COTE: Horikita Is My Childhood Sweetheart

Chapter 122 Rin: I want to complain

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The clerk now seemed to recognize Sakura Airi, even though she was dressed plainly, as the blogger idol from the Internet.

Excited, he immediately abandoned his current task and rushed toward Rin Matsuoka and Sakura Airi at the counter.

The shop assistant, standing before Rin and Sakura Airi, appeared almost possessed, muttering strange phrases like, "So similar… it really is too similar."

At this moment, the sloppy clerk, with his sparse beard and disheveled appearance, looked particularly disgusting. His droopy eyes revealed an expression of ecstasy and greed as he stared intently at Sakura Airi.

Because of her naturally shy personality, Sakura Airi was especially sensitive to other people's gazes and quickly noticed the revolting way the clerk was looking at her.

The clerk's eyes were like a wet, slimy slug slithering over her, making Sakura Airi feel both nauseated and afraid.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, Sakura Airi furrowed her delicate eyebrows, her pretty face showing a rare expression of resistance and disgust.

It seemed the clerk's behavior was so disturbing that even someone as timid as Sakura Airi couldn't suppress her reaction.

For people who are timid and fearful, encountering something scary often leads them to subconsciously seek safety.

Now, Sakura Airi instinctively moved closer to Rin Matsuoka, hiding behind him in an attempt to escape the disgusting gaze of the clerk.

"Hmm?"

Rin, who was still examining the cameras, turned his head slightly, noticing Sakura Airi trembling as she hid behind him.

"Sakura, what's wrong?" he asked curiously.

"N-nothing... nothing," Sakura Airi stammered, not wanting to share her discomfort with Rin. She responded timidly and quickly put her mask and hat back on.

Although Sakura Airi didn't explain why she suddenly hid behind him, Rin could deduce the cause from her panicked behavior.

Putting on the mask and hat was clearly to avoid drawing attention, and hiding behind him was to escape an unsettling gaze.

Following Sakura Airi's line of sight, Rin looked forward and immediately spotted the sloppy clerk with droopy eyes and a sparse beard.

The man resembled an agitated monkey, scratching his head and glancing around, seemingly trying to catch another glimpse of Sakura Airi, who was now hiding behind Rin.

It didn't take long for Rin to understand the reason for Sakura Airi's sudden fear and discomfort.

"Hey, what are you doing? Having an ADHD episode? Do you need me to call someone to take you to the hospital?" Rin asked bluntly, his words catching the clerk off guard.

"Heh...heh…" The clerk, momentarily regaining some composure, forced an embarrassed expression and quickly replied, "You two are planning to buy a camera, right? Let me introduce some options for you."

"No, we'll look on our own," Rin said flatly, dismissing the clerk's offer.

The clerk, however, remained standing there, making no move to leave. Rin frowned and said, "Can you go somewhere else? We don't appreciate being stared at while we're shopping."

"Cameras are expensive, so as a salesperson, I have to supervise while you browse," the clerk retorted, his droopy eyes attempting to intimidate Rin.

Damn it, move out of the way! You're blocking my view of Shizuku! the clerk thought angrily.

"In that case, go and call another clerk over," Rin replied coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Rin Matsuoka pointed to another clerk in the camera store. This clerk had an honest and loyal appearance, a far cry from the one with droopy eyes and a sparse beard.

"…"

The clerk with droopy eyes had no choice but to glare hatefully at Rin, then reluctantly called over the clerk Rin had pointed at.

Sakura Airi, still hiding behind Rin, gazed at him with admiration. After Rin had driven away the unpleasant clerk, she couldn't help but feel a deep sense of security.

It was as if, as long as she stayed behind Rin, he could shield her from everything she feared.

Turning his head to look at Sakura Airi, Rin asked, "Sakura, you were afraid of that clerk just now, weren't you?"

"Yes, his eyes made me uncomfortable," Sakura Airi admitted, feeling relieved now.

"Then you should have told me earlier when I asked. Sometimes, if you don't express your thoughts, others might not be able to guess or understand them."

"I understand," Sakura Airi responded obediently, like a young wife being gently reprimanded by her husband.

But would Sakura Airi really dare to do so next time? Asking someone as shy as her to express her inner thoughts was truly a tall order.

Even after the unpleasant clerk had been replaced by the honest-looking one, Sakura Airi remained behind Rin. She still vaguely felt that the disgusting clerk was staring at her with his revolting eyes.

Noticing her continued unease, Rin decided not to linger in the store. He quickly selected a camera he liked and asked the honest clerk to bring it out for him to try.

Finding the camera satisfactory, Rin paid 37,000 personal points and bought it.

"Thank you for your purchase. I'll pack it for you right away. Please wait a moment."

The honest clerk began packing the camera, while Rin's gaze shifted to the clerk with droopy eyes, who was still staring at them.

When the unpleasant clerk noticed Rin looking at him, he glared back fiercely, as if Rin had stolen something precious from him. His eyes brimmed with resentment.

"Tsk."

"I want to file a complaint," Rin said suddenly.

The honest clerk's hands trembled, and he nearly dropped the camera. With a panicked expression, he quickly said, "Sir, there shouldn't have been any problem with my service just now. Please don't complain about me."

"How about this!"

"I'll throw in a memory card for your camera!"

"I wasn't planning to complain about you," Rin said, a subtle smile crossing his face. He gestured toward the clerk with droopy eyes. "The one I want to complain about is him."

Hearing this, the honest clerk breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! If you complained about me, the school's finance department would deduct my salary."

"I'm not complaining about you, but does that mean you're still giving me the memory card?" Rin asked with a smirk.

The clerk looked up at Rin's playful expression and replied helplessly, "Fine."

"What else comes with the camera?" Rin pressed further.

"A camera storage bag," the clerk replied.

"Anything else?" Rin asked again.

"That's all! There's really nothing else!"

"Really? I don't believe you," Rin teased.

"If you don't believe me, go ahead and complain!"

"Then I believe you," Rin said, finally relenting.