Chapter 259 Horikita Suzune, Neglected for Days / Don't Laugh, You Aren't Even His Girlfriend
"There are too many people here for fortune-telling!"
Ibuki Mio looked at the line in front of her and couldn't help but whisper.
She had heard that this shop on the fifth floor of Keyaki Mall was popular and had specially rushed over with Shiina Hiyori, but standing at the entrance, she was shocked. A quick glance suggested at least seven or eight groups were ahead of them. They hadn't even received a service number yet.
Shiina Hiyori nodded gently.
"Mhm. This place is famous among students; they say the fortunes are very accurate."
"It's just strange. Why do you have to be in a pair to enter?" Ibuki muttered, puzzled.
"It's definitely for romance readings!" a female voice came from ahead. Two girls in line were chatting.
"Think about it, Airi. People coming in pairs are mostly asking about relationships. It's either a best friend helping you consult or a couple looking at their future. It's so romantic!"
Ibuki didn't respond. She let Hiyori hold their spot and stepped out of the queue to see how many people were truly ahead. Her gaze was immediately caught by the girl who had just spoken.
Despite wearing simple jeans and a T-shirt, her figure was striking—a well-defined chest and a waist-to-hip ratio that was hard to look away from.
"Her figure is insane..." Ibuki whispered. It was significantly better than her own. She looked closer at the girl's profile and realized she knew her. Back when she was a spy in Class D, she had memorized most of their faces.
'That girl... Hasabe? Right, Hasabe Haruka!'
Ibuki remembered thinking Hasabe had the best body in Class D. Honestly, even in Class C, she hadn't seen anyone so stand-out. The girl talking to her, while slightly less striking than Hasabe, was also exceptionally well-developed for a high schooler.
Sakura Airi! That was her name.
Ibuki's eyes continued to scan the line. She quickly spotted another familiar face: a sickly, silver-haired girl leaning on an elegant cane. It was Sakayanagi Arisu from Class A. Beside her was a plain-looking girl in a school uniform, staying in the background to avoid stealing Sakayanagi's spotlight.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Ibuki clicked her tongue. Who would have thought the Chairman's little princess and the leader of Class A would come for fortune-telling? Truly, appearances are deceiving.
She looked further up. Karuizawa Kei from Class D was whispering with Matsushita Chiaki. Even further ahead, Ichinose Honami from Class B was listening to a blue-haired girl, a gentle smile on her face.
'Why is it all girl-girl pairs?'
Ibuki was baffled. She was here to test her fortune results, but why were all these famous beauties from every class crowding this place? Could they all be asking about future boyfriends?
As she prepared to return to Hiyori, she spotted a figure approaching from the stairs. It was Horikita Suzune—and she was alone.
Ever since the island, Ibuki had viewed Horikita as her rival. Having been outplayed by her last time, Ibuki was curious why she was here solo. She moved closer to eavesdrop on Horikita's conversation with the staff.
"Apologies, but we only accept reservations for pairs," the clerk said with a polite smile.
Horikita frowned. "I don't understand. What is the logic behind only accepting pairs?"
"Well... mostly because many couples visit, and the readings are designed for two people," the clerk explained vaguely.
"So, a single customer like me is not qualified to be here?" Horikita's tone grew colder.
"No, no," the clerk waved her hands. "You could just invite a friend. As long as there are two of you, you can participate."
Horikita's frown deepened, her icy aura intensifying.
"Hahaha!"
Ibuki couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
'Is Horikita really unable to find a single person to come with her?' The great Horikita, without a single friend to go fortune-telling with—it was too funny.
"Who's there? Come out!" Horikita's reaction was instant. Her sharp eyes locked onto the source of the laughter.
Seeing she was caught, Ibuki stepped out from behind a pillar.
"Horikita. I never thought you'd be the type to care about fortune-telling."
"My business has nothing to do with you." Horikita's eyes turned even colder.
"What, you can't find a friend?" Ibuki smirked. "Didn't that guy Shimizu come with you? On the island, I remember you giving him 'private lessons' every day."
Ibuki remembered it clearly. Every noon on the island, Horikita would vanish.
One day, Ibuki found her in a corner of the camp, grilling meat specifically for Shimizu Akira.
Horikita, usually so aloof and arrogant, looked completely different then—soft expression, patiently seasoning the meat, watching him eat while she had nothing herself. Their relationship was clearly not simple.
"..." Horikita bit her lip. Her coldness faded, replaced by a fleeting, barely perceptible look of loneliness. She looked like a kitten that had been neglected by its owner for days.
Ibuki was stunned.
'Is this really Horikita Suzune?' Whether as a spy or a rival, she had only ever seen Horikita with her head held high, eyes like unmelting ice. She had never seen her look so vulnerable.
Ibuki's planned mockery died in her throat. Her voice softened.
"Hey, what's wrong with you? Are you really that depressed? Don't tell me... you and Shimizu haven't spoken in a while?"
"It's summer break! That's normal!" Horikita snapped back to reality, her tone turning aggressive again.
"Wait! So it really is about Shimizu? I thought it was because of your brother!" Ibuki rolled her eyes.
She had heard from Kushida Kikyo—who had been weirdly friendly lately—that Horikita's main goal was her brother's recognition.
Ibuki thought Horikita was a typical "brother-complex" girl. But now? Shriveled up because Shimizu hadn't called?
'This is a total 'Shimizu-brain' situation! She's obsessed!'
Horikita's face darkened.
"I'll say it again: my mood has nothing to do with Shimizu Akira!"
"You're so stubborn," Ibuki countered. "But you must have done something wrong, right? Ryuen told me Shimizu gave a Class D VIP slot to Class B just to clean up your mess. Look how well he treats you. Who else would help you like that? You clearly care about him, or you wouldn't have grilled meat for him with that 'cute' expression. You're just too awkward to admit it."
She paused for effect.
"Stop being so stiff. Since you're basically a 'Shimizu-brain' anyway, just go apologize to him. It's not a big deal!"
"Who are you calling a 'Shimizu-brain'?! That's complete nonsense!" Horikita glared.
"Whatever you say," Ibuki waved her off and walked back toward Hiyori.
"I've got to go. Consider this a free session with a romance consultant. I won't charge you!"
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Ibuki and Hiyori waited for nearly an hour before finally entering the shop.
The old woman's words were general: "Fortune will be smooth lately,"
"Things you seek will have good results." Since it was all positive, Ibuki left with a bright smile.
Then it was Hiyori's turn. The old woman gazed into the crystal ball.
"Your love luck is smooth; no need to rush. As long as you maintain your current pace, things will go your way. However, remember to be a bit more proactive. Otherwise, your future boyfriend will have a lot of his time taken up by other, more assertive girls."
Hiyori froze, her eyes wide.
She hadn't expected the mention of a "boyfriend," let alone such a specific warning.
Ibuki laughed. "Hahaha! Wait! Old lady, are you joking? 'Time taken by other girls'? Who does this guy think he is? Some kind of prize?"
It sounded like a guy who was a serial cheater, but the woman said the luck was "smooth." It sounded more like... a group of people fighting for one person's attention?
"Don't laugh," the old woman looked at Ibuki. "You aren't even a girlfriend yet."
"Huh?!" Ibuki stopped laughing. "What does that mean? What does it have to do with me?"
The old woman looked at the clock.
"Time's up. One last warning: when you leave, don't take any 'detours,' or you might be trapped for a long time. But don't panic. If something happens, stay calm and contact someone reliable. One phone call will be enough."
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"Shiina, what did you think of that?" Ibuki asked as they left. "I heard she was accurate, but that love luck stuff sounded like nonsense."
Hiyori was pensive.
"Actually, I'm a bit confused too. Logically, it implies the person has multiple potential partners."
They looked toward the elevators. They were packed with students. "It'll take ten minutes to get down," Ibuki noted. "Let's go to the far elevator. It's a detour, but it might be empty."
"Okay," Hiyori agreed, then blinked. "Wait, would that count as the 'detour' the old lady warned about?"
"Oh? I guess it would."
Hiyori's eyes flickered with curiosity.
"Let's go anyway, Ibuki. It might be interesting. If something happens, it proves the fortune-telling was real."
Ibuki grinned. "Fine! I'm curious too! She said someone would bail us out, so who cares!"
They headed to the far elevator. Everything was smooth until they reached it. Ibuki pressed the button. The doors opened to reveal two people: Hasabe Haruka and Sakura Airi. They were carrying shopping bags.
Sakura blushed and looked down, too shy to say hello. Hasabe, however, spoke with clear aloofness. "Oh? It's you two."
Ibuki bristled. "Yeah, it's us. You got a problem?" She knew Hasabe still held a grudge about them being spies.
"Ibuki, calm down!" Hiyori stepped in and bowed to the Class D girls.
"We are truly sorry for the trouble we caused back then."
Sakura tugged on Hasabe's sleeve. "Haruka-chan, it's okay... Shiina-san helped us later on." (Hiyori had transferred 200,000 points to Hirata for the class after the island as an apology).
Hasabe stepped back to let them in. "Fine. Get in."
The four stood in silence. The elevator started to descend, then—Clack! It jolted and stopped between the third and second floors. The lights flickered and died.
Sakura let out a small cry and grabbed Hasabe's arm. A few seconds later, the red emergency lights hummed to life.
"Is it... a malfunction?" Sakura's voice trembled.
"Don't panic," Hasabe said, trying to stay steady. "The fortune-teller said we'd be fine in the end."
Ibuki realized the "detour" warning had come true. She looked at the other two.
'Did they get the same warning?'
Hiyori calmly pressed the emergency button, but there was no response. No voice, just a blinking red light. They needed a phone. They needed someone reliable.
Ibuki thought through her narrow social circle. Most were unreliable. Only one person fit: Shimizu Akira. He was always attentive to Hiyori and handled things well. She pulled out her phone to dial his number.
Beep... beep... "Busy."
"Eh? Why is Little Kiyoshi's line busy?" Hasabe muttered.
"I... can't seem to reach Shimizu-kun..." Sakura whispered. "Someone is already talking to him," Hiyori noted.
Ibuki stared at the three other girls, all holding phones, all mentioning Shimizu. Her lip twitched.
"Wait! I get Shiina, but you two... were you all planning to call that guy?!"
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"Mhm, I got it. See you at the cinema at 3:00 PM."
Shimizu Akira stepped out of the cafeteria. Ichinose Honami's voice was bright on the other end, confirming their movie date for the third time.
Suddenly, multiple call-waiting notifications flashed on his screen: Hasabe Haruka, Sakura Airi, Shiina Hiyori, Ibuki Mio.
? He thought it was a prank. But these four weren't the "prankster" types.
"Sorry, Ichinose, I have several calls coming in. Talk to you this afternoon." He hung up, and Hasabe's call immediately broke through.
"Little Kiyoshi! We're in trouble! Save us!"
"Don't panic. What happened?"
"Trapped in an elevator! It stopped between floors, lights are out, and the emergency button isn't working!"
"Got it. I'll call the Student Council President to get maintenance there. Stay calm. Also, as a precaution, stand against the walls, bend your knees slightly, lift your heels, and protect your head with your arms. Don't crowd each other."
"There are only four of us. Me, Airi, and those two from Class C, Shiina and Ibuki." Hasabe paused.
"Wait, did those two call you too?"
'So all four are together.'
Shimizu hung up and called Horikita Manabu.
"President, there's an elevator failure at Keyaki Mall with four students trapped. The emergency buttons are unresponsive."
Manabu didn't hesitate.
"I'll contact campus security and maintenance immediately. Go to the scene; I'll keep you updated."
Shimizu sprinted to the mall. Within fifteen minutes, maintenance workers arrived.
"We've bypassed the fault via remote override. It's descending to the first floor now."
The doors opened. Hasabe Haruka was the first out. Seeing Shimizu, she practically ran to him and grabbed his arm.
"Little Kiyoshi! Thank you so much! We're saved!"
"Uh... you're welcome." Shimizu felt the soft pressure of her arm against his.
'This 'older sister' figure really is something.'
Sakura Airi looked on with blatant envy. She wanted to be close to him too, but her shyness held her back. "Thank you, Shimizu-kun... I'll remember this."
Ibuki Mio walked out last. She was genuinely grateful. The guy was efficient—he'd contacted the President and solved it in under fifteen minutes. She noticed sweat on his brow.
'Did he run all the way from the dorms?'
A strange feeling stirred in her heart. He was reliable and thoughtful. But before she could dwell on it, Hasabe shifted to block Ibuki's view of him.
'Tsk... this woman is such a roadblock.'
Then, a thought struck Ibuki. If the "detour" part of the fortune was true... then the "romance" part was true too. She looked at Hiyori. Hiyori was standing quietly, but she was looking straight at Shimizu.
'Wait... is Hiyori's 'person' Shimizu?'
She thought of Horikita's depression over him, Hasabe and Sakura's intimacy with him, and Hiyori's quiet gaze.
'If my best friend is going to win this, I can't just sit back and watch!'
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