Chapter 034 The Eighth Girlfriend, Matsushita Chiaki / We've All Done It with Akira-kun
Matsushita Chiaki walked along the beach, her heart racing uncontrollably. As a daughter of a wealthy family, she had been strictly disciplined since childhood. Not only had she never been in a relationship, but her experiences being alone with a boy were few and far between.
'Don't rush. Don't panic.'
She exhaled quietly, cheering herself up in her mind. As long as she conveyed her feelings honestly, she didn't need to overthink it. She came to a halt. Shimizu Akira stopped as well and turned to look at her.
Facing him, Matsushita Chiaki said word by word: "I have something I want to tell you."
Shimizu Akira didn't press her; he simply nodded. "Go ahead."
"Actually... I've noticed you since the very first day of school. At first, it was because of how you handled Yamauchi Haruki to protect a female classmate's reputation. At that moment, I felt you were a person with a strong sense of security and morality."
Shimizu Akira listened in silence.
"Later, when Yukimura-kun and I argued about grades, Kei asked you to resolve it. You called me out and asked for the details so carefully. I thought to myself then: this person is truly sincere."
She continued, laying out the moments of their meeting, their acquaintance, and her heart skipping a beat, piece by piece.
"Then came the deserted island special exam. Chabashira-sensei approached me, saying she wanted to introduce us for dating. My first reaction wasn't one of dislike, because I've always liked mature and steady people. From then on, I paid even more attention to you."
Her gaze drifted slightly. "So that day I... I accidentally followed you and Ayanokouji. Ahem, it really was an accident, not intentional. Anyway, I thought then that if you also showed your true strength, our class might actually reach Class A."
Hearing this, Shimizu Akira couldn't help but smile.
"During the VIP exam, I was indeed quite let down when you asked Kei out. But later you stood out, and everyone in our group got 500,000 personal points. I was happy again... not because of the points, but because you fulfilled your promise to me.
Later... later... I heard you and Kei were dating, and I found out you have several girlfriends. To be honest, I was a bit shocked. A person like you would actually start a harem? But seeing how well you look after Kei, even giving her two million points, I felt relieved. You really do handle multiple relationships well.
So, simply put: I like you, Shimizu Akira. I don't care how many girlfriends you have. Are you willing to date me?"
After finishing this long speech, Matsushita Chiaki realized with a delay how long she had been talking.
"Sorry... I said too much." She lowered her head, feeling anxious. Who gives a confession with that many words? Would he find her annoying?
To her surprise, Shimizu Akira laughed.
"I didn't think it was too much." He waved a hand casually. "I found myself getting absorbed as I listened, like I was re-experiencing the past through your eyes. As expected of someone who wants to be a diplomat in the future; you have a talent for public speaking."
Chiaki's inquisitive side bubbled up again. "Wait, how do you know I want to be a diplomat? Speaking of which, Akira-kun, you really do know little secrets mysteriously sometimes! I only told Kushida Kikyo about that. Did Kushida-san tell you? But she doesn't seem like the type of girl to leak other people's privacy!"
Realizing her slip, her face turned red again. "No, pretend I didn't ask. You should focus on the confession part."
Shimizu Akira gave a helpless smile, then spoke seriously: "Matsushita, my feelings for you aren't as deep as yours are for me, and I can't say as many moving things as you did. I only know you're a girl who likes to probe, occasionally stalks people, dislikes standing out or speaking in public, carries herself with the poise of a young lady, slacks off during group activities, and likes to hide her true abilities."
Matsushita Chiaki nodded instinctively. He really did understand her.
"You treat your friends well—you've helped Karuizawa Kei more times than I can count—you're smart, your grades are excellent, and you're outstanding in every way. To be honest, including Kei and the others, you qualify as a 'good girl' without many flaws."
Hearing the words "good girl," the smile on Chiaki's face stiffened slightly. She had seen hundreds of romance movies; whenever someone says "you're a good person," it usually means a rejection.
Fortunately, seeing her expression shift, Shimizu Akira quickly explained: "Don't misunderstand, I'm not rejecting you. I truly think you're great—your values are solid, you don't have a dark history, you're a very fine girl."
To be honest, regarding the girlfriends he had dated so far... for the most part, they were girls with deficiencies in certain areas.
Kikyo goes without saying; an angel on the surface but a fake underneath, finding joy in knowing others' dark secrets. Suzune was aloof and struggled with social interaction. Kei suffered from a severe lack of security. Honami was an angel, but her desire to help others was almost pathological, often at her own expense. Kamuro Masumi was great, but she had
that little shoplifting habit. Only Haruka and Airi were relatively "normal," though the former was a bit proud and prone to arguments, while the latter was too shy and rarely spoke.
In comparison, Matsushita Chiaki was the "big sister" type, didn't provoke others, and had good relationships with her classmates. Her overall level was excellent; no wonder Chabashira wanted to introduce her to him last year.
Shimizu Akira looked at her seriously. "I just feel that, since I already have seven girlfriends, even if I date you, the time I can spend with you won't be as much as a normal couple. This complicated relationship will also bring trouble to your steady daily life and make you feel lonely from time to time. Have you considered these pros and cons clearly?"
Hearing this, Matsushita Chiaki actually breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yes, I've thought it all through." She nodded. "I don't think feelings are something that can be measured with data. Personally, I prefer a bit of adventure over a bland daily life. Hearing you say that makes me even more curious. Besides, as Kei's friend, I've observed her for a long time. If even someone as insecure as her can be looked after so well by you, I don't believe you'll let me feel lonely. Furthermore, given your personality, you wouldn't do something like that, would you?"
Shimizu Akira laughed in spite of himself. "Bringing up Kei? Are you trying to checkmate me?"
Matsushita Chiaki smiled charmingly. "After all, my dream is to be a diplomat. How can I not use 'the opponent's spear to attack their own shield'? So... is your answer a 'yes'?"
Shimizu Akira shook his head helplessly. "I have to admit, your 'speech' just now was wonderful and it did move me. However..."
"However, you're worried about Kei, right?" Matsushita Chiaki preempted him. "I understand your thoughts. I'll explain it clearly to her before the exam ends. If Kei accepts, then there shouldn't be a problem, right? Alright, I know you've agreed. Bye!"
Having finished, as if summoning all her courage, she suddenly stepped forward, stood on her tiptoes, and gave Shimizu Akira a light kiss on the cheek. Then, with her hands behind her back, she turned and walked away with a light step—a complete transformation from the anxious girl who had arrived.
Shimizu Akira watched her figure, caught between laughter and tears. As expected of a future diplomat; she sure can talk.
But what was there left to say? Matsushita Chiaki was indeed very cute, and she was flawless in every aspect. She had also helped him with small favors since the start of school. That confession just now was sincere and detailed, and she had preemptively blocked all the arguments he was going to make.
If Kei agreed... then they might as well try.
"Wait!" Shimizu Akira finally realized. "No wonder she forgave Kei so easily and gave her so many snacks. It was all a play for me!"
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Day 5
Shimizu Akira set out early for the check-in point. Speaking of which, he was about to welcome his eighth girlfriend. He wondered if Kei would actually agree. Then again, Kei had eaten plenty of the snacks Matsushita Chiaki gave her; she had finished several more bags last night.
Could it be that Matsushita Chiaki planned even that in advance? A preliminary step to make Kei agree to her dating him?
Hiss, this layout, this bit of scheming—it was a little scary.
His luck was pretty good today. He successfully took third place in the first 7:00 AM check-in. Since yesterday, several new functions had opened on the tablet. Besides the GPS system, one could now check their group's ranking as well as the specific standings of the top ten and bottom ten.
He clicked on the Top Five.
Year 3 Nagumo Group: 120 points Year 2 Koenji Group: 115 points Year 3 Kiriyama Group: 107 points Year 2 Shimizu Akira Group: 97 points Year 2 Ryuuen Group: 91 points
It was exactly as he expected: Nagumo Miyabi first, Koenji second. Kiriyama's ranking was also quite impressive. Ryuuen's combination wasn't bad either, squeezing into fifth place. As for his own group, they were holding steady in fourth.
Though he had taken first place in several tasks, Suzune and Kei had also contributed significantly. He scrolled down to look at the bottom ten. The last seven groups were all composed of students from Year 3 Classes B through D.
The very last place was a three-person group from Year 3 Class D with a pitiful total of 21 points. He found Ike Kanji's group at ninth from the bottom with a meager 29 points. No wonder they were traveling at night; that score was indeed very dangerous. However, according to school rules, combined groups split their scores equally, so as long as Shinohara
could successfully group with a high-scoring team, she could avoid the fate of being at the bottom.
Since the task to increase group capacity had only been open for a day, the top ten probably weren't full yet, so these scores were for reference only. In a few days, with personnel reorganization, the scores would surely undergo a massive shift.
He began checking the map. The tasks open nearby today were Sit-ups, Trivia, and Rock-Paper-Scissors.
The first was standard sit-ups in one minute; the one with the most reps wins. The second was similar to a regular exam but covered a broad, strange range of knowledge. As for the third, it was literally Rock-Paper-Scissors.
It was worth noting that the reward for the Trivia task was no longer points, but group capacity slots: 1st Place rewarded 3 slots, 2nd Place rewarded 2, and 3rd Place rewarded 1. Shimizu's group hadn't decided which group to merge with yet—he'd have to ask Suzune and Kei for their opinions. However, as for the slots, he might as well grab them first.
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By the time he arrived at the scene, the teacher in charge shook his head with some regret. "Student, the number of participants here is already full. Sorry about that."
"I see." Shimizu didn't mind too much. It was the first day group capacity tasks were open, so high traffic was normal. He scanned the participants and found two familiar faces.
Ishigami Kyou, whom he hadn't seen in a while, was standing in the crowd talking to Kanzaki Ryuuji of Year 2 Class D. Shimizu didn't want to disturb them, but Kanzaki seemed to notice him. The two stopped talking and walked over together.
"Shimizu, long time no see." "Shimizu-senpai, good morning."
Shimizu nodded back. "Ishigami, Kanzaki, long time no see. You guys here for the Trivia task too?"
"As you can see." Kanzaki smiled. "The two of us arrived late and missed the registration just like you. By the way, you probably know Ishigami, right? We've actually known each other since we were kids. We happened to run into each other and were discussing current national policies."
"Yes, Kanzaki and I were talking about the Citizen Party, the ruling party." Ishigami Kyou took over. "Naoe, one of the four top giants of the Citizen Party, has entered a nursing home. His health is deteriorating; by my estimate, he can hold on for a year at most. This person
previously suppressed the White Room. The reason the White Room closed back then was the concession Naoe was forced to make when he sued for peace with the Kijima faction."
Shimizu was startled. He vaguely remembered Ayanokouji Kiyotaka mentioning something similar, but he hadn't mentioned the specific reason for the White Room's temporary closure. It was an order from Naoe? If so, that was probably why Ayanokouji had the chance to escape.
"If Naoe passes away, it would be a good thing for the Kijima faction." Kanzaki Ryuuji nodded. "I recall the Koenji family has had deep cooperation with the Kijima faction. The current Prime Minister is from the Kijima family. I wonder what things will look like then and what specific policies will be implemented."
"Who knows? By the time you graduate, Kanzaki, it will be two years later. I still have three years. In this Advanced Nurturing High School, there shouldn't be any major changes," Ishigami said.
"When you entered this school, what was the state of the other political parties?" "Well, actually..."
The two chatted for a few more minutes. Kanzaki finally noticed Shimizu's disinterested expression and smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry, for us high schoolers to be discussing politics is indeed a bit bored and idle. You're seeing us at our silliest."
"Not at all." Shimizu waved his hand. "You guys are from zaibatsu backgrounds, after all; I simply can't chime in. I'm ashamed to say I don't quite understand what you're talking about. I don't usually pay attention to real-time political changes."
Then again, in his previous life, he also liked to discuss politics and history in the dorm with his classmates, and he'd occasionally chat about it when hanging out with friends in college. It was human nature, nothing to criticize.
"Shimizu-senpai doesn't pay much attention to current events?" Ishigami Kyou was somewhat surprised. He thought for a moment and asked, "Then does Senpai know who the founder behind Advanced Nurturing High School is?"
"If I remember correctly, it should be the Kijima faction," Shimizu said, remembering Ayanokouji had mentioned it.
"Correct." Kanzaki Ryuuji nodded. "Including the Koenji Rokusuke you know—he's at this school because his family has deep cooperation with the Kijima faction. In fact, regarding the incident where Acting Chairman Tsukishiro withdrew the expulsion order last year, it wasn't primarily our Kanzaki family's effort; the Koenji family was the main force."
This was something Shimizu didn't know. Tsukishiro was from the White Room, naturally one of Naoe's people, so the Kijima faction would intervene. Behind all this, there were undercurrents of factional struggle. In that case, even the current Principal would have to show Koenji some respect?
"This is internal information known only to those at the top. I know Shimizu-senpai won't just spread it around," Ishigami continued. "And regarding the White Room... its existence is only known to the higher-ups. In fact, some of the children from the White Room were even sent there proactively by various major powers."
"What?" Shimizu was truly shocked. Proactively sending children there to suffer?
"After all, the White Room was established to cultivate elite talent. Several great families hoped their future children would become geniuses, so they sent them in," Ishigami explained calmly. "Actually, the White Room was founded only a few years after Advanced Nurturing High School. I've studied the data and even suspect that the reason Naoe created the White Room was to counter the Kijima faction's school."
Just to make their own children outstanding? Parents like that were simply too cold-blooded. But Shimizu remembered having similar suspicions before—the White Room and this school were indeed very similar. He just hadn't expected them to be products created in opposition to each other.
Yet now, because of Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, assassins from the White Room were appearing one after another at Advanced Nurturing High School. It felt like there was a grand game of chess being played behind the scenes. It wasn't as simple as targeting Ayanokouji alone.
"But you can just take these things with a grain of salt, Senpai," Ishigami shook his head. "For those of us from zaibatsu families, this is common knowledge. But for normal people, it is indeed hard to accept."
Kanzaki Ryuuji also nodded. "Yeah. Sometimes we only talk about this because of a sudden whim. After all, on this island, there's nothing else to do but the exam."
Just then, the teacher in charge of the Trivia task walked out with a list. "Everyone, thank you for waiting! The results of the Trivia task are out..."
Seeing the exam was nearly over, the three lost interest in chatting and went their separate ways.
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By the way, since Amasawa Ichika last ran into Nagumo Miyabi, she had been looking for Shimizu Akira. Yesterday she wanted to check his location using GPS, but she was called away privately by Shiba Katsunori, who repeatedly emphasized that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Shimizu Akira must be expelled during this special exam, and she was to assist in the investigation when necessary. He also told her to keep an eye on Yagami Takuya.
How could she possibly keep an eye on him? Although Amasawa had known Yagami for years, that man was crazy to his core. When he went insane, he wouldn't even recognize his own kin. She didn't want to bring that trouble upon herself.
It was the morning of Day 5. After Amasawa Ichika finished lunch, she casually checked her group's score and found they were missing a point for no reason.
"Huh? Who used the GPS?"
The other two in her group were Nanase Tsubasa and Housen Kazuomi; it was definitely one of them. However, with all three of them having high overall qualities, they were at 62 points and didn't mind the missing point.
As she was eating, a group of upperclassmen walked by. The fullness of the leading senpai's chest immediately left the somewhat flat-chested Amasawa dazed. Before she could react, the senpai next to her—wearing glasses and having a strangely weak-willed aura—was no different. Her body even jiggled as she walked.
'Wait? Those two are definitely over an E, right? Is this the value of upperclassmen?'
Fortunately, the brown-haired girl with short hair in the middle, while very cute and with a much better figure than Amasawa, wasn't quite that exaggerated. Amasawa looked closely—wasn't this Kushida Kikyo, the Student Council member from Year 2 Class B?
The other two were Hasabe Haruka and Sakura Airi. Amasawa had reviewed the data given by Tsukishiro many times; naturally, she remembered them clearly. For some reason, seeing Kushida Kikyo gave Amasawa an inexplicable urge to tease her.
On the other side, the traveling Kushida Kikyo clearly noticed Amasawa's scrutiny. She thought for a moment and led Haruka and Airi over.
"You're Amasawa-kouhai, right? Good afternoon."
"Kushida-senpai, and everyone else, good afternoon." Amasawa wasn't surprised that Kushida knew her. According to the data, this senpai's social skills were rivaled only by Ichinose Honami; memorizing the entire student body was a piece of cake for her.
Truth be told, if Amasawa wasn't teasing people and put on the polite front trained into her by the White Room, she looked quite deceptive with her cute, petite frame and respectful head-bow. At least to Haruka and Airi, she looked like a cute underclassman.
"Oh, Amasawa-kouhai, hello."
"...Hello, Kouhai."
Kushida's intuition told her the person in front of her wasn't as simple as she appeared, but she still asked with a smile: "Amasawa-kouhai, why are you alone? Where are your group members? Are you lost? Do you need help?"
Amasawa marveled inwardly. Like Yagami Takuya, she naturally knew Kushida's middle school history and her two-faced nature. But she hadn't expected her to act so well—the perfect picture of a kind senpai caring for a lone junior.
Then again, if she remembered correctly, Yagami had mentioned last time that this woman was Shimizu Akira's girlfriend. Shimizu-senpai was usually so cold to her; how did he end up with this two-faced woman? How strange.
Amasawa's eyes darted. She decided to follow her heart and tease this Kushida-senpai a little, just like she had slandered Nagumo Miyabi before.
"No need to trouble you senpais; my group is acting individually, so don't worry about me." She looked up and waved casually. "But speaking of which, I have a good relationship with Yagami, and he told me that Kushida-senpai is dating Shimizu-senpai."
"Kouhai, you know Akira-kun too?" Haruka asked immediately upon hearing this.
"Yes!" Amasawa smiled. "I'm the manager of the Boxing Club. Shimizu-senpai looked after me for a long time recently; he's a very reliable senpai."
"Ah, you're the one Kei mentioned..."
"The manager..."
It wasn't a delusion; the moment she said those words, not only Kikyo but Haruka and Airi also showed expressions of sudden realization, followed by an inexplicable look of wariness.
Amasawa was stunned.
'Huh? What's going on? Has the intel been made public?'
But she continued: "I ran into Shimizu-senpai a few days ago. He seemed to be grouped with Karuizawa-senpai and Horikita-senpai. It's so strange—since you're a couple, why didn't Shimizu-senpai group with you from the start?"
She laughed inwardly.
'Time to be passive-aggressive.'
If you lose your cool and get angry in front of the other two senpais, maybe you'll expose your true nature. Hehe.
Hearing this, Haruka and Airi immediately caught the girl's drift. Airi looked at Kikyo with concern, and Haruka was about to say something, but Kikyo simply waved them off, indicating she was fine. Instead, she lowered her head bashfully. "That... isn't very convenient to say."
Amasawa didn't quite understand what she was bashful about. "What's wrong, Senpai? What's inconvenient? I swear on my biological parents that I will absolutely not tell another soul."
Anyway, she had never even met those cheap parents; such an oath carried zero weight for her.
Only then did Kushida Kikyo whisper: "Actually, it's because Akira-kun and I have progressed the fastest, so it's time to give the others a chance."
"What?" Amasawa didn't react.
Haruka snorted. "Kikyo was the first girlfriend Akira-kun dated! They've already finished all the things a couple should do. It's because Kikyo is kind-hearted and deliberately gave Karuizawa and Horikita a chance. It's not 'emotional discord' like you think!"
Amasawa finally understood with a delay—it was that business between a man and a woman. But then again, she proactively gave up her spot? Was this woman that kind?
"Don't tell me it's not just Karuizawa-senpai, but Horikita-senpai too..." she asked instinctively.
"Correct. And me and Airi—we're all Akira-kun's official girlfriends." Haruka said candidly. "We've both done it with Shimizu Akira. Got it?"
"This..." Amasawa felt the information overload.
So Shimizu-senpai had more than two girlfriends? Counting them up, there were at least five! And they've all done it?
'Wait, wait, wait, can his body—no, with Senpai's monstrous constitution, he can definitely handle it. It's probably these people who can't handle it.'
"Um... so Amasawa-kouhai misunderstood." Airi also added softly, "And since Akira-kun has been with Kikyo the longest, I think the person Akira-kun likes most is Kikyo."
"I see!" Amasawa was forced to end the conversation awkwardly, lowering her head. "It seems I misunderstood. My apologies!"
As she looked up, she caught an accidental glimpse of Kushida Kikyo. The senpai actually had a very satisfied smile on her face.
Only then did Amasawa realize—she did it on purpose! She deliberately acted bashful to pique Amasawa's curiosity and trigger the other two senpais' dissatisfaction, making them blurt out the truth. Along the way, she revealed that "they've done everything," "she's the number one girlfriend," and "she's the most liked."
Wasn't this just a perfect opportunity to flaunt her relationship with Shimizu Akira?
'My god, this woman is too wicked! A wicked woman—definitely a wicked woman! The White Room training didn't teach me this move!'
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