Chapter 371: My God, You've All Kissed Him? / The First Night of Spring Break is Long
Kushida Kikyo spoke while pulling a deck of playing cards from her pocket, shuffling them with practiced ease.
"The rules are simple: High Card wins. In each round, the person with the highest card says one thing they have never done before. If everyone else present has also never done it, the speaker gets a point.
Of course, the winner of the draw automatically gets one point to start. If even one person has done it, the speaker gets no extra points.
We'll play ten rounds, and whoever has the highest cumulative score at the end is tonight's winner. How does that sound?"
She offered an example: "For instance, if I have the high card this round and I say: 'I have never drank alcohol.' If anyone here has drank alcohol, I don't get the point. If no one has, everyone—including myself—gets a point."
"I see!"
"Oh~ the rules are quite simple!"
"Everyone here... hasn't drank alcohol, right?"
Following Kikyo's explanation, the other girls quickly grasped the rules. This "Never Have I Ever" style game was popular among young people, and while it originated in the West, it was often used in Japan to liven up parties.
Usually, the loser drinks, but this time it was a ten-round points system.
"What do you think? Can everyone accept this game?" Kikyo scanned the room with a smile.
"I think it's fine~"
"Mhm... the game Kikyo came up with is interesting. I wonder if I can play well..."
Hasabe Haruka and Sakura Airi, as Kikyo's top supporters, immediately responded.
"The rules are easy to understand. I have no objection," Ichinose Honami nodded gently. "Hmph, I'm taking that guy's night for myself," Kamuro Masumi smirked coldly, signifying her agreement.
"I won't lose!" Karuizawa Kei was already staring at the cards.
"Fine," Horikita Suzune gave a concise answer.
As the seven girls expressed their stances, the atmosphere began to heat up. Shimizu Akira, listening from the side with a twitching lip, silently raised his hand: "Wait! What about my opinion?"
Kikyo turned her face toward him, twirling a strand of hair falling over her chest, and said sweetly, "Akira-kun's opinion is important, of course! But... the power to set the rules lies with the person who initiated the game. Or is it that Akira-kun doesn't want to see us all... playing happily together?"
Karuizawa Kei cleared her throat. "I think it's quite interesting! You have no reason to refuse, Akira-kun."
"I think..." Ichinose Honami took over gently, "Since Shimizu-kun gathered us all here and acknowledged our feelings, it's only right that you indulge our little selfishness occasionally, right?"
Kamuro Masumi sneered. "Majority rules, got it?"
Hasabe Haruka and Sakura Airi didn't speak, but their eyes were filled with anticipation and a hint of a 'no-refusal' policy.
Horikita Suzune simply watched him, her calm gaze seemingly saying: This is the situation. Resistance is futile.
Akira looked around at the seven pairs of eyes glaring at him like predators.
He sighed helplessly and waved his hand in resignation.
"...Fine. As long as you're happy." He rubbed his temples. "But I can just watch, right?"
"Denied," Kikyo vetoed with a smile.
"As a participant, you're included, Akira-kun. Otherwise, wouldn't the stakes be less fair? Don't worry, the rules are the same. You have a chance to win in ten rounds. If you win, you can choose any one of us at will!"
'If I really won and picked one person, the rest would probably tear me apart on the spot.'
Akira complained silently, but looking at the group of girls who had reached a subtle consensus, he felt his words no longer mattered.
"Well then." Kikyo spread the shuffled cards into a smooth fan on the table, her eyes scanning everyone as she laughed.
"Since it's a unanimous vote, the game! Officially begins. Everyone, please draw a card."
The cards were laid out, and everyone reached out to draw, some fast, some slow, each with their own thoughts.
In the first round, the person with the highest card was Ichinose Honami. She looked at the Ace of Spades in her hand, stunned for a moment before revealing a gentle smile.
"Mhm... drawing the high card in the first round." She placed the card gently on the table. "According to the rules: I have never had the experience of crying uncontrollably because of a movie or a novel. I wonder if anyone else has?"
The moment she finished, Sakura Airi subconsciously pulled her shoulders in, and Haruka let out an "Eh—?".
Kikyo's smile remained unchanged, Horikita was expressionless, Kamuro curled her lip, and Karuizawa raised an eyebrow.
Akira, holding his own card (an unremarkable 4 of Clubs), silently observed their reactions.
"Ah, that..." Sakura Airi spoke softly. "I... I have. During the ending of Voices of a Distant Star, I used so many tissues..."
Ichinose Honami smiled warmly at her.
"It's okay, that's normal." She turned to the others. "So, besides Airi-chan, has anyone else done it?"
Karuizawa Kei shrugged.
"I rarely watch tear-jerkers, but... once I accompanied a friend to a romance movie and my eyes got a bit watery. Does that count?"
"It doesn't," Kikyo added with a laugh. "The rule is 'crying uncontrollably.' If Kei-chan only had watery eyes, it doesn't count as having done it~"
"Tsk, so many rules," Kamuro turned her face away.
"I haven't."
Horikita was brief: "No."
Hasabe Haruka raised her hand: "I haven't... either! My tear threshold is pretty high!"
Kikyo said with a smile: "I haven't either."
Finally, everyone's eyes landed on Akira.
"..." Akira remained silent for two seconds under the weight of seven gazes before slowly speaking.
"I have. When I was a kid watching Night on the Galactic Railroad, I couldn't hold it back at the end."
"Eh! Akira-kun is surprisingly sentimental," Kikyo blinked.
"Alright," Ichinose Honami clapped her hands lightly. "In this round, except for Airi-chan and Shimizu-kun, everyone else gets a point. I'll add one for myself too. I'm temporarily in the lead." She placed a piece of candy in front of her as a score marker.
"Second round, please draw." Kikyo reshuffled.
This time, Kamuro Masumi drew the high card—the King of Hearts. She looked at the card, scanned the circle, and finally fixed her gaze on Akira, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.
"I have never..." She paused. "Lost sleep because I was thinking about a certain someone while alone late at night."
'Huh?! This question?'
Horikita's expression didn't change at all; she just picked up her water glass and took a shallow sip. Hasabe Haruka glanced at Akira, while Sakura Airi buried her head even lower. Kikyo's eyes narrowed slightly, and Ichinose let out a soft "Ah," appearing surprised before returning to her gentle demeanor.
Karuizawa Kei muttered softly, "That's too sneaky!... Wait, you really haven't lost sleep over him?"
After all, everyone present liked Akira. Who hadn't tossed and turned at night because of him!
Kamuro Masumi crossed her arms and said bluntly, "No. If I want to see him, I can just go find him, right?"
She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Several glares around her turned cold.
'That's too direct! Is this girl intentionally showing off?!'
However, according to the rules, they had to answer honestly.
Ichinose Honami nodded. "Yes. I'll start. I... have had that experience. Even though I know I should rest, sometimes my thoughts just drift in a certain direction uncontrollably."
Karuizawa Kei said awkwardly, "Yes. There's nothing to be ashamed of."
Sakura Airi nodded: "...Mhm."
Hasabe Haruka scratched her cheek, embarrassed. "Um... I think I have once or twice... after I sent Akira-kun my swimsuit photos."
Horikita Suzune was silent for a moment under the collective gaze before spitting out two words: "I haven't."
Kikyo's smile was flawless. "I personally have. Thinking of Akira-kun makes my heart flutter; it's normal to be unable to sleep occasionally."
Finally, everyone's eyes focused on Akira again.
Akira spoke calmly, "I haven't. ...Don't look at me like that. If I want to see someone, I just send a message or call."
He and Kamuro were the same type of person.
Why hesitate? Just go for it.
Kamuro Masumi then pointed her finger one by one: "Ichinose Honami, Karuizawa Kei, Sakura Airi, Hasabe Haruka, Kushida Kikyo—you five admitted it. Me, Horikita Suzune, and this guy," she nodded toward Akira, "haven't done it. Mark a point."
According to the current score, Horikita and Kamuro had taken a 2-point lead.
The third round began. This time, Karuizawa Kei drew the Ace of Spades.
"Let me think... I have never..." Her eyes scanned the room, and she suddenly had an idea. "Kissed anyone."
Instantly, the expressions of the other six became subtle, and they began to refute her one after another.
"Ahem... count this as your win."
"Mhm, I've kissed him."
"I have."
"Yes, I have, and more than once."
"His kissing skills are actually quite good."
"Cough... you haven't kissed that guy? You win."
"Wait!" Karuizawa Kei almost jumped up.
"You've all kissed him?! When did this happen? How many times?!"
"Sorry, Kei. If you think about it, we actually started a long time ago. In the second month of school, Akira-kun and I already kissed."
"Me too, it started during the VIP exam."
"Probably... a few months ago."
"On my end, it was together with Airi. It was a three-person kiss."
"Akira-kun's kiss... is very gentle."
"Tsk, that guy and I kissed during the Sports Festival, okay!"
Clearly she won the round, but why did it feel like she had lost completely? Karuizawa Kei took her precious point with a very complex heart.
The group quickly moved through new rounds. Whether by coincidence or luck, almost everyone had drawn the high card by the end of the eighth round.
Horikita Suzune: "I have never pulled an all-nighter." Sakura Airi: "I have never shared my thoughts in front of a large group of people." Hasabe Haruka: "I have never worn a C-cup."
Kushida Kikyo: "I have never gone out to play alone." Shimizu Akira: "I have never been sick."
Horikita's all-nighter question caught three or four people.
Airi's question made Ichinose, Sakura herself, and Akira silently raise their hands.
Haruka's question was even more lethal—except for Sakura and Ichinose, almost everyone was hit (Akira, being a man, narrowly escaped that one).
Kikyo's question made Horikita and a few others raise their hands. And Akira's 'never been sick' caught almost everyone in the room.
As the ninth round ended, the scores were as follows:
Kushida Kikyo: 6 points Horikita Suzune: 6 points Karuizawa Kei: 6 points Sakura Airi: 6 points Hasabe Haruka: 6 points Kamuro Masumi: 6 points Ichinose Honami: 6 points Shimizu Akira: 6 points
The scores were tied tight; only one point remained to decide the winner. For the final round, Akira drew the high card again.
"Alright, for the last one, let me say something I've never done."
Before he could finish, he suddenly felt someone lightly kick him under the kotatsu. He jumped, and the card in his hand accidentally slipped to the floor.
"Who was that!"
Akira bent down to pick up the card. Because the weather was warming up, the heater didn't have a blanket over it; it was just being used as a normal table. Thus, Akira could easily see the various pairs of beautiful legs.
Kushida Kikyo was wearing black over-the-knee socks, the tops slightly pressing into her delicate skin. Horikita Suzune was also in black tights; perhaps due to her competitive spirit, she was unconsciously shaking her leg. Karuizawa Kei had specifically changed into pure white stockings. Sakura Airi wore light beige knit mid-calf socks, snugly wrapping her calves, matching her shy temperament. Hasabe Haruka wore dark gray cotton calf socks, one leg
casually bent. Kamuro Masumi had on black ankle socks, revealing her slender ankles. Ichinose Honami was in light gray cashmere tights, her legs pressed together at an angle.
'Every single one of my girlfriends has great legs! No! Now is not the time for appreciation!'
One of them had definitely kicked him just now! Akira hurried to pick up the card and was about to straighten up when the foot came again. This time he looked down quickly and saw the foot retreating—it was Kamuro Masumi.
Her foot in its black sock returned to its place as if nothing happened, her face perfectly innocent, even giving him a slight eyebrow raise. This girl was definitely doing it on purpose.
Before he could react, his other calf was touched. That foot didn't retract; instead, it brushed against his calf and slowly slid upward. Akira looked over; it was Kushida Kikyo. Her lips moved silently: "Let... me... win."
'What? To win this round, these people will use any means necessary?'
In just one minute, under the table, at least four legs were teasing Akira in various ways. Haruka was the first to break. She raised her hand, "Akira-kun, I want to win! If you help me... I'll definitely make you comfortable tonight."
"M-Me too!" Sakura Airi followed up, a rare occurrence.
"Hey! You two are being too sneaky!" Karuizawa Kei glared at them before turning to Akira. "I'm the only one who hasn't kissed you! Akira-kun, it should be my turn to win!"
Ichinose Honami also joined the fray. "Akira-kun, tonight... I want to have a deep talk with you about life."
"Cough," Kamuro Masumi coughed. "Hey! Idiot, if you let me win... you can do whatever you want tonight."
Horikita Suzune remained silent, but her legs in the black tights suddenly squeezed together, her knee bumping him lightly.
'Even you?'
Before he could respond, Kushida Kikyo's soft voice drifted over: "Akira-kun~ Everyone is waiting for your final topic~"
Akira took a breath and placed the Ace of Spades gently in the center of the table.
"The final topic is: I have never been kicked by seven people under a table at the same time."
Two seconds of silence.
"What kind of question is that!"
The protests almost brought the roof down. But Akira just smiled and raised his hands.
"Just now, several people were definitely being restless under the table. I didn't count exactly how many, but it definitely wasn't seven!" He looked at the stunned group and spread his hands.
"It's quite hard for one person to be kicked by seven people at once. So this point... all eight of us should get it."
"Wait!" Karuizawa Kei's eyes widened as she looked around.
"You guys are too bold! What do you mean by doing this—this seduction—right in front of everyone!"
Sakura Airi also bit her lip. Clearly, except for those two, the other five had acted more or less. The five who were called out looked a bit embarrassed. Finally, Ichinose Honami summarized softly:
"In other words... the score becomes 7 to 7. A total tie?"
"Then who actually won!" Hasabe Haruka leaned on the table and pressed.
"We all won," Kushida Kikyo said with a smile.
"Spring break still has several days~ Why don't we divide Akira-kun's time each night!"
"...Fine." The girls looked at each other and eventually nodded.
Kikyo's heart skipped a beat.
That sentence sounded a bit like something a "Mistress of the House" would say. She couldn't help but feel a bit smug. But then she thought—she had given so many hints about wanting to reward him tonight, yet this guy had no reaction, like a block of wood! How irritating!
"Playboy," she muttered softly, kicking him again under the table.
The other girls glanced at each other, as if receiving a signal, and one by one, they quietly stretched out their feet. It became lively under the kotatsu. A calf kicked lightly, an ankle touched by a toe, and someone even used the tip of their sock to draw an invisible circle on the top of his foot—it was impossible to tell who or how many times.
Akira felt like he was surrounded by a group of cats, each extending a paw, testing him with light, itchy touches. He couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Is this... a collective protest?"
"It's a punishment~" Kushida Kikyo's eyes curved into crescents. "Who told Akira-kun to be so sneaky with that last question."
"You were the one who got kicked first," Kamuro Masumi corrected lazily. "This is called 'reaping what you sow'."
"But," Ichinose Honami spoke softly, her knee pressing against his, "a tie... is perhaps the best result."
Horikita Suzune didn't speak; she just gave him a look. Karuizawa Kei watched this and suddenly burst out laughing.
"What is this... turns out everyone is the same." She said, stretching her leg out as well, her white sock touching his trouser leg. "Whatever, spring break is long anyway..."
Hasabe Haruka had already clamped Akira's ankle with her calves. "Then we need a plan for tonight, right?" She raised an eyebrow. "Who goes first? Or do we all go at once?"
The air went still for a second. Sakura Airi's face turned red instantly, and she whispered, "Personally, besides Haruka... I'm still a bit..."
"Just kidding," Haruka let him go. "But tomorrow... I want to be first."
"I'm second," Kamuro Masumi added immediately.
"Third!"
"Then I'm fourth!"
"Wait! Why does the order go like that!"
The arguments broke out again, but the feet under the table didn't retract. You touch me, I rub you, occasionally accidentally bumping each other. Someone laughed first, then everyone was laughing.
Watching them mess around, Akira suddenly felt that the temperature coming from his legs, the light bumps, and the lingering touches... were strangely comfortable. Perhaps this was the "win" he wanted.
"Alright, alright," he clapped his hands. "Since it's a tie, I propose the winner tonight is... the kotatsu."
"Eh—?!"
"Because it's the reason we're sitting together, and it's what... gave certain people the chance to commit their crimes."
Silence. Then, someone threw a seat cushion. Then a second, and a third...
"Stingy!"
"Blockhead!"
"Playboy pretending to be dumb!"
Amidst the soft attacks, laughter filled the room. Under the table, those feet still leaned against his—someone's toes hooking his, someone's instep resting submissively against him, never letting go.
The first night of spring break was still very long.
What was the rush?
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