As soon as the dismissal bell rang, practically stepping on the heels of the teacher exiting the classroom, Kikukawa Kyo's head popped into view at the doorway. She peeked inside eagerly, showing none of the lifelessness from the morning. Like a plant that had just soaked up plenty of water, she looked completely revitalized—even returning briefly to the stuffy classroom couldn't dim her high spirits.
In contrast, Sakiko, having spent yet another class period trapped in the classroom-turned-steamer, felt decidedly worse both physically and mentally.
"You really stayed in the infirmary for the entire period, huh?" Sakiko remarked dryly as Kyo walked over with her hands behind her back, clearly refreshed and carefree.
"Hehe, Haneoka's infirmary is amazing—the beds are so soft and comfortable, plus there's air conditioning."
Kyo cheerfully leaned closer, showing zero shame for skipping class under false pretenses.
Did I fake being sick? Of course not—I really do have a problem, don't I?
"I thought you might just skip coming back here altogether and head straight home after leaving the infirmary," Sakiko continued pointedly.
"Oh my, how could I possibly abandon Sakiko-san without even a word? I'm sure you'd want to see me again, right?"
"Sometimes I think you were cuter when you were barely functioning this morning," Sakiko retorted lazily, unwilling to engage further in Kyo's teasing. By now, she knew very well that any verbal sparring with Kyo would inevitably draw her deeper into Kyo's rhythm.
Sakiko had realized something crucial: if she ever wanted to come out on top against Kyo, timing was everything.
How to tell when the timing was right? The simplest indicator seemed to be Kyo's hydration levels.
When Kyo was fully hydrated, she became spirited, whimsical, and much more playful, making it almost impossible to gain the upper hand. Conversely, when dehydrated, she became slow and weak, barely putting up resistance at all.
Yet Sakiko hesitated. Beating Kyo while she was weak and defenseless, like earlier this morning, wouldn't feel meaningful at all.
Sakiko wasn't the type who took shallow pride in superficial victories.
What she truly wanted was to defeat Kyo at her best—to make her concede, fair and square, that she had met her match.
Just as Sakiko mulled over the right strategy, a sudden chill brushed against her cheek.
"Ah!" Having endured the oppressive classroom heat, Sakiko's face was coated in a thin sheen of sweat. The unexpected touch of something icy cold startled her into letting out a rather cute squeal.
Class had just ended, and plenty of students still lingered. Her outburst immediately drew countless curious eyes toward Sakiko and Kyo.
"That just now… was it Kikukawa-san who made that noise, or… was it Togawa-san?" one student whispered hesitantly to a friend nearby. The sound had clearly seemed to come from Sakiko, but in everyone's minds, the usually cool and dignified Sakiko making such a cute sound was unimaginable.
"It definitely sounded like Sakiko-san, right? Look how delighted Kyo-chan is… Ah, she's so cute—ah, sorry," the friend briefly fell into fangirling, then quickly returned to the topic, "Clearly, Kyo-chan's just playing around with Sakiko-san."
"I feel like Sakiko-san only acts like that around Kyo."
"…"
Though Sakiko couldn't hear their exact words, it was undeniably clear that she was the subject of their gossip.
Embarrassed and annoyed, she turned sharply toward Kyo to question her, only to see Kyo grinning mischievously as she waved the object she'd pressed against Sakiko's face moments earlier.
It was an ice-cold bottle of water, emanating a refreshing chill in the sweltering heat.
"Here," Kyo offered the bottle to Sakiko. "Consider it thanks for this morning. I thought you might need this."
"...Thanks." Sakiko glanced at the water, then at Kyo's charming, cheerful smile. Perhaps cooled by the icy bottle—or maybe something else entirely—Sakiko's irritation dissipated instantly, and she quietly accepted the water.
Seeing Sakiko accept, Kyo nodded in satisfaction and returned to her desk—but didn't sit down. She had no desire to touch even briefly the seat and desk, already thoroughly heated by the classroom's oppressive air. Instead, she casually tossed a few books into her bag and swung it onto her shoulder.
"Well, Sakiko, I'll head out first."
"Going home?"
Kyo shook her head, raising a finger to vaguely point in the direction of Class A.
"I'm heading to the Astronomy Club for a while. Tomori-chan's the only member now, so I thought I'd keep her company occasionally."
"I see." As Sakiko replied, she finished packing her own things and lifted her bag, apparently preparing to leave as well.
"See you later, Sakiko!" Kyo dashed out of the classroom eagerly, clearly unwilling to remain another second in the stifling heat. She'd already begun sweating again.
"Goodbye." By the time Sakiko managed to reply, Kyo had already disappeared.
Sakiko's raised hand hovered awkwardly for a moment before dropping back to her side.
This heat really does make one irritable, she thought, promptly leaving the classroom. Like before, she planned to stop by the still-empty Music Club room first.
Earlier, when Kyo had playfully assured her she wouldn't abandon her, Sakiko had mistakenly believed they might walk together.
Unfortunately, Kyo hadn't picked up on that particular hint.
...
"Wow, the Astronomy Club room is so much cooler than our classroom!"
Upon entering, Kyo's first reaction was sheer delight.
Located at the far corner of the top floor of the club building, the Astronomy Club had clearly been forgotten when air conditioning was installed.
But as long as both the room's door and its large window were open simultaneously, a refreshing breeze continuously flowed through. Being on the top floor turned out to have its perks—the breeze felt delightfully cool, completely unlike the treacherous hot gusts that slipped into one's collar outdoors.
And unlike the stuffy classroom, filled with the heat of dozens of bodies, the air here was refreshingly clean.
"Maybe I should skip class and hide here next time~" Kyo mused aloud without shame.
"Eh? Kyo-chan, did you actually skip class today?"
Tomori was quietly engrossed in writing club reports, but Anon—also hanging out in the Astronomy Club—quickly perked up and started chatting casually with Kyo.
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T/N: heres ur updates :3 meeting the 4 chaps a week quota :3
bonus chaps
100 stones -> 1 chapter
200 stones -> 2 chapters
300 stones -> 3 chapters
and so on
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