Chapter 334: I Can Accept Him Having a Harem / Ichinose Honami is Heavily Shaken
The bell for the end of class rang.
Sakura Airi suddenly turned around and said in a voice as tiny as a mosquito's buzz, "Akira-kun... this Saturday, both Haruka and I are free. I wonder if you have time?"
Fortunately, Shimizu Akira had good hearing. "Mhm, I understand. Let's meet on Saturday then."
Sakura Airi's face immediately lit up with joy. She nimbly packed her schoolbag, grabbed the camera on her desk, and jogged over to find Haruka. As they left, the two of them stole several glances back at him, running off into the distance with smiles on their faces.
Shimizu Akira couldn't help but smile as well.
'Those two really are easy to please.'
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Just then, he suddenly sensed three gazes directed at him. He turned his head to see some familiar faces.
Karuizawa Kei, Matsushita Chiaki, and Sato Maya were standing not far away, peeking at him. Unlike the last time when Sato had taken the initiative to step forward, after a few minutes, it was Matsushita Chiaki who walked out.
Matsushita, who had wavy long hair and an "older sister" aura, greeted him: "Shimizu-kun, good afternoon."
"...Matsushita, good afternoon. Do you need something?"
"I'm just suddenly curious about a question. During the last Forest School exam, you received 8 million personal points from the Student Council President, right? Plus the points other classes gave you during the Deserted Island special exam and the reward points from the VIP exam... could it be that you have 20 million personal points in your hand right now?"
Shimizu's mouth twitched slightly.
'Still the same, this Matsushita-san. Always loves asking questions.'
She was like a character possessed by Chitanda Eru—all she was missing was the phrase "I'm curious!"
Then again, Matsushita Chiaki had been quite good to him. She had defended him during the Deserted Island exam and had seriously analyzed strategies with Karuizawa and Sakura
during the VIP exam. Compared to Sato Maya, with whom he had barely spoken, he had a much higher opinion of Matsushita.
He decided to answer the question honestly.
"I do indeed have 20 million personal points."
"Eh... really?" Matsushita's eyes widened slightly. "Chabashira-sensei said that in all previous years, only one student ever managed to save 13 million, and that person did it by scamming other classes... Shimizu-kun, aren't you the first person in history to reach this amount?"
'First in history?' If that title were posted on a forum, it would probably be debated for three days and nights without a conclusion. Shimizu didn't dare wear that crown himself.
He quickly replied, "Chabashira-sensei was exaggerating. There should be several people in the school who have saved that much by now."
For example, the leaders of the four first-year classes likely had around 20 million in their hands.
Especially Ryuen Kakeru; with the compensation for the reduction in class treatment, he likely broke the 30 million mark. The current Student Council President, Nagumo Miyabi... likely had even more. Shimizu suspected he might have already crossed 100 million.
Matsushita Chiaki immediately shook her head.
"Shimizu-kun, that's not correct. I know who you're referring to, but those people hold 'class funds'—collective points that can't be used freely. But the 20 million in your hand is something that belongs purely to you as an individual. It allows you to do many things others can't. For instance... transferring classes."
Shimizu looked at her.
"So, is that your second question?"
Matsushita narrowed her eyes.
"Mhm... I'm a bit curious if you'll transfer. If you leave, Class C might immediately return to its original form. And... personally, I don't want you to leave at all."
"Rest assured, I have no plans to leave. I find the current Class C quite comfortable."
"That's great! In that case, I can relax just like before."
"Finally saying what you really think, huh?" Shimizu laughed. This person, just like his earlier self when school started, upheld the principle of not putting in effort if it wasn't necessary. She was walking the same "pig eating the tiger" path in class as Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.
"Sorry, I feel like I've pushed all the class matters onto you and asked two very personal questions." Matsushita seemed to realize she had misspoken. Her cheeks reddened as she changed the subject.
"Um... I just happened to buy a cup of milk tea. Consider it a small thank-you for answering my questions!"
Without waiting for a response, she walked quickly to his desk, took a cup of milk tea from her bag's side pocket, carefully unwrapped it, inserted the straw herself, and handed it to him.
"Thanks." Shimizu thought about it, didn't refuse, and took a sip. It was just a cup of milk tea; there was no harm in accepting it.
"Mhm-mhm! Then I'll leave you to your business." Seeing him accept it, a smile curled on Matsushita's lips. She lowered her head and turned to walk back to Karuizawa and Sato.
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As soon as she approached, her two companions couldn't wait to interrogate her.
"What's going on?! Why did Akira-kun accept your milk tea so naturally? You've hardly spoken to him!"
"Exactly! Why did he smile at you? I was rejected so decisively last time!"
"It's nothing special," Matsushita smoothed her hair and smiled.
"I just asked him to answer two questions and gave him a small thank-you gift. It's a common psychological trick—to make friends with someone, you can first ask for a small favor and then give a gift in return. By going back and forth like that, you naturally become familiar."
"You even used psychology?" Karuizawa Kei's eyes widened.
"That's too unfair! Who could ever win against you?!" Sato Maya couldn't help but cry out.
The two looked at each other, their expressions filled with a subtle sense of unwilling competition. A few days ago at karaoke, the three of them had agreed to take turns pursuing Shimizu Akira. But since they were good friends, they didn't want to fall out over a boy. Thus, they had a "Gentleman's Agreement":
Each person has one chance for a formal conversation or date. If rejected clearly, it's the next person's turn. No "ninja-ing" or jumping the gun. No excessive physical contact or ambiguous hints; invitations must be made in a proper manner. Regardless of the outcome, the two who fail cannot get upset. The three must remain good friends.
Originally, Karuizawa Kei had breathed a sigh of relief because Shimizu had rejected Sato Maya so decisively yesterday. But seeing Matsushita Chiaki chatting with him in such a harmonious atmosphere today, she couldn't help but feel a bit jealous.
"So, you didn't succeed in inviting him out to play either!" Sato Maya suddenly realized and became proud again.
"It's just a cup of milk tea; it's pretty much the same situation as mine!"
Matsushita smiled.
"While I truly do want to date Shimizu-kun, I still know very little about him. At this stage, what we need is to understand each other. Suddenly suggesting a date would only feel abrupt to the other party."
"Eh? So cautious?" Sato blinked.
"Mhm. After all, unlike you and Kei, I don't have much romantic experience," Matsushita said honestly.
These words made Sato and Karuizawa's cheeks flush simultaneously.
'What romantic experience?' Strictly speaking, even their first kisses were still perfectly intact.
Sato Maya coughed lightly.
"However, the next target should be Kei's turn, right? I feel like your success rate will be very high!"
"Yeah, I think so too," Matsushita agreed.
"You two have that much confidence in me?" Karuizawa couldn't help but feel a little smug.
"After all, you're the manager of the Boxing Club."
"Exactly! As the saying goes, 'The pavilion nearest the water gets the moonlight first.' It's been two whole semesters. When school started, you were bragging to us about how much romantic experience you had... If it were me, I would have taken Shimizu-kun down long ago! If we weren't high schoolers, we might even have kids by now!"
"Maya! Can you stop bragging?!"
"Shh, you two stop arguing," Matsushita suddenly lowered her voice. "It looks like something is happening over by Shimizu-kun."
The three girls instinctively turned their gazes back to that back-row seat. Kushida Kikyo stood up and walked right over to Shimizu's seat, offering a natural invitation: "Akira-kun! Have you been waiting long? We agreed to go to dinner together."
"Mhm, not too long. Let's go, Kikyo." Shimizu nodded, and the two left the classroom side-by-side in an extremely natural manner.
"Sh-Shimizu-kun left?! And with Kushida Kikyo!" Sato Maya exclaimed.
"When did they become so close? And they're calling each other by their first names so intimately!"
Matsushita Chiaki finally realized something. She bit her lip.
"Regarding pursuing Shimizu-kun... did we miss the most important part? We haven't confirmed if he has a girlfriend yet. I'm starting to think he and Kushida-san might be dating... I've seen them talking together a lot since the VIP exam."
"That's right! And his seatmate, Horikita Suzune! That woman only seems willing to talk to Shimizu-kun!" Sato Maya remembered another detail.
Karuizawa Kei's face showed a trace of embarrassment as she spoke softly: "Um... actually, Akira-kun... he does indeed have a girlfriend."
"Huh?! He already has a girlfriend?!" Sato was stunned.
"Wait, why didn't you say so sooner! Doesn't that mean we were... from the very beginning..." The second half of her sentence was a mumble: "No wonder he rejected me."
The little bit of happiness Matsushita had just felt cooled down instantly. The news that the boy she liked had already been "claimed" hit her like a bucket of cold water. She looked at Karuizawa.
'Based on your tone, Kei, did you know all along? Why didn't you give us a heads-up?'
But it was too late to complain. She took a deep breath.
"Who is the one dating Shimizu Akira? Is it Kushida Kikyo or Horikita Suzune?"
Karuizawa opened her mouth and spoke hesitantly: "It's... Kushida Kikyo. But Horikita Suzune... it's about the same as dating him... they went out together during the last winter break. And... he has other girlfriends. Class A's Kamuro Masumi... is one too."
"Three girlfriends?!"
"Are you joking?!"
Sato Maya and Matsushita Chiaki looked at each other, seeing their worldviews being shattered in each other's eyes. Not only did he have a girlfriend, but this guy was planning to have a harem?
"Wait, Kei!" Matsushita caught the key point.
"Since you knew he already had girlfriends, why were you still planning to pursue him? Don't you... mind that kind of thing at all?"
Karuizawa Kei's cheeks turned beet red. Her gaze drifted.
"Mhm... I, I actually... can accept his harem behavior..."
"...?"
Matsushita Chiaki and Sato Maya were stunned at the same time, momentarily unsure how to react.
'Wait, what?! How can this person be so... humble? Do you like Shimizu Akira that much? So much that you'd accept a condition like that?! Did he save your life or something?!
Could this be the romantic resolve of a 'true' gyaru?'
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At the Cafeteria
"Akira-kun, now that you have 35 million personal points, have you never thought about splurging a bit?"
His girlfriend spoke while picking up a small sausage and gently placing it in Shimizu's bowl.
"There's nothing special I want to buy. Saving it like this is fine," Shimizu naturally ate the sausage. "Once I save 40 million, I can protect two people."
Kushida Kikyo looked at him eating a standard set meal with gusto, her eyes filled with a mix of helplessness and affection. Even though this man was the student with the most points in the first year, his daily expenses didn't exceed a thousand points. Compared to those in class who only had 50 or 60 thousand points a month, he lived much more frugally.
For dinner today, her boyfriend had specially ordered a deluxe set for her, while he just made do with something simple.
"You need to eat better too." Kikyo pushed her deluxe set in front of him without room for argument, then swapped his standard meal over. "Eat mine. No switching back. And swap the chopsticks too—that's only fair."
"Okay." Shimizu obediently took her chopsticks and began to eat her meal with her used utensils. The two of them had long passed that stage. They had kissed countless times; at this point, who would care about an "indirect kiss"?
Kikyo propped up her chin. "Actually, you could use those points to modify school rules! For example, making all students act like noble ladies who must bow and greet their classmates every day. What do you think?"
It seemed she had really enjoyed Suzune's greeting this morning.
Shimizu shook his head. "I save points mainly to protect people. As for that rule... isn't it a bit hard on your boyfriend?"
"Hehe... true," Kikyo couldn't help but laugh. "It's hard to imagine you suddenly walking into the classroom and bowing to everyone saying good morning."
Her boyfriend was introverted and wasn't used to proactively greeting people.
"I heard from Suzune that you want to run for Student Council President?" Shimizu swallowed a mouthful of rice.
"If you're elected, you could indeed push for that policy."
"What do you mean 'if'?" Kikyo pouted slightly.
"Because Suzune has the same plan."
"That woman... why does she have to compete with me for everything...?"
"Alright, alright, don't be angry," Shimizu soothed.
"I'll contact Vice President Kiriyama in the next couple of days. As the current VP, he should be able to arrange for both of you to join the Student Council."
"Mhm." Kikyo nodded. As expected of her boyfriend; before she even asked, he was already paving the way for her.
"But don't be happy too soon, you two! Don't forget who brought you into the Student Council in the first place. Ichinose Honami is also fully qualified to run."
Kikyo finally snapped out of it.
'Right, there's a third competitor!'
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Class B
Under the suggestion of the students, the first class meeting after the special exam was held after school today.
"We got a total of 47 Class Points!"
"Out of the four classes, we ranked third."
"Class C was the big winner. They're only 42 Class Points away from us now."
"Wait, in the next special exam, could we become the new Class C?"
Ichinose Honami stood at the podium with both hands supporting her weight, her head lowered deeply. "In the last Forest School exam, I dragged everyone down. Even though I have the most friends, we ended up in fourth place... it was my failure to coordinate. I'm truly sorry."
"That wasn't your fault at all, Ichinose!"
"Exactly! It's because you're too kind. You specifically brought in the girls who were left out or in poor health from other groups into your own, which caused our group's overall strength to drop."
"Right! We all understand! You don't need to blame yourself."
The classmates offered their comfort one after another. However, a cold snort echoed from somewhere in the class.
"Hmph, what a... harmonious class this is."
"Himeno-san, what do you mean by that?"
"What are you trying to say?"
The girl being addressed looked up.
"I don't mean anything special. I just feel like this scene is familiar... I feel like I've seen it several times now."
Himeno Yuki's gaze swept over Ichinose on the podium and then slowly moved to the students who had just spoken.
"During the Deserted Island special exam, Ichinose-san insisted on taking in Kaneda Satoru. Later, when we found out he was a spy from another class, everyone comforted her the same way—'It's not your fault, you're just too kind.'
Later, the VIP exam. Ichinose-san suggested that groups without a VIP should guide the discussion in turns. As a result, the identities of all three VIPs in our class were guessed by Class A. Back then, everyone said similar things.
Then the Sports Festival... we lost completely. That was the third time.
And now, this is the fourth time.
I was just wondering, will there be a fifth time? A sixth time? When exactly is this going to end?"
Ichinose turned pale, just about to speak. But the vast majority of the class immediately and excitedly rose to her defense.
"Himeno-san, you're going too far!"
"Ichinose didn't do anything wrong! Haven't we performed well in many previous special exams? Don't negate her just because of this one failure!"
"Himeno!" Kanzaki Ryuji stood up. "Now is not the time for this. Ichinose... she did it for the class..."
"For the class?" Himeno Yuki interrupted him.
"You forgive her and comfort her time and again, and then next time the same mistake is repeated. This is the fourth time! Have we really learned our lesson? I'm sorry, but I really can't see it.
Moreover, there have only been five special exams in total! The Deserted Island, the VIP exam, and the Pairing exam were all because Shimizu Akira stepped in; that's why we got good Class Points. For the Sports Festival and the Forest School exam—without Shimizu Akira—when were we not at the bottom or second to last?
If Class C hadn't taken the initiative to unite the three classes against Class A this time, we probably would have ended up in last place again! Do you still think our previous performances were based on our own strength?
Class A has Sakayanagi Arisu controlling the whole board. Class C has Shimizu Akira planning step-by-step. Class D has both Ryuen Kakeru's violent methods and Shiina Hiyori's calm strategies. Tell me, what exactly does our class have to show?
At this point, are you still unwilling to open your eyes? We never had the right to sympathize with our opponents because from the very beginning—we have been the weakest class!"
She took a deep breath, her gaze sweeping over faces filled with dissatisfaction or confusion.
"I admit, Ichinose-san is very kind and truly cares for the class. But, if you always treat people from other classes with equal kindness, then isn't that a form of disrespect toward the students of our own class?"
Having said her piece, she didn't look at anyone and turned to leave the classroom.
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"Thinking about it... what Himeno-san said seems to make sense."
"Could it be... that our class is actually the weakest? If Shimizu-kun didn't help, would we really... be nothing?"
"The things she said about Ichinose... actually have a bit of truth, don't they?" a girl whispered in agreement.
"Stop right there! That's Ichinose we're talking about. Do you really have the heart to blame her?" the student next to her immediately retorted.
"That..." The girl was instantly silenced, unable to say another word.
Kanzaki Ryuji clenched his fists and sighed deeply. This was the current atmosphere of Class B. Unity was a good thing, but sometimes, because they were too united, no one dared to touch the cruel truth.
On the surface, it was warm and complete, but in reality, the shell was as thin as a cicada's wing—a single poke from an outsider would shatter it.
Someone had to break the silence sooner or later. Kanzaki thought he would be the one, but he didn't expect Himeno Yuki to be unable to suppress it any longer and voice all the dissatisfaction today.
"Sigh..." Kanzaki felt an indescribable sense of shame. As the heir to Kanzaki Heavy Industries, he was still hesitating and looking back. His inner resolve was actually inferior to that of a female student in his class.
Kobashi Yume looked worriedly at Ichinose's pale face on the podium. she walked up quickly and gently patted her friend's shoulder.
"Honami, are you okay? Himeno seemed especially agitated today. I'll go talk to her later. Don't take it too much to heart!"
Ichinose Honami finally snapped out of it. She forced a smile for Kobashi Yume.
"No, Yume-chan. Himeno-san... isn't wrong." She slowly shook her head.
"I am the one who was wrong. If I hadn't proactively recruited students with less physical strength from other classes into my group during the Forest School exam, but instead chose girls with better physical fitness... perhaps, perhaps our class points really would have increased significantly, and we would have actually weakened the other classes' strength."
"Don't say that, Honami!" Kobashi grabbed her arm.
"That wasn't your fault! You only did what you thought was right!"
"What was right..." Ichinose repeated in a low voice. "But in this school, what is the standard for 'right'? Is it helping as many people as possible, or... protecting the interests of your own class at all costs?"
When this question was thrown out, Kobashi Yume was momentarily speechless, not knowing how to answer.
"S-Sorry! I made everyone worry..." However, Ichinose soon regained her composure. She gently patted her cheeks and looked at the concerned students, forcing a spirited smile.
"I'm fine! Really, don't worry too much about me... after all, my only redeeming quality is being 'cheerful'."
"...Is it really okay?"
"Alright, alright, really, it's fine." She raised her smile again.
"Let's continue the meeting! Next, we need to discuss the class funds."
Kobashi Yume watched her quietly, her heart aching.
'This person is pushing herself too hard again. She's more tired than anyone, yet she has to be the first to squeeze out a smile.'
Kobashi lowered her gaze. In truth, after hearing Himeno Yuki's words, even she couldn't help but feel shaken.
Could this class, which always relied on the kindness of others to move forward, really make it to the end?
Could they... really rise to Class A?
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