"You think I was going to say 'the opposite sex'? Or that my answer would be some passionate youth romance?"
Glancing at Kushida Kikyo, Asakusa Tetsu shrugged and nodded.
"Yeah, that would probably be a correct answer too."
"But if you think about it carefully, you'll realize those are just byproducts of power."
"Personal cultivation. Accumulated foundations. A kind of charisma that attracts others—whether it's personality or value."
"Power and confidence are equal. Power and self-identity are linked." He paused, then smiled. "Of course, that's just my life philosophy. My values. My personal opinion."
"Back to the previous question—your thinking isn't wrong. High school boys naturally crave the youthful, beautiful, and unknown 'bodies' of the opposite sex."
He spread his hands.
"There's no need to hide it. No need to be shy. It's just a natural 'reaction' of a healthy body."
"..." Kushida was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "So… you want to date me?"
It was the most reasonable conclusion.
He'd rambled about stress, emotional trash cans, about not wanting to be just a trash can, then suddenly went on about the desires of high school boys.
Yearning for youth. For romance. For girls.
In the end, wasn't he just trying to say he wanted to date her?
…When she reached that conclusion, the fog surrounding Asakusa Tetsu in her mind seemed to clear a little.
"...Are you sick?"
His next words instantly brought the fog back.
"I kindly explained my logic, and you think I want you as my girlfriend?" Asakusa stared in shock. "Who the hell wants to date you?!"
What kind of ridiculous woman would think he wanted to date her?
Girlfriends were such a hassle.
If she really became his girlfriend, how would he keep writing his 'harassment diary'? How would he keep teasing her emotions?
Wouldn't that ruin his rewards?
Seriously. How could any woman think she ranked higher than his diary?
"...Then what do you want?" Kushida no longer had the energy to respond angrily.
In just one hour, her emotions had been on a roller coaster, flipping up and down countless times. Her heart had gone from pounding wildly to complete numbness.
That alone showed how intense an experience Asakusa had given her.
Still…
He wasn't planning to blackmail her into dating him, which should have been good news.
So why did it feel like she was being looked down on?
"Snuggling." Asakusa replied expressionlessly.
After a pause, he added, "More precisely—hugging."
"I once heard a saying: 'We need four hugs a day to survive, eight to stay energized, and twelve to grow.' There are plenty of theories saying that hugs are an important source of emotional energy. Close physical contact, body heat, exchanged breath—all of it easily stimulates hormone secretion."
"Hugs are also a very effective way to relieve stress. For some corporate slaves, no matter how much anger or pressure they endure at work, one hug at home lets them whip themselves back into shape for the next day."
"To be honest, I'm curious about that psychology. I want to know how powerful a hug really is, and how it compares to monetary stimulation."
He was curious.
Though not quite as curious as he made it sound.
If he truly wanted to study hormone responses, he could've just gone to Ichinose.
She would probably open her arms with a bright smile.
And in terms of warmth, she was better than Kushida anyway.
Still, as an explanation Kushida could accept, this was good enough.
Besides, there was something he wanted to try.
Something Ichinose couldn't do.
Something only Kushida might be able to.
"...Disgusting."
After a long silence, Kushida spoke with an ugly expression.
"In the end, you're still after my body."
"You start with 'just hugging,' 'just skin contact,' but eventually you'll start touching sneakily. When you're caught, you'll pretend it's nothing—'We're already hugging, so what's wrong with touching?' Then you'll move from hands to places you shouldn't touch. Then you'll say, 'I've already touched you, so rubbing is fine, right? As long as I don't go inside, I didn't do anything…'"
She rattled off a long string of words that even made herself feel uncomfortable.
After pausing, she said slowly and clearly,
"In the end, you're just a filthy scumbag with those thoughts."
"Wow." Asakusa raised an eyebrow.
Why are you so knowledgeable about this?
"You're right. But I don't want to waste words repeating what I've already said—if I wanted to touch you, I would've done everything earlier."
He shrugged, pressed the service bell, and took out his terminal.
"Check, please."
Points were deducted immediately.
Then Asakusa stood up.
"That's my proposal. Whether you accept it or not is up to you."
Looking down at Kushida, who sat there lost in thought, he spoke softly.
"You have my contact info. If you want to try it, contact me."
"Personally, I hope you'll trust me a little more."
With that, he walked out of the booth.
Just as Kushida thought he'd left for good—
A light breeze brushed past her ear.
Asakusa suddenly turned back, bent down, and whispered beside her ear in a gentle voice.
"Oh, right. I'll treasure and make good use of those rooftop photos. Don't worry too much about them."
"You—!"
Kushida turned sharply, teeth clenched.
But no curse came out.
She swallowed her anger and cursed silently in her heart.
…How the hell am I supposed to trust you?!
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