Due to a minor accident, the two ended up in a rather intimate posture, but unexpectedly, Kei did not feel any repulsion; she simply fell into an uncontrollable panic, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Should she move away immediately? Or just stay like this? After all, there was still a risk of the stack of cardboard boxes falling over. But staying in this position wasn't a solution either; it was a little embarrassing.
Moreover, the weather was very hot, and her face felt flushed. Being so close was uncomfortable... Heat? Summer?
Sweat!
The girl instantly straightened her back and firmly supported the boxes. She took a small step forward, and Ryu took the opportunity to let go, creating some distance between them.
"Hmm? Are you okay?" Ryu asked, feeling a bit strange. "I'll help you carry two of them."
"No, it's fine. They aren't heavy at all, just too high... and the sweat..."
"What?"
"N-nothing, thank you, Senpai!" Shirogane Kei peeked half her face out from behind the boxes, looking rosy and clammy with sweat, clearly suffering from the heat.
I'm sweating all over... what if he smells it?
—The young girl secretly pursed her lips.
The uniforms of Shuchiin Academy, whether for the middle school or high school division, are very decent and modest, meaning the amount of exposed skin is relatively small. Even with the summer uniform, the skirt hem falls below the knees.
As a member of the Middle School Student Council, Kei naturally had to lead by example. She hadn't modified her sailor uniform in any way; under the elegant and dignified skirt, one could only see slender calves wrapped in breathable silk stockings.
Don't even dream about seeing any 'Absolute Territory'!
But it was precisely this slightly stifling attire that caused a fine layer of sweat to form on her inner thighs, underarms, the back of her neck, her forehead... and even on the wings of her nose. She hadn't noticed it while working earlier, but now that she was suddenly conscious of it, a wave of discomfort immediately made her feel awkward.
In short, girls in summer always have these kinds of embarrassments and inner conflicts.
Although everyone sweats, it's human nature to not want to be discovered by someone you care about a little, right?
Ryu wasn't considerate enough to perceive a girl's subtle anxieties, but his good upbringing made him proactively reach out at a time like this: "Let's carry them together. I have nothing to do anyway."
Regardless of what Kei said, he stepped forward and took almost all the boxes, leaving only one in Kei's arms. This instantly relieved the girl, revealing her slender neck and shoulders that looked as if they were sculpted.
"I'm really sorry to trouble you." Kei freed one hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead. When she looked at Ryu, their eyes met, and she immediately looked away.
"Um... just putting them in the gym warehouse is fine."
"This weight isn't exactly light for a girl. What's in here?"
"Props borrowed for the ball game tournament held by the Middle School Division last time."
"Just you alone?"
"There wasn't much anyway, so I didn't call anyone else."
The two chatted naturally and familiarly, exchanging words as they placed all the boxes in the warehouse. They then opened them to sort and organize the items inside, and just like that, ten minutes passed.
"Phew!" Kei let out a sigh of relief, pressing her shoulder and rolling her neck, her face showing little emotional fluctuation.
She was a girl who looked somewhat cold, exuding a faint sense of detachment.
Shirogane Kei, a second-year middle school student and a Student Council officer like her brother, inherited a helpful personality and a slightly fierce glare, but this did not diminish the beauty brought by her exquisite features.
If Chika's appearance and figure gave the impression of "Vitality," and Ruri belonged to "Taboo Love," then Shirogane Kei was "Mystery."
Pale skin, long silver hair, eyes that were always focused, an ethereal voice and tone, combined with a beautiful appearance resembling a fairy—her existence was as dreamlike as a semi-transparent crystal flower.
—That is why she is very popular in the Middle School Division, liked by both boys and girls, quite unlike her brother Shirogane Miyuki.
Although not from a prestigious family, her temperament is outstanding. Many feel she is a 'Takane no Hana' (flower on a high peak) type, and that her personality might be relatively cold.
However, Ryu knew that was just a stereotype. Kei was someone who could be best friends with the Fujiwara sisters; she wasn't an ice queen at all, she just internalized her emotions and didn't show them in front of strangers.
In essence, she is a warm-hearted and kind girl, occasionally a bit of a natural airhead and a penny-pincher~
"Here. You shouldn't be on a diet, right?" Beside a landscape tree behind the school building, Shirogane Kei sat on a bench enjoying the shade. Ryu walked over and handed her a can of ice-cold cola.
"Ugh, you helped me, yet I'm letting you treat me... I feel so bad about this."
"Don't worry about the details. Your brother and I are good friends, and he's helped me out a lot too. Just consider it me returning a favor." Ryu sat down casually, keeping a distance of about forty centimeters from Kei.
"A favor?" Kei looked over curiously. She really couldn't imagine what kind of difficulties a person like Ryu would encounter that her own brother could solve.
"Like letting me off the hook when I get caught skipping class... and stuff like that."
"...Ah, speaking of which, it's class time for the High School Division right now."
Kei blinked. "Are you skipping again, Senpai?"
Ryu shrugged. "I'm not feeling well. The PE teacher approved it."
"That excuse is just too..." Kei found it inexplicably funny, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly.
Ryu sat sideways to her, his gaze slowly drawn to her.
The girl's lips seemed to be surrounded by a faint warmth as she breathed. Even though she was only fifteen, her slender figure already fully displayed the youthful beauty of a maiden...
Wait a minute! She's a friend's sister!
As a psychological "adult," Ryu's view on romance was very mature. He wouldn't casually make a move on a girl, especially a relative of an acquaintance—taking responsibility or not would be troublesome either way.
"I've seen you compete before, Senpai." Kei held the cola in her hands, condensation slowly sliding onto her skin as her fingertips rubbed back and forth against the metal can.
"It was at the Kyudo Nationals... you were really cool."
"Thanks for the compliment," Ryu waved his hand. "Stop calling me Senpai all the time. You and Moeha are classmates, so just call me 'Brother Kuse' like she does."
"That's too presumptuous!"
Her fingertips turned slightly white as Kei pursed her lips tight. "Wouldn't that be getting a bit too carried away?"
"Hah... In certain situations, being called 'Brother' by a beautiful girl requires payment."
"Eh?"
"You don't need to understand that kind of knowledge." Ryu smiled dismissively.
"Anyway, you treat Chika like an older sister, don't you? It's all the same."
"Right... then... Brother Kuse?"
"Mmhmm, that sound is indeed very friendly to the ears~"
Ryu deliberately put on an expression of enjoyment, which made Kei chuckle.
Actually, Kei didn't go to watch the competition for Ryu back then. She went for the women's division in the same venue, because the person she admired—Shinomiya Kaguya—was a member of the Kyudo club and was listed as a seeded participant.
But when she inadvertently saw the men's competition, her gaze was involuntarily drawn to a certain person...
Wearing a white gi and black hakama, with a protector bound to his arm, he sat there as quiet as a stone statue in a forest. His movements when standing up to shoot were as natural and freehand as a breeze blowing through bamboo tips.
Perhaps his form wasn't the most standard, but Kyudo is an art that prioritizes aesthetic appreciation, and Ryu's posture conquered all the judges, leaving a certain girl watching from the back in a trance.
"Sen... Brother Kuse looked really focused when shooting. Every shot was full of composure, as if you knew it would hit before you even aimed."
Shirogane Kei shook her head slightly. "I even wanted to join the Kyudo club back then~"
"Wanted to? Meaning you didn't join?"
"Yes, I still have Student Council work, so I don't have much time... And Chika-nee also booked me to join the Tabletop Gaming Club in high school."
"Huh?"
"She said she'd make me the club president."
"That girl isn't even the president herself!"
Ryu's mouth twitched. "If you believe her, you're going to muddle through your three years of high school in a daze."
"I know, but anyway, Chika-nee will have graduated by then~"
Shirogane Kei smiled slightly mischievously. "A little white lie is fine, right?"
"...That's good then." Ryu's heart skipped a beat unexpectedly, lamenting that charm really has nothing to do with age.
Chika was great in both looks and body; her stats should technically make her a universal heartthrob, but in reality, Ryu couldn't feel much feminine charm from her.
Kei was just the opposite. Although young and her figure slightly slender (only slightly better than Kaguya's), she radiated a very penetrating attraction.
Some people, honestly, should donate some nutrition from their chest to their brain!
Kei quietly took a breath and stood up. "There's a demonstration class for new multimedia education this afternoon, and the Student Council has to help out. I'll go back now. Thank you for the cola... Brother Kuse."
"Okay~"
Ryu nodded, then suddenly called out to her, "By multimedia, do you mean [NERvGear]?"
"Yeah, the whole Middle School Division is discussing it now... Ah, right, [NERvGear] is made by Brother Kuse's family, isn't it?" Kei remembered.
Ryu shook his head. "Strictly speaking, it's our partner company."
"I don't really pay attention to that stuff, but this thing is really amazing. I tried it once too. Although it was just receiving online instruction in a virtual space, the experience was truly dreamlike~"
Kei said confidently, "It will sell big, this will definitely sell big! Congratulations, Brother Kuse~~"
"Do you like it? I'll give you one," Ryu said casually.
Kei hesitated and smiled as she refused, "No need. Such a high-value gift makes people uneasy. As expected, buying it with money earned from my own part-time job is more meaningful."
"Is that so? True enough." Ryu nodded, not forcing the issue. "However, the high price is only temporary because the cost of the prototype has to be amortized... When it's rolled out on a larger scale later, the price will come down."
"Really?"
"By then, buying one will be like changing a mobile phone; it'll be very convenient."
"Then Brother Kuse can give me a cheap mass-produced version when that time comes."
Kei responded nonchalantly, then waved to Ryu and left, the can of cola still unopened in her hand.
This kid is a little nervous—Ryu smiled happily.
After thinking for a moment, Ryu took out his phone and dialed a number...
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