Wait.
Did Sakura Airi just say something completely outrageous?
Kushida Kikyou paused.
She thought back.
Replayed it.
Confirmed it.
She hadn't misheard.
Which only made it even more absurd.
…What?
How did you end up getting seen—and photographed—while changing clothes?
And on top of that…
On the rooftop?!
…Granted, she wasn't exactly in a position to talk.
But the moment the word "rooftop" came up—
Kushida almost had a stress reaction.
If she didn't have to maintain her "perfect girl" image in front of others, she probably already would have snapped.
"…"
For a brief moment, her expression stiffened.
Then she spoke, rapidly:
"So let me get this straight—you saw the rooftop door wasn't locked, thought it'd be a good place to take photos, brought your clothes there, even though the electronic lock was actually powered and properly closed, he still opened the door while you were changing, saw everything, and even took a picture?"
She rattled it all off in one breath.
As if she had been there herself.
"Th-that's amazing!"
Sakura Airi's eyes lit up.
"That's exactly what happened!"
"So now I'm really troubled!"
Haha.
I'm troubled too.
Kushida laughed silently in her mind.
Why the rooftop again?
Why is it always the rooftop?!
…Does this guy have a hidden camera set up there or something? Just waiting for girls to walk into his "trap" so he can show up and collect?
If she hadn't called him at noon—
Would Sakura have been completely eaten alive?
Kushida almost laughed out loud.
"Th-the photo was taken… and although Asakusa… Asakusa-kun didn't do anything else to me… and said he wouldn't use it to threaten me…"
Sakura lowered her head, clutching her skirt.
"B-but I'm still scared…"
Scared of being threatened.
Scared of being exposed.
Scared of having something like that in someone else's hands.
So—
"Kushida-san… you and Asakusa-kun are dating, right? Could you ask him to delete the photo for me?"
She turned to Kushida—
The person she trusted the most—
And made her request.
She hadn't forgotten this.
She just hadn't found the right moment to bring it up earlier.
But now that she was asking for help—
She had to say it.
It should be fine…
…Not at all.
"Dating…?" Kushida's cheek twitched slightly, her tone drifting.
Sakura immediately sensed the change in atmosphere and lowered her head.
"S-so you're not?"
"Well… because… I could smell Asakusa-kun's scent on you… and his also had your scent…"
"A-and earlier, when he answered the phone, I heard your voice…"
"S-so I thought you two were dating…"
She explained timidly.
Then, lifting her head again, she added:
"I-if you're not… then… did he… grab some kind of leverage on you too?"
Kushida Kikyou: "…"
…A miscalculation.
She'd been careless lately.
Too relaxed.
Not disguising herself when coming and going.
Not even properly dealing with lingering scents.
If even Sakura Airi could notice—
Could others have noticed too?
…No.
If others had, they would've probed her already.
And most of the time, she had been careful.
It was just these past few days she'd gotten sloppy.
She'd have to fix that.
But more importantly—
How was she going to deal with Sakura right now?
…Seriously, this is all his fault.
Why take a picture?
Seeing it was one thing—
But why take a photo?!
Kushida clenched her teeth slightly in annoyance.
But Sakura's timid eyes were pressuring her.
Ugh, this is so annoying!
I should've just said we were dating earlier!
Now that she already denied it—
How is she supposed to explain the scent?!
…Wait.
An idea flashed through her mind.
"…Yes."
She lowered her head slightly, putting on a faintly troubled expression.
"He does have something on me."
"During the midterms, remember how Ike and the others failed?"
"No one had enough points, but we couldn't just abandon classmates."
"But 1.2 million points isn't something anyone can casually produce."
She gripped her arm lightly, lips pressed together.
"He used that… and his connection with Ichinose… to threaten me."
"If I didn't become his 'mom'… he'd make Ichinose arrange for Hirata to be expelled."
Her voice fell.
Silence filled the room.
Especially in Sakura's ears—
Only one word echoed.
"Mom."
"Mom."
"Mom."
He threatened me to be his mom.
Sakura Airi: "???"
She had expected something shameful.
Something like her own situation.
But she never—
Never—
Expected this.
"Mo-mom?!" her voice trembled.
"Mm."
Kushida nodded calmly, continuing her fabrication.
"Asakusa-kun… lacks maternal love."
"Especially in this closed school environment, his issues have become more obvious."
She sighed softly.
"That's why he would do something like forcing me to be his mother."
…Technically, not a complete lie.
He did lack maternal love.
Silence fell again.
Sakura's brain was overheating.
Trying to process something completely absurd.
She recalled his calm expression.
His composed attitude.
His teasing.
No matter how she tried—
She couldn't imagine him calling Kushida "mom."
"Th-then…"
Driven by curiosity, she hesitantly asked:
"How exactly… does he make you be his 'mom'?"
It was a question she normally wouldn't ask.
A bit too intrusive.
But—
She was in her own room.
Her own space.
And Kushida felt so approachable.
And—
She was just too curious.
Curiosity erased the distance.
"…"
Kushida's body trembled slightly.
She bent forward, biting her lip—
Trying desperately not to laugh.
This was too good.
Making things up like this—
Was even more fun than she expected.
Especially when the other person was taking it completely seriously.
She finally understood.
Why the diary was always written with such enthusiasm.
Half-truths mixed with complete nonsense—
That's what made it fun.
Sakura's stunned expression earlier.
Her current breathing.
The more Kushida thought about it—
The harder it was not to laugh.
At this rate, Asakusa had probably become some kind of Freudian case study in Sakura's mind.
Mommy issues and all.
No, no—
Stop thinking about it.
She'd burst out laughing otherwise.
"That is…"
She straightened up, wiping away the tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
"H-he asks for hugs… to be put to sleep… to have his head patted and be praised…"
The moment she finished—
She bent over again, burying her face between her knees.
If she looked at Sakura now, she would definitely lose it.
"…"
Sakura's expression turned strange.
She covered her face.
And imagined—
Kushida holding Asakusa in her arms—
And him lying there like a baby—
Th-this is too much…
"S-so… the reason you smell like him… is because you have to… hug him often?"
She twisted slightly, asking what didn't even need confirmation.
"…Mm."
Kushida swallowed her laughter and forced her usual gentle tone.
"That's the only way he can feel the maternal love he lacks."
Sakura blushed.
She felt ashamed for misunderstanding earlier.
Of course…
This was Kushida.
Only someone like her would go this far for classmates—
Even becoming a "mother" for a boy their age.
If it were her—
She could never do it.
Holding him like a baby… putting him to sleep…
It was way too embarrassing.
Uu…
As Kushida spoke, Sakura's already vague impression of Asakusa completely shattered—
Replaced by something entirely different.
"Ahem."
Kushida cleared her throat, regaining composure.
She hadn't forgotten why Sakura came.
The photo.
At first, her instinct was simple—
Make him delete it.
Isn't having me enough?!
But then—
She noticed something off.
Why hadn't Sakura been touched at all?
From everything Sakura said—
From her attitude—
It was clear.
She was completely inexperienced.
A blank slate.
That plain look really had protected her well.
But—
Seeing Sakura's current expression—
Kushida felt a flicker of irritation.
Why does she get off so easily?
Back then—
She had panicked.
Lost face.
Even went as far as kneeling and leaving handprints.
Terrified.
And now—
Sakura just walks away untouched?
She didn't like it.
Not one bit.
Her possessiveness and jealousy clashed—
And quickly—
Jealousy won.
"…You want him to delete the photo, right?"
Kushida brought the topic back.
"We're not dating, so asking me to persuade him might be difficult."
Disappointment filled Sakura's face.
But before she could lower her head—
Kushida continued:
"But… it's not impossible."
Sakura immediately looked up.
"H-how?"
Kushida smiled gently.
"You remember what I said, right? That he lacks maternal love?"
Her hand lightly rested on Sakura's shoulder.
Feeling her slight tremble, her smile deepened.
"So… if Sakura becomes his 'mother'…"
"Wouldn't that give you the right to ask him to delete any inappropriate photos of his 'mom'?"
She said it so naturally.
As if it made perfect sense.
…Even though it was complete nonsense.
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