"Damn it! I wish I could join the Boxing Club too!" Yamauchi Haruki beat his chest in frustration. "But the club president said they were already full!"
"Tell me about it," Kanji Ike chimed in, his eyes shining with longing. "Boxing coolly in the ring would definitely attract a lot of girls!"
The two of them huddled in a corner, whispering.
In fact, the Boxing Club had fewer than twenty active members.
The exhibition matches, which had long featured the same regulars, had left the audience thoroughly tired of watching them.
It was this sense of crisis that had driven the club president to resolve to find a few genuinely promising newcomers.
Of course, the selection criteria were very strict.
The first requirement was a solid foundation in sports. Applicants whose punches were weak or who failed the fitness test had all been turned away by the president, who said they "didn't need anyone at the moment."
Karuizawa Kei Might Be Looking to Hire Me as Her Bodyguard
At some point, word that Shimizu Akira had joined the Boxing Club had spread through the class.
He keenly noticed that his classmates' gazes had taken on a subtle new quality.
The Boxing Club could certainly be considered a top-tier club at this school.
Combat sports clubs were like the flashy girls in class: they naturally commanded respect. After all, nobody wanted to get knocked out with a single punch over some heated argument.
Shimizu Akira himself, however, preferred to settle things through reason. If a problem could be solved with a conversation, he would never resort to violence.
"Shimizu!" Karuizawa Kei came over to his desk with a radiant smile. "When's the Boxing Club's next match?"
Lately, the flashy girl in his class had been finding excuses to strike up conversations with him.
It was easy to tell from the sparkle in her eyes that she seemed especially interested in boxing.
"Two of the upperclassmen are sparring next week," Shimizu Akira replied simply.
"So, Shimizu, how many ordinary people could you take on at once?" Karuizawa Kei leaned both hands on his desk, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"..." Shimizu Akira didn't understand why she was so curious about that, but he answered honestly. "Three to five shouldn't be a problem."
With his build, even before he started boxing, he could easily have taken down a few untrained ordinary people.
"That's so cool!" Karuizawa Kei clapped her hands excitedly. "When you throw a straight punch, does it make that 'pfft, pfft' sound like in the movies?"
"That's to coordinate your breathing with the punch and keep a steady rhythm. Beginners do that."
Shimizu Akira suddenly realized that Karuizawa Kei seemed much chattier than usual today.
Her delicate face was alight with genuine admiration. Even though Shimizu Akira could tell that she was deliberately flattering him, he still found it hard to dislike.
After all, who could resist an adorable girl enthusiastically striking up a conversation? It probably proved that old saying: a man's tolerance for women tended to be directly proportional to their looks.
Still, he vaguely remembered that on the first day of school, Karuizawa Kei had seemed close to Hirata Yosuke from their class.
Shimizu Akira casually glanced toward the other end of the classroom.
That sunny, handsome guy who had joined the Soccer Club was surrounded by classmates, the center of attention.
As if sensing his gaze, Hirata Yosuke turned and gave him a warm, carefree smile.
Seeing Karuizawa Kei talking to me doesn't bother him at all... Looks like there's nothing going on between them.
At that thought, Shimizu Akira suddenly recalled a detail. Since that conversation at the start of the school year, Karuizawa Kei and Hirata Yosuke didn't seem to have interacted much in class.
Instead, Karuizawa Kei had lately been finding excuses to come over to him.
Don't tell me... she's looking to hire me as her bodyguard?
The thought stirred up a faintly complicated feeling in Shimizu Akira.
It was certainly flattering to be favored by a cute girl, but being treated like someone she could use was another matter. Nobody wanted to be a clueless pushover these days.
"Karuizawa, are you really that interested in the Boxing Club?" Kushida Kikyou asked, having been silent for a long time.
"Ah~ I'm not actually interested in boxing itself!" Karuizawa Kei held her cheeks in both hands, her eyes sparkling. "I just think guys with their shirts off and their muscles showing are super hot!"
"That's not exactly an innocent motive~" Kushida winked.
"Hehe, what's wrong with liking guys with nice bodies?" Karuizawa Kei retorted, full of confidence. She even deliberately winked at Shimizu Akira.
Shimizu Akira, meanwhile, was as calm inside as still water.
To him, Karuizawa Kei's enthusiasm seemed more like calculated friendliness from someone looking for a "protective umbrella."
"Well, see you next time, Shimizu!" As Karuizawa Kei left, her slender fingers "accidentally" brushed over his abs. She immediately widened her eyes in exaggerated surprise, though the tips of her ears had turned faintly red. "Wow! You're so solid!"
Huh? That reaction... doesn't seem like something a battle-hardened flashy girl would do.
Could it be... that she doesn't have much experience with guys after all?
Come to think of it, did she just openly feel me up?
The stirrings of adolescence were never one-sided. Girls could be just as curious about and attracted to boys' bodies.
Girls could get just as excited about muscular men.
But Shimizu Akira's attention was suddenly drawn to a slip of paper on his desk.
It had appeared in his field of vision out of nowhere, as if it had materialized from thin air.
—Who put it there?
The question flashed through his mind.
But this clearly wasn't the right time to investigate. Kushida Kikyou was standing beside his seat, watching him with clear eyes.
"What's wrong?" Kushida seemed to have noticed something was off.
"Nothing." Shimizu Akira slipped the folded note into his pocket as if nothing had happened.
He decided to take a closer look once he was alone.
Shimizu Akira changed the subject. "By the way, Kushida, do you have any good ways to relieve stress?"
Kushida's eyes widened slightly, as if the sudden question had caught her off guard. "...Huh? Why are you asking that all of a sudden?"
"No particular reason. I just wanted to hear your advice."
"I see... For me, just seeing my classmates happy makes me feel happy too. So... I don't really need to go out of my way to relieve stress!"
The corner of Shimizu Akira's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. "...All right. As long as you're happy."
Just trying to see things from Kushida's perspective left him feeling mentally exhausted.
It felt like she was putting on an act so over-the-top it could have been a joke.
As usual, Kushida Kikyou invited Horikita Suzune, "Horikita, want to go get coffee together?"
"No." Horikita's answer was crisp and direct. She didn't even look up.
Kushida's smile didn't waver in the slightest. She only sighed softly. "What a shame~" Then she turned and went over to some other girls. Before long, their cheerful chatter filled the classroom, fading away along with their footsteps.
Just when Shimizu Akira thought the little exchange was over,
Horikita Suzune suddenly fixed her gaze on him. Her voice was so calm it was almost eerie. "What do you want for dinner tonight?"
Shimizu Akira's fingers stopped on the desk.
He slowly looked up, wondering if he'd misheard. Horikita Suzune, who usually kept to herself, was asking what he wanted for dinner?
Horikita Suzune Wants to Buy Information
Shimizu Akira narrowed his eyes slightly, tapping the desk with his fingertips. "I see... You mean you want to buy information from me?"
Horikita Suzune's expression froze for a moment before returning to its usual coolness. "...Yes."
—She had indeed spent a lot of time thinking it over during the past two days.
The pages of her notebook, densely covered in notes, were proof enough.
Asking upperclassmen was undoubtedly the most direct approach, but for Horikita Suzune, who hated socializing, it was an insurmountable challenge.
Rather than that...
Her gaze returned to Shimizu Akira.
I might as well make a straightforward deal. At least he's someone I know—my classmate.
Shimizu Akira stood in front of the order counter, scanning the menu.
"One hamburger steak curry rice," he said without hesitation.
Since the other person was treating him, there was no need for him to hold back.
His tray was soon handed over. Golden curry sauce coated the rice, topped with a thick hamburger steak. A little fat glistened on its surface, and it gave off an enticing aroma.
Shimizu Akira picked up his tray and turned. He caught sight of Horikita Suzune.
After paying, she had quietly taken a seat at a table in the corner and pulled a tuna rice ball from her uniform pocket, eating it with restrained, unhurried movements.
The rice ball looked dry and unappetizing, clearly nothing fancy, but she acted as if it were perfectly normal, as though she were used to it.
He raised an eyebrow, ordered two bowls of miso soup, and carried his tray over to her.
Shimizu Akira pushed a steaming bowl of miso soup in front of Horikita Suzune. It tapped lightly against the table with a faint sound.
"This is for you," he said in an even tone.
Horikita glanced at the soup for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm the one treating you."
"100 points. You can transfer them to me," Shimizu Akira quoted.
"Shimizu... do you really want to add me as a friend?" Horikita suddenly looked up.
The corner of Shimizu Akira's mouth twitched. He casually pulled out his phone, and the moment the screen lit up, his contact list was on full display.
"You're overthinking it. I just thought you should have something hot with dinner." His finger swiped across the screen, sending the dense list of contacts scrolling by. It included most of their classmates, even Sakayanagi Arisu and Kamuro Masumi from Class A, and Ichinose Honami from Class B.
"See? It's not like I'm missing one friend."
Horikita glanced over the names, the corners of her lips tightening almost imperceptibly.
Shimizu Akira paid no further attention to Horikita's reaction and picked up his spoon.
He deftly tore open a packet of ketchup and squeezed a vivid spiral onto the hamburger steak. The deep-red sauce slowly slid along the curve of the meat, seeping into the curry.
He forked up a sauce-covered piece of steak and popped it into his mouth. The sweet-and-sour tomato flavor burst across his tongue, perfectly offsetting the meat's richness.
Then he scooped up a spoonful of rice soaked in curry. Its rich spices mingled with the rice's soft sweetness, filling his mouth with warmth.
Not only is it delicious, it's perfectly nutritious too.
The food on his tray disappeared at a visible pace, while Horikita, seated across from him, continued nibbling at the dry rice ball.
"Be careful, or you won't even be able to get in the Boxing Ring next month."
"The amateur Boxing Club doesn't have weight classes."
"By the way, Horikita, what club did you join?"
"Not interested."
"You didn't sign up for the Student Council either?"
"..." This time, she didn't answer.
"..." Shimizu Akira decided not to press her any further.
Shimizu Akira finished the last bite of curry rice and drained his bowl of miso soup.
When he looked up, he saw that Horikita Suzune had already finished the dry sandwich and was discreetly crumpling its wrapper in her hand. That habit was quite different from the elegant young lady from Class A.
His gaze fell on the untouched bowl of miso soup.
"Finish the soup," he said, lightly tapping the rim with his spoon. It made a clear, crisp sound. "Then we can continue talking about the deal."
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at the "Wasting food is shameful" sign on the wall.
After a moment's hesitation, Horikita Suzune finally picked up the bowl and began sipping the soup.
When she put the bowl down, a drop of pale-brown broth still clung to the corner of Horikita Suzune's mouth. She unconsciously pressed her lips together, then discreetly scanned the table for a napkin.
A well-defined hand suddenly entered her field of vision. At some point, Shimizu Akira had pulled out a tissue and was holding it out to her nonchalantly.
"Wipe your mouth." His fingertips remained steady in midair as he waited for her to take it.
The words of refusal had already reached Horikita Suzune's lips—"I don't want to depend on anyone," her usual line.
Before you continue