Chapter 173: Mutual Temperature
Shimizu Akira watched Sudo Ken's back disappear at the end of the hallway.
Over the past two months, he felt that the people around him were quietly changing.
It wasn't just Horikita Suzune; even Ayanokouji Kiyotaka seemed different from when school first started.
At the beginning of the term, Ayanokouji was more like a "tool" who was available on call. To put it bluntly, no matter who asked him to do something, he would agree to it.
But just now, he clearly demanded his own room card back and bluntly refused to be treated as a tool—this kind of edged attitude would have been unimaginable two months ago.
This truly counted as a positive change.
After all, any normal person would not tolerate a so-called "friend" showing up at their door with a spare key and righteously demanding help; nor would they strike an "I deserve this" pose when the homeowner rightfully asked for the key back.
In such a relationship, if even one of those traits is present, they cannot be considered true friends.
When encountering "friends" or partners who always want to take advantage and treat others' efforts as a given, it's best to avoid them as much as possible.
They are like vampires clinging to your body, slowly draining your patience and energy.
"Shimizu-kun, shall we go to dinner together?" Ayanokouji Kiyotaka suddenly spoke, his tone flat but carrying a clear invitation.
"My treat, as thanks for helping me get my room card back just now."
"Sure," Shimizu Akira nodded simply in agreement.
He increasingly felt that the other's actions were becoming more like those of a normal human, with no trace left of the "pseudo-human" described in the intel.
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Horikita Suzune was flipping through her mathematics textbook—more accurately, she was previewing the content the teacher would cover in class tomorrow.
Before she knew it, she had developed the habit of studying for several hours every day after school.
Thinking back carefully, this habit was likely learned from her brother when she first started middle school.
Now, it was carved into her daily routine like an instinct: study after dinner, then sleep; during the day, wake up, study, eat, return to the dorm, and study some more. On Saturdays and Sundays, she spent almost the entire day studying.
Cycle after cycle, it had become a natural rhythm that required no conscious effort to maintain.
But tonight, she was inexplicably restless and subconsciously glanced at the time on her phone—5:40 PM.
She had already eaten dinner, once again a meal she cooked herself.
Ever since that embarrassing incident last month, she had been extra careful when picking ingredients, even going out of her way to ask the shop staff if the produce was fresh.
The 100,000-plus points in her account remained untouched.
After all, no one could say for sure when an accident might happen or when points might be needed for an emergency—just like this month, when none of the first-year students received their point distribution.
Thinking of points, she couldn't help but think of the information fee she had once given to Shimizu Akira.
Initially, she had paid 80,000 points.
Later, Shimizu Akira had given her money back in two installments: one for 16,000 points as a half-month tutoring fee, and another for 100,000 points—30,000 of which was a month's tutoring fee, while the remaining 70,000 was hush money.
'Calculating it this way, Shimizu Akira took 80,000 points from me.
But I received 116,000 from him.
I have much more than him, a full 36,000 more.
In that case, haven't I actually turned a profit?'
As the thought flashed by, the inexplicable irritability in her heart seemed to fade slightly.
Being able to earn points from Shimizu Akira naturally made Horikita Suzune feel satisfied.
After all, that man always had a calm and breezy demeanor, exuding an air of impenetrable stability; finding a flaw in him was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
And as far as she knew, Shimizu Akira usually only engaged in things that earned points from others; he almost never touched a losing bargain.
To be able to earn back an extra 36,000 points from him this time was indeed a rare victory.
However, thinking of Shimizu Akira, she suddenly remembered he had said he was going to see her brother after school to ask about the point delay.
She wondered what those two would talk about.
'Could it be that those two are talking about me?'
That thought inexplicably sprang into Horikita Suzune's mind.
For example, would Shimizu Akira tell her brother about the embarrassing incident where she had a stomach ache last month?
But on second thought, she felt it was unlikely.
Since Shimizu Akira had promised her he wouldn't tell, he likely really wouldn't.
If Shimizu Akira kept his mouth shut, her brother probably wouldn't take the initiative to bring her up either.
Mulling it over, given that those two didn't like wasting words, they would likely resolve the issue quickly, and Shimizu Akira would leave the Student Council office shortly after.
Following that, he should be going to eat.
But the question was—
Since it was "quick work," eating shouldn't take that much time.
It was already 5:40 PM; why hadn't Shimizu Akira come over yet?
He had clearly promised at noon that he would come to her dorm, and she had even told him the room number, 1201, very clearly.
Horikita Suzune stared at the math problem in her textbook, but her gaze was a bit drifted, and her fingertips unconsciously tapped the edge of the desk twice.
Suddenly, the phone let out a "ding-dong" chime, and a message popped up.
'Could it be Shimizu Akira saying he'll be late tonight?'
Horikita Suzune grabbed the phone almost instinctively. The moment the screen lit up, she froze—the sender was actually her brother, Horikita Manabu.
Horikita Manabu: Don't copy me anymore from now on.
The moment she saw the content of the message, Horikita Suzune's expression immediately darkened.
Why did her brother suddenly say such a thing?
She didn't seem to have done anything to lose face for him lately.
Just like now, she was studying steadily.
Could it... be related to Shimizu Akira going to the Student Council?
Horikita Suzune frowned, and the irritability she had just suppressed surged up again.
The phone "ding-donged" again. This time it was a message from Shimizu Akira: "I'll be there in about ten minutes. I ran into a bit of a situation at the dorm entrance and got delayed."
She first replied to her brother with "I understand," and then replied to Shimizu Akira: "Got it."
She continued to stare at the two messages on the screen for a while and suddenly noticed the difference between her brother and Shimizu Akira.
Her brother never liked to say much, leaving her to guess many things on her own; Shimizu Akira was different—the messages he sent always explained the reasons clearly, never requiring anyone to waste effort puzzling over them.
She thought for a bit, stood up, and checked the room one more time.
Because she had specifically cleaned after school, the room was very tidy—the trash can was already emptied, the duvet on the bed was smoothed out perfectly, and not a single wrinkle could be found.
After checking, she picked up her textbook again.
This time, the gaze that fell on the pages was much calmer than before.
Before five minutes had even passed, there was a knock at the door.
Horikita Suzune immediately stood up and pulled open the door.
"Have you been waiting long?" Shimizu Akira, at the door, asked naturally.
"...Not at all," Horikita Suzune gave a light huff, but her body subconsciously retreated two steps, leaving a gap to enter.
Shimizu Akira walked into the room, his eyes involuntarily scanning Horikita Suzune's living quarters.
A girl's room was indeed very different from a boy's.
His nose first caught a trace of sweet mango scent, likely from an air freshener.
The furnishings in the room were also completely different from his. Just the kitchen area was filled with various appliances—rice cooker, juicer, frying pan... at a glance, it was much richer than his room, which only held basic cookware.
However, the most eye-catching thing was a pie chart posted on the wall.
On the chart, aside from the daily class time, almost everything was filled with "Study," leaving only a six-hour portion for sleep.
It seemed her brother was right; even after entering high school, this sister continued to maintain her third-year middle school study intensity.
"What are you looking at!" Horikita Suzune crossed her arms and spoke with a hint of wariness, her gaze falling on his back as he stared at the wall.
"I'm looking at your daily schedule." Shimizu Akira turned around, his gaze moving away from the chart on the wall.
"Do you have a problem with it?"
"A problem? It's more like it's strange! Unless a normal person is preparing for an exam, why would they spend so much time studying like you do?"
"My brother..." Horikita Suzune instinctively wanted to retort.
"Didn't your brother send you a message? Telling you not to copy him. Didn't you see it?" Shimizu Akira looked at her dazed expression and added, "The meaning of that sentence is obvious—stop copying his past study methods. The President worked that hard back then because he had to get into a higher school for his third-year exams, but you're only a first-year now. Where is all this pressure to advance coming from? There's no need to spend so much time obsessing over studying."
"Eh?... Brother's message... meant that?" Horikita Suzune looked up, her eyes full of surprise, and she even forgot to close her slightly parted lips.
With Shimizu Akira's explanation, it was as if she had suddenly cleared a fog, finally understanding the deep meaning behind her brother's words.
So, he didn't want her to spend all her time on studying?
She had been overthinking earlier, assuming her brother was starting to find her annoying again or didn't even want to speak to her anymore...
"Wait, what exactly was the message the President sent you?"
Horikita Suzune pursed her lips, remained silent for a moment, and then whispered back: "'Don't copy me anymore from now on.'"
"Huh? Your brother's words are way too weird." Shimizu Akira frowned, remembering how back at the Student Council, Horikita Manabu clearly said he wanted to stop her "embarrassing behavior." How could he turn around and send such a vague, out-of-the-blue message?
"It would be strange if you could understand such a confusing text."
Horikita Suzune felt that this person seemed to be saying disrespectful things about her brother, and logic told her she should immediately speak up to refute him.
But emotionally, she felt an inexplicable sense of agreement—many of the texts her brother sent were indeed very confusing.
The feeling of having someone on her side was unexpectedly not bad.
"To be honest, you have your own problems too. If you don't understand, why not just ask clearly? That would avoid so many unnecessary misunderstandings. Besides, your imitation of your brother is a bit too literal."
Horikita Suzune's expression became a bit sour, her brow knitting into a knot.
Why was this person suddenly criticizing her again?
But the thought of arguing back just as it rose was suppressed by her—she really didn't have the confidence to argue.
Spending a full sixteen hours studying every day... thinking about it carefully, it really did seem a bit excessive.
"...I understand... I won't study for that long from now on." She pursed her lips and looked away.
Since her brother said so, and Shimizu Akira was always mocking her for it, she really didn't have a reason to persist anymore.
Come to think of it, during those sixteen hours, she mostly spent her time reviewing old knowledge or previewing new material; on the contrary, during class, she often couldn't help but let her mind wander.
"...Good." Seeing her agree, Shimizu Akira didn't continue with more idle talk.
Horikita Suzune was always a person of her word; he knew that much.
"Then... back to the main topic." Horikita Suzune let out a light cough, her tone carrying a bit of awkwardness.
"There must be another purpose for you coming here tonight, right? What exactly do you want to do?"
"...Heh." Shimizu Akira couldn't help but let out a low laugh.
See, he said this classmate kept her word.
"Is holding hands still acceptable?" Shimizu Akira thought for a moment and asked.
"It is," Horikita Suzune answered without the slightest hesitation.
Deep down, she felt an inexplicable sense of relief. Just a moment ago, she was secretly speculating that if Shimizu Akira made a more intimate request, such as touching or kissing, how she should respond.
She hadn't expected that, just like last time, it would only be holding hands.
'This person... seems to especially like holding her hand.'
If it were anywhere else, she might still be stiff, but this was her own dormitory. A thought even flashed through her mind: if it was just holding hands, it wouldn't hurt to let him hold it to his heart's content.
"Can I sit on the edge of your bed?" Shimizu Akira asked.
"You can," Horikita Suzune nodded.
After all, they were going to hold hands, so it was indeed more convenient for the two of them to be closer.
She unobtrusively moved half a step to the side to make some space for him.
When Shimizu Akira sat down on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipped slightly.
Horikita Suzune could feel his sleeve brush against the back of her hand, and her heart suddenly quickened for a moment.
"Alright..." He turned his head, his gaze falling on the gap between them. "Now you can open the palm of your left hand."
"..." She didn't speak; she just subconsciously moved her right hand half an inch toward him and then slowly opened her palm.
'Wait! Why do I need to open my palm to hold hands?!'
Before she could finish the thought, she felt her palm being gently pressed against by his palm. In the next second, her ten fingers were interlocked by his one by one, held firmly together.
Horikita Suzune's heart skipped a beat, feeling as if it were being squeezed by something.
A burning temperature came from where their palms met. There wasn't a single gap between their interlaced fingers; it was more intimate than any time before.
"?... You?" She looked up, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her voice carrying a trace of unnoticeable panic.
"Hmm? Didn't you say we could hold hands?" He turned his head to look at her, but his grip on her hand didn't loosen.
"But this seems different from the last time in the classroom!" She pursed her lips tightly; she didn't pull her hand away immediately, but just asked in return.
"My dear Horikita-san, that was a handshake last time," Shimizu Akira explained with a deliberately emphasized tone.
"This is called holding hands; naturally, it's different."
He paused, looking at Horikita Suzune's awkward appearance, and his brow twitched slightly—was he doing something wrong, or was her understanding of "holding hands" different from his?
"If you feel uncomfortable, should we call it off?" He didn't want to force her; this kind of thing only had meaning if both parties were willing.
"...Just like this!" Horikita Suzune suddenly looked up, her cheeks still flushed, but her tone carried an unquestionable seriousness.
"I said it was okay, so I won't go back on my word. Let's just stay like this."
Though her words were tough, her fingers being held quietly curled a little, giving a gentle squeeze back.
That slight pressure fell into Shimizu Akira's palm, making his heart feel a bit tickled.
Their joined hands just hung there by the edge of the bed; neither of them spoke again.
Horikita Suzune could clearly feel the temperature of his palm and the slight itching sensation when his fingertips brushed over her knuckles. It felt like a small electric current was running through her veins, making her unable to help but stiffen her back.
She quietly stole a glance at him, only to find that Shimizu Akira was also looking at her.
"What are you looking at?" She immediately turned her face away, her voice a bit muffled.
He spoke bluntly, "Being told off by your brother, you're not upset anymore?"
"...I never felt upset." She pursed her lips, not telling the truth.
Her heart was clearly still racing, but the awkwardness from before seemed to have been melted by moonlight, slowly fading away.
Shimizu Akira let out a low laugh and didn't tease her further, just gently swaying her hand.
"Speaking of which," he suddenly spoke, his gaze falling on the schedule on the wall.
"Since you won't be studying for so long in the future, what do you plan to do?"
Horikita Suzune was stunned; she really hadn't thought about that question.
Her past days were filled to the brim with studying, as if there were nothing else to do except solve problems and memorize books.
She blinked, her fingertips unconsciously tightening, lightly gripping his fingers: "I don't know... maybe exercise a bit?"
"Exercise? My dear Horikita-san, you aren't copying me, are you! Speaking of which, I heard from Kushida that you seem to know I go for long runs in the morning—you wouldn't be secretly watching me run every morning, would you?"
"...My dear Shimizu-kun, could you stop imagining things. I wake up at six every morning and open the curtains at exactly six-thirty. There's no one else outside the window but you. Am I supposed to open the window with my eyes closed?"
"Oh, then I misunderstood you. So, would you like to go for a run together every morning from now on?"
"...I won't run with you."
"Is that so? I understand." He answered simply and didn't follow up.
After that, the two fell into silence.
Their interlaced hands rested quietly on the edge of the bed, with only the temperature of each other's palms being transmitted silently.
After about a few minutes, Shimizu Akira suddenly spoke, breaking the silence: "Speaking of which, how long do you plan to let me hold your hand?"
Horikita Suzune then snapped back to reality, as if she had forgotten there was such a thing as timing.
Actually, she hadn't paid attention to the time since just now, feeling that sitting quietly like this didn't seem bad at all.
How could there not be a time limit for holding hands? Otherwise, at the rate Shimizu Akira was going, he could probably hold it until school time tomorrow morning.
"Fine! I have completely satisfied your request this time." She took a deep breath and suddenly pulled her hand back, her fingertips slightly red from the effort just now.
"If you want a next time, then keep helping me improve my relationship with my brother."
After holding hands, what would be the next step?
This question flashed by, and she quickly knitted her brow, as if wanting to drive that groundless thought out of her mind.
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