Matsushita lay weakly against the infirmary bed, gazing at the stark white ceiling in a daze. Her mind drifted. Why are Yukio-kun and Hoshinomiya-sensei taking so long? They're only supposed to be getting medical supplies…
After all, once Yukio finishes helping move things, he'll probably head back to the dorms, right? Wait. Matsushita froze, raised her hand, and knocked lightly on her own head. Why am I thinking about him again?He's so nasty and scheming.
But as soon as she tapped her forehead, her hand dropped back down, and she found her thoughts drifting yet again. He only acts that way because we're in rival classes, right? If this were a normal high school, she might actually be happy to make friends with someone like him.
At the end of the day, he did carry her all the way back. Sure, he had ulterior motives, but it must have cost him some effort.
Wait—Matsushita snapped out of it and lowered her head to look over herself. Then she let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness, Yukio-kun never said I was heavy. My weight control must be going pretty well these days."
Recalling how he carried her, Matsushita wasn't sure why, but the memory kept popping into her mind. Maybe because the infirmary was quiet and empty, with nobody around? Acting on a strange impulse, she placed a hand over her chest and mimicked that fidgeting motion she had made on his back earlier.
"This is weird. I didn't feel anything unusual myself… But when I was struggling on his back…"
No, no, what on earth was she thinking? Embarrassed, Matsushita flopped back down and pulled the blanket over her head. Even though the infirmary was empty, her cheeks still felt like they were on fire; she just wanted to hide.
"This is all messed up…" she muttered, lips pouting. "It's his fault, that jerk… making me overthink everything."
…
Leaving Matsushita's reaction aside, out in the hallway, Hoshinomiya had originally planned to tease Yukio a bit. She was still brooding over what happened last time at his dorm—during that impromptu massage when her leg went numb, and she'd wound up in an awkward position, practically fleeing the scene.
Once she got back to her own place, the more she thought about it, the more disgruntled she felt. How could I just run off like that? Wouldn't that leave me looking like a big joke to him? I was acting like a hot older sister, but as soon as I made a move, I totally blew my cover.
Doesn't that just ruin my image?
Hoshinomiya could be quite stubborn—she never would've spent ten years pursuing Chabashira otherwise. She had plenty of persistence. This time, she swore that the next time she saw Yukio, she'd regain the upper hand.
Sure enough, opportunity came knocking as Yukio dropped by in person. How could she not take the chance to tease him? She had to show him that her hasty retreat last time was merely a fluke. She, Hoshinomiya, wasn't some bashful, blushing little girl. She'd prove to him exactly how composed and confident an older woman could be!
Yet all of that flew out of her head the moment Yukio said, "Matsushita's injury… I caused it."
Nothing else mattered now—she no longer cared about looking like the cool older sister. Her mind was entirely fixated on that one statement: He hurt Matsushita.
For Hoshinomiya, that meant one thing: He's finally agreed to help me take down Class D!
After all, Matsushita was currently Class D's unifier. And on the very first day of forest camp, Yukio had incapacitated her—well, incapacitated might be an exaggeration, but at least it cost her two days of training.
But the real impact wasn't just losing two days' practice. This was their main organizer, already sidelined on Day One. That alone would shake Class D's morale. Even if it didn't destroy them, it would certainly make them cautious or deflate their fighting spirit.
And the female members, at least, might think twice about pushing themselves once they recalled Matsushita's injury. Low morale, poor efficiency—the cost could be massive. Not to mention, Class D had been fired up after the Workplace Special Exam; Matsushita was their pillar. With her down, that vigor would likely cool off for a while.
For Hoshinomiya, this was an even sweeter victory than Ichinose's class winning first place in an exam.
"Is that…really true?"
Perhaps because she was overwhelmed by excitement, or perhaps because she wanted to vent the emotion, she made no attempt to hide her joy. Hoshinomiya pressed right up against Yukio, hugging his arm. Even though his arm got squished at an odd angle, she didn't care. She just wanted to confirm the good news.
"Of course it's true. Why would I lie to you, Hoshinomiya-sensei?"
Yukio, who had just tricked Matsushita earlier, now smoothly pivoted to deceive Hoshinomiya as well. It was second nature to him by now.
"You're amazing, Yukio-kun!"
Elated, Hoshinomiya hugged his arm even tighter. Her face brimmed with joy that nearly overflowed. If Matsushita's injury was a piece of good news, then Yukio's willingness to help suppress Class D was an even bigger jackpot. She was so delighted she couldn't stay calm.
Even the teachers and older students had been talking about how rare and exceptionally talented Yukio was. Last time she'd tried persuading him, it hadn't worked—he'd refused to bother with Class D. Now he'd suddenly changed his mind, so she couldn't be happier.
Hoshinomiya looked like a little girl on a date who'd just received the perfect present. She kept clinging to his arm, chirping away with excitement.
"How did you pull that off? Really, how did you make Matsushita sprain her ankle?"
Yukio adjusted his breathing, making sure he wouldn't get too carried away by the soft benefits pressing against him. Drawing on the random intel he'd gathered from small talk, he lied without a hitch.
"It was easy. I noticed her training alone, so I scattered some rocks and threw dirt in water to make it muddy—basically tampering with her path. She could dodge the rocks, but not the mud. Eventually, she was bound to get hurt."
"Turns out Matsushita's pretty decisive. She just leapt over a bunch of obstructing stones along the way. In the end, though, when she saw a small mud puddle, she panicked trying to avoid it and sprained her ankle."
He told his tall tale with a slight air of self-satisfaction, making it sound completely believable, dispelling any lingering doubts Hoshinomiya might have had. It was a patch that ensured if she decided to verify with Matsushita later, everything would still line up—no holes in his story.
"Aha, girls are so like that!" Hoshinomiya's heart soared, and she chimed in happily. "We see some gross mud, and we automatically try to detour, rather than just stepping over it."
Seeing her so excited, Yukio gave a friendly grin. He'd been angling for this moment for a while, and now that she'd taken the bait, it was time to reel her in.
"So, Hoshinomiya-sensei… would you like to see even more of Class D's students get hurt?"
"Or, shall we say… do you want to see Class D suffer more setbacks in this exam?"
"I do!" she answered without hesitation, immediately realizing that Yukio must want something in return. After all, why else would he do a sudden about-face? Not too long ago, he'd told her he no longer saw a need to target Class D.
He must be after some kind of benefit, she thought, trying to figure out what it could be. Ever since the Workplace Special Exam ended, there hadn't been any direct conflict of interest between them and Class D… so what was left?
Her grip on his arm tightened, and a blush colored her cheeks. Could it be… If it wasn't a massage, then what else? The only other leverage she could think of was that time she ended up grabbing onto him when her legs went numb, thereby giving him a hold over her.
"Well, if…if that's what you want," she murmured, gaze dropping to glance at Yukio's lower body. Nervousness flooded her once she remembered her ongoing grudge against Chabashira.
Why am I hesitating? She would do anything, if it meant keeping Chabashira from reaching Class A…
Steeling herself, Hoshinomiya let out a slow breath. Her eyes sparkled with a hazy, almost romantic glow, and a faint flush tinted her cheeks.
"If that's what you desire, Yukio-kun… I can grant it."
"Huh?" Yukio blinked. What on earth is she talking about? He had no idea what was going through her head, but he could sense a distinct not entirely wholesome vibe from her right now.
"Actually, what I'm more concerned about is the two mini printers the school staff brought off the bus today," he said. "They aren't just for printing out test papers, are they?"
...
1 extra chapter every 50 stones