Chihaya Airi still remembered the first time she changed clothes while alone in a room with Kiyoharu-kun.
They had both still been in high school then. Ito Kiyoharu was a famously handsome second-year student, while Airi was also famous among the second-years, albeit in a different way.
After the incident at the sports field, Airi added Kiyoharu on LINE, hoping to carefully study his strange quality of being able to touch her without making her feel disgusted.
"Ahem, Kiyoharu... You really are a man of many talents."
During the home economics elective, Matsuhashi Hana wore an awkward yet polite smile as she looked at Kiyoharu, who stood out conspicuously among the girls.
No rule said boys could not take home economics, but the male students attending Chihaya Academy were all striving to become future social elites. In Japan, traditionally elite men did not concern themselves with trivial matters like homemaking; they left everything to their wives.
What was more, Kiyoharu consistently ranked among the top three in the humanities division, and his career survey listed "Todai Faculty of Law." He was clearly a future legal trailblazer, so seeing him in an apron during home economics class was rather incongruous.
"Thank you for the compliment, Matsuhashi-sensei." Kiyoharu smiled without showing his teeth, casually twirling a silicone spatula in his hand. "I've liked cooking since I was little. I've been itching to cook lately, so I hoped for a chance to practice."
"Of course, of course. If Ito has exceptional culinary skills, it would be wonderful for him to set an example for his classmates." Matsuhashi-sensei replied with a perfunctory smile, though inwardly she was unconvinced.
Many of the girls who had chosen home economics came from prestigious families. Quite a few had been raised from childhood to become perfect wives, and their skills were genuinely impressive.
Ito Kiyoharu?
If she remembered correctly, he was a commoner who had entered Chihaya Academy through academic excellence, one of those exam-cramming types. Was anyone really supposed to expect him to be a great cook?
The expensive ingredients the young ladies encountered in their daily lives were things Ito Kiyoharu might never even have seen.
Yet once Kiyoharu took out the ingredients and seasonings he had brought from his insulated lunch box, all doubts became meaningless. He had simply switched to an entirely different track.
"Ito, are you going to try making Chinese food?"
"Not try. Demonstrate."
That day, he only made three simple dishes.
Beef strips with Hangzhou peppers, twice-cooked pork, and cream of mushroom soup.
His classmates eagerly sampled them, dividing the food among themselves until the plates were completely empty.
After taking off his apron, folding it neatly, and setting it aside, Kiyoharu washed his hands at the sink. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the attractive lines of his muscles.
Chihaya Airi was watching him, and he glanced in her direction as well.
They had arranged over LINE to attend this elective together.
Why had they made such an arrangement? Probably because Kiyoharu had claimed that his dream was to marry into a wealthy family and loaf around for the rest of his life, only to receive Young Lady Airi's merciless ridicule.
"You don't think being good at studying and exams means you're qualified, do you?"
Kiyoharu was extremely confident. To prove that he was qualified, truly qualified, he said he would show Airi what he could do. So Airi watched him toss the wok. Honestly, she had seen the Chinese chef hired by her family toss a wok before, but Kiyoharu somehow felt indescribably different.
Besides, he was tossing a wok in home economics class, surrounded by girls giving him strange looks, and he was actually smug about it. Did he have no shame at all?
Tch.
This guy really had no dignity.
Kiyoharu finished class a little early. He wrapped up quickly, handling the cleanup like someone who had lived alone and done housework for years. Even Matsuhashi-sensei could find no fault with him, so she had no choice but to let him go.
In the still, quiet corridor during class time, Chihaya Airi approached from behind with her hands clasped behind her back, her curious gaze fixed on his back.
"Well, Young Lady?"
"Call me Chihaya. Calling me Young Lady is too tacky. There must be hundreds of young ladies attending this school."
"But in my eyes, you're the only one worthy of being called a true young lady."
"Oh?"
"I'm not flattering you, but I heard that after graduating from middle school, you already began handling practical aspects of the family business, and you've done remarkably well. You're far stronger than flowers raised in a greenhouse." Kiyoharu curled one corner of his mouth, though it was unclear whether he was exaggerating or teasing. "Your father even has you lead debt collection teams."
At that, Airi's gaze abruptly turned cold. "You investigated me?"
"Why would you say that?"
"Very few people know about that."
"But someone always knows. Ah, strictly speaking, I did investigate you. After all, entering the Chihaya Family is among the highest priorities in my ideal plan."
"?"
"You hate men, but you still need to marry someone to fulfill your obligation, right? I think I'm the best choice."
To test whether Kiyoharu was truly a good choice, the two of them went to the changing room before the class ended.
The children of school board members all had private changing rooms and did not need to squeeze into the public ones. Chihaya Airi simply pulled Kiyoharu into her exclusive room.
"Young Lady, what are you doing?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to help me fulfill my obligation? Fine, then let's see whether you have that kind of self-control." Chihaya Airi pursed her lips in a sly smile. "Now turn around and face the wall. I'll change behind you, and when I'm done, I'll check the recording. If there's even the slightest trace of a disgusting expression on your face... I'll cut off that filthy, vile thing of yours."
"What counts as a 'disgusting expression'?"
"That look men get when they look at me, when they can't help imagining obscene things."
"Then forget it. I really might not be able to help myself. Sorry, I can't guarantee I won't be moved without realizing it. Your charm is right there, Young Lady. Using this to test me is asking too much."
"If you can't even stand with your back to me while I change, how are you going to be my fake boyfriend? Do you think my father will be that easy to fool?" Chihaya Airi impatiently shoved Kiyoharu, forcibly making him face the wall.
Sure enough, even taking the initiative to touch him did not make Airi uncomfortable. In fact, seeing Kiyoharu's aggrieved expression made her want to laugh and bully him.
With no other choice, Kiyoharu accepted the challenge.
Airi had already developed very well by then. Her curves utterly outclassed those of other high school girls, as though she were on an entirely different level. With such a young lady behind him rustling as she changed out of her home economics clothes and into her school uniform, it would have been a lie to say he felt nothing.
However, this was a threshold test.
Only if he passed would Kiyoharu's plan to use a shield to block the cleaver have any chance of being carried out.
Kiyoharu could only steel himself and think through every sad thing from his previous life.
When he thought about G2 defeating RNG, he could not help laughing out loud.
"...What are you laughing about?"
"I suddenly thought of something happy. How about we chat instead, Young Lady? Once we're engaged, I can keep you company while you change too. Doesn't that sound somewhat interesting?"
Airi felt there was something wrong with Kiyoharu's head.
A man was in such an ambiguous situation with her, yet he was cheerful as though he were performing manzai.
Her thoughts drifted, returning to the present.
Inside the cramped fitting room, Airi looked at the embarrassed Kiyoharu, suddenly grabbed his collar, and gave it a fierce tug.
Kiyoharu was caught completely off guard as he ended up pressed against her.
"Hey, don't you like chatting? Hurry up. Change my yoga pants while talking to me and making me laugh."
"...Isn't that a little difficult?"
"I don't care."
A delighted curve bloomed on the Young Lady's lips. Ah, bullying Kiyoharu-kun was the most fun.
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