Not far away, the sun was setting and the last rays of twilight quietly seeped into the hallway.
The light diffused into the air, forming a hazy veil of dust, like a wisp of slanting smoke.
Time seemed to hang suspended—the window brimming with sunset, the quiet corridor, and the girl before him, who was taking this far too seriously, made Kaoru hold his breath for an instant.
Her voice echoed in his mind, and unbidden, a few faces flickered through his thoughts before he snapped back to reality.
"Why do you ask?" Kaoru was puzzled.
He didn't recall being close enough to Hasebe to discuss such topics.
"Your first reaction is to question me?" Hasebe scratched her head as the setting sun cast its glow over her.
"How should I put it? Seeing so many girls around you gives me a weird feeling."
"A weird feeling?" Kaoru was even more confused.
"Oh, do you remember our first meeting? During the summer break special exam, didn't I tell you that you looked just like a certain idol?" Hasebe Haruka recalled the scene with some excitement.
"What about it?"
"He also had lots of girls gathered around him, just like you."
"Could he be some romance movie regular?"
"He's not an actor, but he's often invited to variety shows to partner with idols."
Kaoru's expression turned strange.
So he was a comedian?
"So I think you're exactly like him now - very popular with women. Though he's already retired from the industry." As she spoke, Hasebe seemed both excited and embarrassed.
"Can you answer me now?"
"You won't tell anyone else?" Kaoru asked seriously.
"No, no! I'm very tight-lipped," Hasebe quickly raised her hand in oath.
She was just a girl who enjoyed gossip.
"I like each of them equally." Kaoru's eyes were serious, as if revealing some important secret, his voice dropping slightly.
"Huh?" Hasebe was stunned.
Did "equally" mean he want to make a harem?
After a long pause, her eyes finally widened as she stared at Kaoru with an extremely odd expression, her gaze unconsciously carrying a hint of disdain, as if looking at trash.
"This might be rude, but can I say that's disgusting?" Hasebe clearly had no interest in this harem mentality, even finding it repulsive.
"Sure, but I stand by my view."
Hearing this, Hasebe suddenly let out a long sigh.
"I should've never satisfied my curiosity."
Perhaps feeling there was nothing left to discuss, Hasebe picked up her bag and walked straight past Kaoru, though not forgetting to say goodbye to him.
Kaoru didn't stop her.
He could tell that while she had a strong-willed personality, she was completely different from either Horikita Suzune or Airi Sakura.
The conversation was normal, and she even initiated chats without any trace of introversion.
There was no arrogant attitude either—her topics slightly crossed the usual boundaries of distance but didn't delve too deep.
Her interest in the entertainment industry showed she was a perfectly ordinary girl.
According to Kushida Kikyo's intel, the other party was an average student, though her social circle was small, and she often spent time alone.
....
Kaoru arrived at the corridor entrance just in time to see Class A and Class D engaged in a mock battle—a practice match proposed by Katsuragi to help everyone adapt faster to the competitive environment.
However, quite a few had already left early, and Hasebe Haruka wasn't the only one.
After nearly half a month of practice, some had never shown up at all—like Kouenji Rosuke from Class D, among others.
"Mitoma-kun, so you are here. I thought you'd gone back already."
At the sound of Karuizawa Kei's delighted voice, Kaoru turned and saw her sitting on a nearby bench, seemingly resting.
Her previously bored eyes now sparkled with energy.
"How's practice going?" Kaoru greeted her.
"We just finished a cavalry battle, and now everyone's exhausted, so we're taking a break." Karuizawa patted the empty spot beside her, signaling for him to sit.
"I was planning to keep running, but I accidentally bumped my foot."
"You hurt yourself?" Kaoru, who hadn't intended to sit next to her, instinctively moved closer.
"Is it bleeding? Does it hurt?"
The girl sat further back on the bench, her fair, slender legs slightly pressed together.
Her delicate skin showed no obvious wounds.
Kaoru was about to crouch down to check when he suddenly realized how inappropriate that would be.
Instead, he sat beside her, but just as he was about to speak, he caught the faint upward curve of her lips from the corner of his eye.
"Did you check my location?"
"Ugh, you're making me sound like a spy. Someone here is way worse than me."
"That's not what I meant."
Karuizawa puffed her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
Of course she had checked his location—how else was she supposed to know where he was?
And when she saw he was heading back, was it so wrong to wait for him here a little early?
Considering their relationship, she had even told a little white lie to give him a reason to sit beside her.
He should be thanking her.
Honestly, Karuizawa felt she had every right to be upset.
Here was someone who kept saying he'd take responsibility for her, yet he went around being affectionate with others without a care in the world.
"I don't care—I am your girlfriend now, right?" Karuizawa muttered.
"Obviously?" Kaoru glanced at her legs. "It's because of that relationship that I came to check on you right away."
Karuizawa felt a flicker of happiness, but it was quickly overshadowed by an odd, indescribable discomfort.
"Are you really not hurt?" Kaoru asked again.
"I'm not lying. I kicked a chair earlier, and it really hurt." Karuizawa pointed at her toes.
"I think it's a little swollen. What should I do?"
Since she was wearing sneakers, Karuizawa worried Kaoru wouldn't be able to see the details clearly.
She immediately bent down, untied her shoelaces, and hooked her fingers around the shoes.
Her petite feet gradually slipped free from the confines of the sneakers, with thin ankle socks clinging to her skin, tightly enveloping her feet as well.
Her five toes appeared particularly plump and soft, the delicate skin encased in the stockings.
Occasionally, she would awkwardly curl her toes—the tips were so translucent they revealed a tender pink hue.
It was unclear whether this was the natural glow of her skin or the stockings playing tricks, but they looked utterly delectable, like a tempting little dessert.
Perhaps unaware of his nickname 'perverted foot fetishist', Karuizawa pouted slightly and looked at Kaoru with a pitiful expression.
"See if it's swollen or not? I'm definitely not lying to you."
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