Chapter 268: Being the Photographer Is a Ruthless Move / Does Suzune Want Kikyo Expelled?
Ever since the first day of school, when Hasabe Haruka coldly scolded and drove away the boys trying to hit on her for her contact information—and subsequently ignored several more male classmates who tried to strike up a conversation—the girls in the class had almost all concluded that she was a "cool beauty" who had no interest in romance.
But that wasn't actually the case.
It wasn't that she lacked interest in boys; it was simply that the looks those boys gave her that day were too explicit.
Their eyes practically stuck to her body, making her feel incredibly uncomfortable. Those people didn't want to be friends; they were clearly after her body.
In truth, her figure wasn't that conspicuous in elementary school. But after entering middle school, as everyone began to develop, she unknowingly became the focus of the class. This was especially true for the weight on her chest; even though she didn't go out of her way to drink coconut milk, she felt as if they were growing every single day.
Not just her classmates, but even boys from other classes often cast their gazes her way, and many confessed their feelings. But not one of them was sincere! Even while confessing, their eyes would reflexively drift toward her body.
How could she possibly accept a confession like that?
Her middle school girlfriends, with whom she used to play, also began to distance themselves from her one by one. Some left her with words like:
"The person I like is always staring at you."
"Walking with you makes the contrast in our bodies too obvious. I'm practically your background prop."
But a figure isn't something one can decide for themselves. If the person you like keeps staring at me, isn't he the one at fault? Why take your anger out on me?
After a big argument with those so-called friends, she gradually became a loner. However, Hasabe Haruka wasn't particularly sad.
She was a straightforward person; if they could be so easily alienated by jealousy, it meant they were never true friends to begin with. Separating from them wasn't a loss.
But it didn't end there. Rumors started spreading among the girls that she was intentionally using her body to seduce boys, and many boys believed it, showing up with foolish looks on their faces to ask her out.
Consequently, throughout middle school, she remained alone without a single friend, let alone a boyfriend.
Perhaps it was these years of experience that made her personality somewhat reclusive, completely devoid of the desire to take the initiative in making friends.
It wasn't until high school, because of adjacent seating and attending study groups together, that she slowly became acquainted with Yukimura Teruhiko and Miyake Akito. But she never viewed them as romantic interests; they were strictly friends.
Having seen so many boys with ulterior motives, her threshold for romance had become very high. Ordinary boys couldn't even catch her eye, and her requirements for an "ideal type" were impossibly high:
Good physique with muscle. Sharp, flexible mind. Handsome face. Excellent grades. Must understand and consider a girl's feelings.
For the first two months, the boy she watched most was Hirata Yosuke, but she felt something was missing.
Mainly, his overly perfect "Mr. Nice Guy" personality made her feel insecure. She also didn't like Ichinose Honami; that smile felt too fake, making her think Ichinose might be hiding dark thoughts that could explode one day.
In contrast, she had a very good impression of Kushida Kikyo. She had watched Kushida do a lot for the class since the beginning and was often invited out by her; the two occasionally went shopping together. Why was Kushida okay but Ichinose wasn't? She couldn't answer that immediately, but if she had to, she'd call it "woman's intuition."
Hasabe Haruka admitted she might have double standards, but some people you just know aren't your "flavor" at first glance. However, during those first two months, another boy caught her attention: Shimizu Akira.
Initially, it was when Yamauchi Haruki was talking dirty and Shimizu nearly came to blows with him.
Coupled with the fact that Shimizu was handsome (ranking first on the freshman "Heartthrob" list), joined the boxing club, won the swimming race, and had brilliant grades—he stood out. When Shimizu and Kushida went around the class together to add friends, Haruka found herself instinctively talking to him more than usual.
She discovered that Shimizu didn't intentionally stare at her body; his attitude was as natural as if he were talking to any ordinary classmate.
That immediately ticked off several of her romantic criteria.
But she didn't rush to attack because three boxes remained unchecked: a flexible mind, empathy for girls, and "being good to her."
That last one was especially important; almost no girl ignored it.
The turning point was the Deserted Island Special Exam. Shimizu came up with the voice recorder method on the seventh day. Even though Haruka didn't consider herself a genius, she could see how powerful that strategy was. "Flexible mind" check.
Then came the VIP Special Exam. Just as she was wondering how to observe Shimizu's attitude toward girls, her roommate Sakura Airi told her everything: during the incident where Sudo got into a fight, Shimizu helped her deal with a stalker and got the guy kicked out of school. "Empathy for girls" check.
On the third day of the VIP exam, while she was still worrying about finding the VIP, Shimizu called her out of the blue: "Hasabe-san, I already know who the VIP in your group is. I know you might be confused since we haven't spoken much, so it's normal if you don't trust me. Can you give me three minutes to explain the VIP rules?"
"No need to explain, I believe you," Haruka had replied almost instantly.
Shimizu was clearly surprised, then told her that Kaneda Satoru was the VIP. On the fourth day, he called again. As a girl, she cared more about the reward than the process and asked: "How should the 500,000 reward be split?"
"It's all yours, consider it payment for your trust," Shimizu said nonchalantly before hanging up.
500,000 personal points, given to her just like that? Without asking for a single cent? Did that count as "being good to her"? All criteria were now checked.
In the early morning after the VIP exam ended, seeing the 500,000 points in her account, Hasabe Haruka experienced the feeling of hot cheeks, tight breathing, and a racing heart for the first time in her life. This was likely what people called... love.
'Cough, of course, it could also just be the excitement of getting that many points.'
But just as she thought about doing something, she looked around the dorm and realized she wasn't the only one. Matsushita Chiaki, Karuizawa Kei, and Sakura Airi all had flushed faces, clutching their phones in excitement.
She realized those three were also in the Rabbit Group from the deserted island. After Shimizu exposed the VIP info and reported Kamuro Masumi, they all received 500,000 points. Looking at them, they probably all had feelings for Shimizu.
According to Haruka's usual personality, she would have attacked a man who fit all her criteria long ago. But now, she hesitated. Not because of Karuizawa or Matsushita—she had argued with them before—but because of her best friend, Sakura Airi.
She and Airi had hit it off immediately.
In a way, they were similar; both were ostracized in middle school because of their figures. Because of this empathy, she often pulled Airi out to play.
Airi once told her why she wore fake glasses and explained how Shimizu saved her from the stalker. When talking about Shimizu, Airi's eyes lit up, and she even spoke louder.
Her best friend likely loved Shimizu. If Haruka made a move, she might indirectly hurt Airi. This was the dilemma: priority for her own heart or her friend's feelings?
Then the elevator incident happened. Shimizu's performance was too reliable for a high schooler, his conduct was flawless, and he helped her and Airi get an extra 200,000 points.
A few days ago, Chabashira-sensei even said the big data system judged her and Shimizu as a good match.
That was big data; it couldn't be wrong.
Even so, she had to consider Airi's feelings. The best way forward was to take Airi along and invite Shimizu out so the three of them could have fun together. As for what happened later... she would see.
At the very least, she couldn't let Karuizawa and that group have their way!
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After Haruka sent that suggestive message to Shimizu, her cheeks burned and her heart pounded. This was her first time sending such an implied message, and she felt a secret, unspeakable excitement.
Sakura Airi, beside her, was no better, her face red as she avoided eye contact.
"Airi, why are you so shy?" Haruka poked her arm.
"I saw those photos you took; aren't they quite bold?"
"Th-that was 'Shizuku' without glasses... it has nothing to do with me!" Airi whispered.
Haruka rolled her eyes.
"So you're a superhero who can switch identities?"
"Um... Shimizu agreed!" Airi didn't respond to the jab but pointed excitedly at the phone. The screen showed a message from Shimizu: "Okay."
"He really agreed?!" Haruka was pleasantly surprised, then teased her friend: "Looks like your swimsuit photos worked! I told you to listen to me!"
Airi looked hesitant but defended him: "But... Shimizu isn't the type to only look at appearances!"
"Why not just ask?" Haruka, always direct, sent another message.
Haruka: Why did you agree?!
Shimizu: You letting me be the photographer is a ruthless move. I simply couldn't refuse.
This caused both girls to turn bright red. "Little Kiyo is way too blunt! He actually admitted he was seduced!" Haruka muttered.
She thought he'd make an excuse like "I want to help Airi with her shoot," but he just spoke the honest truth.
"Looks like Little Kiyo does care about looks! But then again, who isn't a bit of a 'face-con' or 'figure-con' these days?" Haruka admitted. She was after his looks and physique too, especially his well-toned muscles.
"I'm also a bit of a face-con, Airi, aren't you?"
"I... I am too," Airi admitted softly.
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When Shimizu arrived, Haruka was sitting by the pool kicking water, while Airi was curled up on a lounge chair, wrapped in a large white towel.
"Little Kiyo is so on time!" Haruka stood up. She wore a black one-piece swimsuit with a V-neck that perfectly accentuated her bust. It fit snugly at her waist and hips, showing off her long, straight legs.
"Airi, don't stay wrapped up. The photographer is here." Haruka tugged at Airi's towel. Airi slowly unwrapped herself to reveal a pale pink swimsuit with a cute bandeau top and lace edges.
Unlike the bold Shizuku in the photos, the real Airi stood with her hands folded in front of her, blushing from her ears to her neck, afraid to look at Shimizu.
On the other side, Shimizu wore simple dark blue swim trunks. His upper body was well-defined, with clear muscle lines and no extra fat—a body built from years of exercise.
Haruka stared at his muscles without any concealment, her gaze full of appreciation.
'Tsk, those muscles look like they have great texture. Honestly, I want to reach out and touch them.'
"Little Kiyo's muscle lines are really nice~ Mm-mm, Big Sister is very satisfied," Haruka remarked with a slight blush.
'Big Sister, you sure are "innocent," aren't you? Shimizu ignored the strange title.
"Want to swim a few laps? The water temperature should be nice." He paused.
"By the way, you two haven't really swam much, have you? You've skipped almost all the swimming classes."
"Wh-who said I can't!" Haruka argued.
"I just don't like being crowded in a public pool... and! The gazes of boys other than Little Kiyo are disgusting!"
As she spoke, she slipped and nearly fell into the pool, catching herself just in time. Airi confessed softly: "I... I'm indeed not very good at swimming..."
Shimizu nodded and dove into the water like a fish, gliding to the center before turning back. "You don't have to worry about anyone's gaze here. Since it's a private pool, come on in."
Haruka's heart skipped a beat as she watched him. Water droplets slid from his wet hair; he looked like a "beautiful boy after a bath." She nudged Airi: "Shall we go? It's private anyway..."
Shimizu swam back to the edge and held out his hand to Airi.
"I'll keep an eye on you two the whole time. Just swim at ease!" His gaze was so sincere that Airi remembered her Shizuku persona. She took a deep breath and placed her trembling fingers in his palm.
Haruka, seeing them hold hands, also slid into the water. "You can't just take care of Airi!" She held onto his other arm. Shimizu, now a human floatie with a girl on each arm, started the lesson.
"If you're that scared, let's start with kicking."
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As closing time approached, the girls felt a sense of "it's over before it really started." Shimizu was an excellent teacher, breaking down basic strokes and breathing techniques.
During a break, Haruka rubbed her shoulders. "It's all because of these two heavy weights on my chest; they always get in the way of my movements. That's why I've never been good at sports!" Airi nodded in agreement.
To their surprise, Shimizu nodded seriously.
"From a biomechanical perspective, it does have an impact." His deadpan agreement left the girls unsure of how to react.
"Ten minutes until closing! Time to get out!" Shimizu called as he pulled himself onto the deck.
"Got it—" Haruka waved. She turned to Airi. "How was playing with Little Kiyo today? Happy?"
Airi nodded vigorously.
"Yes! Very happy!"
"That's good~" Haruka leaned in and whispered. "Today was just about getting used to the swimsuits. Next time, you'll have to strike some official sexy poses for him to photograph, okay?"
"Eh?! S-sexy photos?!"
"Of course~ The 'applying sunscreen' part is for the time after that, and special-style swimsuits for the time after that!" Haruka counted on her fingers.
"Haruka... you've already thought that far ahead?!" Airi's head felt like mush.
"Don't you want to repay Little Kiyo? He was so patient teaching us today. And we promised him~ Boys definitely want to see cute girls posing for them. If we don't take the initiative, what if he doesn't want to come out with us next time?"
Airi looked at the water and thought of Shimizu's focused face while teaching.
"I... I understand..."
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At 8:00 AM the next morning, Shimizu's vision showed the daily update:
Tonight at 20:00, Kushida Kikyo will visit Shimizu's dorm to further their intimacy. Over 80% of Class C students want to team up with Shimizu for the Three-Legged Race in the Sports Festival. Horikita Suzune has begun to suspect that Kushida Kikyo was the other traitor who secretly contacted Yamauchi Haruki and Ryuen Kakeru during the VIP exam.
'My girlfriend is quite cute!' Kushida's cuteness needed no further words.
As for the second item, 80%? His class had 40 students; excluding himself, that meant 32 people wanted to team up with him.
"Their enthusiasm is a bit terrifying," he rubbed his brow. The Three-Legged Race allowed for mixed-gender teams, and it counted toward individual scores. He intended to participate, but his partner wasn't decided.
The final piece of intel, however, made him frown.
He wasn't sure how Horikita Suzune had pointed her suspicion at Kushida.
Kikyo should have used a burner account... plus, Suzune already knew Kikyo's past.
With Suzune's "business-first," cold-blooded style, she might one day walk up and declare: "I'm here to have Kushida Kikyo expelled."
'This is a headache... Kikyo has given up on targeting Suzune, but is Suzune going to do the opposite? These two really are fated enemies.'
If it truly came to that, Shimizu wouldn't be laughing at all.
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