Unfortunately, when the skirt hem reached its maximum lift, her hand stopped moving further up.
"Although I could show Kuroba-kun just like this, it would be even better if Kuroba-kun could agree to one thing for me."
"Tch, I knew it..."
Sure enough, the view under a beautiful girl's skirt was like a pig-slaughtering scam. If Akira chose to 'buy (look)' at this point, he would probably only face the fate of being severely fleeced like poor Tom.
If she were actually a cunning character, she might even use this as leverage to directly force Akira to give up his entire High School life.
The price to pay for just seeing panties was too high, so Akira decisively chose to refuse.
"Then I won't look."
"You won't look? Are you really not going to look? These are the panties of a current female High School student, a classmate, the Class Monitor, you know? Isn't Kuroba-kun curious about what color and style they are?"
Anri Hitomi, while adding extra value to the panties with specific prefixes, swayed her school short skirt like a magician manipulating a magic cloth.
The skirt hem swayed, making people involuntarily gaze, stimulating humanity's desire to explore the unknown.
No wonder they say the universe's mysteries are hidden under a beautiful girl's skirt... Before it's lifted, it's like Schrödinger's cat box; no one knows if there's really a little bird inside.
However, Akira's gaze was indeed magnetically drawn to her skirt, as if he was about to see it, yet not quite. The technique of controlling the glimpse was comparable to a school cafeteria aunt's shaky hand when serving food, pulling at every nerve of every adolescent boy.
Finally, Akira controlled his curiosity by rolling his eyes, pinching the Seimei acupoints on both sides of his nose, and raising a finger to the Class Monitor.
"Looking for one second is looking, staring for one minute is also looking, looking up close is looking, looking from three meters away is also looking. The power to lift the skirt is in your hands, not mine. This is too disadvantageous for me."
Anri Hitomi listened, then lowered her skirt, revealing a thoughtful expression.
"I see... Indeed, time and distance affect viewing quality. If I make Kuroba-kun feel like he's been played, he'll be even less willing to help me."
"Most importantly, I can't even confirm the content I'd be seeing. If they had little bears or strawberry patterns on them, wouldn't I be at a huge loss?"
Although some people like that, Akira wasn't particularly fond of the childish style.
"Are little bears and strawberries considered a loss...? Then I want to know, what kind of panties would make Kuroba-kun feel like he 'gained' something?"
"Black, hollow, semi-transparent, lace-patterned, I suppose."
"Oh, how perverted. Is that Kuroba-kun's personal preference?"
"No, it's about the character setting, okay?"
"Character setting?"
"For example, a shy, pure, natural High School girl trips and accidentally exposes her panties. Then, realizing she's been seen, her face instantly turns red, and she shyly pulls her skirt down hard, but accidentally pulls too hard, causing the entire skirt to fall off, revealing her whole panties... At that moment, seeing plain white panties with no decoration is the best!"
Anri Hitomi seemed to be following Akira's description and imagining it, finally showing a very understanding expression and agreeing.
"I see, now that Kuroba-kun has put it that way, I also think pure white is very suitable. I should say, it must be pure white."
"Right?"
"Then, why would I be more suitable for adult styles like black, hollow, semi-transparent lace? Please enlighten me, Kuroba-kun."
Although she said, 'Please enlighten me,' in such a humble way, her tone, which brooked no refusal, actually told Akira: If you don't say it today, don't even think about leaving.
"Because for the Class Monitor, a contrasting character setting is better."
"Contrasting character setting?"
"Yes, she should look very dignified, but actually be secretly perverted, craving bold and stimulating stress-relief games due to academic pressure, and when she gets home and takes off her glasses, she'll post very revealing selfies online... So, hot, high-exposure lingerie is most suitable."
"Although I am the Class Monitor, I don't wear glasses."
"That's why I said you don't look like a Class Monitor."
"Also, I don't feel any pressure from studying."
"Impressive, impressive."
After all, with a high-level talent like "Academic Ability A," studying must be easy and enjoyable for Anri Hitomi.
"Speaking of which, if it's the secretly perverted Class Monitor Kuroba-kun mentioned, not wearing anything would probably fit the character setting even better."
"That's no longer secretly perverted; that's a pervert."
"But for boys, seeing nothing should be more exciting, right?"
"Well, you're not wrong."
Anri Hitomi had just been thinking about how to increase the allure under her skirt. Since Akira himself admitted it, she should decisively raise the stakes here!
"So, Kuroba-kun, do you really not want to confirm and see? See if I, the Class Monitor, fit your contrasting character setting... You can even lift it yourself."
She even put up the power to lift her skirt herself.
It is said that the two pieces of cloth a man most wants to lift in his life are his first love's skirt and his wife's veil.
Furthermore, Anri Hitomi's words also contained a hidden benefit of 'you can look for as long as you want,' which was a considerable temptation for Akira, who hadn't lifted either piece of cloth in his previous life.
"So, Class Monitor, are you implying that you're really not wearing anything right now?"
"Hmm... There's a possibility, you know?"
"The moment Class Monitor, you hesitated, the possibility of being bare already ceased to exist."
"Kuroba-kun... you're too cunning."
"Since it's already clearly impossible to win the big prize, I won't take the risk if the terms of the transaction aren't clear."
In other words, if she really wanted to use this for a transaction, Anri Hitomi would need to proactively state the color and style of her panties.
However, making a beautiful High School girl in her prime disclose her panties was already a level of shame higher than many punishment games.
No matter how mature Anri Hitomi pretended to be, she was ultimately just a fifteen-year-old first-year High School student, only half of Akira's age in his previous life, and she hadn't yet experienced the baptism of society.
The decisive difference was the thickness of their skin.
"Alright... It seems Kuroba-kun isn't someone who can be persuaded by such a small temptation, or perhaps my panties aren't attractive enough..."
Anri Hitomi seemed to give up on further tempting Akira, sighing as she walked past him and stood in front of the vending machine.
"What a shame. I was thinking of treating Kuroba-kun to a drink if he was willing to help."
Hearing this, Akira, who was about to say goodbye, leaned against the side of the vending machine, crossing his arms and stating,
"Class Monitor, although the panties of a current female High School student do have a considerable appeal to me, I am a materialistic person. I would prioritize material wealth over the pursuit of spiritual fulfillment."
"Kuroba-kun, I'm very hurt right now."
"Why?"
"Are my panties not even worth a bottle of drink?"
"I didn't say a bottle of drink could buy me off either... By the way, let's first hear what Class Monitor, you want to ask me to do."
"You should have asked about that first!"
You should have said it first...