This chapter is 2-in-1 (289 and 289.2) so I don't lose track of the numbering
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Chapter 289: Sports Festival Ends
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The pace of the Sports Festival could be called quite brisk, and before long the competition had arrived at its final event.
A 1,200-meter relay race.
A six-leg relay, two hundred meters per leg, twelve hundred meters in total, with each class sending out three boys and three girls.
On the schoolyard, the students of all three grades gathered once more along both sides of the track, and the atmosphere flared up all over again.
Cheers, shouts, and words of encouragement rose and fell one after another.
Shikime Natsu stood among the ranks of Class A, his gaze sweeping across the scoreboard on the schoolyard.
The score gap between the Red Team and the White Team wasn't all that large, but the Red Team's lead had already become fairly obvious.
As for the first-year class rankings, Class A was currently far ahead in total points, having essentially already locked up first place.
Class B and Class C were locked in a tight battle, the gap between the two classes down to single digits—who would take second and who would take third was still hard to say.
As for Class D, Shikime Natsu glanced at Class D's score on the scoreboard, and felt a bit of emotion stir in his heart.
Class D's score was rock bottom, and the gap between them and Class C was quite large—basically, dead last was a foregone conclusion with no suspense at all.
Over in the first-year Class B camp.
Honami Ichinose stood at the very front of the group, that gentle, warm smile on her face.
She looked at her Class B classmates, and then began to speak.
"Everyone, this is the last event of the competition. Just do your best."
She paused, then continued.
"If we really do lose, then that just can't be helped."
Those words sounded rather like she was boosting others' morale while deflating her own side's spirit.
But the members of Class B didn't feel there was anything wrong with what Honami Ichinose had said.
After all, everyone present understood clearly that Class A was definitely going to take first place at this Sports Festival.
That guy Shikime Natsu was simply too strong.
Class A winning was basically a matter without any suspense.
So, for Class B, the real goal wasn't to fight for first place, but to fight for second.
Right now it was mainly Class B and Class C contesting second place—only second place would not have any Class Points deducted.
Neither of the two classes wanted to be punished.
Honami Ichinose thought this over in her heart, then let out a soft sigh.
She recalled the words Shikime Natsu had once said to her.
"Study hard, improve your own abilities. Don't rely solely on the school's status of graduating from Class A to enter society—rely on your own abilities to break into various industries."
"If your abilities don't match up, then even if you land a job in an industry, you may still be weeded out."
These words, Honami Ichinose had already passed along to everyone in Class B.
And they all agreed with this viewpoint.
But agreeing was one thing—what deserved to be fought for still had to be fought for.
After all, even after they left this place, they would still face competition.
If they chose to completely give up right here, then later, should they run into some difficulty, were they just going to keep giving up?
That was obviously impossible.
"Everyone, do your best!"
Honami Ichinose clenched her fist and shouted toward her Class B classmates.
"Let's go!"
The members of Class B answered in unison, their voices carrying a fighting spirit.
On the other side, in Class C's camp.
Ryuuen Kakeru stood at the very front of the group, no expression on his face, those eyes coldly regarding the track on the schoolyard.
"This is the last event."
"I don't need to say much—you should all know what to do."
"Second place. Get it for me."
"Yes!"
The members of Class C answered one after another.
In Class D's camp, the atmosphere was noticeably different.
The Class D students stood around in twos and threes—some chatting, some drinking water, some stretching.
On their faces, you couldn't see much tension or fighting spirit.
More than anything, there was a take-it-as-it-comes attitude.
After all, Class D's Class Points had already dropped to zero.
No matter how badly they did, it couldn't get much worse.
So the result of this final event, to them, no longer held that much importance.
Soon, the competitors entered the field.
The 1,200-meter relay race, run by all three grades together.
Each class sent out six runners, taking their designated positions along the track in order.
Shikime Natsu stood at the sixth-leg position, his expression very relaxed.
The third-years' final-leg position was held by Horikita Manabu, who still maintained a rather cold expression.
As for the second-years, it was Nagumo Miyabi—after all, Nagumo Miyabi had always wanted to face off against Horikita Manabu, so he naturally wouldn't yield this final leg to anyone. From the very start, his gaze had fallen upon Horikita Manabu, those eyes carrying a hint of provocation.
"President Horikita."
Horikita Manabu turned his head, glanced at him, and said nothing.
"It's the last event. Let's have a proper contest."
Nagumo Miyabi went on, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, revealing a provocative smile.
Horikita Manabu looked at him, silent for a moment.
Then he withdrew his gaze and paid Nagumo Miyabi no mind.
Just as always, he directly ignored him.
After noticing Horikita Manabu's expression, Nagumo Miyabi didn't say anything more.
He too understood clearly what sort of reaction Horikita Manabu would give.
But he didn't care.
After all, even if Horikita Manabu was unwilling to compete against him, he was still going to have his contest with Horikita Manabu.
This was his obsession, and also his goal.
It was right at this moment that Shikime Natsu's voice rang out.
"Senior Nagumo. Senior Nagumo."
Nagumo Miyabi turned his head and looked at Shikime Natsu.
Shikime Natsu was standing in his own position, a faint smile on his face as he looked at Nagumo Miyabi.
"How about it—shall we have a contest too?"
His tone was very casual, but hearing this line, Nagumo Miyabi's expression couldn't help but turn a little ugly.
This guy was definitely scheming after his Private Points again.
Nagumo Miyabi thought this over in his heart, feeling a bit of frustration well up inside him.
He reckoned that the amount of Private Points this guy Shikime Natsu had on hand was probably even greater than his own.
After all, he had lost to Shikime Natsu quite a number of times, and each time he'd lost quite a lot of points.
What's more, right now, among the three grades, Shikime Natsu's class held the most Class Points.
Class A led all the other classes in Class Points.
Which meant that the Private Points Shikime Natsu could obtain each month were also quite considerable.
Over the course of a year, just how many Private Points did this guy Shikime Natsu have on him?
Nagumo Miyabi couldn't even guess.
But he definitely didn't want to make any more bets with Shikime Natsu.
So, as for Shikime Natsu's words, Nagumo Miyabi followed Horikita Manabu's example and directly ignored what Shikime Natsu had said.
Seeing Nagumo Miyabi's reaction, Shikime Natsu didn't react much—he just gave a light smile, then let his gaze fall upon Ayanokouji Kiyotaka off to the side.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka stood at Class D's sixth-leg position, his expression calm, his whole person looking somewhat lackadaisical.
He felt Shikime Natsu's gaze, turned his head slightly, and met those pale golden eyes.
Then he gave Shikime Natsu a simple nod, counting it as a greeting.
That was all—no extra expression, no extra movement.
Shikime Natsu looked at him, gave a light smile, and then withdrew his gaze.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka let out a soft sigh in his heart.
If it weren't for the sake of fitting in, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka wouldn't have all that much fighting spirit—of course, even now that he was out on the field, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka didn't have much fighting spirit either. For this race, he would just go through the motions like most of the rest of the class, since... that too was fitting in.
On top of that, this time Kouenji Rokusuke hadn't even participated in the Sports Festival—he'd simply skipped it entirely.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka thought this over in his heart, then let his gaze return to the track up ahead.
By now, the referee had already taken his place beside the starting line, the starting pistol raised in his hand.
"On your marks—"
The referee's voice rang out.
The whole field fell silent.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed intently on the first-leg runners at the starting line.
"Bang—!"
The starting pistol fired.
The race had begun.
The first-leg runners charged off the starting line all at once.
Their strides were quick, their rhythm steady, every one of them running with all their might.
Class A's first-leg runner ran very fast, with a sharp reaction off the start and a steady stride, seizing the advantage right at the gun.
Class B's and Class C's first-leg runners weren't about to be outdone either, following closely behind.
Class D's first-leg runner was, as always, slow.
His speed wasn't fast, but it wasn't slow to an absurd degree either.
In any case—just doing his best was enough.
On the schoolyard, cheers and shouts rose and fell one after another.
The baton passed from runner to runner, each handoff executed quite smoothly, without any mishaps.
Soon, the fifth leg was finished.
Nagumo Miyabi was the first to get the baton, and the very instant he took it, his whole body shot off the starting line like an arrow loosed from the string.
His speed was very fast, his strides large, his cadence rapid, his whole person tearing swiftly down the track.
His gaze fell upon Horikita Manabu.
Over at Horikita Manabu's class, the baton hadn't yet reached his hands.
Nagumo Miyabi looked at Horikita Manabu, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly, revealing a smug smile.
"President Horikita, I'll be going on ahead!"
He shouted, his voice carrying a trace of smugness.
Horikita Manabu heard his voice, but gave no reaction at all.
There was no expression on his face; his gaze looked calmly ahead, as though he were waiting for something.
Seeing that look of his, Nagumo Miyabi didn't take it to heart.
After all, he was already in the lead.
This was a good start.
However, just as Nagumo Miyabi was feeling smug, first-year Class A's baton was also passed into Shikime Natsu's hands.
Shikime Natsu took the baton, and then he moved.
His foot gave the ground a light tap, and his whole body, like a gust of wind, shot off the starting line.
His speed was so fast that no one could even react in time—in the blink of an eye, Shikime Natsu had already caught up to Nagumo Miyabi.
Feeling someone suddenly appear beside him, Nagumo Miyabi couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
He turned his head and looked at Shikime Natsu.
Shikime Natsu was running right beside him, a look of ease on his face, his gaze not lingering much on Nagumo Miyabi at all—and in no time he had thrown Nagumo Miyabi far behind him.
Nagumo Miyabi stared at Shikime Natsu's retreating back, utterly stunned, his expression turning very ugly.
Of course, from the very beginning he'd known it would turn out this way, so it wasn't really surprising.
It was just... at first, as the leader among the final-leg runners, his own attention had quickly been dragged over to that guy Shikime Natsu—this guy had gone and stolen all his thunder.
On both sides of the track, the students watching the race let out gasps of amazement.
"So fast!"
"Oh my god, his speed is way too fast!"
"This guy—is he really human?"
In a very short span of time, Shikime Natsu reached the finish line directly, opening up a solid gap between himself and Nagumo Miyabi.
The whole field erupted in fervent cheers.
"Shiki! Shiki! Shiki!"
People chanted his name, the sound growing louder and louder, more and more in unison.
After that, Nagumo Miyabi was the second to cross the line—though because he came in second, and because Nagumo Miyabi had been the one originally in the lead, not many people cheered for him.
Had everyone not yet witnessed Shikime Natsu's speed, they might all have cheered for Nagumo Miyabi—but after seeing Shikime Natsu's speed, they all felt Nagumo Miyabi was a bit slow.
Nagumo Miyabi's gaze fell upon Horikita Manabu, the third to cross the finish line—and when he saw that face of Horikita Manabu's, Nagumo Miyabi thought that this time he could at least count it as having beaten Horikita Manabu, and only then did his mood improve a little.
Of course, this wasn't a formal contest—Horikita Manabu hadn't agreed to it—and that point still left Nagumo Miyabi quite dissatisfied.
If only he could defeat Horikita Manabu head-on, Nagumo Miyabi couldn't help but think.
It was right at this moment that Ayanokouji Kiyotaka crossed the finish line last.
His speed was neither fast nor slow—just right, about average, really. Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had just been observing the running speeds of the other Class D members and had roughly calculated their average pace; right now, he was fitting in nicely.
After crossing the finish line, he didn't say anything either—he just walked back to the Class D group and stood in a corner spot.
His expression remained calm, revealing no discernible emotion.
The Sports Festival came to an end at this point.
All events had been completed.
The referees began tallying the scores and calculating the rankings.
After about a dozen or so minutes, the results were out.
On the main platform, a referee took the microphone and announced the final results of the competition.
"First place in the first-year division, Class A!"
As the words fell, the Class A camp erupted in fervent cheers.
"Fantastic!"
"We're first place!"
"Shiki-san is amazing!"
"Great work, everyone!"
The Class A students hugged one another in excitement, brilliant smiles brimming on their faces.
Shikime Natsu stood among the group, looking at the classmates cheering and celebrating all around him, and gave a light smile. His gaze fell upon Morishita Ai.
Morishita Ai was standing not far away, arms folded across her chest, a faint smile on her face.
She felt Shikime Natsu's gaze, turned her head, and met those pale golden eyes.
Then she held out two fingers and made a "yeah" peace sign.
Shikime Natsu looked at her, gave a light smile, and then held out his own fingers, returning her a "yeah."
Seeing his response, Morishita Ai's little mouth curved up slightly, revealing a faint arc.
Within those beautiful eyes, a light was glittering.
And at this moment, the Class A students were still celebrating.
Hashimoto Masayoshi excitedly pumped his fist, shouting to the teammates beside him.
"We won!"
"Yeah!"
Another Class A boy said, just as thrilled.
Soon, the rest of the results came out one after another: Class B second, Class C third, and then Class D fourth. As for the rankings, there weren't really any surprises.
And so the Sports Festival officially came to an end.
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Chapter 289.2: The Girl and the Bathroom
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One morning, at the time he had arranged with Mako Amikura, Shikime Natsu arrived on the floor of the girls' dorm.
Shikime Natsu immediately activated Presence Erasure, then walked up to the door of Mako Amikura's dorm room. He stopped, made sure there was no one around, and only then pulled his phone out of his pocket. His fingers tapped lightly on the screen a few times, and he sent a message.
[Shikime Natsu: Mako, I'm here.]
Almost the instant the message was sent, a reply came back.
[Mako Amikura: Coming, coming!]
From the way Mako Amikura had replied, it was easy to tell just how excited the girl was feeling right now.
Shikime Natsu looked at the reply on his screen, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly, then slipped the phone back into his pocket.
A moment later, the door was opened from the inside.
Mako Amikura stood in the doorway and raised her head. The moment her pretty eyes met Shikime Natsu's gaze, a bright light bloomed within them.
"Natsu!"
She called out softly, her voice carrying an undisguisable joy.
Shikime Natsu's gaze fell on her, looking her up and down.
Mako Amikura was wearing pajamas today—soft pink-and-white cotton pajamas printed with cute little floral patterns, with lace trim at the collar and cuffs. She looked soft and tender all over, like a lazy little kitten.
Her long purple hair was tied into a high ponytail at the back of her head, bound with a white ribbon whose two ends hung down amid her hair, swaying gently with her movements. It looked rather playful and adorable.
Her features were delicate and cute, and in those purple eyes there was a hint of shyness, a hint of joy, and a hint of nervousness.
"Come in."
Mako Amikura stepped aside, clearing the doorway to invite Shikime Natsu inside.
Shikime Natsu nodded, then stepped forward and walked into Mako Amikura's dorm room.
Once Shikime Natsu was inside, Mako Amikura cautiously peeked out the door again, sweeping her eyes across the hallway.
She looked to the left, looked to the right.
Only after confirming that no one else in the hallway had noticed anything did she slowly close the door.
With a soft "click," the door shut.
Mako Amikura leaned against the door and let out a soft breath.
Her heart was pounding, thump thump thump, as if it were about to leap out of her chest.
She didn't even know why she was so nervous. She had only invited Shikime Natsu over to guide her through some exercise, after all.
It wasn't even the first time.
Back at the gym, the two of them had already had this kind of contact.
But now, they were in her own dorm room.
In her own room, with just the two of them.
As Mako Amikura thought about this, her heart raced even faster, and a faint blush surfaced on her face.
Shikime Natsu stood in the room, turned his head, and saw the guilty, thief-like expression on Mako Amikura's face. He couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"What's wrong?"
He asked, his tone carrying a teasing edge.
"Looking at you, it seems like you're pretty nervous?"
"I—I'm not nervous at all!"
Mako Amikura hurriedly shook her head, but the blush on her face only deepened.
She walked up in front of Shikime Natsu and raised her head, looking into his eyes. Those pretty eyes of hers were full of delight—for the girl, simply looking at Shikime Natsu was an enjoyment in itself.
After all, Shikime Natsu's time was very hard to book, especially now that Shikime Natsu had gained so many girlfriends. So getting to meet with Shikime Natsu today made Mako Amikura quite happy. Mm... of course, no matter how many girlfriends Shikime Natsu had, he still made time for her.
Today, Mako Amikura had invited Shikime Natsu over to give her guidance on her exercise movements. But today it was only some simple movements, so there was no need to worry about disturbing the people downstairs.
A sweet smile appeared on Mako Amikura's face, and she looked at Shikime Natsu.
"Natsu, have a seat for a bit first. I'll go change."
"Okay."
Shikime Natsu nodded, then walked over to a chair to the side and sat down.
Mako Amikura went to the wardrobe and opened its doors.
From inside, she took out a slightly form-fitting outfit—a black athletic tank top and a pair of dark tights.
This kind of clothing was suited to more sweeping movements; it wouldn't restrict the body. Holding the clothes, she walked to the bathroom door, then turned and glanced at Shikime Natsu.
"Then... I'll go change first."
She said quietly.
"Mm."
Shikime Natsu nodded.
Mako Amikura walked into the bathroom and closed the door.
From within the bathroom came faint rustling sounds.
Shikime Natsu sat in the chair, his gaze sweeping around the room.
Mako Amikura's room was very tidy. The bed was made up neatly, and the books on the desk were arranged in perfect order.
On the windowsill sat a small green potted plant, adding a touch of vitality to this simple room.
A faint, delicate fragrance filled the air—like the scent of body wash, and also like the unique fragrance a young girl carried.
After a while, the bathroom door opened.
Mako Amikura walked out from inside.
Shikime Natsu raised his head, his gaze falling upon her.
The black athletic tank top clung tightly to her body, outlining her slender waist and the curves of her chest.
The dark tights wrapped around her long legs, perfectly displaying the arc of her hips.
Her long purple hair was still tied in a high ponytail, the white ribbon swaying gently amid her hair.
Her face still carried a faint blush, and in those purple eyes there was a hint of shyness, a hint of nervousness.
"I... I've changed..."
She said quietly, her voice carrying a bashful shyness.
She stood there, her hands unconsciously placed in front of her, her fingers gently twisting together. Shikime Natsu looked at her like this and chuckled softly.
"You look really good."
Hearing this, the blush on Mako Amikura's face deepened.
"Th—thank you..."
She said quietly, then took a deep breath, trying hard to calm herself down.
"Then... shall we begin?"
"Okay."
Shikime Natsu stood up and walked to her side.
"What should we do first?"
He asked.
"First, let's loosen up the body a bit with some stretching."
Mako Amikura said, and began doing stretching exercises.
She raised both hands, stretching upward, then slowly bent at the waist, her fingers touching her toes.
The black athletic tank top was tugged upward with her movement, revealing a stretch of fair, slender waist.
Her movements were very precise; she held every pose well.
After finishing one set, she turned her head and looked at Shikime Natsu.
"Natsu, you should do them along with me too."
"Okay."
Shikime Natsu smiled, then followed along with Mako Amikura's movements and began to stretch.
His movements were very precise too; every pose was done quite well.
And so the two of them stretched facing each other, exchanging glances from time to time.
After a while, the warm-up exercises were done.
Mako Amikura sat on the floor, her legs stretched straight, both hands reaching toward her toes.
"Natsu, could you help press me down?"
She raised her head and looked at Shikime Natsu.
"Of course."
Shikime Natsu walked behind her, crouched down, and gently placed his hands on her shoulders.
His hands were very warm. The heat of his palms passed through the thin athletic tank top, transmitting to Mako Amikura's skin.
Feeling the warmth of his palms, Mako Amikura's body stiffened slightly.
Then, Shikime Natsu began to apply force, slowly pressing downward.
Mako Amikura's body leaned forward little by little with his force.
Her upper body drew closer and closer to her legs, and her hands drew closer and closer to her toes.
"Mm—"
Mako Amikura let out a soft hum, her voice carrying a hint of strain.
"Are you okay?"
Shikime Natsu asked, easing up on the force in his hands a little.
"I'm okay... keep going."
Mako Amikura nodded, her voice carrying a hint of breathlessness.
Shikime Natsu continued to apply force, his hands pressing gently on her shoulders.
He controlled his strength very well—not too much to cause her pain, and not too little to leave it ineffective.
With his help, Mako Amikura's upper body went lower and lower, and her hands finally reached the limit.
"Whew—"
She exhaled a breath, then relaxed all over.
Shikime Natsu let go and stood up.
"That's good enough."
He said.
Mako Amikura straightened up, turned her head, and looked at Shikime Natsu.
Her face carried a faint blush, and a thin layer of misty moisture welled up in those purple eyes.
"Thank you..."
She said quietly.
"No need to thank me."
Shikime Natsu smiled.
Mako Amikura stood up, then said.
"Next, let's switch to another movement."
She walked to the wall, braced both hands against it, and leaned her body forward, striking a kind of lunging stretch pose.
The tights wrapped around her legs, perfectly displaying the lines of her legs.
Shikime Natsu walked behind her, reached out his hand, and gently pressed it against her waist.
"Here—you need to relax."
His voice sounded right beside her ear, low and gentle.
Mako Amikura's heart raced even faster.
Her body was somewhat stiff, but she tried hard to relax herself.
Shikime Natsu's hands kneaded gently at her waist, helping her loosen the muscles.
His strength was just right—not too much, and not too little.
Feeling his palms roaming across her waist, the blush on Mako Amikura's face grew deeper and deeper.
Her breathing became somewhat unsteady as well.
"Mm..."
She let out a soft hum, her voice carrying an emotion that couldn't be clearly named.
Shikime Natsu continued to press for her, his movements gentle.
Even though it was only a simple pressing motion, when Shikime Natsu's hands landed on her body, Mako Amikura felt very comfortable. Those eyes of hers grew somewhat dazed and alluring, gazing at Shikime Natsu with a hint of shyness.
Shikime Natsu's movements couldn't help but make the girl let out comfortable sounds. Even though she forcibly held them back, she still couldn't help but let them slip out.
"Natsu..."
She called out softly.
"Hm?"
Shikime Natsu raised his head and looked at her.
Mako Amikura bit her lip, then took a deep breath.
"Next... it's my turn to help you."
Shikime Natsu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
"Okay."
He walked to the side and sat down.
Mako Amikura walked behind him, then reached out her hands and wrapped them around Shikime Natsu's body from behind.
Her hands rested gently on his chest, her whole body pressed against his back.
Shikime Natsu felt a soft sensation coming from behind him.
Two points of softness.
Then, as if realizing something, Mako Amikura hurriedly let go.
Her face instantly turned as red as a fully ripened apple, and she became flustered all over.
She hurriedly said, her voice carrying a hint of panic.
"I didn't do it on purpose!"
She lowered her head, not daring to look into Shikime Natsu's eyes.
Her heart beat impossibly fast, thump thump thump, and she had no idea how she had suddenly ended up hugging him.
She had only, she had only meant to help press his shoulders.
But—but her body had pressed against him of its own accord.
Shikime Natsu looked at her like this and chuckled softly.
"It's fine."
He said, his tone gentle.
Mako Amikura looked at Shikime Natsu's expression, took a deep breath, then said quietly.
"Then... then... I'll continue..."
"Okay."
Shikime Natsu nodded.
"I'm counting on you."
Mako Amikura moved behind him again, reached out her hands, and gently pressed them on his shoulders.
This time, she didn't press against him again. It was pressing time now, so she should just do the pressing—not do anything superfluous. The superfluous things... could come later.
The moment Mako Amikura's fingertips touched Shikime Natsu's shoulders, her heartbeat still quickened involuntarily.
She began to help press his shoulders, her movements gentle.
Shikime Natsu guided her movements, telling her which places needed force and which needed to relax.
The two of them coordinated with quite a natural rapport.
After a while, Shikime Natsu spoke.
"That's about enough."
Only then did Mako Amikura let go.
"Alright, the body's already loosened up. So next, let's move on to the guided movements."
Shikime Natsu's gaze fell upon Mako Amikura.
"Mm."
Mako Amikura nodded gently. After all, this was exactly the sort of thing she had asked Shikime Natsu to come for.
Some time later, a fine layer of sweat beads had already broken out on the girl's face, and a few strands of loose hair, dampened by sweat, clung to her fair forehead.
Her cheeks were flushed red, looking like a fully ripened apple.
Her breathing was also somewhat rapid, her chest rising and falling slightly with each breath.
"Good work."
Shikime Natsu stood up and looked at her.
"Are you very tired?"
"I'm okay..."
Mako Amikura smiled, then said.
"It's a lot easier than running."
"That's good then. Let's leave the guidance content at this much for today."
"Mm."
Mako Amikura nodded, then rested for a little while, planning to go take a shower.
"In that case, I'll head back now."
Seeing that Mako Amikura was about to go take a shower, Shikime Natsu smiled and said to her.
Watching Shikime Natsu turn around, an indescribable feeling welled up in the girl's heart.
When she had learned she would be seeing Shikime Natsu today, the girl had specially gone and done a fortune-telling. The reading had said that the relationship between the two of them would make a breakthrough kind of progress.
And that it would be related to water.
But... right now, Mako Amikura hadn't felt any breakthrough kind of progress at all, and Shikime Natsu was already about to head back.
What should she do?
At that very moment, Mako Amikura couldn't help but softly call out Shikime Natsu's name.
"Natsu..."
Shikime Natsu stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Shikime Natsu stop and turn back, Mako Amikura had no idea what to do. Just now, calling out Shikime Natsu's name had been completely instinctive—she herself didn't even know what to say.
At that very moment, Mako Amikura's gaze fell upon the bathroom, and then, thinking of the fortune-telling's contents, the girl's face instantly seemed to catch fire, turning quite flushed. A thin layer of misty moisture surfaced over those pretty eyes.
"Um..."
She paused, as if gathering her courage.
"We've... been dating for a while now..."
Her voice was very small, so small that almost only she herself could hear it.
"So..."
Her heart beat impossibly fast.
"So..."
She bit her lip, then continued.
"Would you... like to take a bath together?"
After saying those words, her whole body felt as though it had been drained hollow, and she nearly couldn't stand steady.
She didn't dare look into Shikime Natsu's eyes; her gaze drifted out the window.
Hearing these words, Shikime Natsu looked at the shy girl before him with some surprise.
Her face carried nervousness and anticipation, and those purple eyes of hers shimmered with a layer of moisture, making her look both cute and alluring.
He hadn't expected the girl before him to actually be this bold. Naturally, Shikime Natsu gladly agreed.
"Okay."
Hearing this answer, Mako Amikura jerked her head up and looked at Shikime Natsu.
Her heart was beating so fast.
Mako Amikura felt as though she were about to suffocate, her emotions quite worked up. And besides... the two of them...
The moment she thought about what was to come, Mako Amikura couldn't help but go swirly-eyed.
Eh, eh, had she really just said something that bold?
"I'll go get ready!"
After saying this, Mako Amikura returned to her wardrobe, picked out some clothes, and then grabbed a towel, keeping her head lowered, not daring to look toward Shikime Natsu.
"I'm ready..."
When the girl said these words, the psychological turmoil within her could be described as quite complex. After saying this, the girl opened the bathroom door, then stepped inside first.
Shikime Natsu followed behind Mako Amikura.
The bathroom door closed, the sound of water rose up, and the girl's hair ribbon was untied and set off to one side.
[Ding!]
[CG65: The Girl and the Bathroom (Mako Amikura)]
[Congratulations, Host, on obtaining Skill Card: Levitation (able to keep oneself, or another object, in a floating state; the duration of levitation is related to the Host's stamina)]
Lying on the bed, Mako Amikura faced Shikime Natsu, burying her little head against the front of him. The girl's fair, tender shoulders peeked out from the edge of the blanket, and her long purple hair was scattered across the pillow. Mako Amikura once again cautiously raised her head to study Shikime Natsu. Sure enough, what the fortune-telling had said really hadn't been wrong at all.
Today... it had been related to water. A breakthrough kind of progress.
____
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