Sakura Airi's dorm was on the eleventh floor. As Hashima Hikaru followed the red-haired girl inside, he was immediately greeted by a faint, sweet fragrance.
This wasn't his first time entering a girl's dorm—he had been to Ichinose's room before, as well as those of his classmates Andou and Himeno. However, those had been group gatherings. This time, it was just the two of them.
"Please come in, Hashima -kun," the girl said shyly. While she had seemed relatively normal outside, now that they were inside her dorm, she couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes.
"Pardon the intrusion."
Sakura Airi's stock price had already risen to 100 . This 5,000-share stock had been relatively easy to boost. And judging from her complete lack of reaction to his earlier conversation with Horikita Manabu, it was clear that this girl had no interest in class competition.
This perfectly aligned with Hashima 's initial expectations. Stocks like these were ideal—no need to consider inter-class strategies, just build trust. As long as he avoided actions that might lower the stock price, it was essentially a goldmine he could keep mining indefinitely.
"Please wait here for a moment, Hashima -kun. I need to tidy up my bedroom first."
After a quick glance at Hashima , Sakura hurriedly uttered these words before darting into her bedroom and closing the door behind her.
"Sure."
Hashima nodded, then pulled out his phone to check the class group chat.
Meanwhile, inside her bedroom, Sakura's face had already turned as red as an apple. Her original plan had been to lead Hashima straight into her room and show him her blog.
But the moment they stepped into the dorm, she suddenly remembered—her bed was still littered with clothes from her last solo photoshoot. If Hashima saw that, he might think she was some kind of weird girl.
So, even if it was a bit rude, Sakura chose to enter her bedroom alone first, deviating from her original plan.
Taking a deep breath, she carefully inspected every corner of her room. She stashed all the clothes back into the wardrobe, removed her decorative glasses, and changed into a fresh outfit.
About ten minutes later, she finally opened the door.
"Hashima -kun… I'm sorry for making you wait."
"It's fine. It's not like I have anything urgent to do."
When Hashima looked up and saw the red-haired girl standing before him, he couldn't help but be stunned.
Sakura Airi had changed into a soft, homely dress that accentuated her stunning figure. Without the red glasses that had obscured her face, her sky-blue eyes were even more captivating. She had also adjusted her hairstyle into twin tails, complementing her already delicate features and making her even more charming.
"That outfit suits you, Sakura-san."
Without hesitation, Hashima immediately complimented her—this was what any decent guy should do.
"Th-Thank you, Hashima -kun…"
Hearing his praise, Sakura felt a flicker of joy in her heart. After tidying up her room, she had caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
For some reason, she had then impulsively opened her wardrobe again, deciding to change before stepping out.
Now, seeing the stunned look in Hashima 's eyes and hearing his compliment, she felt her decision had been the right one.
Normally, she hated it when people looked at her with strange gazes. But when it came to Hashima 's attention, she didn't feel disgusted—instead, she found herself enjoying it.
What's… happening to me?
Just as these strange thoughts swirled in her mind, Hashima 's voice reached her ears.
"So, Sakura-san, are you ready now?"
"Ah! Y-Yes, I'm ready."
Snapping out of her daze, Sakura quickly led Hashima into her bedroom.
Upon entering, Hashima caught a faint, pleasant scent. Sakura's room was relatively simple—aside from the laptop on her desk, there weren't many dolls or posters that girls her age usually liked.
"Hashima -kun, you can take a look at this. It's what I usually post."
Sakura walked over to her computer and opened her personal blog, displaying the model photos and blog posts she had uploaded.
"Oh?"
Hashima quickly moved closer, pretending it was his first time seeing it as he examined the photos on the page.
It had to be said—Sakura's model-like figure was no joke. The elegant outfits paired with her natural curves exuded an intoxicating charm.
"This is amazing, Sakura-san."
Hashima wore an impressed expression as he turned to the slightly blushing girl beside him.
"I never knew there was such a talented blog idol right beside me. I'll have to ask for your autograph later."
"Hashima -kun… wants my autograph?"
"Of course! Sakura-san is practically a celebrity. Look at all these page views." Hashima rubbed his chin, then added with a hint of curiosity, "But did you take these photos yourself? Or did you have a photographer?"
"Well… even though I do this kind of work, I can't really express myself well around strangers. So at first, I took the photos myself and sent them to the magazine."
"They agreed to this arrangement, so I'm really grateful they understood my situation."
Sakura seemed a little embarrassed as she said this. After all, her request had been rather unorthodox and had probably caused some trouble for them.
"That just shows how impressive you are, Sakura-san. For a magazine to agree to something like that…"
Hashima shifted his gaze away from the screen and looked at Sakura gently.
"Now that I've seen this hidden side of you, it's only fair that you get to ask me something in return. I'll answer anything honestly."
The moment he said this, Sakura froze.
After a moment of thought, she recalled a rumor she had once heard—and suddenly, she desperately wanted to confirm it.
Mustering her courage, she looked up at Hashima and asked:
"Umm… Hashima -kun, are you… currently dating anyone?"
"?"
What kind of question is that?
Though caught off guard by the sudden personal question, Hashima still answered honestly.
"Of course not. I've never been in a relationship before. Why do you ask, Sakura-san?"
"Ah, it's nothing… Please don't mind me."
Hearing his definitive answer, Sakura felt an inexplicable sense of relief. She quickly changed the subject.
"Then… will Hashima -kun still want to learn photography later? I'm free anytime."
"Of course. I just saw how skilled you are—I'll have to learn properly from you."
"Mm… I'll do my best."