Dinner Invitation

"They're coming out, they're coming out."

A boy said excitedly.

Suddenly, the gazes of almost all the boys turned toward the opposite side of the swimming pool.

They only saw a series of youthful and beautiful figures, and the colorful swimsuits were so dazzling that some boys wished they could grow a few extra eyes.

Horikita Etsuka had already entered the pool, his left hand resting on the edge, his lower body completely submerged, his eyes unable to stop looking curiously toward the girls' direction.

The girls were also curiously looking toward the boys' side, forming small groups and whispering to each other:

"Wow, I didn't expect Kanzaki to have some muscle."

"Yeah, but Shibata's physique is just as I imagined, don't you think? Amikura?"

Amikura Mako was wearing a purple one-piece swimsuit, her large eyes constantly searching for something in the direction of the boys.

"Hey? What are you looking at, Amikura? So engrossed?" A small hand rested on Amikura's shoulder.

Amikura Mako finally came back to her senses, and she laughed guiltily: "Oh, it's Ichinose. I wasn't looking at anything."

"Oh? Is that so?" Ichinose nodded and turned her head to look toward the boys' direction: "Huh? Why don't I see Horikita?"

"Huh? Horikita?" Amikura Mako was stunned for a moment, and she asked curiously: "Does Ichinose have something to discuss with Horikita?"

Ichinose glanced sideways at Amikura, then pretended to answer casually:

"No, I just wanted to see Horikita's body."

"Huh? Eek! See... see his body!" Amikura Mako's face immediately turned bright red, and it felt as if steam were rising around her:

"I... Ichinose, are you being that blunt? Do you like Horikita?"

"Hmm? Blunt?" Ichinose only then realized what she had said, and she shook her head with a smile:

"I'm so sorry, Amikura. My phrasing just now wasn't accurate. I just wanted to know if Horikita's muscle and physique are similar to Shibata's, since their physical fitness is about the same."

"Phew~" Hearing Ichinose's explanation, Amikura finally breathed a sigh of relief, but she immediately realized something.

[Isn't that still wanting to see his body!]

Ichinose reached out and placed her hand on Amikura's forehead, asking a question she already knew the answer to:

"Alright, alright, I actually wanted to discuss the study group I'm organizing with Horikita. After all, if anyone fails next time, they'll be expelled. Although everyone in our class has stable grades, we still need to strengthen things a bit."

"Huh? So that's it." Amikura Mako's tightly clenched little fist finally slowly relaxed.

A flash of mischief crossed Ichinose's eyes as she pointed toward a corner of the pool: "Horikita is over there!"

"Where?" Amikura immediately looked where Ichinose pointed, only to find that Horikita Etsuka was not there at all.

"Pfft." Ichinose covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, but the sound still slipped out.

"Fine, Ichinose, you tricked me!" Amikura Mako immediately realized she had been played, so she puffed out her cheeks angrily, put her hands on her hips, and glared at Ichinose.

Ichinose reached out and pinched Amikura's soft cheeks, blinking her eyes: "Does Amikura like Horikita?"

"I... I..." Amikura Mako was unable to answer for a moment after hearing Ichinose ask such a question.

Ichinose understood instantly.

"Oh~ so Amikura likes..."

"Ichinose!" Amikura Mako looked left and right, terrified that someone might notice them, and hurriedly used her hand to cover Ichinose's mouth.

Ichinose dodged away with a light hop, her hands behind her back, the soft flesh on her chest trembling: "Hehe, what's so hard to admit about that, Amikura? I'll help you."

"Ichinose, keep your voice down." Amikura Mako said through gritted teeth, and having learned her lesson, she reached out to pinch the soft flesh at Ichinose's waist.

"I can defend myself, you know, Amikura." Ichinose used her hands to block her.

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author; maybe the name was just changed!

As they played and wrestled, they ended up in the water, splashing each other while laughing.

Horikita Etsuka felt the silver-bell-like sounds pouring into his ears. He looked toward Ichinose's direction, and seeing that surging, vibrant youth, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Do not look at what is improper, do not look at what is improper..." He muttered, while squinting his eyes open just a sliver.

[As expected, watching women fight is the best, uh... even though they aren't actually fighting.]

Although he had gotten his wish and seen the girls in their swimsuits, Himeno Yuki, who sat next to Horikita Etsuka, had not appeared.

[Did Himeno take the day off?]

The swimming teacher arrived quite late, but after briefly teaching everyone how to float slowly in the water, he announced free time.

"Etsuka, take this!"

While Horikita Etsuka was observing human play behavior, Nakanishi Jiro splashed a handful of water directly at him.

Etsuka's hair was soaked instantly, and droplets of water dripped down his bangs. He didn't move at all, nor did he have any reaction.

This left Nakanishi Jiro completely bewildered; he even suspected that he had made the other boy angry, so he leaned over and asked tentatively:

"Et... Etsuka, what's wrong?"

Horikita Etsuka moved with lightning speed, scooping up a handful of water and splashing it back behind him.

Nakanishi Jiro's face made direct contact with the water.

"Too busy watching, forgot to tie you up, didn't I?" Horikita Etsuka's lips curled slightly as he scooped up water to retaliate, his speed surprisingly fast.

"Damn it, damn it!" Nakanishi Jiro was caught off guard and exclaimed repeatedly, "Etsuka, you're really not a bro, playing dirty like that!"

"War is based on deception, don't you know that?"

Happy times are always short, and the swimming class ended quickly, leaving everyone exhausted from the play.

Etsuka simply dried himself off and changed his clothes before walking out of the locker room.

He brushed his bangs upward, revealing his fair skin and high-bridged nose.

The Horikita family had good genetics; almost everyone was a handsome man or a beautiful woman, and there was no doubt about that, so Etsuka could be considered a beneficiary.

"Horikita!" Amikura Mako stood not far away, waving at Etsuka.

Horikita Etsuka focused his gaze and saw that she had already changed into her school uniform, though her hair was still wet and tied into a bun.

Amikura Mako usually wore a purple high ponytail, but this time she had tied it into a bun, which really gave her a different look.

"What's up?" Horikita Etsuka asked curiously.

Amikura slowly approached, stopping when she was about three or four fists away from Horikita Etsuka.

Her face was a bit flushed, though it was hard to tell if it was because she had just finished swimming class.

"Um..." Amikura looked left and right, "Horikita, are you going to the cafeteria to eat in a bit?"

"Yeah." Horikita Etsuka nodded.

Swimming class was the last period of the afternoon, and since Horikita Etsuka wasn't the type of person who liked to eat late, he usually went to eat right after the last class ended.

"Then shall we go together? I have something I'd like to ask of you, and we can chat while we walk." Amikura Mako looked at Horikita Etsuka with anticipation.

"Sure." Horikita Etsuka agreed without a second thought.

After all, being able to eat with a beautiful girl had to be much better than eating with Nakanishi Jiro, right?

Nakanishi Jiro: "?"

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