Chapter 058 Foursome / Kushida's New Trick / Encounter with Nanase Tsubasa
Living on a luxury cruise ship truly felt like returning to heaven from hell for the students who had just finished the Uninhabited Island Special Exam.
First was the matter of bathing. On the island, they could only rely on river water, seawater, or scramble back to the starting point for a makeshift wash. Back on the cruise ship, they could finally take a comfortable hot shower and use shampoo and body wash.
As for sleeping, after spending over ten days in sleeping bags on hard ground, the sense of happiness from lying on the ship's soft beds again went without saying.
Over 90% of the luxury ship was air-conditioned, so there was no need to worry about the summer heat.
The food was even better; no need to start a fire, fish, or look for fruit. At breakfast, you just took a plate and grabbed whatever you wanted to eat.
Most importantly, on the island, watch GPS, wild animals, rival groups, and harsh weather were variables everywhere. On the cruise ship, there was nothing to worry about; eating, bathing, and sleeping were all "stable happiness." No need to clock in, no need to wake up early for activities, and no need to care about scores or tasks.
The school had also promised that there wouldn't be a VIP exam like last year, so the entire day could be spent at one's own discretion.
Consequently, on the second day of Shimizu Akira's vacation, he lay in bed looking at his phone for a bit, only to look up and realize it was already 11:00 AM. Break time was passing way too fast!
Restraint, I need restraint!
He couldn't let himself go completely just because he had worked hard for so long.
He quickly put his phone away and glanced at the neighboring bed. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was actually lying there looking at his phone as well.
Akira felt inexplicably relieved and somewhat gratified. Since he wasn't the only one in the dorm addicted to the internet, Ayanokouji had become a phone addict too. The guy was looking more and more like an ordinary person; he almost wanted to play the song "I Want to Become Human" for him.
As if sensing Akira's gaze, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka put down his phone and rubbed his eyes. "Shimizu, it seems you've become famous."
"What do you mean?"
"I've been browsing the school forum for the past half hour. Everyone is discussing you dating Kushida Kikyo. Quite a few people are debating how you managed to woo her; the thread has already reached about three hundred comments."
So this whole time, you were browsing the school forum and getting addicted to your roommate's gossip.
But then again, the speed at which the news of him dating Kushida Kikyo spread was way too fast. Kikyo had only told Ike Kanji the day before yesterday, and in just two days, almost the whole school knew.
Then again, Ike Kanji is a big mouth, and Ryuen Kakeru had no good intentions. It wasn't surprising, then. Not surprising at all!
After changing his shoes and clothes, Akira prepared to head out.
"Shimizu, wait. Regarding the forum, I'm not finished."
"Hmm? Are you going to warn me to be careful of other male students cornering me when I go out?"
"No. There aren't any posts showing explicit hostility toward you. They probably have reservations because of your near-perfect OAA data, and no one wants to go looking for trouble. However, looks of envy and jealousy are unavoidable. I just wanted to say that a few unfavorable comments appeared in the thread, saying you're stepping on multiple boats. Be careful on that front."
"Alright, I got it."
Who's stirring up trouble now? Could it be Ryuen's doing?
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Walking down the hallway, Akira clearly felt that the eyes passing him were far more numerous than usual. The male students' eyes held a mix of envy, jealousy, and hate, while the female students' eyes were purely curious and gossipy.
However, as Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had said, not a single person came up to ask anything. Akira didn't pay much mind to these gazes and took the elevator straight to the floor where Kushida Kikyo's dorm was located.
He knocked on the door.
"May I ask who it is?" A soft voice sounded.
Akira recognized it as Wang Mei-Yu's voice and explained, "It's me, Shimizu Akira. I'm looking for Kikyo, is she in the dorm?"
"Yes, she's here. I'll open the door for you right away."
The door opened quickly. Wang Mei-Yu poked half her body out, smiled slightly upon seeing Akira, and stepped aside to let him in.
"Please come in, Kikyo-chan just finished changing."
Akira nodded and walked in.
The dorm was much tidier than his and Ayanokouji's, but the four beds were distributed in the four corners of the room. Since it was a girls' room, each bed was partitioned off by a curtain to create a small private space.
Kushida Kikyo's bed was at the very back. The curtain was half-drawn, and she could be seen sitting on the edge of the bed tidying her hair.
Classmate Inogashira Kokoro was also in the room, seemingly watching a drama on her phone. Seeing Akira arrive, she raised a hand. "Shimizu-kun, good afternoon!"
"Good morning, Inogashira-san," Akira replied.
Kikyo poked her head out from behind the curtain. Seeing Akira, a smile immediately bloomed on her face.
"Akira-kun, wait for me a moment, I'll be ready soon."
"No rush."
Akira stood by the door and didn't walk further in. After all, it was a girls' room, so he couldn't be too casual.
Wang Mei-Yu was quite considerate; she brought a chair over and placed it near the door.
"Shimizu-kun, please have a seat."
"Thank you."
After he sat down, Inogashira Kokoro immediately leaned in, looking at him with a face full of curiosity. Since she was Akira's classmate and he had even sent her a gift for her birthday last year (actually bought by Kikyo on his behalf), she wasn't as afraid as students from other classes and asked him directly.
"Shimizu-kun, can I ask you a question?"
"What question?"
"Between you and Kikyo-chan, who confessed first?"
The news had spread completely; questions like this were indeed unavoidable, especially from the girls.
Akira glanced at Kikyo. She was tidying her hair in front of the mirror. Seeing his gaze through the reflection, she winked at him, having no intention of helping him out.
"Me," Akira said.
"Wow—!" Inogashira Kokoro covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "As I thought!"
"..."
"Then how did Kikyo-chan respond?"
"She agreed."
Inogashira Kokoro and Wang Mei-Yu exchanged a look, both wearing expressions that said, "Isn't that too simple?"
"Just like that?" Wang Mei-Yu couldn't help but ask.
"Just like that."
"You didn't give her anything else? Like roses or some other gift?"
Akira thought about it. "Not really."
Inogashira Kokoro and Wang Mei-Yu fell silent. They had expected to hear about some romantic confession scene, but the result was "she said okay" plus "nothing was given." But for some reason, coming from Akira's mouth, it felt quite genuine.
Kikyo finally finished tidying her hair and stepped out from behind the curtain. Today she was wearing a light pink dress, her hair was half-tied, and she wore a pair of small pearl earrings. She looked even more exquisite than usual.
"Sorry for the wait." She walked up to Akira and did a spin. "Do I look good?"
Akira looked at her and nodded. "You look good."
Kikyo smiled contentedly and reached out her hand. "Then let's go."
Akira took her hand and stood up.
"We're leaving," Kikyo waved to Wang Mei-Yu and Inogashira Kokoro.
"Bye-bye! Have fun!"
"Do your best!"
Kikyo laughed and shook her head, pulling Akira out of the dorm.
Naturally, there were many people in the girls' dormitory hallway. In the next second, countless gazes fell upon the two of them—curious, gossipy, confused, and envious.
Because this floor was for girls, many female students actually looked at Kikyo with envious eyes. Akira had been very famous since the boxing match last year. He could fight, he was handsome, and he was smart—who wouldn't like him? On Valentine's Day this year, many female students had given him chocolates, including a few people present.
However, as if she didn't see them, Kikyo directly linked her arm with Akira's. With his girlfriend by his side, Akira naturally pretended not to see anything and led her forward.
"Why did you ask me to pick you up at your dorm today?"
"After all, our relationship is completely public now. Since we don't have to hide it, I wanted to be sent off by my roommates' envious gazes for once."
"I knew it... Speaking of which, I don't quite understand why you suddenly made the relationship public. Weren't we hiding it well before?"
"Hmph..." Seeing that no one was nearby for the moment, Kikyo whispered, "If that stinky woman Ichinose can go public with her relationship with you in front of her classmates, why can't I? I'm telling you, I did it on purpose. I knew Ike Kanji was a big mouth and purposely let him spread it. I just want the whole school to know we're dating."
Akira didn't have much of a reaction to these somewhat competitive words; he was already used to this side of his girlfriend. He asked softly, "So you're not going to be the school idol anymore?"
"Us dating doesn't actually have much impact on my current status."
From the gazes just now, it was clear that her boyfriend Akira was an extremely outstanding person—appearance, temperament, ability, studies, and combat strength were all beyond reproach. Strictly speaking, she was the one "marrying up." Over the past few days, many friends had said they were a good match.
Every time she heard that, she was practically overjoyed.
Of course, a portion of the male students felt like they'd been dealt a blow and certainly wouldn't support her as they did before. But since Kikyo started dating Akira, she had secretly kept her distance from other stinky men, and she didn't care about losing their support at all.
"Actually, there are quite a few benefits to dating you. Now I can use your connections and martial prowess to make things much easier when negotiating funds with the Student Council and other clubs. Those boxing club members are very respectful when they see me. Hehe, I can even order them around as I please."
"Don't overdo the ordering; it'll be hard to explain to the captain. In contrast, your boyfriend has endured quite a few rolls of the eyes and envious gazes along the way. What do you have to say for yourself?"
"Then I'll make it up to you."
The two stepped out of the elevator and arrived on the fourth floor. Kushida Kikyo took out a room card she had reserved long ago. The second she opened the door and closed it behind them, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
One kiss wasn't enough; she gave him several more in succession.
After half a minute, Kikyo released him and smilingly pointed at her lips. "Is that enough of a make-up?"
"Not quite. I want a lap pillow." Since they were an "old married couple," Akira was very direct.
"Okay."
Kikyo took his hand, and they sat down on the sofa. She let him rest his head on her thighs, her hands gently massaging his temples.
"Speaking of which, that photo of Yagami Takuya is still saved on my phone. Seeing that brat beaten like that makes me very satisfied, but you weren't hurt, were you?"
"No, he couldn't break my defense."
"That's good. In that case, I've posted a thread too."
"What thread?"
"Just look."
Kikyo let go and handed her phone to Akira.
Akira blinked. The title of the thread she posted was "White Room Assassin Beaten into a Pig's Head," and the image inside was the one Akira had taken.
"You're going to post the photo of him being beaten on the forum?"
"Yeah. I told him back then that my boyfriend would beat him into a pig's head and that I'd spread the photo of his beating to every grade so everyone could see how useless this White Room Assassin is. Wait, can I really post the words 'White Room Assassin'? It won't affect you, will it?"
"It's fine. Of course you can post it. There's nothing wrong with that."
Akira didn't think there was an issue. "White Room Assassin" wasn't some forbidden word. What would happen if it were said? Yagami Takuya truly looked down on the people of Advanced Nurturing High School from the bottom of his heart; he deserved to be taught a lesson.
Kikyo finally felt relieved and posted the thread on the forum.
"But he's in the infirmary right now, isn't he? I don't know if he's woken up yet. What if he can't see my post?"
"Don't worry, I was very controlled when I acted. Logically, after being down for a full three days, he should be waking up. Speaking of which, I actually found out who Yagami Takuya told about your past."
"Who?"
"Takahashi Osamu, Tsubaki Sakurako, Utomiya Riku, and Nanase Tsubasa. However, Amasawa Ichika also came from the White Room, so she knows the truth as well."
"Hmph, that dead baby-face! I'm going to sneak into the infirmary tonight and pull his oxygen tube."
"Uh... don't go. What if the guy is awake?"
"Heehee, I'm kidding." Kikyo smiled, then frowned again. "Besides Yagami Takuya, I've only spoken a few words with Amasawa Ichika out of those five."
"What did you talk about?"
"What else could it be? It was just that brat Ichika being sarcastic about our relationship. I get angry just thinking about it!"
"Alright, alright, don't be angry. How about this? In a couple of days, I'll help you teach her a lesson, okay?"
"Good! Better make her cry."
"I can't guarantee that."
Amasawa Ichika indeed didn't have a good relationship with Kikyo; the intelligence system had warned him about that before. But then again, his Kikyo had such a good personality; she definitely wouldn't go looking for trouble, so it must be all Amasawa Ichika's fault.
Kikyo was his first girlfriend. He couldn't even bring himself to say a harsh word to her, so how could others disparage her! Recently, although Amasawa Ichika had done him a big favor, Akira had also secured her school status in exchange. That part was completely canceled out.
For Kikyo's sake, it seemed he had to harden his heart slightly and teach her a lesson.
"Hiyori's side sent me a message today saying the investigation has begun," Akira said. "As for those five people, I'll find time to talk to them. How's that?"
"Can I leave it all to you?"
"Of course, you're my girlfriend."
Kikyo looked at him with reddened eyes. "You... you helped me teach Yagami Takuya a lesson during the island exam, and now that we're on the luxury cruise, you don't even rest—you want to help me teach Amasawa Ichika a lesson and solve the issue with my past. Do you really like me that much?"
"I like you very much. I've been interested in you since the bus on the first day; you know that."
Akira thought she was moved to tears and was about to offer a few words of comfort, but Kikyo pulled him up directly and slowly began to take off her top.
"Akira... I want you."
Uh... so those were eyes of arousal the whole time.
Akira felt he wasn't doing a good enough job as a boyfriend; how could he not even understand Kikyo's look?
He picked Kikyo up and went straight to the bed. Although doing this during the day wasn't great, high schoolers didn't care about that; the arrow was on the string and had to be fired.
After a few minutes, the two were mostly undressed and mostly prepared.
"Wait! I don't have a 'little umbrella' on me!"
"I don't have one either."
"Then what do we do?!"
"Just have Haruka and Airi bring some."
"Ah? Is that okay?"
"Akira, haven't you been thinking about a foursome for a long time? I think today is quite suitable. What? You don't agree?"
"..."
As a man, how could he say "no" to such a thing!
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2:00 PM.
Akira lay on the bed, sweating slightly after undergoing a moderate amount of exercise.
"..."
In contrast, Kikyo was lying directly on top of him, breathing slightly from exhaustion. Haruka and Airi were each pillowed on one of his arms, also sweating quite a bit. All three of them were exhausted.
Strange, how strange.
The three girls exchanged a look. Even though they had taken turns, how were they still so tired? Was their man's stamina really this strong?
Akira gently withdrew his arms and patted Haruka and Airi's heads in turn. "Are you two worn out?"
"I'm okay. A few minutes of rest should do it." Hasabe Haruka wiped the sweat from her back.
"I... me too." Sakura Airi nodded along, her eyes full of drive.
Seeing Akira's expression, not knowing what to say, Kikyo immediately said with a smile, "Alright, Akira-kun doesn't mean he wants to continue; he's just worried about your physical condition. After all, your physical fitness isn't that great."
"Actually, I am a bit tired."
"Yeah, me too. I feel like I want to sleep for a bit."
The two finally spoke up. It was no wonder; their physical ability was only a D. They each only went twice; Akira didn't dare continue for more. In contrast, Kikyo went a full three times and looked like nothing was wrong. Her physical fitness was a B, after all; there was no need to worry on that front.
"Alright, since the 'little umbrellas' are gone, let's call it a day."
"Eh? I wanted to continue!" Haruka complained instinctively. "If I'd known, I would've bought more."
"That's enough." Akira patted her head. "There needs to be moderation in this. Isn't it nice just talking and leaning together like this?"
"Oh." Haruka obediently snuggled up to him.
Airi hesitated to speak, only smiling slowly when Akira's palm was placed on her head and his arm moved to hug her waist. As for Kikyo, she was tracing circles on his chest; there was no need to mind her.
Akira picked up his phone from the nightstand and thought for a while, then opened the OAA data to take a rough look at Airi and Haruka's current grades.
Sakura Airi: Academic Ability D+, Intelligence C+, Judgment D+, Athletic Ability D+, Teamwork C.
Hasabe Haruka: Academic Ability D+, Intelligence C+, Judgment D+, Athletics D+, Teamwork C+.
One had a comprehensive ability of 56, and the other 57.
Hasabe Haruka leaned her head over. Seeing her boyfriend checking her and Airi's data, she smiled proudly. "Akira-kun, look. Compared to last semester, haven't Airi and I improved quite a bit?"
Akira nodded in satisfaction. "Indeed. Your data has almost all moved up a stage compared to last semester. Haruka, Airi, you did a great job."
He gave each of them a big kiss on the lips.
"After all, these two have been following me; I'm the one who led their progress," Kikyo explained simply. "What is it? Are you worried about the next Special Exam?"
"Partially. But since Airi and Haruka's ranks are already in the twenties, I was overthinking it."
"In the second semester, the Sports Festival should be held again, right? Their physical fitness is indeed a bit worrying."
"Yeah. If the bottom ten this time isn't a point deduction but expulsion, it'll be trouble."
"Then should I take them running in the morning or something?"
"That would be great. Haruka, Airi, what do you two think..."
Akira wanted to ask Haruka and Airi's feelings, but when he looked down, the two were already breathing lightly; it seemed they had fallen asleep.
Kikyo instinctively stroked their hair. "They must be tired. You don't need to ask their thoughts on this; Haruka definitely won't agree. Once they wake up, I'll just force them to go running."
The way Haruka and Airi defended her during the island exam earned them many points, and since they were so obedient, she liked them more and more; she couldn't bear to let them be expelled.
Akira smiled. "Then I'm much more relieved."
"And you," Kikyo added. "What's the deal with the rumors on the school forum about you having a harem? Who spread it?"
"I don't know even if you ask me. I suspect Ryuen Kakeru."
"That bastard. If public opinion continues to ferment like this, it won't be good for your reputation."
"Well, it is the truth. I was thinking whether I should just go public at some point, but I still need to follow your opinions. Especially yours—what if it affects your reputation?"
"I browsed the forum posts a bit. Someone even caught photos of you being affectionate with Haruka, Airi, and Karuizawa. Dragging it out like this really isn't good; we should indeed choose to go public. However, you have too much to do on the luxury cruise. Leave this matter to me to handle."
"It won't wear you out?"
Kikyo was somewhat speechless. "Wear me out? I went three times with you and I'm not worn out. Besides, I'm the leader of the harem group; it's very easy to contact them to get together and discuss things."
"Makes sense. Then thank you, Kikyo. You're so good to me."
Those words were wrong; she didn't like him as much as he liked her.
But in the next second, Kikyo noticed something unusual at her thigh. "Another reaction?"
"Yeah, I'll just endure it. After all, there are no 'little umbrellas' left."
"Why endure? Let's try a different trick this time."
"What trick?"
Kikyo slowly moved her foot toward it.
"Hiss... how do you even know this move?"
"I just happened to learn it."
She wasn't going to tell him that she specifically read many "books" just to make Akira comfortable. It seemed they were finally being put to great use.
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It was about 4:00 PM when Akira walked out of the room. He was fine; with his physical fitness, his legs wouldn't go soft or anything. In contrast, Kikyo's legs were a bit weak, and she was supported by Haruka and Airi as they left.
Akira watched the three of them leave and was about to turn and go.
"Senpai is quite amazing; the three of them were no match for you."
He turned his head and found Nanase Tsubasa herself looking at him with a slightly reddened face. Clearly, she had witnessed the previous scene.
Akira put a hand to his forehead. "Nanase, why are you here?"
"I couldn't help but come up to say hello when I saw your figure, Senpai," Nanase Tsubasa said naturally.
His kouhai here, because of her airheaded personality, sometimes said some mushy things without realizing it. Akira walked up to her and naturally patted her head; the latter made a very comfortable expression.
"Wait, don't change the subject, Senpai! Did you really have deep interactions with all three Senpais by yourself?"
"Yes, yes, you guessed correctly."
After Nanase asked, her cheeks turned visibly red. "Oh... why start during the day? Senpai, as I thought, you're very 'lewd'."
Although Akira didn't hate the title "lewd Senpai," this was a hallway after all; what if someone heard?
"Ahem, alright, Nanase. By the way, how is Housen?"
"Ah, that guy." Nanase Tsubasa's expression immediately cooled. "Supposedly he's back in the dorm resting. According to class news, he's addicted to playing billiards. After all, Ayanokouji-senpai didn't really use much force."
That gorilla's physical fitness is decent.
Mentioning this, Akira took the opportunity to ask, "So, during the Uninhabited Island Special Exam, Yagami Takuya must have told you guys about Kikyo's past, right? What do you think?"
Nanase Tsubasa gave a look of doubt. "Yagami Takuya was talking nonsense. I don't believe Kushida-senpai would be that kind of person. Besides, Senpai is your first girlfriend, Akira Senpai; her character must be fine."
In her perspective, she really didn't take it seriously. However, to use his character as a guarantee...
Akira had originally fallen for Kikyo because of her dual personality. But since Nanase Tsubasa didn't take it seriously and wasn't the type to spread rumors, there shouldn't be a big problem.
"Ah!" She seemed to think of something. "Senpai, you read the message I sent you, right? Tsubaki Sakurako plans to take action against Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Amasawa Ichika. Senpai, given your personality, you'll probably protect Ayanokouji-senpai, right?"
"Well, he is my friend, after all."
"In that case, are you free now, Senpai? Would you like to go meet Tsubaki Sakurako with me? I think she has a misunderstanding. Your mouth is much better than mine, Senpai; if you explain everything clearly to her, maybe everything will be resolved."
"That works."
Akira had actually planned to go see Tsubaki Sakurako anyway. Although he didn't think he could talk her out of it, he still needed to ask about the details of Kikyo's past and her specific cooperation with Yagami Takuya.
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