Before long, news of Shimizu Akira joining the boxing club had quietly spread throughout the class.
He noticed the subtle shift in his classmates' gazes—a mix of wariness and curiosity.
The Boxing Club was undeniably a top-tier organization in this school.
Combat sports clubs carried an innate intimidation factor, much like the class's resident gyaru—after all, no one wanted to risk getting knocked out over a petty argument.
That said, Shimizu himself preferred reason over fists. If a problem could be solved through words, he'd never resort to violence.
"Shimizu-kun!"Karuizawa Kei leaned over his desk, her smile dazzling. "When's the next boxing match?"
Lately, the class's resident queen bee had been finding excuses to talk to him.
The sparkle in her eyes betrayed an unusual interest in the sport.
"There's an exhibition match between two senpais next week," he replied flatly.
"So, how many normal guys could you take on at once now?" She propped her hands on his desk, eyes gleaming.
"..."Shimizu wasn't sure why she cared but answered honestly: "Three to five, probably."
Even before boxing, his physique alone could handle a few untrained opponents.
"So cool!" She clapped her hands. "When you throw a straight punch, does it make that pfft pfft sound like in movies?"
"That's for breath control and rhythm. Beginners do that."
It struck him that Karuizawa was unusually chatty today.
Her flawless face radiated genuine admiration—even if he sensed the calculated flattery beneath it, he couldn't bring himself to mind.
After all, what guy could resist a cute girl's enthusiastic attention? It proved an old truth: a man's tolerance for a woman's antics is directly proportional to her looks.
But something nagged at him.
Hadn't Karuizawa been close to Hirata Yōsuke at the start of the term?
His gaze drifted to the other side of the classroom, where the sunny football club member held court amidst a crowd of admirers.
As if sensing his stare, Hirata turned and flashed him a warm, unbothered smile.
(No reaction at all to Karuizawa talking to me… So they're not that close, huh?)
Come to think of it, Karuizawa and Hirata hadn't interacted much since that first week.
Instead, Karuizawa kept finding reasons to hover near him.
(Wait… is she scouting me as a bodyguard?)
The thought left a sour aftertaste.
While attention from a cute girl was flattering, being used as a tool was another matter entirely. No one wanted to play the naïve pushover in this day and age.
"Karuizawa-san, you're really into boxing, huh?"Kushida Kikyō, silent until now, chimed in.
"Oh~ Not boxing itself!"Karuizawa clasped her cheeks, eyes sparkling. "I just think guys showing off their muscles while fighting is super hot!"
"That's quite the motive~"Kushida giggled.
"What's wrong with liking fit guys?!"Karuizawa shot back, tossing Shimizu a playful wink.
But his mind remained icy calm.
To him, her enthusiasm reeked of strategic maneuvering—someone seeking protection under the guise of admiration.
"Well then, see you later, Shimizu-kun~!"
As she left, her fingers "accidentally" brushed his abs. She gasped theatrically—though her ears turned pink.
"Wow! So hard!"
(Huh? That reaction… Doesn't seem like a seasoned gyaru's move.)
(Could she actually be… inexperienced with guys?)
(Then again, I just got publicly groped, didn't I?)
Teenage curiosity was never one-sided—girls had hormones too.
But his attention snagged on a folded note suddenly on his desk.
—Who put this here?
The question flickered through his mind, but now wasn't the time to investigate. Kushida stood right beside him, watching with those deceptively clear eyes.
"Something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Nothing." He pocketed the note smoothly.
He'd check it alone.
"By the way, Kushida-san, how do you usually relieve stress?"
She blinked, caught off guard. "Eh? Why ask that?"
"No reason. Just curious."
"Hmm… For me, just seeing everyone happy is enough! So I don't really need stress relief~"
His eyelid twitched. "...Right. Glad that works for you."
Even imagining her mindset exhausted him.
Kushida, ever persistent, turned to Horikita Suzune: "Horikita-san, want to grab coffee?"
"No." The reply was instant, devoid of eye contact.
Kushida's smile didn't falter. "Too bad~" She flitted off to another group, her laughter soon blending with the others'.
Just as Shimizu thought the interaction was over—
Horikita's gaze locked onto him, her tone eerily calm:
"What do you want for dinner tonight?"
His finger froze mid-tap against the desk.
Slowly, he looked up—certain he'd misheard.
The notoriously solitary Horikita Suzune was asking about his meal preferences?