Chapter 190: Watching Shimizu Akira do push-ups is quite an appetite-whetter
For Sudo Ken, he had actually been interested in the person known as Shimizu Akira for a long time.
If one were to trace back the initial spark, it would go back to the first day of the entrance exams. At that time, Yamauchi Haruki had said something lewd about girls, and that man's expression shifted instantly as he pinned Yamauchi's wrist with a single hand.
In that moment, Sudo Ken felt that this guy was no ordinary person.
The second time was by the pool.
The boys had organized a spontaneous swimming competition, and the result was clear—he, Hirata Yosuke, and Ayanokouji had all utterly lost to Shimizu Akira and Koenji Rokusuke. The facts were just as he had suspected: this man possessed a physique even more robust than his own.
The third time was what happened just a few days ago. Sudo Ken had taken Ayanokouji's keycard intended to seek help, but when he opened the door, he was met with a few words from Shimizu Akira that were almost like a scolding. He had handed the spare keycard back to Ayanokouji Kiyotaka on the spot, his face flushed with unmistakable embarrassment.
Sudo Ken always felt that Shimizu Akira's mindset was very mature, not quite like a high schooler's—at any rate, he was certainly much stronger than himself, Yamauchi Haruki, or Ike Kanji. From then on, he unconsciously paid more attention to Shimizu Akira than to his other classmates.
While eating in the cafeteria, he clearly noticed that Ishizaki Daichi and his group had been staring at Shimizu Akira over the past few days. His first reaction was: Are those guys planning to screw someone over again? Having experienced it firsthand, it was a natural suspicion.
Even so, yesterday's Sudo Ken hadn't really kept Shimizu Akira in mind, let alone thought about helping him resolve any problems.
After all, Shimizu wasn't exactly his friend; the two had barely spoken.
No matter how much sense the man's words made, he had indeed snubbed Sudo quite unceremoniously that day. Sudo Ken was no saint, and since his mood was already in the gutter because of Yamauchi Haruki speaking ill of him to his face, how could he have the heart to care about others? He could barely manage his own troubles.
The most urgent matter was finding a witness to resolve his potential suspension. But at noon today, a text message completely disrupted his plans—it was from Kushida Kikyo, saying she had found a witness who even had a photo as evidence.
He was instantly thrilled: this meant not only would he avoid suspension, but he could also keep his status as a regular candidate.
However, having gone through the incidents with Yamauchi and Ayanokouji, he had learned not to take others' kindness for granted, so he immediately asked who helped find the witness.
He remembered clearly that the other party's messages paused for over ten seconds before sending that name: Shimizu Akira.
To be honest, he nearly jumped off his dorm bed in shock, his heart full of disbelief. In his eyes, while Shimizu Akira was outstanding in all aspects, he was definitely not a busybody. That person had scolded him just a few days ago; why would he suddenly step in to help?
So he instinctively asked: Are there any conditions? Or rather, what reward does he want?
He assumed Shimizu would likely demand points as a price, which was only fair. He actually had tens of thousands of points on hand—rewards given by the club. After all, his performance in the club over the past two months had been stellar, making him the most outstanding among the freshmen; otherwise, he wouldn't have become a regular candidate or drawn the jealousy of those Class C guys. He was even prepared to hand over all his personal points; strictly speaking, Shimizu Akira had indeed done him a massive favor.
However, this time, Kushida Kikyo's reply was very slow. It took over a minute before he received the message: Mmhmm, after my very, very hard work of persuasion, he's helping you for free!
'What? Helping me for free?'
Sudo Ken didn't have the mind to ponder the so-called "very, very hard work of persuasion," nor did he care how she had persuaded him. He never could understand those twists and turns—he wasn't exactly clever, after all. So, the moment he saw those words, only one word remained in his head: "Free."
'Shimizu Akira actually helped me for free?
Doesn't he find me an eyesore?! Could it be that, on the contrary, he actually admires me?! No way!'
Likely because his brain wasn't the sharpest, when he encountered things he couldn't figure out, he instinctively went to see Ayanokouji Kiyotaka and Ike Kanji.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's reaction was visibly marked by surprise, as if he didn't quite believe Shimizu Akira would help for free.
Ike Kanji thought about it for a while and spoke up: "Huh? That just means he cared about your pride, so he didn't proactively tell you he was helping! After all, a few days ago when you had Ayanokouji's keycard, he snubbed you. If he suddenly showed up at your door saying he wanted to help, would you really think he was being sincere?"
Sudo scratched his head, feeling that there was indeed some logic to that.
Ike Kanji continued: "My elders told me when I was a kid to stay away from people who say nice things to your face but talk behind your back. Conversely, those who dare to snub you to your face to correct your mistakes but quietly do things for you—those are true friends. Looking at it this way, Shimizu Akira is a truly selfless do-gooder. If you hadn't asked, you probably wouldn't even know who helped you until now. Sudo, you owe him a favor, and this isn't something that can be paid back with just a meal!"
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka's expression was strangely subtle, as if he wanted to say something but swallowed it back down.
But Sudo Ken didn't have the heart to care about his thoughts—this guy's social skills and EQ were even worse than his own; he was usually silent, and only he and Ike would proactively talk to him. Among the three of them, Ike Kanji was the best talker and had the most friends in class. Therefore, what Ike said must be right.
'What the heck! So he's a good guy! In that case, I really do owe him a huge favor.'
If that was the case, things were simple. His thought process was straightforward: since Shimizu Akira was a great person and he owed the man a favor, then he had to resolve those Class C guys for Shimizu. He didn't want to see Shimizu Akira end up being suspended.
But unexpectedly, as soon as he called the guys out, Shimizu Akira suddenly appeared and told him to stop.
"Shimizu... why are you being so restrained? This doesn't seem like you. With your skills, taking care of those three would probably take less than 30 seconds, right?" As the two walked side-by-side, Sudo Ken couldn't help but ask.
Shimizu Akira was momentarily stunned and squinted his eyes slightly.
'Just what kind of image do I have in this guy's mind?'
Perhaps his actions on the first day of school left too deep an impression. Deep enough to make Sudo think he was the type of person who would resort to violence at the drop of a hat?
"There's no need," Shimizu Akira replied instinctively. Regarding those three, firstly they hadn't insulted him, and secondly they hadn't hit him. Moreover, there were ways to solve problems other than violence, so there was naturally no need to use his fists.
"Sudo, I actually overheard a bit of your conversation. I appreciate you being willing to step in, but you were indeed a bit impulsive this time. Next time you encounter something like this, why not let me or Ayanokouji know first? What do you think?" Shimizu Akira added after a thought.
Though the other was impulsive, it was a well-intended gesture of help, so his tone couldn't be too harsh.
"Okay..." Sudo Ken nodded with some embarrassment. He indeed hadn't consulted Ayanokouji or Ike; he had just rushed over in a heat of passion.
"However, I'm still grateful for your help as a return gesture. How about I treat you to lunch tomorrow?" Shimizu thought for a moment and said.
"Huh? You're treating me to a meal?..." Sudo was full of surprise. In his view, he had only just called those three out and hadn't actually done anything yet, so how could it be considered helping Shimizu? Let alone having the other party treat him to a meal. On the contrary, because Shimizu helped him find a witness, Sudo knew in his heart that to repay this favor, he should be the one proactively treating the other.
"I wasn't helping you purely out of selflessness; I actually gained quite a few benefits myself. For instance, the school rewarded me with a sum of personal points, so you don't need to always feel indebted to me," Shimizu Akira added unconsciously, seeing the other's awkward demeanor. He had already gained enough from this matter; there was really no need to demand anything more from Sudo.
"...I-is that so?!" Sudo was stunned; so the school had even rewarded him with points.
Shimizu Akira checked the time on his phone again; it was nearly 7:00 PM. Kamuro Masumi should be arriving soon, and he still had to go to that cafe to get the hot cocoa.
"Since everything is clear now. Sudo... I have things to do, so I'll be going first." Shimizu Akira nodded to him and turned to walk toward the cafe.
However, after walking about three meters away, he instinctively looked back—and found Sudo Ken still standing there, just gazing at his retreating back.
'Eh? Why is he looking at me? Did I say something weird?'
Shimizu ran through what he had just said in his mind and didn't feel like any of it was problematic. Oh well, there was no need to care so much about such small things.
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When Shimizu Akira arrived at the cafe, the staff had already prepared his order. He carried the packaged box back to the dormitory and glanced at the room's layout; the cleanliness was acceptable, so there was no need for special tidying. Those purple slippers by the door were still in their original place; he suddenly felt that maybe he should buy a shoe rack.
'It's not like I'll have that many guests.'
He shook his head and dismissed the thought.
At 7:30, the doorbell finally rang. Shimizu Akira opened the door and, as expected, it was Kamuro Masumi. She was wearing her usual school uniform, and her gaze swept over him with its customary touch of coldness. He didn't mind—that was just Kamuro's personality.
"Please come in, Kamuro." He stepped back two paces to make room for her.
Kamuro Masumi's gaze lingered on the purple slippers for two seconds, as if confirming something, and then she bent down to change her shoes. The size was neither too large nor too small, fitting her surprisingly well. She wasn't entirely unfamiliar with this; after all, the last time she came, this man had prepared hot cocoa in advance. His mind always seemed to land on these details.
She said nothing and walked straight to the center of the room.
"The hot cocoa is on the table." Shimizu Akira sat on the edge of the bed and pointed to the small table.
Kamuro Masumi pulled out the chair and sat down, facing him directly, her gaze falling on the packaged box.
'Last time it was handmade hot cocoa, this time he specifically bought it from a cafe?
He certainly knows how to switch things up.'
Just as her fingertips touched the lid of the box, she suddenly looked up at him: "You remember what you promised me at noon, right?"
Shimizu Akira was pouring hot water into a glass. He paused at her words: "Fifty push-ups?"
Kamuro Masumi couldn't help but nod with satisfaction.
'At least he remembers. After all, I lent this guy 30,000 personal points; it's only right for him to please his creditor.'
She thought for a moment and spat out two words: "Start now."
"...Fine." Shimizu was not a procrastinator. Since it was something agreed upon in advance, he leaned down and began doing push-ups, his movements crisp and efficient.
The floor let out a faint muffled sound under the pressure of his elbows. His frequency was fast, nearly one per second, and the muscles in his back tightened and relaxed with the rhythm, like a drawn bowstring. Kamuro Masumi couldn't say what a "standard" push-up was supposed to look like, but seeing him press his wrists to just the right angle every time and lower his body almost to the floor—this should be considered a proper push-up.
She opened the hot cocoa packaging, the sweet aroma wafting out. Her fingertips held a small spoon, lightly tapping the side of the cup as her gaze unconsciously fell on his tensed nape.
'Looking at it this way, this guy's physical fitness is actually quite good.'
Shimizu seemed to be doing them effortlessly; his breathing remained steady, maintaining his own rhythm, just as casual as he usually was. Kamuro Masumi strangely felt that the scene held a certain eye-catching tension.
"Alright, fifty are done."
Shimizu pushed off the floor and stood up, speaking calmly.
Kamuro Masumi felt as if she had just snapped out of a daze—it hadn't even been a minute, and he was finished? She strangely felt like she hadn't seen enough, and blurted out: "Okay, then do 100 more."
"More?" Shimizu Akira turned his head to ask.
"Naturally!" Kamuro Masumi was clearly dissatisfied with his attitude and let out a light huff.
"I am the creditor, and the rights of a creditor are limitless! When I lent you points, didn't you say you could grant me a few requests? What, you're unhappy because I'm making you do a few more push-ups?"
"I was just confirming..." Shimizu's mouth twitched.
Seriously, she's already starting with the "requests"? Doing push-ups is her so-called request? How to put it... one could only say it was quite simple.
He said no more, bent down, and pressed his palms onto the floor once again.
With his palms pressed against the slightly cool floor, Shimizu Akira adjusted his breathing. This time, without waiting for Kamuro Masumi to speak, he proactively began moving. As his elbows lowered, the frequency of his muscle movement remained perfectly steady.
Kamuro Masumi pulled the hot cocoa a bit closer to herself, the movement of her spoon stirring the cup slowing down. She watched as the T-shirt on his back was gradually soaked into a darker shade by sweat, and then looked down at the brown of the hot cocoa in her cup. She suddenly felt that the two colors were somewhat similar.
Her spoon unconsciously scooped a mouthful into her mouth. Kamuro Masumi just kept watching the silhouette of Shimizu Akira doing push-ups.
The sweetness she tasted on her tongue, for some reason, seemed much richer than usual, even lending the thickness of the hot cocoa a hint of some indescribable flavor.
'Hmm? It's actually quite an appetite-whetter.'
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New Fanfiction!
Hachiman please tone down your Inner Thoughts
While waiting for Yukinoshita in the clubroom, he unexpectedly travels to the world of Classroom of the Elite and becomes the representative of Class B.
Initially, he only intended to keep a low profile while helping Class B escape its tragic fate from the original story, and incidentally saving Ichinose Honami.
However, why these girls seems to know what am I Thinking?
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting