Chapter 255 I'm Going to Arrange More Girlfriends for Shimizu Akira! / Dazed Girlfriend Number One
11:30 PM.
"Hey, hey! It really arrived! Sudo, look! A full 500,000 personal points!" Ike Kanji held up his phone, nearly shoving the screen into Sudo Ken's eyes.
Sudo Ken leaned in to glance, his face full of envy mixed with a bit of annoyance.
"I'm so jealous you were assigned to the Remaining Group. I wanted those 500,000 too! It's all that guy Koenji's fault for doing something unnecessary; otherwise, I could have shared in the glory with Shimizu and lived the high life!"
"Alright, alright, stop blaming him," Ike Kanji patted his shoulder. "Didn't Shimizu explain it clearly to everyone? Koenji at least earned 50 class points for the class, so he did his part. When we get back to school, I'll use this 500,000 to treat you, Ayanokouji, and Shimizu to a great meal!"
"Wait, that sounds way too sappy," Sudo Ken pushed him away in disgust.
"If you have that kind of spare cash, why not ask Shinohara Satsuki out?"
Ike Kanji's face turned red, but he blustered stubbornly, "Idiot! Women aren't as important as brothers!"
The two sat on the sofa, bickering back and forth, completely failing to notice Ayanokouji Kiyotaka lying on the upper bunk.
He kept his eyes open, his gaze falling on Shimizu Akira's empty bed across from him. After a moment of silence, he abruptly punctured the bubble: "It's because Ike invited Shinohara-san out just now and got rejected."
"Ayanokouji, you bastard!" Ike Kanji's face flushed instantly, and he nearly jumped off the sofa in embarrassment.
"I actually believed your nonsense just now; thank god Ayanokouji told the truth," Sudo Ken said, kicking Ike Kanji irritably.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka watched the two bickering quietly, and an unexpected sense of peace welled up in his heart.
This was probably what the daily life of an ordinary high school boy should be like. Noisy, yet filled with the genuine spark of life.
This was a feeling he had never experienced as a child.
Unfortunately, Shimizu Akira wasn't in the dorm right now. He had originally wanted to use tonight to review every step of this special exam with him, but it seemed it would have to wait
for another day. He withdrew his gaze, turned toward the phone by his pillow, and silently counted down in his head.
Four or five minutes later, the phone rang right on time. He picked it up to see the caller ID: his homeroom teacher, Chabashira Sae.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka rose quietly, not disturbing the two still arguing, put on his jacket, and walked out of the dorm before pressing the answer key.
"Ayanokouji-kun, tell me exactly what you did this time," Chabashira Sae's voice came through the receiver, devoid of obvious emotion.
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka spoke with clear logic: "Over the last few days, I collaborated with Shimizu Akira to help the class obtain 50 class points and 10 million personal points."
In terms of personal point gains alone, Class D was the highest among the four classes. Although they only took 50 class points, they were still the top performer of this exam. Furthermore, they prevented Class C from obtaining a large amount of points, solidifying Class D's third-place ranking.
He thought these words would earn recognition, but he didn't expect Chabashira Sae to immediately snap back with a barrage of questions: "Ayanokouji-kun! Why did you do something so unnecessary!"
Ayanokouji Kiyotaka was slightly stunned, his tone remaining cold: "What do you mean by 'unnecessary'?"
"Why did you choose to achieve Outcome 1? Why didn't you just report the VIPs of the other classes?" Chabashira Sae's voice carried clear reproach.
Ayanokouji frowned but patiently explained: "At that time, all classes already knew the identities of the four VIPs. Among the remaining seven groups, there were three Class D VIPs. Even if we reported other classes, our three VIPs couldn't be protected. Reporting only yields 100 class points and 2 million personal points, whereas everyone reaching Outcome 1 yields 50 class points and 10 million personal points. Clearly, the latter is the optimal solution."
"You're wrong!" Chabashira Sae interrupted without hesitation.
"You should have chosen those 100 class points! And why did you cooperate with Shimizu Akira? I clearly wanted to see your strength this time! By letting other classes get over 8 million personal points at once, haven't you made it easier for them to buy people?"
'Is there something wrong with this person?'
Even Ayanokouji felt such a question arise in his mind for the first time.
He continued flatly: "First, you told me from the start to act freely. Second, you never said I couldn't use Shimizu Akira's strength. Third, whether other classes buy people or not has
nothing to do with me. I simply chose the optimal solution that was most beneficial to Class D."
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Inside the ship's bar, the lights were dim and the air smelled faintly of alcohol.
Chabashira Sae hung up the phone. She grabbed a beer can from the table and took a large gulp, the cold liquid sliding down her throat without suppressing the irritation in her heart at all. Her mood was currently a tangled mess of conflicting emotions.
To an outsider, Class D had clearly won a grand victory in this special exam. They took first in class points, and their personal point gains were the highest of the four classes.
But in her eyes, this wasn't a victory; it was a total defeat.
The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became, the can in her hand slightly deforming under her grip.
The first point of her unease was the explosion of points in other classes.
With nearly 10 million extra personal points, at this rate, forget waiting for the second year—some classes might save the 20 million required to buy someone before the third semester of the first year even begins. When that time comes, poaching Shimizu Akira from Class D would be effortless.
What made her heart tighten even more was Shimizu Akira's personal net worth. As a faculty member, she already knew that the 2.5 million points for guiding the remaining groups had been deposited into his account. Plus the 2 million Ayanokouji promised him, and his original savings... did he already have 20 million points in his hand?!
This number was like a giant boulder crushing her breath.
'If Class D loses Shimizu Akira, I...'
She was filled with regret—regret so deep it made her sick.
Why hadn't she been more explicit? Why didn't she explicitly forbid Ayanokouji from collaborating with Shimizu or reaching Outcome 1? Her dissatisfaction with Ayanokouji also erupted at this moment.
'What 'optimal solution'? He's just like a heartless robot, only calculating pros and cons without understanding her deeper meaning!
Can't this person think more about the hidden dangers? Can't he follow her expectations and make choices that make the situation easier to control?'
She had wanted to use this exam to further control Class D's direction, but instead, the situation had spun completely out of her control.
She had given other classes the capital to poach him and made Shimizu Akira even harder to restrain. At this rate, all her previous plans would likely go down the drain.
While Chabashira Sae was brooding, a figure suddenly leaned in beside her. She initially thought it was Hoshinomiya Chie from Class B or Mashima Tomonari from Class A, but glancing up, she found it was the Class C homeroom teacher—Sakagami Kazuma.
"Good evening, Chabashira-sensei!" Sakagami Kazuma adjusted his glasses, his tone familiar. "Congratulations on your class's grand victory in this special exam! By that count, it seems only your class and mine gained class points this time."
"Good evening," Chabashira Sae's response was cold. She wasn't close to him, and in her current mood, she had no energy for pleasantries.
Sakagami didn't seem to mind. He ordered a beer and took a sip. "After this ship trip ends, your class points should officially overtake Class C. You'll be promoted to the new Class C, right?"
"Mhm..." Chabashira Sae only realized this now, and her tense expression softened slightly. Yes, Class D's points were already far beyond Class C. Returning to school meant shedding the "Class D garbage" label—one of the few consolations of this exam.
But in the next second, Sakagami's words put her back on alert: "Speaking of which, our Shiina Hiyori-san seems to know your Shimizu Akira-kun. I heard they are book buddies. So, when the groups were being formed, I specifically arranged for her to be in the Rabbit Group."
Chabashira Sae froze, immediately understanding.
He was talking about the initial group assignments for the special exam.
She suddenly remembered that besides Hoshinomiya Chie's arrangements, Mashima Tomonari from Class A had also specifically put Kamuro Masumi in the Rabbit Group. Before she could ask why, Sakagami had proactively revealed his hand.
'Book buddies?'
Chabashira frowned, her irritation growing. Why were there other girls close to Shimizu besides Ichinose Honami? This was not a good sign.
Sakagami acted as though he didn't notice her change in expression, adjusting his glasses with admiration: "In this special exam, Shimizu-kun shone brilliantly as always. Uniting four classes to forcibly take 40 million points from the school—that kind of ability is rare. For me, it's the first time I've seen a student carry an entire class by himself. A talent like that, after a decade of striving in the real world, would surely become an elite of society."
He wasn't an idiot; he could see that this exam was purely Shimizu Akira exerting his power, while everyone else in Class D just got a free ride.
The last special exam was the same—one person carrying a class. Without Shimizu, Class D was just a rabble that couldn't achieve anything great.
Sakagami's evaluation of Shimizu had always been high; he even felt the boy didn't need to graduate from Class A to be a top-tier talent in society.
But to Chabashira Sae, this praise was grating. He seemed to be praising Shimizu, but he was actually mocking Class D for relying solely on one person.
She suppressed her displeasure and retorted with sarcasm: "We still have Koenji-kun in our class, so there's no need for Sakagami-sensei to point the way for Shimizu Akira's future."
Since he liked talking about the adult world and reality, she would follow that thread.
The Koenji Conglomerate was a top-tier group in Japan.
She'd heard Koenji Rokusuke entered this school partly because of family cooperation with the Prime Minister.
Shimizu Akira had helped Koenji Rokusuke before; why would he need to struggle in society? The Koenji family could pave the road for him with a wave of their hand.
Koenji Rokusuke's strength was on par with Shimizu and Ayanokouji, but she never dared to pull any small moves against him. Ultimately, it was out of fear of his family background; one word from him could cost her this job.
Although school rules forbid students from contacting the outside world, such rules were made for the weak. If Koenji truly wanted to contact the outside, could this school really hold him?
Sakagami's hand holding the beer paused, and his face darkened.
"I suppose I was inconsiderate. Koenji-kun's background is indeed incomparable to ordinary people."
After a moment, his eyes took on an inscrutable depth: "In the coming period, I should probably seek out Shimizu-kun from your class for more exchanges. To be honest, I am a boxing enthusiast myself. Shimizu-kun's ability and personality really suit my taste; I even hope to get a few signatures from him. After this special exam, our class possesses that kind of 'capital' as well."
With that, he drained his beer, placed the empty can on the bar, and walked straight out without giving Chabashira a chance to respond.
Chabashira Sae watched his back disappear, her face turning ugly. How could she not hear his true intent?
"Boxing enthusiast" and "signatures" were just excuses. He clearly wanted to use "exchanges" as a cover to win over Shimizu and poach him!
Hoshinomiya Chie wasn't dealt with yet, and now there was Sakagami? Chabashira felt a massive headache.
'No! I must find a way to keep Shimizu Akira firmly in Class D!'
She forced herself to calm down, her gaze falling on the night sky outside. Next was the Sports Festival—Shimizu's forte.
With his near-monstrous physical stats, even at 50% effort, he could take the top score for Class D. He was an indispensable core. But other classes were eyeing him like tigers, and since he had 20 million points, ordinary point rewards wouldn't interest him.
The first thing that came back to her was the plan to introduce him to a girlfriend.
She thought of Matsushita Chiaki, but then frowned. Since the island exam, their interactions had decreased.
Moreover, Matsushita wasn't an open person and wouldn't proactively invite him out.
Chabashira felt frustrated; why hadn't she considered personality when picking Matsushita? With Shimizu's nature, if he didn't like someone from the heart, he wouldn't ask them out. Clearly, Matsushita's type couldn't grab his attention.
'What kind of girl attracts him?'
She recalled his past behavior.
He didn't seem to reject closeness, and his personality was introverted... perhaps he preferred proactive girls? The "Gyaru" type who dares to act spoiled and doesn't mind physical touch?
She scanned the Class D girls in her mind. Who was pretty, had a good body, and was proactive enough? Two names appeared: Karuizawa Kei and Hasabe Haruka.
Karuizawa Kei was a standard Gyaru type, outgoing and bold, and the manager of the boxing club. As for Hasabe Haruka, though she was usually cold to boys, Chabashira had investigated her specifically to find a match for Shimizu.
Hasabe was actually very cheerful with friends, liked to joke and give nicknames, and wasn't unapproachable at heart. If she met a man she was interested in, she would approach him.
These pieces of info she had jotted down randomly were now of great use.
But which one?
Chabashira Sae hesitated for a few seconds before her eyes turned sharp—why choose only one? If it could keep Shimizu in Class D, she'd arrange two, three, or even four girls!
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The two special exams of summer vacation finally ended as the ship docked. As the crowd walked off the ship and back onto familiar campus ground, it felt like stepping back over the threshold of home after a long voyage.
Although this school was wrapped in rules and isolated from the outside, it was undoubtedly the harbor everyone wanted to reach. But the relief of returning was quickly covered by heavy exhaustion.
The island exam required raw physical stamina, while the VIP exam required constant mental tension and rule-crunching.
Everyone was exhausted in body and soul.
Fortunately, the school explicitly stated there would be no more special exams for the remainder of the first semester's summer vacation. This news was a shot of adrenaline for the stressed students. Almost everyone's first choice was to head straight to their single-occupancy dorms.
Class affairs and point planning were forgotten; the priority was a hot bath to wash away the fatigue and two days of solid sleep in a soft bed.
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August 19th, four days after the VIP exam ended.
Shimizu Akira woke up early, feeling his energy had fully recovered. Single rooms were indeed comfortable; no need to accommodate others' schedules for the shower or toilet, and he could relax completely at night. After changing into sports gear, his phone rang. He saw the name "Kushida Kikyo" on the screen. He paused for a moment before answering.
"Kikyo, good morning."
"Akira, good morning!" Kushida's gentle voice came through.
"Are you going out for a run today?"
"Mhm, it's a habit now, can't change it," Shimizu laughed and suggested, "Want to come with me?"
"No thanks~," Kushida's voice was soft. "As your girlfriend, just watching you run is enough. Hasn't it been like that for months?"
"Uh... alright." Shimizu was stunned for a second.
"Then I won't disturb your workout," Kushida's tone became expectant. "By the way, Akira, as my boyfriend, did you forget to tell me something?"
Shimizu thought for a moment before saying seriously into the phone: "Kikyo, I'm very happy to have you as my girlfriend right now."
"Akira, I'm very happy too!" The voice on the other end was clearly full of smiles.
"I'll hang up now, bye-bye~"
Hanging up, Shimizu walked out of the dorm with his phone.
This special exam didn't just change class and personal points; it fundamentally changed his relationship with Kushida Kikyo. Since that night they broke through the ambiguity, they had officially entered the dating phase.
Kushida Kikyo was the first girl to proactively talk to him on the bus when he arrived in this world, and now she was his first girlfriend.
This destiny gave him a sense of completeness.
As for why she was the "first" girlfriend, it was naturally because Kushida had agreed to his proposal of dating others simultaneously.
Even now, Shimizu felt a bit dazed thinking about it; the surprise came too suddenly.
In his view, when he voiced such a "scumbag" idea, it would have been normal for her to slap him and push him away in anger, yet she only bit his arm twice and agreed quite easily.
Kushida Kikyo doted on him; that was the most undeniable fact right now.
Of course, he kept her requirement that all "firsts" must belong to her firmly in mind. Furthermore, their dating was currently a secret known to no one else.
This was her request. Although she didn't explain why, Shimizu didn't ask.
He wasn't surprised; even before the island, she said she didn't plan to have a boyfriend.
She maintained her "Angel" image in class, similar to how idols can't go public with relationships.
However, Shimizu felt the reason might not be so simple. He remembered the hidden pleasure in her voice when she said it, whispering: "I really want to see the look on that woman Horikita's face when she suddenly learns the truth. It's too early to reveal it now; I have to save that joy for the final moment. I just want to see her look of jealousy and helplessness!"
She probably thought he couldn't hear, but Shimizu's physical stats were far beyond ordinary; the words reached his ears clearly.
'Well, it turns out my girlfriend is a 'troll' who wants to secretly cause trouble and tease Horikita Suzune.'
Shimizu didn't point it out, pretending he hadn't heard. He'd just find an opportunity to casually remind Horikita later.
Since she was his first girlfriend and had worked so hard for him in the last exam, it was only natural to spoil her a bit.
As his thoughts drifted, he remembered what Kushida had entrusted to him.
She wanted him to completely "take down" Horikita Suzune next month so Horikita would be forbidden from spreading her past dark history on campus. In return, she would give him her "first time."
His previous closeness with Kushida was just minor flirting, but this was different—if they fulfilled the agreement, it would be a true breakthrough and union.
His girlfriend really knew how to tempt people.
Regarding the "dark history," Shimizu had asked about it two days ago using their new relationship status as a catalyst. Since they were lovers, Kushida stopped hiding it and told him everything.
From primary school to middle school, she maintained her Angel image, always smiling. But she was only human; suppressing her emotions and playing a perfect role every day built up too much pressure.
So, she started a secret blog to vent her negative feelings and complaints.
Unexpectedly, a classmate discovered the blog and exposed the content. Instantly, the "hypocrite" label was nailed to her, and her reputation plummeted.
Pushed to a dead end, she chose a "self-destruct" option, revealing everyone's secrets in class, which eventually caused the entire class to collapse.
After hearing this, Shimizu's first reaction was: "Huh?"
'That's it?' He had thought it was some massive, unspeakable secret, imagining something extreme like Rena Ryugu from Higurashi breaking classroom windows and severely injuring classmates. At its core, her "dark history" was just a teenage girl with no outlet for pressure writing in a blog that got accidentally leaked.
Snapping and revealing everyone's secrets was more like an emotional breakdown an ordinary person would have—it wasn't some unforgivable sin.
From another perspective, she was just a middle school girl facing imminent bullying; what choices did she have? Tell the teacher? In the Japanese school environment, teachers usually just brush things over and can't solve systemic bullying.
Transfer? She wasn't from a rich family; it's not that easy for ordinary students to transfer on a whim.
Endure it silently? That clearly wasn't her nature, and suppressing such misery would likely lead to psychological issues.
Looking at it this way, choosing to strike back was likely the optimal solution she could think of.
Perhaps because of his "boyfriend lens," Shimizu didn't think she was wrong and even casually praised her: "You did well."
Unexpectedly, Kushida rolled her eyes with a helpless yet amused tone: "You only think I'm right because you like me too much. Others won't accept this so easily."
Once exposed, she would be labeled a two-faced person—gentle and smiling in front, but venting negativity and recording secrets behind people's backs.
People would fear offending her, lest she dig up old grudges and ruin their reputations.
Most people would keep her at a distance.
Shimizu understood the logic, but one thing still didn't make sense.
'What was the point of Kushida trying so hard to force Horikita to be expelled?'
Ultimately, isn't it just a matter of words? Even if he, Shimizu, did nothing, if Horikita reached the point of expulsion—since she already suspected Kushida—she could just tell several classmates exactly what Kushida had done before she left.
Wouldn't Kushida end up getting a bunch of people expelled with her?
When he said this bluntly, Kushida's expression became awkward, her eyes slightly dazed. She blinked and said with a hint of uncertain realization: "That... actually makes a lot of sense."
'Well, it seems my 'primary girlfriend' has a bit of a dazed, slow-witted side that isn't going to change anytime soon.'
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