"That was really harsh of her. So what if we're just classmates? If you see someone being bullied, are you just supposed to stand by and do nothing?" Mako stepped aside, her fingers unconsciously smoothing her hair and tucking it behind her ear.
Her high ponytail revealed the fair skin of her slender neck.
Dressed in her school uniform, she had added a jacket due to the cooling weather, wearing it neatly over a pale yellow shirt tied with a ribbon.
The collar of her shirt, patterned with diagonal checks, revealed a glimpse of delicate collarbone.
Her slightly full chest rose enticingly, while black knee-high socks hugged her slender calves, exposing the fair skin around her knees.
Between her thighs and the hem of her skirt lay an absolute territory, every inch of her skin radiating the youthful charm of her age—enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat.
At that moment, Kaoru noticed she was coming from the direction of the Keyaki Shopping Center, a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead.
If he focused, he could even catch a subtle, sweet fragrance drifting from her.
Some might assume a girl's scent was merely the result of cosmetics and perfumes, but there were exceptions—or perhaps Mako Amikura simply had a unique constitution.
It was easy to think of the phrase "fragrant sweat glistening" when near her.
"Did you just come back from the gym?" Kaoru asked awkwardly.
It wouldn't have been so bad if anyone else had seen her like this, but of all people, it had to be Mako.
Mako nodded, her expression turning slightly stiff as memories of their past surfaced.
"I really enjoy working out," she said. "Not only does it keep me fit, but after sweating so much, all I want is to rest. I fall asleep as soon as I hit the bed and don't wake up till morning."
"You're the first in the 100-meter race and in the three-legged race, right?" Kaoru recalled the scene in the festival.
"That's pretty impressive; even the girls from Class A couldn't catch up to you."
Amikura Mako was taken aback for a moment; it was surprising that he had been watching her compete.
Suddenly feeling nervous, her voice involuntarily rose a pitch.
"It's because everyone was cheering me on. If I couldn't do it... it just feels so embarrassing, so I had to..."
As she spoke, her voice trailed off, wondering if she was being too sensitive.
"That's still quite impressive," Kaoru repeated, then smiled. "Want to walk back together?"
Mako immediately wanted to nod, but thinking about their current awkward relationship, she hesitated for a moment, finally revealing a hint of girlish modesty as she nodded slightly.
The trees along the roadside rustled softly, and the hem of the girl's skirt fluttered gently.
Her fair, slender legs seemed to emit a soft glow.
From time to time, a few students passed by; even though they only glanced in their direction, Mako still felt a bit shy.
She suddenly realized that walking beside Kaoru was a particularly bad idea, as it might lead to unnecessary misunderstandings.
Just thinking about it made her anxious.
Stealing a glance at Kaoru, she saw his profile shining in the warm glow of dusk, his clear eyes resembling a deep blue sea, sometimes dim, sometimes bright, making one want to drown in them and then be rescued.
Long ago, a senior had also reached out to her, but afterward, that person had forgotten all about her, clearly not holding her in mind.
Initially, Mako had a similar impression of Kaoru, but his behavior was completely different.
Close yet distant.
"What happened earlier was a misunderstanding," Kaoru took the initiative to bring up the earlier incident.
Even if he hadn't said anything, Mako would have soon asked about it.
"Misunderstanding?" Mako frowned; she had witnessed the scene with her own eyes.
What kind of misunderstanding could lead Kiryūin Fuka to step on Kaoru's face?
Could it be that Kaoru had some dirt on Kiryuin?
Although they were only friends now, Mako couldn't help but feel worried.
She took a deep breath and seriously told Kaoru, "I'll be your witness. Let's report this to the school together. I can't stand seniors like her!"
Kaoru stopped in his tracks.
She seemed serious.
What should he do now?
'I'm sorry, I'm a pervert who likes to lick girls' jade feet.'
Admitting something like that outright felt like it would lead to inhumane treatment.
'I'm sick, and only a girls feet can cure my illness.'
Surely, no one would accept such a crude excuse.
Kaoru thought for a moment and briefly explained, "I gave Kiryuin-senpai 700,000 Personal Points, and in return, she deliberately stepped on me a few times."
"Huh?" Mako suddenly found herself unable to understand what he was saying.
She recognized every word, but why did it sound so weird?
"She thinks I want to pursue her, and rather than agree to date me, she thought it better to give me a little taste," Kaoru analyzed.
"Of course, she doesn't believe I would actually let her step on me. In fact, I don't mind such things; I could even reward her for it."
Mako felt her brain buzzing, thinking he was crazy, utterly perverted, and then wondered if he was being persecuted to the point of fabricating such a lie.
Various thoughts swirled in her mind, leaving her standing there, speechless and confused.
"Do you think I'm a pervert?" Kaoru noticed her thoughts and spoke up.
Mako, bewildered, replied, "Aren't you just joking?"
"I don't want to lie to you. Sometimes, people can be blinded by superficial glamour, whether it's me or you; it's best to be a bit more honest."
Kaoru appeared very candid.
If one were to overlook what he had said earlier, Mako might have found it quite agreeable; however, her thoughts were now in disarray.
"...So, it was your own request earlier?" Mako tried to understand his words.
In that instant, Kaoru sensed the girl's emotions—confusion, shock, anger, and fear.
"I'm sorry for not explaining the situation to you right away," Kaoru said calmly.
Mako was already struggling to comprehend.
Even if it was the truth, couldn't he at least tell a little lie to ease her mind?
Suddenly saying it like that, what kind of reaction did he expect from her?
It felt like something had shattered; her perception of Kaoru had fallen apart.
"Why?" Mako's face tightened; she didn't want to ask like this.
What if Kaoru was joking? Wouldn't that make her seem too serious?
Kaoru thought for a moment and replied, "If you saw a really cute kitten, would you want to pet it?"
"Uh, maybe?" Mako hesitated, unsure why he was steering the conversation this way.
"What if it was a stray cat and really dirty?" Kaoru continued to ask.
Mako imagined it for a moment and then said, "If it was a really fierce stray cat, I wouldn't dare to touch it. But if it was just dirty, I could accept that, though I'd wash my hands afterward."
"In that case, your mindset is similar to mine," Kaoru said. "To me, Kiryūin-senpai is like a cute kitten, so I can tolerate her being a bit dirty, even if she gets physical with me."
At this point, Kaoru turned his gaze to Mako.
"Similarly, you're a cute kitten too, so I don't want to hide anything from you."
Under his gaze, Mako's expression froze.
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