Summer Vacation Sneak-Shot Incident

The final exams arrived as scheduled, and thanks to the study sessions, not a single student from Class 1-C was expelled.

The students welcomed the summer break, and the school entered a more relaxed phase.

For seven consecutive days, Hoshida No had been participating in promotional shoots for the Martial Arts Club and inter-school exchange matches.

Karuizawa Kei and Ichinose Honami had come to find him together several times, but they always missed him.

It wasn't until Kei, growing anxious, called him several times in a row that Hoshida No finally returned the call during a break.

"Brother No! Where have you been these past few days? We couldn't find you at all!" Kei complained.

"I've been handling matters at the Martial Arts Club, and I had my phone on silent," Hoshida No's voice came through the phone.

"Geez... I thought you'd disappeared." Kei muttered.

Then, her tone turned light, "Anyway, we've talked it over with Kikyo, and tomorrow we're all going to the beach near the school! You have to come, okay? Honami has been wanting to see you, too."

From the other end of the line, Ichinose Honami's corrective voice could be heard: "Kei, don't say it like that."

Followed by Kushida Kikyo's laughter: "That's right, Hoshida-kun, you really should come and relax."

"Fine. Time and place."

"Tomorrow morning at nine, meet at the school's main gate! It's a deal!"

Hanging up the phone, Hoshida No glanced at Morikawa, who was still filming, and whispered, "It's about time to relax."

On the other side, Horikita Suzune's seven days were spent strictly following the early summer self-improvement schedule she had devised for herself.

Morning runs, self-study, reading, and physical training were all planned down to the minute.

She did not participate in any group outings; to her, meaningless socializing with irrelevant people was a pure waste of time.

Her gaze remained locked on catching up to her brother and raising the class points, and for now, she believed that improving her own abilities was the optimal arrangement.

On the night before the scheduled outing, Hoshida No's phone rang again; the caller ID showed Ayanokoji Kiyotaka.

"Hoshida."

"Speak."

"Yamauchi Haruki, Sotomura Hideo, as well as Sudo Ken and Ike Kanji, are planning to sneak into the women's changing area to take photos tomorrow morning while there are few tourists on the beach."

Ayanokoji's voice was devoid of emotion. "They seem to think this is an exciting summer adventure. I intend to stop them. Also, Horikita Suzune somehow got wind of it and indicated she would intervene."

Hoshida No was silent for two seconds.

"What a risky move," Hoshida No evaluated. "You're telling me this because you want me to step in? With you and Horikita, it should be fine, right?"

There was a pause on the other end. "You're going to the beach tomorrow, aren't you? Just consider it a favor."

"The location remains the same. I'll be there." Hoshida No finished the call.

Even if Ayanokoji hadn't said anything, he would have stopped them anyway; after all, voyeurism was truly disgusting.

The next morning at nine, at the school's main gate.

When Hoshida No appeared in a simple dark short-sleeved T-shirt and casual pants, he found a small group had already gathered.

Karuizawa Kei was wearing a fresh-looking dress and waved at him the moment she saw him.

Beside her, Ichinose Honami wore a light-colored top with a knee-length skirt, nodding with a smile.

Kushida Kikyo was dressed particularly cutely and greeted him: "Hoshida-kun, over here~"

From Class C, Hasebe Haruka and Sakura Airi had also come.

Hasebe had been invited by Kushida, while Sakura seemed to have gathered all her courage to join; when she saw Hoshida No, her face flushed slightly, and she greeted him softly.

What surprised Hoshida No slightly was that Horikita Suzune was also standing not far away, changed into white casual clothes, carrying a suitcase that likely contained her swimsuit.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka stood at the edge of the crowd like a background character.

"Oh? Horikita-san is coming too? That's great!" Kushida Kikyo expressed just the right amount of surprise.

"I have my reasons," Horikita Suzune replied briefly, her gaze sweeping over Hoshida No and Ayanokoji.

The group boarded a bus to the beach.

On the way, Kei sat naturally in the seat next to Hoshida No, whispering about interesting things that had happened in Class B over the past few days.

Honami sat in the row in front, occasionally turning back to join the conversation with a gentle smile.

Kushida kept the atmosphere lively in the carriage, looking after the somewhat reserved Sakura and the cool-faced but actually impatient Hasebe.

The sun was bright at the beach, and the seawater was a deep blue. After changing into their swimsuits, the atmosphere seemed to brighten even further.

Karuizawa Kei chose a slightly pretty two-piece swimsuit, showing off her youthful vitality. She ran to Hoshida No's side and asked him to help her apply sunscreen.

"Brother No, I can't reach my back."

Hoshida No took the sunscreen and helped her apply it, his movements steady and fluid.

Kei, however, felt her ears turn red from the sensation of his fingertips occasionally brushing against her back.

Ichinose Honami's swimsuit was relatively conservative, yet it still outlined her graceful curves.

She didn't make any similar requests, simply sitting under a parasol, watching the sea, and occasionally chatting with Hoshida No when he walked by about his summer plans.

Kikyo Kushida's swimsuit was cute with a hint of calculated charm, drawing quite a few gazes.

She pulled Sakura and Hasebe toward the shallow end to play, but her eyes drifted toward Hoshida No from time to time.

When she saw Hasebe Haruka, feeling uncomfortable with her shoulder strap, quite casually adjust it right in front of Hoshida No—even nearly unfastening and retying it—while Hoshida No merely looked away calmly, Kushida's expression darkened subtly.

Hasebe, however, didn't care at all. After fixing her strap, she walked over and said to Hoshida No, "Hey, Hoshida, want to have a swimming race later? Kikyo said you learned super fast."

"Sure," Hoshida No agreed.

Airi Sakura, wrapped in a large towel, was too shy to stray far from the beach umbrella, only watching Hoshida No and Hasebe—who had once saved her—with a gaze full of adoration and gratitude.

Suzune Horikita had indeed changed into a swimsuit, but she sat a bit further away from the group, holding a book. She was clearly distracted, her eyes occasionally darting toward the entrance of the changing area.

Just as Kei and Kushida's group began playing beach volleyball and Hoshida No was being dragged off to swim by Hasebe, Hoshida No noticed Suzune Horikita suddenly stand up and walk quickly toward a secluded area behind the changing rooms where miscellaneous items were stored.

Ayanokoji stood up from the water at almost the same time, wiping his face.

"Hasebe, wait a moment." Hoshida No cut the race short and headed in that direction. Hasebe blinked in surprise but followed along.

The atmosphere in the narrow passage behind the changing area was tense.

Haruki Yamauchi held up his phone, his face flushed red, while Hideo Sotomura hid behind him.

Ken Sudo and Kanji Ike stood in front of them, facing a frost-faced Suzune Horikita.

"Ho, Horikita! Stop meddling! We didn't do anything!" Yamauchi blustered.

"Sneaking around here, holding a phone aimed at the changing room vents—what else could it be?"

Suzune Horikita's voice was cold. "Delete any photos you might have taken and go confess to Chabashira-sensei immediately. Otherwise, I will report this directly to the school."

"You...!" Ken Sudo was annoyed; he felt Horikita was being too heartless.

"Report it to the school?" Hoshida No's calm voice cut in. The group was startled, turning to see Hoshida No, Ayanokoji, and the trailing Hasebe Haruka.

Once Hasebe saw the scene, she immediately flared up: "Yamauchi! Sotomura! You actually dared to do something this low-life?!"

"Ho, Hoshida No..." Kanji Ike looked panicked. Hoshida No's prestige in the class was completely different now.

Hoshida No didn't look at Ike or Sudo; he walked straight toward Yamauchi and held out his hand: "Phone."

His tone lacked fluctuation, and his gaze wasn't aggressive, yet Haruki Yamauchi felt an inexplicable pressure—something that made his skin crawl more than Suzune Horikita's icy reprimands.

He remembered the rumors spread by Ryuen Kakeru: that Hoshida No was a dangerous guy who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

"Why, why should I give it to you..."

"Attempted voyeurism, caught in the act. The evidence is undeniable," Hoshida No said flatly.

"If I hand this to the school, the lightest penalty is a severe warning and a massive deduction of personal and class points. If photos already exist, it involves expulsion."

He paused. "Give it to me, and the matter stays between those of us here. You choose."

Haruki Yamauchi's face turned pale. Ken Sudo spat on the ground and turned his head away: "Yamauchi, give it to him! Don't drag the rest of us down!"

Haruki Yamauchi trembled, deleted the few blurry photos that hadn't captured anything significant, and handed the phone to Hoshida No for inspection.

Hoshida No flipped through it quickly before handing it back.

"Get lost."

Yamauchi and Sotomura scrambled away as if pardoned. Kanji Ike followed them, slipping away.

Ken Sudo looked at Horikita, then at Hoshida No, and muttered, "...Thanks." He then turned and left.

Suzune Horikita frowned deeply: "Hoshida No, by letting them go like this, they might not learn their lesson."

"Your method would have caused immediate, irreversible losses. My method preserved our class's combat strength and points, while keeping leverage over them in our hands."

Hoshida No looked at her. "In terms of effectiveness, the latter is superior. As for the lesson," he glanced in the direction Yamauchi had fled, "it will arrive in other forms."

Between Ryuen's rumors and today's humiliation and fear, someone like Haruki Yamauchi was easily pushed toward the extreme.

Suzune Horikita fell silent. She couldn't refute Hoshida No, but emotionally, she didn't agree with this kind of compromise.

Hasebe put her hands on her hips: "What a bunch of scumbags! Good thing they didn't succeed! Hoshida, nice work."

Kiyotaka Ayanokoji just watched quietly.

(The author wants to say that this Ayanokoji just likes to work from the shadows; writing him feels like he's just a bystander. I really don't want to write him, and if I didn't need him later, I wouldn't even involve him.)

The disturbance temporarily subsided. Everyone returned to the beach, but the atmosphere had become somewhat subtle.

Kei and Honami keenly sensed the abnormality but were considerate enough not to ask. Kushida asked Hasebe a few questions with a worried expression, though a flash of realization and contemplation crossed her eyes.

In the afternoon, Hoshida No unexpectedly ran into two people in front of a beverage stall.

Third-year Manabu Horikita stood as tall and upright as ever with a stern expression, accompanied by his secretary, Akane Tachibana.

"Hoshida No," Manabu Horikita spoke first.

"President Horikita," Hoshida No nodded in greeting.

"I heard you've been active in the Martial Arts Club," Manabu Horikita looked at Hoshida No. "Morikawa speaks highly of you."

"Just fulfilling my duties as vice-captain."

"Regarding Suzune," Manabu Horikita shifted the topic, "she seems to still be following that naive philosophy of hers. However, it seems she at least has someone by her side capable of correcting some of her wrong choices."

He was referring to the incident from earlier. Hoshida No did not think Horikita Manabu would concern himself with such a trivial matter; it was likely that Tachibana Akane had reported it, or that he simply kept a close watch on his sister's activities.

"I merely chose the more efficient course of action."

Horikita Manabu gave Hoshida No a deep, searching look. "Remember your place, Hoshida No. Excessive efficiency can sometimes cost you other, more important things."

Tachibana Akane added with a smile from the side, "We watched the training footage of you in the Martial Arts Club, Hoshida-kun. It was truly impressive. Keep it up."

The two did not linger, purchasing their drinks before taking their leave.

On the bus ride back, Yamauchi Haruki huddled in the very last row, his eyes fixed gloomily on the back of Hoshida No's head in the front.

The humiliation Hoshida No had caused him to suffer in front of the girls in the alley behind the changing rooms had left him grinding his teeth in hatred.

Ryuen Kakeru was right; this guy was nothing but a self-righteous dictator who would eventually sell everyone out for his own gain... A dangerous thought began to fester in his heart.

Hoshida No sat by the window, with Karuizawa Kei asleep beside him. Ichinose Honami sat across the aisle, quietly watching the scenery fly past the window. Kushida Kikyo was whispering with Hasebe and Sakura.

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka sent a message: Yamauchi's mood is off. Ryuen's rumors may have found fertile soil.

Hoshida No replied: Expected. Trash is more easily driven by simple hatred.

Ayanokoji: How do you intend to handle it?

Hoshida No: Observe. Wait for him to make his choice.