Kikyo's wide eyes showed a hint of confusion, but she obediently followed Kiyotaka away.
Once they were a little way from the campsite, Kikyo saw Kiyotaka stop and hurried over to hug him from behind.
"What's wrong, Kiyotaka? Did you miss me?"
"Could you do me a favor, or make a deal with me?" Kiyotaka replied calmly.
At that, Kikyo's nose wrinkled slightly. Then she stepped around in front of him, threw herself into his arms, and nestled against his chest before speaking.
"I knew you wouldn't call me over for anything good. Tell me, have you taken a liking to Ibuki?"
Kiyotaka looked down at Kikyo in his arms and fell silent for a moment.
"Help me win her over. I need an inside source in Class C."
Kikyo traced circles on Kiyotaka's chest with her slender fingers and complained, "Kiyotaka, you have Horikita and Airi. If they aren't enough for you, you still have me. You're such a womanizer—why are you trying to get involved with someone else again?"
At her words, Kiyotaka placed his hand over hers and caressed her, then said calmly, "You? Your heart's still dark. Who knows when you'll decide to stab me in the back?"
"Hmph~ Easy, you're so mean. How can you say that about me?"
Kikyo savored his touch, her lips parting as a blush crept across her cheeks.
"So, are you going to help me or not?"
Kiyotaka didn't want to waste time arguing with Kikyo, so he stopped and asked her.
Kikyo ran her soft tongue along her lips and looked at him seductively. "Then what do I get out of it?"
"Nothing."
"Mm, you're such a heartless womanizer. You want me to do all the work, but you won't even give me a little reward."
As she spoke, Kikyo slowly moved closer to him.
When Kiyotaka didn't react, Kikyo grew bolder. She gently stroked him, tenderly, as though she were cherishing something precious.
Even that was enough to make Kikyo feel strange.
"Kiyotaka~"
Kikyo's eyes were growing hazy, shimmering with moisture. She lifted her head to look into Kiyotaka's golden eyes, murmuring something under her breath.
Seeing Kikyo like this, Kiyotaka couldn't help but admire her. He had never met anyone besides her who could separate her heart from her body so completely.
"Kiyotaka~ Make me yours. Make me submit to you, body and soul. If you can do that, Kikyo will obey only you from now on."
Murmuring those words, Kikyo had said something like this for the first time. It meant that her feelings were beginning to change.
Seeing this, Kiyotaka pulled Kikyo close and kissed her soft lips. He boldly parted her lips with his tongue and kissed her deeply.
"Mm~"
As Kiyotaka kissed her, Kikyo felt her strength ebb away. She went limp in his arms, as if the kiss had drained all the strength from her body.
The breeze stirred the surrounding trees, rustling their leaves. Listening to the sound, Kikyo felt herself growing warmer and warmer. Her breath came hot against Kiyotaka's face.
The moisture in her eyes was impossible to hide.
"Kiyotaka... Do you really have what it takes to make me submit, body and soul?"
To Kiyotaka, that was a challenge.
He knew Kikyo was doing it on purpose, but he had no intention of letting her get away with provoking him.
After who knew how long, Kikyo lay exhausted in Kiyotaka's arms, catching her breath.
After resting for a while, Kikyo opened her flushed eyes and kissed him lightly.
"Kiyotaka, I'll obey you from now on. I'll do whatever you say. Just don't bully me, okay?"
Kiyotaka looked at Kikyo expressionlessly. He still had his doubts. That woman had far too many secrets...
Chapter 32: A Peeping Expedition?
This time, Kikyo had experienced something entirely different. It hadn't been rough or purely about release; there had been a hint of tenderness.
Kikyo had long yearned to be treated gently by Kiyotaka, and that was enough to make her fall completely. At last, Kiyotaka had tamed this wild horse.
"Target: Kushida Kikyo successfully won over. Reward: Strategy Sight (Cooldown: two weeks) [When used proactively on a target, the probability of successfully winning them over increases by 50%.]"
The voice sounded in his mind. Kiyotaka knew that Kikyo had truly submitted to him this time, which would undoubtedly make her a powerful ally.
Kiyotaka's gaze softened as he looked at Kikyo. But this wasn't the time to linger together, so once she had recovered a little, he gave her a squeeze and said, "Let's finish the exam first. I'll take good care of you later. Don't forget about Ibuki."
Kikyo snuggled comfortably in Kiyotaka's arms, then gave him a flirtatious glance before standing up and straightening her clothes. She headed back to the campsite alone. Now that she had received her reward, it was time to get to work.
Kiyotaka didn't leave. Only after Kikyo had gone some distance did he speak.
"What, still watching? Maybe some exercise would even help your illness."
Horikita slowly emerged from behind a shadowy tree.
"If I hadn't held things together for you, would you have had this much time to fool around?"
Kiyotaka smiled at Horikita's cold expression, then casually drew her into his arms, warming her with his embrace.
Horikita struggled a little, then settled against him, though her words remained sharp.
"You reek of arousal. It's disgusting."
At that, Kiyotaka caught her earlobe between his teeth and breathed warm air against it. "What, do you want some too?"
Horikita was already sensitive. She shivered, her face turning bright red.
"Stop it. We have something important to discuss."
Kiyotaka stopped teasing her and rested his chin on her head, inviting her to continue.
Horikita rolled her eyes at him, but there was little she could do about Kiyotaka.
"Kiyotaka, what do you think of this exam?"
"What's there to think? It is what it is. The base points for each class are all about the same. The only real uncertainty is the final Ghost Card guessing game. We'll have to win that to come out on top."
Horikita could feel Kiyotaka's hand wandering over her chest, but she put up with his little act. She shifted slightly, then asked, "Do you have any idea who's holding the Ghost Card?"
Kiyotaka paused, then buried his face in Horikita's neck and breathed in deeply. "I happened to catch a glimpse of the one in Class A, so I have a rough idea. I don't know about Classes B and C yet. But since Class C sent someone our way, they're bound to make another move. I'll look for a chance to scout out Class B over the next couple of days."
Horikita couldn't resist the warm breath against her neck. She turned and shared a deep kiss with Kiyotaka. They only parted when they were both breathless and parched.
"You've worked hard, Kiyotaka. I know my own body. I probably won't be able to do much this time."
Kiyotaka shrugged indifferently and chuckled. "When we get back, you can owe me a favor."
Horikita shot Kiyotaka a look, then silently nodded in agreement.
By the time the two returned to the campsite, Ibuki had been settled inside a tent to rest. Kikyo spotted Kiyotaka and playfully winked at him. She picked up two portions of food and came over.
"Kiyotaka, Sis Suzune, here's your dinner."
Horikita was startled by Kikyo's way of addressing her and glanced at Kiyotaka.
She waited until Kiyotaka gave a slight nod before accepting the food.
"Thank you. You've worked hard."
"It was nothing."
Kikyo smiled and left.
"Not bad. You've won her over completely, too. I thought what happened just now was only a brief fling."
Horikita looked at Kiyotaka, a hint of teasing in her otherwise cold expression.
Kiyotaka smiled. "Isn't that great? I've got another little sister now."
"I wonder who's the lucky one," Horikita said with a snort.
She rolled her eyes at Kiyotaka, then went off to eat.
Just then, the girls' tent opened a crack, and Kiyotaka saw Ibuki come out holding a set of clothes.
When Ibuki came out, she spotted Kiyotaka. She hesitated, then walked over to him with the clothes in her arms.
"Thank you for bringing me back and giving me somewhere to stay this week."
Ibuki bowed deeply and thanked Kiyotaka.
Kiyotaka merely shook his head. His gaze was calm and deep as he stared at Ibuki. He kept looking until she began to feel a chill, then finally looked away.
"I wasn't the one who brought you back. And I hope you didn't come near Class D with some ulterior motive."
Ibuki's face paled at his words. She lowered her head in silence.
"I'm going to take a shower. Thanks."
Kiyotaka silently watched Ibuki walk away. Suddenly, someone smacked him hard on the back, nearly making him stumble.
Kiyotaka turned and saw Sudo grinning mischievously at him.
When Sudo saw Kiyotaka turn around, he slung an arm around his neck and whispered, "Kiyotaka, want to go do something exciting?"
Seeing Sudo's expression, Kiyotaka knew he was up to no good, so he played along. "Uh... What are we doing?"
Sudo raised his eyebrows excitedly. "I know where the girls are bathing. They've got a few girls patrolling, but we can take a little detour and get around them. Come on, let's go."
"I think I'll pass..."
"Aw, don't be shy. Let's go!"
"I'm not—"
Before Kiyotaka could finish, Sudo had already dragged him away, rambling about how sacred this moment was, how they'd regret missing it, and how they should stop being shy and let loose.
Kiyotaka sighed inwardly. They'd better not get caught. If they did, they'd be in serious trouble.
Still, he had to give Sudo credit. As one of the people who had gone out scouting that afternoon, Sudo knew the area well. He took a huge detour, avoiding all the girls patrolling to stop anyone from peeping, and safely led Kiyotaka to the girls' bathing spot.
It was midsummer, and the weather was hot, so there was no need to heat the water. The stream's cool water was popular with the girls, who had been chattering about taking a proper bath that evening since earlier in the day.
But Sudo hadn't anticipated that, even though he'd avoided every lookout, a thick patch of bushes completely blocked his view.
He craned his neck and peered around for ages, but couldn't see a thing.
"Why did I have to forget about these bushes? This sucks!"
Sudo grew so frustrated that he shouted without keeping his voice down.
"Who's there? Who's there? Come out!"
His shout immediately alerted the girls.
"What? Someone's over there?"
"Sounds like a man's voice!"
"Are you sure? I didn't hear anything!"
Before you continue