Chapter 342: The Scent of Honami
The Dormitory.
"This should be clean enough."
Shimizu Akira hung the rag over the edge of the bucket and straightened up, scanning the room one last time. The floor was polished, the trash was gone, and the air conditioner was blowing warm air. The dampness on the floor would likely dry in about ten minutes.
Cleaning was hard work, especially mopping. In this school, they didn't even sell mops. In Japan, most people don't "mop" in the Western sense; they wipe the floor by hand.
Since people take their shoes off indoors and many homes have wooden floors, the standards for cleanliness are extremely high.
The upside: the floor was spotless. The downside: it was murder on the lower back.
Shimizu checked his phone. It was 7:00 PM. "One hour until Honami arrives."
Keeping a clean room was basic hospitality, especially for one's girlfriend. Most girls prefer a clean environment; if a room is cluttered or smells, any romantic mood would vanish in minutes. This was likely why many couples preferred hotels over private residences for dates.
Thinking of this, he spent another twenty minutes scrubbing the bathroom. When he finally sat down at his desk, he let out a long breath of relief. Everything was ready.
Feeling a bit hungry, he unwrapped a piece of chocolate. It was a gift from Valentine's Day a few weeks ago; he had almost finished his stash. Given his high activity level, his weight hadn't increased at all.
Speaking of chocolate—
Shimizu pulled open his drawer, where three letters lay quietly. Each was from a girl in a different class. He pulled one out and unfolded the paper.
"Shimizu-kun, actually, since the Uninhabited Island exam, I have felt... this is my Honmei chocolate... if possible, I hope on White Day..."
The sender was a girl from Class A.
On February 14th, several girls had summoned the courage to send "Honmei" (true love) chocolates to express their feelings. He had received three such letters. He didn't know any of the senders, nor did he even remember what they looked like. Since he already had a girlfriend, he had to reject them.
.
.
.
7:50 PM. Footsteps approached and stopped at his door. Knock, knock.
Shimizu put down his pen, stood up, and opened the door. Ichinose Honami stood there. She had clearly prepared; she'd swapped her school uniform for a cream-colored knit cardigan. Her hair fell softly over her shoulders, and her cheeks were lightly flushed.
"Good evening, Akira-kun."
"Good evening, Honami. Come in."
As she entered, she brought with her a faint, fresh scent. She looked around, her smile deepening when she saw the clean room.
"The room is so clean."
"Well, you were coming over. Is it cold outside?"
"No... it's fine," she replied, her hands nervously interlaced in front of her. The indoor lighting was soft, and the temperature was comfortable. Only one step of distance remained between them.
"Akira-kun," Honami began, moving a small step closer. "Thank you so much for everything recently. So, tonight... I came to make sure you can completely relax."
Shimizu looked into her clear eyes and felt a soft spot in his heart. He didn't speak; he simply reached out and took her slightly cool fingers in his. This simple gesture was like a switch. Honami took a deep breath, her eyes turning determined yet tender. She gripped his hand back and led him to sit on the edge of the bed.
"Akira-kun... just like the previous times, can you leave everything to me?"
"Okay."
In those eyes usually filled with sunshine, he saw a mixture of clumsy sincerity and a firm resolve to give him everything she could.
"I might not... be great at this," she said with a shy, tender curve of her lips. "But I want you to feel... what I feel."
She cupped his face, her fingers tracing a path from his brow to his cheek, finally stopping at his lips.
"Honami..." he whispered.
"I'm here," she replied softly. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. She didn't move further for a moment, simply confirming his presence.
"Akira-kun, can I kiss you?"
"Yes."
Receiving permission, she took a deep breath and slowly, with a clumsy nervousness, pressed her lips against his. It was light and gentle, tasting faintly of lime candy and trembling with tension. Shimizu remained still, letting her lead this exploratory first kiss.
Encouraged by his acceptance, her kiss grew from a cautious touch to something warm and substantial. She tried to rub and suck—there was no technique to speak of, just pure, sincere emotion. It wasn't rushed by lust; it was a deep desire to be close.
Shimizu felt her heart and responded gently with his tongue. After a dozen seconds, she pulled away, her lips moist and her face red as a ripe fruit. She smiled with a mix of extreme shyness and satisfaction.
"The first part of the reward... is over. How did it feel?"
Shimizu wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her soft hair.
"I loved it. Anything you do, I love."
She trembled slightly in his arms. Once her heartbeat steadied, she pushed his shoulders gently.
"Akira-kun, you're happy too early... there's a second part. Lie down."
He obeyed, lying back on the soft mattress. Honami knelt by the bed, gazing at him as if admiring a precious work of art. Then, she leaned down.
This time, it wasn't a kiss on the lips. Her warm lips fell on one eyelid, then the other. Then her forehead, the bridge of his nose, and finally lingering at the corner of his mouth.
"Sensei said... this can soothe the exhaustion you can't see," she whispered, touching his temple and then his chest. "And here, too."
Shimizu's heart was filled with warmth. "Honami, you don't need to specifically learn these things."
"I do," she shook her head stubbornly. "Because... I want to be someone who makes you feel safe and relaxed. Not just someone to be protected or saved... I want to be your strength."
He pulled her down next to him. They lay side by side, their bodies touching.
"You already are," he whispered. "Always."
They lay in silence for a few seconds before Honami asked curiously and shyly: "...Akira-kun, I feel... something hard... pressing against me down there."
Shimizu's body stiffened. A natural physiological reaction to a beautiful girl in a bedroom.
"Hehe." A light laugh interrupted his explanation. Honami looked at him with an "as I thought" expression. She leaned in and pecked his collarbone.
"Don't worry, Akira-kun. Chie-sensei... 'taught' me a lot. I think I know... what to do next."
Honami's clear eyes were now a mix of shyness, courage, and the glint of an explorer.
She was a high school girl; she had taken health and PE classes. And with a teacher like Hoshinomiya Chie, she had clearly been given "advanced" knowledge.
Shimizu felt as if a pure saint was serving him. The mental image alone was enough to make any man lose his composure.
Honami seemed satisfied with his reaction. She propped herself up, her hair sweeping across his face.
"Sensei also said... at times like this, boys have it quite hard... so..."
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"Akira-kun, how was it?" Honami asked, wiping her lip and looking at him sheepishly. "Sorry... it was my first time. I don't have experience, and I feel like I didn't do it well. Did it make you uncomfortable?"
"Not at all," Shimizu replied instantly. "It felt great."
While her movements were initially unpolished, she adapted quickly. Kushida Kikyo treated these moments as a "tease," but Honami approached it with a sense of total "devotion." Both flavors were quite excellent.
"I'm glad!" Honami hugged his arm. "I knew asking Chie-sensei was the right move."
Her gaze then fell on the letters on his desk.
"What are these?"
"Oh, some girls sent Honmei chocolates and confessions on Valentine's Day. I'm thinking about how to write a polite rejection."
Honami's expression remained calm, even proud of his popularity.
"Do you need help? As your girlfriend, I could help you think of a way to refuse without hurting them."
"I'll handle it," he smiled. "I'm just not sure about the etiquette here."
Honami tilted her head.
"Usually, not giving a return gift on White Day (March 14th) is a universal way of saying 'no.' But if you want to be clearer, you can write a short note. Thank them for their feelings, then state clearly that you are already in a serious relationship."
"You seem... very experienced in this?" Shimizu teased.
"Weren't you asking me for advice on how to reject people before?"
"Ah! That's..." Honami blushed. "Girls talk about these things! I just heard about it!"
Shimizu kissed her forehead.
"I understand. Thank you."
"You're welcome." She leaned against his shoulder. "Do you want to write them now? Or..."
Shimizu looked at the letters, then at the girl leaning on him. "Tomorrow," he said, wrapping his arm around her.
"Right now, there's something more important."
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March 1st:
The next morning, the temperature was chilly. Winter was long, but the forecast predicted warmth by the end of the month.
At the elevator, Shimizu met Wang Mei-yu.
"Shimizu-kun, good morning. Kikyo told me you two are dating. You don't have to be formal; just call me 'Mei-chan.'"
Shimizu was surprised that the secretive Kushida had shared this, but he knew she trusted Wang Mei-yu.
"Kikyo seems very happy lately," Wang Mei-yu said as the elevator descended.
"She still has her little tantrums, but she feels... different."
"She was never truly a complex person," Shimizu noted.
Wang Mei-yu looked at him with relief.
"I see. Um... may I ask a rude question? What does being in love feel like?"
Shimizu paused. "It's like... unconsciously remembering all her little habits. Like how she twirls her hair when thinking, or how she scrunches her nose at food she dislikes but eats anyway to maintain her image. It's finding that wasting time together is more interesting than being productive alone. It's a bit of a hassle sometimes, but mostly... it's nice."
"I see... that sounds very warm," Wang Mei-yu whispered. "I wonder if I'll ever experience it."
"Do you have someone you like, Mei-chan?"
The elevator dinged at the first floor.
"Just an interest... far from what you and Kikyo have," she blushed. "But if I need advice later, I might ask you! Goodbye!"
As she disappeared into the crowd, Shimizu remembered Kushida mentioning that Wang Mei-yu liked Hirata Yosuke. However, Hirata tended to avoid romantic topics in favor of class unity. There was a long, invisible distance between them.
He shook his head and walked into his classroom.
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