Chapter Fifteen: Airi Sakura Was Willing to Cooperate / Chapter Sixteen: A Deal with Kikyo

Kiyotaka shook his head but said nothing.

"Why? I could have helped you."

Though Kiyotaka was clearly worked up, his voice remained as calm as ever.

"I should be asking you that. Why would you jump into this mess knowing I already have more than one girlfriend?"

Some of the haze cleared from Airi Sakura's eyes. She looked at Kiyotaka and smiled.

"Because you saved me. I don't care how many girlfriends you have, as long as you treat me well. And aren't I one of your targets? What are you hesitating for?"

Kiyotaka smiled faintly. He never thought that one day, someone he'd set out to win over would turn the tables on him.

After she'd put it like that, what would be the point of backing down now?

Kiyotaka immediately pulled Airi close and kissed her passionately. She let out a startled whimper, then gave herself over to the moment.

Their kisses grew heated, and they shared each other's breath. Airi felt herself growing more and more overwhelmed, her body far more responsive than it had ever been when she'd tried to soothe herself.

Chapter Fifteen: Airi Sakura Was Willing to Cooperate

Airi felt her mind growing muddled from lack of air. With her eyes half-lidded, she pushed Kiyotaka away, met his gaze, bit her lip, and tugged his clothes down.

Airi glanced at Kiyotaka, flustered, and swallowed involuntarily.

"What does this make us...?"

Then she made up her mind. She let down her tied-up hair and removed her prescription-free glasses. After that, she began to undress. Soon, she stood with nothing on but a single scrap of fabric.

To Kiyotaka's surprise, Airi, who looked so plain on the outside, had been wearing a compression garment underneath. Once it was removed, her striking figure was revealed. Without her disguise, Airi was just as beautiful as anyone else.

"Please let Airi... be yours. I only ask that you keep caring for me the way you always have. If you can do that, then from now on, I'm yours."

Kiyotaka looked at the bashful Airi and nodded beneath her expectant gaze. He wasn't lying. Horikita, at the very least, had received that kind of treatment. If Kikyo hadn't harbored ulterior motives, she'd probably be in much the same position by now.

Satisfied with his answer, Airi let go of all her reservations.

Though Airi was inexperienced, she made the most of her natural assets.

When she held him close, the soft, slightly cool sensation was unlike anything Kiyotaka had experienced before.

The pleasure made Kiyotaka squeeze her a little too hard.

"Mm..."

It was the first time anyone had touched Airi so firmly. The mix of pain and ticklish pleasure drew a soft murmur from her, leaving her embarrassed.

Naturally, Airi wasn't going to let the person who'd made her feel so self-conscious off the hook. She tried even harder, but inexperience was her greatest weakness. She had all the right moves, yet couldn't quite put them to use. Kiyotaka subdued her with nothing but his hands, until she gave up and slumped limply against him, letting him take the lead.

Kiyotaka shifted his hand slightly, and Airi noticed at once. After a brief hesitation, she didn't resist. Instead, she arched toward him a little, making it easier for him to continue.

Seeing that, Kiyotaka didn't hesitate to undress her. Airi's eyes were already glistening.

Airi was completely compliant with Kiyotaka. She followed his lead and lay on the bed. Though she felt shy about being examined by him, the unfamiliar sensations soon overwhelmed her.

Kiyotaka could tell Airi was still a little nervous, so he decided to calm her down first.

As he soothed her, Airi felt her body growing hotter and hotter.

She gazed at Kiyotaka with half-lidded eyes.

"Kiyotaka... I feel so strange..."

Hearing that, Kiyotaka stopped holding back.

"Ah! That hurts."

Airi lay on the bed facing Kiyotaka. Seeing her furrowed brows and vulnerable expression, he softened his touch.

Feeling his gentleness, Airi took a moment to adjust, then spoke in a soft, sweet voice.

"Kiyotaka~ Love me!"

Airi's meekness already made Kiyotaka especially protective of her. That sudden, seductive plea made him feel as if a spark had landed in dry tinder.

"I feel like I'm going to die..."

Airi clenched her teeth, intending to endure in silence, but Kiyotaka was so mischievous that she couldn't help letting out a sound.

Unable to bear it, Airi clung tightly to Kiyotaka and drew his head against her. Her soft, springy warmth held him there, and for a while, he couldn't bring himself to pull away.

Airi, meanwhile, was overwhelmed by the sensations. They made her whole body tremble.

Knowing she couldn't keep it up for long, Kiyotaka did everything he could to bring things to an end quickly.

Even so, it was a long while before Airi finally reached her limit.

When it was over, Airi felt limp and exhausted. She breathed heavily.

Airi took shallow breaths as she looked at Kiyotaka with watery eyes.

"Kiyotaka~"

Kiyotaka lay quietly beside her, idly playing with the soft flesh in his hand.

"Task complete. Airi Sakura has been won over. Reward: Heart of Unwavering Loyalty. Any girl you've gone all the way with will be utterly devoted to you, without the slightest regret."

The voice rang out in Kiyotaka's mind, surprising him. He'd assumed Airi's words were at least partly a lie, but it turned out she'd meant every one of them. His gaze softened as he looked at her.

As for the reward, Kiyotaka thought it was rather pointless. After he'd already won someone over, she was already on his side. This was just an extra safeguard.

Putting those thoughts aside, Kiyotaka looked at Airi, who was gazing at him affectionately. He leaned down and kissed her gently.

Airi smiled at his tenderness, then drifted into an exhausted sleep.

Kiyotaka stayed beside the sleeping Airi instead of leaving. She didn't slowly wake until evening.

She opened her eyes in a panic, but after seeing Kiyotaka sleeping beside her, she finally let out a long breath of relief.

Airi's sudden movement woke Kiyotaka, too.

"Awake?"

"Mm! I slept so well."

Airi's naked body pressed against Kiyotaka as she nestled into his arms, finding a comfortable spot.

"Kiyotaka."

"Yeah?"

"Didn't you ask me before whether I had any evidence about Sudo's fight? I do."

"Mm."

Airi looked up at Kiyotaka's calm expression and asked curiously,

"Why aren't you surprised at all?"

Kiyotaka glanced at the bewildered Airi and smiled faintly.

"When the class was talking about it, I happened to be coming in through the door. You were the only one looking down, like you were trying to avoid something."

Airi understood.

"I can testify on Sudo's behalf when the Student Council rules on the case."

"Why did you change your mind?"

Airi smiled at Kiyotaka as her small hand quietly slipped somewhere it shouldn't.

"Because you're here. I'm not afraid."

Then she parted her lips and kissed him, and they lost themselves in each other again. Having tasted him for the first time, Airi couldn't bring herself to stop. With her whole heart set on Kiyotaka, she grew more and more passionate. If the dorm rooms hadn't been well soundproofed, the whole building might have heard them.

No one knew exactly what happened, but the next day, Airi's thighs were covered in red marks, and she couldn't help wincing now and then as she walked.

Chapter Sixteen: A Deal with Kikyo

A week later, the Student Council hearing took place as scheduled.

Class D's representative should have been their homeroom teacher, Chabashira, but she used work as an excuse. In the end, the people who showed up were the parties involved: Sudo, Horikita, and Kiyotaka.

Across from them sat Class C's homeroom teacher and the three students who had been beaten.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Sudo looked irritated and restless. The three Class C students, meanwhile, looked frightened, their faces covered in bruises.

At the sight, Kiyotaka sighed inwardly.

"We'll now begin the hearing on last Tuesday's assault. I, Tachibana, Student Council secretary, will preside over the meeting."

A girl with short purple hair, standing beside the president, spoke up.

"I didn't expect such a minor issue to draw the Student Council President's attention," Kiyotaka murmured to Manabu Horikita, who was seated beside Tachibana.

Manabu gave Kiyotaka a cool look.

"I'm usually busy with other matters, but I handle all the cases. I happened to be free today, so I came."

Kiyotaka hadn't expected Manabu to have such good hearing. He simply nodded in reply.

...The hearing did not go smoothly. Both sides argued over who had thrown the first punch.

Even after Kiyotaka brought out Airi Sakura's evidence, it still couldn't prove Sudo's innocence.

Airi's evidence consisted of some rather revealing selfies. In the background, Sudo and the others happened to be fighting, but the images didn't actually show who was at fault.

"I can give you two choices. First, Ishizaki and the other two from Class C, along with Sudo from Class D, will all be expelled immediately.

"Second, we'll hold another hearing in a week."

It was hardly a real choice, and both sides fell silent.

"That's all for today."

With that, Manabu left his seat and headed for the door.

When the president had gone, the others gradually left as well. Only Airi and Kiyotaka remained behind.

"I'm sorry, Kiyotaka. I couldn't help you."

Airi lowered her head and spoke to Kiyotaka with a dejected look.

Kiyotaka stroked her hair and, in a rare gesture, gave her nose a gentle squeeze.

"This has nothing to do with you. Thanks for your effort today. Go back and get some rest."

"Mm!" Airi smiled sweetly. She knew Kiyotaka still had things to do, so she didn't bother him and left on her own.

The vast meeting room was empty now, with Kiyotaka the only one left. He leaned back in his chair and stared blankly at the dim ceiling.

Suddenly, he spotted a red light in the corner.

"A camera?"

Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes, then stood up and left.

Kiyotaka had barely been back in his dorm room when someone knocked on the door.

He looked toward the entrance, puzzled. If it was Horikita, she would have let herself in. She had a key card for the room.

The knock came again, so Kiyotaka reluctantly went to open the door.

His cool gaze swept over the person standing outside. It was Kikyo.

"What is it?"

"Kiyotaka, are you still angry with me?"

Kikyo looked at Kiyotaka's cold expression and asked plaintively.

"What would I be angry about? What's there to be angry about?"

"But you are! You've been especially cold to me these past few days. You won't talk to me or come see me..."

Before Kikyo could finish, Kiyotaka cut her off.

"Ah... I think you may have misunderstood. Maybe this will make it easier to understand: I don't care about the history between you and Horikita. To me, only the outcome matters. If what you do affects my interests, then there's no reason for us to have anything to do with each other."

"So everything between us was just a transaction, then?"

Hearing Kiyotaka's emotionless explanation, Kikyo asked with a trace of sadness.

Kiyotaka calmly nodded.