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'If it weren't for Shimizu, I...'
A thought uncontrollably popped up, carrying a hint of desperate all-or-nothing. As long as she could stay, as long as he continued to protect her, no matter what, she seemed willing to do anything.
The words were stuck in her throat, burning Karuizawa's tongue until it trembled, but she couldn't utter them, only biting her lower lip tightly, her eyes misting over.
Just as she was about to give up those naive thoughts and say that humble plea—
A line suddenly came from the laptop, almost identical to her thoughts:
"If it weren't for Shoko... What do I have to do for you to come back?!"
"Anything I can do! I'm willing to do anything!"
Karuizawa froze abruptly, her gaze involuntarily fixed on the screen.
Akira didn't notice her reaction, but subconsciously complained along with the plot. "This Soyo's also insane, begging Shoko so shamelessly, without any dignity? Truly, they're all crazy. Can't they just forget each other? Besides, she made mistakes herself, didn't she? Instead of apologizing to Tomori and the others, what's the point of coming to Shoko?"
"..." Karuizawa was completely fixated, her blood seeming to slow by half a beat.
So that's how Akira saw it.
He clearly scoffed at the girl named Soyo.
But just now, she'd been about to say the exact same thing, ready to humble herself and beg him.
She suddenly felt a strong sense of relief. Thank goodness she hesitated for those few seconds, otherwise things would've truly developed in an irreparable direction.
He said Soyo made a mistake. Was he implying that she was the one who made the mistake in this matter?
Yes.
On Tuesday, she'd indeed skipped a day of training without informing her upperclassmen, and then took several days off consecutively.
Even Matsushita had advised her to cherish the opportunity to join the boxing club, saying that the upperclassmen would protect her well.
So, was Akira implying that she should first apologize to her upperclassmen, instead of coming here to beg him?
When this thought emerged, Karuizawa's cheeks flushed slightly.
She suddenly remembered President Sato's smiling face when he said, "From now on, we're family," on the day she joined the club, and her heart felt a gentle sting.
"I'm sorry. This was my fault, I shouldn't have come to you first." As soon as she thought of this, Karuizawa lowered her head.
"..." Akira, on the other hand, was stunned.
He'd expected this classmate to continue begging shamelessly, not that she'd suddenly lower her head and admit her mistake.
"Actually, the person you should apologize to..." He was about to say something, but Karuizawa interrupted him.
"It should be the upperclassmen of the boxing club!" She suddenly looked up, her eyes still holding a hint of clarity. "I didn't follow the rules, I skipped training without permission, and I took so many days off. I'll go back to the boxing club this afternoon and explain everything to President Sato and everyone, and I'll do my best to stay in the boxing club."
This made Akira raise an eyebrow.
He looked at the screen. Soyo in the anime was still crying and pleading, but the girl in front of him seemed to have suddenly overcome her stubbornness, which made him look at her in a new light.
"Have you thought it through?" he asked.
Karuizawa pressed her lips together and nodded. "Mm."
She paused, then added, "And I can't be like that girl in the anime, just doing things that make people laugh."
Akira chuckled at her words.
"Then our contract..." Karuizawa hesitated, her voice dropping again.
Akira closed the anime and turned to her. "As long as you stay in the boxing club, I'll naturally fulfill our agreement."
He paused, then added, "However, I'll handle yesterday's matter for you, so don't worry."
Karuizawa was stunned, then nodded vigorously, her eyes finally lighting up again. "Mm! Thank you, Shimizu!"
This time, she didn't procrastinate, turning to walk toward the door.
As her hand touched the doorknob, she looked back at the frozen image on the screen and suddenly said softly, "Actually, Soyo, maybe she's just too afraid of losing. That person named Shoko must be very important to her."
Akira raised an eyebrow but didn't respond.
The door was gently closed, and the room returned to silence.
"I didn't expect her to be quite straightforward this time."
Karuizawa's willingness to actively recognize her mistakes, even sincerely admit them, and finally express genuine gratitude. This truly exceeded his expectations.
If she could maintain this clarity, then he wouldn't be unable to continue protecting her.
To know one's mistakes and be able to correct them is the greatest good.
Who hasn't made a few mistakes?
He glanced at the paused anime on the screen. Soyo still had red, tear-filled eyes.
Remembering Karuizawa's earnestness when she clenched her fist and said "stay in the boxing club,"
He suddenly felt that this classmate was far more clear-headed than Soyo.
"So, can she really stay in the boxing club next Monday?"
Akira recalled the information he saw this morning, which clearly stated: Next Monday, Karuizawa would be officially dismissed from the boxing club.
He was momentarily unsure. Could Karuizawa's transformation just now reverse this predetermined information? Or was everything already destined, unchangeable by anyone?
However, in his opinion, President Sato of the boxing club was actually quite lenient toward his underclassmen.
During the confrontation with Class 1-C last time, President Sato had said, "for Yamada's sake," and he often treated club members to meals, so he wasn't strict.
Since Karuizawa had taken so many days off consecutively, President Sato didn't immediately expel her, but instead set the dismissal date for next Monday. Perhaps, this itself was an implicit invitation for her to proactively explain her reasons?
If that were the case, Karuizawa's recent determination might truly come in handy.
"Well, Soyo did eventually stay in MyGo, and slowly became more like a normal person. Shoko, on the other hand, doesn't seem like someone who cares about others at all. In short, she's not like a human." Akira said, his gaze returning to the screen, watching episode after episode until he finished the first season.
"So, this development in the second season, is it trying to whitewash Shoko? That does pique my curiosity."
He patiently watched until the end of the third episode of the second season, seeing Toyokawa Shoko turn into "Hachi Shoko," relentlessly pressuring Wakaba Mutsumi, and that aggressive demeanor finally broke his patience. "What kind of crazy plot is this?!" He couldn't help but curse under his breath, his anger rising with the plot. "Shoko, are you even human?!"