What Kushida Kikyo was thinking, Asakusa Tetsu had no idea.
He was only thinking about one thing.
—How long is he supposed to keep hugging this pile of cotton?
Seriously.
Damn it, I wanted a soft, fragrant girl, not someone wrapped in three layers like she's trying to give herself heatstroke.
But he couldn't exactly take back his words now. It wasn't like he could suddenly go beast mode and start stripping her on the spot.
Forget it. Before doing anything like that, he might as well test a theory.
Still holding Kushida in his arms, Asakusa quietly spread open his right hand behind her back.
And then, the familiar diary slipped silently into his palm.
That's right—he planned to write in the diary right in front of one of its copy holders, Kushida Kikyo, who had already openly messaged him before.
Lately, his diary rating had been stuck at E anyway. No need to overthink things. He could just scribble a few lines and use this "hugging opportunity" to observe Kushida's reaction.
He'd actually been curious for a long time about what the copy holders experienced when he wrote in the diary.
But even though he'd already identified Horikita Suzune, Kushida Kikyo, and Sakayanagi Arisu as holders, he'd never really had the chance to write in front of them.
Unless he skipped class and snuck behind them in class to write while spying.
Or used his master key to sneak into their dorms and hide in their closets.
The first would cost class points. The second would land him in jail.
And he was too lazy most of the time to bother.
But hugging was different.
Breathing. Heartbeat. Body heat.
Now that he knew her identity, the cognitive filter only worked one way. He could write openly and feel her emotional reactions directly.
"…So hot…"
A faint, mosquito-like murmur sounded near his ear.
Sweating heavily, Kushida loosened her embrace with obvious reluctance.
Without daring to look at him, she whispered,
"I… I'm taking off my jacket."
Saying that, she gently pushed him away, stood up, and began removing her "burial shroud."
Layer by layer, like peeling an onion, she took off her thick outer clothes.
After hesitating, she glanced at her legs, stepped on her pant leg, and pulled off her long pants as well.
In the end, she was left in only thin clothing.
Soaked with sweat, her clothes clung tightly to her curves, outlining her figure perfectly. Her flushed face—reddened from heat and other unknown reasons—looked more comfortable as cool air brushed over her.
Just as she was about to lean back toward her "human pillow," Asakusa frowned slightly.
"…Maybe you should take a shower?"
She was drenched in sweat.
It didn't smell bad, but his clothes were clean. Hugging her like this would definitely make him dirty.
Besides—
"You'll catch a cold."
He added what sounded like concern.
Unfortunately, Kushida didn't appreciate it at all.
She grabbed her damp clothes and flung them straight at his face.
"Shut up! If you've got complaints, keep them to yourself! Just be my human pillow and stay still!"
Who does he think he is, daring to complain about her?!
Fuming, Kushida wrapped her arms around him again and pressed herself tightly against him.
Her burning body and damp clothes clung to him. The softness he'd already experienced before was now firmly pressed to his chest—pushed, squeezed, and reshaped.
With a helpless sigh, Asakusa hugged her back, pulling her much lighter body closer.
"..."
Biting his lip and closing his mouth, the dorm soon fell silent.
So quiet that only steady breathing and increasingly clear heartbeats could be heard.
Eyes closed, feeling the clearer skin contact and stronger scent, Kushida's mind fell into chaos.
She'd been forced to come here.
She had no choice—she'd been threatened.
Even though Asakusa made it sound like she had freedom to choose, with the recordings and photos in his hands, she had no real choice at all.
So she had to come.
Yes, she was here because she had no alternative.
And taking off her jacket was for her health. If she kept wearing it, she'd get sick from the heat.
It definitely wasn't because she wanted more intimate contact.
And getting closer was just a way to gain his trust.
As long as she earned his trust, she could find a chance to destroy all the evidence!
Maybe she could even get some leverage over him in return.
The clothes with his handprint on them—she'd kept them.
Even though she knew they were probably useless, she'd still saved them out of instinct.
They might work as souvenirs, but as evidence, they were weak.
If she wanted real security, she needed stronger leverage.
That's right! That's why she was hugging him so proactively!
It was all to gain trust!
After sorting out her logic, she easily convinced herself.
"This is reasonable," she told herself.
The peaceful "recharging" time soon ended.
Asakusa never took out the diary again.
…Because she fell asleep.
Not long after she hugged him, her breathing slowed. When she unconsciously put all her weight on him, he realized—
Little Kushida had fallen asleep.
…Well, no need to wake her.
Normally, with his White Room gym membership, he wouldn't waste time like this.
But now that he had the chance, he might as well enjoy holding a soft, fragrant girl.
"..."
Taking a deep breath, Asakusa sighed inwardly.
Girls really are made of sugar, milk, and honey.
Even Kushida Kikyo.
…If only she could behave a little better.
He took out a recording pen and looked at the screen, where fresh audio was still being transcribed.
Then he let out another quiet sigh.
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