COTE: A Man On A Mission || Love is War?

The school provides students with living expenses, and also provides them with good means of consumption.

Entertainment and living facilities owned by the outside world are also available in the school.

And stores that sell hard currency like electrical appliance stores are naturally prepared.

But. Because the store is opened in a closed school, the customer flow is not as good as outside, so the business is not particularly good. After all, the number of students in the school is less than 500 in total.

There are only one hundred and sixty people in one grade.

Then dozens of senior students dropped out.

Then there are hundreds of students, faculty, staff, and various staff in the shopping street as the main source of customers.

When it comes to electrical appliance stores, in terms of electrical appliances, such as computers, it is not a problem to buy one and use it for five or six years.

In other words, it's basically a one-and-done deal.

This is when everyone buys a computer, and under normal circumstances, half of the people buy it.

After all, students in Class C and Class D may not have the money to buy them even in their three years of high school.

But Hachiman thought he might be able to make one. He's not very bad at counting.

In addition to laptops, the best-selling products are digital cameras. Their prices are lower.

The electrical appliance store is inside the shopping mall, on the second floor.

Because the most indispensable thing for schools is space, shops generally occupy a large area, and electrical appliance stores are no exception, and they also have a full range of products.

Because the target is Sakura's camera that was trampled on. At the same time, Kushida also has needs.

So, Hachiman decided to walk in the rear with Sakura. On the one hand, he was afraid that walking in the front would put pressure on her.

At the same time, this distribution also allowed Kushida and Horikita to walk in the front.

This way you can strike up a conversation.

But Horikita didn't understand Kushida's thoughts at all. When she realized that Kushida wanted to talk to her, she immediately quickened her pace and shook Kushida away.

"..." Kushida.

This stunned Kushida-san. She then turned around and gave Hachiman a sad expression.

And receiving such an expression, Hachiman was also desperate. He has already helped her.

However, it should be noted that Hachiman noticed Sakura timidly following him, looking like a frightened bunny.

This is a sign of introversion and fear of strangers. There's nothing wrong with that. Only.

Hachiman felt that Sakura's state seemed not quite right. Because when she walked to the door of the electronics store, her body trembled slightly with fear.

This is a sign of fear of something. If it was referring to him and Horikita whom she was unfamiliar with, then it should have been like this from the beginning, not like this now.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Hachiman looked at this scared girl who stopped and couldn't help but ask.

"I...that..." Sakura was hesitant to speak, her expression was hesitant and fearful, but she didn't say anything in the end. She just took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

"No, it's nothing..." Sakura forced a smile, but her body was shaking even more. It seems that she is afraid of something.

Hachiman looked towards the store. The walls on both sides of the store are lined with shelves filled with various products.

Over at the counter, the clerk in red uniform was looking at them. He was a short, fat, middle-aged man with even more scruffy facial features than Yamauchi in the class.

There is even a vulgar attitude. And Hachiman also noticed that Horikita who was walking in front stopped instinctively, her slender and beautiful brows slightly raised.

Although she didn't know why, she didn't like the look in this man's eyes.

But what Hachiman is concerned about is that the clerk has discovered that they have entered the store.

But the first thing the other party looked at was not the stunningly beautiful Suzune Horikita, nor was it the sunny and cute little angel-like Kushida-san.

Or maybe he...the only boy among three girls.

'No, it must be Sakura. So what does she look like in the eyes of ordinary people?...'

With thick flat eyes, twin tails tied tightly, her shoulders shook slightly because of fear.

Is it very conspicuous? No, it's very inconspicuous.

"..." Hachiman. "Have you ever been here during lunch break, Sakura?" He decided to ask.

"Eh?" Hearing this question, Sakura looked over in surprise.

"Yes, I have been here before. But... that... when I bought a camera here before, no, it was not received by this staff." She said, while her eyes looking down, probably at her own shoes.

Oh. 'I see, now I understand a little bit'

The reason why Kushida came to repair the camera with her.

'I'm afraid Sakura came here at noon and wanted to repair it by herself, but the move failed..

In other words, she might not be good at dealing with this clerk.

'So what does this clerk have?' Apart from his scruffy appearance, when he looked at Sakura, his eyes were a little hot.

This burning sensation is somewhat similar to that of a maniac.

Hachiman was a little surprised that he updated his impression of the store clerk.

"Has Sakura ever taken off her glasses outside?"

"Eh?" But the girl whose privacy was being invaded, didn't realize why he suddenly asked this.

But, this means that she didn't take off her glasses to reveal her true appearance.

'So, why does this clerk pay so much attention to Sakura?' Hachiman decided to test it out.

__________

"Welcome, how can I help you?" The clerk has come to the door on his own initiative, grinning with a business smile.

At the same time, in addition to his scruffy appearance, his voice is a bit poor, with a greasy smell that makes people feel a little uncomfortable.

Just like before, when he spoke, his eyes were focused on Sakura.

"I...I..." Her body trembled more and more violently, especially when the other person spoke, she almost collapsed.

"We're here to repair the camera."

Suzune, who was being pestered by Kushida along the way, walked straight up, placed Sakura's black camera on the counter, and then took a step back.

She is not afraid of people, nor is she introverted, but she is not good at dealing with people.

At the same time, her character also made Kushida-san complain about her strictness.

But now, since we are here to do something, we naturally deal with it directly.

So seeing that Sakura was a little scared, she stepped forward directly.

"Huh?" Hachiman was about to walk over, but he felt someone grabbing his back.

He lowered his head in confusion, but saw Sakura looking at him with an expression that looked like she was about to cry, her little hands grabbing the clothes on his back.

'This was the first time I had any contact other than chatting....

But Hachiman didn't think this was a sinful move. It's a sign that the other person is a little scared and subconsciously seeks a sense of security.

In other words, between the store clerk and him, Sakura thought he was more reliable.

Then it is to get a reliable card. But this is not a good topic.

"You don't feel well, why don't you stay outside first," Hachiman said, his voice quite gentle, not wanting to scare this rabbit any further, "Let us handle it."

"But, is it okay?" This sentence seemed to redeem Sakura, and the expression on her face became vivid.

"Hey!"

"But doesn't the camera belong to her?" the clerk said quickly when Sakura didn't come in.

"If you buy it in this store, you have a warranty card and a camera, so do you have to force yourself to hand it over?" Horikita said, sternly. Her face looked quite cold.

"W-well, that's not the case." Probably Horikita's momentum was a little too strong, and the clerk couldn't resist for a while.

She is indeed as cold as ice. But this also confirms that something is wrong with this clerk.

Because no one said who the camera belonged to, Sakura's camera was originally placed with Kushida.

So, Horikita Suzune got the camera from her.

Although it might be because he worked in this store and saw Sakura coming to buy a camera when school started.

But can it be remembered for that long? And thinking about it.

Hachiman also came to the counter.

But his eyes were fixed on the black camera on the counter.

Obviously, this camera is a showpiece.

There is a sign on it that says "20 million pixels" and "10% off on new products."

Obviously, it's a promotion. However, it would be okay if it was really just for show.

However, because he picked up Sakura's camera and thought about the life of a photographer, he actually went to the library to borrow a book related to cameras.

It can be confirmed that this camera is currently in shooting mode and the shot taken from this angle is the table top of the counter.

And if the girl stands a little closer, she will definitely be photographed from the neck down to the abdomen.

It was precisely because he saw this that Hachiman stood in front of Horikita.

As for Kushida, she is accompanying Sakura outside. 'And is this happening by accident or on purpose?

If it was intentional, then this clerk...'

__________

Horikita placed the camera on the table, and the warranty card Sakura prepared at the beginning was also there.

The clerk first picked up the camera and looked at it, and then picked up the warranty card and did the same.

"There is no information on the warranty card. Please provide your name, information, and phone number."

"But it's not yours, it belongs to the owner of the camera." The clerk said, still fixated on the owner.

Um. It can be confirmed. This clerk wanted to get information about Sakura.

He has a kind of fanaticism towards her, and she is timid and introverted, but perhaps she is very sensitive to other people's likes and dislikes, so Sakura instinctively doesn't want to have any contact with this clerk.

So, when she came over at noon and found that the other party was on duty, she didn't dare to enter the store, and then hoped to be with Kushida-san.

It turned out that the other party was still on duty.

"Let me fill it out." Hachiman pointed at Sakura and said. "I know her information."

She was standing at the door now, obviously not here.

"Yes. Yes, just fill in the name of the camera's owner." The clerk nodded.

So, Hachiman started writing. Only.

"Hikigaya Airi?" the clerk read out the name he wrote. It seemed like he wanted to confirm.

Horikita didn't pay attention to what he wrote, but when the clerk read it out, she seemed a little surprised, but said nothing.

"What's wrong with Airi Hikigaya?"

Hachiman asked.

"Well, no." The clerk shook his head quickly. And just watched the boy, continue to hold the pen.

"Then fill in the phone number too," the clerk said. "Because if something goes wrong during repair, you need to contact us."

"The camera has only been purchased for a week. Can't it be replaced?" Hachiman asked.

"Generally speaking, it's OK, but this camera was violently damaged, so it's not covered by the guarantee. Are you a first-year student?" the clerk asked.

I see. 'That's weird.' Hachiman has confirmed, this clerk's target is Sakura. So after filling in the fake name, he filled in his phone number.

__________

The  repair time is one week because it needs to be sent back to the manufacturer for repair.

It's just an ordinary store clerk who doesn't have this skill.

"But did you just join the school this year?" Hachiman asked.

"Eh? How do you know?" The clerk seemed a little curious.

"If I can work part-time..." Hachiman paused.

But the clerk shook his head quickly. "This is not possible. Our store clerks also have to sign long-term contracts and are not allowed to hire students."

Is that right? But Hachiman is no longer interested in him.

Because the information he wants to know has been obtained.

And because after handing the camera to the other party, another girl with purple hair and double hairpins came, so the clerk went to greet the other party.

"There are some electrical appliances I want to buy." Kushida-san entered the store at this time.

It was Horikita Suzune who walked out of the store to stay with Sakura.

It's just that these two people are loners, so although they are standing together now, they both look like they are waiting for someone, and no one disturbs the other.

There is a delicate sense of balance.

And Kushida is looking at a notebook. But the price is also very beautiful, the cheapest one costs 40,000 personal points.

For new students, it is equivalent to half of the living expenses for the first month of enrollment.

Most people don't want to buy this kind of thing.

And the only one who can do this kind of thing in one breath is the boy named Yamauchi who was ranked among the most beautiful men by the girls in the class.

"If you can get scores in the special exam every month, you can get more living expenses." Hachiman said, after looking at her tempted face.

"...Okay, Hikigaya-kun." Kushida said, and looked up at him with strong eyes,  "I will definitely cooperate with you to work hard on the exam!"

Oh. 'Did I get the opponent's assistance card this time?'

But even though it was Kushida's assistance card, it was cheaper than Hirata's, so Hachiman didn't pay attention.

"But... Horikita-san just said that you filled in the name Airi Hikigaya." Kushida-san winked at him cutely.

It seems to mean something.

Forehead.

Generally speaking, naming someone else after you is a manifestation of naturalization and marriage.

'So Kushida, what do you want to say?'

'Hikigaya-kun, don't you think you are doing something very wrong?!'

But this is really an injustice!

Because Hachiman doesn't want to take advantage of Sakura because she is timid, introverted and cute, but is actually a super beauty.

It was just a temporary measure to deal with the store clerk. And some things are not easy to announce here.

However, Hachiman noticed that the purple-haired girl who just entered the store seemed to be planning to buy a computer, but the model she wanted to buy was quite special and she didn't want the one on the shelf, so the clerk had to go to the warehouse to pick up the goods first.

While waiting, this girl with purple hair came here.

"Kamuro-san." Kushida is very popular and immediately recognized this student from the foreign class.

It's Kamuro Masumi from Class A, first grade.

This girl came to Class D to look for Hikigaya Hachiman before.

But Kamuro-san didn't look for anyone this time.

"You are so careless." She suddenly said to them, and then reached out.

Spread out her palm, and.... there was a black SD card on it?

??

Hachiman didn't react for a moment, then turned around suddenly and found that the camera on the counter on the clerk's side was still on.

But Kamuro-san also glanced over there, then turned back with a straight face.

Wth?! 'In other words, Kamuro-san, when you just bought a computer and ordered the store clerk to drive away, did you do something extraordinary?'

She directly stole the sd card of the clerk's secret camera!

"..." Good guy, so when did you do it?

Didn't notice at all!

__________

Because they met Kamuro-san, Hachiman and the others found an outdoor cafe after coming out of the electronics store, and the group sat together outside.

Probably to thank Kamuro-san. After all. She did good things for everyone.

When Hachiman discovered that the store clerk's camera might be used for secret photography, Kamuro-san took action directly.

She is a person with extremely fast hands-on ability. All kinds of actions confirmed that something was wrong with the clerk.

From this perspective, although Sakura is timid, she has a strong sense of the likes and dislikes of others.

She didn't want to get close to the clerk, probably because she sensed the other person's ill will towards her.

But Kamuro-san did buy a notebook, and the price was very good, she spent 120,000 points.

That's a lot of money.

"Did you buy this for Sakayanagi?" Hachiman was curious.

"No, I use it myself." She said with a straight face.

Oh. That's it.

But generally speaking, even if you are a student in Class A, you will only get 100,000 private points for admission like other students, but now can you afford such high consumption?

'In other words, Kamuro-san... there is a high probability that you have given up resistance to being a dog.'

Meaning Sakayanagi's super power of taming people is really amazing.

"But." Here in the cafe, sitting at the same table with a girl. It was also a rare experience for Hachiman.

The girls he sat at the same table with, except for Sakayanagi Arisu, was just Komachi, so where is campus life going now?

Hachiman is unknown. But now there are more important things that need to be clarified.

"When I had to write down the name and contact information of the owner of the camera before, I used a pseudonym, and then also filled in my mobile phone number," Hachiman said.

"Sorry, Sakura, I think there may be something wrong with that clerk, so I don't want to expose your information. I just filled it in blindly, with no other meaning." He explained his actions to Sakura, and didn't want the other party to think he was still bullying her.

"Um..."

"This..." The name was given to another boy. The surname is a relatively subtle and ambiguous topic.

It may be a bit rude to a girl who has no such idea at all. Only.

Sakura's left hand was gently clenched into a fist, as if she was working hard.

"But thank you... thank you, Hikigaya-kun... well, I'm not very good at... not very good at dealing with others. So, you've been a big help." Sakura sounded a little low, it looks like she was really trying her best.

Really? But you are brave and hardworking now.

Although she was very introverted, she seemed even more timid when saw that there was a girl from a foreign class.

But now she's trying hard to talk to him.

It gives Hachiman the feeling that although she is very weak, Sakura can be very brave at important moments.

Hachiman is going to update his information on this timid girl. Only.

'Why is the store clerk targeting her?'

The SD card obtained by Kamuro-san can prove that the clerk is a pervert who takes secret photos.

But Hachiman felt that he might have other problems.

And this may soon be known. Because if that perverted clerk was really targeting Sakura, then maybe he would have done something to the cell phone number he left, or the shoe cabinet with his last name.

At this time, the girls began to discuss the incident of the clerk taking secret photos.

Then it will naturally involve Kamuro-san's behavior.

But the first thing that concerned me was how Kamuro-san found out that the clerk was filming secretly.

"My observation skills are relatively strong." This is how Kamuro explained.

"I found that the sample camera on the counter was turned on, and the position where the lens was facing...yeah I felt something was wrong.

So, when the clerk went to the warehouse, I took out the SD card from the camera." She said with a look of disgust on her face.

Hachiman randomly thought about what it would feel like to be stepped on by Kamuro-san like this, when her face looked so disgusted?

He looked at Kamuro-san, with strange thoughts in his heart.

"...." Hachiman. 'What are you doing, my boy?' He gently shook his head.

The SD card was stolen, Kamuro-san placed it in the center of the table, and anyone not stupid would know that she stole something.

Stealing is not a good habit, but Kamuro-san stole things to obtain evidence. And.

'What do you want to do by placing the camera in that position?.....'

The people present were all girls, so just thinking about something bad almost made me feel sick.

So from this point of view, even Horikita-san, who is aloof and as cool as ice, is the same.

'But don't be afraid, Horikita-san, because I blocked the camera's view for you at that time.' But he obviously didn't say it out loud.

Hachiman's not a straight person like his daughter, Horikita.

___________

He came here mainly to repair Sakura's camera today, and now things are almost over.

As for Hachiman, Kushida wants to help ease the relationship between him and Sakura. He often looks at her in class, which might have looked like he was bullying her.

But now, the situation seems to have been alleviated. Slightly make, Sakura think that he is not a bad person.

But Kushida's hope of building a good relationship with Horikita Suzune is still in vain.

Talking about straight daughter Horikita, she is indeed a very bad friend, and when she found out that the matter had been dealt with, she was actually leaving.

But instead of going back to the dormitory directly, she was going to the nearest supermarket to buy ingredients.

She was one of the few people in the class who could cook by herself.

So, when she noticed that someone was watching her eating lunch in the class, she finally understood the words modesty and sharing.

But there is no change on Kushida's side. So, she is also under a lot of pressure.

However, she was prepared to go all the way and continue to follow Horikita Suzune.

With that, Hachiman watched them leave.

In this way. After finishing the coffee, there were only three people left at the scene.

Only. It stands to reason that Kamuro-san, who is still carrying a notebook weighing seven to eight pounds, needs to go back to the dormitory first.

But she didn't leave. Instead, her gaze fell directly on Hachiman and Sakura.

Kamuro-san's face is often expressionless, and she seems to keep to herself, but she is also very good at handling interpersonal relationships, and she can handle it quite well in front of everyone in Class D.

Rather, this is her talent. For example, Kamuro was arranged by Sakayanagi to invite him that day, which made him think that the other party wanted to confess her feelings, although he quickly realized that the other party wanted to perform a fairy dance.

Only. This also shows that her acting skills are okay.

'However, Kamuro-san, can you accept orders like confessing your love?

Don't you have self-dignity? Do you only know how to complete orders?'

'Or do you mean that as long as I give you orders, you can really complete them all?'

In this way. As Human camera, even if the other party is a student of Class A, Hachiman also observes the other party.

Sakura doesn't seem to be very good at dealing with Kamuro-san, she just keeps her head down, but she is introverted.

Now Horikita and Kushida have disbanded, and even if she wants to leave, she might be embarrassed.

It's just that Hachiman noticed her state but didn't want to let her go.

because. "Sakura, can you do me a favor later?" Hachiman asked politely.

To be honest, he was giving himself points for being so gentle this whole time. And not giving some sarcastic remarks.

"Eh?"

"I want to choose a pair of plain glasses." Hachiman said.

"Flat...glasses?" Sakura muttered.

Kamuro-san quickly looked at her, she was wearing glasses. It should be said that he is worthy of being a student of Class A.

Perhaps she has discovered by now that the glasses Sakura wears are also flat.

Hachiman thought to himself. And he continued.

"I originally wanted Kushida to help, but she has already left after her mission failed," Hachiman said, he knew that girl was unreliable.

"Kushida-san, indeed... she is indeed a good person." Sakura was now able to barely talk to Hachiman. Then she also praised Kushida-san.

"...." Hachiman.

'Sakura-san, why are you suddenly saying such strange things? He just complained about how unreliable Kushida was!'

But she is an introverted student with no sense of presence, Kushida is willing to get in touch with her, become friends with her, and even help her with things like this.

"..." Kamuro-san.

Although she feels like....she can't talk to him now and it's awkward to stand there, but still Kamuro-san is ready to stay a little longer.

This afternoon after school was her rare free time.

But she would have to go to Sakayanagi Arisu's place later, and she didn't want to go at all, so she didn't mind spending her time on other things first.

"Then please." Hachiman said. "My eyes are easily misunderstood. So I want to make some changes."

"In other words, do you want to become... handsome?" Sakura said, she suddenly looked interested.

"That's pretty much what it means." Hachiman said. Actually, it's a little bit embarrassing. But, everyone has a love for beauty.

And Hikigaya-kun was very helpful today, so Sakura didn't refuse.

"Well, then I can help. I know a little bit about dressing up." She said, without stuttering surprising both him and Kamuro-san.

'Oh? Since you know how to dress up, why do you still move around in such a tacky way?' But Kamuro-san decided to remain quiet, and just recognize the other party.

The three of them went to a nearby optical shop. There were many decorative plain glasses on the storefront, and Hachiman also noticed the same style that Sakura was wearing now.

It's just that she is very reliable. After being entrusted, Sakura immediately started searching the shelves to find frames that she thought were suitable.

And. She is obviously a social phobic, but she just took the initiative to ask the store clerk if she had other styles.

She seems less afraid of strangers.

And this is indeed her area of expertise.

Hachiman took down a pair of brown frames from the shelf on the side.

"A little bit rustic." Hachiman said.

"That's true." Kamuro-san commented, making the said boy think that, she was really idle.

Because Kamuro-san is not familiar with them, and she is still carrying such a big notebook, which makes it difficult to move around.

As a result, the other party still followed them.

But at least she is the one who provided justice assistance today, and Hachiman is a very tolerant person.

Moreover, the other party is a student in Class A, so it would be useful to have more contact with her.

For example, the school has defaulted to the existence of point cards, so it is okay to use eyeliner in other classes.

'And since Kamuro-san gave in for the points, wouldn't it be possible to scam some points out of her?'

It's just difficult to implement, because if Sakayanagi knew that he had cheated on the other party's dog, she would definitely retaliate severely.

Eh! Speaking of Sakayanagi Arisu, Hachiman thought she could wear a pair of glasses.

In fact, he thought her appearance was cute, but he always felt that there was a bit of empty space on her head.

'If she wear a beret or something, maybe the cuteness will be improved....

And when he was thinking about it.

"B-Hikigaya-kun!" Sakura had already chosen a pair of black-rimmed glasses and handed them over. "Please, take a look and wear it!"

Oh. Because it was recommended by Sakura Airi, who was very good at concealing her true appearance, Hachiman chose to put it on directly.

After putting it on, he felt that his field of vision was slightly tightened.

Only. It's indeed different.

After watching, Kamuro-san seemed to be silent, but she took out her mobile phone and asked, "Can I take a photo?"

Hachiman looked at her. But when he reacted, he had already been photographed by the other party.

"..." Hachiman.

"..." Kamuro-san. "Then that's it for today."

After saying this, she turned around and left with her expensive notebook without explaining.

"..." 'Why did this scene seem to slip away after succeeding?'

"Say something." Hachiman then looked at Sakura. "Am I looking weird now?"

"Huh? No, no, how should I put it, Hikigaya-kun... seems to have become a sportsman." Sakura said excitedly.

"You look very capable and reliable!"

A handsome man, capable and reliable... then that's a good description.

Hachiman then came to the mirror, looked at himself, and found that after wearing glasses, he seemed to look more gentle.

Seems ok. So, he took out his mobile phone and used his personal points to buy it.