However, Shimizu Akira simply set down his spoon.
Kushida Kikyō noticed immediately. She had ordered a lukewarm mango smoothie for herself and was leisurely sipping through a straw.
(Can't handle the cold, huh?)
She had specifically brought him here to watch him struggle.
But she hadn't expected him to stop after just a few bites—way too easy to mess with.
(Trash! Such a little trash fish!)
"Seven minutes left, Shimizu-kun. Do your best~" Kushida glanced at the countdown timer, then at the barely touched parfait in front of him, her tone laced with poorly concealed impatience.
Shimizu shook his head, tapping the rim of the glass. "I'll just pay the points. This is clearly a two-person challenge—no normal person could finish this in time. A thousand points won't break my wallet."
(Giving up already?)
Kushida grumbled internally.
A few measly bites of parfait barely counted as punishment!
She hadn't even gotten her fill of watching him endure the brain freeze yet.
(Come to think of it, Shimizu Akira isn't hurting for points, right?)
She suddenly remembered the 80,000 points she'd given him last month—meaning there was no way he'd force himself just for a free dessert.
"Kushida-san, do you really want me to finish this parfait?" Shimizu spoke abruptly, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather.
(He saw through me? Well, he's not an idiot.)
(Eating ice cream has no benefits—why would he push himself?)
Kushida stiffened, her eyes darting to the timer—six minutes left.
She lowered her head slightly, her expression shifting imperceptibly.
(Is he… fishing for a reward?)
(That's totally what he's doing, right?!)
(This guy! Of course he won't do anything without incentive!)
(I'm already on a date with him—isn't that enough?!)
(No way! I have to make him suffer through this entire parfait!)
Her original plan had been to force him to eat the whole thing—who did he think he was, claiming "she treats him well" with that smug attitude?
But clearly, he wasn't an idiot. No extra perks? No effort.
At this point, she had no choice but to dangle some bait.
"Shimizu-kun… if you finish the whole parfait…" She feigned shyness, her voice trembling slightly, though her eyes remained locked on the timer—five minutes left.
"I'll let you rest your head on my lap for three minutes."
(Five minutes! No way can you finish in time!)
(He must have a crush on me—with this offer, he'll go all out!)
Sure enough, the moment the words left her mouth, Shimizu froze.
But his next sentence nearly made her explode on the spot.
"Kushida-san, why are you rewarding me again?" Shimizu's tone carried genuine confusion. "You've already done so much for me. There's no need for this."
(?! When did I ever reward him?!)
(No way… No way someone can actually finish this in five minutes, right?!)
Just as she lowered her head to hide her smirk, a loud slurping noise reached her ears.
Her head snapped up.
Shimizu had picked up the largest spoon and was shoveling parfait into his mouth at a machine-like pace.
The speed was inhuman—like something out of a competitive eating show.
She had never seen anyone eat ice cream like this in real life.
"Y-You're not freezing?! No brain freeze?!" Her voice came out strained.
"Hm? I'm fine." He set the spoon down calmly, as if discussing the weather. "It was cold at first, but my body adjusted. Honestly, it's pretty refreshing for summer."
(Is he serious?! What does he mean adjusted?!)
She stared as he took another massive bite—not even flinching.
(What kind of physiology is this?! Is he even human?! Wait… Didn't Horikita mention he works out at 5:30 AM every day?)
Last month, when Horikita Suzune brought it up, Kushida had been skeptical.
But she woke up early too—needing time to get ready—and from her window, she often spotted Shimizu running laps on the track.
Ten laps. Without fail.
Lately, she'd even developed a habit—the first thing she did after opening her curtains was check if he was there.
(Exercise… seems way more effective than I thought… No—this is too effective!)
(But still! How is he this unaffected?!)
She recalled how she always ate ice cream in tiny bites, needing breaks between each one.
Watching this scene now felt unreal.
(Did he bribe the staff or something?!)
The thought gave her pause—with anyone else, she'd dismiss it, but this was Shimizu Akira.
For all she knew, this wasn't even real ice cream but some fake "pseudo-dessert" doctored to stay solid.
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. She grabbed her own spoon and scooped a tiny bite from the rim.
(SO COLD—! Damn it! What kind of cheap shop makes ice cream this freezing?!)
The chill shot straight to her skull. She barely stifled a curse, her temples throbbing as she rubbed them furiously.
This parfait was unnaturally icy.
Only now did she realize—this "free if finished" challenge was rigged. Who could possibly gulp down something this frozen?
(Scam! They never planned to let anyone win! I'm giving them one star later!)
"Hm?" Shimizu paused, noticing her reaction.
"I thought you couldn't eat ice cream because you weren't feeling well?"
"Ah… just couldn't resist a tiny taste~" Kushida instantly switched to a guilty-kitten expression, spoon still pinched between her fingers.
"Mm. Don't upset your stomach." His tone was unreadable as he went back to shoveling parfait.
"It's just one bite—I'll be fine!" She waved a hand dismissively before adding pointedly, "But you, Shimizu-kun, eating so fast… Aren't you worried about stomach cramps?"
"Don't worry about me." Shimizu swallowed another mouthful of ice, his breath visible as he spoke. "I've never been sick a day in my life. Something as minor as an upset stomach isn't happening."
As he said this, he took another massive bite—not even blinking.
Kushida watched his Adam's apple bob, suddenly believing his "never been sick" claim wasn't an exaggeration—at the very least, his cold tolerance was not normal.
And yet…
That uneasy feeling crept back in.