It didn't take long for the girl to reach climax, allowing the boy to resurface.
"Y-you're... such a... perverted idiot..." Suzune gasped, her voice breathless.
"One you like," the boy said.
"H-how did you... stay underwater for so long? No, you know what... I don't even know why I'm surprised..." As she caught her breath, the girl continued...
"I'll get revenge for this later," she said as she gave the boy's member a strong squeeze — hard as a rock, something she immediately noticed.
Silence was absolute for exactly three seconds.
Three.
Because on the fourth second...
— W-WHAT!? — Ichika shouted, covering her eyes with her hands but leaving a small gap between her fingers to peek through. — Isn't that... illegal!? Indecent!? Immoral!? Unbelievable!?
Her ability to act embarrassed was frightening.
— Uh... — Kei choked on her spit and coughed, turning her face violently to the side while blushing. — I-I-I... wasn't expecting this part. N-not so suddenly!
— That was... way too graphic. — Ichinose said, her face completely flushed, eyes wide, trying to keep a calm and diplomatic air while disguising jealousy and embarrassment. — Not that I'm judging, it's just that... wow... that water must have been really... hot... My God, what was the size of that in his shorts? — Ichinose whispered with a flushed face.
Mako-chan looked at her friend blushing and surprised; the image on the screen had affected her too, but she didn't expect her friend to say something like that, even quietly.
— Oh my God... — Kushida murmured, bringing her hands to her cheeks, burning with shame and anger at what she was feeling. — That escalated... FAST! Like, really fast!
— WOW. — Hoshinomiya-sensei clapped her hands, scandalized but with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. — Now THAT'S a water show! Where are the lifeguards? This pool turned into a sea of... other things!
— Professor Chie!! — Chanashira shouted, horrified and very red-faced, her glasses slipping down her nose as she tried in vain to hide the screen with her arms. — This is no time for that kind of joke!
— But look at Suzune... — Matsushita whispered, nudging Sato beside her, trying to hold back laughter. — She's blushing all the way to her shoulders...
Indeed, Suzune was redder than she'd ever been.
The blood rushed so forcefully to her face that her ears throbbed. The image on the big screen... his phrase... his gaze... and especially that last part, her hand squeezing the... thing... If it had been in private, it would be okay, but in public? At the school pool? It was affecting her too much.
She swallowed dryly.
— I-it's... just a projection. An alternate future. I-it means nothing. — she tried to disguise it, her voice trembling as she crossed her legs.
But then Mii-chan exclaimed, face burning red as she tried not to look at the screen:
— M-my God... that thing... was... so big... I thought it was like... editing... visual effects... but...
She covered her mouth, realizing too late what she'd just said.
— EHHH!? — Sato shouted, choking on her saliva, she hadn't expected that. — You noticed that, Mii-chan!?
— I-I didn't want to notice! It was just... too... visible!
— Visible? — Shinohara repeated, hands on hips, with an accusing look. — That looked like a WHITE WEAPON!
— Guys... you're seriously commenting on the size... — Yukimura murmured, looking around, visibly embarrassed. — This is ridiculous... absolutely indecent...
— Tsk. Jealousy. — Ike commented, crossing his arms.
Chie-sensei, for her part, fanned herself with the papers in her hand as if she'd entered a sauna.
— Well, well, well... now I understand why Suzune screamed like that. If someone surprised me underwater with a... trident like that, I'd lose my breath too!
— CHIE! — Chabashira shouted again, about to explode from how red and shocked she was. — Stop with these grotesque analogies!!
Chie giggled and then pointed at Suzune.
— But look... the very protagonist of the scene wants to dig a hole and disappear. So cute. I didn't know you were so... expressive, Suzune-chan.
— S-shut up! — Suzune retorted, her face as red as a ripe cherry. She turned her face away but not before casting a brief glance at Ayanokouji.
A look that lasted half a second...
...and made the boy raise an eyebrow.
Kiyotaka remained sitting calmly, as if the scene shown was just an informative video about quantum physics, even though a pillow rested on his lap under the blanket.
— Impressive. — Sakayanagi commented with a smug smile while disguising her embarrassed face. — Even with the nudity, the heavy breathing, and the embarrassing dialogue... Ayanokouji-kun remains as unshakable as a marble statue. That's self-control.
— I call that shamelessness. — Ibuki commented, still looking away, trying to sound cold. — He clearly doesn't care... not even a bit. Must think he's the greatest.
— Hm. — Ayanokouji finally spoke. — I just found it interesting that she managed to hold her voice for so long and didn't let it out in my pool.
The silence was universal.
— You? — Sakura repeated, incredulous. — You're talking about Suzune holding her breath!?
— That's your only reaction!? — Ichika shouted, almost throwing a pillow at him while laughing excitedly.
Horikita, now with her eyes fixed on the floor, murmured:
— I'll get revenge for this later...
She had many plans for when Ryota gave them their break.
But no one heard her because Kushida let out a little squeal.
— Guys! Guys! She squeezed! Like, REALLY squeezed! Hard! Did you see!? His face changed!
— I saw! — Sato exclaimed, then covered her mouth right after. — I-I mean... not that I was paying attention! I just... noticed it at a glance!
— Not a glance, you saw everything! — Ichika teased, smiling.
Hiyori, usually more reserved, shook her head slowly, blushing as she buried her face in the book Ryota gave her.
— Their relationship seems to have deepened a lot. It's almost like this act... had more emotional meaning than physical.
— Oh, Hiyori... what an elegant way to say "they had passionate sex," huh? — Ichika teased, making the poor girl blush even more.
Suzune took a step back.
Her heart still hammered. Sweat dripped under her uniform collar.
And the worst part...
...was that moment when she almost allowed herself to remember what she did in that room, with him, in the dark, with no one else...
But she cut the memory off before it became clear. An automatic reflex. A defense mechanism so she wouldn't blush even more, if that was even possible.
Luckily, no one seemed to notice.
Or...
— Suzune-Senpai... — Ichika whispered with an enigmatic smile. — You're way too red, you know? Is some specific memory coming to mind? Is there something the class doesn't know yet?
— Shut up, Ichika. — Suzune said sharply.
But Ichika just laughed quietly, satisfied with having provoked her.
Chabashira, still tense, turned to Ryota.
— And you!? Aren't you going to say anything!? You've been silent for hours! You brought us here to see this in the first place! Say something!
Ryota gave a crooked smile.
— I'm just enjoying the show. Who would have thought... Horikita-san was hiding so much fire. And to think she was all "cold and disciplined."
That damn god spoke as if he didn't have all the knowledge of what's going to happen.
Be quiet or you won't get your salary, you idiot narrator.
DON'T BREAK THE FOURTH WALL, you dumb god.
— "You two stop it, you're acting like children," Kiyotaka thought, sighing.
Back to normal programming:
— I still am. — Suzune replied, trying to regain composure. — What we saw is just one possible reality. None of you should conclude I would do the same as this version of me.
— Yeah... sure... — teased Ichika. — As possible as it is inevitable, right?
— I want a possible one like that too. — Kushida murmured, almost inaudible, then blinked. — I mean, uh! What a shocking scene! That's all!
Ryuen, laughing at the whole situation, commented:
— If the goal was to show that Ayanokouji has... presence... mission accomplished. No one here will forget that anytime soon.
— Presence is a polite way of saying... — Mako-chan began, but stopped, laughing quietly when she saw her friend's deadly look.
Chie then pointed to the big screen and said loudly, smiling:
— Ryota! Are you just going to watch? That should be rated +18 and censored! Where's the warning!?
Ryota's voice echoed, amused as if he wasn't a jerk:
— Warning? But you all seem pretty entertained. Besides... Suzune promised revenge. I can hardly wait to show what she'll do!
Suzune trembled slightly.
— I-I didn't promise anything... that was just a comment from that version of me...
— Oh, dear... — Chie commented, resting her face in her hands. — When we promise revenge in situations like this, it's usually not with a knife. It's with another thing us women have.
— PROFESSOR CHIE!!! — Chanashira shouted again, almost having a nervous breakdown.
The screen flickered.
The next image hadn't appeared yet.
But the atmosphere in the room was electric.
Tense.
Excited.
Embarrassing.
Unfortunately for her, the blonde had returned, causing the mood of the black-haired girl to plummet again, making her leave the pool. However, she almost fell due to her trembling legs.
"Are you okay, Horikita-san?" asked the blonde.
"I'm fine, Karuizawa-san... actually, very fine," replied the black-haired girl with a smile and a challenging look, which did not go unnoticed. Seeing Horikita walk away, the blonde turned her gaze to Kiyotaka.
"What were you doing...?" the blonde asked in an irritated voice.
"Swimming..." Kiyotaka answered.
The real Suzune widened her eyes slightly upon seeing the scene.
— "Tch... just when it was getting good in that version..." — she muttered quietly, crossing her arms.
She blushed discreetly seeing herself trying to hide her trembling legs. The fact that no one had noticed her image now about what she really wanted to do with Kiyotaka — was, fortunately, a relief.
But that relief wouldn't last.
— "I should be angry about this interruption... But honestly..." — Suzune thought, biting her lower lip — "She came at the right time. If anyone had seen us... we both would have been expelled."
She sighed lightly, trying to hide the visible sulk on her face.
Kei, on the other hand, was crossing her arms, frowning. Hearing herself on the video questioning Kiyotaka in a clearly irritated tone, she snorted and rolled her eyes.
— I came right in the middle of something, and still I don't notice anything, I'm so naive in this future — she said with an annoyed look at her version on the screen.
Ryuen, lying on the bed, clicked his tongue loudly.
— Tsc... just when things were about to get good! That blonde always ruins the best parts!
Ichika, leaning on one of the pillows in the corner, raised her hand dramatically.
— I'm with Ryuen-Snepao on this. Come on, Kei-senpai, you interrupted the climax of the scene! — she said with exaggerated indignation — "Literally."
Kei turned to them with a raised eyebrow.
— Oh, please! You should thank me — or rather, my version — for showing up at that moment! Imagine if some school staff had seen?! Do you think they would just give a warning? Expulsion straight away, that's what!
Sakayanagi, with a sly smile and a pillow on her lap, chuckled.
— "I have to agree. As much as I hate to admit it, it was well-timed. Although... frustrating."
Ichinose was red up to her ears. She tried to look away from the screen, but couldn't help sneaking glances.
— Th-they were almost... again?! In the pool...?!
— Again? — Sato whispered, laughing softly and blushing. — Suzune and Ayanokouji are on a marathon? What's the next location? The student council room?
Chie Hoshinomiya, who until then seemed hypnotized, let out a melancholic sigh as the scene ended with Kei's arrival.
— Ahhh, what a shame... just when I could keep watching that...
THUD!
A shower of pillows hit the teacher all at once.
Chabashira, the first to throw, was completely red-faced.
— Teacher Chie! Control yourself! — she exclaimed jealously, soon joined by:
— "Predator!" — shouted Suzune, throwing with precision.
— "Get out, Hoshinomiya-sensei! He has owners!" — yelled Ichika, not hesitating to contribute to the pillow attack, luckily no one heard what she said.
— "You're a teacher, you pervert!" — added Ichinose, throwing another pillow precisely.
Chiaki, who had been quiet and very blushed until then, grabbed a pillow and threw it too, followed by Sakayanagi, who finished off with a light pillow and a cynical smile.
— Please, Chie-sensei. This is getting embarrassing even for me.
Chie raised her hands, laughing nervously, while still being hit by another pillow thrown by Kei. She was no longer the girlfriend, but he was still her friend.
— Calm down! Calm down! I was just... appreciating the aesthetic of the moment!
— "It's always aesthetics with you, isn't it?" — muttered Karuizawa, rolling her eyes.
Ayanokouji, as always, remained impassive. Seeing himself on the screen answering coldly "Swimming..." after everything that had happened underwater, he simply sighed.
— This version of me is really consistent with the answers. — he commented dryly.
Ichika held back a laugh.
— You literally made the girl lose balance with trembling legs and still answered that you were just swimming?! Haha!
— That's hilarious and outrageous at the same time — said Ryuen, laughing loudly. — He's a legend.
Suzune, embarrassed, snorted and turned away.
— That comment of his... I don't even know what's worse, the boldness or the coldness.
Sakayanagi, fiddling with her hair, looked at Suzune with a hint of irony.
— To think you almost lost control in front of the blonde...
— I-she didn't lose control! — Suzune answered quickly, defensive.
— But your legs disagree — teased Sakayanagi, smiling with refined cruelty.
Suzune blushed deeply, staring at the floor.
—
Chanashira, meanwhile, was completely red. With her hands on her face, she shook her head from side to side.
— P-pool... that's against all the school rules! What if someone had seen?! And on top of that... during the day?!
Hoshinomiya, still with pillow marks in her hair, answered:
— You need to relax, Chanashira. It's not like they actually did anything — she winked — all that...
Chanashira screamed, covering her ears.
— I don't want to hear! You're all perverts!
—
Meanwhile, Mako-chan leaned toward Ichinose with a mischievous smile.
— Hey, what if it was you in that pool with Kiyotaka-san?
Ichinose almost choked.
— M-me?! N-no way! That would be... indecent! And dangerous! I don't even... know how to swim properly!
Sato laughed and glanced sideways at Kei to test her friend.
— And you, Kei-chan... felt jealous?
— Of course not! — Kei answered firmly. — And like I said, if I hadn't shown up, they could be out of school now. Do you think it's easy to find someone like Ayanokouji in a school like this? He's worth much more inside the school.
Kei cast a quick serious look at Suzune, who looked away.
—
Chiaki, shy, still had her hands on her face.
— I... don't know what to think anymore. Each scene is more intense than the last.
Kushida, who had been quiet until then, let out a low chuckle.
— To think the "good girl" Suzune is the one throwing herself in the pool after Kiyotaka...
Suzune turned her face to Kushida, annoyed.
— "Good girl"? Are you saying I'm not capable of taking initiative?
— No, no — Kushida answered with a sweet smile — I'm just saying you've been... much more spontaneous than we expected.
— Hmph — Suzune replied, crossing her arms again, her face still slightly flushed.
Ryota, seeing the chaos in the room, laughed.
— Hahaha! You're unbelievable. I show one scene and it looks like a pillow fight warzone, let's keep the show going. — he said, smiling mysteriously.
A tense silence fell over the room. Everyone looked at each other.
Kei sighed calmly as she settled on the bed, preparing to watch the rest.
Suzune took a deep breath.
Ryuen, excited, rubbed his hands.
— That's it! Show it already! Let's see if Kiyotaka's coldness finally melts away!
Ayanokouji, impassive, just closed his eyes for a moment.
— Let it come.
"Something tells me you were doing more than just swimming..." said the blonde with a little pout.
"Her female intuition sometimes scares me," thought the brown-haired boy.
"I'll let it slide this time. Let's eat," said the boy's girlfriend cheerfully.
"I'm not very hungry, I ate a little while ago," Kiyotaka replied.
"Huh? But I brought some takoyaki for you."
"...Okay, give me a moment, I don't want to get out of the water yet."
"You really are like a kid, Kiyotaka... I'll be waiting for you at our table," said the girl with a giggle. The truth was that the boy was waiting for his erection to go down, something that seemed unlikely to happen anytime soon.
The scene was subtle, but everyone understood. The softness in the girl's tone, the pout, and the slightly accusatory look were as intimate as they were revealing.
The initial silence in the room was broken by the sound of Ichika choking on a cracker she was eating.
— COUGH—COUGH! — "That... that was a dangerous hint..."
Suzune turned visibly red, her whole face taking on an almost pinkish hue as she tried to keep her composure. Next to her, Ichinose covered her mouth with her hands, shocked and embarrassed by the blonde's sharp intuition in the scene.
— She... she suspected something was really going on even without seeing! — Ichinose whispered.
— That's what we call "female intuition," dear — Sakayanagi commented, smiling with a slight tone of admiration. Her cheeks were flushed, but she kept her usual elegance. — And, apparently... quite accurate.
Suzune, embarrassed, muttered to herself:
— I should have known that action would have physical consequences... but... he got like that because of me, was it a punishment from that version of me to him? — Her gaze dropped to the floor for a moment, lightly biting her lower lip.
As the scene continued, with Kei saying she had brought takoyaki, some girls let out soft giggles, but when it got to Kiyotaka's silent thought where the narrator revealed he was waiting for his erection to pass...
Silence fell over the room again.
Until...
— EH?!?!?! — Chiaki almost screamed, covering her face with her hands, eyes wide open. — HE... SHE... SUZUNE... AAAAAH!!!
Sato fell to the side of the sofa laughing, but her face was red.
— Kiyotaka was... hard? IN THE WATER?! — She squirmed with embarrassment and amusement.
Chie Hoshinomiya smiled widely, relaxed on the bed as if watching a favorite drama.
— Hmmm... and the view is back... — she said mischievously, looking at the screen with that playful sparkle in her eyes.
— This woman needs to be restrained again — Suzune muttered with a deadly look towards the teacher.
Sakayanagi, now more flushed, fanned herself with her palm.
— Part of me envies the Suzune of that reality. Another part... is curious to know if it was visible or not.
— Sakayanagi-san! — exclaimed Ichinose, shocked.
— I'm just saying what you're all thinking — replied the Class B president with an innocent smile that fooled no one.
Suzune, trembling with embarrassment, spoke softly:
— This is... this is embarrassing. The Kiyotaka from my reality... he... he got like that because of me. I did that. I stimulated him...
— Definitely stimulated — Ryuen commented loudly, laughing. — Congrats, Suzune, you broke the robot!
Ichika, enjoying the chaos, added:
— And I thought only Kei's version could achieve that. Who knew, our Horikita turned out to be a femme fatale.
Kei, on the other hand, was looking at the screen with a confused and embarrassed expression seeing her ex-boyfriend like that.
— He... got like that because of her. And then he even tried to hide it by saying he didn't want to get out of the water... typical. — She crossed her arms, her expression sulky, but her cheeks betrayed a slight blush.
— Karuizawa... are you jealous? — asked Sakayanagi, amused.
— Me? Of course not! — she quickly denied, this was really getting annoying —
Ayanokouji, still expressionless in the back of the room, just sighed and murmured:
— I should have known this part wouldn't go unnoticed.
Chabashira, her face burning, stood up abruptly.
— THIS IS... this is completely inappropriate! This situation... this information... this image... all of it is...!
Hoshinomiya responded calmly.
— Ah, Kanji-chan... it's not like it's forbidden to get excited about someone. He's a healthy teenager with desires, right, Ayanokouji?
He completely ignored her, just closing his eyes.
Meanwhile, Hiyori, oblivious to most of the scandals, was calmly writing in her notebook given by Ryota. Her attention seemed fixed on the emotional reactions, behavior patterns, and recording everything with neat notes.
— "Interesting... Suzune triggered a significant physical response in Ayanokouji. Kei's subsequent behavior shows signs of retroactive jealousy. Female intuition works almost like an advanced emotional sensor..." — she murmured while writing.
— Hiyori doesn't care at all — Ichika commented, looking at her — She's literally analyzing the moment like it's a scientific thesis.
Sudou and Onodera, on the other hand, were sitting together in a corner of the room. They were talking quietly, almost unaware of the chaos around the scene.
— Dude, that takoyaki you gave me earlier was really good — said Sudou, smiling as he ate a snack.
— I'm glad you liked it. Maybe I'll try making it next time, it's not that hard — Onodera said, smiling calmly.
They clearly weren't following the spicier scene at all, to Ichika's shock, who shouted:
— HOW ARE YOU TWO NOT SEEING THIS?! THE GUY HAS AN ERECTION IN THE POOL BECAUSE OF SUZUNE!
— Huh? — Sudou glanced briefly at the screen. — How embarrassing... but okay.
Onodera smiled gently.
— If he loves her, it's natural that his body reacts... — he said calmly. — It's not wrong to feel desire for someone you like.
That phrase made the whole room go silent for a second.
Suzune blinked, surprised.
— She's right... — Ichinose murmured, touching her lips.
— Ugh... that was way too cute for me — complained Ryuen, throwing himself back on the couch again.
Sakayanagi, thoughtful, commented:
— The contrast between Onodera and the rest of the room is almost poetic.
Chiaki, still all red, dared to ask a hesitant question.
— Do you think... do you think Kiyotaka was thinking about being with Suzune at that moment?
Suzune turned so red she looked about to boil.
— I... I-I don't know! I'm not a fortune teller! How would I know what he's thinking?
— But he was, like... really affected. He needed to wait... you know? — Sato said, trying to be gentle, unsuccessfully.
— This is... way too embarrassing. — Suzune buried her face in her hands.
Kei, despite her firm posture, was uncomfortable. She stared at the screen as if hoping to see something more, she didn't know what it was, but it was strange, she wanted to see something... But all she saw was the slight intimacy between him and Suzune... and that was strange, she didn't feel jealous anymore and she knew it, but she felt as if that reality was wrong, that feeling was strange.
Ichika, observing the blonde's face, noticed something.
— Hey, you're still jealous, right?
Kei didn't answer, she was already irritated by it, that jealous reputation of hers was something she wanted to get rid of before losing her patience with these girls.
Ryota finally intervened.
— What a lively room. But I like that. It makes things more fun. I can say with confidence that this... was just the beginning.
Everyone — Ayanokouji, Hiyori, Sudou, and Onodera — turned to him upon hearing that phrase.
— "Just the beginning?!" — they asked in unison.
Suzune looked at Ryota with genuine despair.
— Does that mean there are... more moments like this?
Ryuen, on the other hand, rubbed his hands excitedly.
— That's right! Show more! Let's see how far the robot can go!
Sakayanagi, with a sharp look, commented:
— If the physical reactions are already being revealed, I imagine the future will have even more... intimate revelations.
Chie was already smiling again, excited.
— I can't wait.
Chabashira, visibly overwhelmed, sat down, crossed her arms, and murmured:
— I'm going to have a heart attack before this session ends.
After a while, the sun began to set. Both Kiyotaka and Kei had changed back into their normal clothes, and the lights inside started replacing the sunlight as they walked outside.
"Shouldn't we look for Sudou-kun and Horikita-san?" asked the blonde. However, the brown-haired boy knew that the redhead was probably being rejected at that moment, although he couldn't deny there was a hint of anxiety in him.
"Suzune, I have liked you for a long time, no... I have been in love with you for a long time. Thanks to you, I became a respectable person and improved my studies; all thanks to someone amazing like you. Please, grant me the honor of being my girlfriend!" exclaimed the redhead as she bowed to the black-haired girl.
An absolute silence fell over the reaction room.
For exactly three seconds.
After that, an uproar of voices, exclamations, laughter, sighs, and various noises took over the room in a chaotic and vibrant way.
"Bets are open, guys!" shouted Ryuuen, standing with a huge grin from ear to ear. He raised one arm like a master of ceremonies. "System activated. I want to see who can guess how Sudou will get kicked out! Will there be humiliation? A nice slap? Maybe she'll make him lick her shoe? Be creative! Whoever gets it right takes it all! If you fail, the points go to the organizers!"
Kiyotaka sighed hearing what Ryuuen said. He calmly fiddled with his phone, with the look of someone utterly bored.
"W-what did you say?" exclaimed Horikita, shocked, her face immediately flushing the moment some random student from the back of the room shouted:
"Four hundred thousand points that she kicks him and says she'd only accept if he kneeled and begged in his underwear!"
"Five hundred thousand points that she laughs in his face and says she would never look at an impulsive ogre like him!"
"Five hundred and fifty thousand points that she makes him lick the floor before rejecting him!"
"One hundred and fifty thousand points that she starts by saying 'I'm flattered' and then crushes his heart!"
Horikita sighed loudly, extremely frustrated, covering her eyes with one hand.
"What the hell is this? Who do they think I am? The dominator of the apocalypse?!"
Her face was absurdly flushed, although she tried to keep her dignity. However, her dignity wavered even more when she felt Kiyotaka's arm gently rest on her waist, pulling her calmly and confidently closer.
She looked at him sideways, raising an eyebrow with slight teasing.
"Someone's feeling possessive, huh?" she murmured, with a hint of playful irony in her voice, still keeping her face somewhat flushed.
Kiyotaka slightly tilted his head, with his usual neutral expression, and simply replied:
"I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary."
Horikita rolled her eyes, but her slight smile betrayed her. She sighed, defeated—not by him, but by how that touch, even if discreet, warmed her soul like nothing else did.
She leaned back, still lying on the bed, and rested her head on his shoulder with a long, peaceful sigh.
"I'm just saying... don't complain if I start returning the favor, Kiyotaka."
On the other side of the room, Sudou, watching all of this while eating his snacks on the bed with Onodera, just raised his middle finger to his future self on the screen.
"Idiot. He's a complete idiot. He already suspects she doesn't like him that way, so why do this?" he grumbled between bites, shaking his head.
"You're way calmer now than that version of yourself," Onodera commented with a light chuckle before tossing him a bag of cookies. "Focus on the snack. Not on the embarrassment."
"You're right," he replied with a grateful smile. "That kind of future no longer has anything to do with me. I'm good right here."
She smiled back and grabbed another snack. The two stayed in their corner, comfortable, distant from the drama that was starting to take over the rest of the room.
Meanwhile, Ichika was laughing along with Ryuuen, the two jotting down bets and watching the names and amounts appear on the betting panel with growing amusement.
"We're going to get rich off this," Ichika said, laughing with sparkling eyes. "These idiots are betting on every little thing..."
"Bets are the true soul of youth. Instead of confessing, you have to profit off the ones who get screwed," Ryuuen added, without a hint of remorse.
"We could create a betting pool called 'Sudou's Going to Get Screwed,'" Ichika joked, drawing more laughter from the rowdier part of the group.
Further ahead, Chie's cheeks were slightly flushed, but her expression was pure amusement.
"Oh, young hearts... how wonderful it is to see all this unfold."
She crossed her legs and watched the interaction between Kiyotaka and Horikita with a curious sparkle in her eyes, while the girls around were still a bit flushed from Sudou's bold declaration and Kiyotaka's earlier delay leaving the water—still a vivid, embarrassing memory.
Hoshinomiya murmured to herself:
"Looks like we have a hotter couple than it seemed. That Horikita really messes with Kiyotaka..." she said with a sly smile.
On the opposite side, Hiyori was completely oblivious to the commotion. With her upright and calm posture, she carefully took notes in the notebook Ryota had handed her. Her focus seemed total, as if this were a play to be analyzed with academic rigor.
"Spontaneous confession, intense emotion, high social risk... good example for behavioral study," she murmured as she scribbled.
That notebook is going to end up being important for something.
Sakayanagi, on the other hand, was more entertained. She watched everything with a refined air but smiled sweetly—and discreetly blushed.
"My, my... Sudou-kun being so romantic. How unexpected. But I confess it's touching, even if... doomed to fail."
"Maybe he'll surprise us. What if she accepts him?" murmured Kamuro next to her, in a neutral tone.
"Unlikely. Horikita is rational. And he's not the type she'd let in... especially with that level."
While everyone discussed, Mi-chan was caught between surprise and not knowing where to hide her face. She sat hugging a pillow to her chest, red all the way to her ears.
"I... I can't see this... so... straightforwardly..."
Kushida, beside her, gave quiet giggles to disguise the feelings she was experiencing—more precisely, her urge to laugh out loud.
"Ah, Mi-chan, you need to get out of your comfort zone! This is just the beginning of high school love emotions!"
"Soon enough, you'll be in the middle of a confession like this," Ichika teased.
Mi-chan almost choked on the air.
"M-me?! N-no! That would never happen! I don't even..."
"She doesn't even notice when someone likes her," Ichika finished with a playful look.
Mi-chan fell silent. Completely.
Ryota, sitting on his usual throne in the center of the room, watched everything with his eyes almost shining with satisfaction. The chaos, the drama, the smiles... everything fed the energy he so desired there.
"You're starting to understand, right? It's not the future that matters... but how you react to it," he murmured to himself, but Suzune heard.
She looked up with a slight sigh and shook her head.
"You're really playing with our emotions, Ryota..."
He just smiled in response; he was still going to have a lot of fun with them.
In the corner of the room, Hirata watched silently, his expression more serious than usual.
"Sudou... that was brave. But is he ready to hear the truth?"
Ike was laughing quietly.
"MAN! He's going to get a kick that'll echo across all of Japan!"
"I can already feel the embarrassment coming like a runaway train," Kushida commented, covering her mouth with her hand.
The tension in the air was almost palpable. All eyes returned to the screen, eager—some for sadism, others for worry, many out of pure curiosity.
The scene of Sudou bowing, waiting for Horikita's answer, still lingered in the air.
And so, everyone waited...
For her response.
The redhead's confession of love caught her slightly off guard; she couldn't help but feel a little touched by someone expressing their feelings so openly. However...
— "Thank you for expressing your feelings so honestly, Sudou-kun..."
— "Unfortunately, I don't feel the same way about you..."The redhead had somehow expected that response and remained impassive in the face of rejection.
— "I've told you before, I want to fall in love naturally."
— "And not fall in love with a specific person..." the girl thought. In her mind, she considered giving the redhead a chance, just to see if it would help her get the brown-haired boy out of her head. However, those thoughts were quickly dismissed when she remembered Kiyotaka's kisses and the way his hands had touched her skin.
As soon as Horikita's polite and calm rejection in the future was shown, a wave of surprise spread through the entire group. Silence lasted a few seconds, until it was violently broken by a burst of laughter from the most chaotic duo in the room.
— "AHAHAHAHA! NOBODY GOT IT RIGHT! ALL THE MONEY IS OURS!" — Ryuen shouted with open arms, laughing loudly, while Ichika jumped beside him like she had just won the lottery.
— "I told you she wouldn't slap him, people! But you just had to make those crazy bets!" — Ichika exclaimed, shoving Ryuen's shoulder while giving a thumbs-up to the screen.
Some students immediately began to complain, visibly indignant.
— "What the hell?! Who would've guessed she'd be that kind?!" — said Komiya, scratching his head in confusion.
— "I thought she'd at least turn away and walk off... but thank him?!" — commented Shinohara, clearly dissatisfied.
— "She's cuter than she seems..." — Hiyori murmured, thoughtful, with a small smile.
Horikita Suzune, watching everything beside Kiyotaka in bed, let out a deep sigh.
— "...You're all idiots..." — she muttered, rolling her eyes as she saw Ryuen and Ichika celebrating with ridiculous dances. — "They made money using me as entertainment."
But she didn't seem exactly angry, just... exasperated. Until, suddenly, something unexpected happened.
Kiyotaka, who had been quiet until now, calmly raised his right hand while still sitting on the bed with Horikita leaning on his shoulder.
— "Actually, I got it right."
The entire room froze.
— "WHAT?!" — several students shouted at once.
Ryuen, who was still laughing, stopped instantly, his expression turning into pure shock.
— "How the hell did you bet?! You didn't even move from here, damn it!"
Suzune's eyes widened, slowly turning her head to look at Kiyotaka.
— "...You bet?" — she asked, incredulous. — "When?! I was literally lying next to you the whole time!"
Kiyotaka gave a small, relaxed shrug, as if it were nothing serious.
— "I messaged Ryuen right after he announced the draw. He didn't set any formal rule that you had to shout or raise your hand. You just had to make the bet clear before the result. I just did it efficiently."
— "You're the devil..." — Ichika muttered, mouth agape, staring at her phone as it began transferring points.
Sakayanagi, elegantly seated in her chair, covered her mouth with one hand and laughed softly.
— "Fufu... even in games, Ayanokouji-kun approaches things with strategic seriousness. What a cautious man."
Ichinose and Mako looked away, quietly laughing, trying to contain their giggles.
— "I should've done the same..." — Mako sighed. — "Should've remembered Ayanokouji always plays behind the scenes."
— "Kei-chan, did you see that?!" — Sato-san whispered, nudging the blonde beside her.
Kei, for her part, looked visibly satisfied.
— "Ryuen and that crazy Ichika wouldn't stop bugging me since we got to this room... serves them right!" — she said, smiling triumphantly. — "Ayanokouji wiped the floor with them in one silent move."
Meanwhile, Ryuen stared at his phone, stunned. Then, with a half-angry, half-amused laugh, he threw the device at the wall, where it bounced and landed on the floor with a dull thud.
— "YOU FUCKING MONSTER!" — Ryuen yelled, laughing and shouting at the same time. — "Even in a joke, this bastard takes it as seriously as the Cold War!"
— "Literally a bastard..." — Ryota calmly thought while eating popcorn, remembering who Kiyotaka's mother was.
Ichika pouted, crossing her arms in frustration as she watched the points being drained from the betting system.
— "This isn't fair... I wanted to buy new clothes, and many other items I won't mention..."
The screen displayed the total amount of points transferred to Kiyotaka's account: 13,437,342 points.
More than fifty students had placed bets — and all of them were wrong. Except one.
Ayanokouji simply adjusted himself calmly in bed, unlocked his phone, and looked at his new balance with the same neutral expression as always.
— "It'll come in handy when we go back to school." — he commented, as if talking about the weather.
Horikita let out a short, soft giggle — almost involuntarily.
— "You're impossible..." — she murmured, shaking her head. — "But thank you."
— "For what?" — he asked, still looking at the screen.
— "For knowing me so well that you knew exactly how I'd respond..." — she said, leaning her head back on his shoulder. — "...and for making me look decent in front of this bunch of lunatics."
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the room, Sudou and Onodera were casually lying on a bed, eating snacks like nothing important had happened.
Sudou, chewing with his mouth full, raised his middle finger toward the screen.
— "IDIOT. I'M AN IDIOT. I KNEW SHE DIDN'T WANT ME!" — he said, though without resentment — just laughing at himself.
Onodera giggled softly, opening a new packet of cookies and offering him one.
— "Don't dwell on it. We're watching a future that might not even happen. We're changing everything, remember?"
— "Yeah, yeah..." — Sudou replied, taking the cookie. — "You know what? Screw that version of me. I'm way better off here with you."
— "Huh?!" — Onodera raised an eyebrow with a playful smile. — "Was that a pickup line, Sudou-kun?"
— "I... don't know. But if it was, it was a good one, right?" — he replied, making them both laugh while his cheeks turned slightly red.
On the other side of the room, Hirata watched silently, deep in thought, while Yukimura jotted something down in a small notebook labeled Future Bets.
— "What are you planning now?" — Hirata asked, curious.
— "An emotional predictability ranking..." — Yukimura replied, not even looking up. — "Ayanokouji's at the absolute top. Horikita's second. Ichika and Ryuen are the most chaotic. Sudou... isn't even in the ranking."
— "Fair enough." — Hirata said, laughing.
— "Hey, did anyone else notice that the Suzune on screen considered giving Sudou a chance... just to see if she could forget Ayanokouji?" — Ike said out loud, raising an eyebrow.
The room went silent for half a second, until Horikita muttered, mildly irritated at herself and not wanting to focus on that:
— "That was a fleeting, ridiculous thought. I rejected him precisely because of that. End of story."
— "But you thought it..." — Ichika teased, smiling.
— "Thoughts happen. That doesn't mean they're valid." — Suzune replied sharply, though with slight hostility. — "That version of me remembered something much more important."
Kiyotaka turned his face slightly toward her.
— "What?"
He really wanted to hear her say it.
Horikita blushed slightly but kept her composure.
— "Your kisses... and your touches."
The entire room exploded with screams, whistles, and laughter.
— "OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHH!" — several shouted at once, like they were in a stadium.
— "HORIKITAAAA-SENPAI FINALLY SHOWING SHE'S GOT SOME PASSION!" — Ichika shouted, tossing a pillow into the air.
Suzune huffed, turning her face away with an embarrassed smile and muttering:
— "Idiots..."
Kiyotaka, on the other hand, simply smiled with a faint sparkle in his eyes — almost imperceptible — and said:
— "That was the best reward of the night."
The screen was still paused, waiting for the students to calm down, and Ryuen leaned back on his bed again, still frustrated by his loss.
— "I swear, one day I'll beat that bastard..."
Ichika crossed her arms, still annoyed.
— "We need to make a bet where he can't use that cursed brain..."
— "Like karaoke." — Kei suggested, despite having terrible memories of that place.
— "Yes. That would be perfect." — Ichika replied, grinning mischievously.
— "Kiyotaka singing... I'd pay to see that." — Horikita murmured, still resting her head on his shoulder.
— "Let's see if that ever shows up on the screen, because in our reality, I'm never doing that..." — he said calmly, his hand resting on Suzune's waist as she smiled softly.
"Maybe you've already done it, Suzune..." the redhead whispered with a downcast look, something the girl didn't notice."Let's go back then. Ayanokōji and Karuizawa-san are probably looking for us," the redhead said with renewed energy."Yeah, let's go back..." the black-haired girl replied.
When they met up with the couple, the four of them began walking toward the dorms. The blonde was happily clinging to her boyfriend's arm, but his gaze was entirely focused on the red eyes of the black-haired girl walking a few meters ahead of him... And the girl looked back at him, both silently wishing that their time together that night would finally come...
The atmosphere in the reaction room, which had seemed relatively calm after the previous scene, exploded once again into barely contained chaos the moment the new image appeared on the screen.
The underlying tension between Ayanokouji and Horikita was undeniable. The silent glances exchanged, the obvious desire behind restrained expressions... everything screamed louder than any words. But it was Ichika who, with her usual lack of filter, broke the silence as casually as someone commenting on the weather.
— "Hmm..." — she murmured, placing a finger on her chin while tilting her head analytically. — "After careful observation... I can conclude these two wanna fuck like crazy."
The sentence hit the center of the room like a bomb.
— "PUAHAHAHAHA!!" — Ryuen fell back laughing, slapping his thighs hard. — "'Wanna fuck like crazy,' is that what she really said? Ichika, holy shit, you kill me!"
Suzune immediately froze on the bed where she sat, eyes wide, her face burning red.
— "I-Ichika...!" — she clenched her fists, trying to stay calm, but her voice was already trembling with embarrassment. — "You don't have to... say those things out loud!"
— "But it's true, Suzune~" — Ichika replied, still laughing. — "The version on the screen looks like she's telegraphing it with her eyes. You can practically hear her thinking: 'just take me already, Kiyotaka.'"
— "Shut up!!" — Horikita shouted, her face now completely red. Even trying to mask it with anger, her embarrassment was far too obvious to ignore.
Kiyotaka, as always, appeared unbothered. Still sitting on the bed next to his future girlfriend, he calmly ran his fingers through her hair, gently caressing the top of her head.
— "Ignore them, Suzune. If you react, you'll just encourage them more."
— "I know... I know..." — she replied, still visibly flustered. She took a deep breath, trying to slow her heartbeat. — "But they're unbearable."
She rolled her eyes, but upon feeling the boy's touch on her head, allowed herself to lean lightly on his shoulder, accepting the silent comfort only Kiyotaka could offer.
But then...
— "HEY!" — shouted a student from the back of the room. — "Is Horikita gonna use her foot during sex with Ayanokouji?"
It was as if the world froze for a second.
Suzune whipped her head around so fast she might have dislocated her neck.
— "WHO THE HELL SAID THAT?!" — she screamed, furious, cheeks ablaze. — "I'M NOT USING MY FOOT ANYWHERE, YOU PERVERTED BASTARDS!"
Ryuen and Ichika were practically convulsing from laughter. Ryuen slammed his hand on the table, completely losing it.
— "AAARGH, OH MY GOD!" — he cried from laughing so hard. — "I was expecting a fight, but this is way better!"
Ichika fell to the side, tears streaming from her eyes as she tried to say something, but could only keep laughing.
— "O-Oh my God... the foot... she's gonna use her foot... Suzune dominatrix confirmed..."
Suzune was now torn between wanting to vanish from existence and launching herself at their throats. Luckily — or unluckily — Kiyotaka kept her firmly by his side, his arm still around her waist, now gently squeezing as if to say: "Calm down."
— "Don't get involved with them." — he repeated calmly. — "We've seen that kind of provocation only grows if you respond."
— "You're not helping much by caressing me like that while they're saying these obscenities..." — Suzune muttered, burying her face deeper into his shoulder to hide.
Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, Chabashira was covering her face with her hand, no longer able to maintain composure.
— "This is completely out of line..." — she murmured, ashamed. — "I... didn't need to know this. Let alone hear my students discussing sex positions out loud..."
On the other hand, Chie seemed delighted by the chaos.
— "Hmm, Ryota, tell me something." — she said, turning to the god with a mischievous smile. — "Will the sex scene be censored or not?"
ZOOOOOOOM!
Before Ryota could even answer, pillows flew from all corners of the room toward the smiling teacher. They were followed by cushions, a hairbrush, a shoe — and finally, a glass bottle that nearly hit her head.
— "WHAT THE HELL?!" — Chie shouted, ducking on reflex, looking around indignantly. — "WHO THREW A BOTTLE? THAT COULD KILL SOMEONE!"
— "NOT ENOUGH!" — Kei shouted, cheeks slightly flushed but with a vengeful glint in her eyes for flirting with her boyfriend. — "Get a grip, teacher!"
— "You're worse than the students!" — Ichinose yelled, also red-faced, trying to hide her attempted homicide. — "Stop asking stuff like that!"
Meanwhile, Hiyori calmly continued writing in her notebook, unfazed by the chaos.
— "Hmm... heightened emotional tension, dynamic among the four characters clearly unbalanced by latent attraction between Horikita and Ayanokouji..." — she scribbled with focus. — "Possible narrative climax approaching... I need to see if there's a recurring pattern..."
Sakayanagi, for her part, observed the screen with a serene smile, though a slight blush crept onto her cheeks.
— "Intense stares... mutual desire..." — she murmured. — "I confess I'm curious to see how this unfolds. The romantic tension is at its peak."
Ichinose, now calmer but still trying to act indifferent, scoffed upon seeing the glance exchanged between Ayanokouji and Horikita on screen.
— "Tsk..." — she crossed her arms, leaning back on the bed. — "Of course they'd look at each other like that. Ridiculous..."
Mako-chan nudged her arm.
— "You're jealous, huh?"
— "Maybe." — Ichinose replied, turning her face away.
Meanwhile, Sudou and Onodera lay calmly on their bed, surrounded by pillows and a small pile of snacks.
— "If I hear one more word about feet, positions, or whatever, I'm gonna try to convince Ryota to send us outta here. We're trying to eat and this is messing it up." — Sudou said, stuffing a cookie in his mouth.
— "Relax." — Onodera laughed — "Focus on the snacks, not the softcore going on."
— "It's not even softcore yet!" — he replied with a shrug.
— "But it's getting there..." — she added with a cheeky grin, laughing softly while holding Sudou's hand.
Ryota, meanwhile, was thoroughly enjoying himself, watching it all like a scientist observing an experiment gone off the rails.
— "You're all an emotional disaster. But I have to admit..." — he smiled. — "I've never seen so many people this entertained by something that hasn't even reached the halfway point."
In fact, we'll likely finish this timeline in about four more chapters, so when this one ends, we'll be at the halfway mark.
— "Our creator has a lot of work ahead, but anyway, lucky for him Chapter 3 will be a single chapter and won't be split into two halves, and Chapter 5 will be a standalone too." — Ryota thought while munching on popcorn.
That was a spoiler for the specials, you idiot.
— "Seriously? My bad then." — Ryota thought, laughing nervously as he looked toward the readers.
Ichika raised her hand, still laughing.
— "How long is the sex scene gonna last? I wanna know if it's worth making popcorn!"
Suzune went stiff.
— "I'M GOING TO KILL ALL OF YOU!" — she screamed, finally getting up from the bed, only to be pulled back by Kiyotaka, who hugged her tightly.
— "Shhh. Calm down. They're not worth your stress."
— "BUT THEY'RE ANIMALS!" — she shouted, her face pressed against his chest.
And even while she raged, a stubborn smile began to form on her lips. The embarrassment was overwhelming, the whole situation a nightmare... but Kiyotaka's gentle touch, even in the middle of that chaos, still managed to soothe her.
The screen, for now, remained still. But everyone knew: the worst — or the best — was still to come.
Upon arriving at the dormitory, the boy said goodbye to Sudou, while the black-haired girl simply walked off without saying another word... The brown-haired boy accompanied the blonde girl to her room, where she wished him good night with a kiss and entered her room happily—not without inviting him in first.
— "Kiyotaka... do you want to spend the night here? It's been a while since we last did that..." Kei said shyly.
— "Sorry, Kei, but I'm tired," the brown-haired boy replied, turning down the offer.
— "I see. Maybe another time. Good night, Kiyotaka," said the blonde as she closed the door.
The reaction room was quieter than usual when the image appeared on the screen. Some students wore neutral expressions, while others waited for something more interesting to happen. But as soon as the scene unfolded—Kei saying goodbye with a kiss and then inviting Kiyotaka to spend the night—the tension in the air rose sharply. The silence was broken by a loud:
— "Oh no, for God's sake..." murmured Kei, rolling her eyes hard. She rested her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. — "I REALLY hope I was never that... pushy."
Sato, sitting beside her friend, let out a chuckle at Kei's dramatic reaction.
— "Hey, hey, relax!" she said while laughing, running her hand through the blonde's hair to calm her down like a parent soothing a cranky child. — "You're not like that anymore. So there's no point in getting mad about what a version of you from a possible future did."
— "That doesn't help!" Kei grumbled, turning her gaze away with a small pout. — "And stop treating me like a kid, damn it..."
— "But you're totally pouting, Kei~" Sato teased, laughing even more.
— "Shut up, Sato!" she retorted, though she couldn't stop the small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Her face was clearly blushing, both from embarrassment and the frustration of being teased.
Meanwhile, Horikita Suzune subtly moved closer to Kiyotaka. They were already sitting together comfortably, and the scene on the screen made her lean into him more naturally. She pressed against him, as if trying to reaffirm a presence that was already undeniable. Her eyes stayed focused on the screen, but her mind was caught on the image of the kiss and the intimate invitation.
— "She still kissed him..." Suzune murmured, her eyes narrowing slightly. — "And had the audacity to invite him to sleep with her..."
Ayanokouji immediately noticed the girl's reaction beside him. Calmly, he reached out and began gently stroking her head in a smooth, almost automatic motion.
— "Now you're the possessive one," he commented in a neutral tone, as if simply stating a fact.
Suzune glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her cheeks lightly flushed, but she didn't pull away.
— "And I can be," she whispered firmly, almost with a hint of pride.
Kiyotaka raised an eyebrow, amused by her answer.
— "So I can be too, then?"
The girl hesitated for a brief moment, visibly flustered, swallowed hard, and answered in a barely audible whisper:
— "You... can."
Kiyotaka sighed, but the faint smile on his lips gave away how much he appreciated that subtle exchange. He continued stroking her head while Suzune slowly closed her eyes, acting a bit spoiled, clearly enjoying the affection she was receiving.
On the other side of the room, Ryuen and Ichika watched everything with a mix of amusement and boredom. Their calm wouldn't last long.
— "OH SNAP!" Ichika suddenly exclaimed, raising her hands as if she'd just discovered something huge. She couldn't let the room stay too quiet. — "Someone write this down: Suzune Horikita, officially possessive and clingy when she gets affection. I'm shocked!"
Suzune's eyes snapped open and she quickly turned around, blushing when she realized someone had seen her snuggling up to Kiyotaka.
— "Shut up, Ichika! Mind your own business!"
— "Oooh~ she answered right away! Confirmed!" Ichika laughed and pointed dramatically. — "She got super bothered by the scene of the blonde kissing Ayanokouji. What's this, Suzune... jealous much?"
— "It's not jealousy," Suzune said through gritted teeth, trying to keep her composure and looking away. — "It's... it's natural not to like seeing that..."
— "Of course it is," Ichika replied, laughing loudly. — "Natural when you're madly in love! Don't even try to hide it—we already know!"
Kei turned her face away, looking annoyed.
— "She can have him already," she muttered. — "I'm tired of everyone thinking I still have something with Ayanokouji. We broke up, for God's sake. It's over. It's the past."
— "Then why did you sigh so hard when your screen self kissed him?" teased Hashimoto from the back of the room, wearing a provocative smile, trying to stir up some fun.
— "Because it was pathetic, Hashimoto!" Kei shot back, crossing her arms. — "I'm talking about myself. About how that version of me is still so silly. You guys mix everything up."
— "And the part where she invited him to sleep over, Kei?" Ichika pressed, amused. — "Didn't that bring back any memories from the old days?"
— "If it did, I'd bury them," Kei replied with a cold look. — "Let's stay grounded in reality: he doesn't love me, and I don't love him either. Nowadays, we're just friends. Barely."
The room fell silent for a moment, perhaps absorbing the chill of the blonde's statement. Ryuen was the first to break the ice with a mocking grin.
— "At least now you talk like a mature woman. Congrats, Karuizawa." He clapped slowly. — "Who would've thought. The most civilized ex in school history."
— "Thanks, I try," she shot back with sarcasm.
Meanwhile, in the corner of the room, Chabashira sighed loudly. The conversation, as usual, had spun out of control.
— "I DEFINITELY don't want to hear about what you all do or used to do in the dorms," she muttered, massaging her temple in visible irritation.
— "Relax, Chabashira," Chie replied, giggling. — "They're young. That stuff's normal. You've gotta let them open up a little."
— "Open up where? In the school? That breaks the rules!" Chabashira snapped, blushing slightly. — "I'm not here to babysit a bunch of lovebirds."
— "You're here to guide the students," Chie said with a smirk. — "And love is part of their lives."
Chabashira raised her hand and gave her colleague a sharp slap on the head, her face slightly red as she pushed her back into her seat.
— "Shut up, Chie."
The room erupted in laughter at the teacher's impatient reaction, while Chie pouted like she was the unjustly punished one.
In the middle of the commotion, Suzune leaned a little more into Kiyotaka and whispered:
— "I don't like when they talk about what we do... or what we might do..."
— "They'll keep talking," Kiyotaka replied softly, his voice almost intimate. — "But you can keep using me as a pillow if it helps you ignore them."
Suzune let out a small sigh before resting her head on his shoulder.
— "Idiot..." she murmured, though her expression said otherwise.
A little farther ahead, Sato hugged Kei from the side, making her friend sigh heavily.
— "We'll survive this, Kei. Just don't kill anyone."
— "No promises if someone else says I'm jealous," the blonde replied, rolling her eyes.
— "Hey, Karuizawa!" someone shouted from the back. — "So if Ayanokouji invited you to his room right now, you wouldn't go?"
Kei raised her middle finger without even turning around.
— "Go fuck yourself, idiot!"
And once again, the room burst into laughter.
Amidst the chaos, Ryota smiled at the screen, satisfied. He knew the next scene would stir things up even more. But for now, the tension, the jealousy, and the lingering unresolved feelings were the perfect ingredients for the students' reactions.
The boy left and headed toward his room, gradually quickening his pace—almost to the point of running...
Once inside, he heard a familiar voice.
— "Welcome. You really took your time..."Before saying anything, the boy threw himself onto the owner of that voice. They had been holding back all day and could no longer endure it. He wanted her, and she wanted him. Their lustful kisses only fueled the fire inside the girl, who began tearing his shirt apart, while he responded by unbuttoning her blouse.
That night, their moans and cries could not be contained. They gave free rein to their hearts, caring about nothing else...
Unfortunately for them, someone had witnessed their intense night.
The scene on screen had barely begun to heat up when a wave of shock and tension rippled through the room. It was impossible to pretend indifference. Everyone knew—even those trying to keep their composure—that this scene carried a different weight. It was explicit, intimate... and undeniably revealing.
— "No way, man..." — Sudou was the first to break the silence, eyes wide. — "They... they're actually doing it?"
— "No one can stop those two anymore, huh?" — said Yukimura, adjusting his glasses with clear discomfort as he turned his gaze away from the screen.
But before the conversation could spiral, laughter sliced through the air like an arrow.
— "AHAHAHAHA!" — Ryuen stood up from his chair, laughing loudly, clapping his hands as if he'd just watched a comedy show. — "Beautiful! A masterpiece! And the moaning? Seriously?! Incredible!"
— "Ryuen..." — Ichika laughed too, patting his shoulder — "This calls for a bet, don't you think? Who do you guys think was the poor soul who witnessed this live? One million points on the line!"
She already had a notepad out of her bag, ready to jot down names.
— "Alright then," — said Ryuen, regaining some composure, though his eyes still teared up from laughter — "The betting pool is open! Place your bets: who's the lucky bastard—or traumatized victim—who caught Ayanokouji and Horikita in their freaky little sex marathon?"
Some students laughed, others grimaced. Kushida, for example, was fanning herself as if the room had suddenly become too hot.
— "Heavens, what an... explicit scene..." — she said, crossing her legs and averting her gaze. — "Were they really holding back this whole time?"
— "Seems like it," — Sato commented, incredulous. — "The girl started tearing his shirt! That's like a movie!"
Ichika waved her pen, calling for everyone's attention:
— "Let's go! Starting with the suspects: Ichinose? Hashimoto? Hirata? Sato? Who do you think saw it? Name and points on the table!"
— "Can I place a bet again?" — Ayanokouji muttered.
Ryuen turned to him with a cynical grin.
— "You're banned from betting, you bastard," — he said, pointing a finger. — "You definitely already know or at least suspect who it was, even if we're just watching a possible future."
— "I repeat, literally son of a bitch," — Ryota thought calmly as he read the Gimai Seikatsu light novel.
I recommend you guys read it, it's pretty interesting. My creator is on volume 4.
— "Stop with the ads, we didn't get paid for this," — Ryota sighed in thought.
— "Tch..." — Kiyotaka let out a soft sigh, ignoring the provocation. He calmly turned to Suzune beside him.
— "So... you tore my shirt," — he said in a near-casual tone, with a subtle hint of irony.
Suzune didn't answer right away. She looked at the screen, then looked away, blushing slightly. Her face tried to stay composed, but the embarrassment was clear.
— "I have nothing to say about that," — she murmured. — "That girl over there... she's totally out of control. I have no connection to her."
She pouted slightly, as if trying to deny even her own shadow. The gesture, however, came off more cute than serious.
— "So, a cat, then?" — Kiyotaka continued, expressionless. — "Is that what you became? Because... the scratches on my chest after that night must've been something."
Suzune shut her eyes tightly, blushing even more, and turned to him in a burst.
— "Enough, Kiyotaka! Don't talk like that, you idiot!"
— "Just making an observation," — he said calmly. Then he sighed deeply. — "But honestly, I hope this break comes soon."
She looked at him from the corner of her eye, intrigued.
— "Break?"
— "You and I need to talk in private. Calmly. No dumb bets or stupid laughter," — he added, throwing a brief glance at Ryuen, who was gathering students in a line to place their bets.
Suzune nodded, still slightly flushed, imagining what they might do during that break.
— "Agreed. Urgently."
Meanwhile, in a quieter corner of the room, Ichinose sighed, eyes lowered. The scene had shaken her. Despite all her efforts to stay strong and cheerful lately, seeing Kiyotaka like that with another girl tore her apart inside.
She couldn't help it.
— "Are you going to play or keep suffering?" — asked Mako-chan, tossing a card onto the makeshift table with a small smile.
— "I..." — Ichinose turned her gaze from the screen, slowly back to the cards. — "Sorry. It's just... seeing him with other girls still... still hurts."
Mako gave a gentle chuckle.
— "I know. But if you don't focus on the game, you'll lose again. And today's the day you owe me a juice if that happens, remember?"
— "Yeah, yeah..." — Ichinose forced a smile. — "Let's keep going."
Farther back, Hoshinomiya crossed her arms, watching the scene with half-closed eyes pretending to be serious.
— "This is far from educational material..." — she muttered. — "I knew there was tension between those two, but... this?"
Chabashira beside her looked like she was about to have a heart attack.
— "I SAID I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THIS!" — she screamed, standing up with her hands over her eyes. — "This screen is going to traumatize me! Ayanokouji! Horikita! You... you..."
— "It's not us," — Suzune responded without raising her voice. — "It's a version from the future. Or rather, a possible version."
— "That doesn't change the fact that I'M BEING FORCED TO WATCH THIS!" — the teacher screamed.
— "What a goddamn lie, I didn't force anyone to stay here, lying-ass woman," — Ryota thought, stunned by the teacher's fib.
Lying piece of shit. Cynical as hell.
Chie, on the other hand, was laughing heartily.
— "Go, Suzune! That's it! Pound the boy—actually, no, climb on top!" — she laughed. — "Never thought I'd see this side of you."
— "Shut up, Chie," — Chabashira muttered. — "You're enjoying this way too much."
Chie winked.
— "Of course I am. It's healthy to see young people in love. I just hope they locked the door..."
At that moment, someone shouted from the back of the room:
— "I bet it was Yukimura who saw it! He looks like the type who stays late at school, all proper, then BAM! Eternal trauma."
Yukimura turned around, scandalized.
— "Don't drag me into this! Never! I would never go near a situation with... that!"
Hashimoto raised his hand with a grin.
— "Put a thousand points on Hirata. He's unlucky enough to open a door without knocking."
— "Nobody asked you anything!" — Hirata complained, indignant. — "I would never barge into someone's room!"
Sato, sitting next to Kei, laughed loudly.
— "But what if the person saw through the window? Or a crack in the door? Could've been anyone! So tense..."
Kei, for her part, watched the scene with crossed arms and a neutral expression. As much as she said she didn't care, watching it still made her uncomfortable.
— "You all could stop with this circus," — she said in a tired tone. — "It's like you've never seen two people having sex."
— "But it was Horikita, Kei! H-O-R-I-K-I-T-A!" — Ichika screamed, still laughing. — "The same one who was lecturing everyone just yesterday!"
— "And now she's moaning in Ayanokouji's room," — Ryuen added, clicking his tongue with a grin. — "Time changes everything, huh?"
Suzune closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
— "A version of me, Ryuen. Not me. And I still give lectures when necessary."
— "Wouldn't be surprised if you gave lectures during too," — Ichika murmured, laughing again.
— "Bonus bet: she corrects Ayanokouji's grammar while... well, you know," — Hashimoto joked, drawing laughter from the entire room.
Kiyotaka sighed again.
— "I hope this ends soon..."
Suzune looked at him again, cheeks still flushed.
— "Me too. Because if this keeps going... I think I'll throw myself into space."
While chaos reigned once more, Ryota watched everyone with a calm smile.
— "And to think this is just the first part of the night..." — he murmured. — "I can't wait for the moment they find out who saw it all..."
End of Chapter 2.