A Gift from Arisu / Don't Be Proud of Me-Be Proud for Me

Faced with Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly looming close to him, grabbing his hands and leaning forward, half-lying on his upper body, Kitagawa Ryo instinctively looked down, and sure enough, saw nothing.

He tentatively decided that this was a problem caused by winter.

"Arisu pretty early."

"But I think I sent you a message last night saying that we'd have a day off this morning and that morning exercise was canceled."

"Hmm, I didn't see it."

"It clearly shows that it has been read."

That means you forgot.

Sakayanagi Arisu her head. Compared to when she enrolled, her hair had grown considerably longer, with more and more strands easily reaching her shoulders, swaying gracefully and looking exceptionally dazzling and beautiful.

Or perhaps, I've simply gotten used to it.

As she spoke, Sakayanagi Arisu extended her left hand to Kitagawa Ryo, the ring on her middle finger gleaming under the incandescent light.

"Every morning after I wake up, I've gotten into the habit of putting it on and then exercising with Ryo, so I did the same thing this morning after I got up."

"Hey, we didn't stop our morning practice a few days ago during the Mixed Training Camp Special Exam, did we?"

"Those were objective reasons, which are acceptable, but today's reasons are subjective."

Sakayanagi Arisu reached for Kitagawa Ryo's sports ring, which was on the bedside table, and then, still straddling him, slowly and deliberately put the ring on Kitagawa Ryo's finger, saying somewhat casually:

"The power of habit is terrifying. Once you have a habit, it's very difficult to change it. Who told Liang to promise to exercise with me in the first place? Now she can stop just because of subjective reasons. Of course, I have reason to suspect that there will be more, more, and even countless more times in the future."

At this point, the girl lowered her body again, bringing herself closer to Kitagawa Ryo at an angle that would probably delight small-breasted enthusiasts in summer, but would be harmless in winter. Their breaths mingled, and she continued, almost touching his lips:

"So, in order to prevent this from happening, I really need to let Ryo know the consequences of doing this."

As she spoke, Sakayanagi Arisu once again wore a helpless expression:

"If Liang won't come to me, then I'll have to come to Liang."

"Come on, let's go for a morning workout!"

"Extra training!"

Although Sakayanagi Arisu implied a "I'll trade you one for one today, exhausting your stamina ahead of time" attitude, Kitagawa Ryo still understood her message and thus cooperated by replying:

"Hmm... are there any other solutions? Please spare me the extra training on Valentine's Day, I'm going to be out all day today."

"Yes, I have."

With Sakayanagi Arisu reached out and playfully hooked Kitagawa Ryo's nose, then, right in front of him, removed the sports ring from the middle finger of her left hand.

"Liang, have you ever heard this saying?"

"The fastest and most lasting way to destroy a habit is to replace it with a better one."

After saying that, she enthusiastically showed her left hand to Kitagawa Ryo.

Unlike Kitagawa Ryo, who wears the ring almost exclusively during morning exercise, Sakayanagi Arisu has worn it almost around the clock since she received it last summer.

Because of this, after so many years, a slight color difference in the shape of a ring has been left on the tip of her middle finger. At this moment, it is right in front of Kitagawa Ryo's eyes, and it is very clear and obvious, as if a certain position has been reserved there.

"Hey, it's cold."

Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly lowered her voice, her tone becoming gentle, almost like a little girl hoping a fairy tale would come true.

"I'll be waiting for you all day."

Hotaru, who climbed back into bed, simply rolled her eyes at Sakayanagi Arisu's comment.

... Could you please stop making the phrase "I will spy on you forever, forever" sound so innocent and refined?

"Um."

Compared to Hotaru, who was internally ranting and raving, Kitagawa Ryo was better able to understand the delicate thoughts of Sakayanagi Arisu, who was currently in almost direct contact with him.

However, this was also within his expectations.

To put it bluntly, the key reason why Sakayanagi Arisu was able to accept the current situation so calmly today was the news of the custom-made ring that he deliberately sent out through Tsukishiro; it was a precise grasp of the situation.

"Good."

After receiving Kitagawa Ryo's promise, Sakayanagi Arisu agreed and then voluntarily released her grip on him, getting up from the bed and handing him a paper bag from the side.

"Valentine's Day gift."

After saying that, she turned her back and quickly left, like the sun rushing anxiously towards the clouds outside the window.

Chapter 464: A Gift from Arisu

"... As expected, he didn't take it."

Watching Sakayanagi Arisu disappear like lightning, Kitagawa Ryo got out of bed and glanced at the coffee table in the living room. The Valentine's Day gift he had prepared, with Sakayanagi Arisu's name on the box, was still there.

The other party's intention was quite clear: she wanted to wait for Kitagawa Ryo to find another time to actually give the gift, which was also a way of creating another opportunity for the two of them to meet today.

Of course, it could also be interpreted that she was actually looking forward to another gift rather than this Valentine's Day chocolate.

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Ryo subconsciously looked down at the paper bag that Sakayanagi Arisu just forcefully stuffed into his arms, wanting to see what kind of Valentine's Day gift she had prepared for him.

The first thing you see when you open it is a chocolate bar, which is a standard Valentine's Day treat. Its appearance is naturally not as good as that of a pastry baking master with an Arisu talent. In fact, it could even be said to be a bit out of shape. But this also shows that it was made by Arisu himself. After all, Kitagawa Ryo had already heard that Matsushita Chiaki had also gone to Suzune to learn baking. With a little connection, he could figure out the truth of the matter.

To be fair, although Kitagawa Ryo knew that Arisu didn't really want to ask Suzune for help, in a way, this made Suzune seem Arisu's mentor. I wonder if Suzune realized this herself. She can use it to tease Arisu next time they have an election debate. It's kind of funny to think about.

"Stop it, cats can't eat chocolate."

Kitagawa Ryo stopped Hotaru, who was baring her teeth and claws and seemingly wanting to poke at the chocolate, and patted the kitten's head.

"Good."

After calming Sakayanagi Arisu, who seemed startled and agitated by Sakayanagi Arisu's sudden intrusion this morning, for a while, he found two more thin sheets of paper under the paper bag, which looked like reports. The following information was printed in black and white:

[Premarital Medical Examination Certificate]

"...?"

In that instant, Kitagawa Ryo and Hotaru's expressions and movements were also remarkably synchronized. They all tilted their heads slightly to the left, whether they were confused, surprised, or speechless, their feelings quite complicated, as if a big question mark had appeared on their heads.

After quickly skimming through the middle section of the medical report, where all indicators were normal, Kitagawa Ryo noticed the information that Sakayanagi Arisu circled in red in the last two columns:

The other party's name: Kitagawa Ryo.

Direct or collateral blood relatives within three generations: None.

Premarital medical examination results: No abnormalities found.

Medical opinion: No medically unsuitable conditions for marriage or childbearing have been found.

It can only be said that Kitagawa Ryo seems to have underestimated the suggestive effect of those rings on Sakayanagi Arisu. He even wondered if if he agreed now, he could get engaged tomorrow, married the day after, and make Chairman Sakayanagi a grandfather a year later.

Shaking his head to dismiss the somewhat troubling thought, Kitagawa Ryo carefully read the entire report again two or three times, treating it as a simple medical examination report. Sakayanagi Arisu's current physical condition was better than he had imagined; it was hard to imagine that just over half a year ago, she was a sickly person on par with Shiina Hiyori.

Judging solely by physical abilities, Arisu would probably be easily ranked in the lower half of the top tier, second only to students like Suzune and Onodera who have trained in sports since childhood in Class A.

Of course, outstanding graduates like Amasawa Ichika from the White Room are an exception. Arisu Makoto wants to reach her level, she probably still has a long way to go. However, it's always a good thing to have a goal to strive for.

After putting Sakayanagi Arisu's somewhat special Valentine's Day gift back, Kitagawa Ryo hurriedly washed up and changed his clothes. This was probably the second time since last Christmas that he had so desperately hated that a day wasn't forty-eight hours.

Before leaving, Kitagawa Ryo didn't bring his favorite chocolate gift boxes. Instead, he carried an empty bag and then specially put the last batch of mass-produced gift chocolates he made last night into another large cloth bag, tied it to his hand, and then cautiously opened the door to his room and began to carefully move towards the lobby on the first floor.

Valentine's Day is not a holiday that belongs exclusively to one gender. Boys should also take care of themselves when they are out alone.

Sure enough, as soon as Kitagawa Ryo took the elevator down to the lobby on the first floor, he saw quite a few girls who had gotten up early and were waiting there.

Upon seeing him in person, several girls rushed up to Kitagawa Ryo as if they were seeing their idol's most ardent fans. Some of the more reserved girls greeted him with a polite "Good morning, Kitagawa-kun!", while the majority went straight to the point and handed him gifts.

"This is for you... a Valentine's Day present!"

"I've made this by hand many times, and I hope you'll accept it!"

Perhaps, as Asahina Nazuna believes, if Kitagawa Ryo is willing to take a step closer to the way Miyabi Nagumo, he could very well become the next Nagumo Masashi with even greater popularity in ANHS Miyabi Nagumo.

Although he has only been enrolled for less than a year, he has achieved impeccable results in every aspect, and his reputation among the girls in the school is indeed quite outstanding. It's just that for various reasons, many girls who are eager to make a move cannot do so directly. Now that Valentine's Day is approaching, they might as well take advantage of the situation.

All I can say is that Shiina / Sakayanagi / Karuizawa / Ichinose, don't ask, it's all about duty chocolate.

"Thanks."

Faced with the kindness of so many girls, Kitagawa Ryo accepted them all and put them into the empty bag behind him. Then, he took out his own genuine gift of obligatory chocolates from the cloth bag he was carrying and gave them to each of them in return.

To be honest, he really wanted to say something like "Follow Horikita Suzune- nyan, follow Horikita Suzune- nyan" or "Support Suzune- nyan in the Student Council election" when returning the favor, but he felt that explicitly mentioning another girl's name in front of these girls at this time would have the opposite effect, so he wisely refrained from saying it and just responded in a formulaic way.

After making three trips back and forth and filling three backpacks, Kitagawa Ryo finally managed to break through the map of the dormitory's first-floor lobby using the "obligation chocolate" and unlock the path leading out of the dormitory.

His leading lady for the day was already waiting there.

When Ichinose Honami looked at each other and found each other, Kitagawa Ryo genuinely smiled.

After all, being with her makes happiness so easy to achieve, just like the fruit candy you fed me when I was a child, a sweet taste that I suddenly remember again after a very long time.

Chapter 465: Don't do it for my own good, be proud of me

"How long did you wait?"

Kitagawa Ryo hurried up to Ichinose Honami and asked her this question somewhat apologetically.

"Hmm--about twenty minutes? I've been watching the blanket blocking the way inside the room the whole time."

Ichinose Honami seemed to recall something thoughtfully, her tone somewhat uncertain.

Compared to yesterday, she was undoubtedly more meticulous in her dressing today. Her long, golden-pink hair was not casually draped as usual, but instead adorned with the hair clip that Kitagawa Ryo had given her before. The fiery red phoenix, reborn from the ashes, was quite eye-catching, spreading its wings as if about to take flight.

The weather was kind to me; today's temperature was much higher than yesterday's damp chill. As Ichinose Honami also gave up yesterday's hooded down jacket and opted for a lighter coat. The zipper was not zipped up, revealing a beige wool vest and a white shirt underneath, as well as a captivating figure that seemed to defy her actual age, easily supported by the two layers of clothing.

As for the lower half, it was a light blue pleated skirt that made it hard to tell whether it was summer or winter. The skirt only covered the knees, and the plump and straight legs were subtly wrapped in white thermal stockings before disappearing into the light white leather shoes.

It can only be said that Ichinose Honami, like the girls here, has naturally developed a remarkable ability to withstand the cold, even if it's beautiful.

"If I had known Honami was waiting outside, I would have come out faster."

"It's alright, after all, it's a token of everyone's goodwill, Liang should accept it properly."

Ichinose Honami didn't seem to show any particular negative emotions from what had just happened in front of her. Instead, she smiled and waved mischievously at the girls who were secretly peeking in their direction.

"After all, no matter how many Valentine's Day gifts Liang received from them, didn't she ultimately choose me?"

As she spoke, her tone was filled with a sense of ease and a touch of smugness, which made Kitagawa Ryo unconsciously reach out and tap Ichinose Honami's nose.

Long ago, Kitagawa Ryo realized that unlike the other heroines in the chapters, all he knew about Ichinose Honami at the beginning was through written descriptions. Their first meeting was even after she had completed her chapter and reached Karuizawa Kei's chapter.

Frankly speaking, while words are undeniably weak in some aspects, it must also be acknowledged that in other aspects, they are the most profound form of expression.

If all the simulations he experienced afterward were conducted from his first-person perspective, then the chapters related to Ichinose Honami were uniquely from a third-person perspective. In particular, the first CG scene titled "The Guilty" was entirely told from Honami's perspective, with him acting more as an "Bystander."

However, it was precisely because of this that Kitagawa Ryo was able to understand almost all of Ichinose Honami's thoughts from the very beginning.

He saw everything about her, from her values and perspectives on things to her attitude towards family, as well as her gentleness, kindness, strength, and the hidden self-destructive desire buried deep within her heart.

"Let's go."

Ichinose Honami's words pulled Kitagawa Ryo out of these thoughts that had just arisen, along with his left hand.

Neither of them was wearing gloves, and the warmth of their palms was particularly noticeable at this time of year, almost giving the illusion that their blood was flowing and mingling through them.

"Oh right, I forgot to tell Ryo that last Christmas when our Drama Club went out to compete, the one time Ryo openly left the team, I met with my mom again."

"Um."

Kitagawa Ryo listened quietly to Ichinose Honami's story, without showing any particular reaction to her sudden mention of her mother.

If Ichinose Honami used to talk about her mother when she mentioned her mother, then now when she talks about this topic, she is actually talking about herself.

It might seem like just a matter of a single thought, but it took her a very long time to adapt to this change.

"She saw the news that we would be coming out of school to participate in the competition in advance, so she asked the Theater Troupe to arrange our entry beforehand. At that time, Teacher Sima was so worried about you that he didn't have time to keep an eye on us girls."

Under the winter morning sun, Ichinose Honami's steps were exceptionally light. For the first time, she ignored the students who passed by and greeted her, speaking only to Kitagawa Ryo like a simple little girl who was completely immersed in love and dating and oblivious to everything around her.

"Thinking about it carefully, another six months have passed."

"I think Mom has figured it out, or maybe it's me who has figured it out, which is why I think she has."

Ichinose Honami's words were quite convoluted, but Kitagawa Ryo could still understand what she meant; he was the person in the world who understood Honami the most.

People living under the same roof don't need to copy each other's answers; they should each submit their own answers to life's questions.

"I told my mom back then that she didn't need to worry about me anymore, she just needed to be good to herself. If she really wanted to, then she should cheer for me and be proud of me."

Seemingly feeling an unexpected sense of shame at repeating these words to Kitagawa Ryo, Ichinose Honami scratched her cheek.

Compared to her confrontation during the summer vacation, the confidence she had back then stemmed largely from the Twenty Million Personal Points that were quietly sitting in her account at the time.