Sakayanagi Arisu

At 7:30 PM, Hoshino enjoyed a cup of instant noodles he had bought from the convenience store in his dormitory room.

With a sense of curiosity, Hoshino drank every last drop of the noodle broth.

As expected, aside from being convenient, this kind of food had its own unique flavor. He couldn't say he liked or disliked it; Hoshino simply felt that there would likely be many times over the next three years when he would have to rely on it to stave off hunger.

Just as he was about to clean up, the doorbell rang.

Hoshino walked quickly to the door and opened it directly without checking the peephole to see who was there.

"Pardon the intrusion."

Sakayanagi Arisu leaned on her cane and walked slowly into the room.

Hoshino took a pair of small women's slippers from the shoe cabinet and handed them to her.

"Oh my, were these prepared specifically for me?"

"I had a feeling you would come over."

Hearing this, Arisu revealed a faint smile. However, she then bent down, took the other two pairs of identical slippers from the cabinet, and tossed them directly into the trash can.

"Arisu-san?"

"I deserve to have a pair of exclusive slippers, so I threw away the others of the same style. That's fine, isn't it?"

"...Arisu-san, are you angry?"

"I am not."

"No, no matter how I look at it, you are..."

"I said I am not angry."

Seeing Arisu-san emphasize this with a smile, Hoshino decisively shut his mouth.

This was clearly not a case of "not angry"; she was obviously furious.

Arisu rolled her eyes at him and slowly walked over to the bed to sit down.

"Coffee?"

"Mm."

"I only have instant."

"The shopping mall should sell small home coffee machines, right?"

"Those are far too expensive; they aren't something I can afford right now. Considering the need to keep emergency funds, I'd have to save for at least three months."

As he spoke, Hoshino boiled water in an electric kettle. Amidst the noise of the heating water, neither of them spoke.

Fortunately, it didn't take long. Once the water boiled, Hoshino took the mug he had bought just today from the cupboard, poured in the instant coffee powder, and added the hot water.

While stirring with a spoon, he snuck a glance; Arisu was sitting quietly on the bed, not looking in his direction.

She shouldn't notice, right? Hoshino decided that as soon as Arisu left, he would immediately dispose of the other mugs of the same style.

He carried the cup and placed it on the table in front of Arisu. He sat on the room's only chair across from the table.

"Thank you."

"My hospitality is lacking."

Arisu raised her cup and clinked it against Hoshino's. Incidentally, Hoshino's cup contained plain water.

Because the water was still very hot, Arisu held the cup with both hands, staring at Hoshino with her lips pursed in a half-smile.

"Akira."

"Hm?"

"How is Class D?"

"Well... I can only say it is exactly as I imagined Class D to be. Setting aside the strength of their academic abilities or other skills, this class clearly lacks unity. From what I've seen so far, it's hard to imagine them acting as a cohesive unit."

Listening to this, the smile at the corners of Arisu's lips deepened.

"But, Class D certainly has many cute girls, doesn't it?"

"Uh, as for that, I..."

"You wouldn't want to say you didn't notice, would you? I saw it this afternoon, you know—Akira was on a date with two cute girls."

So that was it; was this the true nature of her "anger"?

At this moment, whether he offered an explanation or an excuse, it would be difficult for her to take it in. Or rather, she likely knew the truth already, and there was no need to explain anything at all.

The point wasn't to make excuses. The point was how to react at this very moment.

Arisu took a small sip of the coffee, which seemed to still be a bit hot, so she set the cup back on the table for the time being.

Hoshino placed his water glass on the table, stood up, walked around the table, and sat down right next to her.

She tilted her head slightly, narrowing her cat-like eyes as she looked at Hoshino.

"Arisu."

Hoshino wrapped his arm around her waist, using a somewhat forceful strength to pull her body close.

"I'm sorry for making you unhappy."

Arisu leaned quietly against his shoulder, remaining silent for a long while.

"Akira... just how many girls have you been entangled with to have practiced such gentle words?"

"Arisu, you know my situation perfectly well, so please don't tease me like that," Hoshino said with a wry smile.

As the youngest child in his family and a child prodigy who displayed extraordinary talent early on, Hoshino Akira had been protected with extreme care and strictness since he was young. Before coming to this Advanced Nurturing High School, he had almost no friends his own age. As his childhood friend, Arisu knew this better than anyone.

She let out a faint sigh.

"Fine, I'll let you pass this time. Who told me I like you so much?"

She leaned in closer, opening her small mouth to catch Hoshino's earlobe. She first licked it with her small tongue as if tickling him, then gently bit down twice. She had specifically adjusted her teeth to be sharp, and it actually hurt quite a bit.

Of course, more prominent than the pain was the temptation.

With a burst of strength, Hoshino flipped over and pinned Arisu to the bed. Arisu watched him without a hint of panic.

"Such a rough act; my clothes are all wrinkled, mmph--"

The words she hadn't finished were blocked off. After a brief pause, Hoshino felt her clumsy response.

How long had they been kissing? Hoshino wasn't sure; he only knew that when they finally parted, Arisu's delicate lips were slightly swollen and red.

Throughout the entire process, she kept her eyes wide open, not dodging at all.

"I almost couldn't breathe. That was a truly terrible experience."

"When you say it like that, it makes me feel a bit embarrassed..."

"Your kissing technique is superb—or something like that; is this really something worth showing off in front of me?"

You must have had plenty of experience, Arisu's gaze seemed to say silently.

"Uh, it's not really like that."

"In the future, I will improve even more."

Arisu didn't dwell on it, letting Hoshino off the hook easily, yet she still said something that made his imagination run wild.

"W-what does that mean?"

"It means you have a responsibility to practice with me until I'm proficient."

It was truly something for her to say that.

"Can you not look at me like that? I'm super shy right now."

Arisu, who was usually indifferent, now wore a shy and bashful expression, her flushed cheeks looking tender and incredibly alluring.

"...You've been seducing me since just now, Arisu. Did you come to see me with the intention of growing into an adult today?"

"I came here convinced that Akira, being a gentleman, wouldn't hurt a delicate girl like me."

"I don't have any self-awareness of being a gentleman. Besides, on the internet these days, the word 'gentleman' has taken on a meaning similar to 'pervert'."

"That's true. Just now, Akira forcibly pinned me down and kissed me; there wasn't a shred of a gentleman in that."

"That, should I call it being unable to restrain myself or... anyway, I'm sorry. I am reflecting on it."

"Surprising. Are you really reflecting?"

Arisu said with a mischievous smile. Given their current positions, there was really no way to refute her words.

"Akira, do you want me to stay the night?"

"...Arisu, are you serious?"

"We are already engaged. As your future wife, I believe some intimate contact is acceptable."

Arisu nodded calmly.

"When I came over today and saw you with those two girls, I actually felt quite uncomfortable. I know very well that this stems from jealousy. I'm jealous that they can be in the same class as you, and that they could ask you to hang out as classmates the moment they met you."

As she spoke, she lifted her head and pecked Hoshino's lips lightly.

"Seeing them, I couldn't help but have a thought. I am naturally weak, and I might not be able to satisfy you in bed... Therefore, I need to consider choosing a few reliable girls to serve you."

Hoshino really wanted to see his own expression right now. It surely wasn't something that could be described as just "shocked."

"Looking at your expression, I can tell you didn't expect that at all. That's how much I love you, Akira."

Their eyes met, and in the indescribable atmosphere, Hoshino no longer suppressed his impulses. A moment later, the room was filled with the mixed sounds of roughness and soft moans.