Chapter 256 You two dating, I'm your elder brother / Ichinose Honami's wish
That said, thinking about how Kushida Kikyo was eager for him to quickly "take down" Horikita Suzune made Shimizu Akira's head ache.
Where else would you find a girlfriend, having just confirmed the relationship, urging her boyfriend to go and conquer a second girl?
He figured this was likely due to the obsession festering in Kushida's heart.
After all, her coming to this high school was, to some extent, an attempt to escape the middle school "dark history" she refused to mention.
On the first day of school, Kushida and Horikita Suzune happened to be on the same bus, and back then, the look in Kushida's eyes when she saw Horikita held an indescribable uneasiness.
For these past four months, Kushida had likely been living in fear, constantly worrying that Horikita might expose her past one day.
This was also why she had been so persistent in trying to "befriend" Horikita all this time.
But things were different now.
She was wary of Shimizu Akira and feared making him dislike her, so she couldn't use any underhanded tactics against Horikita. Plus, Shimizu himself had made it clear: expulsion wouldn't necessarily stop someone from spreading a dark history.
Since the hard way wouldn't work, she had to try the soft way, coming up with the idea for her boyfriend to "take her down."
At the time, Shimizu had specifically followed up by asking what "take her down" meant—the term was far too ambiguous. As a result, Kushida's expression soured as she leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"It's doing what I'm doing! Being able to proactively kiss you and proactively confess to you! If that conservative woman reaches that point, she probably won't be able to leave you for the rest of her life. By then, even if she still hates me, she won't go out of her way to spread my dark history just to avoid being resented by you!"
Recalling it now, Shimizu felt the whole thing was unreliable.
Horikita Suzune proactively kissing him? Proactively confessing? This was a girl who would hesitate for ages just to hold hands, blush for a long time afterward, and treat a hug like a massive concession.
How could she possibly do such a thing? In Horikita's mind, kissing probably didn't even rank yet in the steps of interacting with the opposite sex, let alone a proactive confession.
'I have a feeling this won't go so smoothly...'
He knew in his heart this would have to be a long-term plan, practically a brain-taxing "Love is War."
Although Kushida didn't look happy at the time, she was full of confidence in him, believing he could seal the deal just by asking Horikita out a few times.
She had even set a deadline: completion before next month.
Since this month wasn't over yet, Shimizu wasn't that anxious. In his view, Horikita Suzune wasn't the type to casually spread someone's dark history.
He even couldn't help but wonder: 'Does Horikita even know Kushida Kikyo?'
Given Horikita's blunt personality, if she had known long ago that Kushida was the "bad woman" she claimed to be, she surely would have quietly warned him already. But when he voiced this thought, Kushida didn't believe it for a second.
Naturally suspicious, the only person she now fully trusted besides herself was her boyfriend, Shimizu Akira. She didn't take Horikita's words to heart at all.
She had been quite popular in middle school, and that incident was huge; there was no reason for Horikita not to know her.
She figured Horikita was likely just pretending they weren't well-acquainted.
She even harbored a dark speculation that Horikita might be jealous of her being with Shimizu and might intentionally leak her dark history one day.
So, if it turned out in the end that Horikita didn't know Kushida at all, or didn't even know about the dark history, wouldn't all this effort become a giant joke?
Who would be the one watching the "fun" then?
However, for Shimizu, there was no point in agonizing over the outcome; he would just follow through.
First, he genuinely liked Horikita and had intended to develop their relationship slowly anyway; now he was just pushing forward with the momentum.
Second, he really didn't want to see Kushida constantly distressed by the dark history. This was a request from his girlfriend, and as her boyfriend, it was his duty.
Third—to be honest—he wanted to have an "in-depth exchange" with his girlfriend!
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At 8:00 AM, the Daily Intel refreshed on time.
The fortune-telling shop in Keyaki Mall, which opens at 10:00, has exceptionally accurate prediction results. August 24th is Inogashira Kokoro's birthday. Third-year Class A's Horikita Manabu is a 5th-dan in Karate.
When he saw the first item, Shimizu was slightly stunned. He subconsciously opened the class group chat, and sure enough, students were already discussing the suddenly arrived fortune-teller.
Several people were saying it was incredibly accurate, even mentioning trivial things from their childhood.
Originally, he was a staunch scientist, but then he thought: he had already experienced the surreal event of being transported to this world by a system. He found himself believing a bit more in things with a metaphysical color.
This news was stamped by the Daily Intel, so its credibility was clearly high. If he had the chance today, he might go check it out.
As for the second item, Inogashira Kokoro seemed to be one of Kikyo's good friends. It was next Wednesday.
Come to think of it, Shimizu didn't even know Kushida's birthday yet; he'd have to find a time to ask.
The final piece of intel wasn't too surprising. He knew Horikita Manabu was a capable fighter, but he didn't know he was a 5th-dan in Karate.
He suddenly remembered his promise to Horikita Suzune: once they returned to school, he would proactively invite Suzune, Horikita Manabu, and Tachibana Akane for a four-person dinner. Thinking of this, Shimizu immediately found Horikita Manabu's contact info and dialed.
"President, do you and Tachibana-senpai have time in the next few days?" he asked straightforwardly.
But no response came from the other end. Instead, there was a din of renovation—drills and hammering mixed together, nearly drowning out everything.
After a full ten seconds, Horikita Manabu's steady voice came through the noise: "Shimizu, I didn't hear what you said just now. The noise from the renovations is too loud. Repeat it."
Shimizu patiently repeated the invitation, only to receive a clear rejection: "During the summer break, Tachibana and I are busy with the Student Council renovations and handling the handover for the third-year council. We really can't spare the time. Let's talk about it next month. Shimizu, I owe you one this time."
Shimizu realized then—no wonder he heard drilling; the Student Council was still busy refurbishing.
That council was truly busy; the special exam had just ended, and they didn't even have time to breathe before diving into renovations and handovers.
On the other end, Horikita Manabu's tone softened, carrying obvious praise: "However, I can spare a few minutes to chat. I've heard about the VIP exam. Shimizu, you did very well. You didn't disappoint my expectations."
"It wasn't my credit alone; the classmates helped a lot." Shimizu didn't hog the glory; Ayanokouji had indeed been a huge help.
But as soon as he spoke, Manabu's tone shifted to disappointment regarding his sister: "So, in the last special exam, Suzune held you back, didn't she?
She confessed to me—she accidentally let it slip in front of Ryuen Kakeru that Yamauchi Haruki was a VIP. To clean up her mess, you went out of your way to tell Class B about a VIP in your own class, causing Class D to miss out on 50 class points. In the end, one group missed out on Outcome 1 entirely. Invisibly, you lost quite a few points for the class and yourself!"
Manabu was likely referring to him telling Ichinose Honami about Yamauchi. Back then, to get concrete evidence of Yamauchi's betrayal, Horikita Suzune had done a lot of prep in the shop. During the confrontation, to make Yamauchi give up hope, she accidentally exposed the VIP info. Before Ryuen could report Yamauchi, Shimizu had stepped in and instructed Class B to report first.
In the President's eyes, this was a move Shimizu made specifically for Horikita Suzune. But that wasn't entirely true.
He had actually told Ichinose long ago—partly to make up for the favor when Koenji leaked Class B's VIP info previously, so Class B would be willing to cooperate. Second, he genuinely didn't want a traitor like Yamauchi to get 500,000 personal points. Helping Horikita was just a convenience.
Before Shimizu could explain, Horikita Manabu's voice became stern: "Don't worry, I've already given Suzune a harsh lecture, making her reflect on her recklessness."
"President?! Why did you lecture Horikita again!" Shimizu's lip twitched as he hurriedly tried to stop him.
How did this President not follow common sense, jumping straight to criticism? If he remembered correctly, the older brother had already scolded the younger sister once before. Again?!
He quickly explained: "President, don't misunderstand! I didn't just do that to help Horikita; it was more for my own plan. And Horikita didn't do anything wrong; she did it to find the mole for the class. Don't blame her."
"You don't need to shield her!" Manabu's tone was forceful.
"What mole? You probably found the VIP intel long ago, didn't you? You just intentionally gave the opportunity to Suzune so she could get some experience. Otherwise, with her meager ability, how could she be in charge? Ridiculous! Shimizu, you are just too kind and too good to Suzune. You've helped her so many times in these special exams. And her? No progress at all. She's completely unworthy of your effort. Having a sister like that... I find it shameful!"
After speaking, he couldn't help but snort.
"Uh..." Shimizu was completely speechless.
Logically, with Horikita Manabu on his side, he should be happy, but the current situation felt exhausting.
He had just accepted Kushida's request to deepen his relationship with Horikita Suzune, and now the President was showering him with praise while bad-mouthing Horikita and scolding her on his behalf.
He didn't even need to think to know how terrible Horikita Suzune's mood was right now.
Before he could process this, Manabu's voice rose again: "You don't need to have reservations! Shimizu, I lectured Suzune for a full half-hour this time; she definitely knows she was wrong now. If she dares to give you an attitude or if you feel wronged in the future, just come to me! I'll definitely back you up!"
Shimizu remembered their last meeting where Horikita Suzune had teased him for relying on luck—though she apologized later. This lecture from the President sounded far more severe than the previous conflict. Last time was just a text; this time was a thirty-minute phone call. He could practically visualize her biting her lip, looking defiant yet forced to listen.
"Alright, no need to thank me too much. After all, if you two date in the future, I will be your elder brother."
With that, the President hung up the phone decisively, leaving Shimizu standing there stunned, holding his phone.
The President... had basically endorsed the possibility of him and Horikita Suzune? He even stepped into the role of elder brother in advance? He was just worrying about how to get closer to her, and now the President had pre-booked the relationship.
The President had no idea that he didn't plan on only dating Horikita Suzune, but had thoughts of a harem! If this brother, who was so protective and strict with his sister, knew the truth, who knows what his reaction would be.
But it was too early for that. The priority wasn't the President's attitude, but Horikita Suzune, who had just been scolded by her brother for half an hour.
Thinking of her usual expressionless and awkward self, combined with her likely feeling full of grievance and defiance, Shimizu felt another headache coming on.
Any experienced trainer knows that once a Pokémon enters a "super-impossible-to-coax" state, it can't be fixed with a few simple words. Forget about getting closer or building favor; approaching her rashly now would likely end up like Ash Ketchum, getting electrocuted by a cranky Pikachu.
After some thought, Shimizu decided to avoid the heat for now. He wouldn't proactively seek out Horikita Suzune for a few days to avoid catching her ire. Developing a relationship required timing; he'd wait for her mood to settle before finding a chance to ease the atmosphere.
Shimizu tapped open his point account on his phone. After the special exam, he had received three transfers totaling 1.5 million personal points. They were from Class D's Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Class C's Shiina Hiyori, and Class A's Katsuragi Kohei. Since they had collaborated during the exam, this was the agreed-upon split.
But as Shimizu looked at the list, he noticed a name was missing: Class B's Ichinose Honami.
In this exam, Class B had secured quite a few points and they had discussed a split agreement—had Ichinose not sent the points yet? Did she forget, or was there some other reason she hadn't gotten around to it?
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For Class B, the VIP exam was a rollercoaster. After Koenji Rokusuke accurately guessed Class B's VIP identity, Class B fell into a passive position. Over the next two days, other groups ended the exam early, and Class B's remaining two VIP groups were among them.
Kanzaki Ryuji quickly sensed something was wrong. In the first general meeting, out of the twelve groups containing Class B members, only six groups proactively suggested taking turns to deduce the VIP. The other six groups—including the three VIPs—remained intentionally silent.
With this doubt, he questioned the students from those six groups and learned that some Class A students had proactively approached them on the day of the meeting.
Kanzaki immediately thought of Sakayanagi Arisu.
They were classmates in elementary school; he knew her methods all too well. He didn't believe the cautious Katsuragi would proactively risk testing other classes' VIPs, so it was likely Sakayanagi pulling the strings.
In that case, it made sense that Class B's remaining two VIP identities were guessed.
When Kanzaki voiced his judgment that Class B's VIP identities might have been exposed, Ichinose Honami's face instantly lost its color. After all, she was the one who had made the final call on the strategy of having half the groups remain silent.
Losing 150 class points was a loss even the relatively wealthy Class B couldn't afford.
Making matters worse, while dealing with the mess left by Koenji's solo action and suspecting a mole in Class D, Class B didn't even dare mention the idea of cooperating with Class D. Their situation grew increasingly dire.
However, on the third night when the VIP task hit a stalemate, a turning point appeared without warning.
A call came through to Ichinose's phone from Shimizu Akira—the Class D student who had helped her and Class B more times than she could count.
The voice on the other end was incredibly steady and reliable, not at all like a high schooler: "Ichinose, I've figured out the distribution pattern of all the VIPs. Also, the mole in Class D is Yamauchi Haruki; he is also a VIP. To make up for Koenji's previous solo action, I'm giving this VIP slot to Class B to report. Next, I plan to push for all classes to reach Outcome 1. Are you willing to cooperate?"
The sudden flood of information left Ichinose stunned, and she subconsciously let out a bewildered "Huh?"
Distribution pattern, Class D mole, Class D VIP, Outcome 1 for all, cooperation offer...' The information load was too much! How did this person clear up so many key threads in such a short time?
"You don't need to answer now," Shimizu's voice came timely, giving her a buffer. "You can discuss it with the others. Just give me word before 5:00 AM tomorrow. Oh, and don't rush to report Yamauchi Haruki yet; that will affect our plan to expose him at 6:00 tomorrow. I'll message you when to report."
The call ended. Ichinose immediately gathered Kanzaki Ryuji, Hamaguchi Tetsuya, and Kobashi Yume, recounting Shimizu's words.
The group was skeptical. Kanzaki sent a message to Shimizu demanding proof that he had mastered the VIP rules. Shortly after, Shimizu replied with a list containing the accurate names of Class B's three VIPs.
Seeing the names, the doubt vanished from their faces.
With the Class D mole pinpointed, the offer of their own VIP slot as compensation, and Outcome 1 being the most beneficial result for all classes, all the troubles Ichinose had been suppressing were easily resolved by one sentence from Shimizu's call.
This was the real reason Class B could cooperate with Class D without reservations.
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After a short break, the core members of Class B gathered in the campus cafe to review the VIP exam.
"Ichinose, we really have to thank Class D's Shimizu-kun again for stabilizing the situation." Kanzaki Ryuji held a warm coffee cup, still feeling a bit of lingering fear when thinking about the crisis of losing class points and having VIPs exposed.
"Yeah," Ichinose Honami took over, looking down at the moving milk foam in her cup, her tone full of gratitude. "If he hadn't told us about Yamauchi's mole status and helped coordinate with other classes for Outcome 1, I'm afraid our losses would have been much greater than 100 class points."
Hamaguchi Tetsuya adjusted his glasses and suddenly remembered something, looking at Ichinose: "By the way, Ichinose, have you arranged the personal points we agreed to transfer to Shimizu-kun?"
"Actually, not yet." Mentioning this, Ichinose's expression became serious as she looked at everyone. "The original agreement was for 500,000 points, but I've thought about it and feel that amount is too small. I plan to transfer 1 million points to Shimizu-kun. What do you all think? After all, putting aside the previous cooperation contract, he proactively gave Class B a VIP slot."
Kanzaki, Hamaguchi, and Kobashi replied almost in unison.
"No objection!"
"Absolutely! He deserves it!"
"Mhm! I think so too!"
They already had a consensus. In their review, they knew that even if Shimizu hadn't given them that VIP slot, Class B—having already lost 150 points—would likely have chosen to cooperate for Outcome 1 to cut their losses.
Shimizu's move was a bonus for Class B; they wouldn't take his kindness for granted. If they accepted it without giving back more, they would look petty.
Kanzaki added: "By the way, regarding the points we got from Outcome 1, I've spoken with the remaining members of those groups. Everyone agreed to transfer them all to you to be used as class public funds."
Ichinose was slightly stunned. She had indeed been receiving many transfers lately. As the core of Class B, and with her classmates always being cooperative, they had pooled 9 million personal points this time. Combined with existing class funds, the total hit 13 million.
This number made her think of Shimizu.
'Once we save 20 million points, I'll find a way to buy him from Class D into Class B.'
Now that they were close to the goal, in a sense, they had taken a big step forward. She hadn't told the others about this idea before, but now felt like the best time for honesty. She took a deep breath: "Actually, I want to discuss something with you. I plan to save 20 million points to get Shimizu Akira from Class D and even have him serve as the leader of Class B. What do you think?"
The moment the words left her mouth, she felt a bit nervous.
After all, this idea was initially more of a personal wish. Even if she fully acknowledged his ability, she wasn't sure if others would too.
But unexpectedly, Kanzaki Ryuji nodded without hesitation: "Buying Shimizu-kun? I have no objection! In fact, it's the best thing possible."
Hamaguchi adjusted his glasses.
"Shimizu is a strong member of the boxing club, has helped Class B out of crises multiple times, and has turned the tide in special exams. He's talented in both pen and sword. Having him as leader is no problem at all."
"Mhm! I think it's super good too!" Kobashi Yume smiled, her eyes full of expectation.
"With Shimizu-kun around, Class B will definitely feel more secure!"
Hearing their unanimous response, Ichinose breathed a sigh of relief, secretly laughing at her previous worries. How could people not look forward to someone as excellent as Shimizu joining?
After discussing this, the group prepared to leave. Only Kobashi Yume stayed behind, walking over to Ichinose and speaking softly with a hint of helplessness: "Honami, I think the problem now isn't whether Shimizu-kun can join Class B, but whether he wants to. Think about it—with his ability, probably no class would reject him right now, right?"
"That..." Ichinose was stunned, then awkwardly agreed.
"It seems that way. With his strength, he'd probably be warmly welcomed even in Class A."
"So," Kobashi continued, "besides the 20 million points, shouldn't we think about what extra benefits we can promise him?"
This made Ichinose fall into deep thought. Besides points, what else could there be? Her original thought of making him leader felt more like giving him a responsibility, not a real benefit.
As she frowned in thought, Kobashi suddenly leaned in and whispered something startling: "Maybe, 'tempting' him a little bit would be a good way?"
"Eh?! Yu... Yume! What are you saying!" Ichinose's face instantly turned bright red. she hurriedly tried to cover Kobashi's mouth, but the other girl skillfully dodged.
Kobashi continued with a serious face: "Think about it! In these last two special exams, the reason he was willing to help Class B... isn't it exactly because of you? In my view, Shimizu-kun seems to have quite a good impression of you!"
Ichinose's face was red from her ears to her neck.
She looked out the window, not daring to meet Kobashi's teasing gaze: "Don't talk nonsense... Shimizu-kun only helped because of the cooperation, how could it be because of me..."
Kobashi saw her denial and smiled, patting her hand: "I'm not talking nonsense. Think about it: if he only valued profit, he could have sold the info to Class A or demanded higher terms when Class B came begging. But he proactively helped you every time and considered Class B's interests. That doesn't look like a simple partnership."
Ichinose lowered her head, her heart beating a bit faster than usual.
She had to admit Kobashi's words weren't baseless, but the speculation was so bold that it made her flustered, yet also gave her a spark of expectation she didn't dare investigate.
"But, even if that's the case..." she whispered.
Kobashi added with a bit of a threatening tone: "Look, he helps you every time and looks out for Class B, yet you're always hesitant about this. If you don't give him a positive 'response' soon, even with his steady nature, he might get disappointed. If he feels it's no use one day, he might not even want to talk to you anymore! What if he suddenly joins another class?!"
Hearing this, the blush on Ichinose's face faded quite a bit, replaced by panic. Her eyes grew uneasy with a mist of anxiety. The thought of Shimizu Akira no longer talking to her or joining another class made her heart feel strangely empty and panicked.
"No! We can't let him join another class!" Ichinose suddenly spoke, her previous flustered look replaced by extreme seriousness.
"I understand. I will give Shimizu-kun a positive 'response'."
"Uh..." Kobashi was stunned by this sudden strong reaction.
She had only intended to tease her friend's hidden feelings and nudge her because she wanted Shimizu in Class B.
She hadn't expected Ichinose's reaction to be so big—the fear of him being snatched by another class was practically overflowing from her voice.
It seemed she had underestimated how much Ichinose cared. Ichinose's reliance on Shimizu was deeper than she imagined.
Actually, it wasn't hard to understand.
Like during this VIP exam—learning that Class B's VIPs were exposed and they'd lose 150 points, Ichinose had turned pale and lost her usual spirit, full of unsolvable anxiety. Yet it was Shimizu's call and one sentence that solved everything and pulled her out of the abyss. It was the same in the island exam; that voice recorder was the finishing blow.
After help and rescue time after time, it was only natural for Ichinose to fall for such a reliable person.
Ichinose's thoughts drifted to the small memories after her last date with Shimizu.
She clearly remembered what he said: he was a perfectly normal, healthy high school boy who looked forward to natural, intimate contact with girls like his peers. Yet such a gentle and honest person had been casually confessed to and then let down by some unknown girl.
She had been quietly keeping that incident in mind. Shimizu said he was fine, but did he really have a lingering shadow in his heart, making him afraid to get close to girls?
Thinking of this, her heart tightened.
She suddenly knew what she had to do next. To some extent, this wasn't just to help him clear any potential heartaches, or to get him to join Class B, or to repay him for what he did for her and the class.
It was something she herself was secretly looking forward to doing with him.
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