Kaoru was well aware of the effect his words would have on Mako; a so-called "downstairs guy" could instantly douse a girl's passionate feelings.
Since he had already let her catch him, no matter how he tried to cover it up, she might not believe his lies.
It was better to be straightforward about being a lecher.
Mako was a good girl; until now, her life had been uneventful.
She had gone through kindergarten, elementary school, and middle school without any bullying, nor had she been a victim like Kushida, with a dark past.
Chie Hoshinomiya described her as a cheerful and lively girl who would help her classmates in times of trouble while also accepting help from them.
She usually enjoyed reading romance manga, often going shopping and playing with friends, embodying the youthful vitality of a high school girl, along with the small troubles that come with that stage of life.
When it came to her innocent and naive feelings towards the opposite sex, wanting to get closer but not daring to, these knots that couldn't be untied during the day would slowly dissipate at night.
However, that did not include anything lewd.
Mako had never seen anything inappropriate nor done anything bad.
If she knew that Kushida entertained herself privately, it would likely shatter her image of the little angel.
Although she understood that boys could be lewd and filled with strange thoughts, she could accept it because she might date, marry, and have children in the future.
Yet, Mako found herself unable to comprehend.
"Pervert!"
The girl blushed, and at a loss for words, she could only express her emotions this way, the most extreme insult she could think of at that moment.
"I think it's pretty perverted too, but then I thought, if both people like it, it doesn't seem shameful," Kaoru said, looking at the trees that were beginning to show autumn colors, the chilly breeze rippling the distant lake's surface.
"Pervert." Mako found it hard to believe, then realized something.
"Are you both like this? Is she your girlfriend?"
If it was a couple's game, she felt she had no right to criticize.
"Kiryūin-senpai is not my girlfriend; my girlfriend is someone else," Kaoru replied.
Mako's heart, which had just begun to settle, suddenly felt suspended again.
In just a few minutes, the information she received was overwhelming, making it hard for her to digest.
"You have a girlfriend?"
"Yes." Kaoru didn't mention Ichinose Honami or Karuizawa Kei's names; it would be too shocking for Mako.
Mako tightly pressed her lips together.
She wanted to force a smile, but it was impossible to smile at a time like this.
No matter how she tried, she couldn't manage it.
"You're terrible; you're so unfair to your girlfriend. I hope you tell her and apologize immediately."
The girl's expression was serious; no girl would like her boyfriend to be close to another girl, especially in such a manner.
After saying this, Mako took a step back, creating distance between them.
Her tense expression and stiff movements revealed her inner turmoil.
Under Kaoru's gaze, she quickly ran back to the dormitory.
...
[Extracting corresponding rewards...]
[Congratulations! You have received the reward—"Critical Hit Token"!]
["Critical Hit Token": Can be used on any target; after use, the corresponding reward will be doubled, with the multiplier randomly drawn from 0.01% to 100%.]
...
[Congratulations! You have received the reward—"Black-framed Glasses"!]
["Black-framed Glasses": Said to be a disguise tool used by Superman; when worn, those around you will subconsciously disregard your original identity and accept your fabricated new identity.]
...
[Congratulations! You have received the reward—"Saeki Chazuki's Bathing Photo"]
[Congratulations! You have received the reward—"1% Shares of the Shinomiya Financial Group"]
[Congratulations! You have received the reward—"Raising Manual"]
...
[All rewards have been distributed; please check!]
New rewards had arrived, but Kaoru did not rush to check their status.
Although the "Critical Hit Token" sounded interesting, it was likely a coveted artifact for many gamblers.
A week after the sports festival, the student council's handover ceremony finally arrived.
On the podium in the gym, Horikita Manabu, as the student council president, delivered his final remarks to all students and teachers, briefly reflecting on his past before quickly concluding his farewell speech.
Next, under the host's guidance, the new student council president, Nagumo Miyabi, walked slowly to the front with what he considered an extremely elegant stride.
Kaoru, as the vice president, stood in the back of the student council line and couldn't see Nagumo's expression, but he could somewhat imagine the other's flamboyance and pride.
Sure enough, as soon as Nagumo finished his self-introduction, he forcefully announced that he would push for school reforms, starting with making the student council's term indefinite, abolishing the general election system, and removing the limit on the number of members.
If any council member was irresponsible or lacked ability, he would immediately dismiss them.
From this fierce declaration, one could already glimpse what Nagumo's so-called reforms entailed, and people like Kiriyama Ikuyo listened with serious expressions.
Meanwhile, the students in the audience, with third-years about to graduate, were indifferent; the second-years looked tense and the first-years were still unclear about their upcoming fate.
After the ceremony, Tachibana Akane looked at Kaoru with a hint of sadness.
"Without me, you can't slack off, Mitoma-kun; the student council office isn't a place for you to sleep."
"Why don't you come back and supervise me?" Kaoru was too lazy to refute her accusation.
"How could that be? You really think you can't work hard without me?" Akane felt a little happy inside, not expecting Kaoru to share her thoughts.
She had been worried that after her resignation, she wouldn't have many opportunities to see him.
"Absolutely not; I don't want to take care of you every day."
Kaoru was momentarily speechless.
When had she ever taken care of him?
"Hey, hey, hey, I'm resigning today; don't you have anything to say?" Akane actually enjoyed being with him, feeling she could vent any frustrations without any reservations.
"Shouldn't it be the senpai treating the kouhai?"
"How rude! It's always the kouhai treating the senpai to food!"
"This is the first time I've seen such a thick-skinned senpai."
"That's because you're too stingy!"
"Because it makes it seem like senpai can be easily satisfied with food."
"What do you mean by that?"
Before long, Akane bumped her head against Kaoru's again, surprising him with how such a petite figure could act like a little pig.
"Tachibana-senpai, I heard there's a place where the Rossini steak is particularly delicious," Ichinose Honami chimed in, leaning closer to Akane and lowering her voice.
"Want to go eat together?"
Akane was tempted and instinctively glanced at Kaoru, a hint of modesty flashing in her eyes.
'Hmph,' now she understood; 'this was how a kouhai should behave towards a senpai.'
"Since it's an invitation from Ichinose, of course, it's fine, but you don't need to treat; I'm not stingy."
It felt like she was hinting at something.
Kaoru thought for a moment and called out to Horikita Manabu, who was not far away.
"Horikita-senpai, do you want to join us for a meal? Tachibana-senpai and the others have a good..."
He was halfway through when Akane sensed something was off, her face turning red as she quickly covered his lips, looking a bit flustered.
Horikita turned back in confusion, just catching sight of their posture, unable to comprehend, but he nodded as if to acknowledge them.
Noticing that Horikita wasn't paying attention to them, Akane let out a sigh of relief and shot Kaoru a fierce glare.
"If you say another word, I'll kill you!"
The girl's small hand was soft and fragrant, and Kaoru licked her palm.
"Whoa!" Akane quickly withdrew her hand, feeling sticky in her palm, her eyes filled with anger.
This guy was really rude to his senpai!
"Isn't it good for Horikita-senpai to come along with us?" Kaoru showed no reaction; it was just a lick, after all.
"I don't need your help, I have my own rhythm!" Tachibana Akane stubbornly retorted, though in truth she hadn't even considered inviting Horikita Manabu earlier.
Her mind had been preoccupied with thoughts of making Kaoru beg her, so when she heard his voice, her brain momentarily went blank.
As she spoke, Akane wiped her hand vigorously on his clothes, visibly disgusted by his saliva.
"Disgusting, so disgusting, utterly revolting!"
Kaoru laughed in exasperation.
When she bit or headbutted him, why didn't she find that disgusting?
However, before he could react, Akane predictably bolted away like she'd anticipated his move.
The girl's skirt fluttered up, revealing a generous portion of her snow-white thigh.
"Tachibana-senpai is adorable. Even I quite like her," Ichinose Honami remarked from the side, a faint smile gracing her features.
To others, this might have seemed like a dangerous signal, but Kaoru knew she genuinely felt that way.
"Wait till she bites you, then you'll understand how I feel," Kaoru dismissed, knowing full well the little senpai had little fangs that made her bites particularly painful.
"Oh no, because Tachibana-senpai only acts like that with you." Honami found the situation somewhat amusing herself.
"I've always been curious—how did you two become so close?"
"If you're asking me, who should I ask?" Kaoru was equally puzzled.
From start to finish, he'd never done anything special to Akane—if anything, she'd looked down on him first.
If he had to pinpoint a turning point, it probably began when he openly acknowledged Akane's secret crush.
After that, it was as if they shared a secret.
Akane would sometimes complain to him about Horikita Manabu's obliviousness and virtues.
Of course, whenever pressed to take action, Akane could instantly conjure a hundred excuses, even feigning death to avoid the situation.
Perhaps after too many evasions, she gradually stopped mentioning Horikita's name altogether, instead growing increasingly fond of antagonizing Kaoru.
"Maybe it's because I know her secret?" Kaoru habitually asked, "Are you jealous by any chance?"
He expected Honami to deny it as usual, but to his surprise, she nodded straightforwardly.
"That's right, I'm very jealous right now."
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