"Yeah, run!"
After Kiyotaka finished speaking, the others decided he had a point and immediately ran off. Kiyotaka followed behind them, sighing.
A Day Belonging to Airi
After everyone had gone their separate ways, Kiyotaka thought for a moment. Instead of returning to his own dorm, he headed for Airi's.
When Kiyotaka knocked, Airi had just finished showering and was drying her hair with a towel wrapped around her. Hearing the knock, she didn't dare open the door.
"Who is it?"
"It's me."
When Airi heard Kiyotaka's voice from the other side, the alarm in her expression gave way to delight. She hurriedly opened the door and looked at him.
"Kiyotaka, what are you doing here?"
Kiyotaka looked at Airi, dressed lightly, paused, and then said,
"I figured it was getting late, so I came over. We can head out together tomorrow."
Airi noticed his gaze. Her cheeks flushed as she spoke in a soft, bashful voice.
"I rinsed off over there, but I still felt sticky, so I came back and took another shower."
As she spoke, Airi pulled Kiyotaka into the room. He looked around. This was probably his second time there, but this time he noticed something new: several photos of himself, apparently taken without his knowledge.
Kiyotaka's expression turned a little amused.
Airi realized he'd spotted them, too. With a mortified squeak, she fidgeted with the towel in her hands and couldn't bring herself to look at him.
Kiyotaka put an arm around her and breathed in the fresh scent of her shampoo.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? I'll go with you tomorrow. We can take some nice pictures together, okay?"
Airi looked at him, her eyes shimmering. Her reply was barely louder than a whisper.
"Mm. Okay."
Heaven was his witness: Kiyotaka hadn't come over that night with any ulterior motive. He'd only wanted to stay over so they could set out together the next day.
But although they did sleep, he woke up exhausted. After Airi took the initiative, things soon got out of hand.
"Mm... I can't go on. I don't even have the strength to move."
Afterward, Airi said weakly.
A faint blush covered her skin, and she gazed at Kiyotaka with contentment and affection.
Kiyotaka didn't push her. He gently shifted her down and gathered her into his arms.
"Go to sleep. We have a whole day of fun tomorrow. What will you do if you're too tired?"
Airi shot him a look, thinking, That's easy for you to say. Why don't you actually move away?
But she didn't say it aloud. She simply settled into a more comfortable position and closed her eyes, still feeling the lingering effects of the night.
The next morning, Airi woke to a throbbing sensation. By now, she had grown quite used to their morning routine. Afterward, she ate breakfast to her heart's content, then finally climbed off Kiyotaka and took a quick shower.
By the time Airi came out, Kiyotaka had already gotten ready and was waiting for her.
"Wait a little longer! I just need to change."
Airi hurriedly grabbed an outfit and changed right in front of him. Kiyotaka strongly suspected she was doing it on purpose, but he had no proof.
Soon, Airi was wearing a fitted white shirt, a light jacket for sun protection, and tight jeans. The outfit showed off her curvy figure to striking effect.
She walked over to Kiyotaka and spun around.
"Kiyotaka, do I look good?"
In front of other people, Airi usually tied her hair up and wore thick, prescription-free glasses.
Today, though, she wore her hair loose and had no glasses to hide behind. Her youthful energy shone through.
Kiyotaka couldn't help grabbing her and giving her a deep kiss.
"You look great. You're so cute, I could just eat you up."
Airi giggled and slipped away.
"No, we're running out of time. You promised to spend the whole day with me."
With that, she eagerly pulled Kiyotaka out the door.
Kiyotaka spent the day acting like a tireless robot at Airi's beck and call. Once they reached the shopping district, he asked her,
"Where should we go first?"
Airi furrowed her brow and thought hard for a long time before sticking out her tongue.
"Kiyotaka, I don't know. I was so caught up in the idea of going out with you that I never thought about where we'd go."
Kiyotaka paused, then affectionately flicked her forehead. He took her hand and led her into the mall.
When they came to an accessories shop, Kiyotaka hesitated before taking Airi inside.
Airi gazed at the dazzling array of sparkling accessories, her eyes lighting up. She excitedly looked over all the cute pieces, completely forgetting that Kiyotaka was right beside her.
That worked out perfectly. Kiyotaka carefully browsed the displays, too. When he spotted a four-leaf-clover necklace with a silvery-white base and a hint of pink, he thought it would suit Airi perfectly. He glanced at her, absorbed in the display, then quietly asked the clerk to wrap it up and paid. After slipping the packaged necklace into his pocket, he casually made his way back to her.
"See anything you like?"
Airi looked up and shook her head.
"Not really. Let's go."
Once they left the shop, Airi took the lead, holding Kiyotaka's hand as they wandered around. Most of the time, she only looked and didn't buy anything. Kiyotaka couldn't help asking,
"Those clothes looked perfect on you. Why wouldn't you let me buy them for you?"
Airi shook her head.
"With the way Class D is doing right now, the points we get each month are only enough to cover our basic needs. We shouldn't waste them. Just going shopping with you already makes me happy. I have enough clothes."
Kiyotaka looked at her with increasing warmth. Getting into Class A wasn't his only goal anymore. He'd have to find a way to earn some points, too.
Before they knew it, the morning had passed, and Airi's stomach began to rumble.
She was so embarrassed that she didn't know what to do.
"Ah, I'm starving. Shall we get something to eat?"
Kiyotaka calmly rubbed his stomach as he spoke, then led Airi into a Western-style restaurant.
The restaurant wasn't very busy. One person spotted Kiyotaka and said in surprise,
"Isn't that Ayanokoji? Who's the girl with him? I don't think I've seen her before."
"Kei, stop gossiping. Let's leave when we're done. Didn't you say we were going to see a movie later?"
"Oh, right. Let's go, Yosuke."
It was Yosuke and Kei, the openly dating couple from his class. As he led Kei away, Yosuke took a couple of thoughtful looks at Kiyotaka before leaving, too.
Kiyotaka had noticed them looking, but he couldn't be bothered to care. Besides, it wasn't a big deal if they found out. He'd already prepared for that when he decided to go out with Airi.
Thanks to Kiyotaka's careful arrangements, Airi thoroughly enjoyed their lunch.
Tonight, Anything You Want
After finishing their meal, Airi happily took Kiyotaka's hand and left the restaurant.
As they passed an arcade, Airi's attention was caught by all the cute stuffed animals.
She looked at Kiyotaka hopefully and tugged on his sleeve.
"Kiyotaka, can I play that?"
Kiyotaka followed her gaze and saw what she meant. He affectionately patted her head.
"Wait here while I go get some game tokens, okay?"
"Mm-hmm!"
Airi nodded enthusiastically, then hurried over to the claw machines and started deciding which one to try.
Kiyotaka quickly went to get tokens. But when he returned, he saw a boy hovering around Airi, chattering at her. Wherever she went, he followed.
Kiyotaka's golden eyes glimmered faintly. He strode over, drew Airi into his arms, and held her close with a smile.
"Sweetheart, sorry to keep you waiting. I've got the tokens. Let's go."
The boy's smile faltered at the sight. Looking awkward, he soon left.
"You know, you could've just turned him down. Why were you so timid?"
Kiyotaka looked at Airi with mild exasperation.
Airi saw the trace of annoyance on his face and smiled sweetly.
"Because I knew you'd come help me, Kiyotaka. And you did, didn't you? No matter what happens, you're always there for me."
With that, she gave him a happy kiss. There was no fear in her expression, only deep trust in him.
Kiyotaka gave her an exasperated look. She trusted him far too much. Then he handed her the tokens.
"Here. I got a lot. Go for whatever you want."
Airi's eyes lit up at the pile of tokens.
"So many! Then I'm going to win all of them!"
But her skills didn't quite live up to her bold words. She'd used up half the tokens already, and apart from one stuffed toy she'd won by sheer luck as a consolation prize, she hadn't won anything else.
The excitement on Airi's face gradually turned into a miserable pout. She looked at Kiyotaka pitifully.
"Kiyotaka, I can't win one. Waaaah."
Kiyotaka hadn't expected her to get so upset she was nearly in tears. He chuckled helplessly and patted her head.
"Is there one you really want? I think you can trade the small stuffed toys for a big one here. Do you have a particular one in mind?"
"There is... but I can't win it. I thought I could get it."
"Which one?"
Airi pointed, and Kiyotaka followed her gaze. It was a fluffy bear holding a heart-shaped cushion. It took twenty-five small toys to trade for it. Kiyotaka narrowed his eyes slightly. He had his work cut out for him.
"Leave it to me. I'll make sure you get that big bear today."
Airi looked at him awkwardly.
"It's okay if you can't. I've already made you waste so many tokens. It'll be hard."
Kiyotaka looked at her dejected expression and couldn't resist pinching her cheek.
"Then, if I manage it, what's my reward?"
Airi's face turned red. She leaned close to his ear and whispered,
"If you do, tonight... you can do whatever you want."
At that, Kiyotaka's competitive spirit blazed to life. He'd been watching the claw machine long enough to figure out how it worked. He was going to claim that reward.
Airi watched him get fired up, her cheeks growing pink with embarrassment. Still, she was pleased to see his determination. Kiyotaka usually seemed so detached, but lately, he'd started showing flashes of personal feeling. She felt he had changed—becoming more like a real person.
Just as Kiyotaka had promised, he turned into a claw-machine champion. One stuffed toy after another dropped into the chute. Airi watched, dazzled, clapping until her hands were red without even seeming to notice.
Before they realized it, a crowd had gathered behind them to watch.
When the final toy dropped, their total reached twenty-five. Kiyotaka still had two tokens in his hand. Airi couldn't contain her excitement. She threw her arms around him and kissed him, but when she heard the crowd cheering, she realized they were surrounded. With a cry, she hid her face against his chest.
Kiyotaka didn't seem bothered. After stroking Airi's hair, he gathered up all the toys and took her to the prize counter to exchange them for the big fluffy bear she'd been dreaming about.
When Airi got the bear, she hugged it lovingly and buried her face in its fur, rubbing her cheeks against it.
"Don't forget your promise," Kiyotaka whispered in her ear.
Airi gave him a flirtatious look, then left the arcade holding the bear in one arm and Kiyotaka's hand in the other.
Before you continue