The Dispute Between Horikita and Karuizawa

When he opened the door, he was surprised to find Airi standing there.

"Airi? What's going on? Come in, quick!"

Airi stood in the doorway, soaked from head to toe. Her long hair clung damply to her cheeks, and her eyes showed a hint of embarrassment and helplessness.

Droplets of water slid down Airi's slender figure and soaked through her clothes. Her pink underwear was faintly visible beneath the fabric.

Her casual clothes clung to her body, outlining her graceful curves. Water ran slowly down her thighs and dripped onto the floor. Despite looking so disheveled, Airi kept a firm grip on a bag in her hands.

Kiyotaka pulled her into the room, picked up a towel, and began drying her hair. His tone was rather stern as he asked,

"What happened? Why were you out in that downpour? Look at the state you're in."

Perhaps it was because Kiyotaka sounded stern and had raised his voice a little.

Airi's lips immediately puckered in a pout. Tears welled in her eyes as she tightened her grip on the bag and said,

"I... I thought you were feeling hot. You looked so listless today, so I went to the store to buy some of the ice pops you liked last time, along with some snacks to help you cool down. But I didn't expect the rain to start halfway there. Kiyotaka, I'm sorry..."

Kiyotaka froze on the spot. He draped the towel over Airi's head, then gently drew her into his arms.

"Wait, I'm soaked."

Airi cried out softly and struggled against him.

But Kiyotaka ignored her protests and held her tightly.

"You don't have to apologize. There's no reason for you to apologize. I'm the one who should be sorry. I snapped at you without even knowing what happened. I'm sorry."

Kiyotaka spoke to Airi with a tenderness he had never shown before.

The water on Airi's clothes slowly soaked into Kiyotaka's, but for some reason, it didn't feel cold to him. Instead, it carried a faint warmth.

He gently lifted Airi's chin and realized she had quietly begun to cry.

"Why are you crying now? Do you think my apology wasn't sincere enough?"

For the first time, Kiyotaka felt at a loss as he asked her.

Airi shook her head like a rattle.

"No. I just feel like I'm clumsy and can't help you at all. Now I've even upset you over something as small as buying a few things. I'm so useless."

The more Airi spoke, the harder it was for her to hold back her tears. She looked so helpless and pitiful that it tugged at the heart.

Kiyotaka gently wiped away Airi's tears as they fell and said softly,

"What are you talking about? You're so gentle and considerate, Airi. How could you be useless? Whenever I'm tired or frustrated, aren't you always there by my side? I think you're someone I couldn't do without."

"Do you really not think I'm useless?"

Airi looked up at Kiyotaka through tear-filled eyes.

Kiyotaka affectionately tapped the tip of her nose and said,

"When have I ever lied to you?"

Airi shook her head again.

"Come on, you're soaked. Go take a shower here first."

With that, Kiyotaka took the bag from Airi and ushered her into the bathroom before closing the door.

Before long, the sound of running water came from the bathroom.

About half an hour later, Airi cautiously peeked her head out. When she saw Kiyotaka looking at her with a strange expression, her face turned bright red, and she stepped out awkwardly.

Airi emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a towel, her cheeks flushed. Though she and Kiyotaka had been physically close many times, a trace of bashfulness still showed in her eyes. She held the towel tightly around herself, revealing her soft skin and slender figure, but she couldn't bring herself to meet Kiyotaka's gaze. She carefully avoided his eyes, trying to hide herself, yet it seemed futile. Even without looking, she could feel Kiyotaka's intense gaze, as if it could see right through her.

But when she noticed that the bag was still on the table, she forgot everything else and hurried over with a little cry.

"Wah, will these ice pops have melted by now?"

Airi carefully opened one and handed it to Kiyotaka.

"Kiyotaka, this is your favorite flavor!"

A hint of pride showed on Airi's face as she said this, as if to say, See how well I know you?

Kiyotaka smiled and accepted it.

Airi opened one for herself, too. Since they had been sitting for a while, they had melted a little.

In a hurry, Airi took a bite, tipped her head back to keep the liquid from dripping, and quickly ate the melted layer on the surface.

"Mm!"

Perhaps she had eaten too quickly. A little melted ice dripped down and landed on her chest.

The icy chill made Airi cry out involuntarily. With her mouth full of ice pop, though, her voice came out muffled and strangely enticing.

"Airi, is it good?" Kiyotaka asked without thinking, watching her.

"'Tis good," Airi replied indistinctly, nodding in confusion.

Airi had always been an innocent girl, and Kiyotaka knew perfectly well that she hadn't meant anything by it.

In fact, she probably had no idea how alluring her actions looked.

Unable to resist any longer, Kiyotaka stood and walked over to Airi, reaching for the ice pop. But she thought he was trying to steal it from her, so she clamped her teeth around it and refused to let go. She even made an adorable, possessive face like a kitten guarding its food.

Kiyotaka couldn't help laughing at her expression. He moved the ice pop gently back and forth as she held onto it, then asked with a smile,

"Well? Is it good?"

By then, even Airi's innocent mind could tell how suggestive the moment was. Her ears turned red.

But to Kiyotaka's surprise, she didn't let go of the ice pop. Instead, she showed him exactly how to savor it.

Her soft tongue moved playfully over the ice pop, curling and licking around it. Before long, she had finished the whole thing. Watching the entire performance, Kiyotaka couldn't help laughing.

"Airi, you've learned some naughty tricks."

Chapter 61: The Dispute Between Horikita and Karuizawa

After finishing her ice pop, Airi gave Kiyotaka a teasing look, then smacked her lips, still wanting more.

Kiyotaka watched the adorable Airi doing something so unlike her and smiled as he beckoned her over.

"Airi, come here. Don't learn so many pointless things from Kikyo. You're cutest when you're just being yourself."

Airi paused at his words, then moved closer to Kiyotaka and pouted aggrievedly.

"Kiyotaka, you big meanie. You see right through everything. I just wanted to learn more so I could take good care of you."

"Why bother learning? Your kindness is one of a kind, Airi. You don't need to imitate anyone."

As he spoke, Kiyotaka's hand slipped beneath her towel, and he playfully teased her.

Airi shot Kiyotaka a flirtatious glance, then went to cool him down, her mouth still chilled from the ice pop.

A night together was precious, and Kiyotaka and Airi spent the evening in cozy comfort before sleeping soundly.

To prepare for the Sports Festival, the school had turned the weekly homeroom period into free time for students to discuss things.

Chabashira was happy to sit at the back and watch them discuss the matter enthusiastically.

Hirata, meanwhile, stood at the podium as their representative. Looking at his classmates, he said,

"Everyone, I think we should confirm who'll be participating before deciding the order of events. I have two ideas for how to choose.

"One is 'volunteering,' and the other is 'ability.'

"As Hirata spoke, he wrote the words on the blackboard."

To give the class the best chance of placing well, ability should take priority. The capable should do more—that principle applied everywhere.

"But some people may want to take part in certain events, so volunteering is another option. What do you think?"

"Obviously, we should choose based on ability. I can just enter every event myself. If I win, the class gets the points, and everyone's happy."

Sudo stood up and said this arrogantly.

"Even if it's a little frustrating, Sudo has a point. He really is the most athletic."

"Yeah. If Sudo's confident, we support him."

Sudo's words immediately won over most of the girls and some students who hoped to reach Class A but weren't good at sports.

"Good, then it's settled. I'll enter every event where we get to choose our participants!"

Sudo declared confidently.

"If no one has any objections, then we'll choose based on ability—"

Just as Hirata was about to make the decision, Horikita stood up and said,

"I object. I agreed up until the point where we assigned people based on ability, but I don't think that's enough. Before we decide who goes where, we should also separate the strongest athletes to optimize our results."

Horikita had still not abandoned her original idea. Her proposal clearly suggested giving up on the weaker students to protect the stronger ones. After hearing her, Kiyotaka turned his attention to his device and scrolled through it for a while before setting it down.

"Uh, can I say something? I'm against this. Why should students who aren't as capable have to give up their hopes just to protect the stronger ones? Will that really help the class unite? Are you sure the people being cast aside will still care about the class?"

Karuizawa stood up and spoke casually.

"Exactly. How can someone as arrogant as you understand what it means to be united?"

After Karuizawa spoke, Shinohara, who was on her side, immediately stood up and added,

"Both of you, stop arguing. We should discuss a format that takes both opinions into account as much as possible. Maybe we could come up with a plan that both the person who comes in first and the person who comes in last can agree on?"

Seeing what was happening, Kikyo stepped in to mediate.

But neither of them paid any attention to Kikyo's efforts. They kept arguing over the same issue. The current situation was that some of the more athletic students supported Horikita's choice, while Karuizawa, who had influence over the girls, had spoken up against it. This had stopped the class from moving toward the idea that ability and victory should take priority.

"If neither side can agree, why don't we decide by a show of hands?" Hirata suggested when he saw that neither of them was backing down.

"I have no objection," Horikita said with a cold snort.

"If that's what Hirata says, I agree~" Karuizawa replied, glancing up at Horikita.

After sitting down with an unhappy look, Horikita glared at Kiyotaka.

"Did you tell her to do this? Can't you make her shut up?"

"What makes you think I could tell her what to do, let alone make her shut up?" Kiyotaka replied calmly.

"Don't think I haven't noticed that you two have been spending time together lately. That's why she's gotten a little carried away, isn't it?"

"Isn't she always someone who does whatever she wants?"

Kiyotaka looked at Horikita, speechless.

"...That's true."

Horikita thought about it and realized Kiyotaka was right: Karuizawa had always been like that. She nodded in agreement and let the matter drop.

"Then let's begin the vote," Hirata said, summing up both sides' positions straightforwardly. "Horikita's proposal prioritizes the class's victory when assigning people to events. Karuizawa's proposal takes everyone's wishes into full consideration. Vote for whichever side you feel is more suitable. You can also abstain if you're undecided."

"Those in favor of Horikita's proposal, please raise your hands."

"Of course I support it. Doesn't winning benefit everyone in the class?"

Sudo was the first to raise his hand, and the students who had little confidence in their athletic ability followed suit.

"Good, that's sixteen votes. You can put your hands down now."

Hirata counted the votes and signaled for them to lower their hands.

"Kiyotaka, you're not going to support Karuizawa's proposal, are you?"