Chapter 318 Are They Not a Couple Yet? / The Most Beautiful Words Hiyori Ever Heard
"Lower it a bit more, tilt your head slightly... good, just like that, don't move."
Immediately after lunch, Shimizu Akira was brought to the art classroom by Kamuro Masumi. He hadn't expected his girlfriend to be able to paint!
After a while, Kamuro Masumi put down her pencil and spoke in a rare, slightly proud tone: "Come take a look, idiot."
Akira stretched his somewhat stiff neck and walked to the easel. The version of him on the paper was clean and sharp, with a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth—a subtle contrast to the cold impression he usually gave others.
'Hmm?! I wasn't smiling just now!'
Could this be how he looked in Masumi's eyes?
"It's painted... quite well. Masumi, are you very interested in painting?" he asked casually.
Kamuro Masumi gave a soft snort, idly playing with a charcoal pencil.
"It's just casual painting. The future and all that... I don't think that far ahead! Besides, there are plenty of people in the Art Club who paint better than I do."
Akira stretched his stiff body, having sat for quite a while. His gaze fell back on the painting, and he suddenly spoke: "I think it's already amazing... Can I have this painting? I really like it."
"...Suit yourself. I didn't prepare a gift anyway, so consider this a return for the headphones you gave me."
Masumi lowered her head to pack the scattered art supplies, but she carefully removed the paper and handed it to him.
Akira took the drawing and rolled it up carefully.
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"Where to next?"
"Let's wander around the supermarket!"
"Sure, let's go!"
Ten minutes later, the two arrived at the supermarket entrance. Kamuro Masumi rushed in first, with Shimizu Akira following behind.
As soon as she entered, she headed straight for the alcohol section and naturally picked up a can of beer from the shelf. This scene gave Akira a jolt; a sense of familiarity hit him.
Wait, isn't this the exact scene from the first day of school when Kamuro Masumi swiped a can of beer? Even the way she held the can was identical.
"Shimizu Akira! Come over here for a second." She lowered her voice and beckoned to him. "This is a blind spot for the cameras; people rarely come here."
Akira's mouth twitched. As expected, the same routine. She called him over—surely she wasn't asking him to be her lookout?
Akira stepped closer, his mind racing to think of a serious way to persuade her to stop and not continue this behavior.
In front of him, Kamuro Masumi let out a "pfft" and laughed, her shoulders shaking slightly. "Idiot, look at how scared you are. I have no intention of stealing from the supermarket."
Akira breathed a long sigh of relief.
"That's good... Masumi, you just..."
Before he could finish, he met the girl's direct gaze.
Masumi slightly raised her chin and snorted, "If I really stole something, you'd be in a difficult position, right? I could tell by the look on your face just now. That's why I won't do those things anymore. If I got expelled for stealing, you'd have to shell out twenty million points to help me... I'm not thick-skinned enough for that."
'Well, that's a relief!'
Speaking of which, ever since she took that beer on the first day, Akira really hadn't seen her steal anything. It seemed Kamuro Masumi had quietly changed quite a bit over these months.
After saying this, Masumi didn't look at Akira's stunned face. She simply waved her hand casually and turned to walk away.
"Alright, I'm heading back. Don't you have other plans this afternoon? Hurry up and get to work, idiot."
Leaving Akira standing there alone. After about ten seconds, he rubbed the back of his head. "...Masumi has suddenly become so mature."
On the first day of school, it was he who left a bag of beer in front of her and waved as he walked away. Now, their positions seemed to have swapped.
Filled with a strange sense of emotion, Akira returned to his dorm. The first thing he did was carefully store Masumi's drawing.
Akira then remembered he was meeting Horikita Suzune in the afternoon, so he went to the wardrobe to find a new coat to wear out. But as he searched, his movements suddenly froze.
'Huh?'
He remembered clearly that the shirt he often wore in summer was supposed to be in this specific compartment! Akira looked at the obviously empty space in his wardrobe and froze for a few seconds.
Then his brain began to process rapidly. Masumi's words in the supermarket, the hesitant look she had at the end, her claim that she "wasn't stealing from the supermarket," and that final "idiot."
"Oh, come on—!"
Akira slapped his thigh, finally realizing what happened. He was caught between laughter and tears.
"So she's not stealing from the supermarket, she's stealing my clothes instead!"
Kamuro Masumi "quitting" stealing was merely a change of target and motive. This person... was clearly still stealing! She's basically a master thief!
Who says stealing your boyfriend's clothes doesn't count as stealing?
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The moment Horikita Suzune walked to the first floor of Keyaki Mall, she spotted Shimizu Akira, who was already waiting there. However, the expression on his face carried a few hints of unspeakable speechlessness and a touch of helplessness.
"Akira-kun." She stepped forward, greeting him first.
"Oh! Suzune!" Akira immediately stood up and waved to her.
After greeting each other, the two walked side by side toward their destination.
After a few steps, Akira suddenly spoke without context: "Suzune... stealing is a bad behavior, after all, right?"
Horikita Suzune gave him a strange look.
"Of course. On campus, it is a clear violation of school rules; serious offenders can be expelled. On a societal level, depending on the amount and circumstances, one would face administrative punishment or criminal prosecution.
Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"
"Would you steal things from someone you like?"
"?! Of course not. I don't quite understand why you would propose such a hypothesis. The act of theft itself is secretive and improper; regardless of the target, the nature does not change. Furthermore, such behavior will be exposed sooner or later. When that happens, it will only
cause damage to trust and a rift in the relationship for the victim, which violates the basic principles of interpersonal interaction."
Just as she finished, Akira's phone in his pocket vibrated. He took it out and scanned the screen; his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
Kamuro Masumi: Finally found out? Hehe, if you want your clothes back, come to my place another day to get them! Little idiot!
Looking at that arrogant and proud line of text, Akira's heart felt a complex mix of emotions.
'What "basic principles"?! The culprit is currently gloating about it!'
This move... definitely gave Masumi a lot of pleasure!
He shook his head and tucked the phone back into his pocket. Looking up, he met Horikita Suzune's clearly displeased gaze.
"What? You seem very busy. Did one of your... many girlfriends send you a message? If I'm disturbing you, should I leave?"
"I didn't mean that." Akira snapped out of it, realizing his reaction to the phone was indeed inappropriate.
"It's my fault. I was just suddenly surprised by something, nothing more."
He pushed the phone deeper into his pocket.
"I won't look at my phone anymore; I won't let it disturb our date."
"It's not a date," Horikita Suzune corrected immediately.
"It's just walking around. I told you long ago, I am not your girlfriend."
"Yes, yes, understood," Akira nodded readily.
'This isn't the behavior of a girlfriend, yet the jealousy is stronger than his actual girlfriends!'
He only looked at his phone for a second, and this "walking companion" was already acting like she was ready to turn and leave.
The two walked together for a while and took the elevator to the fourth floor of the mall. They naturally arrived in front of a dessert shop. Through the glass window, one could see various exquisite cakes and pastries.
However, more eye-catching than the desserts was a striking event poster standing at the door.
Christmas Sweet Pair Trip! During the event, couples dining together can enjoy a 20% discount on their purchase!
Akira's gaze lingered on the poster for a moment before involuntarily drifting to Horikita Suzune beside him. She, however, appeared perfectly calm.
"I heard the Mont Blanc here has good reviews," Horikita Suzune said.
"Shall we go in and try?"
"Sure." Akira naturally had no objection. He reached out and pushed the door open.
The shop was filled with the warm aroma of baking. Almost every table was occupied by couples; it was Christmas, after all! A young waitress wearing an apron immediately came over with a sweet smile.
"Welcome! A table for two? May I ask if..." Her eyes scanned quickly between Akira and Horikita Suzune, her professional smile deepening. "...you are participating in our Christmas Couple event? Couples dining today get 20% off!"
"Mmm, two people. We... won't be participating in the event. We'll just order normally; you don't need to give us a discount."
Horikita Suzune's gaze fell on the simple menu in her hand. After thinking for two seconds, she looked up and spoke in a flat tone.
The waitress was clearly stunned. She probably hadn't expected anyone to proactively refuse a couple-exclusive discount.
After her daze, she quickly bowed and replied: "Alright, understood. This way, please."
She led them to a double booth by the window. As soon as they sat down, Horikita Suzune looked at Akira across from her, her tone as serious as ever: "The two of us are not a couple yet. Taking advantage of a discount through such a misunderstanding feels... not right."
She pursed her lips slightly, as if afraid Akira would get some unnecessary false impression.
Hearing this, Akira couldn't help but let out a light laugh and waved his hand.
"Okay, I get what you mean! You don't need to explain so much; I understand."
He had been around Horikita for so long. Suzune was always like this; she would say what was on her mind directly and never hid anything.
She wouldn't intentionally take small advantages, and she wasn't good at telling lies against her heart.
Furthermore... she just said "not a couple yet."
The small detail exposed her thoughts! It was actually quite cute.
Being stared at so undisguisedly, Horikita Suzune felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
She quickly let out a light cough and forced a change of subject: "Speaking of which, you specifically asked me out; you must have something important to say, right? Just say it."
Akira nodded, taking the opportunity to get to the main topic.
"Are you interested in joining the Student Council?"
"The Student Council?" Hearing those words, Horikita Suzune fell into deep thought for a few seconds before giving a clear answer: "I have no interest in the current Student Council."
"What do you mean by that?" Akira followed up.
"I dislike the current President, Nagumo Miyabi," Horikita Suzune stated bluntly.
"Working under an incompetent superior won't bring any progress to one's own abilities; you'll just be assigned a bunch of meaningless chores. Instead of wasting time on those things, I'd rather focus on leading the class to Class A."
"Oh, I see."
That reason was indeed logical. Nagumo Miyabi... working under him would be a total nightmare! Thinking about it, Akira inexplicably felt a bit worried for Ichinose Honami; hopefully, that guy wouldn't intentionally cause trouble.
"I'll have a strawberry pudding, to go, in a gift box. Also, an order of macarons." Akira chose his desserts.
"I'll order a Mont Blanc," Horikita Suzune followed.
A few minutes later, their desserts were served. Suzune picked up her spoon and asked seemingly casually: "Why did you bring this up all of a sudden?"
"I won't hide it from you. Actually..." Akira took the chance to tell Horikita Suzune the details of his previous conversation with Horikita Manabu.
"Brother would actually say something like that..." Suzune's tone was surprised.
Horikita Manabu would personally ask Akira to deal with Nagumo Miyabi.
And then, her brother had so easily "sold" her to Akira!
Well... how to put it... rather than being angry, she was getting used to it, even feeling a hint of numbness.
To put it bluntly, Suzune had already been called a "Pokemon"! She didn't really care about being a so-called puppet anymore.
"Well, I was just asking. I don't really want you to be my puppet or anything, so don't worry."
"I know. So, did that Vice President contact you?"
"Let me see..." Akira remembered this was still pending. He took out his phone, and as expected, the other party had sent a message.
Kiriyama Ikuto: I will find time to meet with you in the next few days.
Kiriyama Ikuto: If the first-year partner is you, it is indeed reassuring.
Kiriyama Ikuto: A cross-grade special exam will be held early in the third semester. You can make some preparations in advance.
It seemed the other party was indeed busy lately; they probably wouldn't meet for a few days. However, at least he sent a key reminder.
"If you need help later, I can lend a hand too. After all, I also dislike Nagumo Miyabi," Suzune whispered after taking a spoonful of dessert.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind." Akira nodded.
"...Mmm."
After a brief silence, Horikita Suzune suddenly looked up.
"How many girlfriends do you have right now?"
"...Three." He put down his cup and answered directly. "Kikyo, Masumi, and Honami."
"Is that so?" Horikita Suzune's voice was very soft, showing little emotion.
Three people. 'Hmph.'
Suzune lowered her head slightly, picking up her small silver fork and cutting a tiny piece of chestnut purée from the top of the Mont Blanc.
The force was just a tiny bit heavier than usual.
'This person... at least he tells the truth.'
It was only the end of the second semester, barely eight months in total. He already had three girlfriends? At this rate, by next year... wouldn't Akira find two more? Over three years... the number might exceed ten!
Suzune felt a sense of indescribable awkwardness rising in her heart again. It wasn't anger, and it wasn't pure jealousy; it was more like a sense of powerlessness over the current situation and a subtle feeling of being excluded, which made her inexplicably irritable.
She simply shut her mouth and ate her dessert in silence, her spoon poking at the cream top over and over, as if venting.
Akira, watching her eat with her head down, couldn't help but laugh. He broke the silence: "By the way, did you prepare a Christmas gift for your brother?"
"I did." Suzune didn't look up. "It's a fountain pen."
Akira asked further, "Speaking of which, what about Tachibana-senpai?"
Suzune's movement paused, her eyes showing confusion: "What do you mean?"
"Aren't you going to prepare a gift for Senpai?" Akira was slightly speechless.
"She looks after the two of us so much. Every time we go to the Student Council, doesn't she specifically brew tea for you? She's basically your friend, right? Don't tell me you didn't even think of this?"
Having her thoughts read, Horikita Suzune let out a few embarrassed coughs.
Tachibana-senpai really did take care of her. Come to think of it, the last kiss with Akira was only successful because Senpai had given her the idea.
She awkwardly looked away.
"Then, what gift do you think would be good?"
"If you don't know what to give a girl, choosing sweets is never wrong." Akira shared his experience.
"Most girls won't reject sweets. The taste here is good; just pack one up."
"...Understood," Suzune replied vaguely. This person clearly had a lot of experience coaxing girls; she wasn't happy about that at all!
After a few more minutes, Akira suddenly waved to Horikita Suzune.
"Stop eating for a second, come here. I have something to tell you."
Horikita Suzune looked up, wiped the corners of her mouth with a tissue, and leaned closer to him. Akira naturally placed his palm over the back of her hand.
"This winter break, the school has invited many off-campus shops to set up. Didn't you want to go out during summer break? Don't be stubborn this time. If you want to go to any shop, just message me anytime. If you feel embarrassed to speak..." His voice lowered slightly, "Even if you just send an emoji, I'll call you immediately.
One pity is that the fortune-telling shop from last time didn't come, so I can't accompany you for that right now... but I specifically asked the school, and they said that shop will be back in the summer. When that time comes, let's go together."
"You're overthinking... I didn't want to go to that shop that much," Horikita Suzune responded in a low voice, but her hand turned over to grip his.
He had seen through her.
All her awkward behavior during the summer break—he remembered it all.
So, he specifically asked her out today to say these things... just so she wouldn't feel lonely during winter break?
Next year... could they really go fortune-telling together? No, she wasn't looking forward to it at all.
Nearby, the waitress watched this scene, a bit dazed.
'They aren't a couple? Other couples sit across from each other eating, but you two can't even go ten minutes without holding hands... honestly.
Fine, fine. I'll just give this table a 20% discount.'
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December 31st, New Year's Eve.
For Shiina Hiyori, this was arguably the hardest day of the year. Her health wasn't great, and she couldn't really handle the strain of staying up late, but she still wanted to keep this sense of ritual. Watching the lively New Year's programs on TV, her eyelids had been fighting each other for a while.
Finally.
The 108th New Year's bell tolled solemnly on the television. The old and the new exchanged at this moment. Shiina Hiyori let out a soft breath and looked at the date appearing at the bottom of the screen.
January 1st had arrived. This meant she was another year older. And with only three days of winter break left, it was nearing its end.
While she was lost in thought, her phone suddenly vibrated repeatedly.
She picked it up to see many New Year's greetings from friends arriving as scheduled.
There were quite a few—counting roughly, there were thirty or forty. Most were from classmates: Ishizaki Daichi, Ibuki Mio, Kaneda Satoru... familiar names popped up one after another.
Speaking of Ishizaki Daichi, a few days ago he specifically transferred over ten million private points, saying Ryuen Kakeru ordered him to transfer them to either Shiina or Kaneda Satoru. However, at the time, Shiina Hiyori had flatly refused.
From the beginning, she had no intention of becoming the leader of Class D.
Her self-positioning was always clear: she was just a mystery fan with a little bit of wit.
Regarding Class D, she did feel a hidden sense of responsibility; otherwise, she wouldn't have proactively teamed up with Sakayanagi Arisu in this freezing winter to help restore the Class D dormitory equipment. But at her core, she actually disliked the feeling of being restricted by a group.
Leading a group of people around and planning everything simply wasn't in her nature.
Yet lately, Kaneda Satoru had been intentionally or unintentionally hinting that he wanted her to step up and shoulder the burden of the Class D leadership.
Shiina Hiyori actually resented Kaneda's self-serving arrangements, but due to her gentle and introverted nature, she didn't voice this dissatisfaction directly.
As for those points, they were currently being kept by Kaneda Satoru. After all, many in the class felt that with Ishizaki Daichi's careless personality, he might lose such a large sum of points one day.
While she was dazed, her phone screen lit up with a new New Year's greeting. The sender was Shimizu Akira.
Shimizu Akira: Staying up late is bad for your health. But if you aren't asleep yet, then I'll say to you: Happy New Year, Shiina.
The corners of Hiyori's eyes crinkled. She replied almost immediately.
Shiina Hiyori: Mmm! Happy New Year! Akira! I know staying up late has no effect on you, but I still hope you can stay healthy!
Speaking of which... although today was the New Year, the thing that left the deepest impression on her over these few days was still the gift Shimizu Akira gave her on Christmas.
She stood up and walked to the desk, carefully taking out a white teru teru bozu from the drawer. Shiina Hiyori had a great memory; the way Akira looked when he gave the gift and every word he said were as clear as if they happened yesterday.
"I originally wanted to give you a mystery book, but when I visited your dorm last time, I saw you already had so many in your collection. In that case, I'll give you a teru teru bozu. Reading on a rainy day is very comfortable. I hope after spring, it rains a lot, so you can read comfortably every day."
Shiina Hiyori gently touched the plain white surface of the doll and buried her face in her soft pajama collar. Her heart felt as if it were being washed over by warm water.
'What a beautiful thing to say.'
This was likely the warmest Christmas gift she had received since entering this school.
And what about herself? She seemed to have only returned a bookmark she liked. She felt... like she inexplicably owed Shimizu Akira a favor this time.
Next time there's an opportunity, she must make it up to him properly.
After replying to the other New Year's greetings, Hiyori let out a soft sigh. Then, the screen lit up again, but this time it wasn't a blessing.
Ryuen Kakeru: I heard restoring Class D's treatment was your doing? Pretty capable, Shiina.
Shiina Hiyori: I only did what I could. So, is Ryuen-kun planning to resume leading Class D?
Ryuen Kakeru had indeed been depressed for a while. But for some reason, since a few days ago, he had regained his usual spirit. Although he still kept to himself, his complexion was much better. Now that he was proactively asking about class matters, it seemed his state had mostly adjusted.
Ryuen Kakeru: Do you still think I'm fit to be Class D's head?
Shiina Hiyori: No one is more suitable than you. After all, you are the person who proposed the 800-million private points plan.
This was her honest thought.
The only one who could lead Class D was always Ryuen Kakeru. Shiina Hiyori couldn't do it, and Kaneda Satoru couldn't do it either. This wasn't because of simple violence or intimidation, but because of his vision.
The seemingly unbelievable 800-million points plan to let all forty people in the class reach Class A together might sound inconsistent with Ryuen's usual aggressive and villainous style, but at the start of school, this person truly did consider every single person in the class.
If Shimizu Akira knew about this, he would probably be surprised too.
"Hmph, what a fickle woman." Ryuen Kakeru stared at Shiina Hiyori's message and gave a light snort.
"A while ago you said I only controlled the class through violence, now that the leader is gone, you know how to panic? Finally realized my importance?"
Before he could finish, his phone suddenly rang. It was an unknown number. Ryuen frowned but pressed answer.
"Ryuen-kun, Happy New Year."
"...Sakayanagi?" He arched an eyebrow.
"You actually called specifically to give New Year's greetings?"
"Indeed. I heard you were disciplined quite badly a while ago. Are you alright?"
"Heh, thanks to you, at least I don't need a crutch to walk yet."
"So, what's the point of this call? I don't have time to beat around the bush with you." Ryuen was somewhat impatient.
"Well then, do you still intend to drop out?"
"Screw off! Who said I was dropping out?"
"That's good. If you exited now, I would be quite troubled too." Sakayanagi Arisu's tone always carried a laugh, like she was coaxing a child.
"To comfort the cute Ryuen-kun, I specifically brought some good news."
"If you dare speak nonsense, next time I'll steal your cane and snap it with my own hands."
"Hehe... then I'll speak plainly." Sakayanagi Arisu's voice grew meaningful.
"The Student Council President—Nagumo Miyabi currently controls quite a few classes and has accumulated a staggering amount of private points. At least tens of millions, perhaps even exceeding a hundred million. I think, by saying this, Ryuen-kun understands my meaning?"
After the little princess finished, the call was abruptly hung up.
Ryuen held the phone, stunned for a good while before suddenly snapping out of it.
"Tch... this woman even figured out my 800-million point plan." Ryuen grit his teeth and cursed in a low voice.
"Intentionally using Nagumo Miyabi's massive points as bait to lure me into dealing with that guy!"
Who in their class was secretly watching him? Even this kind of intelligence leaked out.
But then again... he really couldn't just refuse this matter. After all, if he could really take a bite out of Nagumo Miyabi, it would indeed provide a massive amount of private points at once—an undeniable boost for his 800-million plan.
Ryuen threw his phone onto the bed, looked out at the deep night outside the window, and let out a sneer.
Interesting. The chessboard was getting livelier and livelier.
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