Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
Akira leaned against a pillar at the mall entrance, glancing down at the time on his phone—4:10 PM.
He opened the chat interface. The last message was from Kushida:
{Let's meet at four! I'm going home to change, wait for me~}
'Is she late...'
Just as he was hesitating whether to send a message, light footsteps suddenly came from behind him.
"Shimizu-kun! Sorry to keep you waiting~"
The moment he turned, a faint scent of gardenias wafted towards him.
Kushida jogged to a stop in front of him, slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed with a faint blush.
She was wearing a light yellow dress today, and her hair still had a hint of dampness, clearly having just showered.
"Sorry for making you wait." She clasped her hands together and winked playfully. "It took a while to choose an outfit. Shimizu-kun, what do you think of my look today?"
"This outfit suits you very well today." Akira's gaze briefly lingered on Kushida, his tone carrying genuine appreciation.
Light yellow was indeed a difficult color to pull off, but it looked surprisingly harmonious on her, making her exude a radiant, spring-like aura.
"Thank you~" Kushida tilted her head slightly.
Her gaze also swept over Akira's outfit—a simple white T-shirt paired with a light blue casual jacket, a seemingly casual combination that perfectly outlined his tall figure.
"Shimizu-kun looks very handsome today too."
"Thank you for your honesty."
Kushida clasped her hands behind her back and took a small hop forward. "So... can I arrange today's itinerary? My plan is to first go to the dessert shop on the second floor for something to eat, and then go sing karaoke—is that okay?"
"That's fine." Akira responded.
He mentally reviewed the itinerary and thought it was quite suitable.
After all, it was already May, and the weather was starting to get warm, so an indoor date like this was certainly much more comfortable than being outdoors.
The two walked side by side into the mall. The cool air wafted over them, dispelling the early summer heat.
Kushida skillfully led Akira to the second floor, where a dessert shop decorated with pink macaron-shaped lights came into view.
"This shop's giant matcha parfait is very famous at school! They say if you finish it in ten minutes, it's free! Shimizu-kun, do you want to try the challenge?"
Kushida's eyes sparkled, and without waiting for Akira to respond, she excitedly ordered the signature dessert.
When the giant parfait cup was brought to the table, Akira couldn't help but widen his eyes—this portion was easily two or three times the size of a regular parfait, with the top covered in vibrant strawberries and mangoes, and matcha ice cream piled up like a small mountain.
"Wait... can this really be finished?" Akira pointed to the "dessert tower" in front of him.
Kushida was holding her phone, looking for an angle to take a picture, and winked playfully when she heard him. "It's clearly written on the sign~"
Following the direction of her finger, Akira indeed saw the "Ten-Minute Challenge" activity description.
The waitress thoughtfully started the timer on the table—the numbers were ticking down from 9:59.
"But isn't this a two-person challenge?!" Akira couldn't help but look at the relaxed girl opposite him. "You're not planning to make me finish it alone, are you?"
The activity clearly stated it was a two-person challenge.
Akira pointed to a table not far from them. "Look at the other customers, they're all sharing it as a pair..."
Before he finished speaking, both their gazes simultaneously fell on the striking pair not far away.
A blond-haired upperclassman leaned lazily back in his chair, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the parfait offered by the upperclasswoman across from him.
The upperclasswoman carefully spoon-fed him the dessert, a fawning smile on her face.
"Vice President Nagumo! I used all my points this month to treat you to this dessert date..." The upperclasswoman's voice held a hint of coquetry.
"Not bad," the blond-haired upperclassman said nonchalantly, swallowing the dessert and curling his lips into an arrogant smile. "You can skip next month's offering."
"Oh, and midterms are in a few weeks," Nagumo, the blond-haired boy, suddenly opened his eyes, tapping the table lightly with his slender fingers. "Remember, your class is not allowed to privately buy test papers from the third-years."
He casually adjusted his cuffs. "The entire second-year needs only one set of test papers, which I will handle centrally. If anyone dares to waste my points..."
"Y-yes, I understand!" The upperclasswoman nodded hastily, the silver spoon in her hand trembling slightly.
"Be obedient," Nagumo said with a predator-like smile. "Before graduation, I might... save a special recommendation spot for you."
He leaned back in his chair again, lazily opening his mouth. "Continue."
"Yes!" The upperclasswoman immediately perked up, carefully scooping up a spoonful of matcha ice cream.
Akira subtly averted his gaze.
'So that's him... the rumored Nagumo Miyabi, Vice President?'
His arrogant demeanor made him look like a peacock fanning its tail.
Basking in the privileges of his Student Council Vice President title and an astronomical number of private points, he brazenly enjoyed special treatment at school.
He caught a glimpse of the upperclasswoman's forced smile out of the corner of his eye. This was no mutual date. It was clearly a naked transaction.
Beneath her trembling eyelashes, what was hidden was probably not admiration, but a craving for points.
'"One set is enough"—is he treating the entire Class C's private points as his personal piggy bank?'
This person's arrogance, in a sense, was far more unsettling than Sakayanagi's.
At least Sakayanagi never squandered class funds as if they were her own private points.
That matter-of-fact attitude was more grating than any deliberate provocation.
What concerned him even more was Nagumo's level of control over class affairs.
Being able to so easily interfere with Class C's purchase of test papers indicated that the Vice President's influence had permeated the internal management of the class.
Could he directly interfere with all decisions of the four second-year classes? That would be terrifying.
"Shimizu-kun?" Kushida's voice pulled him back to reality. "If you keep spacing out, you might fail the challenge~"
"Hm? Aren't you eating?" When Akira came back to his senses, he saw a mountain of parfait in front of him, with frosting still clinging to the tips of the strawberries.
"I'm sorry, Shimizu-kun," Kushida gently pressed her lower abdomen, her voice soft. "I suddenly felt a little unwell when I was taking a shower today, so I can only watch you eat."
Akira stared at her hand on her stomach, but his mind was clear—who would specifically go to an ice cream shop if they felt unwell?
She clearly wanted him to finish this giant parfait alone.
When the ice shards melted on his tongue, he couldn't help but frown.
'Huh? When did I offend her?'
'I praised her this morning for taking good care of herself and being kind to me, so why is she suddenly "targeting" me?'
He scooped a large spoonful of cream into his mouth. As his tongue went numb from the cold, he glimpsed Kushida's smiling eyes hidden behind the cup—that bit of confusion suddenly turned into a helpless, silent laugh.
Childish!