Chapter 352: I Know You Like Me / My Girlfriend Suzune
March 7th, Sunday.
When Shimizu Akira woke up, a new message was glowing on his phone screen.
Ishigami Kyo: Shimizu-senpai, I expect to enroll in Advanced Nurturing High School in April. I look forward to your guidance then.
'Shimizu-senpai?!'
This was the first time in Akira's life someone had called him "senpai."
Honestly, it didn't feel bad at all. No wonder Asahina-senpai always smiled so warmly whenever he called her that.
Wait, if he was enrolling in April, they would be meeting in person in about a month. Time really was flying.
This poll exam had gone smoothly largely thanks to Ishigami Kyo's coordination.
Ishigami Kyo: Additionally, as far as I know, Acting Chairman Tsukishiro plans to hold a private meeting in the coming days with a group of preparatory freshmen transferring from the White Room. I thought this information might be useful to you.
A meeting?
So, there would be students from the White Room in the next batch of freshmen? And more than one.
Tsukishiro really hadn't given up. But this was overkill—White Room teachers and students being crammed into the school just to expel Ayanokoji and Akira?
Akira sent a quick reply: Thanks for the heads-up.
Regardless of how Ishigami got his intel or who he really was, for now, he was an ally against the White Room.
That was enough.
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In the morning, Akira headed out as planned. He had promised Horikita Suzune a date, after all. When he arrived at Keyaki Mall, she was already there.
It was early March, and the weather was warming up. Suzune wasn't wearing tights today; instead, she wore black thigh-high stockings paired with a simple white thermal hoodie, which made her slender frame look particularly elegant.
Her beautiful fox-like eyes drifted toward him.
"Good morning, Akira-kun."
Akira always loved her braids and those sharp eyes.
"Good morning, Suzune." He naturally reached out to take her hand. She didn't pull away, but she did turn her face slightly.
"So, where do we go today?"
"I don't know," Suzune replied. "I rarely go out for the purpose of 'relaxing.'"
She always had clear goals: buying books, getting stationery, eating. A trip purely for leisure was a first.
"Is there anywhere you're interested in but have never been to?" Akira asked.
"The arcade," she said after a thought.
They found a large game center on the seventh floor. Akira scanned the area—dance machines, basketball hoops, Taiko no Tatsujin.
He noticed the fighting game section: Street Fighter VI had plenty of cabinets, while King of Fighters was sparse. Capcom was doing well.
For Suzune, this was alien territory. The noise reminded her of karaoke, but louder and faster. "How do you feel?" Akira asked, sensing her tension.
"Not bad," she nodded, looking at a row of claw machines. "Is there a definitive strategy for these?"
'Asking for a strategy before asking how to play? Truly Horikita Suzune.'
"Some require skill, some are pure luck. But the most important thing is..." Akira laughed. They exchanged 2,000 private points for tokens.
"Let's start with something simple. Taiko no Tatsujin. Strong rhythm, direct rules."
Suzune watched a demo, then gripped the drumsticks tightly.
"Relax, just follow the beat," Akira stood by her side. "It's okay to make mistakes."
As the music started, she was clumsy at first, but her focus and sense of rhythm soon kicked in. By the end, a "B" grade popped up on the screen.
"A 'B' on your first try? Impressive," Akira teased. Suzune looked at the score with a hint of pride.
"I simply followed the established rhythmic rules. However, it is more interesting than I imagined."
Next was the basketball machine. Her coordination was excellent, though she missed a few. "Have you practiced before?"
"I play basketball," she said, wiping a bit of sweat.
"The distance is much closer than a standard hoop; it's strange to miss. But my accuracy dropped by about 10%, likely due to the weight and texture of these balls."
Akira burst out laughing.
"Do you have to be so precise with data right now? You're blaming the basketballs?"
Suzune blushed and turned away. "...Habit. And I wasn't making excuses; the texture is different."
They played racing games and a co-op music game where they ended up in a tangled mess due to lack of synchronization. Akira laughed, and Suzune, trying to stay serious, eventually let out a few rare, trembling giggles.
"Try that one?" Akira pointed to a claw machine in the corner. Inside was a pile of plush toys, including a white fox with squinted eyes and a lazy expression. Its eyes looked a bit like Suzune's, though the expression was the polar opposite of her usual intensity.
Suzune's gaze lingered on the fox.
Akira put in a coin. "Your turn."
She gripped the joystick cautiously. Everyone is careful on their first try. The claw caught the fox's ear but dropped it at the exit.
"Too bad," Akira said.
Suzune put in another coin. This time, she caught the body. It was stable until the horizontal move, then slipped. She practically pressed her face against the glass to calculate the angles.
"You're almost merging with the machine," Akira chuckled.
"I am calculating the angles and force points to extract the target," she replied solemnly.
Her competitive streak was showing. Akira's coin basket was almost empty, but the fox remained inside. Suzune looked down—one coin left.
"You try?" she asked. "No, I'll go to the restroom. You go ahead," Akira said and walked off.
She held the last coin, hesitated, and decided to wait for him. A few minutes later, Akira returned with more tokens. "Waiting for you," she said simply and dropped the coin.
This time, the claw caught the fox's neck and arm perfectly. Clunk. The white plush fell into the bin. Suzune bent over and scooped it up. It was soft.
"Congrats," Akira smiled. "Last chance, and you did it."
"...Yes," she nodded.
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They spent another half hour at the arcade. When they left, Suzune was clutching the white fox, her face flushed with a faint post-activity glow.
"How was it?" Akira asked in the quiet mall corridor.
"Novel," she admitted. "Though most games lack clear practical benefit, as a training for coordination and strategy, they have value. And... focusing on a simple goal allowed me to forget other things. It felt good."
"Good. That's the essence of entertainment. Next time, maybe a movie or the zoo."
"The zoo..." Suzune repeated. "Observing biological behavior patterns could provide intuitive understanding of group dynamics."
"Where to next?"
"My dorm," she said, reverting to her usual rhythm.
"Regarding the poll exam, I have questions I need you to answer."
Back at the dorm, Suzune took out a notebook.
"So, you got 85 votes because of Class B?"
"Yeah, our previous cooperation built trust."
"And you intentionally had Kushida guide our class to vote for Koenji, and had Class B vote for Kanzaki? To force them into the situation?"
"Pretty much. If they aren't the targets, their families won't intervene. Kanzaki was Class B's own move, though—a happy accident."
Akira continued, "I knew Koenji was from a conglomerate, but I only found out recently that Kanzaki's family is just as powerful."
"Tsukishiro's target is you, right?" Suzune asked.
"Classmates saw you, Ayanokoji, and Sakayanagi confronting him."
Akira didn't hide anything. He told her about the White Room, Tsukishiro's background, and the "expulsion list." He saw no reason to keep secrets from the girl he liked.
Suzune fell silent.
"So... you were dragged into this because of Ayanokoji? Tsukishiro's goal is just to expel him?"
"That's one way to look at it. But as of now, I'm probably higher on his list than Ayanokoji."
"Then, the White Room assassins in the next grade..." Suzune's voice dropped.
"Are they all as strong as you and Ayanokoji?"
"According to him, not quite as good, but close. If we're level 80, they're 60 or 70. One-on-one, they aren't a match, but if it's one-against-many..."
Suzune understood. Even if they weren't on Akira's level, their abilities would far exceed normal students.
"The situation is more complex than I thought."
"Don't be too pessimistic. They're just freshmen. And Tsukishiro learned his lesson; he won't try to pull a stunt as blatant as the poll again. He'll likely stick to the school rules—special exams and class competition. As long as it's within the rules, we have a chance."
"I see." Suzune nodded seriously. Akira stood up and gently took her hand.
"Alright, Q&A over. Time for lunch. Where do you want to go?"
He made to leave, but Suzune pulled back.
"I've already prepared the ingredients. I'll cook for you now."
She was prepared again. It had been a while since he tasted her cooking.
"Wait." Akira checked the time. It was only 10:30. He pulled her wrist gently. "There's still thirty minutes before you need to start. Right now... I want some intimacy with you."
Suzune's eyelashes fluttered. She didn't pull away; she allowed herself to be pulled into his lap. She admired his ability to state his desires so plainly.
She had promised him thirty minutes of private time, after all. She couldn't refuse.
'It definitely wasn't because I wanted intimacy too' she told herself.
Akira lifted her face and kissed her. He remembered a saying: No girl truly hates a gentle, skillful kiss; if she seems to, just go for a second one.
He did. By the second attempt, Suzune was gripping his shirt, responding honestly.
"Your technique... has improved," she whispered when they pulled apart.
"My practice partner is you; of course I take it seriously." She didn't leave his embrace.
"Don't say such things so matter-of-factly."
"But it's true. And you didn't reject me."
"I am simply... fulfilling an agreement."
"The agreement didn't include responding so earnestly." Akira rubbed her head.
"Besides... I know you like me."
Suzune's eyes widened. "W-what are you talking about!"
Akira grinned.
"You hate lying, so you should know best if I'm speaking the truth."
"Hmph!" Suzune grabbed his hand.
'Do I like him?' She thought of the heat of the kiss, his focused profile, the days they had spent side-by-side. The pieces formed a clear answer in her heart.
"Perhaps," she replied ambiguously. "...What about you? Since the start of school, what have you... thought of me?"
She regretted it instantly. It sounded like a stereotypical girl's insecurity. Akira paused, then laughed softly.
"And you say you don't like me? Asking a question like that?"
"You can choose not to answer," she turned her head away. "If you don't, no lunch."
"I'll answer! Since the first day, I thought you were special. Calm, smart, stubbornly cute. Even when you needed help, you acted like you could handle everything. At first, you were a troublesome but interesting seatmate. Then, a respected rival and partner. And then... seeing you struggle and grow, seeing your occasional vulnerability... I wanted to be more than just partners. I want to help you when you need it, see you reach the strength you desire. And I want to... be closer to you, like this, when you allow it."
A typical Akira answer: based on observation, judgment, and commitment. Suzune listened in silence.
"And you?" Akira looked down at her. "I need an accurate answer too."
Her body tensed. Analyzing her own heart out loud was difficult and embarrassing. After a long pause, she squeezed out three words in a near-whisper: "I don't hate it."
Akira blinked, then burst into laughter.
A very "Horikita Suzune" answer. But if he pushed for the word "love" now, he'd definitely lose his lunch.
"Understood. If you don't hate it, I'll take that as a 'like.' So, from now on, we are officially dating."
Suzune didn't speak, but she buried her face lower and gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod.
After a few seconds, she pulled back slightly.
"So... I caught that fox because you secretly paid the staff, right? That's the only reason the claw suddenly became so strong."
"...You caught me?" Akira laughed.
"It was only 100,000 points."
"I knew it." She rolled her eyes. This idiot spent 100,000 points just to make her happy.
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They enjoyed each other's company for a bit longer before Suzune got up to prepare lunch.
As she put on her apron, she turned to him.
"Now that we are a couple... why do I feel like nothing has substantially changed?"
"Well," Akira propped his chin up.
"Kissing, hugging, using nicknames, eating together, weekend dates... we've been doing those for a while. I've basically been treating you like my girlfriend for a long time."
Suzune was speechless.
Wait—does that mean their dynamic stays exactly the same? She stood in the kitchen with a ladle, feeling like the start of this romance was a bit too plain. It wasn't like what Akane-senpai described: "When you meet someone you like, the whole world changes!"
But then she thought back to the day she met Akira. Hadn't her world already changed long ago?
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