The Little Boy's Story

After Sakura left, Kushida watched her retreating back thoughtfully for a while before turning to Hoshino with a faint smile. "So... did I ruin your plans?"

"It's nothing. I wasn't planning to do anything anyway. Airi and I are still just ordinary friends."

"You're still lying. Ordinary friends usually don't do those kinds of things."

"The layer of paper between us has only just been pierced, so we're not much different from ordinary friends yet."

Maybe you want to pierce something else too. Kushida thought to herself.

"By the way, when did you get here?"

"Mm, probably when Sakura confessed to you."

"Uh, so you watched almost the whole thing? I didn't notice you at all."

"Hehe, if you're careful, you can move around without making much noise." Kushida said with a smile. "But more importantly, you were busy bullying Sakura."

"Since you were already here, why didn't you speak up until the end?"

"Hehe, watching other people get intimate from the sidelines is interesting too."

For some reason, Kushida was in high spirits. Then, in a syrupy sweet voice, she giggled coyly. "Um, can I call you Akira-kun?"

"In front of other people, sure." Hoshino remained seated lazily, his tone calm. "In private, call me Master."

"As if!" Kushida stuck out her tongue and made a face at him.

"Come here!" Hoshino beckoned to Kushida.

"I really can't stand how bossy you are." Kushida complained, but obediently walked over to Hoshino. "What is it?"

Hoshino grabbed her arm and yanked her over. Kushida cooperatively stumbled, landing right in Hoshino's arms.

"Hey, what are you—"

Before Kushida could finish, Hoshino interrupted her with a slap.

"You bastard! Mm! You dare hit me? Mm! Hit my butt... mm..."

Amid the intermittent smack, smack sounds, Kushida's curses came in broken fragments before eventually becoming somewhat strange.

"You... mm... stop... mm... it hurts... mm..."

Hoshino stopped. "Do you know what you did wrong?"

"You bastard..."

Smack!

"Master~~ I know I was wrong~~"

After taking another slap, Kushida finally gave in.

During this time, from the perspective of their classmates, the relationship between Hoshino and Kushida was truly rather strange. Rumors had clearly spread that Kushida's confession had been rejected, yet neither of the people involved seemed affected at all. They still talked and interacted as usual.

When some close classmates secretly asked about it, Kushida looked shocked and said there was no such thing. Hoshino, meanwhile, smugly claimed that Kushida had indeed threatened to die if he refused to date her, but he had turned her down.

Ike and Yamauchi had originally wanted to join in on the fun, but Hoshino's bragging left them thoroughly speechless, and they could only leave in frustration.

"If Ike and the others saw the cutest girl in class looking like this now, who knows how shocked they'd be."

"You've got some nerve saying that! Do you know how much effort I put into clearing up those rumors about you and me?" Kushida muttered as she stood up. "Ow... my butt is swollen."

"That's a good thing. Don't girls all like figures with curves in all the right places?"

Kushida curled her lips. "That's what you boys like, isn't it?"

"True." Hoshino nodded. "I like Kushida when she's curvy and smoking hot. I hope you'll keep improving in the future."

"Yes, yes, yes." Kushida agreed perfunctorily. She tried to sit beside Hoshino, but the instant her butt touched the stone, she sprang back up.

"Does it hurt that much?" Hoshino asked with a smile.

"You're the one who hit me, and you're still laughing at me!" Kushida said unhappily, pouting. She turned in place, then directly sat on Hoshino's lap. Hoshino wrapped one arm around her waist and used two fingers from the other hand to push up the corners of her mouth, forcing a stiff smile onto her face.

Kushida shook her head and flung Hoshino's hand away, looking disgusted. "You were just getting all lovey-dovey with another girl here. Don't touch me with that hand."

Hoshino did not care at all about Kushida's words saying one thing while her body said another. He simply switched positions and continued touching her. Kushida, weak by nature, soon went limp in Hoshino's arms, her face flushed red.

"Kushida." There was no emotion in Hoshino's voice. "What did you want to tell me? You can say it now, right?"

"...What?"

"Stop pretending. You've been acting strange since we were in the classroom today. Then you went to the Activity Building on your own, and now you came here looking for me... What are you thinking? You might as well tell me directly."

"..." A flicker of panic crossed Kushida's eyes, but she stubbornly pressed her lips together and said nothing.

"You won't say it? Then let me guess. But if I guess right, your punishment will be more than just a spanking."

Kushida gritted her teeth, shut her eyes, and played dead.

Hoshino chuckled. Even though they were the only two people there, he still lowered his voice and spoke slowly. "Jealousy, worry, and greed."

Kushida's lashes trembled lightly, but she held herself back from reacting.

"To be more specific, jealousy toward Airi, worry about Haruka, and..."

"Stop it!" Kushida suddenly cut him off.

"Fine, I'll stop." Hoshino was very satisfied with her reaction and affectionately pulled her closer. Kushida's body was slightly stiff at first, then gradually relaxed beneath the magic of his hands.

So strange... so comfortable... I want this to last forever...

Kushida tried hard to shake away the tangled thoughts in her mind. Stiffening her neck, she said rigidly, "Do you think I was wrong?"

"It can't really be called wrong. It's just that I hope you can accept that I'm unfaithful."

"Like Sakura?"

"Airi... never even considered having me all to herself." Hoshino shook his head. "Come to think of it, I still haven't handled what I promised Airi. Wait a moment. I'll make a call first."

Hoshino took out his phone and skillfully entered a string of numbers. After waiting a few seconds, the call connected, and a steady male voice came from the other end. "What is it?"

"Zhi..."

"Skip the pleasantries. I'm in a meeting. You have thirty seconds."

"There's a man named Matsumoto Jin. He stalked and harassed my woman. I want him punished."

"Understood." The voice on the other end sounded mechanically synthesized, without the slightest fluctuation.

The thirty seconds were up, and the call ended immediately.

Kushida, who had listened to everything, looked at Hoshino with a complicated expression.

"Don't make that face." Hoshino said flatly. "Kushida, let me tell you a story."

"There was a little boy born into a wealthy family. His parents, older brother, and older sisters all treated him well. As the youngest child in the family, he grew up happily."

"On his tenth birthday, his father announced in front of the entire family at a gathering that, according to family tradition, all of the family's businesses would eventually be inherited by his older brother. The little boy and his sisters would not be allowed to involve themselves in them."

"Everyone had already understood this without saying, but the little boy's older brother suddenly said that the boy was more talented than him and was willing to give up the position of heir to him. Their father did not agree, and even scolded the older brother on the spot. The gathering ended on a sour note."