Chapter 355: Shimizu Akira's Seventh Girlfriend / Did Karuizawa Kei Lose After All?
Just as the four of them were about to leave the multipurpose room, the door pushed open.
Tsukishiro Tokinari walked in with a smile, leading the three homeroom teachers: Chabashira Sae, Hoshinomiya Chie, and Sakagami Kazuma.
"Good afternoon, students."
"Good afternoon, Acting Chairman."
"Good afternoon."
Ichinose Honami and Shiina Hiyori responded politely. Shimizu Akira just watched calmly without making a sound.
Sakayanagi Arisu spoke up with a light laugh: "Good afternoon, Acting Chairman. I wonder what important business brings four teachers and a Chairman here to see us first-year Commanders?"
It was unusual for such a high-profile group to crash a simple rule briefing.
Tsukishiro smiled.
"Haha, it's just that while we were discussing this special exam, we felt the existing rules might be... a bit inadequate in terms of stability."
"Excuse me," Ichinose Honami couldn't help but ask, "Does that mean you intend to modify the rules? Does it... have to do with expulsion again?"
After the turmoil of the Class Poll, Tsukishiro's intervention naturally invited suspicion. He was clearly up to no good.
"Honami-chan, this isn't about expulsion," Hoshinomiya Chie explained with a wink. "It's about the fairness of project distribution. Two classes compete in seven rounds, but under the current rules, one side inevitably plays 3 of their own projects while the other plays 4. Chairman Tsukishiro believes the luck factor is too high. If the lucky side gets 4 projects they are good at, they've practically won already."
"That makes sense," Shiina Hiyori rubbed her chin.
Even with "Must-Play" events and "Possible" events, if the final tie-breaker randomly hit an opponent's specialty, it was a significant disadvantage.
"This is your final special exam for the first year, your most important 'grand exam,'" Tsukishiro's gaze swept over the four, lingering on Sakayanagi and Akira.
"Surely you wouldn't want a carefully prepared class duel to be decided by the luck of a draw?"
"So, what is your suggestion, Acting Chairman?" Sakayanagi asked, tapping her cane.
"Simple." Tsukishiro was clearly prepared.
"The seventh project will no longer be drawn from the events provided by the students. Instead, it will be randomly selected by the school from a pool of projects that have received good feedback in past years. This ensures maximum fairness."
Under this new plan, the seven projects would consist of:
Your own 'Must-Play' projects x2 The opponent's 'Must-Play' projects x2 Your 'Possible' project x1 (drawn 1 out of 3) The opponent's 'Possible' project x1 (drawn 1 out of 3) A neutral project provided by the school x1.
Shiina Hiyori raised her hand.
"If we adopt this, when will the school's seventh project be revealed? On the announcement day, March 15th?"
"No," Tsukishiro shook his head. "The seventh project will only be revealed on the day of the exam."
He looked at the four of them.
"The previous projects test your basic abilities, for which the school gives you ample time to train, study your opponent, or devise strategies. The final project, however, tests your ability to adapt to the unexpected.
Only a Commander who has a deep understanding of their class, masters personnel allocation, and can even step onto the field if necessary will be able to take this final key round. This reflects the difficulty and depth appropriate for a final first-year exam, don't you think?
Furthermore, the seventh project will not involve large-scale numbers—usually only a few participants. Meanwhile, the school will grant the Commander significant intervention rights so you can fully demonstrate your tactical leadership."
The pros and cons were immediately apparent to the Commanders. The original rules were over-reliant on luck. The new rules compressed luck but shifted the pressure to handling the unknown. As Commanders, they now had to reserve specialized personnel and mental space for a wild card.
Of course, the decisive "luck" factor had also quietly shifted from a random draw into the hands of the school.
To be honest, if anyone else had proposed this, it would be seen as an excellent rule addition that emphasized improvisation. But the proposer was Tsukishiro.
The man was here to expel Ayanokoji and Akira. Who knew what kind of seventh project he would pull out? Or how the rules would be "skillfully" biased toward one side?
"This is an improvement plan I spent all night drafting after reflecting on the last exam," Tsukishiro said with a gentle smile, looking like a dedicated educator.
"What do you think? Do you agree, or do you prefer the original rules?"
"I think this plan is very stable," Mashima was the first to speak.
"It tests students' comprehensive abilities more thoroughly."
"I have no objections either," Hoshinomiya nodded.
"Chairman Tsukishiro's considerations are very thorough," Sakagami agreed.
"It's acceptable," Chabashira added her confirmation.
From a purely pedagogical standpoint, the adjustment was flawless. The pressure was now on the students.
Sakayanagi Arisu emphasized a certain word: "May I ask, is this seventh project truly randomly drawn, or is it decided after your 'rigorous screening,' Acting Chairman?"
Tsukishiro's eyes squinted into slits.
"Please rest assured. After the last vote, I have deeply self-reflected. I will not over-intervene. All candidate projects will be reviewed by the four homeroom teachers, board representatives, and the Student Council to ensure fairness and educational value. Since the teachers have agreed, I can officially report this to the Board."
Sakayanagi looked at her homeroom teacher, Mashima, who nodded to confirm Tsukishiro's statement. He didn't seem to be lying.
"I see!" Sakayanagi smiled, her eyes drifting toward Akira. He had a look on his face that said, 'Things just got troublesome.'
At this point, everyone knew Tsukishiro wasn't asking for their opinion; he was informing them. This visit was just a delivery of notice.
.
.
.
Akira walked out of the teaching building. He posted a brief summary of the meeting in the class group chat.
Horikita Suzune: From a rule perspective, it seems fine. It does reduce the luck factor.
Hirata Yousuke: It's just strange that it was proposed so suddenly today. Usually, such adjustments are announced before the exam begins.
Ike Kanji: Why does this guy always like to do extra stuff?
Kushida Kikyo: Maybe because the two exams were so close together, he didn't have time to study the rules until now.
That made sense. Tsukishiro had just been humiliated in the Poll Exam; he probably spent the last few days agonizing over how to handle the punishments for Koenji and Kanzaki.
Akira had asked upperclassmen about this exam before. It was a yearly tradition. Last year, the rule was 5 projects per class (10 total), drawing 7. This year's "guaranteed" 3 projects for each side was already an improvement.
Akira felt the situation was annoying, but he wasn't too worried about Tsukishiro cheating blatantly. The fact that Tsukishiro had to go through such lengths to modify a minor rule suggested his authority had been significantly reined in after the last debacle.
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5:30 PM. The school's Western restaurant.
"Miss, would you like to order first? It will save time when your friend arrives."
The waitress asked again. Karuizawa Kei put down her phone and shook her head politely. "No, I'll wait for my friend."
She didn't know Akira's tastes or allergies yet; it was better to decide together.
She looked at her screen. It was filled with her own messages, the latest sent five minutes ago.
Her "club member" was certainly busy. But it was the first day of the special exam, and as Commander, he had to stay late for meetings.
She scrolled through messages from her friends:
Matsushita Chiaki: Kei! Happy Birthday!
Sato Maya: Happy Birthday, Kei! It's a shame you have a date tonight, otherwise Chiaki and I were going to celebrate with you.
Shinohara Satsuki: Happy Birthday, Kei. Looks like you're out? I left your gift at your dorm door.
"Today... is my birthday."
It was a coincidence that March 8th clashed with the special exam. Consequently, Akira was held up and late. She had been sitting alone in this restaurant for nearly an hour and a half.
Sigh. Had she known, she would have celebrated with her friends and come here after the cake. But she hadn't expected the multipurpose room meeting to last so long.
"Honestly... special exams one after another!" Kei grumbled quietly.
"They said only two per semester, and this is already the third."
She hadn't even processed the rules for this "Event Selection Exam." Her mind was entirely on what was supposed to happen tonight.
Growl~ Her stomach betrayed her. She was hungry. "...Waitress!" She raised her hand. "Could I get two pizzas first, please? Thank you."
After the waitress left, Kei rested her chin in her hand. She thought of Akira. He was probably starving too. Everyone eats pizza, right?
Ten minutes later, the door finally opened. Akira, still in his school uniform, walked quickly to the table.
"Sorry I'm late. A lot happened after school."
"Ahem, it's fine. I just got here myself," Kei lied, trying to hide how long she'd been waiting. She couldn't blame him; she blamed the school for wasting students' time.
The waitress brought the tray.
"Here is the pizza you ordered. Thank you for waiting."
"Akira-kun, eat!" Kei gestured naturally. Akira was hungry, but he didn't pick up his fork immediately.
He looked at her. "Didn't you say you just got here? Why did the waitress say 'thank you for waiting'? You've been here a while, haven't you?"
Kei's heart skipped.
"Only about fifteen minutes! I was hungry when I arrived, so I ordered early." She poked at her pizza.
"This place has a good reputation, I thought you'd like it... what, you don't like pizza?"
Akira looked at her. Her eyes, usually a bit spoiled, were wide and trying to look defiant. He didn't call her out.
"I like it," he said, cutting a piece. "I just didn't expect you to order it. Thanks."
Seeing him eat, Kei relaxed. The warm cheese and crispy crust felt like heaven after a long day. They ate in silence for a few minutes as soft jazz played in the background.
"Was the meeting... about the new exam?" Kei found a topic.
"Yeah. Event Selection. Some rule changes." Akira briefly explained the seventh project being school-chosen.
Kei didn't really care about the rules; she focused on his expression—the way his brow furrowed when mentioning Tsukishiro, his focused profile, and his calm gaze. This person... despite being hungry and stuck in meetings, hadn't complained once.
"Sounds like a pain." She rested her chin in her palm.
"So you're the Commander again?"
"Yeah."
"That sounds tiring."
"It's okay," Akira smiled.
"What about you? You didn't hang out with Matsushita and the others? I saw someone asking for you in the group chat."
"I had other things today," she said vaguely, changing the subject.
"By the way, that math problem you taught me? I solved it on my own later!"
"Really? Which one?"
"The solid geometry one, calculating the dihedral angle..."
She began excitedly explaining her solution. The conversation drifted from study to movies, and the atmosphere grew lighter. After the pizza, the plates were cleared and drinks arrived—hot cocoa for Kei, coffee for Akira.
"Akira-kun," she said suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"What... do you think of me?" She immediately took a sip of cocoa, pretending it was a casual question.
Akira looked at the tips of her reddened ears and smiled.
"Vibrant, independent, a bit stubborn, but very reliable when it counts."
He thought for a moment. "And your math is improving fast."
"That's it?" Kei looked up, unsatisfied.
"And..." Akira looked at her.
"You care a lot about your friends and cherish promises. Like tonight—you didn't get angry even after waiting so long. Next time, if it's taking too long, just eat something first or let me know. You don't have to pretend you just arrived."
She was totally exposed. Her cheeks burned, but instead of embarrassment, she felt a wave of relief.
"...Because today is a special day," she muttered, thinking she was quiet enough. Akira looked up.
"I know."
"Eh?! You know?!" Her eyes went wide.
"That's why I'm late. It wasn't just the meeting; I went to pick up a gift for you." Akira pulled a small, beautifully wrapped box from his jacket pocket and pushed it across the table.
It was a deep blue velvet box with a silver ribbon.
"You... you knew today was my birthday?"
"Kikyo reminded me," Akira said honestly.
"She said you turned down all your friends to meet just me, so it was likely your birthday. I asked her to help find out if there was anything you wanted lately."
'Kikyo... it was her.'
Kei felt a mix of gratitude and a tiny bit of jealousy. That girl was always so attentive to Akira's movements.
"Open it?" Akira prompted. She took a breath, untied the ribbon, and opened the lid. Inside was a thin silver chain with a delicate cherry blossom pendant, its petals set with tiny pale pink gems.
"This is..."
"I heard you say you like cherry blossoms but were sad their season is so short," Akira explained.
"This one won't wither."
Kei gripped the necklace, her eyes starting to sting.
"..."
"Do you like it?"
"Yes!" she nodded vigorously, her eyes reddening. "I love it!"
Akira smiled. "Good."
The waitress arrived right on cue with a small cake Akira had secretly ordered. It wasn't a generic store cake, but a beautiful strawberry cream cake with "Happy Birthday" written in jam.
"This too..."
"Yeah, pre-ordered. I meant to pick it up after the meeting, but it was so late I almost didn't make it."
The candle was lit, its warm glow reflecting on their faces. Kei clasped her hands and closed her eyes.
This time, her wish was specific: I hope every important day from now on can be spent with you.
She blew out the candle. Soft applause came from nearby; the waitresses and other diners had noticed and were smiling. Kei lowered her head, shyly.
As they shared the cake, Akira gave her the piece with the most strawberries.
"Akira-kun," she said, eating the cake.
"Yeah?"
"I... I like you."
The words flowed out naturally amidst the sweetness of the cake and the birthday candlelight. There was no tension or awkwardness, just a sense of things finally falling into place.
Akira's hand paused as he cut the cake. He looked at her. Kei's cheeks were flushed with expectation, but her gaze was steady, meeting his directly.
"I know." Kei's heart skipped a beat.
'He already knew?'
"From the moment you turned everyone else down for me, and after hearing you'd asked Haruka and Airi about confessions, I had a pretty good guess." Akira put down his fork.
"But... you should know I'm a fickle person. I already have six girlfriends. Even knowing that, do you still agree?!"
"S-six?!" Kei couldn't process the number. "Weren't there five before?!"
"Well, Suzune is my girlfriend now too," Akira said awkwardly.
"So, if you join, you'd be the seventh."
S-seven? Without realizing it, there were so many?
Akira saw her stunned expression and thought she was devastated.
"Kei, you confessed to me in the first month, then again a few months ago, and tonight is the third time... I can feel your heart. But you must think clearly. There are already many people around me, and there might be more in the future. Can you... really accept such a relationship?"
Unexpectedly, Kei barely hesitated. She nodded immediately.
"I can. I think... just being with you is enough."
Akira gazed at her.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure." Kei nodded firmly. Then, she asked the question she cared about most: "Then... what do you think of me? Do you... truly like me?"
A rare look of embarrassment crossed Akira's face. "
Do I have to say it out loud?" He hadn't even said it directly to Suzune a few days ago.
Seeing this, Kei gave her first truly relaxed smile of the evening.
"Yes, you have to." She tilted her chin.
"You know I... don't have much of a sense of security. Some things have to be heard from your own mouth."
Akira looked at her bright, expectant eyes and sighed. It wasn't annoyance, but a sort of helpless surrender.
"I give up," Akira whispered.
He looked her in the eyes. "I like you."
Kei's breath hitched.
"It might not match the intensity of your feelings, and it might be mixed with other complex factors... but I do like you, Kei," Akira continued.
"I like your straightforward personality, the way you act tough in front of friends but show vulnerability, and... I like your persistence in approaching me over and over. I like seeing you slowly become a better person under my influence."
He was honest. No flowery words, no forced romance. Kei felt her eyes sting again. She looked down to hide her tears.
"That's enough..." she whispered, her voice trembling. "That's more than enough."
To hear him say he liked her, to know she held a place in his heart—even if that space had to be shared—was everything. For someone as insecure as her, this confirmation was more important than any gift.
"Why are you crying?" Akira handed her a tissue.
"I'm not!" Kei took the tissue and wiped her eyes hard, putting on a fierce face.
"It's... the cake is too sweet! It made my eyes water!"
Akira laughed. "Alright, it's the cake's fault."
Kei finished her cake and took a sip of cocoa. She was finally, finally with Akira! It was a long road. But then, she thought of something and looked up curiously.
"Akira-kun, the other girls... how many times did they have to confess before you agreed?"
"Hmm..." Akira thought for a second.
"They all did it once."
"Once?!" Kei's eyes went wide. Wait—so she was the only one who had to confess three times to be accepted?
She, Karuizawa Kei... did she win or did she lose?!
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