Horikita Suzune returned to the classroom shortly after the bell rang.
The moment she sat down, she turned to Shimizu Akira, her brows still slightly furrowed. "Don't mention this to my brother."
Seeing the lingering embarrassment in her eyes, Shimizu Akira suddenly understood—Horikita Suzune's weakness was undoubtedly her older brother.
In a way, as long as he brought up Horikita Manabu, even someone as stubborn as her would comply without resistance.
Shimizu Akira glanced at her. "That depends on whether you'll actually listen to advice from now on, Horikita."
Her eyes immediately sharpened. "When have I ever not listened?"
Her tone was defiant, but there was an unmistakable lack of conviction—likely because she was recalling how she'd stubbornly endured the pain in class earlier.
Then, a thought flashed through her mind—he had warned her from the very beginning.
Now that she considered it, the entire problem had stemmed from her own refusal to heed his advice.
But she still felt it wasn't entirely her fault.
Since childhood, the only people she'd ever obeyed were her father and her brother.
Now, out of nowhere, a male classmate had suddenly told her not to eat the bento she'd made herself—how could she just blindly comply?
She stole a glance at Shimizu Akira, who was currently organizing his textbooks. Anyone would hesitate to take orders from a peer like that.
But then she remembered how she'd nearly doubled over in pain inside the bathroom stall earlier and couldn't help but press her lips together—Maybe… next time, she could listen just a little?
"By the way, throw out those free ingredients you picked up yesterday,"Shimizu Akira said casually, his tone indifferent. "Since they made you sick today, they were definitely bad."
"...I know." Her response was quiet.
"While you were gone, the math teacher went over a new problem." He suddenly slid his notebook toward her. "I wrote it down here. The steps are detailed, so take a look yourself."
The handwriting was neat, the solution broken down into clear, logical steps.
Horikita Suzune stared at the notes for a few seconds before abruptly looking up at him, her tone unusually direct. "Hold out your hand."
"?" Though confused, Shimizu Akira complied, extending his palm.
The next moment, Horikita Suzune placed her own hand over his, fingers slightly curled but not pulling away. "You can hold my hand. For ten seconds."
"What's this for?" His hand hovered midair, his expression pure bewilderment.
"Equivalent exchange." Her voice was even quieter than when she'd thanked him earlier. "I don't know if you're being nice to me because you're interested in me… but I'm not planning on dating anyone right now."
She paused, her fingertips tensing imperceptibly against his palm. "But I remember you once said you liked hand-holding… so this is the only response I can give."
Noticing Shimizu Akira's stunned look, she quickly added, "Don't misunderstand me. I just can't think of another way to repay you right now, and owing favors makes me uncomfortable."
This wasn't something she'd do for just anyone.
But this was Shimizu Akira—someone her brother approved of, and one of the few boys she'd never disliked.
She also remembered clearly: During swimming class, he'd mentioned being "interested in a girl's body."
And when he'd gone on that date with Kushida, they'd seemingly gotten even closer than this.
So if it was just holding hands… surely she could manage it too.
Besides… she had a vague feeling this might make him trust her a little more.
If they needed to cooperate in the future, things would go smoother this way.
She still hadn't given up on the idea of recruiting him as a partner, after all.
"...Did you wash your hands?"Shimizu Akira asked nonchalantly.
"You—!" Her head snapped up, her eyes burning with indignation as her fingers instinctively twitched, as if to pull away.
"Don't get mad." He chuckled lightly, his fingertips brushing the back of her hand. "Just joking. You're wound up like a coiled spring—needed to loosen you up a bit."
When he withdrew his hand, his tone had returned to normal. "So you thought I was pursuing you? Well, don't worry. Everything I've done for you falls under normal friend behavior. Since you're not looking for a boyfriend, I'll respect that."
He tapped the notebook he'd just handed her, his voice completely natural. "Things like taking notes for you or telling you to throw out bad ingredients—that's not 'pursuing.' It's just what friends do. You've tutored me before, and your brother's helped me out a lot. Looking after his little sister seems pretty reasonable, right?"
After a pause, he added, "That dinner invite was mostly because your brother did me a huge favor. Wanted to thank him through you."
Horikita Suzune stared at his frank expression, the irritation from his earlier joke quietly fading, soothed by the warmth of his touch.
But when he mentioned "dinner was because of your brother," her brows unconsciously furrowed—So it wasn't specifically for her?
Wait—did that mean Shimizu Akira's kindness toward her was entirely due to her brother's influence?
The thought left her feeling inexplicably conflicted.
Before that emotion could fully settle, Shimizu Akira suddenly laughed. "Well, since you're offering, I'm not going to refuse."
The next instant, her hand was gently enveloped in his.
"Wait—!" She jerked back as if burned.
"Oh? If it's not okay, then—"
"Under the desk." Her voice dropped to a whisper, her eyes darting toward the classmates chatting nearby, her ears turning redder. "It's break time. If people see… they'll misunderstand our relationship."
"..."
Shimizu Akira watched as she turned her face away but subtly slid her right hand beneath the desk. The contrast was almost comical.
He obligingly reached under the table, his fingertips brushing against her slightly cool knuckles in the shadows. He could feel the faintest tremble in her touch.
"...Is this acceptable?" Her voice came from above, strained with forced composure.
"Yeah, very acceptable." Suppressing a laugh, he gently clasped her hand. "Then I'll start counting—one."
His palm was slightly warmer than hers, his fingertips bearing faint calluses. But his grip was loose, barely cradling her fingers.
Horikita Suzune stiffened, about to pull away—
"One. Two. Three…"
He was actually counting.
Her cheeks suddenly felt hot.
Why were these ten seconds passing so slowly?!