Chapter 91: Shimizu, What Is a Genius?
Yuto had not used any strength when he flicked Kei's forehead, so she knew he was not really angry.
"Don't let it happen again."
"Mm~"
Kei happily hugged Yuto's arm and enjoyed his scent and warmth with a peaceful smile.
Right now, Class D's one thousand class points should have already been fully deducted, so Kei playing with her phone during class no longer mattered.
After all, there were no class points left to deduct.
Kei raised her head slightly and rested her pointed chin against Yuto's arm. "Yuto, you still haven't told me. Is it true you're betting against someone from Class A?"
"It's true. I'll go to Class A after school this afternoon."
"Then I'll bring everyone with me to cheer you on!" Kei suggested excitedly.
"Don't."
Yuto did not know whether to laugh or cry. "I'm not going to Class A to fight. I'm going there for a chess wager. Why would I need so many people following me?"
"Chess requires quiet. If all of you are noisy, how am I supposed to focus?"
"That's true~ Then I'll go with you by myself."
"That's fine." Yuto nodded, allowing Kei to go with him.
"What are you two talking about? Let me hear too~"
Kei glanced at Kushida Kikyo, who had come over. As if declaring ownership, she said, "We're discussing where to go on a date after school. Kushida, do you have any recommendations?"
"Eh? Yuto, are you really going on a date with Karuizawa-san?"
Kikyo blinked at Yuto with lively eyes, her face full of curiosity.
"It doesn't count as a date. I have a wager with someone from Class A this afternoon, and Kei plans to come with me."
"It might not be a date, but it's basically the same!" Kei added.
"Then I'll go too! I've always wanted to see Yuto win against someone!" Kikyo said expectantly, clasping her hands together.
"Come if you want. It's not like I can stop you."
"Mm!"
Guh—
Kei stared unhappily at Kikyo.
This woman absolutely had feelings for Yuto. She was definitely a love rival. Otherwise, what normal person would cling so persistently and interrupt her date with Yuto?
The bell for the last class of the afternoon rang.
Kikyo returned to her seat, and Kei immediately leaned close to Yuto's ear. Her sweet breath brushed near him as she whispered.
"Yuto, after class, let's leave the classroom right away. Don't let Kushida follow us."
Yuto looked amusedly at Kei's fair cheek, which was close enough to touch. He could practically smell the sour jealousy coming from her.
If Sakura Airi also got jealous, it would probably have its own charm.
However, if Airi did get jealous, Yuto probably would not let Kikyo and Kei stay glued to him.
Yuto turned and looked at Airi.
His real girlfriend was quietly watching him. Whether Kikyo approached him or Kei acted intimate with him, Airi showed no jealousy at all.
Over the past few nights, Airi had even asked Yuto a strange question while flushed and exhausted.
She asked which girl he liked more, Kushida Kikyo or Karuizawa Kei.
Good grief.
What kind of death-question was that?
Though Yuto hadn't yet entered his post-orgasm period, he wasn't stupid. He immediately declared his love for the girl currently pinned beneath him.
Although that was not the answer Airi wanted to hear, it still made her feel unbearably sweet.
So Airi used the last bit of her strength to stay close to Yuto.
The next morning, Airi almost did not have the strength to get out of bed.
When the final bell of the afternoon rang, Kei immediately stood up.
She hurriedly helped Yuto pack his textbooks, then held his school bag in one hand and his hand in the other as she led him toward the back door of Class D.
Kei's hurried behavior made Yuto smile helplessly, but he did not resist. He let her pull him out of the classroom.
"Great victory~"
After leaving Class D, Kei let out a victorious cheer, as if she had won a huge victory over Kikyo. Yuto could only smile at her.
"Let's go. We're heading to Class A."
Yuto reached toward the school bag Kei was holding, indicating for her to give it back.
Kei did not hand it over. Instead, she slung his bag over her own slender shoulder, then hugged his arm closely.
"Let's go, let's go~ I'll carry your bag for you."
"...As long as you're happy."
Since it was after school, the students from Classes A, B, and C were all heading down the stairs.
There were too many people at the moment, and Yuto did not want to squeeze through the crowd, so he waited off to the side with Kei.
Although Kei wanted to get to Class A with Yuto before Kikyo arrived, she also did not want to push through the crowd. So she obediently stood beside him.
Suddenly, Yuto frowned slightly.
He saw Ryuen Kakeru and his two followers on the stairs again.
Ryuen, with both hands in his pockets, glanced at Yuto, then looked at Kei, who was holding his arm. Expressionless, he walked past them.
Ishizaki Daichi and Yamada Albert followed behind him nervously.
Ryuen looked like he had no intention of provoking Yuto, but Yuto knew he did.
Otherwise, that delinquent would not have sent Class C students to follow him before.
"Oh right, Kei. I think I forgot to warn you about something."
"What is it?"
Kei raised her head and looked at Yuto, her eyes lively and curious like a young deer's.
"You've heard of Class C's delinquent, Ryuen Kakeru, right?"
"Mm."
"Then you've probably also heard that he and I have a grudge, right?"
"I have. I heard that right after school started, you went to Class C and taught him a harsh lesson."
"Ryuen is troublesome. He has always held a grudge against me. Since he has no way and no ability to take revenge on me directly, he may target people around me. Aren't you afraid?"
"I am afraid..."
Kei tightened her hold on Yuto's arm and whispered, "But you'll protect me, right?"
"I will."
It was only one word, but it filled Kei with tremendous warmth and courage. A beautiful smile bloomed on her face.
"As long as you're willing to protect me, Yuto, I won't be scared!"
The more Kei stayed with Yuto, the harder it became for her to leave him.
She longed for his scent and his warmth. He made her feel sweet, like honey.
Now, Kei's entire heart already belonged to Yuto.
So no matter how dangerous it was to stay by his side, she would not be afraid. She would not give up either.
Yuto looked at Kei's sweet smile, then turned his gaze toward the direction Ryuen had left.
'I'll need to corner Ryuen sometime.'
Ryuen had endured for a month without taking revenge on Yuto.
Yuto did not know how this guy planned to retaliate.
So Yuto intended to corner Ryuen and use mind-reading retrospect on him to see exactly how that delinquent planned to take revenge.
Other people needed to think hard and put themselves in an enemy's position to guess how they might retaliate.
Yuto did not need to.
He had an extremely convenient mind-reading ability, allowing him to easily obtain information from other people's minds.
Two or three minutes later, the flow of people on the stairs thinned out.
Yuto and Kei began walking up toward Class A.
When they reached the third floor, Shiranami Chihiro, with her bob cut, happened to step out of the Class B classroom.
She saw Yuto and Kei walking together.
Shiranami froze for a moment.
Then she quickly retreated through the classroom door and hid back inside.
Yuto could not help being amused by Shiranami's reaction.
This timid girl really was afraid of him.
That was right.
Shiranami was truly afraid of Yuto. After hiding back inside Class B, she was even praying that Yuto would not enter the classroom.
"Yuto, wasn't that bob-cut girl just now acting a little strange?" Kei asked curiously, pointing at the Class B door.
"Who?" Yuto blinked.
"You didn't notice? A girl from Class B just ran back inside like a little rabbit. It looked like we scared her."
"I didn't notice."
"Really?"
Chatting casually, Yuto and Kei arrived near Class A.
Yuto went to the restroom and put in the colored contacts he had kept in his pocket.
With this, when Yuto used mind-reading, the strange color that appeared in his black-and-white eyes would not be seen by others.
Chairman Sakayanagi had said that Sakayanagi Arisu was very skilled at chess.
If Yuto could not defeat her in the upcoming wager, he would use his mind-reading ability.
After all, mind-reading was also one of Yuto's abilities.
Using his own ability to wager did not count as cheating.
After putting in the colored contacts, Yuto came out of the restroom.
Kei was waiting for him nearby, and Kikyo was also standing beside her.
"Kikyo, you really came up."
"Of course. How could I miss the moment Yuto wins?" Kikyo showed Yuto a bright and cheerful smile.
"Then let's go."
"Mm!"
Yuto led Kei and Kikyo, two beautiful girls, into the Class A classroom.
The students of Class A seemed to care greatly about Shimizu Yuto's wager against Sakayanagi Arisu.
So even though school was over, the students had not rushed to leave. There were still around thirty people in the classroom.
These students were probably either from the Katsuragi faction or the Sakayanagi faction.
The ones who had left were likely neutral students.
Kamuro Masumi, who remained in the classroom, saw Yuto.
Her attention was completely on him, and she did not notice Kikyo or Kei beside him at all.
"Everyone, how have you been lately?"
The little angel, Kushida Kikyo, greeted the Class A students warmly and cheerfully.
Unexpectedly, the Class A students actually responded to Kikyo one after another.
As expected of a friendship expert.
Yuto looked at Kamuro, who was silently watching him.
He gave her a faint smile, then turned to Sakayanagi Arisu, who sat at her seat.
A chessboard and timer had already been placed on the desk in front of her.
"Sakayanagi, one match or two?"
Yuto's words made Kamuro purse her lips.
Arisu answered with a smile, "One match."
"Tch. Fine. Let's sign the wager contract."
"Very well."
Yuto and Arisu used their school phones to sign a wager contract.
The points being wagered reached 1.34 million.
The event was chess.
One match would decide victory or defeat.
Yuto sat across from Arisu.
Kikyo and Kei stood on his left and right, as if protecting him.
The other Class A students all remained quiet, silently watching this huge wager between Yuto and Arisu.
Mm...
In their eyes, a 1.34 million-point wager was indeed huge.
After all, none of them had more than one hundred thousand points.
Arisu smiled at the handsome boy sitting across from her and spoke.
"Shimizu-kun, before the wager begins, may I ask you one question?"
"Ask first. I'll decide after hearing it," Yuto said casually.
"Very well. You are very impressive. You challenged almost every club in this school and defeated them in their own specialties."
"There is no doubt that you are an unprecedented all-around genius."
Yuto glanced at Arisu, who was sincerely praising him. His expression did not change as he asked, "And?"
"So, as a genius yourself, what do you believe a genius is?"
"Is a genius created through strict education, or is it decided at the moment of birth?"
"I don't fully agree with the wording of your question."
Yuto said, "Instead of 'decided at the moment of birth,' it should be 'decided by the parents' genes.'"
"Do you mean that children born from excellent parents will definitely be excellent?"
Yuto shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean."
"I only think that parents' genes are more convincing than saying whether someone is a genius is decided at the moment of birth."
"I see. Then, Shimizu-kun, how do you view the birth of genius?" Arisu brought the topic back.
"It's simple. Talent decides the upper limit. Effort decides the lower limit," Yuto said casually.
"Some people are born with high talent. Those are the so-called child prodigies and geniuses. But if they don't work hard afterward, even prodigies can fall into mediocrity."
"Some people are born without much talent. But through their own effort, sweat, insight, opportunities, and many other complicated factors, they become geniuses admired by others."
"That is my answer."
Arisu clapped her hands and smiled.
"What a fine answer. It covers everything and leaves no room to refute."
…
(Don't forget to vote and leave a comment below! The more you vote, the more chapters I upload weekly.)
...
Read more chapters in advance:
patréon.com/U22
(Note: Replace "é" with "e" on your web browser.)