saw you yesterday when I came with my big brother for the exam. I'm Shiba Kukaku, and this is my little brother Ganju. What's your name?"
"Hasumi Ren, a fifth-year student at the Shin'o Academy. This is Ise Nanao, my classmate."
Ren introduced them with a smile.
"Are there really students this young at the Academy?"
Kukaku exclaimed, looking at the petite Nanao.
"Age isn't a strict requirement. Anyone who passes the exam can enroll in the Shin'o Academy," Nanao replied.
"Oh, wow, that's really impressive, Nanao."
Kukaku praised her generously, then held up the fruit in her hand and gave Ren a bright, cheerful smile.
"You're a pretty interesting guy. If you ever run into trouble in Rukongai, you can just give them Shiba Kukaku's name!"
She weighed the fruit in her hand and asked curiously, "But why did you spend so much money on these?"
"Well..."
Ren looked toward the vendor.
"Sir, could you tell me where these fruits came from?"
Seeing that Ren was a major customer and so polite, the vendor thought it over.
"I picked them in a very remote area northwest of the Second District. You have to head deep into the mountains. Might I ask why you're interested, young man?"
Seeing the vendor's cautious manner, Ren gave a slight smile.
"Then I'll be blunt. I think these fruits are excellent. If you can provide them in bulk, I'm willing to buy them at a high price."
"Ah, about that..."
The vendor scratched his head.
"I might have to disappoint you. I found these by chance. I searched all around that area; the fruit on the other trees was sour and bitter. Only those few trees grow tasty fruit."
"If you want to see for yourself, I can take you there to prove I'm not lying."
"They can't be sourced in bulk? That's a pity. However, I am indeed interested in them. I'd like to take a look, and I can compensate you for your time."
The vendor looked at Ren and smiled.
"No need, no need! You helped me out just now, young man. Consider this me returning the favor."