Chapter 075 Hiyori's Special Day / I've used Shimizu Akira's little umbrellas!
Sunday arrived quickly.
In the blink of an eye, Shimizu Akira had been at this school for a year and a half. Being a student here was far more comfortable than being a high schooler at any other school. Whenever one got tired of the usual studies, the school would occasionally arrange things like deserted islands, special exams, luxury cruise ships, or forest stays to relieve the boredom.
There were even rumors on the school forums that this year's students might have the chance to travel to Hokkaido or Kyoto. Having just returned from the luxury cruise a few days ago, combined with the Cultural Festival in November, life at Advanced Nurturing High this year was looking much better than the last.
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The time soon reached 8:00 AM, and today's intel refreshed as follows:
If Sakayanagi Arisu of 2nd Year Class B undergoes heart surgery next January, the success rate will be 100%. Shibata Souta of 2nd Year Class D has been feeling quite depressed ever since learning that Ichinose Honami and Shimizu Akira are dating. At 11:00 AM, Morishita Ai of 2nd Year Class B will proactively seek out Amasawa Ichika of 1st Year Class A for a battle between "real women."
Shimizu Akira was momentarily stunned.
Chairman Sakayanagi had indeed mentioned that his daughter, Sakayanagi Arisu, was considering surgery recently, but he had said the success rate was only 80%. The system was telling him it was 100%? Wait, the system added a condition: the surgery must be in January of next year to be 100%. Could it be that there will be a new breakthrough in heart disease research by then?
In that case, it would be best for Sakayanagi Arisu to wait until next year.
The second piece of intel concerned Shibata. That guy had indeed always liked Ichinose Honami; it had been a month since the public announcement, and he still hadn't moved on.
Shimizu Akira wasn't so petty as to forbid any boy from having feelings for his girlfriend. Frankly, if he tried to warn every single one of the thirty to fifty boys in this school who liked Honami or Kikyo to stay away, stop talking to them, or delete their contact info, it would only prove he was sick, overly controlling, and easily jealous. As long as Shibata Souta kept the distance of a normal classmate with Honami, it was fine. Of course, if the guy actually did something irrational, he shouldn't blame Shimizu for stepping in.
As for the final piece.
"Amasawa promised me she wouldn't use force against ordinary students casually. Even if Morishita goes looking for trouble, Ichika shouldn't beat her to a pulp, right?" He decided to simply ignore it.
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Shimizu Akira pocketed his phone, got up, and washed his face in the bathroom. Today he had promised to meet Shiina Hiyori at 10:00 AM at the library entrance to help her collect material for her mystery novel. He'd be with her all day and give her an ankle massage later.
Changing into casual clothes, Shimizu headed out. Fifteen minutes later, when he arrived at the library, Shiina Hiyori was already waiting.
She was wearing a light blue dress today with an off-white cardigan over it. A black pen was tucked into her chest pocket, her grey hair draped over her shoulders, and she carried a bulging canvas bag—likely filled with investigation notes. All in all, it was the "Detective Lady's" usual look.
"Morning," Shimizu walked over.
"Morning." Hiyori turned and smiled at him. Her smile was faint, and she spoke softly, "Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I just got here."
"That's good." Hiyori glanced at her phone. "It's 9:50 now. We still have over an hour this morning. How about we visit a shop first?"
"Sure." Shimizu nodded. "Is everything in your bag for today?"
"Yes." Hiyori patted the canvas bag. "Notebook, camera, reference books, and some snacks."
"You're well-prepared."
"It is for research, after all."
The two walked side-by-side toward the street.
"By the way, Shimizu-kun," Hiyori suddenly spoke. "You don't have any other plans this afternoon, right?"
"None," Shimizu said. "As I promised, the whole day is yours."
Hiyori lowered her head and whispered, "I didn't mean it like that..."
"I know," Shimizu laughed. "I was joking." Hiyori gave him a mock glare.
Hiyori pulled a notebook from her bag and said as she flipped through it, "I want to go to a few places today. First is an old bookstore at the end of the street; the owner is very kind and allows photos. Second is the shopping district on the east side of campus; there are many old shops there, perfect for setting a scene in a mystery novel."
"I'll follow your lead," Shimizu said. "You arrange it. By the way, what is the mystery novel you're writing about?"
Hiyori smiled. "It's about a girl investigating an old case in a small town. It's a bit like... a classic whodunit, but not quite."
"The protagonist is a girl?"
"Yes. Based on myself."
"Will there be a romance plot?"
Hiyori paused, then said slowly, "...There might be."
"Then what is the male lead's character setting?" Shimizu asked.
"The male lead... is a very gentle person."
"Gentle?"
"Yes." Hiyori nodded. "He appears when I need him, listens to my nonsense, and helps me solve troubles, but he never proactively disturbs me."
"Sounds like a plot device character."
Hiyori glared at him. "He's not a plot device."
"Then what is he?"
"He's the kind of... presence that makes one feel at peace," Hiyori explained carefully.
Shimizu suddenly turned to look at her. Feeling self-conscious under his gaze, Hiyori whispered, "Stop asking, I haven't decided on the plot yet. Let's get to the bookstore."
"Alright."
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The old bookstore was at the end of the shopping street, sandwiched between an old Wagashi shop and an antique store. A few old wooden crates were stacked by the door, topped with yellowed books and magazines. As they pushed the door open, a crisp wind chime sounded, followed by an elderly voice from behind the counter.
"Welcome."
Shimizu looked up to see a kind-looking old man. The shop was packed with books—on shelves, the floor, tables, and windowsills. The air smelled of old paper and dust. While Shimizu found the scent a bit strange, Shiina Hiyori naturally showed a happy smile.
"Hello, Boss." Hiyori nodded toward the counter, then turned to whisper to Shimizu, "The owner told me last time I could take photos freely. You just... look around."
"Okay."
Hiyori took her camera out and began walking slowly among the shelves, stopping occasionally to snap a photo. With nothing to do, Shimizu wandered the aisles, flipping through the covers of old books.
The shelves were filled with vintage detective novels, yellowed manga, beautifully bound literary collections, and even some magazines from the Showa era featuring popular stars like Yamaguchi Momoe, Sawaguchi Yasuko, and Nakamori Akina. Although Shimizu hadn't lived through that era, he knew a thing or two about these famous Japanese icons.
"Shimizu-kun," Hiyori's voice came from behind another shelf.
"Hm?"
"Come look at this."
Shimizu walked over to find Hiyori crouching before a low shelf, holding a thin booklet. The cover was damaged, but the handwriting was still legible.
"What book is it?" he asked.
"It's not a book." Hiyori handed him the booklet. "It's a handwritten notebook."
Shimizu took it and flipped through. The handwriting was neat, written in fountain pen, recording the daily trifles of an ordinary person during the Showa era—what they ate, where they went, who they met, and how they felt.
"Looks like a diary," he said.
"Yes." Hiyori nodded. "And it's a diary from decades ago. Don't you find it magical? People from decades ago lived completely different lives from us, yet the things they wrote down and their feelings aren't that different from ours now."
"How so?"
"For example, this page." Hiyori flipped to one. "'Today I went to the shopping street and saw a new Wagashi shop. I bought a red bean bun; it was delicious. I feel today was worth it.'" She looked at Shimizu with a smile. "Don't we still feel this way now?"
Indeed, modern people frequently write such things in their diaries. Despite the different eras, it seemed people of similar ages produced similar thoughts.
Hiyori placed the diary back on the shelf and took a photo of it.
"Since you like it so much, do you want to buy it?" Shimizu asked.
"No." Hiyori shook her head. "Let it stay here. Maybe many years later, another person will sit here, find this diary, and feel the same way I do."
Shimizu stared at her for a long time.
"Um..." Hiyori noticed his gaze and thought she had said something wrong. She whispered, "Did that sound too much like a 'literary girl' thing to say? Realistically, the probability of the next person opening this book is actually very small."
Shimizu said with a grin, "I don't think you said anything wrong; in fact, I think you said it very well. I was just a bit moved, already imagining what the next visitor decades from now might look like. Besides, 'literary girl' isn't a derogatory term. it means you are very sentimental in life and have your own romanticized understanding. This feeling of mono no aware and gentleness... is very special."
This girl wasn't dazzling like Kikyo, sharp like Horikita, or passionately proactive like Honami. It was exactly this "literary girl" aura that made people unable to resist wanting to get closer.
Hiyori stared blankly at him, her camera nearly slipping from her hand. Her earlobes turned red, then her neck. She cleared her throat, quickly managing her emotions and her racing heart. She whispered, "...Saying that makes me embarrassed."
"I'm just telling the truth." Shimizu smiled.
Hiyori took a few more photos and put the camera away. "That's enough. Let's go."
They walked to the counter. Hiyori nodded to the owner. "Thank you, Boss. I took many photos today."
"It's nothing." The old man waved his hand. "You aren't here for the first time; I remember you."
Hiyori was surprised. "You remember me?"
"Of course." The old man smiled. "You're the little girl who crouches in the corner reading old diaries."
Sensing Shimizu's teasing gaze, Hiyori's face reddened slightly. "...Yes."
"Come again," the old man said. "We'll be getting some more old books in a few days; there might be something you like."
"Okay, thank you, Boss."
The two walked out of the bookstore. Shimizu's phone suddenly rang. He glanced at the caller ID, his mouth twitching. He hung up immediately and replied with a single line of text.
Hiyori glanced at him. "Who was it? You don't have to worry about my feelings; you can answer it. You don't need to type specifically."
Shimizu waved his hand. "Ignore it. Today is our date. Come on, it's 11:00 already. Let's grab lunch first."
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Meanwhile, Morishita Ai picked up her phone and pouted. "Hmph, this Shimizu Akira is a meanie! He didn't pick up!"
She looked at her phone and saw he had sent a message: Don't go looking for death.
What? What did "looking for death" mean? Wait, how did he know she was planning to find Amasawa Ichika? She had only called him because she didn't have Amasawa's contact info and wanted to ask.
"At this rate, how am I supposed to find Amasawa Ichika and prove I'm a real woman!" Morishita Ai couldn't help but sigh. "Wait!"
A brilliant idea struck her. Wasn't Amasawa Ichika the manager of the Boxing Club? Her name should be on the recruitment posters.
"As expected of me, Morishita-sama, a little genius!"
She jogged to the first-floor entrance of the school building and scanned the area. Sure enough, she saw the Boxing Club recruitment poster. It said: 1st-year students interested in the Boxing Club, please contact Manager Amasawa Ichika directly.
She chuckled twice and immediately dialed the number.
"Hello, is this Amasawa Ichika?"
"Hm? Who are you?"
"I'm very interested in the Boxing Club. Can you give me a brief introduction right now?"
"Hm? From the voice, you should be a 2nd-year senpai... You shouldn't come to me; you should find Karuizawa-senpai."
Morishita's expression changed.
'She can tell I'm a senpai over the phone! This person is an expert!'
She quickly added, "Well, I couldn't get through to Karuizawa Kei, so I came to you. What, do you only receive 1st-year students?"
A bored yawn came from the other side. "Then just come to the Boxing Club on Monday."
"I want to see it now!!"
"Senpai, I don't want to work overtime."
Morishita could imagine it with her toes—the other girl was likely lying on her dorm bed scrolling through short videos, too lazy to even move a finger. But who was Morishita Ai? She never gave up due to small setbacks.
"How about this," Morishita's eyes darted around. "We meet at the Boxing Club. You only need to spend half an hour introducing it to me, and I'll pay you 10,000 personal points as a consultation fee—compensation for overtime. How about it? Quite a deal, right?"
As expected, a surprised voice came from Amasawa Ichika.
"Really? Senpai, I haven't been in society long; don't lie to me."
"I, Morishita Ai, am an honest person. I would never lie!" Morishita suppressed a laugh. "Anyway, once it's done, you'll be well-rewarded."
'Once I get to the club and beat her into the ground, I won't give her a cent.'
But Amasawa wasn't stupid. "Since Senpai says so, I'm not sleepy anymore. However, talk is cheap."
"What do you want?"
"Let's exchange contact info. Transfer 5,000 points first as a reservation fee, and then I'll head to the club. How about it?"
"Huh? You!"
"Hm? Since Senpai is so rich, you shouldn't care about a measly 5,000 points, right?"
Gritting her teeth, Morishita was forced to exchange contact info and transfer 5,000 points. "Fine, I sent it. You better come now!"
"Mm-mm, I'll be there in about ten minutes."
Morishita hung up and spent ten minutes getting to the Boxing Club entrance. Speaking of which, she and Amasawa Ichika had never met. She only knew the girl was a first-year, petite, and looked harmless when she smiled. Other than that, she knew nothing.
"Anyway, she's just a little girl," Morishita muttered.
She waited for another ten minutes. The promised "ten minutes" turned into twenty.
"How dare she be late? Don't tell me she stood me up!" Just as Morishita was thinking vicious thoughts, footsteps finally sounded from the stairs.
Amasawa Ichika walked over rubbing her eyes. "Hello, Senpai."
"Hey, you're late!" Morishita complained.
Amasawa yawned, looking indifferent. "I met a stray cat on the way and played with it for a bit."
She said it so righteously, as if being twenty minutes late was only natural. Morishita opened her mouth to scold her but held back, remembering her plan.
"Whatever, as long as you're here." Morishita pushed open the Boxing Club door. "Get in."
Amasawa followed her inside.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Morishita waved her hand grandly, as if the place were her home.
"Mm." Amasawa looked around. "Does Senpai come here often?"
"Of course." Morishita lifted her chin. "I'm a regular here."
She had actually only been twice, both times sneaking in. But those details weren't important.
"Then what else does Senpai need me to introduce?" Amasawa yawned. "You should be more familiar with this place than I am."
Morishita choked for a moment, her mind racing. "Uh... equipment! Right, right, equipment. I want to know how the Boxing Club's equipment is maintained. You're the manager; you should know well."
"Fine, I'll tell you all about it." Amasawa walked to a cabinet and opened it. "Gloves need regular cleaning, otherwise they smell. Sandbags need their hooks checked; if they're loose, they need reinforcing. Wraps are disposable and need restocking..."
As she spoke and took out various pieces of equipment, Morishita followed behind, listening absent-mindedly. Her eyes were observing Amasawa's movements, posture, and breathing... This girl really did look weak. Thin arms, narrow shoulders—she didn't look like a fighter at all.
'I'm going to win!'
"So, did Senpai understand?" Amasawa turned around.
"Got it, got it." Morishita nodded dismissively. "Um... can I try?"
"Try what?"
"Try the equipment." Morishita walked to a sandbag and patted it. "Throw a couple of punches to see how it feels."
Amasawa glanced at her and didn't object. "Go ahead. But don't use too much force; the sandbag hook is a bit loose."
"Relax, I know what I'm doing." Morishita struck a pose, took a deep breath, and swung her fist.
Thud—Thud—Thud— Three consecutive punches. They sounded loud against the bag, yet the bag barely moved.
Amasawa leaned against the wall, watching her, nearly wanting to laugh.
"Well?" Morishita pulled her fist back and turned around proudly.
"It was average," Amasawa said honestly.
"Just average?" Morishita frowned. "I practiced in private for several days!"
"Oh." Amasawa nodded. "Then that's very impressive."
'Practicing for a few days and then coming here to show off—she really has some nerve!'
Morishita felt like her punch had hit cotton. Why was this brat giving no reaction? Shouldn't the normal reaction be "Wow, so amazing!" or "Senpai, you're so strong!" or "I lose to you!"? She gritted her teeth and decided to change tactics.
"Amasawa, have you ever practiced boxing?"
"No."
"Then do you know how to fight?"
Amasawa chuckled. "I know a little."
"Then how about we spar?" Morishita said casually. "Just for fun, stopping at the point of contact."
Amasawa stared at her for a few seconds. "Senpai, did you call me to the Boxing Club and transfer 5,000 points just to fight me?"
"You could say that." Morishita corrected herself, "Last time Yamamura Miki said your gaze was terrifying. She's technically my subordinate! As the big boss, I have to step in."
Amasawa looked speechless. "That's because Yamamura-senpai was stalking me. What's wrong with me glaring at her a couple of times? What, when you're being stalked, are you just indifferent and let them follow?"
To be fair, that made a lot of sense. But Morishita didn't care.
She said righteously, "I don't care! I also heard from that guy Shimizu that you're very strong. I don't accept that! With those little arms and legs of yours, I could take you down in seconds!"
Amasawa rolled her wrists. "Fine, if Senpai wants to spar, then let's spar. I happen to be in a bad mood lately anyway."
She walked to the ring, lifted the ropes, and ducked inside. Morishita was stunned; she didn't expect the other girl to agree so readily. She quickly followed and entered the ring.
"Rules?" Amasawa asked.
"No rules." Morishita loosened her wrists. "Until one side admits defeat."
"That won't work." Amasawa shook her head. "What if someone refuses to admit defeat?"
"Then... until one side falls to the ground and can't get up?"
"I like that rule." Amasawa gave a mischievous smile.
For some reason, Morishita felt the other girl was doing this on purpose. "Fine."
The two stood in the center of the ring, staring at each other for a few seconds. Morishita moved first, charging forward with her arms flailing. Then, her wrist was caught.
She didn't even see what happened. Her vision blurred, her wrist tightened, her center of gravity was thrown off, her footing failed, and her knees hit the mat. She was kneeling in the ring.
"Three seconds." Amasawa let go and stepped back. "Senpai, you lost."
Morishita knelt there, eyes wide, staring at her hand in disbelief. What happened in that moment? She hadn't reacted at all.
"You... you cheated!"
"Cheated?" Amasawa tilted her head. "How did I cheat?"
"You... you must have used some dirty trick!"
Amasawa rolled her eyes. "Senpai, grappling is the most basic close-combat technique. Just because you don't know it doesn't mean someone else used a dirty trick."
Gritting her teeth, Morishita climbed up from the ground. Her knees hurt, but her pride hurt more. "I said, as long as I don't admit defeat and haven't collapsed, it doesn't count as a loss!"
Amasawa curled her lip. "So troublesome. Let me ask beforehand, Morishita-senpai: you and Shimizu-senpai don't have any kind of relationship, right? Otherwise, if I break you and the senpai gets angry, what will I do?"
Morishita huffed. "That guy and I are arch-enemies! He even made me do squats as a punishment last time. Last year, Shimizu Akira and I fought for three minutes, and I only lost to him by a hair!"
Hearing this, Amasawa's expression immediately turned skeptical.
'With this level, she lasted three minutes? Shimizu-senpai must have been holding back an entire ocean's worth of skill.'
But then again, based on that, this girl had no relationship with Shimizu Akira—in fact, they seemed hostile, and she'd been punished by him several times.
'Hm? Daring to move against her Senpai?'
Amasawa grinned. "Then I don't need to hold back too much."
This time, Amasawa didn't give Morishita any room to breathe. Her movements were more than twice as fast as before, with consecutive kicks to Morishita's shins, thighs, and waist. Morishita had no time to react. She felt a sharp pain in her shin, her knee buckled, and she
nearly knelt again. Before she could steady herself, she took another hit to her outer thigh, which burned with pain.
She retreated through gritted teeth, but Amasawa stuck to her like a shadow, giving her no chance to open up the distance. Another kick hit the back of Morishita's knee.
Morishita finally couldn't take it. She fell to one knee, hands supporting her on the mat, panting heavily. Tears were welling in her eyes.
"Enough... I give up!" she cried hoarsely.
But Amasawa acted as if she hadn't heard, delivering another kick to her backside. Morishita felt like her waist was going to break. She regretted this immensely. How was this woman so strong? She should have listened to Shimizu and not provoked her.
'Heavens, she already gave up, why is this woman still hitting her!'
Seeing the other girl charging at her again, Morishita could only scream: "Spare me! I am Morishita Ai, I am Shimizu Akira's best friend!"
Amasawa hesitated for a moment and stopped. "Really? Didn't you just say Shimizu-senpai was your arch-enemy?"
Morishita's brain started improvising. "I was just playing around with you! My relationship with Shimizu Akira is incredibly solid!"
'As if.'
He wouldn't even pick up her calls. That meanie, she hated him.
Amasawa stared at her skeptically. "You're lying. If you really had a good relationship with Senpai, how would you dare provoke me? Senpai would have stopped you from coming to find me long ago."
Morishita's mind raced. She really had no evidence. Shimizu wouldn't answer her calls, and their chat history only consisted of a few cold, business-like messages; it didn't look like a good relationship at all. But she couldn't just admit it. Admitting it meant she was a liar—how would she survive in this school? She'd also be hated by Amasawa Ichika because of this.
"I've a Shimizu Akira's little umbrella!" Morishita blurted out after thinking for a long time.
Amasawa naturally didn't believe her. "Huh? You and Senpai have slept together? Impossible. Then why would he make you do squats?"
"Squats are just our foreplay," Morishita said solemnly, her expression full of confidence. "If you don't believe me, go ask Shimizu Akira and see if it happened."
Amasawa listened closely to her breathing and looked into her eyes; it didn't feel like a lie.
However, no matter how she looked at it, these two didn't seem like boyfriend and girlfriend. In her estimation, this girl was more like someone who had been disciplined by the Senpai, was unhappy about it, and tried to take it out on someone else only to hit a steel plate.
She thought for a moment and lowered her hands. "Since Senpai and the Senpai have that kind of relationship, then I was in the wrong this time. I'll return that 5,000 points to you. Morishita-senpai, I apologize."
Morishita was stunned.
'She believed that?'
In truth, she was talking about the little umbrella she had stolen from Shimizu's pocket last time and later blew up like a balloon to play with. Who said that didn't count as "used"?
But since the other girl was being so cooperative, she naturally waved her hand with feigned nonchalance. "Well, I'm a broad-minded person, so I'll forgive you this time. I have things to do, so I'll be going."
She limped off the ring, eager to get far away from this woman.
Unexpectedly, Amasawa Ichika grabbed her hand. "Wait, Senpai. Although I believe you, what if you're lying? If you're tricking me, I'll be very sad. And when I'm sad, I easily do things you can't imagine."
Morishita turned pale with fear and could only brace herself.
"I, Morishita Ai, never go back on my word. Put your heart at ease! Just wait and see!"
Amasawa finally let go. Morishita hurriedly left the Boxing Club.
"Oh my, this senpai can really lie," Amasawa muttered to herself. "That little umbrella was probably stolen; she likely hasn't had any intimate relationship with Senpai."
How should she put it? Although the other girl didn't look like she was lying, given her personality, if she really had a relationship with Shimizu Akira, she probably would have pulled out her phone messages and rubbed them in Amasawa's face long ago.
Still, Amasawa Ichika let her go.
"I suppose this counts as me acting as a wingman for the Senpai? This way, to save face, Morishita Ai will likely work hard to get close to the Senpai recently. She's passably good-looking... If Senpai finds out about this, he should thank me, right? Ideally, he'd go on one date with me—that would be perfect."
On the island that day, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka had said it himself: if you want to get on Shimizu Akira's good side, just introduce him to a girlfriend. That's what Kushida Kikyo did, introducing Hasebe Haruka and Sakura Airi.
Amasawa Ichika, this time, had effectively pushed Morishita Ai toward him.
She better send a message to take credit for it right away!
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