Check out advanced chapters on P@treon: [email protected]/CosmicKaminari
----------
Akira splashed cold water on his face.
As he turned off the faucet, he heard the long-awaited knock at the door.
He walked to the door.
When he opened the door, Kamuro was standing there with her arms crossed, her displeasure almost palpable.
"Please come in, Kamuro-san," Akira calmly stepped aside, deliberately avoiding her aggressive gaze.
"You can sit..."
Before he could finish speaking, Kamuro had already strode into the room and unceremoniously sat on his bed.
She straightened her back, hands braced at her sides. "So, don't you have anything to say to me, Shimizu Akira!"
Akira sat upright in the chair at his desk and said sincerely. "Regarding what happened at the beginning of the school year, it was indeed my fault. I shouldn't have used you as a wager, and I shouldn't have concealed the truth afterward. I should have explained it to you proactively."
"..." Kamuro's tense shoulders relaxed imperceptibly.
Her purpose in coming was simply to see what kind of attitude Akira held.
Now, it seemed his attitude in admitting his mistake was at least sincere.
Actually, it wasn't entirely Akira's fault. She wasn't stupid—with a little thought, she guessed it was probably Sakayanagi's bad idea.
Of course, Akira was also wrong for agreeing. If they were to apportion blame, Sakayanagi deserved sixty lashes, and Akira forty.
However, Akira did buy the beer—which not only prevented her from stealing but also gave her the beer in the end.
Looking at it that way, it could barely offset half of his fault.
But twenty lashes were still due.
But in fact, what bothered her was not just being a wager itself, but also his attitude of keeping her in the dark.
This feeling of being excluded angered her more than any bet.
However, at this moment, looking at the boy in front of her who was bowing his head in apology, and the noticeably tidied room, much of the anger in her chest dissipated unknowingly.
"Would you like some hot cocoa? The water is already boiled, it'll be ready soon, just wait a moment," Akira asked casually, turning to prepare the hot drink for her.
"Okay!" She answered instinctively, then suddenly realized something, her eyes widening slightly as she looked at his back.
'Wait! How did he know I like hot cocoa?'
'This guy, he couldn't have known what I like to drink all along, could he!'
When Kamuro arrived, she was absolutely furious!
If anger could be quantified, her anger index definitely broke the ninety mark at that time.
If Akira had dared to say one wrong word, she would've already delivered a flying kick—her long black-stockinged legs, which she'd specially worn today, were not just for show—she would've left a few footprints on that scoundrel to vent her anger.
But strangely, ever since she stepped into this room, her anger was like a leaking balloon, deflating little by little.
That sincere apology directly halved her anger, dropping it from ninety to forty-five.
And when the words "hot cocoa" came out of Akira's mouth, she clearly felt another ten points of anger "poof" out of her heart.
Now, she couldn't even unleash her most basic skill, let alone a big move.
This feeling of being completely controlled by the other party's pace made her very uncomfortable.
'Damn it... how did he lead me on without me realizing it?'
Kamuro suddenly realized this, and alarm bells immediately went off.
She was always the one in control—when did it become someone else's turn to lead the situation?
"Who wants hot cocoa!" She suddenly raised her voice, deliberately contradicting him. "I want iced cola! The kind with ice!"
Unexpectedly, Akira didn't even frown.
He naturally picked up his jacket and said calmly. "Iced cola, right? I'll go buy it now. Anything else you want to eat? I'll bring it back with me."
This composed attitude, on the contrary, made Kamuro feel a sense of powerlessness, like punching cotton.
She opened her mouth, suddenly not knowing how to respond.
Just as Akira's left foot was about to cross the threshold, Kamuro finally couldn't hold back.
"...Forget it!" She turned her face away, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "I'm dying of thirst right now, so I'll just make do."
Akira couldn't help but shake his head inwardly.
'She clearly likes hot cocoa the most.'
This information was revealed to him by "Daily Intel" one day last month.
However, what surprised him was that he'd expected this cold tsundere to at least deliberately make him run two or three errands, but he didn't expect her to be unwilling to even let him run the first one.
'Indeed, Kamuro is essentially a very gentle person.'
He skillfully prepared the hot cocoa and moved the small coffee table between them.
As he handed her the cup, he couldn't help but watch her with a strange smile.
Kamuro felt uncomfortable under his gaze.
She quickly took a sip, then slammed the cup down with a "bang," her eyes suddenly sharpening.
"Shimizu Akira, what are you staring at me for!" She fiercely extended her hand. "Give me your arm!"
"Okay." Akira cooperatively extended his right arm.
Kamuro grabbed his forearm, pinching a piece of flesh between her thumb and forefinger, and twisted with all her might—but it felt like she was pinching a hardwood board—she couldn't budge it!
'Is this guy's arm made of iron?!'
She was shocked to find that the muscles beneath her fingertips were unexpectedly firm—she could feel how hard he was even through his school uniform.
'A muscle idiot! No wonder he was placed in Class D!'
Although the punishment failed, she couldn't lose her momentum. "This is what happens when you offend me, understand!"
"Understood, understood!" Akira nodded, trying to suppress his laughter.
What kind of punishment was this? Rather, it was... basically pouting, wasn't it?
Kamuro rolled her eyes at him, then suddenly posed a very serious question. "Regarding you being placed in Class D... don't you have anything to say? Your homeroom teacher must have said something to you today."
She remembered clearly that in the message sent to Akira last month, he, like Sakayanagi, already knew about the rules that the school authorities had deliberately concealed.
'With his ability... how could he end up in Class D? By the way, he told me last time that he scored very poorly, did he get food poisoning that day?'
After observing him these past few days, Akira's intelligence and emotional intelligence were both outstanding, completely unlike the rabble in Class D.
"No particular thoughts," Akira replied with his usual expression.
"Hey!" Kamuro suddenly put down her cup, the bottom of the cup clinking against the coffee table with a crisp sound. "Don't you dare fall in with those good-for-nothings in Class D! You should make an effort when it's time to make an effort."
But as the words left her mouth, she suddenly realized something.
If her act of theft had been discovered by the school authorities, would she also have been thrown into Class D?