Looking at Kushida Kikyou's sweet smile that had instantly switched into pitiful damsel mode under the dim lighting.
Shikime Natsu couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle in his heart.
This two-faced angel — one second ago she was mentally slicing him into a thousand pieces, and the next she could smoothly lower her head and beg him just to keep from freezing.
This kind of flexibility, this ability to bend and stretch as needed, was in a certain sense really quite impressive.
"Of course you can."
Shikime Natsu smiled, then with a natural motion took off the casual jacket draped over his shoulder — still warm from his own body heat — and casually handed it to the shivering Kushida Kikyou in front of him.
Faced with the jacket extended toward her, Kushida Kikyou didn't hesitate in the slightest. She reached out, took it directly, and immediately draped it over her own slender shoulders.
The jacket still retained Shikime Natsu's unique body warmth, instantly dispelling a great deal of the surrounding chill.
As for whether the jacket carried Shikime Natsu's scent or anything like that — Kushida Kikyou, having been frozen half to death, was in no state to care about such things right now.
Kushida Kikyou pulled the jacket tighter around herself and lifted her head. Those eyes, having regained some of their luster, looked at Shikime Natsu standing in the sea breeze wearing only a thin shirt.
She deliberately spoke up in a voice laced with a hint of sweetness and teasing.
"My, my."
"It seems that a boy's physical constitution really is somewhat better than that of us frail girls."
She looked Shikime Natsu up and down, a faint, barely-detectable hint of anticipation in her gaze.
"Looking at you right now, Natsu — it seems you don't feel cold at all?"
Shikime Natsu honestly hadn't expected that, after he'd kindly lent her his jacket, this girl, once she had recovered her composure, would still have the spare wits to tease him like this.
Watching Kushida Kikyou's somewhat smug expression, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened a notch.
"Who said I wasn't cold?"
Shikime Natsu deliberately put on an innocent look and said to her with a smile.
"Actually, I feel really cold too. How about… you give the jacket back to me now?"
As he spoke, he even deliberately stretched out his hand, making a show of going to take his jacket back.
Seeing Shikime Natsu's gesture, Kushida Kikyou hurriedly clutched the jacket more tightly and took half a step back.
"Absolutely not."
She refused with a beaming smile, her tone carrying a hint of righteousness.
"Once you've lent the jacket to me, where's the reason to take it back so quickly?"
Though her words were joking, Kushida Kikyou had been secretly observing Shikime Natsu for a good while.
She discovered that on this deck where the sea wind howled, Shikime Natsu, dressed only in a thin shirt, stood with his back as straight as ever — even the rhythm of his breathing hadn't changed in the slightest.
That calm, composed appearance of his — it really didn't look as if he were the least bit affected by the cold.
This discovery left Kushida Kikyou feeling somewhat disappointed.
She had been hoping to see this fellow Shikime Natsu — always so high and mighty — also shivering wretchedly from the cold, just like she had been a moment ago.
Even if she could just make him sneeze, her heart would feel much more balanced.
Since she couldn't find a point of balance in terms of physical constitution, Kushida Kikyou's thoughts turned back to the topic that had been bothering her earlier.
She narrowed her eyes slightly and looked at Shikime Natsu, asking,
"Speaking of which, Natsu."
"I'm still really curious — how on earth did you manage it?"
She stared at him intently.
"What kind of method did you use that allowed that girl to miraculously recover from her fever in such a short period of time?"
Kushida Kikyou's tone was full of disbelief.
"Even if you'd given her fever-reducing medicine directly, there's no way it could have such an immediate effect, right?"
Just as Shikime Natsu was about to answer this question.
Outside the corner, the tea party of those few Class C girls suddenly shifted topics.
"Hey, did you all hear?"
One girl's voice rang out with particular clarity on the quiet deck.
"That Shiki-san from Class A — not only is he super handsome, but in this Deserted Island exam, I heard he single-handedly solved all of Class A's survival problems!"
"Right, right! I heard that too! And the fish he grilled was super delicious! He's really a reliable, gentle, perfect boy!"
"Ahh, if only I could become his girlfriend…"
The several girls discussed enthusiastically, their words filled with praise and longing for Shikime Natsu.
Hiding around the corner, Kushida Kikyou caught every single word of this conversation in her ears.
She turned her head to look at Shikime Natsu beside her, the expression on her face turning a little sour and snide.
Kushida Kikyou lowered her voice and once again spoke up in a teasing tone.
"It seems that you really are quite popular among the girls of this school, Natsu. Wherever you go, you can hear people praising you."
Faced with this vinegary teasing.
Shikime Natsu just smiled indifferently.
"Naturally."
He answered with utter conviction, without a trace of modesty.
Hearing Shikime Natsu's rather shameless admission, Kushida Kikyou snorted coldly in her heart.
This narcissist!
But just as Kushida Kikyou was frantically complaining inside her head.
The few Class C girls outside seemed to have grown a bit bored with chatting.
"Sitting here in the wind the whole time is kind of cold. Why don't we walk around the ship for a bit?"
"Sure, sure! I heard there are lots of good photo spots on this cruise ship's deck. Let's go explore this deck!"
Along with these few exchanges, a flurry of footsteps began to sound — and judging from the direction, they were actually heading toward the very area where the two of them were standing!
Kushida Kikyou's face changed in an instant.
The face that had still been wearing a teasing expression a moment ago turned pale in an instant.
Damn it!
She cursed silently in her heart.
"What is wrong with these people, not sleeping in the middle of the night and being so nosy!"
She turned her head, looking at Shikime Natsu with some urgency, her tone becoming extremely serious and pressing.
"They're coming over here!"
"We absolutely cannot let these big-mouthed girls discover the two of us alone here together!"
Watching Kushida Kikyou looking as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.
Shikime Natsu, far from panicking, instead let out a soft chuckle.
He looked at her and asked in a very relaxed tone,
"Oh?"
"Then, Kikyou, how exactly do you plan to hide before they come over?"
He spread his hands, gesturing at the surroundings.
"You should know — although this cruise ship's deck has plenty of space, there are very few concealed places that can actually be used to hide people."
"Aside from this corner, which just barely blocks the line of sight — if they walk over here and turn the corner or something, everything about this spot will be in plain view."
Shikime Natsu was telling the truth.
This cruise ship had been designed for wide, open views in the first place — there really weren't many blind spots.
Just as Kushida Kikyou was pacing in circles in her panic, not knowing what to do.
Perhaps it was a coincidence of fate, or perhaps something else.
Kushida Kikyou's gaze landed on a toolbox at the far end — a large toolbox specifically used to store deck-cleaning tools and spare ropes.
It was exactly the kind of standard prop that often gets used in various romance anime to trigger those ambiguous locked-room scenarios.
As the footsteps of the girls outside drew closer and closer — to the point where their crisp chatter and laughter could clearly be heard.
Under the tension and panic.
Kushida Kikyou's brain didn't have time to think too much.
She once again reached out and seized Shikime Natsu's wrist in a death grip.
"Come with me!"
She growled in a low voice through gritted teeth, then unleashed an astonishing surge of strength.
She forcefully yanked open the metal door of the unlocked toolbox and, without regard for anything, dragged Shikime Natsu inside.
Then she squeezed in right behind him.
With a soft "thud".
Just before the footsteps rounded the corner, Kushida Kikyou reached behind her and pulled the toolbox door tightly shut from the inside.
The cramped interior of the toolbox plunged into total darkness in an instant.
Since this toolbox had not been designed to hold people in the first place.
The space inside was extremely narrow — just barely, only barely able to accommodate the frames of two adults.
And what's more, in a configuration where they had to be pressed tightly together.
In this dark, sealed-off space, Shikime Natsu could feel the soft, delicate body almost completely pressed against him at point-blank range, while the tip of his nose was wrapped in the girl's unique scent — a mixture of shampoo and a faint body fragrance.
He looked at Kushida Kikyou and spoke with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.
"Kikyou, you really are unexpectedly bold."
He deliberately lowered his voice, his warm breath gently brushing across her hair.
"In that moment just now, if we'd just separated a little bit — left one person outside to pretend to be looking at the scenery — we could've barely gotten away with it."
"But…"
"You didn't even think about it. You just pulled me along with you straight into this cramped, sealed-off space that's so easy to misinterpret."
Shikime Natsu's tone was full of mischievous teasing.
"Really, you can't judge a book by its cover."
Hearing Shikime Natsu's merciless teasing.
Kushida Kikyou finally also realized just what an idiotic move she had made a moment ago.
"You shut up!"
Kushida Kikyou clenched her teeth in the darkness and glared at Shikime Natsu with eyes that were utterly furious — eyes that looked like she wanted to bite him.
"Don't you go saying snide things over there!"
She complained to Shikime Natsu in the lowest possible whisper.
"Then why didn't you say so earlier?!"
Faced with her accusation, Shikime Natsu didn't back down at all — instead he let out a soft chuckle.
"You can't blame me for this."
He answered with full conviction.
"In that moment just now, Kikyou — you didn't ask me a single thing. You just grabbed my hand all on your own and immediately hid in here."
"It can't help but remind me of the last accident that happened between us."
"Just like last time, I had merely happened to catch a glimpse of another side of you by chance."
"And the result? You straight-up grabbed my hand and, without the slightest hesitation, placed it on your collar…"
"I have to say."
"Kikyou really is quite bold and wild."
Hearing Shikime Natsu's teasing words bringing up that old incident, Kikyou's small face — hidden in the darkness — once again turned thoroughly red and hot.
It was the kind of scorching blush mixed with shame and fury.
"You…!"
She was just about to launch a counter-attack.
But.
"Tap, tap, tap…"
The footsteps outside were already very close — she could even feel that someone was standing not too far away from the toolbox.
"Hey, the scenery over here is pretty nice too."
A girl's voice came from outside.
Hearing this voice.
Kushida Kikyou could only forcibly swallow back the cursing words that had reached the tip of her tongue, forcing herself to hold them in.
Inside this cramped toolbox, the atmosphere became strange and ambiguous.
Because the space was truly too small, the two of them could only stand face to face.
And because Kushida Kikyou's figure was so well-developed, her ample chest had now become the greatest obstacle.
Facing Shikime Natsu, even though she was already leaning her body backward as much as she possibly could, that soft sensation still inevitably brushed against Shikime Natsu's chest.
Kushida Kikyou felt extremely uncomfortable — one could even say she was being tormented.
Standing this close to Shikime Natsu, she could clearly feel the warm aura emanating from his body — she could even feel his steady, powerful heartbeat.
Originally, standing out on the deck in the sea wind, she had felt incredibly cold and had been shivering all over.
But right now, at this very moment, with the body heat of the two of them mingling, she felt her whole body growing hot — even her breathing was becoming a little uneven.
But.
The group of Class C girls outside, far from showing any sign of leaving, instead seemed quite satisfied with the scenery in this area. They simply stopped outside and continued chatting away.
This was about to drive Kushida Kikyou absolutely crazy.
Even Kushida Kikyou, in this space full of the scent of hormones, no longer dared to let her gaze rest unrestrainedly on Shikime Natsu the way she usually did.
She was terrified that, in this kind of situation, if her eyes met Shikime Natsu's, then with the catalysts of darkness and adrenaline, something unspeakable and completely out of control might happen.
If… if something really did happen in this mop-holding toolbox where the situation went off the rails.
Then she, Kushida Kikyou, would be completely ruined for the rest of her life.
Within the limits of not going too far, the only thing she could do right now was to bite her lips tightly and forcibly hold back any strange sounds that might draw the attention of those outside.
Thankfully, this fellow Shikime Natsu wasn't being too out of line in this regard.
Although his teasing words were ruthless, in this cramped space his hands had stayed properly at his sides the whole time. He hadn't taken advantage of the darkness and the cramped quarters to get handsy with her in any way.
If he had dared move recklessly, Kushida Kikyou swore — even if it meant exposing herself, she would absolutely tear this bastard Shikime Natsu apart on the spot!
And it was in this excruciating silence.
That Shikime Natsu suddenly lowered his head slightly and once again spoke to Kushida Kikyou.
"Kikyou."
His warm breath spilled out beside her ear.
"Don't you think… we're standing way too cramped right now?"
Hearing this.
Kushida Kikyou's body suddenly stiffened.
She hadn't expected that this utterly shameless fellow Shikime Natsu would actually dare to suddenly open his mouth and speak while the Class C girls were still chatting outside!
Did this lunatic really not care about being discovered by the people outside?!
No!
Kushida Kikyou cursed silently in her heart.
Of course that fellow didn't care! The only one who cared about something like this, who cared about reputation, was her!
What exactly did he want by suddenly speaking up at this moment with such inexplicable words?!
Kushida Kikyou abruptly jerked her head up and, in the darkness, glared at Shikime Natsu with eyes full of warning.
She tried to respond to him through action, doing her best to shrink backward in an attempt to put some safe distance between herself and Shikime Natsu.
But she quickly discovered, to her dismay.
That this was simply impossible.
The depth of this toolbox was truly too shallow.
Even if she only retreated the tiniest bit, her back was already pressed firmly against the cold metal wall of the box.
And even then, because of her impressive figure, she was still pressed up against Shikime Natsu.
"You — shut up!"
Kushida Kikyou lowered her voice and sternly warned Shikime Natsu.
"Don't go running your mouth!"
"If you dare to make a sound and get us exposed, I swear, you absolutely will not get away with it!"
Although a long time ago, with regard to that whole business of using the handprint as leverage, she had in fact ended up being the one taken advantage of by Shikime Natsu — and she had had no way to retaliate.
But the current situation was completely different.
She was confident that if, at this very moment, the sight of them — a solitary man and woman hiding inside a box — were actually witnessed by those girls outside.
Then, relying on her masterful acting skills, she could instantly put on a convincingly realistic disguise.
She could instantly assume the appearance of a pitiful, terrified victim who had been forced into it, and then turn the tables on him — loudly accusing this lecher Shikime Natsu of having forcibly dragged her in here.
By that point, Shikime Natsu's reputation would absolutely be ground into the dirt — he would meet utter ruin!
Kushida Kikyou really did hate this fellow to the core right now.
She hadn't imagined that in this cramped space, she of all people would be openly taken advantage of by this bastard Shikime Natsu!
And what's more, she couldn't even resist!
Faced with Kushida Kikyou's fierce-yet-empty warning.
Shikime Natsu, far from being afraid, instead let out a pleased laugh.
"Don't be so tense."
He paid no attention whatsoever to her threat. Instead, in a sudden change of subject, he tossed out a topic completely out of left field.
"Speaking of which, Kikyou."
Shikime Natsu said softly.
"Just a moment ago, weren't you outside the whole time curiously asking me how on earth I managed, in such a short period of time, to treat Horikita Suzune and bring her fever down?"
Hearing this.
A flash of confusion passed through Kushida Kikyou's eyes.
At a time like this?
What on earth was he trying to do?
Paying no mind to her confusion, Shikime Natsu continued speaking unhurriedly.
"I can answer you now."
"In truth, I didn't use any special medicine."
"I just used a special massage technique to help Horikita clear her meridians, which is why her fever broke so quickly."
Hearing Shikime Natsu's outrageous answer.
Kushida Kikyou was first stunned, and then, in the darkness, she couldn't help being so exasperated that she had to laugh.
"Hah?"
She lowered her voice, her tone full of unmasked mockery and disbelief.
"Massage?"
"Even if you want to make up a lie, can't you at least make up one that's a little more convincing?"
"Are you saying that your hands are some kind of miracle device that can cure any illness? You give a casual press or two and they suddenly have the magical ability to make someone's fever break instantly?"
Faced with Kushida Kikyou's skepticism.
Shikime Natsu wasn't angry — instead, the arc of his lips deepened even more.
"Kikyou, you really are uninformed about this."
"This special hereditary massage technique of mine isn't just as simple as being able to cure illness and bring down fevers."
"It also has a very magical — one could even say physics-defying — special function."
"And that is… by means of special stimulation, it can cause changes in the body of the person being massaged. For instance, right now, it can create a little extra space."
Hearing this utterly fantastical claim from Shikime Natsu.
Kushida Kikyou stared at Shikime Natsu as if she were looking at a lunatic who had just escaped from a mental hospital.
She really was starting to seriously suspect that perhaps this fellow Shikime Natsu had stayed on that Deserted Island for seven days and had his brain blown loose by the sea wind.
"Are you sick or something?"
Kushida Kikyou shot back sarcastically without holding anything back.
"Don't tell me — if you press on me a couple of times at random, you can also just conjure up space out of thin air?"
Faced with this sharp ridicule.
Shikime Natsu still maintained his smile.
"Conjuring up space out of thin air is naturally something I can't do."
"But…"
"I can use my technique to greatly reduce certain things that are taking up too much space — make them smaller — and thereby achieve the goal of freeing up space."
Hearing this.
Kushida Kikyou's mind raced through a quick mental loop.
Reduce the things taking up space?
She thought of the state of the two of them currently pressed tightly together, and a sneer of disdain — even contempt — couldn't help but curl at the corner of her mouth.
"Oh?"
Kushida Kikyou lowered her voice and shot back in a tone full of provocation.
"What?"
"Are you saying, Natsu, that you're going to use that miraculous massage of yours to reduce that thing of yours down below that's taking up space?"
It has to be said — for the sake of striking back, Kushida Kikyou was not at all shy about cracking dirty jokes.
"The thing taking up the most space right now — clearly that's yours, isn't it, Kikyou?"
Hearing this, Kushida Kikyou's expression instantly went rigid.
She really couldn't believe that this fellow Shikime Natsu's skin could be so thick!
"You…!"
Kushida Kikyou clenched her teeth and glared at him viciously.
"Shikime Natsu, you really are a thoroughgoing pervert through and through!"
She lowered her voice furiously and accused him.
"Even at a time like this, your head is still full of nothing but how to take advantage of me!"
"What? With so many pretty girlfriends, are you still this thirsty? Don't tell me — that Sakura girl can't even satisfy a pervert's appetite like yours? You just had to come and provoke me?!"
Faced with these words from Kushida Kikyou, Shikime Natsu just smiled and continued.
"I have no intention of taking advantage of you. Otherwise… do you think you'd be able to talk to me this peacefully right now?"
"It seems you don't believe a single thing I just said."
"Like hell I do!"
"Do you intend to fool me as if I were a child?"
"Since you've bragged up your massage technique to be so god-tier and miraculous, then fine — I'll give you the chance to prove it. Right now, in front of me, make me smaller. If you can't do it, then as punishment for trying to use such a sleazy excuse to take advantage of me, I want you… to transfer me five hundred thousand personal points! And to become my maid for one month — how about it, do you dare?"
Kushida Kikyou looked at Shikime Natsu with a provocative gaze. Didn't this fellow Shikime Natsu like wearing a maid outfit? Then she'd let him wear one to his heart's content.
Moreover… five hundred thousand personal points — if she could get her hands on them, then her position as Class D's leader would be even more secure.
This school really just couldn't get by without those things called personal points.
"Of course I dare."
Hearing that Shikime Natsu had actually agreed without the slightest hesitation.
Kushida Kikyou's heart suddenly gave a heavy "thud".
An extremely bad premonition instantly rose up from the bottom of her heart.
This fellow — why had he agreed so readily? Did he really have some kind of shameful sorcery up his sleeve?
However, this thought existed only for a moment before Kushida Kikyou rejected it.
No way!
This was a matter that violated common human physiology! Even if he were a genius, there was no way he could shrink a person just by pressing on them a couple of times! He had to be bluffing!
As for the matter of letting Shikime Natsu get away with a little advantage during the process…
Kushida Kikyou rapidly weighed the pros and cons in her heart.
After all, a long time ago on the rooftop, in order to get herself out of trouble, she had already let him do something like that handprint business — the "advantage" had long since been taken by him.
Now, if she could just easily obtain a benefit from this idiot Shikime Natsu's hands by only being symbolically pressed on a few times, then making a small sacrifice wasn't really out of the question.
As long as he dared to push his luck and try to go a step further.
Kushida Kikyou sneered coldly in her heart.
Then he could absolutely forget about it! She would absolutely scream out loud immediately and ruin his name and reputation!
"Fine, those are your words."
Kushida Kikyou clenched her teeth and steeled herself mentally.
She closed her eyes with the air of one resigned to her fate.
"Bring it on!"
The moment she closed her eyes — even though she had already braced herself in her heart — when Shikime Natsu's hand actually rose up.
Kushida Kikyou still couldn't help but feel a powerful sense of shame.
Her body tensed up slightly.
Very quickly, Kushida Kikyou felt warmth — the sensation of Shikime Natsu's palm — and then a kind of tingling, electric sensation.
Before long, Shikime Natsu withdrew his hand.
"There we go."
His voice sounded in the darkness.
Kushida Kikyou abruptly opened her eyes. She was just about to mock Shikime Natsu a few times and then make him fulfill the terms of their bet.
But the very moment she opened her eyes.
Kushida Kikyou suddenly felt that… the space really did seem to have gotten bigger, and the burden that had been on her shoulders this whole time had also disappeared. What was going on?
And when Kushida Kikyou looked downward in front of her, she found that she couldn't see her own things anymore.
All of a sudden… it had become empty!
Kushida Kikyou lowered her head and discovered… they were flat?
____
👻🔥Seek: Walnut-chan🔥👻
🔥 New history: A Martial Arts Master Will Never Be Humiliated
Let's hit these goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = 1 extra chapter for the public!