Kushida's Drinking Capacity

Just then, a crisp knock sounded in the quiet room.

Wu Qiao froze for a moment. He glanced at Ayanokoji Kiyoha, then rose and walked over to open the door.

Kushida Kikyo stood outside, looking at the two sitting opposite each other in the room. She blinked innocently and asked in a sweet tone, "Are you two... busy?"

"Come in." Wu Qiao's expression remained unchanged as he stepped aside to let her enter.

Ayanokoji Kiyoha remained in her seat, not quite understanding why Kushida Kikyo would run over here in the middle of the night. She didn't care, however; she simply finished the last of her tea, then looked up and asked with a hint of confusion, "Do I need to step out?"

As far as Ayanokoji Kiyoha was concerned, she wouldn't interfere with what Wu Qiao did or intended to do. As long as her own peaceful life remained intact, other people's social circles were none of her business.

Upon hearing this, Kushida Kikyo blinked playfully, her lips curling into her signature, perfect smile. "No need. Kiyoha-chan would probably be interested too, right? Wu-kun, you don't really expect to get the whole class to pass the midterms just by tutoring, do you?"

Hearing this, Wu Qiao chuckled, a flash of appreciation in his eyes. "Very sharp. What's your idea?"

Kushida Kikyo dropped her sweet facade, her eyes turning shrewd. "The passing grade is different for every class. I've checked; it's half the class average. If you want to manipulate the scores, do you need my help?"

A flash of surprise crossed Wu Qiao's eyes; he clearly hadn't expected her to notice the loophole in the school's rules. However, he quickly returned to his indifferent tone and said calmly, "I'll let you know if I need anything. As for you... never mind, some things don't need to be discussed right now."

Seeing that the business was concluded, Kushida Kikyo's gaze naturally fell upon the glass container on the table. She leaned in to look at the crystal-clear fruit pulp inside, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Alcohol? That's against the rules, you know."

Wu Qiao frowned slightly and asked tentatively, "How did you know it was alcohol?"

As soon as the words left his lips, Kushida Kikyo's heart skipped a beat. She realized her reaction had been too certain and that she had seemingly exposed herself. But she was a girl of exquisite acting skills; she quickly recovered her sweet smile and pouted, "I've seen others brewing alcohol before; I could tell by the smell. What? As a fellow accomplice, aren't you going to offer me a glass?"

Watching her take advantage of the situation, Wu Qiao was momentarily speechless. He said mercilessly, "I've only just brewed it, and you're already asking for a glass?"

"Oh, don't be so stingy! I'll just do something else for you in exchange later." Kushida Kikyo pressed her palms together, blinking those innocent, wide eyes, and managed to pester Wu Qiao into giving her a full glass of the brew.

In the end, the roughly half-catty portion, mixed with the sweet and sour fruit pulp, was downed by Kushida Kikyo in one go.

The mellow fruit aroma and the tipsy warmth of the alcohol exploded in her mouth; the taste was truly breathtaking.

However, when Kushida Kikyo thanked him and left, stepping out of the dormitory elevator and onto the hallway, she immediately sensed that something was wrong.

A distinct wave of heat rose from the pit of her stomach and spread rapidly throughout her body. Her cheeks burned as if they were on fire, and her footsteps became unsteady.

"Ugh... I'm so dizzy..." Kushida Kikyo reached out to steady herself against the cold wall, barely managing to keep her balance. She couldn't help but mutter to herself, "A miscalculation... it seems my tolerance for alcohol isn't very good..."

At the same time, deep within her mind, the Future Ayanokoji Kiyoha was stretching her soul in contentment.

"Ah... that's the taste." The Future Ayanokoji Kiyoha let out a satisfied sigh, as if her very soul were trembling. She was still savoring the sweet alcohol; after all, this was the first time she had truly tasted it in any meaningful sense.

Her past self at this point in time had only taken a small sip, but now, through Kushida Kikyo's senses, she had finally truly tasted the drink she had originally come to love.

"Seriously, how did that guy even brew this? It's so potent..." Kushida Kikyo leaned against the wall, panting heavily as she tried to clear her head.

Just then, a slightly puzzled female voice rang out from the end of the hallway: "Kushida-san? Why are you standing here? Why is your face so red? Do you have a fever?"

Kushida Kikyo jerked her head up and saw that Ichinose Honami happened to be passing by. She hurriedly squeezed out her signature sweet smile, though her voice carried a hint of unavoidable softness and lethargy. "Ah... Ichinose-san, good evening. I'm not sick, just... I just ate something quite spicy, so I'm a bit flushed."

Ichinose Honami walked over, looking at her with concern. "Something spicy? But it's so late now. And you seem a bit unsteady on your feet. Do you want me to help you to the infirmary?"

"No, no need!" Kushida Kikyo instinctively took a step back and waved her hands in refusal, terrified that the other girl would get too close and smell the alcohol on her. "I'm really fine, I just lost my footing for a second. Thanks for your concern, Ichinose-san, you should go back and rest. I can make it back to my room on my own."

Watching Kushida Kikyo's desperate attempt to distance herself, Ichinose Honami felt a bit worried but nodded obediently. "Alright, then please be careful. If you're still not feeling well tomorrow, remember to go to the infirmary for some medicine."

"I know, goodnight~" Kushida Kikyo waved at her. Only after Ichinose Honami's back disappeared around the corner did she let out a long sigh of relief.

In her mind, the Future Ayanokoji Kiyoha let out a soft chuckle: [Nice acting, but you can barely stand now—are you still going to push yourself?]

"Shut up..." Kushida Kikyo muttered to herself, leaning against the wall as she shuffled toward her room. "If it weren't for you shouting in my head and insisting on drinking it, I wouldn't have come over here in the first place..."

Ayanokoji Kiyoha's tone held a hint of rare amusement: [I was merely appreciating your first experience. I have to say, his craftsmanship is truly excellent. Next time you have the chance, make him brew some more.]

"You want a next time? Spare me..." Kushida Kikyo finally managed to find the doorknob, pushed the door open, and stumbled inside. After closing the door behind her, she collapsed directly onto her bed.

"Ugh... everything is spinning..." she whispered to herself. Her final thought before closing her eyes was that she would never touch anything of Wu Qiao's ever again.