Unlike the feel of Karuizawa's feet, Kaoru first noticed the distinct, delicate bones and petite contours under his touch.
As he worked, Kushida's instinctive reaction wasn't to curl her toes but to tense her calf abruptly, jerking her leg up and nearly kicking him in the nose.
"Even if I'm not good at this, you shouldn't kick people, right?"
"N-no, I couldn't help it… It's too weird… You—ahhn…"
Though she tried to act indifferent, the sensation was too embarrassing to put into words.
Kushida was red all the way to her neck, utterly at a loss.
"Isn't this a bit exaggerated? Has Mitoma-kun never given you a massage before, Kushida-san?" Karuizawa knew her reaction wasn't exaggerated at all, but she found it strange.
As his girlfriend, Kushida seemed to have never experienced Kaoru's massages before, which was why her reaction was so intense now.
Could it be because they hadn't been dating for long?
"Ahh… No… This is the f-first time… hnn…" Kushida's mind grew sluggish.
Normally, she would've noticed Karuizawa's probing.
"Maybe… maybe I'm just too tired… uuuh…"
By the end, she sounded on the verge of tears, her voice trembling with overwhelming pleasure.
Her hands gripped the armrests of the chair tightly as she panted heavily.
'How indecent…' Karuizawa felt her face burn.
Had she sounded like that earlier too?
"R-really? I thought the two of you were close and hung out often."
"We do… sometimes… nngh… hang out… To be honest, Karuizawa-san, I'm more surprised that you seem… ah… close with Mitoma-kun."
"We just talk normally. I don't see anything unusual about it."
"Heh… Normal conversations don't involve letting a man touch… ahh… touch your… hnn…"
As Kaoru applied a bit more pressure, Kushida's reactions grew increasingly intense, her words coming out in broken gasps as sweet, breathy moans escaped her nose.
A normal massage wouldn't have this effect—but he had accidentally drawn a bonus reward, adding an extra function to the otherwise proper technique.
Karuizawa might not have fully understood, but Kushida certainly knew what this additional effect was.
The sensation reminded her of when Kaoru had teased the "big rabbit" before—just a little stimulation was enough to make her squirm, her body reacting in subtly alluring ways.
Perhaps clinging to the last shreds of her rationality, Kushida kept biting down hard on her lower lip, refusing to let out anything resembling a whimper.
Yet, once an unsuspecting prey falls into a hunter's trap, no amount of struggling will help—it only fuels the hunter's amusement.
Karuizawa sat nearby, fidgeting uncomfortably.
Should she leave now and give the two some space?
But something told her that doing so would only draw more attention.
In fact, quite a few people were already sneaking glances in their direction—though unsure of what exactly was happening, and with Karuizawa sitting right there, they could only watch curiously.
Karuizawa instinctively looked towards Sakayanagi Arisu, expecting to see a displeased expression, only to find the girl turned away, her small ears completely flushed red.
Next, she glanced at Horikita Suzune, who continued her practice as if nothing were amiss—though her movements were stiff, her face tinged with pink.
Wait, why was Airi Sakura staring this way?
A flicker of unease passed through Karuizawa.
She barely had any impression of this plain, bespectacled girl, only knowing her as 'Sakura'.
But there was no mistaking that look.
Purely by feminine intuition, Karuizawa's radar locked onto her—because that gaze was definitely not the kind one would direct at ordinary classmates.
Sadness, insecurity… and envy?
Though she rarely bothered to think deeply about things, Karuizawa now found herself straining her brain to decipher the girl's thoughts—and just what exactly was going on here.
Why did everyone seem so embarrassed?
Could it be… that she was the furthest behind?
The moment this thought surfaced, Karuizawa's mood plummeted.
"That should be enough. Without any oil, this is as far as the massage can go."
After a while, Kaoru released Kushida's calf, though he felt a twinge of regret—a massage without oil lacked soul.
SPAs did offer oil massages, and Kushida had experienced them on the cruise ship.
But now, her eyes burned with a mix of shame and irritation, suspecting that Kaoru had ulterior motives.
"Mitoma-kun's skills are amazing. You must have practiced a lot before, right?" Kushida quietly retracted her foot.
As much as she wanted him to keep going—it felt so good—continuing would only leave her embarrassingly damp.
"I learned from online tutorials," Kaoru replied smoothly.
If he admitted to practicing privately, Kushida might casually ask who his practice partner had been.
"So… Mitoma-kun is a beginner?" Karuizawa's voice was slightly muffled, perhaps still flustered from witnessing such a blush-inducing massage.
"If I were to charge, I'd probably be the cheapest masseur."
Though it was just an excuse, Kaoru suddenly felt tempted—could he actually offer paid massages at ANHS?
"Please don't underestimate yourself. I think Mitoma-kun must be a top-tier masseur." Kushida smiled brightly.
"After all, with Mitoma-kun's looks, you'd definitely attract plenty of girls."
Karuizawa narrowed her eyes slightly—was that a subtle jab at her?
Hmph, she couldn't deny that Kaoru was indeed handsome.
Unfortunately, she preferred something else.
"Are you going to keep practicing?"
Both girls were incredibly popular beauties, and Kaoru didn't want to stir up unnecessary trouble here.
Who knew if another one might join the fray soon?
"No, I won't. You've already given me a massage—what else is there to practice?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Kushida suddenly realized her tone had been too casual and quickly schooled her expression into a more serious one.
Sure enough, Karuizawa suddenly asked.
"I'm a little curious—when exactly did you two meet?"
"Hmm, I can't quite remember. Wasn't it around the start of the school year, Mitoma-kun?" Kushida turned to Kaoru as if seeking confirmation, her smile taking on a slightly terrifying edge.
She didn't usually mind him being affectionate with other girls, but when faced with a bold challenger, she wasn't about to play dumb.
"April 6th. We met on the path between the special teaching building and the dormitory," Kaoru answered.
Both Kushida Kikyo and Karuizawa Kei froze.
Especially the former—she was genuinely shocked.
She hadn't expected Kaoru to remember so clearly, and more importantly, why the hell did he remember it so precisely?
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