Chapter 023 Gyaru Chiaki Wants to Snatch the Man / Morishita Ai's Cute Side
Today is July 16th. The last day of the first semester.
Tomorrow, the summer vacation officially begins.
Of course, strictly speaking, there is only one day of true rest.
On July 18th, there is a meeting to confirm the "Buy" list for the groups, and on July 19th, they must pack their bags and head for the uninhabited island.
In the morning, following tradition, all students gathered in the gymnasium to listen to Acting Chairman Tsukishiro drone on for an hour.
Throughout the entire session, Shimizu Akira remembered only one useful piece of information: today was the school-mandated deadline for forming groups. If you hadn't formed a group by 5:00 PM, those left alone would lose their chance entirely.
He had already formed a group with Horikita Suzune and Karuizawa Kei two days ago.
The method of grouping was the same as the last cross-grade cooperative exam: simply send an application to a classmate of the same grade via the OAA app.
It had to be the same grade; if one accidentally selected a first-year or third-year, the application would automatically fail, and they would have to wait for a one-day cooldown.
Walking out of the gym, Shimizu Akira scrolled through the second-year grouping status.
'Hm? Everyone's finished?'
Even Ibuki Mio, whom he had been slightly worried about, had grouped up with Shiina Hiyori and another girl from Class C.
He checked on his various girlfriends.
Kushida Kikyo, Hasabe Haruka, and Sakura Airi were in one group.
Kamuro Masumi, Sakayanagi Arisu, and Kito Hayato were in another.
On Ichinose Honami's side, she was with Kobashi Yume and Amikura Mako.
Everything was arranged perfectly; there was nothing to worry about.
"Akira-kun." Karuizawa Kei suddenly leaned in close to him. "Since we've grouped up to aim for a high rank, those 2 million private points... should I give them back to you?"
Shimizu Akira waved his hand: "No need, keep them. Buy whatever you want. If you don't spend it all, just consider it pocket money."
He wasn't the type to take money back.
If they didn't spend it during this exam, it was fine for them to keep it for themselves.
"By the way," he mentioned casually, "I thought of a way for you to save money. Spend 100,000 to buy a 'Half-Off Card.' Just in case we end up at the bottom, it could save you a million."
Karuizawa Kei pouted: "It saves money, sure, but where's the logic in making a profit off my own boyfriend's points?"
"Why wouldn't there be?" Shimizu Akira laughed. "Don't forget, my starting capital at the beginning of the school year was pooled from you girlfriends. Back then, you were transferring 80,000 to me every month for several months straight. To be honest, this 2 million is just a dividend."
Karuizawa Kei froze for a moment.
Dividend? She had indeed paid 80,000 for several months, but Shimizu Akira had been protecting her and even let her join the boxing club; it was actually an equivalent exchange.
This man... he was finding reasons again to make her feel comfortable about accepting the money.
She bit her lip and stopped refusing: "Fine, I'll take the 2 million. But I'm not buying the Half-Off Card. I don't believe for a second that you'd let our group hit rock bottom."
Karuizawa Kei then grabbed his arm, "Oh right, right! Let me tell you something super funny."
"What is it?"
"It's about Chiaki!" Karuizawa Kei began to laugh. "Do you remember when she participated in the Rapid Mental Arithmetic with Koenji Rokusuke? Before the match, she very seriously told me and Maya that this was her 'debut battle' to show her true strength and that she would definitely win. And guess what? Koenji Rokusuke completely stole the spotlight. No one even noticed that she actually performed quite well!"
Shimizu Akira remembered that exam.
Matsushita Chiaki had indeed performed well, getting the first five questions correct.
Unfortunately, she got everything after that wrong.
She was still a bit behind Katsuragi Kohei, let alone an "outlier" monster like Koenji Rokusuke.
Through that exam, he had roughly gauged her level.
In terms of academic ability, she could probably rank in the top ten of Class A.
But it was limited to academics.
In terms of physical ability and social skills, there was still a gap compared to the elites of Class A.
"She wants to pretend to be clueless to trick others? I think she's a really clueless after all!" Karuizawa Kei began to ruthlessly roast her best friend.
"Uh..." Shimizu Akira couldn't help but want to laugh.
"Alright, alright, stop talking behind Matsushita's back. What if she hears you?"
"So what if she hears me! Who told her to lie to me and Maya for so long! I have a big bone to pick with her; I have to make fun of her! Besides, I'm a gyaru now. Isn't it normal for a gyaru to gossip about her friends behind their backs?"
Matsushita Chiaki, who was currently stalking the two from behind, wished she could rush up and give Karuizawa Kei a beating.
'Fine, fine, you really are a 'good' best friend!' The project selection match was so long ago, why was she still secretly dissing her in front of her boyfriend?!
This Karuizawa Kei... she dared to call her clueless?
They had been best friends for so long; didn't she know that she had a little hobby of stalking people and confronting them face-to-face?
Didn't she see that when Shimizu Akira heard those words, he subconsciously looked back several times? Fortunately, she hid fast enough.
"You, a gyaru? In the beginning, in our group, you were the one who looked least like a gyaru."
When the three of them first started hanging out, Maya often teased Kei for having a "strange vibe" on her.
Speaking of this uninhabited island exam, Matsushita Chiaki had originally planned to group up with Sato Maya and Karuizawa Kei.
And the result?
This person was showing off again, intentionally or unintentionally, saying she had already reserved a spot to group with Shimizu Akira.
And hearing it today, Shimizu Akira even gave her two million private points?
He protects her and gives her money to spend!
Matsushita Chiaki felt a genuine wave of envy, jealousy, and hate.
Those few tens of thousands of points a month were simply not enough for someone from a wealthy family like her.
"No, no." She quickly slapped her own cheeks. "I'm proof of being a 'big sister' (mature); a big sister has to be mature. Don't be angry, don't be envious, just be yourself."
Ten minutes later, when she returned to the dormitory and was about to take a hot bath to calm her nerves, her phone suddenly rang.
She looked at it: Chabashira-sensei.
Confused, she answered.
"Matsushita, how is your progress with Shimizu Akira going lately?" the other party asked bluntly. "I remember I've been trying to set you two up since the island exam last year."
Matsushita Chiaki was stunned and replied slowly: "There is... no progress between me and Shimizu-kun. After all, the other party already has a girlfriend."
"Hm?" Chabashira-sensei said indifferently, "So what if he has a girlfriend?"
She hadn't really thought deeply about that question.
"Chabashira-sensei, what do you mean by that?"
"My meaning is clear. Matsushita, you have feelings for Shimizu Akira, don't you?"
"This..." Matsushita Chiaki opened her mouth but couldn't utter a denial.
"I've noticed it since last year," Chabashira continued. "Otherwise, you wouldn't have agreed to my request to ask him out. Do you think I'm just calling randomly?"
Matsushita Chiaki did indeed have feelings for Shimizu Akira.
From the contact during the island exam last year to the various accidental encounters later, and seeing today how well he treated Kei... it would be a lie to say she wasn't moved.
"But he has a girlfriend. More than one, and my good friend is among them."
"And?"
"And... so I shouldn't intervene."
"Intervene? Matsushita, have you carefully observed Shimizu Akira's girlfriends?"
Matsushita Chiaki blinked.
"Kushida Kikyo, Horikita Suzune, Karuizawa Kei, Sakura Airi, Hasabe Haruka..." Chabashira listed them one by one. "Has any one of them ever had a conflict because of the issue of someone 'intervening'?"
"This... it seems not."
"Not only do they not have conflicts, but they actually get along well. They often eat together, move together, and play games together," Chabashira said. "Do you know what that indicates?"
Matsushita Chiaki did not answer.
"It indicates that the way Shimizu Akira handles relationships is different from ordinary people. He isn't the type to love one person, then another, then abandon the old to chase the new. He is very serious with every girlfriend and never hides their existence. They all know about each other and accept each other; it's a special kind of balance."
Chabashira continued: "Furthermore, with personalities like Kushida Kikyo and Horikita Suzune, if Shimizu Akira were truly just a playboy, do you think they would willingly stay?"
Matsushita Chiaki fell silent.
Kikyo was smart and smooth, Suzune was cold and independent; they were indeed not the type to wrong themselves.
Moreover, when she was stalking Karuizawa Kei just now, the implication was that Shimizu Akira seemed to have given every girlfriend a 2-million-point "insurance policy."
Over these past few months, she and Sato Maya knew better than anyone how well Shimizu Akira treated Karuizawa Kei.
"So your meaning is..."
"My meaning is, if you truly like him, there's no need to stop just because he has a girlfriend," Chabashira said. "The key lies in whether you can accept this mode of interaction, whether you can coexist peacefully with them, and whether you can find your own place in this 'big family'.
Besides, with your personality that loves to be lazy, having a super reliable boyfriend is equivalent to not having to work hard for the next year or so—you can just leave everything to him. For you, isn't this the best way to lie flat?"
Hearing this, Matsushita Chiaki's eyes widened.
Bullseye!
She had witnessed Shimizu Akira's strength over the past year.
He definitely had tens of millions of private points in his hands; there was no doubt about that.
To be fair, it made a lot of sense!
If she had a boyfriend like Shimizu Akira, given how much he doted on his girlfriends, graduating from Class A in the future would be a guaranteed certainty.
After saying this, Chabashira-sensei hung up without another word.
Matsushita Chiaki was lost in thought.
"It seems... it really is necessary to seriously pursue Shimizu Akira once."
Lying flat in advance... ah, no, she already liked Shimizu Akira to begin with!
How can a "kill two birds with one stone" situation be called having ulterior motives?
As for Karuizawa Kei's thoughts...
"A gyaru doesn't just talk bad about others; they snatch men, too. Uh, that's not right either. Shimizu-kun is building a harem anyway, so I'm... just going to help her out?"
However, she didn't quite understand what Chabashira-sensei was thinking.
Why was she instigating her feelings like this?
Shimizu Akira already had so many girlfriends, and several of them were in Class B. He certainly couldn't run away.
Why were you still introducing him to more?
-
-
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Buzz... Shimizu Akira's phone suddenly vibrated.
He picked it up and saw a message from Chabashira Sae.
Chabashira Sae: I have already introduced a female student to you. As a condition, you must strive to get into the top three for this special exam.
'Hm? Introducing a female student to him?'
Why was this teacher still obsessed with this matter!
"What's wrong, Akira-kun?" Karuizawa Kei pulled on his arm. "Who sent the message?"
"Nothing." Shimizu Akira put his phone away and instinctively looked behind him. "By the way... I think I saw Matsushita Chiaki just now. I feel like she was secretly following me for a while."
"Ah?! Really? Does that mean... all that stuff I said roasting her earlier was heard perfectly clearly?!"
"Now you're panicking? Weren't you enjoying yourself when you called her clueless earlier?"
"Stop laughing! It's your fault! If you weren't beside me, I wouldn't have let my guard down so much!"
"Alright, alright, hurry up and go apologize to her."
"Right! Okay, see you later, Akira-kun!"
The two reached the bottom of the dormitory building. Karuizawa Kei waved goodbye, and Shimizu Akira turned toward his own room.
Then he froze.
Standing at his door was a person: Morishita Ai from second-year Class A.
She was holding a magnifying glass, carefully observing the doorknob.
"What are you doing?" Shimizu Akira completely failed to understand this person's logic.
Rather, ever since he first met her, he had never understood it.
"I am observing fingerprints." Morishita Ai looked up, wearing the expression of a detective who had found key evidence. "If my reasoning is correct, your room's doorknob has been touched by at least five people."
Shimizu Akira was momentarily speechless.
Could a regular handheld magnifying glass really see fingerprints?
He rubbed his temples: "So, after reaching this conclusion, why did you specifically come to my door to investigate?"
"Actually! I have discovered a truth." Morishita Ai spoke to herself, like the protagonist of a mystery drama.
"Shimizu Akira, you were the culprit behind the rooftop assault last year, weren't you?"
"Yeah, it was me." Shimizu Akira admitted it frankly.
"Wait?!" Morishita Ai was stunned. "You just admitted it? Shouldn't you defend yourself for a few lines, and then let me reveal your true face step by step?"
Shimizu Akira's lip twitched: "Defend what? There's nothing to hide. Ryuen Kakeru and his bunch deserved a beating."
He asked back: "So, how did you find out?"
"Naturally, it was the truth derived through my own reasoning," Morishita Ai said matter-of-factly.
"I see." Shimizu Akira nodded.
"So Manabe Shiho told you."
"What?! You..."
"Don't be surprised." Shimizu Akira interrupted her.
"Regarding the rooftop incident, Ryuen Kakeru told everyone in the class to keep their mouths shut at the time. Since no word has leaked for over half a year, and considering Manabe Shiho recently transferred to your class—and Yamamura told me you and she are seatmates—aren't the clues quite plentiful?"
Morishita Ai opened her mouth but couldn't say a word.
What was going on?
In this case, didn't he become the detective?
Then who was the culprit!
Looking at her devastated expression, Shimizu Akira couldn't help but laugh.
This reaction made her feel like a character that had jumped out of an anime.
Honestly, such a quirky female student was rare to see in the real world.
He thought for a moment and beckoned her: "Come here."
He thought Morishita Ai would run away like before, but to his surprise, she actually walked over obediently.
"So obedient?"
"I don't want to be beaten up by you again..." Morishita Ai covered her stomach with a look of resentment. "You hit me very hard last time... I have no choice but to listen to you."
Shimizu Akira was momentarily at a loss for words.
After a moment, he said, "What happened last time was my fault. I used a bit too much force. I apologize to you. I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Morishita Ai was somewhat amazed.
'Wait, this man knows how to apologize?' And his tone was quite sincere.
Looking closely, he actually looked quite good...
She wanted to continue putting on airs, but in a momentary impulse, she waved her hand: "It's fine! No big deal, don't worry about it."
'Ah!'
She sighed inwardly.
'What is happening!'
"Since you're fine." Shimizu Akira's face suddenly stiffened, becoming serious. "Then shouldn't we have a good talk about why you mysteriously appeared at my dorm door and eavesdropped on my life with a magnifying glass?"
Morishita Ai's expression immediately soured.
'See! She knew it!'
This man used his looks to bewilder her first, and now he was starting to hold her accountable!
"Hand out!" Shimizu Akira used two simple words again.
Morishita Ai's body stiffened. She hesitated for two or three seconds, but finally, she obediently tucked the magnifying glass into her pocket and held out her two fair hands.
Shimizu Akira lightly raised his hand and smacked her palm.
Compared to the boxing match last time, he restrained his strength much more; after all, she was a delicate girl.
"As punishment, one smack on the palm. Don't come to my room with a magnifying glass next time, you hear me?"
"Ugh..." Morishita Ai whispered, "I was just bored... I've been waiting here for ten minutes! It's your fault for not showing up!"
Shimizu Akira was between laughter and tears.
Ten minutes? Doesn't that mean she ran here immediately after the gym session ended?
Why didn't she look for him before?
Considering her erratic personality, could it be that she accidentally saw him in the gymnasium and suddenly remembered this matter, so she came to block him on the way?
Well... one can only say, it's very Morishita Ai.
"And about that time you snatched my... cough, 'small umbrella'." He smacked her palm again, slightly harder than before. "No more randomly snatching other people's things, okay?"
Morishita Ai winced and pulled her hand back slightly, but didn't withdraw it completely, just pouted.
"That... that was an accident! I thought it was important evidence at the time! Who told you to carry that kind of thing with you!"
"So you just snatched it? The basic literacy of a detective is to borrow, not snatch, right?"
" I was in a hurry! If it's a big deal, I'll just buy one for you later. It was 001, right?"
Shimizu Akira held his forehead.
She even remembered the brand.
It seemed she had studied it carefully afterward.
He walked to her side, took the magnifying glass, and observed it closely.
"Can this thing really see fingerprints?"
"Only a true detective can see fingerprints!" Morishita Ai said solemnly.
"Oh." Shimizu Akira nodded. "So you can't see them. Understood."
Morishita Ai made her little glaring face again.
Shimizu Akira gave the magnifying glass back: "Fine, the past is the past. I won't pursue it. But next time you want to find me, just knock on the door. No need to study the doorknob with a magnifying glass."
Morishita Ai took the magnifying glass and gave a quiet "mm" with her head down.
"Anything else?"
"No."
"Then go back. It's almost dark."
Morishita Ai nodded, turned to walk two steps, and stopped again.
"Shimizu Akira, I want to ask you something."
"Hm? Go ahead."
She turned back, her eyes looking at him seriously: "When you apologized just now... was it sincere?"
Shimizu Akira froze for a moment, then nodded: "Sincere."
Morishita Ai stared at him for a few seconds and suddenly smiled.
That smile was completely different from her usual detective act; it was a genuine, innocent, and bright smile.
"That's good then," she said. "Then I also sincerely forgive you. Actually, I never blamed you from the start; it was all that woman Sakayanagi Arisu's forced assignment! Let's team up together and tease that bad woman later!"
With that, she waved her hand and jogged away, disappearing at the end of the hallway.
Shimizu Akira stood there, watching her back, and smiled again.
What a strange girl.
However, it seemed he could understand her logic a little bit now.
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