Chapter 333 — Suzune: Secret Stimulation / What a Terrifying Guy
At eight o'clock in the evening, the knock on the door sounded punctually. Shimizu Akira stood up to open it.
Standing outside was Horikita Suzune.
Her waist-length black hair was loosely tied at the ends, with a single black braid draped diagonally over her shoulder. Since this was a private meeting after school, she wasn't wearing her winter uniform this time, having changed into casual clothes instead.
She wore a white coat over a black turtleneck sweater, paired with warm black tights on her lower half. Shimizu looked at her; this was probably the first time since entering this high school that he had seen a girl appear before him in black tights. While it was a bit of a shame to miss the "Absolute Territory" he had imagined, the way her legs were wrapped instead outlined her straight, slender silhouette even more clearly.
"If you're going to stare, stare inside. Don't just freeze at the door," Suzune said, standing at the threshold. She pursed her lips uncomfortably, her cold, fox-like eyes flickering over him as she feigned indifference.
"Fair point. Come in first," Shimizu nodded and took a step back.
Only then did Horikita Suzune step into the entryway. Having visited Shimizu's dorm several times, she skillfully took a pair of light blue thermal slippers from her shoulder bag, crouched down, removed her shoes, and carefully put them on. After changing, she stood up, but didn't immediately walk into the room. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling on an open Japanese language exercise book on the living room coffee table.
"Still working on reading comprehension?" she asked.
"Yeah, gotta patch up the weak points." Shimizu closed the door and walked to her side.
"Want something to drink? Tea? Or water?"
"I drank a lot of water before I came," Suzune declined briefly, finally turning her gaze toward him.
"You said you wanted to be intimate tonight. So I came. Specifically, what do you want to do?"
Shimizu looked at her tense profile and slightly pursed lips, feeling a bit amused. It was impossible to imagine that this was the same person who had proactively pinned him down and kissed him for over ten minutes last time.
They were fine before parting after school, so why did it feel like their "intimacy level" had reset to zero after her trip to the Student Council?
'Kikyo... she didn't give her another difficult problem, did she?'
He sat down on a cushion by the Kotatsu and patted the spot next to him.
"Come sit. I bought this Kotatsu because you suggested it, and you haven't even tried it yet. It's the middle of winter; don't catch a cold."
Horikita Suzune subconsciously glanced at the warm Kotatsu.
Come to think of it... it was true. Last time he asked about winter heating, she had casually mentioned that a Kotatsu was nice. A few days later, he had actually bought one.
She actually appreciated that about him—he was a man of his word.
A few seconds later, she walked over and sat down right next to him, sliding her legs into the cozy warmth of the Kotatsu.
"Akira-kun," she suddenly spoke up with curiosity. "Did you just return from studying abroad last year?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because last time you specifically asked me why my legs didn't freeze, and you knew nothing about Kotatsus. You were also surprised by girls wearing stockings in the middle of winter. You often seem unfamiliar with Japanese cultural customs..." She added, "Plus, your Japanese grades are terrible... you even failed at first."
"Well... you've pretty much hit the nail on the head." Shimizu smiled, not denying it. "I did indeed come from abroad. I have you to thank for tutoring me when school started, Suzune."
Suzune pursed her lips, sounding a bit like she was bringing up old debts.
"You really scammed me hard when school started. Just for group information, I gave you 75,000 personal points."
It was the first time in Suzune's life she had experienced the feeling of being scammed into silence. Naturally, she remembered it vividly.
"It wasn't entirely my fault," Shimizu argued, not making excuses. "I only planned to ask for ten or twenty thousand. After you heard the intel, you just transferred 75,000 without saying a word and walked off. I couldn't even stop you."
"I was..." Suzune wanted to argue, but the words got stuck in her throat.
Thinking back, that was exactly what happened. After hearing his conclusion about the groupings, she was so eager to prove herself in the first special exam that she hurried away. Now that she thought about it, that move was indeed impulsive—even a bit stupid.
But acknowledging that out loud? Absolutely impossible.
"I did that... to conclude the transaction quickly and avoid wasting time on pointless haggling," she said, turning her head away and stubbornly giving a reason that sounded like her style but which even she didn't quite believe. "Besides, the value of information is judged by the one receiving it. I decided it was worth that price, and that's all."
Shimizu looked at her slightly reddened earlobes and forced calm, unable to help laughing again. He didn't pursue the topic further. Instead, he reached his hand into the Kotatsu and gently touched her calf.
Suzune's body jolted, and she instinctively flinched.
He lowered his voice. "Should I stop?"
Though they had hugged, held hands, and kissed, being touched on the leg—especially through tights and in the hidden, warm environment of the Kotatsu—was a first. For a first time, tension was inevitable.
A large, unseen hand covered her leg with clear body heat. The heat of the Kotatsu, the warmth of his palm, and his breath close at hand... various sensations intertwined.
Truth be told, it wasn't unpleasant.
"...As you wish," she spat out those three words. She didn't try to hide, but fixed her gaze firmly on the orange glow of the Kotatsu heater, as if the ultimate secret of the universe were hidden there waiting to be solved.
In reality, she was already reciting Pi in her head.
"Understood," Shimizu chuckled softly. He didn't push his luck. With a personality like Suzune's, one needed to be patient, "stroking her fur" the right way to slowly lower her guard. Thus, he just loosely circled her ankle, his thumb occasionally and gently stroking the slight protrusion of her ankle bone.
This touch continued for a while. Warmth seeped in from both the Kotatsu and his palm, and Suzune's tense body finally softened bit by bit.
That initial bit of shame and defensiveness seemed to be ironed out by this continuous, gentle touch, leaving only a warm, somewhat lazy sense of relaxation. Suzune's toes even curled slightly under his palm.
Come to think of it, the intimacy between them really did start with elementary school steps. Holding hands, shaking hands, hugging, cheeks, and then the first kiss... This person wasn't going to "eat her up" all at once. She didn't even know why she was so nervous.
"So, did you get what you wanted from the Student Council?" Shimizu's other hand gently draped around her waist as he asked casually.
Suzune's body stiffened slightly, but this time she regained her composure quickly.
"In a way. The Student Council's authority is much larger than I expected, and I... caught a glimpse of where my brother worked. I admit, I've developed an interest in Student Council work.
I hardly said a word there. Nagumo Miyabi... is more difficult to deal with than I imagined. Kushida Kikyo too—recordings, various calculations—I was suppressed by her."
After a brief silence, a trace of confusion surfaced.
"Sometimes I wonder if only people like them, who are good at calculating and disguising, can go further in this school."
"Do you think your brother is that kind of person?" Shimizu didn't answer directly, but asked a question in return.
Suzune froze for a moment, then shook her head. "No... Brother is strict, but he never stoops to those roundabout methods. He prefers to solve problems with absolute rules and ability."
"Then, do you think his path was wrong?"
"...No," she answered quickly this time.
"So, what matters isn't what they are like, but what you want to become. Nagumo has his game, and Kikyo has her way of survival. But the path of Horikita Suzune should be defined by you. You choose whether to adapt to their rules, or to walk a harder, but more solid path outside of them." He tightened his arm around her slightly.
"...You're right." After a long time, Suzune spoke softly, her usual determination finally returning to her voice.
"I don't need to become them. I have my own way."
"Yeah, that's more like you."
Shimizu finally breathed a sigh of relief. Holding her, he naturally turned his head and kissed the corner of her mouth. Suzune's face heated up slightly, but she was much steadier this time. After all, kissing... wasn't a first. She closed her eyes, responding with some awkwardness but compliance, their breaths gently entangling for ten or so seconds.
When they parted, she realized in hindsight that this person probably saw her earlier confusion, so he patiently guided her and untangled the knot in her heart before... moving his mouth.
Shimizu was as good to her as ever, just like he would treat his own girlfriend. Though Suzune had no romantic experience, she understood that in her future life, it would be rare to meet a man as sensitive and mindful of boundaries as Shimizu Akira.
Just as she was thinking this, she felt the hand originally circled around her ankle slowly and gently stroking upward along her calf.
She couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
'Retraction—this guy is a villain.'
But then, he was a healthy boy. Naturally, he still possessed the most primal desires for a girl. The heat that had just faded from her face crept back up, but in her heart, there wasn't much
disgust or resistance. Instead, it was an expected—perhaps even... a trace of indulgence and submission she hadn't even noticed herself.
Shimizu felt her silent permission, but his movements didn't become more urgent or intrusive. His palm maintained that slow, gentle rhythm, moving up the curve of her calf through the thin layer of black tights, feeling the warmth and firmness of the skin beneath. His palm would occasionally pause, pressing gently behind her knee or in the crook of her leg, bringing a faint, indescribable tingle.
Through the Kotatsu, the sensation from those hands was indeed different from direct touch. Warmth and the sense of a barrier intertwined; the moment his palm covered her thigh, the touch became hazy and indirect due to the fabric's buffer. But because of that... it added a layer of indescribable, secret stimulation.
Heat seeped in through the thin tights. This subtle sensation was indeed a new, somewhat shy experience for her. Horikita Suzune had never experienced anything like it. It was as if small electrical currents were racing through her body with his touch, making her toes tighten involuntarily and her breathing turn shallow.
"Suzune..." Shimizu's voice sounded in her ear, breathy and low.
"...Mhm," she hummed vaguely, as if led by that voice, naturally turning her head.
The next second, his lips covered hers. It was strange and magical. When the atmosphere is just right, some things need no words. Like now, she almost instantly understood what he wanted to do, and her body cooperated naturally before her reason could catch up.
This kiss was completely different from the last one. The last time was more like a contact she had forcibly initiated to "win a round" against Kushida Kikyo, carrying a competitive edge. But right now... whether it was the quietly rising atmosphere, their synchronized heartbeats, or the seamless fit between their bodies, it felt just right—perfect.
It was a textbook kiss.
When they parted, both their breaths were slightly disordered. Suzune's lips glistened with a moist sheen, looking less cold than usual and more unusually soft. Seeing her like this, Shimizu felt a surge of affection and couldn't help but lean down to peck the corner of her mouth again before pulling back a little distance, though his arm remained loosely around her waist.
"How was the intimacy?" he asked.
"...It was alright," Suzune turned her head away and muttered softly.
Coming from her, "it was alright" was probably equivalent to "very satisfied."
Shimizu didn't tease her further, just held her tighter, letting her lean completely into his chest. Suzune also uncharacteristically complied without resisting, even proactively adjusting
her position to get more comfortable. The two leaned against each other by the warm Kotatsu for a long time.
"That woman wants to be President..." Suzune suddenly spoke.
"After your guidance, I... also have some thoughts about the Student Council President position. If that day ever comes, who will you support?"
Shimizu's finger, which was twirling a strand of her hair, paused slightly.
"I won't support either of you," he gave the expected answer.
"However, I will help deal with anyone who is an enemy to both of you. How about that?"
Suzune couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.
This man was good in every way; his only flaw was... he was too much of a playboy. But on second thought, she wasn't even his girlfriend; getting such impartial support and protection was already the best possible outcome.
Suzune picked up her phone to check the time. Without realizing it, it was already 9:30 PM. She moved gently and lifted her head from his shoulder.
"I should head back."
"Yeah." Shimizu stood up, continuing to hold her hand. "Your birthday is on the 15th of this month. Although telling you in advance doesn't fit the habit of a surprise... I was a bit worried that you'd start overthinking and being difficult again when the time comes."
"So, I'm just telling you now. Look forward to my gift, Suzune."
Suzune was stunned. He actually remembered her birthday too! She opened her mouth to say "Don't bother" or "I won't be difficult," but her throat felt choked up.
Ultimately, she just lowered her head, looking at their joined hands, and gave a very, very slight nod.
"..."
-
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The next morning, the air in the classroom still carried the chill of a new day. A scene unfolded that defied everyone's expectations.
Horikita Suzune walked straight to Kushida Kikyo's desk and stopped.
"Good morning, Kushida-san."
Kushida Kikyo, who was organizing her textbooks, looked up. A tiny flicker of surprise passed through her, but she quickly put on her trademark smile.
"Mhm! Good morning, Horikita-san~"
"Hey, hey... I'm not dreaming, am I?!" Not far away, a boy rubbed his eyes.
"That Horikita-san... actually took the initiative to greet someone other than Shimizu-kun?!" Another girl covered her mouth.
It was well known in Class C that Horikita Suzune was a famous social recluse. She almost never proactively spoke to classmates other than Shimizu Akira, let alone offered a greeting. So, when she suddenly showed this unprecedented side today, the impact was no less than a small earthquake.
"The agreement with that woman..." Just as she sat down, Suzune caught the flicker of surprise in Shimizu's eyes and explained uncomfortably.
"Oh." Shimizu understood instantly. However, even knowing the reason, seeing this sudden friendly interaction between the two... was still quite scary. It was a case of "hiding a dagger in a smile." He couldn't help but shiver.
Then he was glared at by both Kikyo and Suzune at the same time.
.
.
.
Another mid-day.
"Let's go! Ike, Shimizu, Ayanokouji, the four of us are going to lunch together!"
Sudo Ken waved toward them. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Ike Kanji slowly stood up. Shimizu followed the three, looking at that prominent red hair and suddenly remembering what he had seen in Kikyo's diary yesterday.
Sudo Ken's mother was a bar hostess who later ran away from home. He was raised alone by a single father... he had lacked maternal love since childhood.
And then? Ayanokouji Kiyotaka... this person seemed to have never truly experienced so-called paternal or maternal love since birth. His growing years were almost entirely spent in that pure white room.
Thinking further, it seemed Yukimura Teruhiko was the same... his mother had abandoned him and his father when he was a child.
'Why all three of these guys are children lacking maternal love?'
"What is it?" Ayanokouji asked in a low voice, having noticed his distraction and intentionally slowing his pace.
"I just suddenly felt," Shimizu regained his senses and said with some sentiment, "our classmates seem... to more or less carry some unknown pasts."
"You remember when I saw my father in the school office before," Ayanokouji said. "Actually, after that, I also had a talk with Chairman Sakayanagi."
He began to slowly organize his words. Toward a friend like Shimizu, he felt no need to intentionally hide things.
"...The school's student recruitment isn't actually based on entrance exam scores; they are pre-selected." He calmly dropped this bombshell.
Shimizu's footsteps paused, and he turned to look at Ayanokouji.
"Pre-selected? Then the entrance exam... isn't it just for show? You mean the school would take you even if you scored zeros across the board?"
"Yes." Ayanokouji nodded. "This school is a national high school established with funding from the Japanese central government. Therefore, it has the right to call upon the core national database, giving it detailed access to the complete resumes and background information of all middle school graduates.
The actual supporter behind Advanced Nurturing High School is the Kijima faction within the ruling Citizen Party. And the current Prime Minister comes from this faction."
"Citizen Party? Kijima faction?!"
"Mhm. The White Room is an artificial cultivation facility initiated by Naoe Jinnosuke within the Citizen Party." Ayanokouji spoke as if introducing an ordinary club.
"My father was once one of his subordinates, but... Naoe Jinnosuke and the Kijima faction are essentially in an adversarial relationship."
Shimizu was truly hearing all this in a fog.
'Uh... what the hell? Kijima faction? And who is Naoe Jinnosuke?!'
He was nearly ignorant of the political power landscape beneath the surface of this world—or this country. Hearing this information all at once, he couldn't really make sense of it.
Seeing this, Ayanokouji couldn't help but shake his head.
"I've said too much. These are things we, as students, are almost unlikely to come into contact with. Later... if we graduate successfully, it won't be too late for you to ask me again."
He spoke as if their successful graduation were a foregone conclusion. Shimizu glanced at him; the "Masterpiece" was quite confident in himself—and in Shimizu too.
"Yeah, let's go." He didn't pry further, just patted Ayanokouji's shoulder.
A few minutes later, the four reached the end of the cafeteria line.
"Hey, hey, what were you two whispering about back there?" Ike Kanji, walking in front, turned around and asked curiously.
"You had such serious looks on your faces."
"Nothing," Ayanokouji replied crisply.
"We were discussing the solution to a math problem."
"Huh? Discussing math during lunch?" Sudo Ken frowned with a look of total incomprehension.
"You two are way too boring! With that time, you should be thinking about what meat to eat later! I heard Set A has tonkatsu today!"
The topic was easily brought back to the most ordinary level. Shimizu just followed Sudo's lead: "Tonkatsu? That sounds good."
The line moved slowly forward. When it was their turn, both Shimizu and Ayanokouji coincidentally chose Set A, the tonkatsu set. While carrying their trays to find a seat, Sudo's sharp eyes spotted an empty table.
"Over here!"
The four sat down. While wolfing down his food, Sudo asked indistinctly, "By the way! Ike, how is it going between you and Shinohara Satsuki?"
"Well..." Ike's face immediately fell. He said gloomily, "It's true I successfully asked her out last Christmas, but! Coming to this month, it seems... other male students have started pursuing her! Sigh!"
"What?!" Sudo immediately pricked up his ears. "Who?!"
"An old acquaintance of yours," Ike sighed. "Komiya Kyogo from Class D."
"Damn!" Sudo slammed his chopsticks down. "Isn't that one of the trio that framed me back then?! If Shimizu hadn't helped, I might have actually ended up with a suspension!
That bastard... he dares to show up again, and he dares to go after the girl my friend likes?!" Sudo's voice lowered.
"Ike, don't worry, I'm handling this!"
"Hey, hey, Sudo, calm down!" Ike was startled.
"Now is not the time for fighting! And... and whoever Shinohara-san dates is her own business."
"Business my ass!" Sudo's neck stiffened.
"Don't you know what kind of trash Komiya is? Did you forget what happened in the first semester? If it weren't for Shimizu, Ayanokouji... and Horikita helping to find evidence, I would have been screwed by him! Can a devious snake like that truly be good to Shinohara? He's probably planning something crooked again!"
His anger wasn't just out of loyalty to Ike; part of it was old grudges being stirred up.
"Even if he is a villain, you can't just charge over there," Shimizu interjected, picking up a piece of radish with his chopsticks.
"Violence doesn't solve emotional problems."
Sudo opened his mouth, his momentum faltering.
"Then... Shimizu, what do you say we do?" He ruffled his hair irritably, looking at Shimizu and then instinctively at Ayanokouji.
"Are we just going to watch him do this?"
Shimizu took another bite of rice and set down his chopsticks.
"Ask for the specifics first before it's too late."
He looked at Ike Kanji: "Ike, you just said 'it seems' someone else is pursuing her. Is that a rumor you heard, or something you observed? Has Komiya Kyogo taken any specific actions? Like talking to her frequently, or asking her out already?"
Ike was stunned by the questioning and thought back carefully.
"Specific actions... I'm not entirely sure. I just heard a few other girls in class mention it, saying they saw Komiya and Shinohara talking near the library, and it looked like he handed her a drink."
"Then what about the speed of her replies to you? And her attitude when he asks her out?" Shimizu pressed for details.
"Well... it's the same as usual, it doesn't seem much different from last month." Ike thought about it. "However, she replied particularly... sigh, I'm just worried now if I'll even get chocolates from her on Valentine's Day!"
"Don't overthink it." Shimizu patted his shoulder.
"You should remember Sudo's fighting incident, right? Shinohara Satsuki was in the class then; she knows exactly what kind of person the other guy is. You did some foolish things at the start of school, but you've really changed a lot now. You're a good guy.
You've been supporting her since the deserted island special exam, right? She's definitely accumulated a lot of favor for you. Keep your head on straight, be yourself, and there shouldn't be any problem getting those chocolates."
"Yeah! Thanks, Shimizu!" Ike nodded vigorously. "After talking to you, I feel much more at ease!"
"No problem," Shimizu waved it off.
According to the diary from last night, Shinohara Satsuki actually hadn't developed any interest in Komiya Kyogo at all; on the contrary, she had a good impression of Ike Kanji.
This guy was purely overthinking things. But then, romance isn't a dating sim; there isn't a clear favorability bar over someone's head. It's normal to feel anxious.
"Hehe! Speaking of Class D, some explosive rumors suddenly broke out about them today!" Sudo suddenly changed the subject, a somewhat malicious, schadenfreude smile on his face.
"And it has something to do with you, Ayanokouji!"
"What do you mean?" Ayanokouji set down his chopsticks.
"I heard from others in the Basketball Club that wasn't Ryuen Kakeru from Class 1-D beaten up on the rooftop a while ago? They say it looks like you did it!" Sudo explained with great ceremony.
"It wasn't me. The true culprit is someone else," Ayanokouji answered decisively. If it weren't for the fact they were friends, he would have pointed directly to the Shimizu Akira sitting next to him.
Sincerely.
"That's just what the rumors say!" Sudo shrugged.
"There are other rumors too! Like—Manabe Shiho used to do 'compensated dating'; Ryuen Kakeru has committed robbery; Albert Yamada is an illegal immigrant...!"
"Pfft—! Real or fake?! That Manabe...?" Ike couldn't hold it back and almost spat out his food. Since it was another class's business, he gossiped without any psychological burden. To a high schooler, the impact of rumors like compensated dating was explosive.
"Not sure of the specifics! Anyway, the rumors are quite detailed," Sudo said, looking delighted at their misfortune.
"Those rumors fall apart as soon as you hear them," Shimizu concluded directly, not believing a word.
"The school definitely did a detailed background check on all students before enrollment.
Setting Manabe Shiho aside for a moment, those rumors about Ryuen Kakeru and Albert Yamada are obviously nonsense. If criminal records or citizenship issues were involved, the government would have records. This school isn't that easy to get into."
These words were logical and instantly dampened half of Sudo and Ike's enthusiasm for gossip.
"True..." Ike scratched his head. "If there were such exaggerated priors, they probably would have been weeded out at the start of school, right?"
"Tsk, boring," Sudo pouted. "I thought I'd hear some big news.
But," Sudo remembered something else, "regarding the rumor of Ryuen Kakeru being beaten... even if it wasn't you, Ayanokouji, the rumor is quite specific. It says it was on the rooftop, one versus seven, and Ryuen was beaten pretty badly... surely that's not out of thin air? Has Class D offended someone lately?"
Ryuen Kakeru's violent rule was famous in Class D. To dare move against him—and to take him down in a fair one-versus-many situation—that was definitely not something an ordinary student could do.
"Perhaps." Ayanokouji gave an ambiguous answer. "We don't know the internal affairs of Class D."
He thought to himself: 'The person he offended is currently sitting next to him, calmly eating tonkatsu!
What a terrifying guy.'
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