I'll Wait for You!

"Systems of simultaneous equations?"

"..."

Though Suzuki Toru had expected Kamuro Masumi's academic level, he still couldn't help shaking his head and sighing.

It wasn't that she was stupid. Honestly, her fundamentals were fine.

But that was all.

She was the type who paid close attention in class, but the moment she tried to solve problems, her true colors showed. She could only do the first and second parts of a long question, and for the rest, all she could do was write down a formula.

When she ran into a difficult problem, she could solve it, but it usually took her a long time, and she relied on brute-force calculations and trial and error.

It wasn't that she didn't study at all. She was just an average student.

In other classes, her level was probably representative of most students. But Class A was different. If she didn't work hard to keep up, she had a good chance of being eliminated.

Even so, Suzuki Toru wasn't particularly bothered. Instead, he patiently continued tutoring Kamuro Masumi.

Before long, Kamuro Masumi felt she'd learned a lot.

"I didn't expect you to be so good at teaching. You seem better than Sakayanagi."

Perhaps she had relaxed. Kamuro Masumi stretched, and a glimpse of her pale belly flashed beneath the hem of her uniform.

"Because you're not stupid." Suzuki Toru had taught students who were truly hopeless at studying, completely unable to understand anything. Compared to them, Kamuro Masumi was actually better.

"I think so too." Kamuro Masumi was a little pleased. It wasn't often that he complimented her.

"At this pace, we'll have tutoring every other day from now on." Suzuki Toru sighed. "Honestly, I didn't expect the Student Council to have so much more work than I'd anticipated."

If he hadn't mentioned the Student Council, Kamuro Masumi might have forgotten that he was its Vice President. And yet here he was, tutoring her.

Thinking about it made her feel a little strange.

"Actually, you don't have to worry about me. I can just study hard the night before an exam or whatever." Kamuro Masumi didn't want to trouble him at all.

"You scored just over sixty on the last quiz, and it was that easy. What if the midterms are harder? Wouldn't you be done for?" Suzuki Toru reminded her.

Kamuro Masumi's face went dark. Had this guy not understood what she was saying?

Was he really going to undermine her like that?

"Also, there's something else I should remind you, Kamuro." Suzuki Toru seemed to have noticed what she was thinking. "I'm tutoring you purely out of selfish motives."

Kamuro Masumi sensed something was wrong. Then she heard him say in a low voice, "You agreed to my request yesterday, didn't you?"

The girl stiffened all at once, her whole body tense. She instinctively avoided his gaze, lightly biting her lip as she pretended nothing was wrong. She swept the long hair hanging in front of her eyes aside, then twirled it around her fingers a few times.

"Tch. I'll satisfy you eventually, you pervert, but not right now." Kamuro Masumi tried to brush him off. She wasn't wearing Safety Shorts today.

Ever since Suzuki Toru had seen through her intentions, she'd been completely deflated and hadn't dared to try anything.

Unfortunately, words weren't so easy to take back.

Suzuki Toru reached out without changing expression and suddenly touched her thigh. She nearly jumped out of her seat.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing? We're in a library!" Kamuro Masumi held back her panic and glared at him fiercely. At the same time, her heart pounded faster and faster. She hadn't thought he'd actually put his hands on her.

"In exchange for receiving my valuable guidance, you have to indulge one small request of mine each time, until you're willing to let me see what's underneath."

Chapter 62: I'll Wait for You!

It was the first time he'd touched his good buddy's thigh. It felt smooth and tender, with a uniquely soft, delicate suppleness. When he pressed down lightly, he could feel its stubborn springiness. It seemed like he could spend all day just touching it.

Suzuki Toru had thought she would immediately slap his hand away, but she only blushed slightly and glared at him in displeasure before turning her gaze elsewhere.

"Only for a little while," Kamuro Masumi whispered.

Suzuki Toru really was a pervert sometimes, but this was probably the first time he'd actually made a move on her. Until now, he'd only ever run his mouth.

She was used to him calling her that. Now that he was finally touching her, Kamuro Masumi found her feelings complicated.

It wasn't that she hated it. She was more numb to it than anything.

Kamuro Masumi sighed inwardly. She'd just treat this as a reward for him this time. After all, his tutoring had genuinely helped her.

As for what Suzuki Toru had just said, she pretended she hadn't heard it.

However, Kamuro Masumi soon regretted it. She had vastly underestimated how much of a pervert Suzuki Toru was.

"Since you don't want to let me see what's underneath, could you at least tell me what color you're wearing today?" Suzuki Toru's expression remained calm. The moment he touched her thigh, one wish had been fulfilled.

But he wasn't satisfied.

[Take a walk around campus with Kamuro Masumi tonight], [make Kamuro Masumi and Sakayanagi Arisu lie on top of each other], [make Kamuro Masumi into a little maid], [tease her until her face turns bright red], [could Kamuro Masumi be on top?]...

Most of his wishes probably weren't possible for now, but he could at least try to make some of them happen.

At the very least, he had to make Kamuro Masumi blush—or force her to reveal her girlish innocence.

"Disgusting!" Kamuro Masumi cursed him without hesitation.

Suzuki Toru wasn't offended at all. The more she despised him, the better.

"Kamuro, I think of you as one of the guys. That's why I want to see. Why can't I?"

Seeing how completely convinced he seemed, Kamuro Masumi fell silent.

She was a woman, not one of his buddies. And even if she were his buddy, she wasn't a lesbian, and there was no way she'd let him see what was underneath.

Just how obsessed with her was this guy?

Kamuro Masumi was about to curse him out again when a commotion broke out nearby.

"Shut up! This has nothing to do with you!"

An irritable boy slammed his hand down on the table, stood up, and glared at the girl across from him.

"It does have nothing to do with me. You're the ones who'll end up expelled. I just feel sorry for you," the girl replied calmly, unruffled.

"Are you kidding me? Studying is completely useless!" the boy shouted in frustration. "Instead of clinging to textbooks, I'd rather work toward becoming a basketball player. Studying won't help me at all in the future!"

"That's wrong. You run away whenever you encounter a difficult problem. I imagine you're the same when you play basketball: you only care about how well you're playing, pay no attention to anyone else, and never try to work on your weaknesses. If I were a coach, I wouldn't even consider recruiting someone like you."

Faced with the girl's taunting, the boy flew into a rage. He grabbed the front of her uniform and raised his fist to strike.

But someone immediately stopped him.

"Sudo!"

By then, quite a few students in the library had noticed the commotion.

Suzuki Toru had noticed it too. He watched the scene with a strange look on his face.

Well, the girl who'd nearly been hit was Horikita Suzune.

The person stopping Ken Sudō was Kushida Kikyo. Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, whom he'd seen last time, was sitting off to the side, and several other students were watching nearby.

There was no doubt about it. This strange group must all be students from Class D.

"I have absolutely no interest in you, but I don't think someone like you could achieve such a childish dream as becoming a professional player." Horikita Suzune didn't seem afraid of Ken Sudō at all. Instead, she continued to mock him.

"You woman!" Ken Sudō's eyes blazed with fury. "I skipped club activities to come to your stupid study group. What a waste of time!"

Before Kushida Kikyo could say anything, he let go of Horikita Suzune, turned around, packed his bag, and headed for the library exit.

The others silently stood up as well. Right in front of Horikita Suzune, they all turned and left. Even Kushida Kikyo looked helpless.

"Looks like they're from Class D. What a bunch of idiots!" Kamuro Masumi had seen their argument too, and couldn't help laughing. She'd even forgotten that Suzuki Toru was still touching her thigh.

The commotion had been so loud that Shiina Hiyori, sitting nearby, couldn't help looking up curiously.

"Looks like there are a lot of people in Class D who aren't good at studying." Suzuki Toru turned his gaze away. The more setbacks Horikita Suzune faced, the better it was for him.

Then he looked at Shiina Hiyori beside him.

"By the way, you're a first-year too, right?"

Shiina Hiyori looked a little surprised, but nodded. "Yes. I'm Shiina Hiyori from Class 1-C. It's nice to meet you."

"I'm Suzuki Toru from Class 1-A, and this is my classmate, Kamuro." Suzuki Toru introduced them naturally.

"Maybe this is a little forward, but are you two dating?" Shiina Hiyori asked, blushing slightly. She had been reading, but the two of them didn't seem to be hiding their actions from her at all.

At this point, Suzuki Toru was still touching Kamuro Masumi under her gaze. For a pure-hearted bookworm like her, it was quite a shock.

"Who would date this guy!" Kamuro Masumi finally came to her senses and slapped Suzuki Toru's hand away.

Suzuki Toru didn't mind. He simply asked, "Don't you need to prepare for the midterms, Shiina?"

"I'm doing all right in my studies," Shiina Hiyori replied with an embarrassed smile. "And I don't need to help with the tutoring in my class, so I can read other books in the library."

Suzuki Toru had noticed the mystery novel in her hands a while ago. It was a classic detective story.

"Is that a Lawrence Block novel?"

Shiina Hiyori froze. She hadn't expected him to know the author of the book she was holding, and her eyes lit up.

"Yes. Do you like detective novels too, Suzuki?" She thought she'd found someone with the same interest.

Suzuki Toru shook his head. "I've only read Sherlock Holmes. I haven't read any other detective novels."

Shiina Hiyori drooped for a moment, then quickly cheered up and gave him a lovely smile.

"Would you like to give it a try?"

As she pulled a book out of her schoolbag, Suzuki Toru silently accepted it under someone's watchful gaze.

"It'll probably take me a few days to finish. I'll return it to you next time."

"I'll wait for you!"

Seeing that Suzuki Toru didn't seem to be joking, Shiina Hiyori smiled even more brightly.

Meanwhile, Horikita Suzune watched Kushida Kikyo's retreating back. It seemed the study group had ended on a sour note.