Jade Feet

The long school bell echoed through the corridor, but for many in Class D, it seemed to lack a sense of urgency.

On the podium, the teacher explained complex formulas, the chalk scratching against the blackboard, yet a subtle, almost permissive atmosphere permeated the classroom.

After all, the class points were like a zero that had rusted into place, remaining completely stagnant for nearly three months.

For some students, it was as if an invisible "immunity" had been granted—"It's been zero all along anyway, so who cares how class goes?" Such thoughts festered in the shadows.

However, the classroom was not entirely filled with slackers.

More students still sat with straight backs, eyes fixed on the blackboard or their textbooks, their pen tips moving rapidly across their notebooks.

What supported them was no longer the passion for competing for points, but a more realistic and urgent law of survival: to pass the upcoming final exams and avoid crossing the red line of expulsion.

Even though the alluring monthly point distribution had become a pipe dream, the superior conditions provided by the school itself—new, comfortable dormitories, high-level instruction, and waived tuition—were already a rare paradise for many students from ordinary backgrounds.

In other words, as long as one ensured they weren't expelled and remained in this "paradise," with class points already at zero, one could, to a certain extent... live more as they pleased.

For instance, Hoshino Kanade, sitting in the corner by the window, was one who carried out this "living as one pleases" quite thoroughly.

Sunlight filtered through the clean glass window, casting spots of light onto his open physics textbook.

Beneath the textbook, however, lay a thick history tome borrowed from the library.

He rested his chin on one hand, his fingertips occasionally turning the pages, his posture lazy; clearly, his mind had long since drifted away from the classroom's Ohm's Law.

And his desk-mate behind him, Ayanokoji Kiyona, was the most active accomplice and... the source of this "leisure."

Most of the time, this was more like Kiyona's personal "show."

Sensing Hoshino Kanade's relaxation, she would offer a sly smile, her slender fingers quietly reaching behind her, and through the boy's somewhat thin school shirt, she began to stir trouble on that warm, flat "canvas."

Her fingertips traced softly, outlining crooked heart shapes, or writing out straightforward, girlish sentiments stroke by stroke, such as "I love Kanade the most" or "Kanade is the best in the world."

Those mushy and frank words of affection transmitted through touch gave Hoshino Kanade a small case of goosebumps on his back, but the corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably, and his heart felt warm and comforted—he might act annoyed, but he was truly enjoying it.

Occasionally, Kiyona would switch battlefields.

She would silently slip off her indoor shoes, and her jade-like feet, wrapped in pure white cotton socks, would arrive quietly from under the desk.

The small ankles had beautiful lines, the arches curving at just the right angle, and being wrapped in soft socks added a hazy allure.

The tips of the socks first probed tentatively, lightly brushing against the outer side of Hoshino Kanade's calf, which he could clearly feel through his trousers.

She would touch and retreat, like the teasing of a feather. Whenever Hoshino Kanade glanced over or his leg muscles reacted, that "instrument of crime" would instantly retract like a startled rabbit.

Kiyona would then pretend to be listening intently, eyes fixed forward, leaving only a faint, smug smirk at the corner of her mouth.

After repeating this several times, Hoshino Kanade remained outwardly calm, but he was silently calculating her rhythm in his mind.

Finally, when that restless jade foot brushed over with the familiar sensation again, Hoshino Kanade struck with a nerve reflex speed far exceeding that of an ordinary high schooler! He firmly clamped onto that slender ankle!

Kiyona's entire body stiffened, and she let out a low gasp, attempting to pull back, but the disparity in strength, combined with the space constraints of the desk and chair, made it difficult for her to exert force. After struggling in vain, her ankle remained tightly clamped in Hoshino Kanade's warm palm.

The hunting time had begun.

At first, Hoshino Kanade was merely kneading the sock-covered foot with a hint of punishment, feeling the supple yet bony texture. Through the thin cotton sock, he could clearly feel the subtle movements of her toes curling and stretching.

Seeing Kiyona forcing herself to stay calm, only biting her lower lip to keep from making a sound, a playful glint appeared in Hoshino Kanade's eyes.

He subtly increased his pressure, changing the areas he kneaded—the soft flesh of the sole? The hollow of the arch? The base of the toes? He calmly felt the subtle changes in the foot muscles beneath his palm and the instantaneous tightening, keenly capturing the girl's "fatal weakness."

When his fingertips pressed lightly against a spot on the inner arch, Kiyona's body shuddered visibly. Her fingers, gripping the edge of the desk, turned white at the knuckles, and her cheeks were instantly dyed a deep crimson like the sunset.

Very good, he had found it.

Hoshino Kanade did not hesitate to launch a targeted "attack," his fingertips circling and kneading that sensitive skin with undeniable force.

"Mmph..." A suppressed, broken whimper almost escaped her throat, only to be bitten back hard by Kiyona.

The immense physical stimulation, mixed with the extreme shame of being afraid of discovery in class, made her tremble all over.

She could no longer hold it back. While twisting her body to try and avoid those deadly fingers, she used her free hand to urgently pat Hoshino Kanade's back—once, twice... the force grew stronger, carrying a silent plea for mercy.

Hoshino Kanade had achieved his goal and didn't want to actually force a sound out of her.

So, he stopped while he was ahead and released his hand.

Like a startled clam, Kiyona immediately retracted her foot and hid it away.

Hoshino Kanade subconsciously pulled back the hand that had gripped her ankle, his nostrils twitching as if catching a lingering scent—huh? It was cool and clean, with a faint, unique fragrance that belonged to her.

Uh... Hoshino Kanade's body stiffened, a sudden sense of self-doubt rising within him: Smelling his fingers? This behavior... was it a bit perverted? He coughed awkwardly and silently placed his hand back on the desk.

But clearly, Kiyona's adaptability (or perhaps her "death-seeking" ability) was far beyond imagination.

A few minutes later, once her shock had subsided, that familiar, ticklish sensation climbed onto Hoshino Kanade's outer calf once again!

"Tsk, you never learn..." Hoshino Kanade thought to himself. This time, he didn't act immediately. Instead, he pretended not to notice, staring straight at the blackboard, letting the white-socked foot brush against his leg as if it were a docile kitten. Sure enough, seeing no reaction, Kiyona grew bolder, and her movements became increasingly daring.

Now!

The moment Kiyona let her guard down again, her toes nearly brushing his knee, Hoshino Kanade struck with the precision of a leopard!

This time, his target was clearer—he clamped her ankle with one hand, while the other moved as fast as the wind to pinch the edge of the sock at her toes. Catching her off guard, he actually pulled off that silky, slightly warm short sock and stuffed it into his school uniform pocket with extreme naturalness!

The long school bell echoed through the corridor, but for many in Class D, it seemed to lack a sense of urgency.

On the podium, the teacher explained complex formulas, the chalk scratching against the blackboard, yet a subtle, almost permissive atmosphere permeated the classroom.

After all, the class points were like a rusted-shut zero, having remained completely motionless for nearly three months.

For a portion of the students, it was as if an invisible "truce sign" had been hung up—"Since it's always been zero anyway, it doesn't matter how I do in class." This kind of mentality began to fester in the shadows.

However, the classroom was not entirely filled with slacking figures.

More people still sat with their backs straight, eyes fixed on the blackboard or their textbooks, their pen tips moving rapidly across their notebooks.

What supported them was no longer the passion for competing for points, but a more realistic and urgent law of survival: to pass the upcoming final exams smoothly and avoid stepping over the red line of expulsion.

Even though the monthly distribution of those tempting points had become a pipe dream, the superior conditions provided by the school itself—brand new, comfortable dormitories, high-level instruction, and waived tuition—were already a rare paradise for many students from ordinary backgrounds.

In other words, as long as one ensured they weren't expelled and stayed in this "paradise," with class points already at zero, one could, to a certain extent, indeed... live a bit more as one pleased.

For instance, Hoshino Kanade, sitting in the corner by the window, was one of those who carried out this "living as one pleases" quite thoroughly.

Sunlight filtered through the clean glass window, casting spots of light onto his open physics textbook.

Beneath the textbook, however, lay a thick history tome borrowed from the library.

He rested his chin on one hand, his fingertips occasionally turning the pages, his posture lazy; clearly, his mind had long since drifted away from the Ohm's Law being taught in class.

And sitting behind him, Ayanokoji Kiyona was the most active accomplice and... the source of this "leisure."

Most of the time, this was more like Kiyona's personal "show."

Sensing Hoshino Kanade's relaxation, she would offer a sly smile, her slender fingers quietly reaching behind her back, and through the boy's somewhat thin school uniform shirt, she began to stir up trouble on that warm, flat "canvas."

Her fingertips traced softly, outlining crooked heart shapes, or writing out straightforward, girl-hearted phrases one stroke at a time, such as "I love Kanade the most" or "Kanade is number one in the world."

Those mushy yet frank words of love were transmitted through touch, giving Hoshino Kanade a light layer of goosebumps on his back, yet the corners of his mouth lifted uncontrollably, and his heart felt warm and comforted—he might act annoyed, but he was truly enjoying it.

Occasionally, Kiyona would also switch battlefields.

She would silently slip off her indoor shoes, and her jade-like feet, wrapped in pure white cotton socks, would quietly arrive from under the table.

The small ankles had beautiful lines, and the arches of her feet curved at just the right angle; wrapped in soft socks, they added a hazy, alluring quality.

The tips of the socks first probed tentatively, lightly brushing against the outer side of Hoshino Kanade's calf, which he could clearly perceive even through his trousers.

She would touch and retreat, like the flick of a feather; the moment Hoshino Kanade glanced sideways or his leg muscles reacted slightly, that "tool of the crime" would instantly shrink back like a startled rabbit.

Kiyona would then pretend to be listening to the lecture intently, eyes fixed forward, leaving only a faint, smug smirk at the corner of her mouth.

After this happened a few times, Hoshino Kanade remained outwardly calm, but in his heart, he was silently calculating her rhythm.

Finally, when that restless jade foot brushed over again with the familiar sensation, Hoshino Kanade struck suddenly with a speed of neural reflex far exceeding that of an ordinary high school student! He firmly clamped onto that slender ankle!

Kiyona's entire body stiffened, and she let out a low gasp, attempting to pull back, but the disparity in strength, combined with the space constraints of the desk and chair, made it extremely difficult for her to exert force. After struggling in vain a few times, her ankle remained tightly held in Hoshino Kanade's warm palm.

The hunting time had begun.

At first, Hoshino Kanade was merely kneading the foot wrapped in the sock with a hint of punishment, feeling the supple yet bony texture. Through the thin cotton sock, he could clearly feel the subtle movements of her toes curling and stretching.

Seeing Kiyona trying to stay calm, only biting her lower lip to keep from making a sound, a playful glint appeared in Hoshino Kanade's eyes.

He subtly increased his strength, changing the areas he kneaded—the soft flesh of the sole? The hollow of the arch? The base of the toes? He calmly felt the subtle changes in the foot muscles under his palm and their instant tightening, keenly capturing the girl's "fatal weakness."

When his fingertips pressed lightly against a certain spot on the inner arch, Kiyona's body shook noticeably. Her fingers, hooked onto the edge of the desk, turned white from the pressure, and her cheeks instantly flushed with a deep crimson like the evening glow.

Very well, found it.

Hoshino Kanade began his targeted "attack" without hesitation, his fingertips circling and kneading that sensitive skin with undeniable force.

"Mmph..." A suppressed, broken whimper almost escaped her throat, only to be bitten back hard by Kiyona.

The immense physical stimulation, mixed with the extreme shame of fearing discovery in class, made her entire body tremble slightly.

She could no longer hold it back; while twisting her body to try and dodge those deadly fingers, she used her free hand to pat Hoshino Kanade's back urgently—once, twice... the force grew stronger, carrying a silent plea for mercy.

Hoshino Kanade had achieved his goal and didn't want to actually force a sound out of her.

So, he stopped while he was ahead and released his hand.

Like a startled clam, Kiyona immediately pulled her foot back and hid it away.

Hoshino Kanade subconsciously retracted the hand that had held her ankle, his nostrils twitching as if catching a lingering scent—hm? It was clear and refreshing, still carrying a faint, sweet fragrance unique to her.

Uh... Hoshino Kanade's body stiffened, a sudden sense of self-doubt rising within him: Smelling his fingers? This behavior... was it a bit perverted? He coughed awkwardly and silently placed his hand back on the desk.

But clearly, Kiyona's ability to adapt (or rather, her "death-seeking" ability) was far beyond imagination.

A few minutes later, once her shock had subsided, that familiar, itchy sensation crept back onto the outer side of Hoshino Kanade's calf!

Tsk, she never learns... Hoshino Kanade thought to himself. This time, he didn't act immediately; instead, he pretended not to notice, his gaze fixed straight ahead at the blackboard, letting that jade foot in the white sock rub against his leg as if it were truly a docile little cat. Sure enough, seeing no reaction from him, Kiyona's courage grew, and her movements became increasingly bold.

Now is the time!

The moment Kiyona let her guard down again, with her toes almost brushing his knee, Hoshino Kanade struck with the precision of a leopard!

This time, the target was more specific—he clamped onto her ankle with one hand, while his other hand moved as fast as the wind to pinch the edge of the sock at her toes. Catching her off guard, he actually pulled off that silky, slightly warm short sock and stuffed it into his school uniform pocket with extreme naturalness!