Chapter 048 My Assistant Actually Has Designs on Me / The Head-Pat Kill / Koenji's Gratitude
Shiina Hiyori's foot hung in mid-air, her fair toes curling slightly like a small animal testing the water temperature.
Shimizu Akira froze, his sentence cutting off right after the words "I think." He looked at the extended foot, then at Hiyori's averted face; her gaze was fixed intently forward, as if a rare first-edition book had suddenly materialized there.
"...But then again," he said, slowing his speech, "distant water can't put out a nearby fire. I'll do it myself."
"If the pressure isn't right, just say so." Shimizu sat to the side. After hesitating for less than half a second, he supported her ankle.
His palm was dry and warm. Hiyori felt as if she were being branded by a piece of slightly heated iron.
'Are all boys' hands this hot?'
She suppressed the thought and didn't ask.
Shimizu lowered his head. Hiyori's foot was very small, possessing almost no weight in his hand. The skin was pale enough to see the faint veins, and her toes were curled slightly—just as shy as she was. The ankle was indeed swollen and felt warm to the touch.
"Um... I just realized something."
"What?"
"Did you originally intend to ask Karuizawa-san to massage me?"
"Yes."
Shiina Hiyori felt like she wanted to crawl into a hole. She had completely misunderstood his intention. However, before she could say anything, Shimizu's thumb began to slowly press and slide along the arc of her arch. Then, his large hand instinctively began to stroke her smooth sole.
Once... twice... many times.
Hiyori felt an inexplicable itch. How should she put it? This didn't feel like a massage technique. After all, who uses their palm to rub a sole like that!
"Uh... sorry, sorry. My hand slipped for a moment." Shimizu was genuinely embarrassed. He rarely massaged others' feet; usually, he was the one enjoying it. In a moment of subconscious habit, he had treated her like Masumi, Honami, or Kei, adding those extra little "moves."
Hiyori's eyes widened. Hearing his excuse, she felt a bit bashful, but the previous awkwardness vanished entirely. It turned out she wasn't just overreacting; Shimizu himself wasn't nearly as "upright and noble" as he had previously acted. She couldn't help but look at him with a complex expression.
"To think Mr. Assistant actually had designs on me..."
Shimizu felt even more embarrassed under her gaze. "Um... I really didn't do it on purpose."
"I know it wasn't on purpose," Hiyori nodded. "But it definitely wasn't a 'slip,' was it? No one 'slips' onto someone's sole and starts rubbing it back and forth."
Shimizu didn't know what to say. "My apologies. My fault."
However, the magnanimous Hiyori didn't press the issue further. Instead, she asked curiously, "So, do you usually massage your girlfriends' feet often?"
"Not often..."
"So occasionally. And when you occasionally massage your girlfriends' feet, you use your palm instead of your fingertips because it feels more comfortable for you?"
'What kind of direct interrogation is this!'
Why did Hiyori like asking questions as much as Chiaki? The difference was that Chiaki asked to satisfy her curiosity, while Hiyori seemed to have already reached a deduction and was merely asking to confirm her answer.
Pushed to the limit, Shimizu stopped hiding it and spoke the truth. "Calling it a 'massage' is a stretch; actually, they just let me touch them... Uh, it does feel very comfortable. I surprisingly like feet quite a bit."
"Just as I thought. Mr. Assistant really is a foot person."
"Uh... I won't deny it. But where did you hear that term?"
"In a mystery novel I read a few days ago. The culprit had a foot fetish; the purpose of the serial killings was to collect various types of toes."
"Hey, you're treating me like a criminal suspect!" Shimizu said helplessly. "But in all honesty, Shiina, the shape of your feet is actually very nice."
Hiyori's toes curled slightly. "Are you praising me or sentencing me?"
"Praising you. And confessing at the same time."
Hiyori couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "Then continue your confession."
Shimizu lowered his head and continued his work. This time, his hands didn't "slip." His movements were much more disciplined. His fingertips pressed slowly, and his thumb gently
kneaded the swelling on her ankle. Hiyori sat quietly, occasionally knitting her brows at the pain, but she remained silent.
After a while, she spoke. "Shimizu-kun."
"Mhm?"
"Are you this familiar with all your girlfriends' feet?"
Shimizu's hands paused. "Not every one..."
"So a few of them," Hiyori finished for him. "Do you remember what their feet look like?"
Shimizu thought about it. "Roughly."
"For example?"
"For example..." he paused, "Kei's feet are quite small, Masumi's toes are very full, Kikyo's ankles are very slender..."
Hiyori nodded as if taking mental notes. "Then what do you think of my feet?"
"They're beautiful," he said. "The toes are neat, the pads are rounded, and the nails are smooth. They look like small, delicate shells."
Hiyori thought to herself, Are my feet really that good? Usually hidden in shoes, but now appraised by Master Shimizu, they sounded like works of art.
"Aren't you afraid they'll be angry if you say that?" she asked softly.
"No," Shimizu shook his head. "They wouldn't ask a question like that."
"Then do you think I would ask?"
Shimizu pondered. "You already did, didn't you?"
"Then I want to ask one more question."
"Go ahead."
"Since my feet are... so attractive to you," the detective whispered, "why have you become so well-behaved in these last few minutes? Why haven't your hands 'slipped' again?"
"Well... to be honest, I want to touch them," Shimizu decided to stop hiding, like a criminal facing a detective. "But your feet are still red and your ankle is still swollen. If I kept 'slipping' for another half hour, I'm afraid you'd have to head straight back to the luxury cruise ship to rest."
"Ugh..." Hiyori's face turned bright red. He was holding back because he was worried about her injury.
'But are a boy's desires really that powerful?' Given her current physical stamina, she really wouldn't be able to handle a full half-hour.
After more kneading, Hiyori's ankle was no longer swollen, and the redness on her sole had faded. She wiggled her toes; it felt much better. The earlier "slip" seemed to be an accident; overall, the massage was very effective.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. In a way, I should thank you too."
Hiyori gave him a playful glare. During this special exam, the relationship between the two had changed significantly. Before, this man at least put up a front; now, he wasn't even acting anymore. She withdrew her foot and picked up her pen.
"Can we talk business now?"
"We can."
"First, tell me all the information you have. Ryuuen-kun said you already know who the suspect is."
Mentioning this, Shimizu dropped his playful expression and explained everything from start to finish.
"I see. You suspect Yagami Takuya is the culprit, and that he is a so-called White Room assassin?" Hiyori looked thoughtful. "That is new information for me. The watch positioning... that is indeed a good entry point for the investigation."
She began to slowly process the intel. Shimizu checked the time; it was already 11:30 AM.
"Let's leave it at that for now. Kikyo's idea is that as long as we investigate and expose Yagami's crimes before returning to school, it's fine. You don't have to finish in these last few days. As for the water, I'll bring more in two days. But using only water makes this trade a bit unfair. Shiina, is there anything else you want to ask of me?"
"Mhm..." Hiyori took the opportunity. "Actually, I've been wanting to write a short mystery story about a murder on a cruise ship. Once we're back on the boat, can I ask you to accompany me for a day to gather material?"
'Writing a book, huh.'
Shimizu agreed without a second thought. "Deal."
That was easy. Forget a trade—he would have agreed even if she had just asked him normally.
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3:00 PM
Shimizu had just finished a task. His pocket held two packs of snacks—extra rewards for taking first place during the day. Before, only a few first-place rewards included snacks; starting today, most tasks gave small prizes, and even the top three seemed to get a share. Was the school trying to get rid of excess stock, or did they feel the students were suffering too much and needed a subsidy?
To be fair, many students were having a hard time. Survival plus daily checkpoints and tasks was exhausting. By the end of the day, an average student would be too tired for anything but sleep.
"Akira-senpai!"
As Shimizu was lost in thought, a familiar voice called out. He turned to see Nanase Tsubasa jogging over.
"Nanase! Perfect, these snacks are for you." Shimizu smiled and handed over the treats.
Nanase instinctively took them. They were two 60g packs of chocolate—sweets she loved. On this island, a pack like this could serve as breakfast; the calories were substantial.
"Senpai, is this okay?" she held them carefully. "You've given me quite a lot of snacks already. Is it okay with your girlfriends?"
"It's fine, it's fine. Go ahead and eat." Shimizu figured his route was different from his girlfriends', so they didn't meet often. The ones he saw most were Suzune and Kei. Chiaki had bought a mountain of snacks for Kei, and Suzune would snack on something every night anyway; neither would care about two chocolates.
Nanase nodded and put them in her pocket. At this point, she didn't feel embarrassed anymore. After all, they had already reached the "sunscreen application" stage. But at the thought of that, she couldn't help but whisper:
"Senpai... when you were applying the sunscreen last time, did you notice...?"
"Notice what?"
"Just... my..." She couldn't bring herself to say it.
Shimizu asked curiously, "What do you mean? I don't understand. Wasn't it raining then? How are you feeling? You didn't catch a cold, did you?"
Nanase instinctively patted her ample chest. "I'm fine! I'm very healthy! Are you okay, Senpai?"
"Mhm, I'm fine."
"That's good, then!"
His junior was serious yet airheaded; she didn't even notice Shimizu had diverted the topic. He knew exactly what she wanted to ask—about how her sensitive body had almost... well.
But he had to pretend not to understand. Otherwise, with her serious personality, she'd get all awkward again.
"Oh, Senpai, I must apologize for something," Nanase added.
"Hmm? Why so serious?"
"Housen Kazuomi withdrew from the exam because of Ayanokouji-senpai, and Amasawa Ichika isn't really checking in properly. Our group has already lost several points; our score is in danger. So these next few days, I'll have to participate in tasks frequently. I won't be able to go to the beach with you, Senpai," Nanase said regretfully.
"Ah, I see! Then stay busy." Shimizu nodded in understanding, thinking it was something much more serious.
"Also..." Nanase balled her fists. "I plan to go check on Utomiya Riku's side. Those people were taken to the office by Acting Director Tsukishiro before; they can get 20 million points for getting you or Ayanokouji-senpai expelled. There are only three days left; I'm worried they might try something against you."
"I see..." Shimizu looked at her with concern. "Don't overwork yourself. Don't forget, I have the GPS to check their locations."
"I'll be fine," Nanase nodded obediently. "I'll do anything to keep you safe, Senpai. However... can I make one small request?" She hesitated.
"What is it? Just say it."
"Can Senpai rub my head for one minute?" Nanase glanced at him tentatively. "If you do, I think I'll be full of energy for the next two days and have the confidence to get everything done."
Though being massaged by Shimizu was comfortable, the thing she remembered most fondly was the feeling of him rubbing her head.
Shimizu blinked, then laughed. "That's it?"
"Mhm." Nanase nodded, her face already red. "Just that."
"Fine, come here."
Nanase stepped forward and lowered her head slightly. Shimizu raised his hand and placed it gently on her crown.
"Relax," he said.
"Mhm..."
Nanase slowly relaxed, looking like a small animal being groomed. Her breathing slowed. After a while, she whispered, "Senpai, has it been a minute yet?"
"Not yet."
"Oh."
A little longer. "Now?"
"Thirty seconds left."
"Oh."
Nanase's voice grew softer and softer.
Shimizu looked down at her. Her eyelashes were lowered, and the corners of her mouth were turned up slightly, as if she were very comfortable or enduring something. He couldn't help but rub a few more times.
"Senpai, it's been a minute, hasn't it?"
"It has."
"Then why are you still rubbing?"
"Because I want to."
"If Senpai wants to rub, then please rub your fill," Nanase murmured, not pulling away or saying anything else.
Only after a long while did Shimizu withdraw his hand. Nanase looked up, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling like stars. She looked completely "recharged."
"Thank you, Senpai."
"You're welcome."
"Now I am... full of energy." She balled her fists. "I can go participate in tasks now."
Watching her serious expression, Shimizu couldn't help but add, "Go on then, be careful."
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Same Time, 3:00 PM
Kiriyama Ikuto looked at the top three scores once more.
Nagumo Group (3rd Year): 236 points Koenji Group (2nd Year): 230 points Sakayanagi Group (2nd Year): 202 points
Although Koenji had temporarily overtaken Nagumo on the seventh day by taking advantage of the rain to complete many tasks, after several days of hard work, the 3rd-year Nagumo group had finally reclaimed the lead.
"Vice President Kiriyama..." a 3rd-year student in the same group asked, puzzled. "The Nagumo group has the expansion card; they have seven people. Every basic checkpoint gives them seven points. Koenji is still just one person. How can he keep the score so close?"
Kiriyama adjusted his glasses. "You saw him during the tasks this morning. The man is a short-sleeper; his energy, stamina, and recovery abilities are beyond human. And since he moves alone, it's relatively easy for him to get the arrival rewards. That's why his score is so high."
"That's broken!"
"Seriously? He's like a superhero. No wonder he could just fall asleep anywhere back then."
"Wait, stop chatting!" an impatient student looked at his tablet. "A task just appeared nearby. Let's get moving!"
He was about to leave when Kiriyama stopped him. "Wait. I just received word from Nagumo. Our group doesn't need to continue participating in tasks for points. Our task from now on is to intercept Koenji Rokusuke and prevent him from reaching tasks or checkpoints easily."
"But..." the student hesitated, "Can the six of us even stop that guy?"
Koenji had participated in many tasks, and many 3rd-years had witnessed his performance. He won over 90% of the tasks he entered. He was an anomaly.
"Don't worry," Kiriyama said calmly. "I've called six 'free groups' I have on hand. They're coming to help us block him."
They waited for about eight minutes until twelve more people arrived. These "free groups" were auxiliary teams Nagumo had prepared in advance. He had selected five groups of three from Classes B through D, totaling fifteen groups. Two members of each group were dedicated to following Nagumo's orders, while the third was responsible for reaching designated areas to avoid penalties.
These forty-five people were used for various tasks: some helped Nagumo take first place by occupying slots; some followed task teachers in advance to find tasks Nagumo could join; some collected food and used purifiers to solve daily needs. They were the logistics team.
The group under Kiriyama was the final piece. Now, eighteen people were gathered together, chatting and greeting one another. Kiriyama coughed to get their attention.
"Everyone, thank you for coming to help. As I notified you, from today until the final day of the special exam, our goal is to stop Koenji from scoring further. I hope that by the end of Day Thirteen, the gap between Nagumo and Koenji is at least thirty points."
"Thirty points? Sir, that's too hard!"
"Koenji can get that many points alone. What about us?"
"He doesn't even talk to people. It's hard to even get near him..."
Kiriyama raised his hand for silence. "I know it's not easy, so I asked President Nagumo in advance. His response is that anyone who joins the interception squad and follows orders will receive 200,000 private points. If you can ensure the gap grows to over 30 points, everyone gets an extra 300,000. 35 points is 350,000, 40 points is 400,000, and so on. There is no cap."
"What?! That many points?"
"If we get a 60-point gap, the President will give us 600,000? Plus the initial 200,000, that's 800,000 each? For 18 people, that's 14.4 million!" A calm male student raised his hand. "Vice President, are you sure the President can pay that?"
"I'm sure," Kiriyama nodded. "You remember Nagumo has over twenty 'ride-along' cards. If he takes first place, these points are pocket change."
The realization dawned on them. The reward for first place was 1 million points. Since all seven members of Nagumo's group held expansion cards, the reward doubled, becoming 7 million. Each ride-along card would then take half of that 7 million—3.5 million points each. With 20 ride-along cards, Nagumo would net 70 million points in one go. Compared to that, 14.4 million was nothing.
As the saying goes, "With great rewards come brave men." Almost everyone's eyes lit up. Kiriyama struck while the iron was hot.
"Furthermore, my plan doesn't require anything intellectually taxing. You just need to gather at 6:30 AM and stay around Koenji until the tasks end at 5:30 PM, preventing him from moving freely."
Mikitani, another of Nagumo's subordinates, raised his hand. "If we pull this off, we won't be able to spend all these points before graduation. We could even convert them to Yen at graduation for a nice bonus. I'm in!"
"Mikitani's right! Count me in too!"
"It's not this easy to make money once we enter society."
"I'll do it! There's no loss with a guaranteed 200,000!"
Kiriyama gave Mikitani a grateful look, which the latter returned with a nod. They were in the same class and worked well together. There was still an hour and a half before the day was officially over. Kiriyama decided to check the GPS immediately. He and Mikitani led the sixteen others toward Koenji Rokusuke.
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The location shown on the GPS was a seaside. It took the eighteen of them about twenty minutes to arrive. Kiriyama scanned the area and found Koenji Rokusuke sitting on a reef, legs crossed, holding several bottles of juice while leisurely gazing at the distant ocean.
"This guy really knows how to enjoy himself—watching the sea and drinking juice."
"Wait, how does he have so much juice?"
"Idiot, he obviously won them."
Hearing the chaotic footsteps behind him, Koenji turned around and gave a bright smile. "Oh my, so many people? Are you here to watch me sunbathe?"
Kiriyama walked up and gave a slight nod. "Koenji, sorry to disturb you."
"I wouldn't call it a disturbance," Koenji said, taking a slow sip of juice. "But with so many of you standing behind me, you're blocking the breeze."
Kiriyama looked him in the eye. "Koenji, I'll be blunt. As you can see, we are here to intercept you. As Vice President of the Student Council, I don't really want to target anyone specifically. Can you voluntarily give up on taking first place? I promise not to do anything embarrassing."
Unexpectedly, Koenji took another leisurely sip. "Did Nagumo Miyabi send you? My, my, President Nagumo is more impatient than I thought. I figured you'd wait until the final day to move, since the points are doubled then."
Mikitani couldn't help but speak up. "Koenji, you lack respect for your senpais—"
"Mikitani." Kiriyama waved him off and looked back at Koenji. "So, what is your answer? Refusal or agreement?"
Koenji laughed. "Naturally, it's a NO. No one can limit my freedom."
"Koenji, don't be too arrogant!"
"Exactly! Our Vice President is kindly letting you back down!"
"If we have to, we'll just drag you down with us! I don't believe eighteen people can't stop one guy."
Kiriyama turned and signaled the others to be quiet. He wanted to solve this without "bloodshed"—the fewer problems, the better. He adjusted his glasses and asked seriously, "To be honest, Koenji, I don't quite understand your motivation for this exam. If I remember correctly, you spent last year's island exam slacking off. During the first-year class poll, everyone in your class voted against you. You shouldn't be the type to work for the class just because they collectively scraped together money to buy you back, right? Like Kiryuin Fuuka, you aren't the type for 'acts of kindness.' Tell me, what is your real motivation?"
Koenji laughed. "You really want to get to the bottom of it, don't you! Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll be merciful and tell you. The reason I'm giving it my all this time is because I owe the class a favor. This is the best opportunity to repay it."
"What?! Didn't the Vice President say those people were the ones who voted you out?"
"You have Stockholm Syndrome! Are you stupid?"
"Exactly!"
"Who told you I was working for the group that voted me out?" Koenji's smile faded into a mocking expression. "Have you misunderstood something from the start? It's true I received thirty 'critical' votes during the class poll, but I investigated afterward. Some people gave me 'praise' votes and abstentions. Those people were Hirata Yousuke, Horikita Suzune, Shimizu Akira, Wang Mei-yu, Ike Kanji, and Sudo Ken."
He raised his fingers, counting them slowly. "As for the ten million private points gathered, five million was class funds secured by Shimizu Boy himself. The rest was scraped together by students; some even sold their own cards to buy me back. Especially Hirata Boy—he borrowed points from other classes multiple times, taking on debt to secure two million for me alone.
In my eyes, Hirata Boy used to be a somewhat hypocritical man. But after being 'refined' by Shimizu Boy, he is now undoubtedly a Great Saint. I, Koenji, am a free man, but if I receive such kindness and don't find a way to repay it, even I would feel a bit uneasy."
Koenji drained the last of his juice. "So, this uninhabited island exam is the perfect stage. I'll make a grand showing, take first place fair and square, and repay all those people at once. Then I can continue resting for the next two semesters. Don't you think that's an excellent return on investment?"
Kiriyama remained silent for a long time. The third-years behind him also went quiet, looking at each other.
"So..." Mikitani spoke with difficulty, "You aren't doing it for the class, but for those few people?"
Koenji placed the empty bottle on the reef. "For the class? I have no interest in such an ethereal concept." He stood up and brushed the sand off his pants. "But specific individuals are different. Hirata Boy, Shimizu Boy, and the few who were willing to believe in me—I remember exactly what they did for me."
Kiriyama finally spoke. "So you'd rather be blocked by eighteen of us just to repay this favor?"
"Blocked?" Koenji laughed. "You think you can actually stop me?"
With that, he walked away with a grand stride. Mikitani looked at Kiriyama. "Should we follow him now?"
Kiriyama picked up his tablet. "It's already 5:00 PM. The checkpoint he's heading toward has already been occupied by Nagumo's people."
"I see... what do we do next?"
"Let's disperse for today," Kiriyama put away the tablet. "Tomorrow at 6:30 AM, we gather near his tent."
"Got it!"
As the others scattered, Kiriyama couldn't help but sigh. This Koenji Rokusuke seemed free and easy-going, but he was actually quite good to those who were good to him. Meanwhile, looking at the one in their own class... sigh.
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