What Had Been Accumulating / Shiina Hiyori Is Ready

"Speaking of which, I was the one who came up with the name for this store's promotion."

Kitagawa Ryo stroked his chin and made a rather comical gesture towards that direction:

"Say 'I love you' aloud, and set off towards happiness!"

"... It sounds more like a family relationship mediation program that middle-aged and elderly people would like to watch."

"No, actually it works quite well. It also makes it easier for guys and girls who are just about to take that step to say some cheesy pickup lines and get to the point."

"Oh, isn't that Komiya and Shinohara?"

Just as Kitagawa Ryo was about to take Ichinose Honami over to investigate, another couple arrived first: Komiya Yogo from Class 1-D and Shinohara Satsuki from Class 1-A.

"So, the person Komiya said she wanted to confess to during the Mixed Training Camp was Shinohara, and it seems like things are progressing quite well?"

Seeing that Ichinose Honami looked slightly puzzled, Kitagawa Ryo briefly recounted what had happened to their Third Group during the recent Mixed Training Camp.

Love is not a privilege reserved for handsome men and beautiful women. While there are celebrity couples like him and Ichinose Honami at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, whose every move attracts a lot of attention, there are also many ordinary and even unknown breakups and reconciliations. However, the person who should speak most about this is Kushida Kikyo.

"I remember Komiya was in the Basketball Club, right? Shinohara does seem to like that type, right? But in the environment of ANHS, cross-class romances don't feel as good as cross-grade romances, at least you're not direct competitors."

"The main problem with students from different grades is that their graduation dates are different, but it seems that most students don't really consider this. Quite a few of us First Year are dating upperclassmen."

"Next year we'll be the upperclassmen to the freshmen too!"

At this point, Ichinose Honami suddenly raised a question that Kitagawa Ryo hadn't expected:

"Speaking of which, when new students enroll in April, each club has to take on the task of recruiting new members. Ryo, do you think our Drama Club needs to add new members?"

"Hmm--It would be best if there were a suitable candidate."

"Then let me take charge of that."

"Let's talk about it then. As the minister, I myself need to carefully screen the candidates."

Since being easily tricked into making all sorts of promises by girls like Horikita Suzune and Ichinose Honami, which led to a series of unexpected major incidents, Kitagawa Ryo now strictly adheres to the principle that making rash vows will bring disaster. Therefore, he did not immediately agree to Ichinose Honami's suggestion, since he really planned to use the recruitment as an excuse to squeeze some people into the Drama Club in a little over a month.

"Oh well."

Although Kitagawa Ryo politely rejected her, Ichinose Honami didn't show any disappointment. It was as if she had just casually asked a question, and she quickly turned her attention back to the stall in front of her.

After fiddling around for a while, Shinohara Satsuki and Komiya Yogo seemed to have finally come to some conclusion. The woman took the initiative to reach into the box and finally took out a skewer with something engraved on it. She opened it with some trepidation, then pursed her lips and handed it to Komiya Yogo, who was also a little nervous.

"I like you. Can we go out together?"

Komiya Yogo seemed surprised by the bluntness of the note, but he still stammered as he read it aloud, word by word.

Shinohara Satsuki was equally surprised that Komiya Yogo didn't hesitate at all. She froze for a moment, then forgot to take the souvenir the shop assistant offered. After staring blankly at Komiya Yogo for a while, she suddenly turned and ran away. Kitagawa Ryo quickly pushed Komiya from behind, signaling him to hurry up and chase after her.

However, Ichinose Honami's attention was no longer on the two of them. Perhaps because of the date that Kitagawa Ryo had mentioned earlier, seeing these things now, she felt a strange sense of disorientation and familiarity about the scene before her.

Because she seemed to have smoked something similar back then, but in the end she didn't have the courage to open it and instead threw it away as if simply escaping reality.

Of course, if we were to have Kitagawa Ryo add to that...

The sentence should be preceded by the phrase "the one he meticulously planned, the one that Honami would definitely pull out".

Just like right now.

Since we've decided to come back again to make up for all the regrets, then naturally we should get another stick too.

This Valentine's Day celebration was never, as Sakayanagi Arisu had guessed, influenced by his personal agenda.

That should be true from beginning to end.

Chapter 468: What Has Been Accumulated

"Are you two also interested in our activity? The rules are simple: just read aloud the sentence on a randomly drawn slip of paper to each other, and you can receive a free souvenir. If you both read it together, you'll receive an extra small gift."

As Ichinose Honami and Kitagawa Ryo approached together, the staff behind the booth gave them a brief explanation of the rules. Then, they waved the blind box filled with sticks at them. However, after noticing Kitagawa Ryo's slight nod, they discreetly pressed a small mechanism on the bottom of the blind box, using other items on the booth as cover.

Although the fortune slips in his box contained auspicious phrases that suited the mood and pleased people, the specific phrases depended on the situation. Customers like Kitagawa Ryo, who had made arrangements in advance, were exactly the kind of customers they liked best. Not only could they earn a little extra Private Points, but they could also avoid all possible risks.

"Honami, come and draw!"

Kitagawa Ryo readily gave the opportunity to Ichinose Honami, who did not refuse and reached into the box, fumbling around for a bit before pulling out a wooden skewer.

On that date long ago, the same slip of paper that was drawn but never opened contained the same words as their promise from back then. At that time, Kitagawa Ryo's meaning was quite simple: he would never leave Ichinose Honami 'A Promise Worth a Thousand Gold side.

In Kitagawa Ryo's view at the time, as long as Ichinose Honami could still remember the promise they made in their childhood, she would instantly understand all his feelings. Then, it would be natural for them to climb to the top of the mountain and, under the brilliance of fireworks, give each other another lifelong promise that would connect the past, present, and future.

The plan was perfect, but unfortunately, it failed miserably in its very first step.

Not only did Ichinose Honami not open the slip of paper, she didn't even actually reach the top of the mountain. Although the latter was indeed related to Karuizawa Kei's unexpected intrusion into their relationship, it was Ichinose Honami herself who actively abandoned, or rather, dared not accept, this affection from the very beginning.

But things are different now.

Ichinose Honami looked at the contents of the stick.

She also clearly remembers all the feelings she had when she rejected Kitagawa Ryo back then; bad endings always leave a deeper impression than good ones.

Fairy tales only end with "The prince and princess lived happily ever after." If your story with him ended there, and time and the world stood still, you could proudly record, "You lived happily ever after." But reality doesn't stop for two people; its pages will keep turning with the years, until the very end of life. Of course, you won't see the final ending, but you can be certain of one thing—

You can agree to it.

Even if you can't see where the story will end, you're willing to believe that as long as you're by his side, the future, no matter how long, will have a wonderful magic that makes you genuinely look forward to it.

As a child Ichinose Honami would close the book contentedly upon seeing the sentence, "The prince and princess lived happily ever after."

As she grows up, she worries about what happens after the "happily ever after" story, because the world and time won't stop for two people. New conflicts, new difficulties, and even the trivialities of life can cause this happy ending to turn into something bad again.

But now, she only feels unsatisfied and looks forward to their next story. Fairy tales are like this, and so is reality.

Many things have already been said countless times in the past, so all that's needed now is confirmation.

Just like the simplest sentence that Kitagawa Ryo:

"Hello, please guide me for the rest of my life."

"Hello, please guide me for the rest of my life."

The staff member watching from the sidelines subconsciously paused in her usual action of handing out a paper bag containing a commemorative gift. It was as if the two people in front of her had already separated from the world she lived in. Even though they were within arm's reach, she felt completely unable to make such a gesture, and a sense of alienation and isolation arose inexplicably from her.

She blinked, as if she could see something called memory flowing through the two bodies almost touching, giving the feeling that it was not a high school romance at all, but a completely different feeling that had nothing to do with words like immaturity, naivety, or caution, and was full of the weight of time.

One two three.

The only three times.

The longest was three times.

A full three lifetimes.

Unlike Ichinose Honami and Kitagawa Ryo, who had already started browsing the stalls inside the venue, and unlike Sakayanagi Arisu, who had been following them the whole time, Horikita Suzune's Valentine's Day plans were quite simple, even boring.

Despite Kitagawa Ryo, as the Student Council President, having already submitted and received approval from the school to exempt Student Council members from the duties and responsibilities of maintaining order and monitoring violations during large events at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, Horikita Suzune, like Mashima Tomoya Kitagawa Ryo and Ichinose Honami met this morning who voluntarily participated in this task, chose to assist with this work as the Student Council vice president.

Only after most of the students and faculty had entered the venue and the flow of people had been completely dispersed by the various areas and stalls inside and outside the venue, did she finally have a chance to catch her breath, find a place to sit down, and sip the bottled water provided by the school for the staff.

"That's really exaggerated."

As soon as Horikita Suzune sat down, another figure appeared beside her like a shadow. It was Amasawa Ichika, who had temporarily formed an alliance with her during this period of fighting against Sakayanagi Arisu.

Unlike Horikita Suzune, who had been diligently working all morning and whose bangs were slightly disheveled and covered in a fine layer of sweat, Amasawa Ichika looked as energetic and vibrant as ever today. Her round, fluorescent eyes were mischievously looking around, and her upturned cat-like mouth subconsciously reminded Horikita Suzune of Kitagawa Ryo's cat named Hotaru, which he kept in the dormitory.

"If I didn't know your personality Suzune, I would also think you were deliberately putting on a show."

Amasawa Ichika patted Horikita Suzune's shoulder playfully, her tone slightly teasing:

"Oh, right, how about I stick a note on your back later, Suzune? It'll say something like, 'I didn't get a date for Valentine's Day, so I have to come to work...' What do you think?"

"I didn't get a date with Ichika either, so I guess I should just stick one on my back first."

Having spent a lot of time with Amasawa Ichika during this period, Horikita Suzune had a pretty good understanding of his personality and behavior patterns, so her tone became unusually casual.

So, you see—

At this point, Amasawa Ichika herself was also somewhat dissatisfied. Her twin ponytails swayed back and forth with her frantic movements, but then she suddenly stopped as if she had remembered something, and touched her chin with her right hand as she spoke:

"What if, when I walk into the Gymnasium, a reliable-looking guy named Kitagawa Ryo, dressed in brand-new clothes specially chosen for Valentine's Day, suddenly walks up to me with flowers, says 'Happy Valentine's Ichika, let's have a blast from morning till night, and it'll always be like this,' and then, in front of everyone, he puts a ring on my finger, kneels down, and proposes to me?"

"If you're still sleepy, you can go back to your dorm and sleep some more. Participation in this activity isn't mandatory for everyone, especially those with delusions."

Horikita Suzune muttered this comment, utterly speechless, as she looked at the red-haired, twin-tailed goblin who was already relentlessly applying a script to herself—and it wasn't even a script for just one person—and said:

So are you going in later?

"Going in wouldn't be very interesting. Am I supposed to Arisu and stalk him? I don't want to watch Ryo being all lovey-dovey with other girls all day. I should have gone there this morning and intercepted him in bed."

It can only be said that after spending so much time together recently, Horikita Suzune is now completely unfazed by Amasawa Ichika's rather bold and uninhibited remarks.

However, she herself knew that what Amasawa Ichika was saying now was just Matoba talk after the fact. If the other party were to actually do it, her favorability towards Kitagawa Ryo would plummet. After all, this was an unspoken rule that everyone tacitly agreed upon. For example, Sakayanagi Arisu had been testing the waters on this front last time, had now incurred the dislike of many people, which was why Amasawa Ichika had been neutral, took the initiative to come and support her.

"Hey, Suzune, don't think I'm just saying this casually... Mmm, if you ask me, it's precisely because you Suzune, don't understand that you're always a step behind others."

To be honest, before having much contact with Horikita Suzune, Amasawa Ichika always thought that she was the kind of person who was in control of the overall situation and never got impatient. After all, Suzune's face and her whole demeanor were very deceptive, easily giving people the illusion of an ice queen or a high-and-mighty flower that was hard to approach.

Or to put it more bluntly, it gives people a slightly... cold feeling.

But after spending more time with him, Amasawa Ichika belatedly realized that...

Is it possible that Horikita Suzune is simply slow-witted, and extremely slow-witted at that?

It can only be said that she and Horikita Manabu reached an amazing consensus on this point. The latter really gave his younger sister a lot of help this year, but the two of them still seemed to be getting along in a lukewarm way. Every day, watching the two of them push a shopping cart to the supermarket, Horikita Manabu felt that they had skipped dating and gone straight to marriage, and were already a married couple several years into their marriage.

Especially when compared to other girls, this contrast is particularly strong, and Amasawa Ichika is the one who feels it the most right now.

"I think it's good to just let things take their natural course."

As someone who managed to diligently run her dessert shop all day during that tumultuous Cultural Festival, Horikita Suzune simply tidied her hair and replied to Amasawa Ichika's complaints with the same nonchalant tone.

Whether compared to Ichinose Honami, who is currently being led by Kitagawa Ryo step by step out of the old days in the venue and fulfilling her unfinished dreams Ichinose Honami one, or compared to Karuizawa Kei and Sakayanagi Arisu, Horikita Suzune's personal simulation experience has determined her mentality and personality.

Love was the endpoint of her only simulation, but it wasn't the main theme running through that simulation; self-awareness and self-reconciliation were.

That's why Horikita Suzune rarely participates in behaviors that she considers excessive. The most emotionally charged time in the past few months was last Christmas, and even when Kitagawa Ryo stood her up for a whole day, she didn't actually say anything too outrageous.

"You've really defeated me."

Seeing that Horikita Suzune remained unmoved, Amasawa Ichika sighed helplessly and stood up, pointing towards the venue:

"Then I'll go in and take a look. Maybe they have a Valentine's Day three-person set meal promotion."

"Well, as the vice president of the Student Council, at least in the projects I've seen, there shouldn't be any such activities."

"Just kidding. Actually, I'm planning to go to the matchmaking event area to take a look. I feel like there's going to be some interesting things to see."

Amasawa Ichika waved her hand casually:

"Where's Suzune? I see you're free now, aren't you going to go in and have some fun? You should enjoy the festival."

"Yes, I know."

"Okay, I'll be going now."

As if suddenly remembering something, Amasawa Ichika quickly took out a beautifully wrapped small gift box from her bag:

"Oh, right."

"Tomorrow is Suzune's birthday, right? This is a birthday present I prepared for you. It's nothing very expensive, so please accept it first, otherwise I'm afraid I'll forget to give it to you tomorrow."

"Thanks."

Somewhat surprised to receive a birthday present from Amasawa Ichika, Horikita Suzune looked a little dazed, as if she hadn't even realized her birthday was tomorrow. However, she quickly regained her composure and politely thanked Amasawa Ichika.

To be honest, she didn't feel any particular connection to her birthday either.

But like that slip of paper covered in words, some things always need a certain opportunity to be said more naturally to someone.

For the first time, Horikita Suzune wanted to make a birthday wish.

She had almost never done this kind of thing in the past.

So, you should have accumulated quite a few by now.

Chapter 469: Shiina Hiyori is Ready

As a celebration jointly participated in by students and faculty, while many student couples inside the venue were lingering among various booths collecting stamps and checking in to receive free gifts, eligible faculty members outside the venue also started their matchmaking event almost simultaneously.

When Amasawa Ichika strolled over here with light steps, she found that there were quite a few students who shared the same idea and had come to watch the excitement. After all, it was quite a rare and novel thing to see their teachers, who were usually serious and stern, participating in blind dates.

Although the male-to-female ratio at this year's matchmaking event didn't seem particularly skewed—definitely not a 1:9 ratio—most attention, both on and off stage, was still focused on the two single female teachers, Hoshinomiya Chie and Chabashira Sae.

As two of the most beautiful teachers at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School, even though both have their own eccentricities, distance makes the heart grow fonder. Apart from Mashima Tomoya, who already knows them well and is aware of their true nature and troublesome aspects, most of the faculty members have a natural affinity for them, especially Chabashira Sae, who has a better reputation. Otherwise, Kitagawa Ryo wouldn't have been able to secure the victory for her at last year's Cultural Festival.

It was precisely because of this that, after the brief self-introduction session, as the host announced the start of a free chat period, a considerable number of the male teachers gathered around Chabashira Sae. Most of them had dressed up and tidied themselves up before leaving home, either wearing brand-new clothes or getting a fashionable perm, vying for attention in front of Chabashira Sae like peacocks courting their mates.