Sakura Airi's Gift

The boy's attitude was a bit strange. There was no doubt that he liked girls; many details couldn't be faked. However, it was also noticeable that he was very thoughtful. Although he was only a teenager, his eyes held a lot of hidden thoughts.

If a girl's liking is 100, then a boy's liking is at most 70; it's impossible to tell where his remaining attention is.

Given his handsome face, the other person must be surrounded by many girls, which is why the fortune teller said there was a mystery surrounding him, and the change in the other person's expression confirmed that this was true.

However, since she has already received the money, she still has to give an answer; this is the foundation of a fortune teller's profession.

"My first question is, are you afraid to take responsibility?"

"... I'm not afraid." Hashiba Hikaru hesitated for about two seconds, but still gave an affirmative answer.

"Okay, so the second question is, do you think happiness in a relationship comes from mutual giving or from one person giving unilaterally?"

"Giving to each other".

There is no doubt about that, after all, the young man doesn't believe in love at first sight; to fall in love with someone, one must spend a long time together.

"Okay, then one last question."

The fortune teller paused, his tone becoming much more somber than before, and the text of his question was considerably longer than the previous two.

"If one day you were given the opportunity to do whatever you wanted without restraint, but the price was that everything you gained would be empty, would you choose to accept this opportunity? What would be your reasons for making that choice?"

"..."

Sensing that the other person was implying something, the boy's expression turned somewhat serious after hearing the question.

Although he had already deduced from the previous two questions that the other party was probably conducting some kind of psychological test, he figured it wouldn't hurt to give it a try if it could really help him find the answer.

Hashiba Hikaru pondered for two minutes before giving her answer.

"I will not accept that answer, because I believe that once you do something, you must bear the consequences, whether the consequences come sooner or later, or whether they are minor or severe."

"Okay, thank you for your honest answer. Much of the mystery surrounding you has dissipated, so let's go back to the very beginning. What's the question you most want to ask?"

Upon hearing this, Ichinose Honami was sitting next to him, bit her lip and stared nervously at the boy's profile. While he was answering the questions, she was also thinking about the meaning of the questions.

"My biggest question is... if I don't make a choice, will I regret it in the future?"

Hashiba Hikaru carefully considered her words and uttered her question slowly and deliberately.

"Hehehe, not making a choice might solve your current predicament, but everything is rushing forward, and you can't escape it," the fortune teller replied quite seriously. "If that's your problem, then my answer is..."

Follow your heart.

"It is precisely because none of us can achieve perfection that we have regrets and remorse. But if you don't make a choice, you will miss out on a lot of scenery along the way. When faced with an important choice, ask your heart. If you can bear the responsibility, then go for it."

"I believe that in the end, you will have fewer regrets than if you hadn't made the choice."

"..."

"I see, thank you for your answer."

Hashiba Hikaru stood up, bowed deeply to the old man, and replied with utmost solemnity, "I understand what to do."

"That's good."

The fortune teller nodded to the two of them, indicating that their time was up and it was time to give the opportunity to the next person.

"Let's go, Honami."

Hashiba Hikaru took the girl's hand and walked out of the dimly lit divination room with her. After they disappeared from sight, the old man sighed softly and whispered in a voice only he could hear.

"Achieving a happy life is very difficult; I hope you can truly achieve it..."

After leaving the divination room, Ichinose Honami clearly sensed that Hashiba Hikaru was in a much better mood.

Although the boy's rambling conversation with the fortune teller left her confused about the source of his worries, seeing the relaxed smile on her boyfriend's face reassured Ichinose considerably.

"Looks like Guang got quite a bit out of his fortune telling this time, even though he didn't want to wait in line at first," the girl said with a smile, linking arms with the other person.

"That's true. I was a little worried that this fortune teller was just all talk and no action, but I didn't expect her to be so capable. She resolved my long-standing doubts."

Hashiba Hikaru recalled that when he was facing that old lady, he had actually been thinking about how to handle the role of the stock market.

After hearing the other person's answer, the boy gained a completely new perspective.

Yes, none of us are saints. Instead of regretting not having a choice, why not strive for a perfect outcome? After all, there will always be regrets in the end.

"Can you tell me about your doubts, Hikari? Maybe I can help you." Ichinose Honami squeezed the other's large hand, indicating that she wanted to help.

"No need, my doubts have already been mostly resolved," Hashiba Hikaru shook her head and smiled faintly, "But I'm still very grateful to Honami for bringing me here."

"No need to thank me, this is something I wanted to do anyway, it was just a coincidence that I was able to help Guang."

Ichinose Honami rested her head on his shoulder, her voice filled with affection. "But if you ever encounter any problems in the future, remember to tell me. I'm your girlfriend, and it's my responsibility to share your burdens."

"I will."

Hashiba Hikaru gripped her small hand tightly, a teasing look on her face. "After all, who knows, Honami and I might get married someday, so of course we need to be soulmates."

"Uh-huh."

Hearing this, the girl's heart overflowed with joy, and she couldn't help but tiptoe and peck Hikari on the Hashiba Hikaru.

"Hey, don't ambush me!"

"We'll launch a sneak attack, and we'll launch another one later."

For the rest of the day, Hashiba Hikaru and Ichinose Honami spent most of their time at Keyaki Mall. Now that they were a couple, they were almost inseparable as they experienced many activities at the center.

Even though we had experienced some of these places as friends before, the feelings were completely different when we tried them as a couple.

Before 9 p. m., the boy escorted Ichinose back to her dormitory.

Although the other person still expressed a desire to visit his dorm, Hashiba Hikaru used the phrase "there's plenty of time" to shut him down. After all, even the closest couples need to give each other some private space, and being glued together all day long is not appropriate behavior.

"See you tomorrow, Hikaru."

The pink-haired girl stood reluctantly at the doorway, gazing at Hashiba Hikaru's face with a somewhat dejected expression.

"We'll have plenty of opportunities to meet in the future, so don't make that face."

The boy pulled her into his arms, then lowered his head and leaned closer.

"Mmm... uh."

A long, warm, and sweet kiss ended, Hashiba Hikaru touched the girl's pretty face, smiling as she said, "See you tomorrow, Honami."

"Okay, bye-bye."

Ichinose Honami nodded her head. Although her heart was filled with love, she knew she couldn't be too clingy, otherwise she would seem like a chauvinist and might upset him.

After the other person closed the door, Hashiba Hikaru went to the elevator. He glanced at the time; there was still about half an hour before his meeting with Sakura Airi, but going early wouldn't be a problem.

Chat interface.

Hashiba Hikaru: I've already set off and will be there in about two minutes.

Sakura Airi: Yes, I will look forward to the arrival of light.

Chapter 218 Sakura Airi's Gift

Just as Hashiba Hikaru was moving towards Sakura Airi's room, a discussion about him was taking place in the Student Council room of the school building.

Student Council President Horikita Manabu sat in the main seat, and behind him was naturally Tachibana Akane, who had purple hair. Her pretty face was full of vigilance as she stared hostilely at the blond boy standing opposite them.

"I think my idea is correct, Horikita-senpai."

Miyabi Nagumo held the information she had gathered. It was basically a school tradition to hold Special Exam during the summer vacation, so the Student Council would always take the initiative to investigate students who performed well in these two exams.

In this round of two Special Exam, the information sent over was naturally from only one person: Hashiba Hikaru, who led Class A to a total of over ten million Private Points and over seven hundred Class Evaluation Points in the two exams.

"But didn't Classmate Hashiba previously say he didn't want to join the Student Council? Such an outstanding person, of course I hope he can join us."

Horikita Manabu's expression remained calm; after all, he knew exactly what the other person was thinking.

According to the Student Council's rotation mechanism, after the Sports Festival of the second semester ends, the Student Council President will be replaced around the end of October. Only Second Year students can run for the position, so Miyabi Nagumo is a foregone conclusion that she will become the new Student Council President at that time.

Although he had almost complete control over the Second Year, judging from this man's habits, if he could cultivate a confidant among the first-year students to integrate them, it would be beneficial for his rule.

"That's what I thought too, and I've already invited Classmate Hashiba twice, but he declined both times." Miyabi Nagumo looked a little disappointed, but he quickly added, "So I think if Horikita-senpai were to invite him personally, he might agree."

"Is this really a good idea? If I invite classmates and run into them, things might change a lot."

Horikita Manabu's tone was somewhat meaningful. Although he had been rejected by Hashiba Hikaru before, Miyabi Nagumo was unaware of this.

"It's alright, I believe that if Horikita-senpai intervenes, Classmate Hashiba won't refuse," Miyabi Nagumo said with a confident smile. "After all, he's already gotten involved in the Student Council; wouldn't it be ridiculous to say he has no interest in it?"

Ichinose Honami and Ando Sayo joined the Student Council during the second half of the first semester on the recommendation of Hashiba Hikaru. They also helped with some of the seniors' affairs. When Miyabi Nagumo discovered that the two of them had their applications stamped by Horikita Manabu, he immediately realized this.

Since the other party is about to step down, Miyabi Nagumo is not worried that Horikita Manabu's influence can continue. As long as he can recruit Hashiba Hikaru to work for him, he is even willing to offer the condition that the other party become his next Student Council President.

"That's true, let's do it that way then."

Horikita Manabu looked at Nagumo's expression, then nodded and replied calmly, "I'll find an opportunity to meet with Classmate Hashiba and bring this up."

"Thank you Horikita-senpai. The Student Council's ability to recruit such an outstanding person will surely enable us to better serve our fellow students."

Miyabi Nagumo readily accepted Hashiba Hikaru's joining, saying to Horikita Manabu, "Then I'll take my leave now. I look forward to good news from Horikita-senpai."

After the other person disappeared, Tachibana Akane, standing behind Horikita Manabu, became very anxious and immediately said, "Are we really going to agree to Nagumo's idea? This matter may not be able to be accomplished. If it fails, it might affect your prestige, President."

"I had my reasons for agreeing to invite Nagumo to Classmate Hashiba. Prestige isn't that important; what's more important is the other person's attitude," Horikita Manabu paused, then continued, "If Classmate Hashiba can really join the Student Council, that would indeed be a good thing."

"Moreover, I can sense that he Nagumo are definitely not on the same path."

"Does the President mean to have Classmate Hashiba restrain Nagumo?" Tachibana Akane seemed to have figured out what the other party was thinking, but she was still a little uneasy.

"The outcome is still unknown, but given Nagumo's characteristics, his policies will definitely cross Classmate Hashiba's red line, so I guess the fuse for conflict will appear soon."

Horikita Manabu flipped through the documents on the desktop. Although there weren't many people in the Student Council, they had basically been divided into two camps: one was the old forces that still supported him, and the other was the new forces that had sided with Nagumo and were eagerly anticipating his rise to power.

"Will Classmate Hashiba agree?" Tachibana Akane asked again.

"He's the kind of person who won't do anything without a profit, and he's also very smart. If I provide him with some information, he'll know what the best course of action is."

Although he hadn't had many interactions with Hashiba Hikaru, Horikita Manabu could roughly guess what the other person desired. If he could compete against Miyabi Nagumo, there might still be a lot of room for maneuver before he graduated.

"I hope the President's wish will come true."

"He has already replied to me, and we will meet on Friday. Then we'll see how it goes."

Arriving at Sakura Airi's dormitory, with a little over ten minutes to go, the door opened immediately after Hashiba Hikaru knocked.

Good evening, Airi.

Hashiba Hikaru looked at the girl who opened the door for her, a smile playing on her lips.

Good evening, Light.

After exchanging greetings, the boy went into the other person's room.

However, at this moment he noticed that Sakura Airi's outfit looked a bit strange. Even though she was in her own dormitory, the girl was wearing very baggy sportswear.

The air conditioner isn't even that cold, is she cold?

Confused, Hashiba Hikaru followed Sakura Airi to her bedroom. But as soon as he entered, the girl immediately opened her arms and hugged him. So he had no choice but to embrace her soft body and put his arm around her slender waist.

"Hikari, I miss you so much..."

"We haven't been apart for that long, have we? Didn't we just see each other on the Cruise Ship?"

"I miss being apart for even an hour, let alone this long." Sakura Airi clung tightly to Hashiba Hikaru's body, as if afraid he would disappear before her eyes.

"Alright, alright, here I am, aren't I?" Hashiba Hikaru gently stroked her back, her voice tender.

After confirming his thoughts through divination, the boy felt much less confused and would strive to achieve what he wanted.

But just then, the red-haired girl in his arms suddenly raised her head, a blush appearing on her pretty face.

"I was really happy that Guang came to see me today, so I prepared a gift for you."

"Oh, what is it?" Hashiba Hikaru couldn't help but ask, somewhat curious.

"It's... this one."

The girl slowly released her grip on the other person's hands, took a small step back, and then unzipped her clothes. As a large expanse of fair skin came into view, Hashiba Hikaru immediately recalled the scene that had occurred on the Cruise Ship, causing his expression to change instantly.

Broken.

Have I fallen into another trap?