Am I Beautiful

Perhaps because the class points had just been announced, school affairs had become busy these past few days, leaving Horikita Manabu no choice but to call him over.

He currently held no official position and was serving as an assistant to Student Council secretary Tachibana Akane. Though called her assistant, he actually handled tasks specified by Horikita Manabu.

Among them, Horikita Manabu consulted him on many proposals that the president needed to decide, making him think the other wanted to groom him as the next president.

It wasn't impossible either.

In the original work, Horikita Manabu had taken a liking to Ayanokouji and wanted him to help deal with Nagumo.

In this Student Council, aside from Horikita Manabu, Nagumo Miyabi commanded the highest prestige, and many believed the next student council president would undoubtedly be Nagumo.

This was also one reason why many students dared not defy Nagumo.

After finishing some incredibly troublesome tasks, his head felt like it was about to explode.

The president's job was indeed complex—not just stamping documents, but balancing the interests of various groups while enhancing the Student Council's prestige in a way that left everyone more or less satisfied.

Especially in this school, where the entangled interests were even more intricate, requiring even greater caution in handling.

After leaving the Student Council, it was already dark outside. He checked the time—it was nearly 8 o'clock.

Thinking that Horikita was still waiting for him, he hurried toward the classroom.

Opening the door, he saw a girl half-sitting on a desk by the window, her body slightly tilted as she gazed at the distant scenery.

Her ink-black long hair danced lightly with the breeze, a wine-red jacket draped over her shoulders, her cool figure encircled by moonlight appearing somewhat slender.

Her serene, water-like eyes stared into the distance, as if traversing the long river of history, her thoughts drifting off to who-knows-where.

"Suzune."

He walked up, wrapped his arms around her, and called out.

Horikita glanced at him faintly, rested her head on his shoulder, still gazing at the distant view.

He stroked her smooth black hair and said leisurely:

"What's wrong?"

"No... let me lean for a bit."

"Mm..."

He nodded, sat on the desk as well, pulled her entire body into his arms, wrapped an arm around her waist from the side, and let her lie more comfortably.

Ever since that night after watching the moon, he felt Horikita spoke less and less, her sharp-tongued habit gradually fading until now, when he hadn't heard a single barb.

Though he somewhat missed that time, he liked the current Suzune even more.

People always change, and things never stay the same forever. Rather than cling to the past, better to cherish the present and look toward the future.

Feeling the steady breathing of the girl in his arms, he raised a hand and gently stroked her back.

The girl seemed very comfortable too, letting out cat-like murmurs and hugging his body even tighter.

The fresh scent of her hair wafted over, her long strands tickling his nose; he raised a hand to smooth them and gently stroked down from the back of her head.

As expected, her hair was as soft and smooth as a cat's.

To put it simply, Horikita was just like a cat—sometimes aloof and noble, sometimes cute and clingy. She had her own ideas and wouldn't stick to her owner every moment.

Cats express emotions very directly too. Some think cats are like green tea types, but that's not true; cats disdain putting on a show and only prove their feelings through real actions.

Jealous when jealous, scratch when it's time to scratch.

A cat's intelligence is lower than a dog's. Don't let a dog's dumb surface fool you—they're actually the best actors, except for huskies and the like.

After a long while, Horikita seemed tired of the view and turned to lean against his chest:

"Bai Ye, what do you want to do in the future?"

"Not decided... but as long as you're there, I can do anything."

"Then... can we go traveling? I want to see the outside world."

"Sure, where do you want to go?"

"Not decided. Let's start from here—go wherever we end up."

"Mm." He nodded.

A little later, Horikita finally got down from his arms, and he stood on the ground too:

"Let's go eat first... but at this hour, forget it—convenience store it is..."

"Wait."

Horikita grabbed him and, amid his confusion, said, "You sit on the ground first."

"On the ground?"

Though puzzled, he still sat down on the floor.

Immediately, Horikita straddled him, pushed him flat on the ground, and squatted astride his waist in a duck-sit position.

"Suzune, you..."

He looked at the young girl.

Her dark hair cascaded down, shimmering with starlight under the play of light and shadow.

Her alluring figure leaned slightly forward, slender fingers pressing against his chest. Her face, a mix of cold detachment and bewitching charm, was wreathed in a hazy mist, the longing in her eyes captivating his soul.

The girl's voice, as melodious as a flowing spring, echoed through the classroom:

"Am I beautiful?"

"..."

"Answer me, am I beautiful?"

"...Yes, you are."

"Then... would you like to see something even more beautiful?"

As she spoke, without waiting for Bai Ye to answer, she raised a hand to the buttons on her chest and began to undo them one by one.

The slow, deliberate movement felt like a slow-motion sequence, etched frame by frame, scene by scene, into his mind.

Soon, the girl's face seemed flushed by the atmosphere, streaks of red blooming across her skin, and her breathing grew intoxicatingly seductive.

All things begin in stillness and return to stillness.

This world originally contained nothing; everything gradually took shape amidst explosions, evolution, and chaos. Matter is like this, the human heart is like this, and emotions are no different.

A newborn seedling is always fragile, battered by wind and rain, trampled by animals; the slightest disturbance can be fatal.

Yet, once it grows into a towering tree, no disaster is enough to shake it.

Watching the graceful figure walking beside him, he knew that day was not far off.

He was also about to...

"Suzune, you actually dared to do that in the classroom..."

No matter how Ren Ran thought about it, he could never have guessed what Horikita had done in the classroom earlier.

Seeming to realize that her previous actions had been too reckless, Horikita's cheeks flushed red as she said:

"People always need to change themselves, to do things they've never done before... Besides, I thought you would like it, so I..."

"Of course I liked it. The Suzune from just now was as beautiful as a fairy in a painting."

"Mm..." Horikita nodded gently.

He took the girl's hand, interlacing their fingers:

"Suzune, do you want me to carry you back?"

"How would you carry me..."

"Just like last time, before we went to make that deal with the two upperclassmen."

Horikita recalled that incident and couldn't help but look at him:

"You were doing that on purpose back then, weren't you? Were you trying to embarrass me?"

"More or less, but this time, you have to look me straight in the eyes."

"Mm."

Receiving her consent, Bai Ye pulled her close and swept her up into his arms in a bridal carry.

Horikita leaned into his chest, one hand clutching the fabric of his shirt, and looked up at him.

Bai Ye met those slightly shy, beautiful eyes, smiled faintly, and strode off into the distance.