"Alright." Yukio watched Matsushita sit there racking her brains forever while his coffee was nearly gone. Since she couldn't come up with any more enticing conditions, he simply cut in—he didn't have time to waste babysitting her silence.
Might as well use the same approach as with Ichinose.
"How about this? We sign a contract notarized by the school. As long as your whole class agrees to transfer all the rewards of this exam to me unconditionally, I'll make sure your class clears this voting test without anyone getting expelled."
"All rewards? Unconditionally?" Matsushita froze. Was there even such a thing as "rewards" in this exam? Unlike the past tests, this one was purely about expelling students—there weren't class points or private points set as prizes.
The only thing that could even be called a reward was what Chabashira-sensei had specifically mentioned: the untradeable protection point.
But that couldn't be traded. How could it possibly be handed over to Yukio? Excluding that single reward, even if he helped D Class, he wouldn't get anything tangible.
So why would he help for free? Out of kindness? Don't make her laugh. Go ask anyone outside of Yukio Class whether Yukio is a "kind" person—you'd be laughed out of the room.
If not kindness, and not for profit, then… As Matsushita's mind wandered, her face inexplicably heated, and she remembered once again being carried on Yukio's broad back, his palm steadying her thigh, walking her back to the forest school building.
It really did feel possible, didn't it? No matter what, Matsushita prided herself on her looks—she'd been popular with boys since middle school.
And Yukio? He was… well, actually quite good. Someone who matched her standards for a partner rather well. As she thought more and more, her flushed cheeks grew hotter.
"?" Yukio blinked curiously. Why on earth was she blushing like a boiling teapot?
"Ahem." Matsushita forced herself back to reality, quickly averting her gaze, too embarrassed to keep looking him in the eye. "Th-This… isn't this unfair to you, Yukio-kun?"
"How about, how about…" She bit her lip lightly, the blush spreading deeper, strangely alluring. "How about, when you're free sometime… I go on a few dates with you, to make up for the unfairness?"
Saying that last part drained all her willpower. Her face was burning crimson, her right index finger twirling a lock of hair so furiously it nearly pulled from her scalp.
Her free left hand lifted her coffee cup and held it up like a shield, hiding her flustered expression from Yukio.
She couldn't help it. With her strict family upbringing, she'd never even dated, never even gone on a casual outing with a boy. Proposing it herself now? Of course she'd be embarrassed!
But her shy offer only left Yukio dumbfounded, question marks practically popping out of his forehead.
Unfair to him? Dates as compensation? What kind of logic was that? For once, he found his thought process lagging behind hers.
"Uh… Matsushita, did you misunderstand something? Protection points can be traded now."
That explanation hit its mark. The finger twirling her hair froze, the cup shielding her face slowly lowered, revealing Matsushita's utterly shocked expression.
"T-They can be traded?"
If protection points were tradable, that was indeed a valuable benefit. After all, who knew how many more voting-type exams might come? Anyone would want something that guaranteed safety from expulsion.
In other words, Yukio had already been asking for profit—Matsushita had just let her imagination run wild.
Which meant… just now she had…!
"I-I… excuse me, I need the restroom." Without further explanation, Matsushita bolted up and practically sprinted away.
She swept the bathroom quickly—good, no one else inside—then instantly unraveled. Pacing back and forth in the narrow space so quickly her shoes nearly sparked against the tiles:
"What do I do, what do I do, so embarrassing! This is embarrassing! Yukio-kun definitely heard it, didn't he?"
She even tried to convince herself otherwise: "No, maybe he didn't hear clearly? He must not have—otherwise why would he say I misunderstood… Ughhh, this is awful, how could I…"
Finally she stopped in front of the mirror, pressing her hand against its cold surface, muttering at her own reflection.
"It's all… all that scoundrel's fault."
But after a while, watching her blush slowly fade in the glass, her breathing calming, she shook her head.
"No… I can't blame him. He didn't even finish talking, and I just jumped to the wrong conclusion."
"Then why… why did I let my thoughts wander like that?"
Matsushita's greatest strength was her self-awareness. She could look herself in the eye and be brutally honest. As she scrutinized the reflection of her gradually whitening cheeks and steadying heartbeat, realization dawned.
And then—her blush surged back again, fiercer than before.
"So that's what it is, huh…?"
Unbidden, a line of words floated through her mind. What should I do, to let my heart be mirrored clearly enough for you to see?
After a few minutes to gather herself, Matsushita returned to the table.
"Sorry, I was away for a moment. Yukio-kun, let's… let's continue from where we left off."
"I accept your condition. I'll find a way to get the entire class to sign that contract."
"?" Today was full of surprises—Yukio found himself puzzled again. What had happened in that bathroom?
Matsushita had not only calmed down but now looked straight at him with eyes that glowed like moonlit roses, soft yet determined, carrying warmth that pierced straight through to the heart.
None of her earlier fluster remained—if anything, she'd come back stronger.
The rapid shift, that sudden growth, made Yukio silently reassess her. Matsushita, huh? I really hadn't noticed before… you do have this kind of charm.
"Well then," he said with a faint smile, "I'll be waiting."
...
For every 50 Power Stones → +1 extra chapter.
Read 50+ chapters ahead on Patreon! [patreon.com/METARLN]
Use code FREE2ALL for 30% OFF!