Chapter 038 Can We Be Friends for a Lifetime? / I've Agreed to Let Chiaki Join the Harem
Matsushita Chiaki gave a grand wave of her hand and said very generously, "Kei, whatever you want to eat or buy, just take it. I'm paying."
Karuizawa Kei's eyes lit up as she stared at the box of snacks behind the counter. "Then I won't be polite! I want chocolate, milk tea... oh, and lollipops too... this one, and this one, pack them all up for me!"
The teacher in charge at the harbor packed the items into a plastic bag one by one, scanned them a few times with the scanner, and calculated the price. "That's a total of 670 points. Students, which of you is paying?"
"I am!" Matsushita Chiaki stepped forward, went through facial recognition, and successfully completed the payment.
"Student, just a reminder: you have less than 50 points left in your account now. You won't be able to exchange for any more goods after this," the teacher kindly reminded her.
"Oh, I see. Thank you, Teacher." Matsushita Chiaki remained calm on the surface, but internally, she couldn't help but feel the sting in her wallet.
She hadn't expected Karuizawa Kei to be so unreserved, spending nearly 600 points in one go. Adding in the snacks bought previously, all the points their group had painstakingly saved had gone into this girl's stomach; there truly wasn't a single drop left.
The two walked onto the nearby beach.
"Chiaki, is this really okay? Is it too much trouble for you?" Karuizawa Kei asked, a bit embarrassed as she carried the bulging bag of snacks.
To her surprise, Matsushita Chiaki shook her head without a second thought. "What trouble? It's useless for me to keep them; better to let you spend them."
Karuizawa Kei's nose wrinkled with emotion, and she involuntarily grabbed the other girl's hand. "Chiaki, you're really too good to me! Back in the first few months of school when I had no money, you were the one who suggested lending some to me with Maya; and you were the one who persuaded me not to quit the boxing club several times. Don't worry, I'm very good at boxing now. During this deserted island special exam, I will definitely protect the three of you—you, Maya, and Nene!"
Matsushita Chiaki found this incomprehensible—who needed her protection? She was thinking that she just wanted to join Shimizu Akira's harem and become his eighth girlfriend; a few snacks were just snacks, let her eat them.
However, seeing Karuizawa Kei's red nose and her obviously moved state, she felt it was both speechless and amusing.
'Isn't Kei a bit too simple?'
She wondered how she even became Shimizu Akira's seventh girlfriend. Despite saying so many nice things herself, she was still only "pending."
Matsushita Chiaki walked a few steps and asked casually, "By the way, how is progress between you and Shimizu-kun on the island?"
"What progress?!" Karuizawa Kei immediately began to complain. "Akira-kun is a total idiot, he's not proactive at all. That's why I planned to buy blankets today! Once we have blankets for cover, he should start making moves over these next few days, right?"
"Blankets?" Matsushita Chiaki was stunned. "You haven't bought them yet?"
"I haven't! I didn't have time the first few days, I was busy participating in tasks. I finally got some free time this afternoon."
Matsushita Chiaki almost wanted to cover her face. No wonder there hadn't been any opportunities for intimacy—without blankets, where would the opportunity come from? Then again, Kei was something else too; how could she delay something as important as blankets until the sixth day? Luckily she hadn't bought sleeping bags, or else there wouldn't even be a scenario for sleeping together during this exam.
"Kei, then how many pillows do you plan to buy?" Matsushita Chiaki asked further.
"Three, of course!" Karuizawa Kei replied matter-of-factly. "Otherwise, where would Akira-kun and Horikita sleep?"
Matsushita Chiaki couldn't help but sigh. "Sigh, how can you buy three pillows? One is enough! That way, you have a legitimate reason to share a pillow with Shimizu-kun. If there's not enough space on the pillow, can't you just rest your head on his shoulder?"
"Eh? That's a move?" Karuizawa Kei's eyes lit up again. "I didn't expect that besides being fast at mental arithmetic, you'd know so many romance tips, Chiaki!"
A dark line appeared on Matsushita Chiaki's forehead; she decided to temporarily ignore this comment, whether it was a compliment or an insult. She knew Kei was just simple, not malicious.
"So, what do you wear to sleep every night?"
"That... underwear and panties."
"And do you hold onto Shimizu-kun's arm while you sleep at night?"
"Right now... we just hold hands."
Matsushita Chiaki nodded and gave a decisive suggestion: "I think, once you have the blankets, you can try to seduce him tonight."
"Ah?!"
"Don't 'Ah' me. Even though you bought the blankets and the three of you will be sharing a bed tonight, Shimizu-kun is a steady boy after all. If you don't send a signal that you're willing to be proactive, he won't make a move on you."
"I... send a signal?" Karuizawa Kei's face flushed instantly. "B-but... he and I have only kissed. You mean, let me proactively kiss him?"
"Yes, that's what I mean." Matsushita Chiaki wanted to say more—it had been months since they started dating and they'd only kissed? That was way too slow. But on second thought, if she said that now, what little courage Kei had would likely vanish. So she continued to encourage her: "It's not just kissing. Since you're in bed and only wearing a bra and panties... if possible, proactively pressing against him is also an option."
Karuizawa Kei's face was now as red as a cooked shrimp. "P-proactively press against him? T-that's so embarrassing..."
"What's there to be embarrassed about?" Matsushita Chiaki said as a matter of course. "Aren't you boyfriend and girlfriend? What's wrong with a little pressing?"
"That's true, but..." Karuizawa Kei said hesitantly, "Horikita is right there too. What if she sees?"
"If she sees, she sees. It's unavoidable, after all." Matsushita Chiaki shook her head. "It's not like Horikita doesn't know about your relationship. Maybe Horikita is also waiting for an opportunity. If you strike first, won't you seize the initiative?"
Karuizawa Kei blinked, touched by this logic. "Seize the initiative?"
"Exactly." Matsushita Chiaki guided her patiently. "Think about it. Both you and Horikita are Shimizu-kun's girlfriends, but so far neither of you has taken the next step, right? If you take this step first, won't your weight in Shimizu-kun's heart be different?"
Karuizawa Kei fell into deep thought.
'It seems... to make some sense?'
"Besides," Matsushita Chiaki continued, "think about Hasabe Haruka and Sakura Airi! Why did those two progress so fast? It's because they know how to proactively seduce a man."
Karuizawa Kei immediately pouted. True... though their relationship had grown closer after that party and she could speak normally with Hasabe Haruka now, Haruka was still annoying! Even though she called her "Kei," out of every ten sentences in their chats, seven were about how intimate she and Shimizu Akira were at night. She talked about how she and Akira-kun did the "final step," how many "small umbrellas" they used, how many minutes they spent at night, how comfortable those things felt... It was infuriating just thinking about it!
Seeing Karuizawa Kei's teeth-gritting expression, Matsushita Chiaki added more fuel to the fire. "Clearly, you were the first to proactively get to know Shimizu Akira, yet you let those two beat you to the punch. If you pass up this opportunity on the island, there won't be another chance like this."
Karuizawa Kei was indeed completely ignited by these words. "Right! Exactly! I knew Akira-kun first! Why should I let them get ahead!" She clenched her small fists, a fighting spirit burning in her eyes.
Matsushita Chiaki saw this and knew the timing was finally right. "So, you know what to do over these next few nights, right?"
"Mhm, mhm, I know!"
"Alright, now that we've discussed the plan for the island exam, let's talk about what comes after." Matsushita Chiaki pulled the topic back to the future.
"What comes after?"
"Yes. Specifically, it's about your situation among Shimizu Akira's many girlfriends. Kei, how do you think Shimizu Akira treats you compared to the seven girlfriends? How many days a week does he give you? How many times a night does he sleep in your dorm?"
"That..." Karuizawa Kei thought for a bit. "Akira-kun is very good to me, he's always concerned about me. Weekends? Our boxing club is always together, so I haven't really counted. He doesn't come to my dorm at night! Since we haven't had that kind of relationship yet."
"What about the other girlfriends?"
"Mhm... he's good to everyone. If I had to say, he spends the most time with Kushida Kikyo. Although I'm very jealous, I understand—she was his first girlfriend, after all. As for the number of nights spent sleeping over..." She counted on her fingers. "Akira-kun regularly goes to the dorms of Kushida Kikyo, Ichinose Honami, Hasabe Haruka, and Sakura Airi. If I had to say, the frequency with Haruka and Airi is a bit higher."
Matsushita Chiaki didn't quite understand. "Kikyo-chan is indeed hard to compete with... but do Hasabe Haruka and Sakura Airi really spend that much time at night with Shimizu-kun?"
"You bet!" Karuizawa Kei got angry just mentioning it. "Those two! Not only are their figures 'illegal,' but from time to time they even go find Akira-kun together for a threesome! They only started staying together because of the forest camp exam; their seniority isn't much longer than mine!"
Without summarizing, one wouldn't have known; once summarized, it was a shock. Haruka and Airi were actually the girls occupying the most of Shimizu Akira's nighttime. If they went back to the luxury cruise ship, she definitely wouldn't be able to compete with them again and would be mocked by Haruka intentionally or unintentionally—how could she not be angry?
"I see..." Matsushita Chiaki nodded thoughtfully. "So, you also need to find a helper."
Karuizawa Kei froze. "You mean... let me find an alliance with one of Shimizu Akira's other girls?"
"No!" Matsushita Chiaki almost couldn't maintain her "big sister" smile and simply pointed at herself. "I mean, I can help you!"
Karuizawa Kei thought about it carefully and found it more and more plausible. "That's true! You're my good bestie, and you just gave me so many good ideas. If you help me, I really could secure more of Akira-kun's private time!"
As she spoke, she suddenly showed a troubled expression. "But... you're not in Akira-kun's harem group."
'Here it comes! Finally, the words I've been waiting for!'
Matsushita Chiaki turned her head, cleared her throat, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with one hand, and said with feigned composure: "Actually... yesterday, I confessed to Shimizu Akira. I'm now his number-eight 'candidate' girlfriend."
Karuizawa Kei's eyes widened, and the bag of snacks in her hand almost fell to the ground. "Wait, wait, wait, wait!" She grabbed Matsushita Chiaki's arm. "What did you just say? You confessed to Akira-kun? When did this happen? How come I didn't know?!"
"Just yesterday." Matsushita Chiaki was being shaken until she felt a bit dizzy. "Let go first and let me explain slowly."
Karuizawa Kei finally let go, but her eyes were still wide and round, projecting an aura that she wasn't done until things were clear.
Matsushita Chiaki straightened her messy collar and began to answer: "Yesterday, I went to participate in the fast mental arithmetic task, and happened to run into Akira-kun there. After it ended, I... I called him to the beach and confessed."
"And then? And then?"
"And then... he said he needed to think about it. He also said he would discuss it with you—that your opinion was the most important."
Karuizawa Kei was stunned. "Discuss it with me?"
"Mhm." Matsushita Chiaki nodded. "He said it was out of respect for you. So right now, I'm... a reservist?"
Karuizawa Kei was silent for a few seconds. The expression on her face changed from shock to complexity, and from complexity to... to anger. She raised her fist as if to strike Matsushita Chiaki's shoulder.
"You sneak, Chiaki! I was wondering why you were so good to me these past few days and giving me so many ideas today—turns out you have a request for me! You want to share my boyfriend! Horikita was right, you were up to no good!"
"I'm sorry!" Matsushita Chiaki quickly lowered her head to admit her mistake. "Actually, from the beginning, I didn't think you had to agree; I just wanted to make you feel better. Hit me or scold me as you like. I did wrong in this matter, I apologize to you."
Karuizawa Kei's fist stopped in mid-air. She looked at the heavy bag of snacks in her hand, then remembered all the delicious food she'd eaten over the past few days, and suddenly felt her anger level drop quite a bit. But she still reached out and pinched Matsushita Chiaki's cheek with a huff. The latter didn't complain at all, letting her pinch with a submissive smile.
"Fine! I've realized it too!" Karuizawa Kei let go. "No wonder you didn't hold a grudge when I said bad things about you months ago—you were waiting for me here! You! Could it be you were planning to pursue Akira-kun since then?"
"Uh... actually Chabashira..." Matsushita Chiaki wanted to say that Chabashira-sensei set it up.
"Excuses!" Karuizawa Kei pulled a long face and glared at her. "If you didn't have the intent, who could persuade you?"
"I'm sorry!" Matsushita Chiaki lowered her head again.
Looking at her like this, Karuizawa Kei sighed. "Look up."
Matsushita Chiaki looked at her cautiously. "You're just letting me off like that?"
"Since the start of school, you've looked out for me so many times—lending me money, tutoring me, speaking up for me, and helping me get closer to Akira-kun..." Karuizawa Kei said speechlessly. "How could I truly blame you? I just don't quite understand. Since you could have just said it directly and I'd definitely have helped you, why go to all this trouble?"
Matsushita Chiaki was stunned. "You... would help me? You wouldn't be jealous?"
"Mhm." Karuizawa Kei nodded. "From the time we started dating, Akira-kun made it clear that there would definitely be other girls later. Besides, I'm the seventh one—if I were jealous, why would I even date him?"
"..."
"As for you." Karuizawa Kei looked at her. "I knew long ago that both you and Maya liked Akira-kun, but when you two heard about his harem, you both kept your distance. I thought you'd given up. Why the change of heart now?"
"I never gave up." Matsushita Chiaki shook her head. "I was just observing for a while. Later, seeing that Akira-kun was indeed handling things well, I thought... I'd give it a try."
"Chiaki, you're very rational." Karuizawa Kei stared at her. "I don't hate that about you. But for romance, being too realistic isn't great. From my view, it seems you don't like Akira-kun that much? Do you plan to break up after graduation?"
"That..." Matsushita Chiaki thought about it and shook her head. "I can't say."
"But I, Hasabe Haruka, Sakura Airi, Horikita Suzune, Kushida Kikyo, Ichinose Honami, and that Kamuro Masumi—we can all say without hesitation that even after graduation, we want to live with Akira-kun and enter the same university." Karuizawa Kei spoke directly.
Matsushita Chiaki was taken aback.
'That determined?'
She knew Kei was a bit of a "love-brain." But she hadn't expected Suzune and Kikyo to be like that too... She suddenly realized that with her current feelings for Shimizu Akira, there was indeed a gap between them.
"I'm not blaming you." Karuizawa Kei smiled. "After all, the number of times you two have spoken is far less than us. And some couples are indeed like that. Since that's the case, you should have a few proper dates and some intimacy with Akira-kun next; maybe then you'll become just like me."
"Oh." Matsushita Chiaki responded. She was actually a novice in love, thinking that with her rational personality, she wouldn't become that much of a love-brain, right? But she soon reacted. "Wait... does that mean you agree?"
"I agree!" Karuizawa Kei nodded. "You've made the conditions so clear today, how could I leave my 'advisor' behind? However, a threesome is still too early for us; let's settle things one by one first." As she spoke, her voice became smaller and her face turned red.
Matsushita Chiaki's face also turned red. "Mhm... well... I'll help you in the future! And between the two of us, I'll prioritize letting Akira-kun be intimate with you, I swear!"
"Idiot." Karuizawa Kei reached out and tapped her forehead. "In these things, there's no first or second. Since you've already become Akira-kun's eighth girlfriend, just let nature take its course. Would I let you lose out?"
Matsushita Chiaki's eyes grew a bit red. "Although I don't know how things will develop with Akira-kun... can the two of us be friends for a lifetime?"
Karuizawa Kei's nose also wrinkled. "Idiot. Haven't we been friends for a lifetime for a long time now? I've felt that way since I first met you. Even after graduation, we must keep in touch often."
"Ah!"
"Hmm? Kei, what's wrong?"
"I just realized, did we forget Maya and Nene? What about them! Especially Maya—she likes Shimizu Akira too!"
"..."
-
-
-
At 6:00 PM.
Shimizu Akira had originally been worried about whether the two girls, Karuizawa Kei and Matsushita Chiaki, could bring back such heavy duvet covers, so he sat by the campfire with Horikita Suzune for a while. Just as he was about to get up to check on the situation, footsteps came from nearby.
Looking up, Karuizawa Kei was walking in front, followed by two middle-aged male staff members who were helping to carry blankets, duvet covers, sheets, mattresses, and pillows—a massive pile.
"Akira-kun! Horikita! I'm back!" Karuizawa Kei waved. "I'm not tired at all! These two uncles heard I was in your group and proactively helped deliver them."
Shimizu's gaze swept over them; one of them was the man he had dealt with before. He quickly went to meet them. "Uncle, thank you so much! I've really troubled you this time!"
"It's fine, it's fine." The man waved his hand dismissively, adding with a chuckle, "But then again, Shimizu-kun, you really know how to enjoy yourself. Once you have blankets, many things will become much more convenient, won't they?"
Shimizu Akira was a bit embarrassed by this meaningful comment and gave a dry cough. "Uncle, you joke. It's just for ordinary sleeping."
"Oh... 'ordinary' sleeping. I get it, I get it." The man elongated his tone and exchanged a knowing glance with his colleague. "So, where should we put the stuff?"
"Thank you, Uncles. Just put them in the tent." Horikita Suzune walked over, giving directions with a normal expression. "Put the blankets here, the mattresses on the bottom, the sheets over them..."
The two men put the items in place according to instructions. Before leaving, they didn't forget to pat Shimizu Akira's shoulder.
"Young man, keep up the hard work. Japan's future regarding the low birth rate is in your hands."
Shimizu Akira felt a headache coming on.
'What does that mean? Making him have more children? Even if he and Kei, Suzune, and the others have eight or ten children in the future, he alone couldn't save Japan from its low birth rate! That kind of thing requires the government to work harder.'
Still, the words were quite blunt; Karuizawa Kei and Horikita Suzune caught on instantly, their faces turning beet-red.
"Alright! Since Karuizawa-san is back, it's time to eat."
"Right, right, eat, eat." Karuizawa Kei finally remembered she was still hungry and quickly sat down. "I bought so many snacks, they can be dinner!" She opened the large bag of snacks, pulling them out like showing off treasures. "Look—chocolate, potato chips, biscuits, lollipops, milk tea... enough to last for days, right?"
"You plan to have this for dinner?"
"Is that not okay?"
Horikita Suzune sighed and pulled several boxes of self-heating food from the tent. "Let's cook a proper meal."
Shimizu Akira glanced at Karuizawa Kei, found she was still in a good mood, and asked casually, "Did Matsushita explain everything to you?"
"Mhm! It's all clear!" Karuizawa Kei nodded.
"That's good. I was mainly looking for your opinion; if you didn't agree..."
Before Shimizu Akira could finish, Karuizawa Kei quickly shook her head to interrupt. "I've agreed! So, Matsushita Chiaki is your eighth girlfriend from now on, right?"
Read ahead (120 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting