Chapter 36 – Desire to communicate 

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Confirming the offer made by Yukio, Sakura let out a long sigh of relief and relaxed considerably. It seemed that betraying her class to become an undercover agent wasn't as unacceptable as she initially thought.

Given the environment in Class D, which was unwelcoming for someone as timid as Sakura, she didn't have much attachment to her class. Betraying it didn't weigh heavily on her conscience. Her only concern was whether she could successfully fulfill the role of an undercover agent. Faced with Yukio's intimidating presence and the irresistible benefits he offered, Sakura almost defected entirely as her defenses crumbled.

Sakura's action of lifting her head and taking a deep breath caught Yukio's attention. Previously, with her head down, he hadn't noticed much about her. But now, as she raised her head, she appeared strikingly beautiful, with a natural, unadorned appearance, delicate eyebrows, and a fair complexion.

Her slender neck, sharp shoulders, and the contour of her waist outlined by her clothes were remarkably elegant. But what caught Yukio's attention the most was Sakura's extraordinary front assets, which overshadowed those of other girls in the school.

At that moment, Yukio could appreciate the second button on Sakura's uniform, which seemed to be working as hard as an overworked employee. He commented, somewhat absentmindedly, "You really have it tough."

"Eh?" Sakura didn't quite understand what Yukio was referring to. She assumed he was sympathizing with her efforts to secretly find places for photo shoots and shyly responded, "It's not too hard. The campus is large, and there are places where no one goes. That's where I usually take pictures."

"But ultimately, there are only a few such places," Yukio said, regaining his composure and diverting his gaze from her, as if trying to escape a massive gravitational pull. "If you agree to be an undercover agent, I can arrange for you to take pictures in most places on campus. I can even get some photography enthusiasts from Class C to assist you with lighting."

"No, no need!" Sakura hurriedly declined the offer. "I'm used to taking photos alone. If people are around, I get nervous and can't focus on photography."

"?!" Yukio looked at Sakura curiously, his gaze inevitably drawn to certain features, while wondering how someone could be so shy that she couldn't even have people nearby while taking photos.

"Are all your online photos taken by yourself?" Yukio asked, pointing to the unconscious shopkeeper. "That guy must be one of your avid online fans, right? He mentioned that you're quite famous online, known as 'Shizuku', which is your online alias. Are all those photos self-shot without any team to assist you?"

Sakura nodded silently, resembling a timid hamster: "I'm afraid of interacting with people, scared of making eye contact. That's why I have to take photos by myself…"

"But when I take pictures myself, I feel relaxed and under no pressure, which makes them turn out better. That's why I have quite a few followers…" Despite this being a source of pride, Sakura spoke with a hint of embarrassment.

Perhaps it was because she didn't want her secret identity as an online photographic idol to be known in real life, yet Yukio had discovered it.

Yukio shifted his gaze away again, understanding why Sakura was afraid of others' gazes. If most people looked at her the way he did, it would undoubtedly leave a significant psychological impact on her. Hence, her subconscious desire to avoid such attention was understandable: "Okay, then pick a place, and I'll send some people from Class C to clear the area, and then sneak you in."

"Also, the fact that you're afraid of others' eyes but interact frequently online suggests that you crave friendship deep down, right?"

"..." Sakura was taken aback as her inner thoughts were pointed out. Could Yukio read minds? He seemed to see right through her.

Indeed, she feared others' gazes but dreaded loneliness even more. Hence, she was active in interacting with her fans online, where there were no prying eyes. Deep down, she yearned for real-life friends.

Sakura desired, from the bottom of her heart, to connect with someone in reality and establish bonds to dissolve her loneliness.

"Then how about this," Yukio suggested, thinking of a girl from his class who was also mildly socially awkward due to childhood trauma and had trouble making friends. "I'll introduce you to a girl from Class C. You two should have a lot to talk about."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise at the thought of meeting someone similar to her. She was somewhat eager to meet the girl Yukio mentioned.

Sensing Sakura's interest and combining it with the conditions he had set, Yukio playfully confirmed, "So, do you agree?"

"Yes," Sakura murmured softly, instinctively lowering her head again. "But I don't know if I can do it well."

"No problem, it's quite easy," Yukio reassured, outlining the surveillance task: "Your class seems to be led by a girl named Horikita, right? Just observe and record her daily actions, plans, and strategies. The focus is on who she frequently interacts with and what they discuss. Just report back to me."

"..." Sakura wanted to clarify that Horikita wasn't exactly the leader of Class D, which, unlike Yukio's Class C or Ichinose's Class B, hadn't solidified under a single leader due to its chaotic nature. However, she decided to comply with Yukio's instructions, realizing it was safer not to reveal too much.

Yukio then called the class advisor to briefly explain the situation about the shop assistant attacking a female student and his act of intervention. Sakuma instructed them to leave the scene, assuring that the school would handle the aftermath.

Yukio then accompanied Sakura back to her dorm under the pretense of wanting to ensure she deleted the photos of the fight between Ishizaki and Sudo. His real intention was to plant a listening device in her room while she was in the bathroom.

Although he had offered her a deal—threatening her with a big stick but also promising a sweet reward—he didn't fully trust her due to the lack of a real threat. To avoid being betrayed, he decided to monitor her temporarily, ensuring she didn't leak any information and felt secure working for him.

Eventually, Yukio returned the battery to Sakura. After replacing it in her camera, she opened her photo album and deleted all the pictures of the fight.

With that, the incident was temporarily resolved. However, it's worth noting that Sakura's camera contained many of her own selfies. In these photos, Sakura appeared lively and charming, quite the opposite of her timid real-life persona. She seemed sunny and vibrant, full of youthful energy.

Moreover, her photos, highlighting her extraordinary physical attributes, had a subtly provocative quality that could ignite the purest flames of desire in a boy's heart.

Yukio found this intriguing and decided to observe her next photoshoot in person.

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