Chapter 287 Ichinose Honami: I'm Here to Satisfy Shimizu Akira!
In truth, Ichinose Honami had lied.
The Student Council lately was anything but idle.
The new president, Nagumo Miyabi, had launched into drastic reforms immediately upon taking office, forcing the members to work overtime for several hours almost every day recently.
Any reform policy had to be negotiated with the school; after all, Nagumo didn't have the final say alone—he needed the school's nod, the Acting Chairman's consent, and the approval of the influential figures behind the school for the reforms to truly take root.
However, several reforms Nagumo proposed for the Student Council—such as abolishing tenure limits for all officers, loosening selection criteria, and allowing the removal of members deemed unfit via a majority vote—had all passed smoothly.
By the time the Student Council met after school today, Ichinose wasn't actually the first to know that Shimizu Akira was being slandered. It was Asahina-senpai who first brought it up in the Student Council group chat, specifically asking everyone to work overtime if possible to get the clarification settled quickly.
Since Ichinose already knew Shimizu, she agreed without hesitation. Because Asahina-senpai was so well-liked, several other members also volunteered to stay and help. The new president, Nagumo Miyabi, looked very displeased; he said something to Asahina-senpai with visible anger and left the Student Council office shortly after without staying long.
Speaking of Nagumo Miyabi, he had a habit of trying to strike up conversations with Ichinose in the Student Council whenever he had the chance.
Ichinose had actually met him before; she had run into him during her date with Shimizu, and she knew Shimizu didn't get along with him. Back at the cinema, she had accidentally glimpsed Nagumo being handsy with the female companion beside him—he was clearly someone who lusted after beauty.
Consequently, no matter how he tried to talk to her, she simply declined politely and ignored him.
Fortunately, Asahina-senpai noticed her predicament over the last few days and intentionally swapped their seats, arranging for Ichinose to sit next to her. Since then, Nagumo indeed stopped approaching her as frequently.
Despite Asahina Nazuna's appearance as a cool, "gyaru-style" senpai, her personality was exceptionally warm and kind. She looked out for everyone, whether they were colleagues in the Student Council or students from other classes, always offering help when needed. Ichinose, naturally fond of making friends, often initiated conversations with everyone after joining.
Even though she had been in the Student Council for less than two months total, she and Asahina-senpai had become very close friends, occasionally going shopping together on weekends.
"As I thought, Asahina-senpai does have a bit of a crush on Akira-kun." Having finally returned to her dorm, Ichinose muttered softly to herself after changing into her slippers.
In their daily chats, five out of every ten sentences inevitably revolved around Shimizu Akira. During the last sports festival, Asahina-senpai had been rescued by Shimizu in such a cool manner; anyone would keep that in their heart for a long time.
"Why does Nagumo Miyabi completely ignore Asahina-senpai?"
As she thought, another question popped into Ichinose's mind.
Once they became close, she learned that Nagumo and Asahina were childhood friends. Yet, when Asahina lost her charm, clearly couldn't keep up with the lead group, ended up alone, and was out of breath, Nagumo—as her childhood friend—actually didn't look back even once? If he had, the one to rescue her wouldn't have been Shimizu.
Ichinose sat on the edge of her bed.
Recalling the unmistakable smile in Asahina-senpai's eyes when mentioning Shimizu and that phrase "He's really attentive," a complex emotion stirred in her heart.
She took out her phone, opened her chat with Shimizu, and scrolled up through the logs.
From initial class business to gratitude after the sports festival, to that flustered, hung-up call just now—every message held a different level of warmth. Especially that line, "It's okay to be a little bit selfish"—thinking back on it now made her cheeks flush involuntarily.
"How could I say something so selfish..."
She patted her cheeks, trying to suppress the heat. But her mind couldn't help but picture Shimizu at the sports festival: his superhuman sprinting silhouette during the ten-kilometer race, his gentle movements when picking up the charm for Asahina, and his consistently mild attitude toward everyone.
Thinking of this, she thought of Nagumo again.
As Asahina's childhood friend, Ichinose had seen Nagumo's dominance at work and his flirtatiousness with other girls, but his attitude toward Asahina was actually quite a bit milder. So why did he suddenly become so cold at the sports festival, as if his eyes only saw the former president, Horikita Manabu?
"Is there some kind of misunderstanding?" she murmured. But then she shook her head. Even with a misunderstanding, seeing a childhood friend in trouble, shouldn't one at least look back? In contrast, Shimizu, a mere acquaintance, was willing to extend a helping hand.
That was probably the biggest difference between the two.
"Forget it, forget it, don't think so much! I need to finish my daily routine quickly; I still have a 'surprise' to prepare for Akira-kun!" Ichinose patted her cheeks again, trying to suppress the chaotic thoughts.
After changing into loose, soft loungewear, she sat at her desk and carefully took a locked pink diary from the deepest part of her drawer—a secret she had hidden for a long time. She flipped through the pages until she reached the latest blank one.
Looking at today's chat records with Shimizu on her phone, she took a black pen and meticulously transcribed them stroke by stroke.
Amidst the "rustle" of the pen against the paper, she unconsciously projected the emotions of the conversation. Seeing Shimizu's caring words, her pen would pause, and the corners of her mouth would tilt up; remembering the embarrassment of her flustered hang-up, her handwriting would turn slightly scrawled, and her cheeks would heat up.
This habit had started after the deserted island special exam.
Since then, she couldn't help but want to record every little detail related to Shimizu.
Chat logs had to be hand-copied; she felt that only by writing them herself could she firmly etch her feelings at the time into her memory. Call recordings were even more precious; not only were they saved on her phone, but she also uploaded them to the cloud for double backup, with filenames precisely labeled with dates and times, fearing even the slightest loss.
Even the small things Shimizu did for her—from handing her a book in the library to giving her a bottle of water at the sports festival—were all recorded in her notebook, with little heart symbols drawn beside them.
After finishing the transcription, Ichinose closed the book and, suddenly remembering something, stood up and went to the bedside.
On the small nightstand, next to a fluffy bunny plushie, a men's jacket was neatly folded. It was the one Shimizu had draped over her last time when he saw her getting chilled by the rain. She reached out and lightly touched the fabric, her cheeks instantly heating up again.
Then, Ichinose hugged the jacket tightly to her chest; the faint scent of soap lingered at the tip of her nose, identical to the scent on Shimizu.
"I was so busy being shy back then that I actually forgot to return it to him," she whispered, an irrepressible smile in her eyes.
This jacket had been folded perfectly and kept in the most prominent spot on her bedside. Occasionally before sleep, she would gently pick it up and bring it to her nose; the scent always brought her a strange sense of peace, as if all exhaustion and panic could be smoothed away.
A few days ago, she had actually put the jacket in her shoulder bag, thinking she would return it if she ran into him. But as the days passed, looking at the jacket carrying his scent made her strangely reluctant to part with it.
Regardless, it had to be returned today.
"Alright, the timing should be about right!" She checked her phone; it was just past 9:00 PM. At this hour, the dormitory hallways were almost empty, so quiet she could hear her own footsteps.
Furthermore, Hoshinomiya-sensei had mentioned during a chat that this time period is when boys most easily look forward to a girl taking the initiative to knock on their door.
Ichinose took a deep breath, bit her lower lip, and went to the wardrobe to open the innermost drawer. Hidden there was a pale blue camisole she rarely wore. In fact, she had bought it specifically for Shimizu in the first place. After thinking, she put on a pair of black stockings, as the weather had indeed turned much colder lately.
A few minutes later, clutching the neatly folded jacket, Ichinose stepped lightly onto the hallway carpet.
She intentionally softened her movements, fearing she might disturb other students.
Finally reaching the door of Shimizu's room, she stopped, raised her hand to knock, but then, as if thinking of something, took a deep breath, adjusted her collar against the door panel, pursed her lips, and knocked three times.
"Akira-kun, are you there?"
Familiar footsteps soon came from inside, and a second later, the door was pulled open. Shimizu was wearing a simple grey T-shirt and grey trousers, his hair slightly damp, evidently having just showered. When he saw Ichinose at the door, his gaze unconsciously swept across her chest before quickly moving away.
"Honami? Why are you here so late?"
'Akira-kun definitely looked at her several times on purpose!'
Ichinose couldn't help but curve her lips. She held out the perfectly folded jacket.
"I'm here to return your clothes. The ones you lent me last time—I kept forgetting to give them back."
Just as Shimizu reached out both hands to take the jacket and before he could speak, Ichinose remembered Hoshinomiya-sensei's instructions.
She stepped briskly into the room, gently closed the door behind her, and in the next second, proactively reached out her arms to hug him.
Her cheek rubbed lightly against his chest as she apologized softly, "I'm sorry, Akira-kun. During the month of the sports festival, I promised to reward you properly, but then I got too busy with class matters and kept delaying until now to come find you."
Shimizu was stunned by her sudden embrace. He could clearly feel the softness of the person in his arms and the faint fragrance lingering around his nose. Regaining his senses, he gently patted her back.
"I wasn't angry."
He had actually long since put the sports festival promise out of his mind. Ichinose's proactive arrival today, coupled with this sudden hug, truly surprised and caught him off guard. Shimizu reached up and stroked her hair.
"On the contrary, you helped clear up the rumors at the Student Council and went through a lot of trouble for me. I should be the one thanking you."
"Not at all! That's just the Student Council's duty!" Ichinose shook her head without hesitation, her cheek still pressed against his chest. Her voice was soft and carried an unexpectedly captivating allure.
"One thing is separate from the other. Today, I'm here to fulfill my promise and give Akira-kun a double compensation!"
"Double compensation?" Shimizu repeated reflexively, his voice a bit lower than usual.
Ichinose, sensing his bewilderment, hugged him even tighter.
"Yes! For the VIP special exam and the sports festival—Akira-kun helped me and pushed yourself to the limit. I promised to reward you. Since I haven't had time until now, I'll make up for it all at once."
As she spoke, she slowly released the embrace.
Looking up at him, her cheeks were tinged with a faint blush, and her eyes were moist. She gently took his palm, pressed her cheek against it, and rubbed it softly.
The soft touch was warm, and her tone was even more of a clingy, spoiled plea: "Akira-kun, it's the same as before~ You were exhausted at the sports festival, so this time, leave everything to me, okay?"
Shimizu felt his rationality crumbling bit by bit. That moist, expectant gaze and the soft sensation of her cheek against his palm were simply cheating.
He spoke almost instinctively, "Okay, whatever you say."
Who could refuse an Ichinose who was so proactive yet charmingly innocent!
Hearing his answer, Ichinose's lips curved into a sweet arc. Letting go of his hand, she naturally tucked her arm into his, her grip light and carrying a sense of dependency. She led
him to the bed and gently pressed him down to sit on the edge, while she pulled over a chair and sat opposite him, so close their noses almost touched.
"I still want to keep looking at your expression," Honami blinked her moist eyes. "If I can't see it, I feel uneasy."
This was something she had to insist on; only by seeing his reaction at such close range could she confirm if her feelings were being conveyed properly.
"There's no need to be so anxious," Shimizu said softly, seeing the irrepressible trepidation in her eyes. He never quite understood why the usually gentle and composed Ichinose would always appear so lacking in security in front of him.
"Akira-kun, can I kiss you?" Ichinose raised her reddened face, her eyes flashing with apprehension and expectation, as she asked seriously once more.
Shimizu hadn't expected her to be so direct.
Frankly, it was the first time in his life a girl had asked him this so proactively, and he felt stuck between laughter and tears.
"You can."
He thought she would lean forward and kiss his lips as she had done before. But to his surprise, Ichinose didn't move toward his face. Instead, she took his right hand again, her fingertips lightly stroking his palm. Then, leaning forward slightly, she proactively kissed his palm.
Before Shimizu could react, he felt a warm, soft sensation in his palm, carrying the fragrance of her lips, spreading up his arm like an electric current.
"Honami!" Shimizu's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
Ichinose, who had been quietly observing his reaction, saw his state and couldn't help but let a shallow smile curve her lips, her cheeks flushing a faint red.
Physical instincts never lie. It was just as Hoshinomiya-sensei said—Akira-kun really fell for this tactic.
Without a moment's hesitation, her right hand continued to support his cheek, her finger pads—carrying a slight coolness—rubbing against his reddened skin. Before he could react, she leaned forward and pressed her soft lips against his.
Unlike the last time, Shimizu didn't proactively seek more; he simply felt her boldness and passion.
Ichinose blinked her moist eyes, her long eyelashes brushing lightly against his cheek. With a bit of clumsy persistence, she lingered and pressed against his lips. All the suppressed longing and feelings from the past month or so were melted into this kiss. Their warm breaths intertwined at the tips of their noses, carrying her faint scent.
Shimizu's rationality slowly collapsed in the soft sensation of their lips meeting. He reached out and gently circled her waist, his fingertips touching the soft fabric and the warm skin beneath. His other hand moved down involuntarily, resting lightly on her thigh, pulling her even closer to him.
After an unknown amount of time, Ichinose backed away slightly, her nose resting against his, her cheeks as red as ripe cherries. She slowly opened her eyes, his silhouette clearly reflected in her moist pupils. "Akira-kun... does it feel a bit uncomfortable to touch through the stockings? I remember last time, you seemed to prefer the look of my bare legs..."
Ichinose's spirit of sacrifice was always so unreserved. "Mm, this is also very good."
"But I feel it's not enough." Ichinose shook her head gently, her eyes tender. "I came today to make Akira-kun satisfied. I must use all my strength to make it up to you."
Before her voice faded, she lightly kicked off her slippers. Under Shimizu's focused gaze, she slowly stood up, her hands smoothing down to the edges of her stockings. Her fingers slipped into the fabric, and then, with a slow rhythm that was almost ritualistic, she gently slid one stocking off. She trembled slightly, her fingertips lingering at the edge.
Shimizu's gaze could not move from her. Then, the stocking slid slowly down her smooth skin, piling into a soft ring at her ankle. She raised her pretty face again and blinked. "Now... is this good?"
Shimizu's rationality collapsed again. The act of the young girl removing her stockings was simply too erotic. He almost instinctively reached out to pull her into his arms. This time, the action no longer stopped at a light embrace; his warm lips slowly covered her softness, seeking the sweetness and warmth between her lips with an unprecedented proactiveness. His tongue lightly traced the shape of her lips, taking all that sweetness into his mouth.
The girl's hands had found their way to his shoulders at some point, full of indulgence and compliance. Breath intertwined in the cozy room, warm air brushing past each other's cheeks.
...
After a period of intimacy.
Shimizu lay somewhat languidly on Ichinose Honami's lap, her fingers occasionally brushing through his hair with a gentle touch. "Akira-kun, you're tired, right? I have candy in my pocket." The girl's voice was as soft as a marshmallow. "Open your mouth, I'll feed you."
He opened his mouth almost instinctively, and a gummy candy with a thin sugar coating was gently fed in, the sweet fruit flavor slowly dissolving in his mouth. Before he could say anything, a pair of small hands with a cool touch moved to his temples, her fingertips massaging in gentle circles with just the right pressure to dispel all fatigue.
This was too comfortable!
Shimizu considered his willpower to be significantly stronger than average, but under Ichinose's series of gentle and sexy actions, all rationality vanished like ice melting in warm water.
Only total compliance remained; whatever she said went, and he couldn't even summon a hint of resistance.
Who could hold out against this!
Until this moment, Shimizu truly understood why ancient people became obsessed with the "gentle land" and were unwilling to pull themselves out. Don't laugh—just Ichinose's perfect blend of gentleness and thoughtfulness was already making him lose his footing, his heart and eyes filled to the brim with this warmth.
Wait, Shimizu realized in hindsight.
This series of sexy and gentle moves, and all those perfectly timed actions, definitely wasn't something a girl with her pure personality could think of on her own.
Nine times out of ten, Hoshinomiya Chie was coaching her from behind!
Hoshinomiya Chie is too... cough, she did a good job this time.
As he was thinking, the girl's soft voice came from above.
"Akira-kun... since another month has passed, Kanzaki-kun and most of the class wanted me to ask you. Now, do you still have any thoughts about joining Class B?"
Shimizu instantly fell into conflict.
His heart still held the same answer—staying in Class C was quite comfortable, without too much intrigue, and all the necessary relationships were in place; life was pleasant. But after Ichinose's gentle treatment tonight, he really didn't have the heart to tell her the truth.
"Akira-kun." Ichinose looked down at his furrowed brow, her fingers smoothing the crease between his eyes.
"I probably know your answer. To be honest, I really~ really~ really~ want Akira-kun to join our class, but I can't ignore your feelings either. I'm sorry; I won't bring this up again, so don't worry about it anymore."
Her smile was still gentle, but it carried a trace of hard-to-mask strain. That forced casualness made a wave of heartache rise in Shimizu's chest.
Shimizu never wanted to make Ichinose sad, but regarding the class transfer, he truly couldn't compromise.
"Then, Akira-kun... can I say one more thing? I hope you won't be angry." Then, Ichinose asked cautiously.
"Just say it, I won't be angry." Shimizu nodded quickly, his fingertips instinctively brushing the back of her hand to put her at ease.
"Actually... our class, besides you, we also plan to invite Katsuragi Kohei from Year 1 Class A to join. Of course, he's just a backup for you; you are always the top priority." The girl's voice grew softer as she spoke, as if afraid of upsetting his emotions.
"Ah? So that's how it is." Shimizu was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but reach up to touch her cheek, his tone carrying a bit of helpless yet amused indulgence.
"Why would you need to ask my opinion on something like this? Recruit whoever you want. This is Class B's decision; Honami, you value my thoughts way too much."
Class B currently had over ten million points; they couldn't wait forever for an uncertain candidate like him.
Since he had clearly refused, it was perfectly normal for them to turn their attention to Katsuragi Kohei. In fact, to be honest, Class B had done well enough.
They had no obligation to wait for a definitive refusal before recruiting others. Even if he hadn't given an answer yet, Class B reaching out to Katsuragi in advance was completely reasonable. Just like most companies hiring, they wouldn't tie themselves to one tree; it was a perfectly normal choice.
"But... if we do that, our class won't have extra points... just in case you want to come later..." Ichinose hesitated again.
"Don't worry, Honami." Shimizu couldn't help but laugh.
"Didn't I tell you last time? I'm ' Yue,' the one who rents out the cameras. I've already saved up twenty million personal points. If I really wanted to transfer to Class B, I could handle it myself; your class wouldn't need to worry about it."
"Oh... so that's it." The concern in Ichinose's eyes vanished instantly. She relaxed completely, a soft smile returning to her lips.
"Akira-kun, how do you view Katsuragi-kun's abilities?" Ichinose looked up again, pinching a piece of candy and gently offering it to Shimizu's lips, her tone curious.
Shimizu took the candy. After thinking, he said slowly, "Honestly, Katsuragi Kohei joining Class B is a very good choice. He's always pondering how to get the most benefit while minimizing risks for the class. He's willing to cooperate with others and values his classmates immensely, wanting to make the collective united. In a sense, his compatibility with Class B is quite high."
The deserted island and VIP exams were both secretly orchestrated by Sakayanagi Arisu.
If Katsuragi led Class B instead, he might not realistically make huge gains in class points through exams, but he could at least steady the foundation and wouldn't suffer such heavy losses as before.
Since Class B was always united, there would never be an undercover agent, and Katsuragi was naturally good at steady progress. Calling him a man with "innate floor protection" wasn't an exaggeration.
That said, Shimizu wasn't paying much attention to Katsuragi's current situation.
He only remembered seeing his back from a distance on the sports festival day, exuding an indescribable loneliness. He was likely still being suppressed by Sakayanagi, and things weren't going well for him.
From that perspective, Class B extending an olive branch now might actually be perfect timing.
"But, Honami, if you only recruit Katsuragi Kohei alone, he might not necessarily agree to come over," Shimizu added after some thought.
"Are you talking about Totsuka Yahiko-kun?" Ichinose, always socially perceptive and quick to react, immediately understood his implication.
"Exactly." Shimizu nodded. "Katsuragi is a man of integrity and loyalty. To invite him, you can't bypass Totsuka Yahiko. Of course, it's also possible that in a few months, Sakayanagi Arisu might just trick Totsuka into getting expelled."
Ichinose frowned slightly at this.
"Totsuka-kun... I remember his relationship with Katsuragi-kun is indeed very good; he's a capable subordinate. Sakayanagi-san's methods are indeed difficult to grasp." She paused, her tone hesitating. "But our class doesn't want to recruit people by 'waiting for something bad to happen' to them. It feels inappropriate."
Shimizu reached out and touched her brow.
"I know what you mean. You've always been kind-hearted. But don't forget, this school is a place where the strong prey on the weak. Sakayanagi Arisu doesn't care about sentimentality when she acts."
He paused, then added, "But don't rush. Katsuragi is being suppressed by Sakayanagi now, so he likely feels a sense of loss. You can try reaching out first; there's no need to rush for results."
"Yes!" Ichinose nodded heavily.
"Akira-kun is right. We'll communicate with sincerity first. No matter the result, at least there won't be any regrets." As she spoke, she leaned in, her nose brushing his cheek.
"But I still have to thank Akira-kun for the reminder, otherwise I really might have overlooked the point about Totsuka-kun."
Shimizu smiled. "Even if I didn't say it, you would have noticed."
Shimizu suddenly realized Ichinose's expression had turned thoughtful, as if she were mulling over something on her mind.
"What are you thinking about?" he couldn't help but ask.
The girl looked up at him and said gently, "Mm, I'm counting how many times Akira-kun has touched my bare legs versus my legs in black stockings. Next time we meet in private, I'll know what to wear to please you more."
Shimizu was momentarily speechless and couldn't help but twitch his lips.
'She's even specifically calculating details like that? That's too... serious.'
Ichinose Honami was truly difficult to handle.
He still had to ask: "So... what's the result?"
"Mm..." Ichinose elongated her tone, her fingertips lightly grazing his wrist, the smile in her eyes deepening.
"I don't remember very clearly."
Shimizu cried "foul" in his mind—this was clearly another deliberate temptation! Hoshinomiya Chie's move was too cruel; teaching Honami how to manipulate hearts like this—he really couldn't hold out.
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