Kushida Kikyou took the fruit she had just washed and cut, placing it onto the table.
Shikime Natsu was very generous in sharing the fruit with the several girls, though of course, at the moment, only Kushida Kikyou was enjoying it.
"What's wrong, Hiyori? Feeling a bit unaccustomed to this?"
Shikime Natsu's gaze fell upon Shiina Hiyori's slightly wandering little eyes. After their gazes met, Shiina Hiyori lowered her head slightly, hiding the lower half of her face behind her book, and then nodded faintly toward Shikime Natsu.
"Mn... a little bit," she whispered, her voice carrying a few hints of embarrassment.
This was only natural.
No matter who it was, entering a boy's dormitory only to find two beautiful girls wearing maid outfits and serving him diligently—such a scene would hardly be considered normal no matter how one thought about it, right?
A normal person's first reaction would definitely be to associate it with some strange, odd, and indescribable directions.
Shikime Natsu seemed to see through her thoughts. He picked up a piece of apple and handed it to her, his tone remaining relaxed and natural.
"Is it because of the maid outfits on Horikita-san and Kikyou?"
Shiina Hiyori accepted the apple and nodded honestly once again.
Kikyou... It seemed Shikime Natsu's relationship with Kushida Kikyou was also quite good.
"Mn."
If it were simply a matter of many people, even if the room were crammed with five girls, she wouldn't feel anything was amiss. After all, Shikime Natsu himself was a very excellent and charming person.
Whether it was that impeccable handsome face, the rumored super-strong athletic and academic abilities, or even the boldness to confront the Student Council Vice President head-on... for such a person to be surrounded by many girls was a very reasonable thing in itself.
In fact, as Shikime Natsu's "book friend," hearing others praise him actually made Shiina Hiyori feel an inexplicable sense of happiness and pride.
But...
Maid outfits. If they existed not at a Cultural Festival but inside a boy's dormitory, it was still a bit too 'advanced' for the beautiful girl before him.
"Actually, it's not as complex as you think."
Shikime Natsu smiled and explained.
"The reason they are dressed like this is entirely due to a bet."
"A bet?"
Shiina Hiyori blinked, a trace of confusion flashing through her purple eyes.
"That's right."
"The wager between Horikita-san and me wasn't actually a maid outfit at the start, but one hundred thousand Private Points. However... Hiyori, you are also aware that due to some special reasons in Class D, their Class Points for the first month were zero. Therefore, Horikita didn't have the ability to pay the one hundred thousand Private Points. Furthermore, the initial one hundred thousand Private Points the school issued to Horikita at the start of the semester had already been mostly spent. She could only choose this method to repay the debt."
Speaking up to this point, Shikime Natsu deliberately emphasized his tone, speaking with an appreciative voice:
"I have to say, Horikita-san is truly someone who keeps her word and accepts defeat gracefully. I really admire that about her."
Hearing these words, Horikita Suzune, standing behind Shikime Natsu, instantly had her already frosty face turn a few shades darker. Who was it that I gave my initial one hundred thousand points to?! Saying it like this made it sound as if she was quite a spendthrift person.
Moreover... regarding the maid outfit, she had sternly refused at the beginning. It was just that this guy deliberately made her think in the direction of her brother. If she couldn't afford to lose, her evaluation in her brother's heart would drop.
In the end, it was all because of Shikime Natsu's own bad taste!
The force in Horikita Suzune's hands involuntarily increased a few degrees, as if she wanted to vent all her resentment onto Shikime Natsu's shoulders.
However, this slightly increased force didn't feel painful to Shikime Natsu at all. Instead, it felt just the right amount of sore and refreshing, causing him to narrow his eyes comfortably.
Although Shiina Hiyori didn't know exactly what the two had bet on, hearing the reason was "to repay a debt," the confusion in her heart instantly dissipated quite a bit.
"So that's how it is..."
"Although it makes her a maid, it's really just doing some simple things."
Shikime Natsu continued, his tone appearing very open and aboveboard.
"After all, everyone is a classmate. I wouldn't really treat her like a servant. I just have her come over every day to help rub my shoulders, pound my back, and casually clean up the dishes."
"Also, it only requires one hour a day, lasting for one month."
Listening to Shikime Natsu's understated explanation, Shiina Hiyori silently evaluated it in her heart.
One hour a day, doing some simple housework and massage, to offset a debt of one hundred thousand points...
Calculated this way, it indeed didn't seem like an excessive condition.
As for why it had to be a maid outfit...
Shiina Hiyori stole a glance at Shikime Natsu, secretly reaching a conclusion in her heart.
It seems... this is just a boy's unique aesthetic, right?
So Shikime Natsu likes this style of clothing... noted.
"As for Kikyou's reason, she already explained it herself just now. It's to thank me for my help."
Shikime Natsu then pointed to Sakayanagi Arisu, who was reading a book not far away.
"And that Sakayanagi-san there, actually, also has a similar wager with me. If she loses this midterm exam... well, she will also put on a maid outfit."
"Eh?!"
Shiina Hiyori widened her eyes in some disbelief, looking toward that silver-haired young girl leaning on a cane with a powerful aura.
This girl, who looked so imposing and full of queenly vibes, actually agreed to this kind of wager?
"These bets were actually all initiated by them coming to me."
Shikime Natsu spread his hands, revealing a very helpless expression.
"I merely... reluctantly accepted them."
"So, Hiyori, just relax and read your book, just like we do in the library."
Shiina Hiyori thoughtfully glanced at Horikita Suzune, then looked at the confident Sakayanagi Arisu.
Indeed.
Whether it was Horikita Suzune's refuse-to-lose gaze or Sakayanagi Arisu's aura of controlling everything, it showed they were the type of characters with an extreme desire to win.
Since they were willing to accept this shameful punishment of wearing a maid outfit upon losing, then conversely, if Shikime Natsu lost, the price he would have to pay would surely be quite immense as well.
This wasn't unilateral oppression, but a fair gamble.
Thinking of this, Shiina Hiyori felt her entire being relax.
So it wasn't that Shikime Natsu grasped their weakness and threatened them into this kind of shame-play, but rather a graceful acceptance of defeat. Shikime Natsu's image was restored in the young girl's heart.
"Speaking of which..."
Shiina Hiyori suddenly remembered something and asked softly.
"Natsu and the second-year Vice President Nagumo seem to have a wager too, right?"
"Mn, yes."
Shikime Natsu nodded.
"Does Natsu... really like betting with others?"
Shiina Hiyori tilted her head, looking at him curiously.
"It depends on the situation."
Shikime Natsu chuckled lightly, giving an ambiguous answer.
The so-called 'depending on the situation' naturally meant seeing if he had a one hundred percent certainty of winning.
If he didn't have the certainty of inevitable victory, he would absolutely not risk his own interests. Conversely, if victory was in his grasp, then he wouldn't mind increasing the stakes a bit more, making the opponent lose even more thoroughly.
Although gambling was gambling, Shikime Natsu was never some wandering swordsman of chance. When playing wagers, he only played the ones he would definitely win.
"Why?"
Shikime Natsu looked into the young girl's clear eyes and asked back.
"Does Hiyori also want to make a bet with me?"
"Umm..."
Shiina Hiyori thought about it seriously, then shook her head slightly.
"For now... I don't want to for the time being."
She revealed a gentle and tranquil smile.
"However... perhaps one day in the future, I might occasionally want to try betting with Natsu."
If I lose, will I also have to wear a maid outfit?
But... being able to chat with Shikime Natsu every day seems pretty nice too?
"Is that so?"
Shikime Natsu raised an eyebrow, a trace of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
"Then I'll be waiting anytime."
Just as the two were chatting idly, Sakayanagi Arisu, who had been standing next to Kamuro Masumi observing her, suddenly moved.
She leaned on her cane and walked in front of Shikime Natsu, a meaningful smile hanging on her face.
"Well then, today's enemy reconnaissance is over."
"Shikime-san, don't forget the agreement between us."
Those pale purple eyes flickered with a cunning light and the self-confidence of holding the winning ticket.
She just loves me like this, huh? Even though I've clearly gone to such lengths.
It seemed that after collecting intelligence on Kamuro Masumi, Sakayanagi Arisu had become even more confident in herself.
"Of course."
Shikime Natsu responded faintly.
"Then I'll excuse myself. Goodnight."
Sakayanagi Arisu bade farewell politely, then turned and walked toward the door.
"I'll be going back first."
Shikime Natsu watched that petite back depart.
However, at the moment Sakayanagi Arisu turned around, his gaze inadvertently swept over Kamuro Masumi, who was still buried in her work.
Coincidentally, the young girl raised her head, and their gazes met in the air for a second.
Shikime Natsu clearly captured a trace of... something from Kamuro Masumi's beautiful purple eyes.
A flash of happiness?
Or could it be described as... cunning?
Kamuro Masumi quickly lowered her head, continuing to stare at the workbook in front of her, as if that look just now was merely Shikime Natsu's illusion.
Shikime Natsu rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
That appearance of being brimming with confidence Sakayanagi Arisu had just now... could it be she was played by Kamuro Masumi?
Since when did his desk mate, who usually looked a bit clumsy and only knew how to sulk, become so smart and so good at acting?
She actually learned how to set a trap for that smug brat?
Interesting.
Because Sakayanagi Arisu left relatively early, she naturally didn't get a share of the plate of cut fruit on the table.
Shikime Natsu invited the remaining few girls to enjoy it together.
In an atmosphere that was somewhat subtle but generally harmonious, time flew by.
Soon, the one hour of maid service time ended.
After Horikita Suzune heard her phone alarm ring, she didn't stay a second longer. She quickly ducked into the bathroom to change back into her school uniform, then with a dark face, carried her bag and left Shikime Natsu's dormitory directly.
Mn, not even a goodbye. It seemed Horikita Suzune had a quite unhappy time here today as well.
Kushida Kikyou followed closely behind, not forgetting to bid everyone a sweet farewell before leaving.
Watching these two maids leave, the room instantly became much emptier.
Shiina Hiyori glanced at the time and also closed the book in her hands.
"Well then... I should go back too."
She stood up, bowing slightly to Shikime Natsu and Kamuro Masumi.
"Sorry for the intrusion today, Natsu, and Kamuro-san."
"Mn, be careful on the way."
Shikime Natsu nodded with a smile.
After sending off Shiina Hiyori, only Shikime Natsu and Kamuro Masumi remained in the room.
The room suddenly appeared much more spacious, leaving only the two of them.
Shikime Natsu walked to the desk, lowering his head to look at the exercises Kamuro Masumi was doing.
These exercises basically belonged to the upper-intermediate difficulty level.
Given Shikime Natsu's understanding of Kamuro Masumi, she should have been able to solve these things; even if it took a bit more time, she could provide the answers.
And Sakayanagi Arisu shouldn't be a fool either; scouting the enemy definitely wouldn't be that sloppy.
No, considering that only a little over half an hour had passed from Sakayanagi Arisu's arrival to her departure, feeling that she had scouted the enemy well in just half an hour and then leaving with full confidence—this behavior of Sakayanagi Arisu was a bit too hasty, wasn't it?
Exactly how much did she look down on Kamuro Masumi?
Shikime Natsu's gaze fell upon the exercises Kamuro Masumi had done. The volume of practice questions completed today wasn't very large. In over an hour, according to Kamuro Masumi's previous pace, she should have completed at least six or seven more questions.
And then... some questions had corrections on them. The difficulty of these questions could be said to be quite high; for an average student, they would be quite strenuous, and it was easy to fall into traps.
Kamuro Masumi's problem-solving traces displayed the appearance of her falling into a trap, discovering she had fallen into a trap, and then hurriedly climbing out to rethink how to solve the problem.
Even if she ultimately solved for the final answer, the process was a bit bumpy, time-consuming, and there were points deducted in the process.
Of course, there were also some questions that Kamuro Masumi appeared to do quite smoothly.
All of these were things displayed for Sakayanagi Arisu to see.
What types of questions she was good at, what types she wasn't—she had fully displayed them.
Sakayanagi Arisu probably hadn't imagined that Kamuro Masumi, who looked quite honest, would actually play some little tricks on her, right?
Did she think she already understood Kamuro Masumi as a person well enough?
She was a bit too arrogant. In the end, that fellow Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to have not grown at all from start to finish.
She was still quite haughty and arrogant.
Of course, there were some changes.
At first, she felt Shikime Natsu was just an interesting toy, then he became an opponent worth treating seriously in her eyes.
As for others... deep inside Sakayanagi Arisu's heart, she still looked down on them.
Shikime Natsu's gaze fell on Kamuro Masumi. His own cute little desk mate had gotten more cunning schemes.
Deliberately showing weakness, making the opponent underestimate the enemy, and then delivering a fatal blow at the critical moment.
"You did pretty well, Masumi."
"Natsu, you also have to remember your agreement with me."
Kamuro Masumi raised her head to look at Shikime Natsu.
"Of course."
Shikime Natsu revealed a smile, nodding slightly.
____
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