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Akira didn't try to guess what Kushida was thinking—in his opinion, it was entirely normal.
Any normal person encountering such a deliberately difficult store would be lucky not to argue with the staff on the spot. Complaining a few times and leaving a bad review afterward was perfectly natural.
After a moment's consideration, he decided to directly contact the Student Council President, explaining the entire situation clearly, and attaching a screenshot of the free offer explanation to the message.
At this school, when students encountered trouble, besides their homeroom teacher, the most reliable person was the Student Council President. Especially for consumer disputes like this, it was clearly safer to let the Student Council handle it.
Not long after the message was sent, Horikita Manabu's side showed "Read."
He quickly replied, carefully asking for several details: for example, whether the quality of the ice cream was up to standard, whether the pricing complied with school regulations, and whether relevant terms were clearly stated at the time of purchase.
Akira answered each question patiently, his tone clear and logical. After he sent the reply to the last question, Horikita Manabu simply replied with a concise "I understand."
The chat window on the screen stopped at this reply, but Akira felt an inexplicable sense of relief—he understood Horikita Manabu's style of action. If he said "I understand," he would definitely handle it properly.
"Let's go." Seeing Kushida finish the last sip of mango juice, he stood up directly.
Since there'd already been such a scene in the store, there was no need to linger.
"Okay." Kushida responded, pushing the empty cup into the tray with her fingertips.
...
The two said no more and walked directly towards the karaoke.
When they pushed open the private room door, the colored lights had just turned halfway, and Kushida skillfully picked up the microphone, her fingertips tapping rapidly on the panel as she adjusted the volume.
As soon as the prelude began, she swayed gently with the rhythm, and when she started to sing, her voice was clear and steady—indeed, a cute person also sings exceptionally well.
After one song, the score displayed on the screen steadily exceeded ninety points, even overshadowing the harmonies in the accompaniment.
Akira looked at her smiling eyebrows and eyes as she put down the microphone, and he generally understood—this level, she must practice often with friends. The more she sang, the more her skills naturally developed.
"It's Shimizu-kun's turn now." Kushida handed over the other microphone. "Choose a song you like?"
Akira paused as he took the microphone.
He wasn't very familiar with Japanese pop songs, and after flipping through the song list for a long time, he finally chose two anime theme songs.
As the prelude played, his fingertips unconsciously tapped on the armrest of the sofa.
Although it was his first time singing, the rhythm was decent, only his voice was deeper, completely different from Kushida's clear tone.
The colored lights in the private room turned twice, and as he sang the chorus, he caught a glimpse of Kushida smiling with her chin in her hand, her fingers still tapping along on her knee.
It must be said that Kushida provided emotional value exceptionally well.
When Akira sang a high note, she would always applaud at the right time. The sound of her palms clapping was not loud, but just enough for him to hear.
When there were parts that could be sung as a duet, she would naturally pick up the other microphone and join in, her voice surprisingly harmonizing with his.
Even when just listening quietly, her gaze always remained on him.
Akira had gone out with girls in his previous life, but he'd never encountered anyone like her—her sense of propriety was perfectly balanced, neither overly enthusiastic nor failing to make him feel clearly noticed.
After the song ended, Kushida smiled and handed him a bottle of mineral water, the bottle still cool from being chilled. "Shimizu-kun, you're more impressive than I imagined."
"Thank you." Akira took the bottle. A soft click sounded as he twisted open the cap, and he took a sip—as the cold water slid down his throat, he suddenly realized that they'd already been singing in the private room for almost half an hour.
The colored lights had turned countless times, and in the glass on the table, the ice cubes had long since melted to just a small fraction.
"By the way, Shimizu-kun, may I ask you a small question?" Kushida suddenly moved to sit next to him. The sofa sank slightly, and she turned her face. "Do you know... why Horikita-san seems to dislike me? I've noticed your terms of address for each other have become more intimate recently. What should I do to get along with her? Also, the Student Council President seems to have the same surname as her. What's their relationship?"
'So, one of her goals was to extract information about Horikita?'
Akira understood, but wasn't surprised.
His fingertips traced a circle on the bottle, and he slowly began, "She probably isn't used to your personality. We have become a bit closer, but I'm afraid I can't help you get along with her. The Student Council President is her older brother. They're siblings."
After all, from the moment they entered the karaoke, she'd maintained a flawless atmosphere—never letting the mood drop when applause was due, never missing a beat during duets, and even her gaze towards him always carried a smile.
This "perfection" contained sincerity, and even if it was an act, it was enough to make one willing to respond earnestly.
"Um... did she ever tell you about her past at school?" Kushida asked again, as if nothing was amiss.
"No," Akira thought for a moment.
"Is that so? Oh, I see!" Kushida's eyes brightened, a smile spreading from the corners of her mouth to her eyes, and she gently clapped her hands. "Thank you for telling me all this, Shimizu-kun."
'This man is really easy to handle.'
Kushida's fingertips paused on the song selection panel, and she couldn't help but mutter to herself—he answered her questions just now so directly, much more obedient than his evasive manner last time.
'After all, I treated him like a boyfriend today, so anyone should soften up, right?'
'Now that I think about it, this is the first time I've been so attentive to a guy.'
She secretly glanced at Akira's profile, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but turn up—she finally got some useful information out of him.
'So Horikita's brother is the Student Council President...'
This realization had just emerged when another thought suppressed it.
'But Horikita apparently never told him about middle school. Did that woman recognize me or not? Does she know about my past?'
Her thoughts were in disarray when she suddenly remembered something that hadn't been settled yet.
'Oh, I haven't fulfilled the lap pillow yet.'
She tsked, feeling a bit awkward, and looked at Akira again—this guy was like a little wolf when he ate the parfait today, but surprisingly serious when singing, so he wasn't that annoying after all.
'Never mind, never mind, a bet's a bet. I'll just let him take a bite, I mean, he already touched my chest anyway.'
With that thought settled, she immediately put away her hesitation, a sweet, soft smile blooming on her face again, and she gently patted her knee, her skirt swaying slightly. "Shimizu-kun, come for a lap pillow."
Seeing him stunned, she added, "A bet's a bet, you know. But this has to be a secret, just like last time, don't tell anyone, okay?"
Kushida's tone carried a hint of unyieldingness, but her fingertips secretly smoothed out her skirt a bit—after all, it was her first time giving a guy a lap pillow, and even though she lost a bet, it was inevitably a little uncomfortable.