Chapter 335 — Give Me Chocolate / Comforting Honami
Friday, 7:30 AM. Shimizu Akira appeared at the entrance of the second-year dormitory. He had just sent a message to Kiriyama Ikuto, who suggested they meet at the dorm entrance to chat about Student Council business over breakfast.
He agreed and sat on the lobby sofa, subconsciously scanning his surroundings. Each school year had its own separate dormitory building, though the second-year dorm looked identical to the first-year one. At this hour, many upperclassmen were already heading in and out.
"Ah—"
Amidst the crowd, a familiar senpai spotted him and intentionally veered into his blind spot. Recognizing who it was, Shimizu smiled inwardly but feigned ignorance, keeping his eyes fixed forward.
A second later, someone gently pinched his ear.
"Hiss—" He let out a calculated gasp of pain.
Shimizu slowly turned his head. Asahina Nazuna was standing there, looking pretty and spirited. She was wearing a stern face, though she wasn't actually applying much pressure.
"Still dare to tease your senpai?" She gave his earlobe a light tug. "This is the lesson an arrogant kouhai deserves, got it?"
"My apologies, Asahina-senpai," Shimizu lowered his head obediently.
Only then did Asahina let go. She sat on the armrest of the sofa next to him, her gaze instinctively drifting toward his slightly reddened ear.
"It doesn't hurt, I'm fine. Actually, it's just red from the cold; the wind is quite strong this morning." Shimizu guessed she was worried and rubbed his ear. "It's not your fault, Senpai."
"As long as you're okay." Asahina glanced at him, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
"Speaking of which, I haven't officially thanked you for that note," Shimizu said, lowering his head slightly.
"Thanks to your warning during the Forest School exam."
"Don't mention it. Didn't you partner with Ryuen Kakeru long ago anyway?" Asahina waved her hand dismissively. However, seeing her cute kouhai thank her so sincerely made the corners of her mouth curl up. Being thanked so formally by a kouhai always feels good.
"Anyway! Have you thought about your reward? If you say something nonsense like last time... hmph!" Asahina changed the subject, waving a small, pink fist in front of his eyes.
Shimizu didn't actually feel he should ask for anything.
During the Forest School exam, Asahina-senpai was the first to warn him that there was a spy in his group. If he hadn't already been working with Ryuen, that intel would have been a lifesaver.
"You're not allowed to ask for something too simple. Your senpai isn't someone who can't afford to pay up," she said, tilting her chin up.
'Great, now there are conditions.'
Shimizu thought for about ten seconds.
"Then... please give me some chocolate for Valentine's Day."
Valentine's Day was next Monday. According to local customs, it was a day for girls to give chocolate to boys, divided into two types: Honmei (True Love) and Giri (Obligation/Social). Given their current relationship, it would naturally fall into the latter category.
Asahina patted her chest.
"Chocolate! That's a good request! Leave it to me; I'll research how to make it this weekend!"
"Handmade? You don't have to go through all that trouble..."
"What are you saying! How could I give you store-bought?" She interrupted him, reaching out to ruffle his hair.
"Alright, just leave it to me!"
Before he could say more, she gave his head a few more ruffles and walked away with a light step. Shimizu smiled helplessly and straightened his messy hair.
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A few minutes later, Kiriyama Ikuto finally arrived. The two walked toward the cafeteria and ordered breakfast.
"I saw you talking with Asahina," Kiriyama said as he set down his tray.
"I didn't expect you to be so close. I wonder what Nagumo Miyabi would think if he knew."
"Uh... you saw that?" Shimizu was momentarily speechless.
'Man, this Vice President is quite the silent observer. He was watching the whole time.'
"You can see the sofa right from the corner of the stairs." Kiriyama used his chopsticks to gently break his fried egg.
"You two were sitting very close."
Shimizu took a sip of miso soup.
"Senpai was just chatting about a previous agreement."
Kiriyama didn't linger on Shimizu and Asahina's private business, instead asking, "What did you want to ask of me today?"
Shimizu didn't beat around the bush and told him about Horikita Suzune and Kushida Kikyo's wish to join the Student Council.
"I see. Of course, that's fine," Kiriyama replied crisply.
"Horikita Suzune is Horikita-senpai's sister, and Kushida Kikyo is a very capable kouhai. There's no problem with them joining based on their abilities."
"Thank you, Vice President Kiriyama. I've transferred 1 million personal points to you. Please accept them."
"...What is this for?"
"During the Forest School exam, thanks to your help in lowering Nagumo Miyabi's average score. Since the President promised to compensate me 1 million points if I lost to Nagumo, and since I won, there's no reason not to share a portion with you."
"...I see." Kiriyama stayed silent for a moment before nodding. "Then, I'll accept it."
He checked his phone to confirm the transfer, then looked at Shimizu intentionally.
"Are you disappointed? Thinking that me accepting points... isn't very proper. If it were Horikita-senpai, he probably wouldn't have taken them."
Shimizu shook his head without thinking.
"Taking them is taking them; there's nothing to be disappointed about. I respect President Horikita, but I don't entirely agree with his approach regarding reasonable compensation. You put in time and effort; it's only normal to get a return. If you took nothing, how could I have the face to ask for your help next time?"
Kiriyama couldn't help but let a trace of a smile show.
'Good.' This reliable kouhai didn't look down on him for it.
In truth, he and Shimizu shared the same mindset. He respected Horikita Manabu's character and principles but didn't intend to fully emulate that almost selfless style. Some things require more realistic considerations.
Now that the air was cleared, their cooperation was truly built on a solid and clear foundation.
"I will look after the two of them in the Student Council as much as I can. However, for gender-related matters, it might be inconvenient for me to step in directly," Kiriyama noted.
"But since you know Asahina, perhaps you can ask her to handle those affairs."
"Fine," Shimizu agreed.
'Asahina-senpai... speaking of which, my Honami is also looked after by her.'
After that, the two shared the rest of their meal in silence.
"One more thing." After finishing, Kiriyama paused before leaving and turned back.
"The school's BBS seems to have a lot of rumors about the first-years lately. If you have time after breakfast, take a look. If you need any posts deleted, feel free to contact me."
"Understood. Sorry for the trouble, Vice President Kiriyama."
Shimizu watched him leave.
'Rumors, huh?' But wait—was it because he received the points? Kiriyama had just provided a crucial piece of information: this man had a certain level of control over the school forums. Did he know the admin?
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The moment he stepped into Class C's classroom, before he could even think about the BBS, Shimizu noticed the atmosphere was exceptionally restless.
"Hey! Did you see that post on the BBS? It says our Class C only won last time because Shimizu and Kushida were pulling strings in the back!"
"There's an even more ridiculous one! It says Kushida Kikyo was the mastermind behind framing Yamauchi Haruki into dropping out!"
"The Yamauchi rumors are out too... saying he's a pure pervert! Well, that one is actually true."
"It must be other classes being jealous of our promotion and trying to smear us!"
Several students were huddled together, pointing at their phone screens. Shimizu set down his bag. The situation was exactly as Kiriyama had warned. He opened the school BBS on his phone.
The homepage was filled with a dozen high-heat posts.
He clicked one; the replies were already building a tower. Anonymous accounts were describing "details" with absolute certainty. Some were fanning the flames, while Class C students were refuting them angrily. The rumors that were focused on Class D a couple of days ago had now spread to all classes.
He scrolled down:
Totsuka Yahiko (Class 1-A) Previously spent time in a juvenile detention center.
Sakayanagi Arisu (Class 1-A) Only entered Class A because her father is the Chairman.
Kanzaki Ryuji (Class 1-B) A playboy who frequently went after girls in middle school.
Ichinose Honami (Class 1-B) Has a history of drug use.
Wang Mei-Yu (Class 1-C) Only came to Japan because she couldn't make it in China.
Horikita Suzune (Class 1-C) Once stabbed a classmate with a compass, causing major bleeding!
'It's absolute nonsense' Shimizu thought.
Each one lacked evidence but was presented as if it were a solid fact.
Kanzaki's stoic personality as a playboy? Honami on drugs? Pure fabrications. However, the Sakayanagi one was technically "up for debate."
When he saw the last one, Shimizu almost couldn't hold it in.
'Don't say it... that one actually sounds like something Suzune would do.'
"Who is spreading these lies?!"
The person in question, Horikita Suzune, was currently holding a pair of compasses, her sharp gaze scanning the class. She clearly wanted to find the poster and settle the score.
"Uh... it shouldn't be anyone in our class. Put the compass down first; those things are actually dangerous," Shimizu reminded her quickly. Suzune had loved her compass since the start of school; he didn't understand her obsession with that specific stationery.
"I didn't do it!" Horikita took a deep breath, finally put the compass back on her desk, and turned to explain.
"I know you didn't! These rumors are obviously rubbish." Shimizu waved his hand.
Horikita's expression softened slightly.
"But the information about that person is true."
Shimizu knew she was referring to Kushida Kikyo framing Yamauchi. He replied casually, "Probably someone dug up the incident of Ryuen coming to Class C to stir things up. Don't worry about it." Right now, Kikyo's popularity was so high that rumors of this level wouldn't affect her much.
"Alright, don't think too much. Valentine's Day is in two days; you'd better prepare a gift for me! And since your birthday is the day after, I'll bring your gift then." Seeing her still annoyed, Shimizu changed the subject.
Interestingly, the 15th was also the day of the mock exam. Quite a coincidence.
"It's just chocolate; I'll give it to you without you reminding me."
"Really?!"
"Really. I don't understand why you'd doubt that."
Since that "intimate incident," she had become much softer toward him. Plus, since he had given her a gift before... she was already planning to make chocolate this weekend.
"But you didn't give me a gift last Christmas, so I was actually worried I wouldn't get any chocolate." Shimizu smiled at her.
"..."
Now that he mentioned it, she really hadn't given him anything for Christmas. Meanwhile, he had given her a mystery novel.
"Then... I'll let you be close to me for half an hour as compensation," Horikita Suzune said in a low voice, looking away.
"Hehe..." Shimizu couldn't help but laugh.
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Daily Intel: 8:00 AM
Ibuki Mio (Class 1-D) and Kamuro Masumi (Class 1-A) have identical student ID numbers. Shiina Hiyori (Class 1-D) has begun investigating the mass rumor incident. She has been debating for ten minutes on how to naturally invite Shimizu Akira to collaborate. Yesterday morning, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka (Class 1-C) received an outside call from someone named Ishigami Kyo.
'Duplicated ID numbers?'
Information identifying an individual should not be identical. Was the school doing this on purpose or by accident?
He moved to the second item. Hiyori was moving already? As expected, when a case appears, the "Detective Lady" can't sit still. He was surprised she was hesitating on how to invite him... given their relationship, she could just ask directly.
The last item surprised him. An outside call could get through to this closed school? Was it a special method, or could anyone call if they knew a student's number? It likely wasn't the latter; the school wouldn't leave such a glaring loophole, or the "closed campus" concept would be a joke.
Who was this Ishigami Kyo? And why contact Ayanokouji?
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After an ordinary school day, Shimizu instinctively glanced at the corner of the classroom. Sato Maya, Matsushita Chiaki, and Karuizawa Kei were huddled together as usual. However, unlike before, they weren't looking his way. Since Matsushita's last approach, these "fake gyarus" seemed to have truly backed off.
"Not bad, they're looking more like real gyarus every day," he chuckled.
Gyarus were like that: hot and cold.
Suddenly, Chabashira Sae appeared in the classroom, her gaze landing on him.
"Shimizu, come out for a moment. I have something to say to you."
'Another thing?' Shimizu followed her.
They stopped in a quiet corner behind the school building. It was the middle of winter, but Chabashira picked up a light green watering can and calmly watered some cold-resistant plants against the wall.
Shimizu looked at her. Truth be told, Chabashira was a great beauty. Her pencil skirt outlined slim curves, and her legs were straight and well-proportioned. Her cold, flawless face gazing at the plants gave off a quiet, intellectual teacher aura.
As the saying goes—'Teachers are like hardworking gardeners, carefully nurturing every seedling; teachers are like lighthouses...'
But then he remembered her constant secret manipulations since the start of school. He silently looked away.
'Yeah, can't conjure up a single stray thought about her.'
After a few minutes, she set down the can. "Shimizu-kun, you took first place in the boys' group during the Forest School exam. Excellent work. It seems you seriously fulfilled our agreement."
"Well, you did tell me the location of the hidden spot." Shimizu waved it off. Thanks to that storage room, he was able to start dating Airi and Haruka so quickly.
"Therefore, I've decided to reward you with 1 million personal points. Check your account."
Shimizu was stunned. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out; she had indeed sent 1 million points.
"Chabashira-sensei? This isn't necessary... I didn't even tell you who 'Cheshire Cat' is, so why—"
"Regardless of who the Cheshire Cat is, you led the class to win the special exam; you deserve the reward." She looked at him seriously. "Moreover, consider this a pre-payment for the next special exam. If you can lead the class to overtake Class B then, I will give you additional personal points."
"By the way," she paused, "if Hoshinomiya Chie approaches you privately and promises you benefits—no matter what she offers, I can pay double. Be sure to remember that."
She left without waiting for a reply.
'I see... she sent the million to motivate me to overtake Class B. She even predicted Hoshinomiya-sensei would try to headhunt me.
Double, huh? She's got some confidence.'
Today was interesting. He had transferred 1 million to Kiriyama in the morning and got it back in the afternoon. In and out—no loss.
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In the girls' dormitory, Ichinose Honami lay on her bed in a daze, clutching her diary tightly. The words Himeno Yuki had said a few days ago played over in her mind.
"She's right..." Honami murmured.
As the saying goes, "a fall in the pit, a gain in your wit." But this was the fourth time. Even an elementary student understands "three strikes and you're out." Yet she had done it again—helping students from other classes.
In a sense, she was sabotaging her own classmates.
She picked up her phone. Her gaze fell on the rumors about her having a history of drug use. She shook her head gently.
"This person making things up... they really don't know me at all."
She was from a single-parent family. Her father was long gone, and her mother raised her and her sister alone. Her mother was an ordinary person, and their monthly living expenses were barely enough for food and warmth. Her own pocket money was pitiful; she had to calculate every penny.
Where would she get the money for something as luxury as drugs? If she had that kind of spare cash, it would be better spent on snacks for her sister.
She chose this school specifically because the tuition was free. Bowling, movies, theaters... she had never gone to any of those in middle school. Everything since entering this school had been a first-time experience.
If she analyzed her own character, perhaps it was because she lost her father young; she lacked a sense of security and longed to be protected.
Even her standards for a partner subconsciously leaned toward mature, steady men she could rely on.
And Shimizu Akira, from the very first month, had silently helped her obtain information hidden by the school. In the subsequent special exams, he had helped Class B many times. He perfectly fit her criteria.
She had liked him earlier than she realized. During the VIP exam? No, even earlier. Ever since Shimizu gave her that wild chicken during the Deserted Island exam, those feelings had begun to sprout.
Some girls might hate a boy's assertive way of caring, but not her.
Because there was always a hole in her heart, that somewhat forceful, undeniable warmth had hit her "sweet spot" perfectly. That was why she had proactively gone to his dorm that summer and initiated those intimate touches.
After he confessed to her the other day, she was so excited she couldn't sleep.
Suddenly, her phone rang. It was Shimizu.
She answered immediately. "Honami, I saw the rumors on the forum," his voice came through. "I know you'd never do something like that. Don't stress about it alone."
"I..." Honami's throat felt tight. "Sorry, I made you worry again."
"You're my girlfriend; if I don't worry about you, who will?" Shimizu answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Wait... your voice sounds off. Do you have a cold? Or is something else bothering you?"
Honami felt a wave of warmth. She shook her head gently, though she knew he couldn't see. "No... it's not the rumors. It's just... there are other problems in the class lately..."
Shimizu listened quietly as she explained what had happened.
"...No wonder you're in a bad mood."
'The intel said she might shut herself in; I need to be careful with my words.'
"Akira-kun," Honami's voice dropped, sounding lost.
"Is our Class B... really the weakest?"
"Your class isn't weak; you just don't proactively participate in the competition like the others."
"So... it really is my responsibility, right?"
"It's not just your fault. The other groups weren't that strong either. You protecting weaker girls isn't wrong, and logically it shouldn't have affected the boys' performance. Kanzaki didn't get ideal results either; pushing all the blame on you is clearly unfair."
"But, Akira-kun... during the island exam, I was the one who took in Kaneda Satoru out of sympathy..."
"That's not on you either. Kaneda is a smart man who knows how to act. In the end, didn't Ryuen's plan fail completely anyway?"
"What about the VIP exam? I agreed to the rotating speakers..."
"Kanzaki agreed to that too; you can't take all the blame. And the result was happy for everyone."
"What about the Sports Festival..."
"That was purely a gap in raw physical ability. Even less reason to blame you."
Listening to her boyfriend patiently refute her points one by one, Honami felt the gloom in her heart magically dissipate. Her eyes grew hot.
"Thank you, Akira-kun... thanks to you, I feel much better."
"Don't thank me. I'm your boyfriend; isn't this what I'm supposed to do? Whatever you face in the future, you can tell me."
The call ended. Ichinose sat on the edge of her bed in silence. She wanted to call him back immediately, but after hesitating, she dialed another number: Hoshinomiya Chie.
Once the call connected, Honami took a deep breath.
"Chie-sensei... actually, I... I once stole something. I don't want to hide it from Akira-kun anymore. As a boyfriend, he's so good to me, and I really love him... but I don't know how to say it. I'm afraid that if I do, it will destroy the image of me in his heart... can you help me think of a way?"
On the other end, Hoshinomiya Chie almost choked on a spoonful of rice.
"Wait—what?! You two are dating?! Since when?! And... stealing? Honami-chan? You're being so honest all of a sudden, your cute teacher's brain can't keep up!"
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