"I'm back."
The moment Kushida opened the door, she froze under the eerie gazes of several people.
Horikita Suzune on the right, Karuizawa Kei on the left, and Ichinose Honami in the middle—they had been playing cards but now silently turned their attention toward the doorway at the sound of her voice.
"Huh? When did Ichinose get here?"
Kushida Kikyo sensed danger and decided to play dumb.
Aside from Karuizawa Kei and the others, the room was also filled with girls from their group—some chatting, others tying their hair—creating a lively atmosphere.
"I ran into Horikita at the baths earlier, so I just came over to hang out."
Ichinose Honami's expression was perfectly natural, her smiling eyes tracking Kushida Kikyo's every move, even catching the slight stiffness in her demeanor.
Kushida Kikyo subtly averted her gaze, forcing her usual cheerful smile as she greeted the chatting girls before moving to stand beside Karuizawa Kei.
"Oh, you're playing cards? Any stakes?"
"Of course there are stakes—what fun would it be otherwise? Not gambling, though."
Karinzawa shot her a glance. "But aside from points and small change, betting time isn't out of the question."
"Betting... time?"
Kushida was baffled.
Since when had humans started treating time as a currency?
"For example, a person has 24 hours in a day. Subtract the time used normally, and doesn't that leave only a few hours left?"
Karuizawa's words left Kushida confused, and she noticed that Horikita and Ichinose seemed to agree wholeheartedly.
"Time is a precious thing. If someone occupies a certain period, others can only watch from the sidelines."
Ichinose smiled faintly as she spoke, simultaneously playing a card from her hand.
"I've thought about it—if we can't discuss this properly, it'll definitely cause trouble later."
Kushida glanced at Horikita as if wanting to ask something but hesitated.
"I'm just here to make up the numbers."
Horikita said, "My time is more important. The gap between Class D and Class A is too wide."
"Actually, I think Suzune can definitely make him see you in a new light. After all, you've been working hard all along."
Ichinose looked at Horikita with encouraging eyes.
Seemingly uncomfortable, Horikita averted her gaze.
Kushida was sweating bullets.
Were they addressing each other by first names behind her back?
"Oh no, how should I play this hand, Kushida-san?"
Karuizawa suddenly pulled Kushida down, making her sit beside her.
She brought her hand of cards close to Kushida's face, leaning in naturally.
"Uh, maybe play this one?"
Kushida felt like she couldn't keep up the act any longer.
Because Karuizawa lightly sniffed at her, then raised her head and stared into her eyes as if looking at a hussey.
Wait, wait—what does this look mean? You're the one who wants to sneak a bite too, aren't you?
"No outside help! Kei, that's too sneaky!"
Ichinose puffed up her cheeks. "Kushida-san, you're not allowed to answer either!"
"Ahaha, sorry, sorry! I'll shut up right away!"
Kushida braced herself. What is this feeling?
Why are they suddenly calling each other by their first names?
"Cards are boring. How about we play Old Maid instead?"
Karuizawa straightened her posture. "The loser has to unconditionally obey the winner and must never disturb the winner's date time."
Kushida was momentarily speechless.
She just wanted to sneak a bite, but you're aiming to monopolize him outright?
"I want to play Old Maid too!"
Someone immediately raised their hand. "Can I play even if I don't have a boyfriend?"
"No, no, this is targeting me!"
Ichinose hurriedly objected while triumphantly playing her last card.
"Old Maid aside, it's my turn now—I win!"
"Alright, second place goes to me."
Horikita Suzune followed suit, playing her own hand.
"Your luck is really something."
Karuizawa pouted. "I quit. I'm going flower picking. You coming?"
Kushida was about to say something when she saw the others stand up, so she had no choice but to follow.
"Kei, Honami-chan, hurry back for Old Maid!"
"Got it, we'll be right back."
"Horikita-san, are you heading out too?"
"Yeah."
As Horikita closed the dormitory door behind them, the four stood silently facing each other in the hallway.
"I have something to tell you all."
After walking a short distance, Ichinose Honami suddenly spoke up.
"Kushida... can I call you Kikyo from now on?"
Kushida, like a well-behaved criminal awaiting judgment, nodded and asked, "Can I call you Honami-chan too?"
"It feels strange to always go by last names, so of course you can. In fact, I'd prefer it that way." Ichinose blinked, a smile playing at her lips.
"Honestly, I think we should've been doing this from the start."
The atmosphere didn't seem too bad, and Kushida let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Suzune said you were hanging out with friends tonight. Is that true?"
"Friends?"
Karuizawa scowled. "She still has Kaoru's scent on her—she definitely did something bad!"
She wasn't some naive girl anymore.
She knew exactly what kind of scent lingered after certain "bad things," and she recognized it immediately.
Kushida's face flushed bright red.
She opened her mouth, struggled for words, then finally gave up and muttered, "It's not entirely my fault! I just wanted a reward, and then he started saying all these weird things… I couldn't help myself."
Something like masturbating—she'd rather die than say it out loud.
"What do you mean, 'couldn't help yourself'?" Karuizawa crossed her arms. "Did you forget what you said just a few days ago?"
Honestly, Karuizawa's idealized image of Kushida had completely shattered.
She used to genuinely believe Kushida was this bright, adorable, kind-hearted little angel.
Turns out, the other side of that angel was a shamelessly lewd pet.
Kushida hung her head.
She had messed up—when others had sneaked around, she'd interrupted them, yet here she was, hiding her own misdeeds.
"Kikyo, we're not blaming you," Ichinose said gently. "What's done is done. I could never give him up, so I've accepted that we all have to coexist peacefully. But just like you, sometimes… I really want him all to myself."
Kushida glanced at her, then at Horikita and Karuizawa.
So that's why they were on first-name terms—they'd already acknowledged each other's positions.
"Sharing is reality, but possessiveness is too. I'm his girlfriend, and he's your boyfriend as well." Ichinose's voice was quiet but firm.
"I hope we can all understand each other's feelings. Wanting him exclusively sometimes isn't wrong—love is possessive by nature. Without memories that belong to just the two of you, that love would feel hollow."
She was certain—every one of the four girls standing here had fallen for Kaoru because of moments they'd shared with him alone.
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