Chapter 282 Ichinose Honami Wants to Double the Compensation for Shimizu Akira
In that same familiar cafe, the core members of Class B sat around a table.
The atmosphere was heavier than any previous review session. The crushing defeat at the sports festival had forced them to sit down and reflect deeply.
They had never experienced a loss this devastating.
First, the class had been docked 200 Class Points. Second, they were forced to pay 3,000,000 Personal Points to Class A.
Just thinking about these two facts gave the students of Class B a massive headache.
The attendees for this review were Ichinose Honami, Kanzaki Ryuji, Shibata Souta, and Kobashi Yume.
"It might sound like an excuse, but I feel the sports festival was a special case," Ichinose Honami said, glancing at the three of them to ease the tension.
"Thinking back, except for Class A gaining 50 points, the other three classes were all docked significantly. We were only about 20 points behind Class D in third place. The gap isn't as huge as it feels; we just fell slightly short."
"No, it's my fault! It's all on me!" Shibata Souta immediately clenched his fists, looking guilty. "I didn't perform well; I lost several key events..."
"Shibata, you did enough!" Kanzaki Ryuji interrupted him.
"You took first place in several individual events and earned a lot of points. You don't need to take all the responsibility."
Kobashi Yume sighed.
"Ultimately, Class A was just too strong. Who would have thought they weren't just good at academics? They had several athletic powerhouses hidden away. They weren't the nerds we thought they were."
To be precise, Class A's victory relied almost entirely on three people: Hashimoto Masayoshi, Kito Hayato, and Kamuro Masumi.
Hashimoto was balanced, his physical stats roughly equal to Kanzaki's—their matches were mostly draws.
Kito was more troublesome; his physical strength was superior to any boy in Class B, and even Shibata, the star of the soccer club, only managed a 40/60 win rate against him.
But the biggest surprise was Kamuro Masumi.
No one knew where she had come from, but her physical abilities weren't like a normal girl's at all. Since Class B lacked standout female athletes, they lost every single girls' event.
Ichinose, Kobashi, and Amikura Mako were all defeated by Kamuro; they simply weren't in the same league.
Furthermore, Kamuro seemed to be in a foul mood.
Every time she competed, she carried a terrifying aura, as if she were venting all her rage on the field. This made it impossible for Class B to compete; they were locked into a disadvantageous position.
"If I had known, we shouldn't have bet 3 million..." Kobashi Yume muttered.
"That's 3 million! That's 75,000 points per person, just handed to Class A like that."
"We discussed that amount repeatedly before deciding," Ichinose sighed.
"Many students felt we could win and wanted to take Class A's 3 million in one go. Risk and reward go hand-in-hand."
"Have the points been transferred to Sakayanagi yet?" Kanzaki asked.
"Yes, it's done," Ichinose nodded. Remembering the conversation, she gave a helpless smile. "After she received them, she even specifically said 'thank you' to me."
"Sakayanagi..." Kanzaki whispered the name, his voice filled with a sense of powerlessness. "Was she right? Without Shimizu-kun's help, are we really the weakest class?"
Part of the reason Class B had accepted the bet was because they were provoked by her comment: "Without Shimizu Akira, you are nothing."
They were human; how could they not get angry? But this defeat was a cold, bloody reality that slapped them all in the face.
"But if you think about it, Shimizu-kun did everything he could," Kanzaki added. "He kindly reminded us to let students with poor fitness but high grades withdraw so they wouldn't end up in the bottom ten and lose us points. That was very thoughtful."
"No, it's more than that!" Kobashi Yume spoke up. "I heard from Shiranami later that during the Scavenger Hunt, Shimizu-kun helped her get third place. That earned our class another 15 points."
Since it was the sports festival, Shimizu couldn't compete for Class B, so doing that much was already impressive.
Ichinose's eyes lit up.
"...Yes! Shimizu-kun has really done enough for us! He looks out for our class in every special exam."
"Then, Ichinose, could I ask you to feel him out again when you have time? See if he has any intention of joining Class B?" Kanzaki asked earnestly.
"It might sound weak-willed, but logically, having him join is the fastest way to boost our strength."
"I understand, leave it to me!" Ichinose agreed almost instantly, looking very willing.
Shibata Souta, observing from the side, opened his mouth as if to say something but ultimately swallowed his words, merely frowning slightly.
"Of course, don't get your hopes too high," Kanzaki cautioned, regaining his calm.
"Thinking from his perspective, Class C isn't weak now. I wouldn't leave either. Besides, the gap between Class B and Class C is only 25 points. We have no chips to entice him. After the next exam, we might become Class C, and his class might become Class B."
The mood at the table plummeted. It was the first time they realized that demotion was a real possibility. While promotion had no immediate material reward, dropping from B to C was a humiliating thought.
"The priority is to improve our class strength," Kanzaki said, trying to rally them.
"We admit we lost to Class A, but as Himeno Yuki said, we just have to win it back next time. I believe our class is the most united. Perhaps we can try to recruit someone else—someone who can make up for our lack of strategy. Someone who is used to being backstabbed might actually love our united atmosphere."
"Who?" Kobashi asked.
Kanzaki looked up and stated firmly: "Katsuragi Kouhei from Class 1-A."
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After the meeting, Kanzaki and Shibata left. As Ichinose was about to stand, her best friend Kobashi Yume tapped her on the shoulder and leaned in.
"Honami, our class actually does have a chip that would interest Shimizu-kun, right?"
Ichinose's face flushed red instantly. Her mind flashed back to her visit to Shimizu's room—his hand on her waist and that incredible deep kiss.
"W-what are you saying?!" she stammered, waving her hands.
"I didn't say anything specific, just mentioned a 'chip,'" Kobashi said, turning serious.
"You're the one thinking dirty, Honami. You might not realize it, but you're not as pure as you look. Why do you always jump to ambiguous scenarios?"
Ichinose's face turned even redder, her ears burning. She gave Kobashi a light push.
"Don't talk nonsense! I didn't..." Her voice trailed off.
Kobashi laughed and hooked her arm.
"Alright, I won't tease you. But I'm serious. Shimizu-kun helps us every time, and his attitude toward you is clearly different. You might be that chip."
"..." This time, Ichinose didn't argue. She looked down, her mind replaying the way Shimizu looked at her—the gentleness in his eyes, the hidden smile that was so different from the distance he kept with others.
Seeing her silence and the deepening blush, Kobashi patted her hand.
"Finally realized it? That's more like it. Speaking of which! Given your reaction, have you two already done... something?"
"Mm... I've realized a little bit," Ichinose murmured.
"So, you can go see him again with a clear conscience?" Kobashi teased.
"It's not just to see Shimizu-kun, but also Katsuragi-kun," Ichinose replied, quickly hiding her embarrassment and turning serious.
She fully agreed with Kanzaki's plan to recruit Katsuragi.
In her view, Katsuragi was a great candidate. His poor performance in previous exams wasn't due to a lack of ability, but because Class A was fractured and Sakayanagi was sabotaging him. In a united Class B, he could flourish.
Of course, he couldn't compare to Shimizu, but he was a solid backup.
They talked about Katsuragi for a while. The "bald student" was in a bad spot; the Sakayanagi faction had seized total control.
It was the perfect time for Class B to offer an olive branch.
Kobashi tried to pry more details about what had happened with Shimizu, but since Ichinose wouldn't budge, she eventually left, looking slightly annoyed.
Ichinose watched her friend leave and shook her head. Those moments were a secret between her and Shimizu; she wouldn't share them even with her best friend.
"But really, am I that 'impure'?" she whispered to the empty seat.
She couldn't deny it; the moment Kobashi mentioned "chips," her mind had flooded with intimate memories.
Since their physical contact, these uncontrollable thoughts had become a habit.
Sometimes, looking at his profile, she would suddenly feel the phantom warmth of his hand on her waist or the sensation of the kiss.
Lying in bed at night, she'd want to call him but hesitate for fear of bothering him. Even watching kiss scenes in romance dramas made her heart race as she projected herself and him into the scene.
'But... shouldn't every girl in this kind of complex situation think this way?' she defended herself, her cheeks glowing.
Returning to the main point, she had a class mission: she had to meet Shimizu. Their last meeting had progressed to kissing and waist-holding. If they met again... her thoughts drifted again until her phone rang. It was Hoshinomiya-sensei.
"Honami, you didn't see Shimizu-chan during the sports festival, did you?" Hoshinomiya Chie's voice was playful.
"No, I didn't," Ichinose answered honestly.
"Mm-hmm, good girl. You remembered my advice!"
Half the reason she hadn't seen him was the busy schedule; the other half was Chie's warning: "Boys sometimes don't treasure 'meat' that's delivered too easily. Make him wait, add a little difficulty. Use an excuse and don't see him for the whole month."
As a total novice in love, Ichinose had naturally followed the "master's" instructions.
"Honami-chan, you must go see Shimizu-chan now," Chie's tone became serious.
"Breaking a date once increases his anticipation, but that trick only works once. If you bail again, even Shimizu-chan will get annoyed."
"I will go," Ichinose nodded. Even without the reminder, she had planned to ask him out. Not seeing him for a month had felt like a self-punishment.
But Hoshinomiya's next words left her stunned: "By the way, this time you need to wear something sexy. Let him touch your legs and kiss you, okay?"
"Eh?!" Ichinose's voice jumped an octave.
"Hehe, surprised? Think it's too fast?" Chie explained.
"It's a tactic. You broke a date, so his anticipation dropped. If you do the opposite and actively allow more intimacy, he'll be surprised and delighted. His feelings will go on a roller-coaster ride, and his affection for you will skyrocket."
Ichinose's hand tightened on the phone. She didn't refuse immediately; instead, she blinked awkwardly.
She had already done those things with him.
"Don't think it's too fast!" Chie thought she was getting cold feet.
"Think about it. He likes you, but you ignored him for a month. He's feeling a gap. If you step up now with a surprise, he'll feel how much you care and be even more moved. Besides, you're doing this to recruit him for the class; it's a strategy, understand?"
"Okay, I understand," Ichinose complied.
"I won't go out drinking for a few days since our points are low—only 25 ahead of Class C. I can't let Sae-chan overtake us," Chie added.
"Come to my room at 7:00 PM for the next few nights. I'll teach you how to make 'legs and kissing' interesting so you aren't awkward."
"Ah?! Sensei!" Ichinose was baffled. "Aren't legs just for... touching? And kissing... isn't it just pressing lips?"
"Hehe, little dummy, that's too basic and bland!" Chie laughed.
"There are so many ways to play with kissing and legs. For kissing, you don't just use lips; for example, you can gently nibble his finger or pull back slowly... it can get a boy excited instantly. It's much more effective than just a kiss."
Ichinose's face turned red to the roots of her hair.
'That sounds more embarrassing than a kiss! Sensei has too much experience.'
"Um... isn't that too shameful?" Just imagining it made her feel restless. She couldn't imagine herself actually doing it.
"Shameful is why it works!" Chie said with the confidence of a veteran.
"Boys love the 'gap' effect. A normally well-behaved girl suddenly doing something a bit sultry is more seductive than a girl who is always aggressive."
"But..."
"Don't worry, I'll teach you well," Chie's voice softened.
"Come to my room tonight. I'll demonstrate how to lead naturally. You'll get it after two or three tries. This is for Class B and for yourself. Don't back out. Don't you want to make Shimizu-chan happy?"
Ichinose bit her lip. Images flashed through her mind—her classmates' hopeful eyes, the class's precarious point total, Shimizu's gentle profile, and him looking at her with expectation.
After a long struggle, she whispered, "I'll go tonight."
After hanging up, she slumped in her chair, staring at the ceiling.
'I have to learn those embarrassing things again...'
But then she thought: 'Shimizu-kun might be very happy.'
If the normally indifferent him showed a look of pleasure because of her... it seemed... it seemed quite nice!
'If I have to learn, I'll learn it properly!' she resolved, feeling a faint, hidden spark of anticipation. It was only then that she realized she really was becoming a bit of an impure girl.
'If Shimizu-kun finds out, I wonder what he'll think of me.'
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