Chapter 079 Carrying Morishita Ai / Rejecting Hoshinomiya / Envy for Kushida Kikyo
Shimizu Akira maintained a pace of five minutes per lap and ran five laps around the track. He felt perfectly fine, with only a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. In contrast, Morishita Ai, who had been trailing behind him, began panting heavily from the fourth lap onwards.
"Are... you... not tired?" she asked between gasps.
"Not really."
"You're lying..."
"I run ten kilometers at this time every day. I've only just started today."
The sound behind him suddenly ceased. Shimizu looked back to see Morishita Ai had stopped, hands braced on her knees, her face flushed deep red.
"No... no more running!"
"You've barely covered two kilometers."
"Two kilometers! Two kilometers is exhausting! And I'm injured!" Morishita Ai looked up and glared at him. "Do you think everyone has freakish stamina like you?"
Shimizu stopped and walked back to her side. Morishita Ai remained hunched over, rubbing her calf while catching her breath.
"What do you mean by injured? Is your calf hurt?"
"Yes, it's been killing me since the third lap!"
Shimizu suspected she was bluffing, but she pouted aggrievedly and rolled up her pant leg. Sure enough, there was an area of red swelling on her calf, extending from just above the ankle to the belly of the muscle. It didn't look severe, but it certainly wasn't faked.
Shimizu knelt down to examine it closely. "How did this happen? It looks like an abrasion."
Morishita Ai wanted to blurt out that Amasawa Ichika had kicked her, but fearing that Amasawa would retaliate if she found out she'd snitched, she simply said, "I tripped and fell. Regardless, I put in a lot of effort to keep up with you."
Shimizu looked at her with a hint of surprise. Running five laps with an injured calf was indeed quite determined.
"Can you walk on your own?" Shimizu asked after a moment's thought.
"Shimizu Akira! You aren't planning to just leave me here alone, are you?" Morishita Ai looked at him as if he were a complete disappointment.
Shimizu couldn't help but pat the back of her hand. "What are you thinking? I just want to take you to the infirmary and let Hoshinomiya-sensei look at the injury to see how to treat it."
Morishita blurted out, "Then who's going to make up for my missed date!"
Shimizu said speechlessly, "No one is making up for anything. You're injured; why are you still thinking about nonsense? Do you think you can even walk a long distance right now?"
Morishita realized he had a point and was forced to accept it. However, being the crafty girl she was, she immediately winced in pain. "I can't walk by myself. Carry me on your back!"
Shimizu's lip twitched. "Only one leg is hurt, right? Just find someone to lean on while you walk!"
To his surprise, Morishita pouted and rolled up her other pant leg. This one also had a small patch of red swelling.
Shimizu didn't know what to say. "Both legs are hurt? Why did you run so hard then? Are you stupid?"
Morishita muttered, "Don't call me stupid! I was just afraid you'd ditch me! See? That's how much I wanted to go on a date with you!"
This was a lie. Miss "Amazon" just didn't want to be lectured by Amasawa Ichika again. Her survival instinct was in overdrive; she wanted the date to prove she hadn't been lying.
Shimizu didn't fully believe her. However, he couldn't bring himself to leave an injured girl unattended. He reached for his phone to call someone else, but the sharp-witted Morishita spoke up again.
"I only have Yamamura Miki as a friend, and her athletic ability is worse than mine. If you expect her to carry me, you'll probably kill her from exhaustion. It has to be you."
Shimizu put his phone away. "You don't mind me carrying you?"
Morishita acted nonchalant. "I've seen plenty of 'big storms.' What's a boy carrying me going to do?"
Seeing her attitude—and since the girl said it was okay—Shimizu, as a man, naturally wouldn't back down. "Fine, I'll carry you. But do you want a princess carry, or should I carry you on my back? Pick one."
Morishita froze, clearly not expecting Shimizu to offer two options. Her earlobes turned slightly red, but she quickly regained her fearless expression.
"On the back, obviously! Who wants a princess carry? That's embarrassing!"
"Fine." Shimizu turned around and crouched. "Get on."
Morishita didn't hesitate and climbed on, wrapping her arms around his neck. She was quite light, but her body was stiff, as if it were her first time being carried.
"Hold on tight." Shimizu stood up, supporting her legs with his hands.
"Mm," Morishita responded softly.
The two of them walked along the small school paths. Occasionally, passing students cast curious glances, but Morishita, for once, didn't glare back; she simply buried her face in the crook of Shimizu's neck.
"Shimizu Akira."
"Yeah?"
"How many girls have you carried?"
"Including you, two."
"Who was the other one?"
"That's none of your business."
Morishita huffed but didn't press further. However, expecting her to stay quiet was impossible.
"When you carry a girl, do you always ask them to choose between a princess carry and your back?"
"No. You're the first."
"Then why am I so special?" Morishita's voice sounded somewhat smug.
"Because you talk too much."
"You!" Morishita gave his shoulder a light nip—not painful, but ticklish.
"Are you a dog?"
"That's for saying I talk too much!"
"You do talk too much. Now sit still, or believe it or not, I'll drop you on the ground!"
Morishita didn't dare speak again for a while.
They walked in silence for a stretch. Shimizu could feel her body heat through the thin fabric; she felt soft and warm, like a marshmallow pressed against his back.
Morishita Ai wasn't actually as nonchalant as she claimed. This was the first time in her life a boy had carried her. The eyes of the passersby were inexplicably annoying, as if they were teasing her.
'What are you looking at?! I, Morishita-sama, am injured. Isn't it normal for a subordinate to carry me?'
Actually, being carried for the first time felt rather good. Shimizu Akira's back was unexpectedly broad and comfortable to lie on.
But there were embarrassing parts too. Putting aside the fact that her chest was pressed against his back, why did her bottom keep bumping into his hips every now and then? Wouldn't that make it look like she, Morishita-sama, was intentionally seducing him?
Thinking this, her heart rate began to accelerate.
"Morishita."
"What?"
"Are you heavy?"
"You're the heavy one!" Morishita jerked her head up. "How could I be heavy? I'm at my ideal weight!"
"Then why are you clinging so tight?" Shimizu asked.
"I... I'm just afraid of falling off!" Morishita said flusteredly. "Stop talking and just walk!"
Shimizu laughed and said no more. Morishita buried her face again, too bothered to deal with him.
"We're here." Shimizu stopped.
Morishita looked up and saw the infirmary door. She was startled by how quickly they had arrived. She tried to slide down, but Shimizu held her steady.
"Don't hurry. I'll get you to the bed. It's still a few meters away; walking on your own would hurt your calf."
"True. Then carry me in!" Morishita said righteously. "You've already carried me this far anyway."
Shimizu shook his head, pushed the door open, and carried her inside.
Hoshinomiya Chie was sitting behind her desk scrolling through her phone. Hearing the noise, she looked up, her eyes lighting up when she saw Shimizu. "You finally came, Shimizu-kun! Then our—"
She was about to mention the "physical examination" when she noticed Morishita Ai on his back and froze for a second.
Shimizu didn't care much and placed Morishita on the bed nearest to them. "Hoshinomiya-sensei, Morishita Ai has an injured ankle and swollen calves. I suspect muscle fatigue plus abrasions. Please take a look."
Hoshinomiya Chie's gaze darted between Shimizu and Morishita. "Oh dear, what happened to Morishita-san? Did you fall on the stairs?"
"Running." Morishita turned her face away, not wanting to elaborate.
"Running?" Hoshinomiya knelt down and inspected Morishita's calf, pressing gently. "This doesn't look like a fall from running. This looks more like... being kicked."
Morishita's body stiffened. "Sensei, don't talk nonsense!"
Hearing this, Shimizu immediately realized what happened.
'Was it Amasawa Ichika?'
Hoshinomiya didn't press further. She took iodine and gauze from the cabinet and began treating the abrasions. After five or six minutes, she applied the gauze. "No strenuous exercise for a few days, and stop running for now. Keep the wound dry and come back tomorrow for a dressing change. Rest on the bed for a bit; I'll ask a female sensei to bring you food and then send you back to the dorm."
Morishita said uncharacteristically politely, "Thank you, Hoshinomiya-sensei!"
Hoshinomiya waved it off. "No thanks needed. I'm the school nurse; helping students is what I do."
Shimizu said jokingly, "What's wrong, Morishita? Aren't you going to thank me for working hard to carry you all the way here?"
Morishita rolled her eyes. "Why thank you? You chose to carry me; I didn't beg you."
"Fine, I won't carry you next time."
"You wouldn't dare!" Morishita blurted out, then realized she had overreacted and looked away. "I mean... I won't be injured next time."
Shimizu didn't call her out. "Alright then, get some rest. I'm heading out."
Morishita wanted to say something, but glancing at the gossiping Hoshinomiya Chie, she just huffed, "Fine, just go!"
Shimizu exited the infirmary and checked the time; it was nearly 4:30 PM. He was about to leave when Hoshinomiya Chie immediately chased after him.
"Wait! Shimizu-kun, I have something to say to you."
Shimizu stopped and turned to face her.
"You saw the message I sent you a few days ago, right? I haven't touched a drop of alcohol these past few days. Why haven't you come to see me?" Hoshinomiya Chie stood before him, sounding quite aggrieved.
She bore a slight resemblance to the Morishita Ai currently lying in the infirmary. However, while Morishita's was a young girl's arrogance, this woman—though looking like a college student—sounded more like an older sister acting spoiled.
She was wearing a light blue knit cardigan today over a white base shirt, her hair was down, and she wore light makeup. She looked much more spirited than usual. There were no traces of a hangover, and her eyes were clear. But as for her inner self—without exaggeration—this woman was a legitimate "hundred-man slayer" (very experienced).
"Sensei, I've been really busy lately," Shimizu told the truth. "The Cultural Festival, Sports Festival, special exams—everything is piling up. And the reason you're looking for me... well, it's a bit strange."
"Strange?" Hoshinomiya tilted her head. "How so? I'm the school nurse. Isn't it normal for me to want to understand a student's physical condition?"
"Does understanding a 'physical condition' require asking such detailed questions?"
"What questions?"
"...Never mind. Sensei, if there's nothing important, I'm leaving."
"Wait a second." Hoshinomiya grabbed his sleeve. "I know you're busy, but just one hour—no, half an hour is fine. Let me do a simple check-up: height, weight, lung capacity, heartbeat... it'll be quick."
Shimizu looked at her, sensing something was off. "Shouldn't these things have been done during the physical at the start of the year?"
"That was then, this is now," Hoshinomiya said righteously. "Besides, you joined the boxing club. With such high physical activity, isn't it normal to have regular check-ups?"
"Then why only me? What about the other students?"
"Because you're a special case," Hoshinomiya said with a smile. "Besides, didn't you promise Honami-chan that you'd cooperate with me?"
He had indeed promised Ichinose Honami that he would cooperate with Hoshinomiya on some matters. But at the time, he thought it just meant answering a few questions; he didn't expect her to be this persistent. However, while Shimizu loved Honami, it didn't mean he would unconditionally agree to her every request.
Shimizu answered firmly, "Hoshinomiya-sensei, the Unanimous Decision exam is the day after tomorrow. I think your focus should be on your class."
To his surprise, Hoshinomiya Chie smiled even wider. "Is it possible that because the exam is coming up, your 'check-up' is even more necessary?"
Shimizu's mind went to a dark place, and he asked bluntly, "Are you planning to do 'something' to win me over and lead me to guide my class into making the wrong choices?"
Hoshinomiya Chie was stunned. "Shimizu, you're quite the mood-killer. I thought I could go with the flow during the check-up and 'reluctantly' seduce you, but you won't even agree to the first part. Fine, things are exactly as you imagined."
Shimizu was floored. What was this teacher thinking?
"We have a student-teacher relationship."
"But you spent eight million points. That school rule doesn't forbid it anymore, does it?"
"Honami wouldn't accept this."
"Leave the explanation to Honami to me."
"Most importantly, I can't accept you. First, we have no emotional foundation. Second, you've slept with many men, right? Sorry, I have a 'cleanliness' complex regarding that." Seeing she wouldn't give up, Shimizu spoke directly.
Hoshinomiya Chie's expression immediately soured. Even if she was open-minded about sex, who says that to someone's face?
"Even so, haven't you started a harem yourself? Why, is that 'layer' really that important to you? I'm not planning to be your girlfriend; strictly speaking, we'd just be 'f*** buddies.' Besides, I know a lot about 'that,' I'd make you very comfortable. All of Honami's moves were taught by me."
Shimizu was genuinely shocked by her bluntness.
"Hoshinomiya-sensei, have some self-respect. I admit, you might be very knowledgeable in that area. But even if I were repressed, why wouldn't I just go to my girlfriends? They would be more than willing to cooperate with me!"
Hoshinomiya Chie was left speechless by his retort. It was true; he had so many girlfriends who loved him. Taking Honami for instance—whatever Shimizu said, she would likely obey.
Shimizu's attitude was firm; he wasn't faking. He truly had zero interest in being intimate with her.
What should she do? If Shimizu really didn't agree and Chabashira remained in Class A and graduated successfully, Chabashira might have let go of the past long ago—so what was the point of Hoshinomiya's persistence all these years? It was too ridiculous.
The two stood in the hallway, facing off for a few seconds in an awkward atmosphere. Hoshinomiya Chie finally recovered. Since she couldn't do it herself, she'd follow Chabashira's old playbook and push the beauties from her own class, right?
"Shimizu... don't you like having a harem? How about I introduce you to some beauties from our class? As long as you do nothing during the next exam."
Shimizu shook his head. "Hoshinomiya-sensei, even if I give up on a high ranking, it doesn't mean my class will give up on Class A. We still have Hirata Yousuke, Suzune, and Kikyo. The vast majority will give their all. What you're doing is meaningless."
"The others don't matter." Hoshinomiya tilted her chin up confidently. "As long as you don't give your full effort, your class will definitely fall into a stalemate. I'm sure of it."
Shimizu rubbed his temples. "Hoshinomiya-sensei, you're doing this to get back at Chabashira-sensei, right? What exactly did she do to offend you? Can you tell me?"
Hoshinomiya frowned. She had never mentioned those past events to anyone. But this was Shimizu Akira; if he could understand her feelings, maybe he would soften. So, she slowly recounted that buried past.
Actually, Shimizu had already heard about Chabashira's past through his information network. But hearing it from a participant added many new details. For example, back then, Chabashira only started dating the class leader on the very last day. Later, the class wanted to vote Chabashira out, but the leader went back on his word and disagreed—the two even broke up that same day.
"What do you think?" Hoshinomiya Chie looked at Shimizu's unperturbed face and couldn't help but ask. "Don't tell me you sympathize with Chabashira?"
"Not at all!" Shimizu waved his hands quickly. "It's not my place to judge between you two, but I can understand your desire for revenge against her."
Hearing this, Hoshinomiya's expression became excited. She was about to speak when Shimizu added another sentence.
"Even so, it doesn't mean you, Hoshinomiya-sensei, are in the right. I can understand the act of revenge, but you've been secretly suppressing her class for years. Those students are innocent, aren't they? You're completely wrong in that regard. Couldn't you have settled your revenge with her privately?"
Hoshinomiya Chie stopped pretending and gave a cold laugh. "You think I haven't tried? It meant nothing to her. Only by watching the class she leads personally drop step-by-step to Class D, and seeing her growing depression—that's the result I want!"
Seeing her change faces like this... why did she give off vibes similar to his Kikyo? Speaking of which, Kikyo also held a hatred for Suzune that was hard for normal people to understand.
No, no, no. While his Kikyo was a bad woman, she was devoted to him and knew her boundaries. Their relationship was much better now; she was far better than Hoshinomiya in that regard.
Hoshinomiya Chie looked at Shimizu's thoughtful face and thought her words had moved him. Her tone softened again. "Shimizu, you're a smart man. You should understand that some things can't be explained simply by 'right or wrong.' I know what I'm doing isn't right, but I just can't swallow that resentment."
Shimizu asked calmly, "So what do you want me to do?"
"Do nothing. Just this once. In the next special exam, hold back a little and let Chabashira's class take a hit. Just once, okay?"
"And then?"
"And then? Then we're even. I won't trouble you anymore, and I won't put you in a difficult position. You can be with Honami however you like; I won't interfere. I'll even proactively introduce you to new girlfriends."
"Sounds like a good deal," Shimizu said.
"Of course it is." Hoshinomiya smiled. "You're just losing a few class points; it's no big deal."
"If I hold back this time, and next time you ask me to do it again, what do I do? And the time after that?" Shimizu looked at her. "Human desire is endless. Today you ask me to hold back; tomorrow you might ask me to get myself expelled. When that time comes, will I be able to refuse?"
Hoshinomiya's smile froze.
"Sensei, you're blinded by hatred," Shimizu continued. "You feel Chabashira ruined your future, so you want to ruin hers. But even if her class drops to Class D, even if she never recovers, your youth won't come back. Do you really think it's worth it to self-destruct along with her?"
Hoshinomiya glared at him. "It is! Why wouldn't it be! As long as I do this, I can wake up laughing every night."
What else could Shimizu say? You can't wake someone who is pretending to sleep. There was nothing more to talk about. "In short, I refuse. I will also follow my own rhythm for the next Unanimous Decision exam. Goodbye!"
With that, Shimizu turned and left.
Hoshinomiya Chie stood in the hallway, watching his silhouette disappear around the corner of the stairs. The corridor was empty; she was the only one left. She leaned against the wall, looked up at the ceiling, and let out a long sigh.
'Is it worth it? To live like this just to avenge something from over a decade ago... is it really worth it?'
She closed her eyes, and the image of Chabashira Sae's eternally cold face surfaced in her mind. From high school until now, that face had barely changed. Always calm, always rational, always unmoved. She hated that face. She hated its indifference, its heartlessness, and the way it looked so "matter-of-fact" when she said the words "I disagree" on the day of the vote.
But Shimizu was right. Even if she destroyed Chabashira's class, even if Chabashira never recovered, her youth wouldn't return. The lost opportunities, the days that could have been better—none of it would come back.
"What does it matter if it's worth it... I've already come this far."
No one answered her. Hoshinomiya stood up straight, straightened her hair, and turned back into the infirmary.
When she pushed the door open, Morishita Ai was sitting on the edge of the bed with a blanket over her legs, scrolling through her phone. When she saw her enter, Morishita looked up, her gaze lingering on Hoshinomiya's face for a moment.
"Morishita-san," Hoshinomiya spoke suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"What kind of person do you think Shimizu Akira is?"
Morishita's fingers paused. "Why ask that all of a sudden?"
"I just want to hear your opinion."
Morishita thought for a bit. "An annoying person."
"Annoying?"
"Yes." Morishita put her phone down. "He could have ignored me, but he insisted on helping. He could have disregarded me, but he insisted on paying attention. It makes you not know what to do."
'Sounds like a very nice person.'
Hoshinomiya Chie didn't respond. She just sat in her seat and unconsciously scrolled through her photo album. A few photos slid across the screen—candid shots someone had taken of Shimizu and his girlfriends on the luxury cruise. One of them showed him walking with Kushida Kikyo. In the photo, Kikyo had a happy smile on her face, intimately clinging to Shimizu's arm. Shimizu was also smiling gently; they looked like a perfect couple.
She heard Kushida Kikyo was the "main" girlfriend. The feeling Kushida gave her was, for some reason, about seventy percent similar to herself.
'If I had met Shimizu Akira during my school days, would I have been able to be with him smoothly?'
After all, she was once a pure girl back then. The reason her body became "dirty" was because the blow from that incident with Chabashira was too great, causing her to fall completely. In comparison, this girl named Kushida Kikyo had great luck; she met the right person.
Hoshinomiya Chie felt she was getting old, having such unrealistic thoughts.
The path through Shimizu Akira was blocked. Once he decided on something, no one could change it. She couldn't persuade him, nor could she seduce him. He even expressed his disgust for her status as a "hundred-man slayer" bluntly. That disgust wasn't faked; it was genuine loathing. In all her years, it was the first time someone had loathed her so directly.
Say what you will about Chabashira Sae's personality, at least she hadn't had a boyfriend in all these years—her body was clean.
The thought of whether something was actually going to happen between Shimizu Akira and Chabashira Sae made Hoshinomiya Chie irritable. She scratched her hair violently, startling Morishita Ai so much she nearly dropped her phone.
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