Chapter 195: Did he really think she, Kushida Kikyo, would be at his beck and call? Laughable.
Having finished her preparations, Kushida Kikyo tidied her hair in front of the mirror, ensuring that her flawless smile was firmly in place. The girl in the mirror had eyes that curved perfectly and a mouth holding just the right hint of a smile; there wasn't a trace of her previous resentment to be seen.
"It's fine," she whispered to herself in the mirror.
"Just take it one step at a time. Since I promised Shimizu Akira, I might as well use this chance to fish for some information."
Thinking about it this way, she calmed down and decided to treat this lap pillow purely as an opportunity to scout for intel.
She had to admit that Shimizu was indeed much smarter than her. She had already posted the information about Class C in the group chat last night—later, while he was immersed in this "tenderness," she would ask for his take on the situation.
The girl in the mirror's eyes shimmered as her lips curved into a calculated arc, causing her previous irritation to dissipate.
12:25 PM.
She stuffed a soft cushion against her headboard and loosened her hair, letting a few stray strands fall beside her cheeks. After finishing all this, she slowly sat on the edge of the bed with her legs tucked. Despite being the one who initiated the invitation, she felt as if she were waiting for a judgment.
When the knock came, she almost bounced up. Steadying herself, she called out, "Come in, the door's unlocked!"
As Shimizu Akira pushed the door open, his gaze swept the room before landing on her. He asked casually, "Are you okay?"
'Ha?! Did he notice?!'
Kushida couldn't help but mutter inwardly. Her emotions were suddenly a bit complicated. She felt like this guy really "liked" her—could he tell her mood was off at a single glance?!
'Wait! That Horikita woman definitely wouldn't imagine Shimizu Akira coming to my dorm!'
Inexplicably, a surge of pleasure welled up without warning.
"How could anything be wrong?" Kushida immediately beamed, patting the spot beside her. "Hurry over. Didn't we agree on a lap pillow?"
"Right..."
Shimizu didn't stand on ceremony. He lay down beside her, resting his head gently on her lap. His hair brushed against her skin, carrying the crisp mint scent of his shampoo.
Kushida shook her head reflexively. This man was as blunt as ever.
She truly didn't understand how Horikita Suzune, Sakura Airi, or Sudo Ken could think he was so wonderful.
To her, he seemed quite ordinary—much like herself, he never firmly refused when faced with personal "benefits" or proactive invitations. Still, since she was the one offering the "benefit," he naturally had no reason to decline.
The air became so still that they could hear each other's breathing. She could feel his weight through the thin fabric of her clothes; it wasn't heavy, but it sent a tingling numbness through her knees. This was the "equivalent exchange" she had schemed for.
However, the feeling this time was completely different from the sofa last time. From the angle he was lying at now, she realized clearly that he could see her breasts perfectly. Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively pulled her collar together. Her fingertip accidentally brushed his hair, causing both of them to pause. The faint tension in the air suddenly became tangible.
To Shimizu Akira, the angle was indeed a bit delicate. Kushida's breasts rose and fell slightly with her steady breathing. She had a great figure, and at this proximity, he could even see the fine wrinkles in the fabric pulled by her movements. Perhaps, for a boy, this was the most distracting scenery in a standard lap pillow scenario.
Shimizu considered himself a perfectly normal male; his heart rate sped up half a beat, and a trace of restlessness stirred within him.
Kushida clearly felt his breathing grow heavier. Since he was lying on her thighs, she could sense exactly how fast he was exhaling.
'Hehe... it seems this guy is having a little reaction, just like me.'
Kushida suddenly felt her nerves vanish, likely because the usually steady Shimizu was becoming tense. She thought for a moment, then experimentally reached out, placing her hands on his temples and massaging them in circular motions.
"Speaking of which, I posted the info on those Class C guys in the group chat last night. Did you see it, Shimizu-kun?"
Shimizu's body stiffened again—today's Kushida seemed exceptionally proactive. She was actually massaging his temples with just the right amount of pressure.
He steadied his mind and replied, "I saw it."
"Then what do you think... they're trying to do this time?" She deliberately slowed her speech, her voice as soft as cotton.
"Sudo-kun is still panicking about the hearing; I don't even know how to comfort him. He won't really be suspended, will he? What will happen to Class D then? Help me think of something!"
This statement naturally placed her in a position of seeking help, while subtly steering the conversation toward what she wanted to investigate.
Kushida praised herself inwardly—Perfect.
Her hands unconsciously sped up the massage, as if silently urging him to answer.
Shimizu remained silent for a few seconds, feeling a hint of helplessness. As expected, she was using the opportunity to dig for info.
Come to think of it, wasn't she massaging his temples a bit too fast? She was giving up her lap, using both hands to massage him, and had just indirectly helped mend his relationship with Sudo... Kushida was really going all out for him! Even if she had just asked directly, he would have told her.
"You don't need to worry so much," he said after a thought. "Sudo will be fine."
"Fine?" Kushida's fingers paused. A flash of surprise crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by a well-timed look of joy.
"Do you really think so? But Class C prepared so thoroughly. Even though we have a witness, we only told Chabashira-sensei and the Student Council on Thursday! And since Sakura-san is from Class D, it might not be very effective. They'll definitely think we fabricated the evidence; otherwise, why wouldn't she have come forward on Monday?..."
She laid out her concerns clearly while lightening the pressure of the massage, her fingertips circling his temples as if encouraging him to say more.
Shimizu didn't notice her slightly coquettish movements. After a moment of reflection, he said, "Sakura-san encountered a trouble that was an act of God, and it was caused by the school! The Student Council already knows the details. Precisely because she was troubled by that incident from Monday to Thursday, she had no mind to go public as a witness. That's why this special circumstance exists. Thus, it's perfectly reasonable even if she only came forward on Thursday. If the Class C people try to attack that point, you can just have the President step in to explain."
"I-Is that so?!"
Kushida was stunned. While not as sharp as Shimizu, she quickly grasped the logic.
She remembered Sakura mentioning yesterday that Shimizu had helped her with a stalker from the electronics store.
It all made sense: Sakura Airi suffered harassment because of a flaw in the school's recruitment process.
Harassed for days, who would have the energy to be a witness? As long as the school cared even slightly about her feelings, they wouldn't question why she didn't come forward on Monday.
They wouldn't even need to provide extra explanations.
'This guy Shimizu, he's smart, but he's too easy to play! Hehehe~ I admit, what you said makes sense, and in the next second, it's mine!
I've totally hit the jackpot!'
She couldn't help but curl her lips, feeling that this lap pillow hadn't been in vain. His phrase "You can just..." was basically tacit permission for her to use this line of reasoning. Her fingertips paused in his hair; the smile in her eyes was impossible to hide, and the massage became lighter and more rhythmic.
"I see," she said, her voice turning sweet. "Thanks to your reminder, Shimizu-kun, otherwise I'd still be worried for nothing. As for Sakura-san... it seems I was overthinking."
These words were half-true. She truly hadn't realized Sakura's trouble could be such a key breakthrough, but her mind had already flown to the hearing—imagining herself calmly bringing up "school negligence" and "Student Council knowledge" when Class C raised doubts.
Seeing their expressions go blank, and the mix of surprise and admiration from the President and her classmates... she was so happy she couldn't stop smiling.
Shimizu seemed to sense her distraction and suddenly asked, "Feeling better?"
Kushida was startled.
She realized that before he arrived, she had been throwing a tantrum under her covers. Now that she had the key argument from him, she did feel much lighter. Wait, was he doing this on purpose?
"Of course," she immediately pulled her thoughts back. Her fingertip gave a playful scratch behind his ear.
"Anyone would be happy after solving such a big problem, right?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself, I'm not finished," Shimizu shook his head and continued calmly. "That's only the beginning. You can find other witnesses too."
"What?! You thought of another key point!" Kushida was completely floored. There were more witnesses? Shimizu still held such a major trump card?
Shimizu nodded. "Yeah. In the second month, Class 1-C sent a lot of people to maliciously harass Class B. If I remember correctly, the ones targeting Sudo this time were among those who harassed Class B.
You can go ask Ichinose Honami of Class 1-B to find those students who were harassed to testify. This is a good thing for Class B too—they are victims, after all.
This way, you can not only prove Class D's innocence but also point out that the other side intentionally framed Sudo. It's the perfect 'eye for an eye' response."
"An eye for an eye..." Kushida murmured. Why hadn't she thought of that? She knew about the grudge between Class C and Class B, but she never thought to link it to Sudo's case.
Ichinose Honami was very gentle; it would be so easy to convince her to step up, especially since it was a chance for Class 1-B to counterattack. The testimony from harassed B-class students would be far more powerful than Sakura Airi's lone account. It would clear Class D and bite back at Class C, making them hoist with their own petard.
This wasn't just a "response"; it was grinding Class C's face into the dirt. Shimizu was simply too clever. She tried to put herself in his shoes and didn't think she could have come up with such a brilliant plan. Honestly, probably no one in Class D would have thought to look at other classes.
"You..." She looked down at him, the sweetness in her voice fading slightly, replaced by scrutiny. "Why are you telling me all this?" If he kept this information for himself, he could have made a stunning debut at the hearing. Why share the credit with her?
Shimizu's eyes met hers, and a faint light seemed hidden in his calm gaze.
"Because you're so good to me! Consider it a return gift. Besides, I want to lie here for a few more minutes." His tone was casual, but the end of his sentence carried a slight hook. "By the way, you still hold my 'handle' anyway."
"..." Kushida's gaze drifted toward her wardrobe. In a plastic bag on the top shelf, she did indeed hide that "handle"—the evidence of him grabbing her chest, kept there until now.
However, she definitely couldn't admit to it!
"I don't have any handle on you! I don't know what you're talking about!" Her hands started moving again, gently kneading the back of his neck.
"Alright, alright! Since you want to lie here longer, then just lie there."
As soon as she spoke, she felt his body relax further. His slightly stiff shoulders slumped, and his breathing became steadier. Kushida suddenly felt that such a quiet moment wasn't so hard to endure. She stopped talking and just massaged his head occasionally, listening to the rustle of the wind in the leaves outside and his shallow breathing on her lap. Her knees were still numb, but the calculated anxiety in her heart had strangely subsided.
So this guy had "defenseless" moments too. She stole a glance at him; his eyes were closed, his long lashes drooping like a quiet cat. She couldn't help but hmph in her heart—at least you're sensible enough to 'please' me like this.
But then she thought what Shimizu just said was actually a bit adorably stupid. What did he mean, she was "good to him"? She only agreed to the lap pillow to fish for intel. Did he really think she, Kushida Kikyo, would be at his beck and call and satisfy any request he made?
Just then, noticing his breathing getting even slower, she spoke up: "Don't actually fall asleep. We have class soon."
Shimizu gave a muffled "mhm" without opening his eyes.
"I know... five more minutes."
'So, is he acting spoiled with me?!'
Kushida couldn't help but curl her lips, her voice softening.
"Only five minutes, okay."
It was only five minutes. She agreed almost without hesitation.
That's not even a request! she thought to herself. It was just a little extra time, basically just "extending the session."
In this deal, she was still the one making a massive profit! It was Shimizu who was losing out!
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting