The brown-haired boy wanted to lie down on the comfortable lounge chair he had found before being dragged away by Suzune. But with Kei's enthusiastic insistence, he had no choice but to dive into the pool and play with his energetic girlfriend.
As time went on, Kei's face looked more radiant, as if all her worries had been completely wiped from her mind. She kept playing, challenging him to swim back and forth, splashing water in his face, hugging him, and even giving him a few kisses—to the surprise of the other students around. The brown-haired boy simply accepted the blonde girl's affection. However, those displays of affection—something any boy his age would dream of experiencing—tasted like ash in his mouth...
The room was filled with an odd silence as the image showed Kei laughing and swimming around Ayanokouji, splashing water at him and even hugging and kissing him, as if they were the happiest couple in the school. But to anyone looking closely—especially the people in the reaction room—what they saw on the brown-haired boy's face was something completely different from the joy that should accompany that moment. His gaze was lifeless, his expression empty... a direct contrast to the joy of the girl hugging him.
Kei, sitting on the bed in the reaction room, crossed her arms and let out a deep sigh as her eyes remained fixed on the screen. She was lost in thought, silent for several long seconds.
"...Seriously?" she murmured to herself, her voice filled with disbelief. "Am I... blind in that future? No way..."
Sato, sitting beside her, tilted her head with a concerned look. Seeing her friend's expression, she gently placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder.
"Kei... are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft and kind.
"I'm..." she said, though it was obvious she was trying to convince herself. Her eyes returned to the screen. "I mean... I'm watching him there, completely apathetic, Sato. Totally distant. And I... I'm laughing and kissing him like everything's perfect..."
Sato didn't reply immediately. She simply gave her shoulder a gentle, supportive squeeze.
Kei glanced subtly at Ayanokouji in the reaction room. Sitting next to Horikita, he seemed more... alive. His eyes were more expressive, his facial features less rigid, softer. It was subtle, but anyone who knew him would notice the difference. A difference that became even more obvious when she saw Horikita discreetly holding his hand.
"...He really is different," Kei murmured. "I'm not saying this out of bitterness, but... in that screen, he's not happy. Here... he looks like he is."
Sato looked at her, surprised by the serenity her friend was showing.
Kei then smiled faintly—no irony, just a sad but sincere acceptance.
"I'm angry at him, of course I am. He cheated on me... I mean, that version of him cheated. And it hurts. But..." her eyes returned to the screen. "He didn't do it out of malice. He'd never do something to intentionally hurt me—it's not in his nature. He just... followed what was best for him. And deep down... deep down, I already knew."
Sato squeezed her shoulder more tightly, and now it was she who had tears welling up in her eyes, moved by her friend's growth.
Kei let out a small laugh, looking again at Ayanokouji and Horikita.
"They like each other. It's obvious now. And... if he can be truly happy with her... then I want him to be. Even if it hurt me in the process."
Meanwhile, Horikita was also watching the screen closely. Her face turned slightly red as she saw how the future Ayanokouji seemed... emotionally absent. It stirred something in her, especially as she heard Kiyotaka's calm breathing beside her. Without realizing it, she held his hand.
"You seem more human now..." she whispered, just for him to hear.
Ayanokouji glanced at her briefly and, without saying a word, brought his free hand to Horikita's head, gently caressing her hair. She let out a relieved sigh at the gesture, relaxing at his side. It was curious. He almost never showed affection, but when he did, it always seemed to erase any tension she felt.
Ichika, on the other side of the room, let out a muffled laugh.
"My god... she's the calmest cuckold I've ever seen," she murmured, laughing with her arms crossed, leaning back in her chair.
Kei subtly flipped her the middle finger, still with a small smile on her face.
"Screw you, Ichika." She also chuckled softly, without any hostility. "I'm embarrassed watching this. Believing in all that... not questioning anything, not noticing he wasn't even enjoying the moment."
"But now you see it, right?" said Sato, smiling proudly at her friend. "And just for that... you're already light-years ahead of your future self."
Ryuen, as always, was casually leaning against a wall in the reaction room, arms crossed and smiling with a mix of amusement and sadism.
"This is getting more and more interesting..." he commented, still staring at the screen. "I thought the drama would start when she found out everything... but watching the consequences of her ignorance unfold in this room is already a show in itself."
Ichika nodded, throwing her head back laughing.
"Exactly. It's a delight watching Karuizawa's little eyes trying to figure out how she was so blind. It's like watching a soap opera where the protagonist gets cheated on in episode 3 and only finds out in episode 89."
The whole room felt that mix of tension and compassion. It wasn't easy to watch yourself being emotionally deceived—no matter how subtly—by someone you loved. And Kei, despite the discomfort, was handling it admirably. She wasn't lashing out, she wasn't yelling. She was just... accepting. Reflecting. Growing.
Sato hugged her from the side, gently running her fingers through her hair.
"You're doing great, Kei. Truly."
Kei nodded with a small smile.
"I just hope... that future version of me wakes up. And not just about Ayanokouji, but about herself. That she stops dimming her own light... stops trying to force something that clearly isn't working. And that she realizes she can be happy... even if it's not with him."
A respectful silence filled the room for a moment.
Horikita looked discreetly at Kei, then at Ayanokouji, who was still holding her hand calmly.
She then murmured in a low voice:
"Karuizawa... she'll be okay."
Ayanokouji, without even looking at Kei, gave a small nod.
And in that moment... something felt different in the room.
Something more mature.
Something more human.
Kei, still blushing, looked ahead, took a deep breath and whispered, almost to herself:
"Thank you... Ayanokouji."
It was the first time she had used his surname with such gentleness since their breakup.
And perhaps that was the first real step toward healing the pain she felt in her heart.
After experiencing that heat with the black-haired girl, he felt that nothing could ever be the same again. After a while, the blonde girl had to get out of the pool to rest and grab something to eat.
Meanwhile, Horikita had to endure Sudou, who was eager to have a continuous and reciprocal conversation with the black-haired girl, but so far, he hadn't succeeded. The girl in question had her eyes fixed on Kiyotaka and his interactions with Karuizawa. After seeing the kiss the blonde gave to the brown-haired boy, the black-haired girl's mood drastically worsened, much to the misfortune of the boy beside her, who was doing his best to get her attention.
— "You know, Sudou-kun, I appreciate you inviting me to spend the weekend with you all, but I'm not really in the mood to talk right now..."
The screen lit up once again, bringing a new image of the future, and this time, the atmosphere in the reaction room changed instantly. Everyone became alert as they saw: Horikita sitting next to Sudou, clearly annoyed, while observing Ayanokouji and Kei interacting from a distance. Her eyes were locked on the scene of Karuizawa kissing the brown-haired boy, and even without saying a word, her expression said it all. The air was heavy. Sudou, excited, tried to start a conversation with her—unsuccessfully.
And then came the line that filled the room with silence:
— "You know, Sudou-kun, I appreciate you inviting me to spend the weekend with you all, but I'm not really in the mood to talk right now..."
The room burst with reactions.
— Pfff... HAHAHA! — Sudou laughed out loud, bringing a hand to his head. — Damn, I'm such an idiot in that version, huh!?
Onodera, sitting beside him, covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hide her laughter.
— You're laughing at that? — she asked, a curious glint in her eyes. — I thought you'd be mad at your other self...
— I am mad — he replied, crossing his arms and shaking his head with a mix of humor and frustration. — Look at me... wagging my tail like a golden retriever for someone who's not even listening. What a shame, man.
— You really do look like a dog! — Ryuen laughed from the back, making Ichika laugh and Sudou roll his eyes.
— What a dumbass — Chie commented from the back of the room, laughing. — Emotional teenagers are always a show on their own.
Chabashira sighed, running a hand across her forehead.
— Yeah... teenage drama. You all think the world revolves around a kiss or a glance. You'll laugh at this in five years.
— But we're already laughing, sensei — Hirata chimed in, glancing at Horikita with concern. — Seems like her future self isn't handling her feelings very well.
Everyone naturally turned their eyes to Horikita Suzune, who was sitting on the bed next to Ayanokouji. Seeing the scene and hearing the comments, her face started to turn red slowly.
— I... — she cleared her throat, looking away from the screen. — I admit I can be a little... temperamental.
— "A little" is generous — Ichika teased with a smirk. — You're like an ex stalking her ex-boyfriend on Instagram and arguing over the pictures he liked, even though you're not even officially together.
— Shut up, Ichika. — Horikita pouted slightly, turning her face away. But she was clearly embarrassed.
— Hey, relax. — Ayanokouji, with his usual calm, almost sleepy tone, looked at her. — I like you like this.
— D-Don't say that in front of everyone... — she muttered, turning her face even more while discreetly covering her mouth with her hand to hide her embarrassed smile. — I-I'm not always like this. Just when stupid people are involved...
— Does that include Karuizawa? — Ichika teased, enjoying her rival's discomfort.
— No. — Horikita replied firmly, but without malice. — It includes anyone who pisses me off. Like you.
Ichika chuckled and raised her arms in surrender.
— Alright, alright. Ice Queen's got feelings too. Got it.
On the other side of the room, Onodera was watching Sudou carefully. With each nervous laugh he gave seeing his future self ignore Horikita's discomfort, she felt a strange warmth in her chest. It was almost... comforting.
— It's funny, isn't it... — she said quietly, looking at the screen. — Seeing you get mad at yourself... for not knowing how to respect Horikita's space in that moment.
Sudou looked at her, confused.
— Huh? What do you mean?
— I mean... — Onodera turned slightly to him, her eyes shining with sincerity — that the fact you care, even though it's just a possible version of you... shows you're not just a hothead. It shows you care. That you know when something's wrong. That you'd get angry if someone treated... I don't know, an important girl in your life like that.
Sudou's eyes widened for a brief second. He didn't know what to say. It completely caught him off guard.
— Are you saying... I earned points with you for yelling at myself?
— Maybe. — Onodera giggled softly and, without thinking much, intertwined her fingers with his while looking back at the screen. — We'll need to talk later, okay?
He blushed. Just slightly, but it was noticeable. Several others glanced at them after the gesture.
— Whoa... — Ichika was the first to comment. — Do we have a new couple forming?
Sudou tried to hide his red face by crossing his arms and looking at the ceiling.
— Tsk... shut up, Ichika.
But his smile gave it all away.
Meanwhile, Horikita, on the other side of the room, was still watching herself on screen with a mix of shame and curiosity. She knew she was jealous... but seeing it from the outside gave her a new perspective.
— I really was jealous of Karuizawa, wasn't I? I didn't expect to lose control like that... I guess I need to work on my self-control. — she murmured.
Ayanokouji responded simply, almost philosophically:
— It's not wrong to feel. What matters is what you do with it.
She looked at him. Her eyes were softer now, as if she allowed herself to be vulnerable for a moment.
— Would you have said something to me... if this situation had really happened? With our current relationship?
— I would've noticed your discomfort. And talked to you. — he replied, never breaking eye contact.
She nodded slowly, lightly touching her own lips. An unconscious gesture.
— ...Then I hope this future version of me doesn't screw things up anymore.
— She will. — Ichika said casually. — You all will. That's the point of seeing the future, right? To know what not to repeat.
— And what to keep. — Sato added, glancing at Kei, who was still a bit distant and quiet despite the lighter atmosphere in the room. — Sometimes we only realize how much we've grown... when we look from the outside. And sometimes, that hurts.
Kei smiled slightly, finally returning to the present moment.
— At least I'm not the only one getting embarrassed. — She joked, looking at Horikita. — Jealousy is hard to hide, huh?
Horikita took a deep breath and spoke softly, looking at her rival—friend? She couldn't tell what their relationship was at that moment...
— Just as hard as pretending you don't care.
The two of them looked at each other for a moment. There was no hostility—only a quiet mutual respect.
— Girls... — Sudou muttered. — Always making things complicated...
— Shut up, Sudou. — Kei, Sato, Horikita, and Onodera said in unison.
He raised his hands, laughing.
— Okay, okay! Leave me out of this emotional war.
Chabashira let out another sigh, watching the scene.
— You're all still young... but I'm starting to see real growth here.
Chie nodded, crossing her legs and smiling:
— I just want to see if all this maturity holds up when an explicit cheating scene shows up. Then things will get messy.
The room fell silent for a moment.
Everyone knew worse scenes were probably coming.
But for now, this moment was lighter, more intimate.
And it left one certainty:
Even through mistakes and embarrassment, each of them was changing.
The redhead seemed to notice the reason for the girl's change of mood, as she continued to observe the couple. He knew that asking her would only hurt him, but he felt like it was something he had to do. - "Suzune, you like Ayanokōji, don't you?" - "Why do you ask, Sudou-kun?" - "Why do I ask...?" Couldn't she realize that she hadn't taken her eyes off him this whole time? - "Well... you two have always been close, but lately, you seem inseparable. Even Karuizawa-san seemed worried."
- "And what would you do if that were the case, Sudou-kun?"
- "What, what would I do, you say? Suzune, he's dating Karuizawa-san, you can't be serious." After hearing those words, the girl looked at him with disdain, a look that only lasted for a second, but it was something the redhead would never forget. Shortly after, the girl spoke.
- "You're just imagining things, Sudou-kun."
Silence hung in the air for a few seconds after the image played. The intensity of the future moment was palpable, and the expressions in the room changed quickly, like ripples after a stone is thrown into water.
Sudou—the real Sudou sitting in the room—was the first to break the silence, pointing at the screen with a mix of disbelief and nervous laughter.
— "Tch... that guy's me? Seriously? Look at that face, man! Asking her straight up like that? How embarrassing!" — he laughed loudly, but then glanced at Onodera beside him and blushed slightly. — "But... yeah, I get why he asked. I'd ask too. Seeing Suzune staring at Ayanokōji like that... even I'd feel something's going on."
— "Yeah, it was brave of you to ask," — Onodera said softly, chuckling with her eyes glowing tenderly. — "But even so... poor Horikita and Kei-san."
She said it not with mockery, but with genuine empathy — maybe because she had also tasted the bitter feeling of liking someone and fearing it wouldn't be returned.
Sudou looked surprised at Onodera, even more so when he felt her hand gently holding his. His eyes widened for a second, but he soon squeezed her hand back softly. A shy smile formed on his face as he looked away from the screen, trying to hide the blush on his cheeks.
— "You know..." — Onodera continued, her hand still intertwined with his — "I like how much you've changed since our first year... it shows you wouldn't mistreat someone who cares about you. You've really grown into someone admirable and respectable."
The words embarrassed her a bit, but she kept her eyes on the screen. Sudou, on the other hand, swallowed hard, visibly touched.
Meanwhile, Horikita, on the other side of the room, stared at her future self with a deeply uncomfortable expression. She quickly looked away when she noticed Ayanokōji's gaze on her — that typical neutral stare of his, with a subtle, teasing glint in his eyes.
— "Stop looking at me like that..." — she muttered, crossing her arms and trying to appear indifferent, though her face was clearly red.
— "Looking at you how?" — Ayanokōji asked in his usual calm tone, tilting his head slightly.
— "You know how." — she shot back, a mix of irritation and embarrassment in her voice. — "That... that look like you're enjoying my embarrassment."
Ayanokōji just gave a small nod and, almost naturally, ran a gentle hand over Horikita's head. She stayed silent but didn't pull away. Her expression softened, though her eyes stayed locked on the screen.
— "Even in that future... I'm still jealous..." — she murmured quietly, more to herself than to anyone else. — "Even though I'm just... the mistress. How pathetic."
On the other side, Kei watched everything with a thoughtful expression. Her eyes were distant, fixed on the screen, but her mind was spinning with questions she didn't even know how to fully articulate. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity... and a hint of pain.
— "Horikita was the first person you got close to at school..." — she spoke, almost dreamily. — "So... why me? Why not her? Why did you choose me first to be your girlfriend?"
She wasn't looking at anyone, just at the screen. The question felt rhetorical, but Ayanokōji glanced at her briefly. Kei noticed but said nothing more. Deep down, she wasn't sure if she even wanted an answer.
Ichinose sighed softly and crossed her arms, analyzing the scene she had just watched with a detached tone.
— "I understand Horikita." — she thought, a bitter smile on her face. — "Feeling that way... watching the one you like be with someone else... it's awful. And still, pretending everything's fine."
She didn't want to admit who that thought was about, but her mind was filled with memories — especially the many times she had smiled while Ayanokōji was with Kei.
— "At least she had the courage to face the pain. I just bottled it all up, until I almost lost control in his room, the day I kissed him."
Sakayanagi, elegantly seated, observed the scene with a small smile on her lips.
— "You're all so sensitive when it comes to Kiyotaka-kun." — she said, not maliciously, but with genuine interest. — "It's fascinating. He evokes such intense feelings without doing anything."
— "Yeah... that's so true," — commented Maya Sato, who had been silent until now, watching the screen with narrowed eyes. — "I don't know if he's a genius of emotional manipulation or just a cold idiot who bumps into people's hearts without realizing it."
Ayanokōji tilted his head slightly.
— "I'd rather think I'm just an idiot who doesn't realize it."
The room chuckled lightly, even Horikita.
Chabashira sighed, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. The teacher was used to teenage drama — she'd lived through plenty of it with her own friends — but even so, seeing her students affected by simple glimpses of potential futures was more intense than expected.
— "You all do realize you're living like the protagonists of a cheap drama, right?" — she commented sarcastically.
Chie, next to her, chuckled softly.
— "But admit it, it's addictive. Like watching an emotional reality show."
— "And we're all in it. It's like we're part of an anime, living in some alternate story compared to our normal classroom life." — added Ichika, laughing.
Sudou spoke up again, slapping his thigh in frustration.
— "I still can't believe my future self blurted that out to Suzune! But I... damn... she looked at me like I committed a war crime."
He turned to Horikita.
— "Suzune, do you always give me that look of disdain, or just in that future?"
Horikita raised an eyebrow.
— "Only when you say something stupid, Sudou-kun. Which... happens more often than it should be considered acceptable."
Sudou smiled, pretending to be offended.
— "That's just mean..."
Onodera laughed at their interaction but then gently squeezed Sudou's hand again. He looked at her in surprise, and she simply said:
— "When Ryota gives us the next break, I want to talk to you. About... all of this. Come to my room, okay? No excuses."
— "Sure. Let's talk, Onodera." — Sudou replied more seriously, feeling the weight of her words. His heart pounded — way harder than it ever did when he played basketball.
Meanwhile, Horikita, her face still slightly red, sighed and whispered softly, just for Ayanokōji to hear:
— "Even in that future... I still get like this because of you. I hate it."
Ayanokōji calmly replied in a low voice:
— "But you've never been good at hiding your feelings, Suzune."
— "Don't start." — she shot back, blushing as she looked away. — "Seriously."
— "Alright." — he answered, leaning back in his chair with that typical calm air that irritated and fascinated her.
Kei, finally, let out a heavy sigh. Her eyes remained fixed on the screen, but she spoke as if reflecting aloud:
— "Maybe, in the end, no one really understands Ayanokōji. Maybe not even himself."
The room fell silent for a moment. Kei's words echoed like a bitter truth. And even though many in the room had their own feelings toward him — love, jealousy, frustration, anger — they all knew, deep down, that dealing with Ayanokōji was like trying to hold onto smoke: impossible, yet irresistibly tempting.
Ryota, watching silently from the corner, just smirked.
— "Interesting..." — he murmured to himself. — "The pieces are starting to move. Let's see where they'll be once this timeline ends."
Ryota smiled, closing his eyes as he thought to himself."They still have one more memory to see... and another timeline. One more possibility for their future. I hope they'll be ready to deal with their feelings by then."
"Kiyotaka-kun and I are just friends... no, we're just classmates..." Words that left her mouth with a pain she couldn't explain. The simple act of saying those words while watching the blonde smile and hug the man she so deeply desired made her feel an inner emptiness that took her breath away.
"Classmates don't call each other by their first names, Suzune..." thought Sudou.
After his failed attempt to start a conversation with Suzune, the redhead left the pool; he needed to clear his head and understand his feelings. He knew that the girl he had fallen for wouldn't do something to ruin a relationship between two people.
Ryuen was the first to break the silence. His deep, mocking laugh filled the room like a burst of laughter in a theater after a dirty joke. He leaned back in his seat, arms crossed and a smug smile on his lips.
— "She wouldn't do something like that? Seriously?" — he said, with a malicious grin. — "The same girl who, like... spent the night and day practically screwing the guy in his room?" — he glanced at Ichika beside him, chuckling.
Ichika let out a muffled giggle, shaking her head.
— "Oh, Ryuen, don't exaggerate..." — she said between laughs, though not too convincingly. — "But let's be honest: it's kinda funny watching her try to act all... innocent. Her pain is real, but that denial..."
Sudou looked away from the screen. His eyes flickered, and he let out a soft, awkward chuckle.
— "My future self... doesn't know everything, huh?" — he muttered, almost as if apologizing to himself. — "If he had seen what we saw... he wouldn't say those things with such conviction."
Kushida raised an eyebrow at him.
— "Are you trying to say she's guilty, Sudou-kun?"
— "I'm saying... we've seen too much to believe in that 'just classmates' story. That's clearly her in total denial, and since we're here watching the future, we know it," — Sudou shot back, looking back at the screen. — "And there I was, talking like she was all pure and honest. Hah... what a joke."
Ichinose, sitting closer to the front, covered her mouth to hide a smile. The piercing look from Mako-chan beside her was a clear warning.
— "If you laugh, you'll see what happens, Honami-chan..." — Mako murmured, with a slight smile, though her eyes were narrowed.
— "Sorry, sorry..." — Ichinose said, still trying to hold back a laugh, but couldn't help letting slip: — "It's just... kinda hard to believe someone who was that close to him still has the nerve to say they're just classmates. I get the feeling, but... denial hurts more than the truth."
Sakayanagi, who had been watching the screen with her usual mysterious smile — the kind of smile worn by someone who loves watching others fall into emotional traps — tilted her head slightly.
— "Suzune-san has always tried to seem rational, hasn't she? But in the end, she fell just like anyone else. Passion is a dangerous virus..." — her voice sounded more curious than critical. — "And seeing her denial after everything we've seen... it's almost poetic."
Horikita, who had remained silent until now, looked away, not out of secondhand embarrassment, but out of personal shame. She knew very well what she had done on that screen days ago. Heat rose to her cheeks when the words "classmates" echoed in her mind, clashing with the vivid memory of his touch on her skin, the kisses, the muffled moans... She clenched her fists in silence, pretending to be interested in another part of the screen.
Ayanokouji, as always, kept his expression unreadable, but there was something different now. A slight curve to his lips. Almost imperceptible. A trace of provocation? Maybe. He glanced at Suzune, who instinctively looked away, blushing. She knew that if she stared too long, she'd see that look in his eyes: cold, but always with a trace of silent superiority... and worse, a hint of possessiveness.
He didn't need to say anything. The sound in her head of the things her future self had done just days ago was still vivid in her memory. And even if he wasn't officially hers in this future, her body... her heart... her soul... already belonged to him.
Kei, on the other side of the room, watched it all silently. Her gaze shifted from the screen to Ayanokouji... then to Suzune... then to her own hand, where her old ring used to be before she and Kiyotaka broke up. She didn't look angry. Nor sad. She looked... contemplative.
— "Horikita was the first person he truly connected with at this school, it seems..." — she said, mostly to herself. — "The one closest to him the longest... it makes sense that she'd feel this way. And maybe, that he would too. Ironic, isn't it? The smartest person in our school didn't realize it. Or maybe he did... and denied it to himself?"
She sighed, not out of jealousy, but confusion.
— "But if that's the case... why did he choose me first? That's something that, no matter how much I try or analyze, I can't fully answer. Why not her? Why is he only now acting this way with her?" — her eyes searched for Ayanokouji's, but he didn't look back. — "If he was going to break up with me anyway, if I really couldn't help him emotionally, then why did he deem me worthy of that? Wouldn't it have made more sense for him to have started with her instead of me?"
Ichika, who had been watching Kei, raised an eyebrow.
— "Careful, Kei-senpai... questions like that only bring headaches."
Kei let out a short, dry laugh.
— "Yeah. But trying to understand Ayanokouji is the hardest thing in the world. His choices... always seem cold. But deep down... there's something there, isn't there?"
Mako-chan huffed but said nothing while listening to the girls talk about the boy her friend liked.
Sakayanagi spoke again, her voice smooth as silk, but sharp as glass.
— "What I find fascinating is how everyone revolves around him. As if he were the sun of this system. And everyone, even the distant Suzune, ends up burning when they get too close."
Ichika looked at her with a face that finally agreed with something Sakayanagi said.
— "You're not wrong. But some people like getting burned, huh?"
Ryuen laughed heartily.
— "Or they like playing with fire. Future Suzune seems to be pretending the fire doesn't exist... even after throwing herself right into the flames."
Horikita, in the back of the room, clenched her fists again.
— "Laugh all you want..." — she murmured, just to herself. — "But only those who've felt it... that heat, that gaze... understand what that version of me did."
Ayanokouji spoke for the first time, his voice as calm as always, but now with a touch of ironic lightness aimed at a certain black-haired girl.
— "Suzune is rational. Until she decides not to be."
Sudou turned to him, raising an eyebrow.
— "And you? What are you, then?"
The room went silent.
Ayanokouji just gave a slight shrug. He didn't answer. Or rather, he chose not to.
Kushida, always alert to any opportunity to stir things up, let out a soft laugh, looking at the group and speaking calmly.
— "You all talk like anyone here is innocent in this story. Everyone here felt something for him. And the funniest part... is that he never promised anything to anyone."
— "Maybe that's why it hurts so much," — Kei replied, her eyes distant. — "Because even without promising, he holds us."
Ryota, the god behind the room, watched it all with a slight, satisfied smile. The reactions were back in full force. The silence had been broken. Hearts were being exposed. Layers were coming undone.
"Wait a moment..." A cold sweat ran down his temple as he remembered something from the day he visited Ayanokōji's room. At the time, he hadn't paid much attention, but it was clear that Ayanokōji had spent the night with a girl in his room. He knew because of how messy the room was and the lingering scent in the air—not to mention the girl's shoes by the door.
He had believed it was Karuizawa-san, but after leaving the room, he remembered seeing her with Maya Satou and Matsushita-san heading to the Keyaki Mall. So, who had been with Ayanokōji in his room? He didn't seem like the type to cheat on Karuizawa-san, but appearances could be deceiving. He was the perfect example of that. The question was—with whom? He remembered hearing rumors that the most popular girl in their year, Ichinose Honami, had a crush on him. However, something had happened between them, because after the last special exam, she started avoiding him... Karuizawa's friend, Maya Satou, was also surrounded by rumors suggesting she liked the brown-haired boy. However, she had been with Karuizawa that day, so it couldn't have been her. The only person left was...
"Impossible...""No, it can't be," the redhead kept muttering to himself, before recalling how he had seen the two of them just a few hours earlier. Both were breathing heavily, visibly shaken, and Suzune's face was red... also, Suzune seemed to have small marks all over her body—what looked like hickeys and bites. "Could it be that yesterday they...?" Suddenly, he covered his mouth with his hand, feeling nauseous at the image flashing through his mind, imagining what they might have done. He couldn't let things stay like this—he needed to know the truth. But now wasn't the time. Even if he knew his chances were slim, he still wanted to confess his feelings to Suzune again.
Ayanokōji sighed. He was a bit bored, lying on the edge of the pool, simply not wanting to get out because he knew if he did, he wouldn't come back. His mind kept racing through what he needed to do. He knew it was time to end his relationship with the blonde. Prolonging the inevitable would only bring more mental stress. Still, he had to wait a little longer. The parent-teacher conference was approaching, and if his father had something in mind, the best way to divert his attention was to create a false target... If his father found out about Karuizawa Kei, she would undoubtedly become a target."Better her than Suzune..." the brown-haired boy whispered.
Silence.
The impact of those words was immediate. The tension in the room became palpable. Everyone seemed to freeze for a moment, trying to digest what they had just heard. It was cruel. Cold. Calculated. Exactly the kind of reasoning one would expect from Ayanokōji... but even so, it hurt.
Kei, sitting in the right corner of the room, let out a soft gasp. Her eyes widened as if she'd just been slapped.
"...What...?" she murmured.
Sakayanagi was the first to regain composure. Crossing her legs and resting her chin on one hand, she slowly closed her eyes, sighing as if tasting something bitter.
"What a bitter thought... even if it's the most rational decision..." she commented, with restrained regret.
Ryuen chuckled, but it wasn't a mocking or playful laugh. It was the kind that came from accepting an ugly truth—or rather, accepting that his rival was a complete monster.
"Hah... So that's it. The bastard really has no limits. He'd throw anyone under the bus... as long as it serves his purpose," Ryuen said with a half-smile. "But hey... it's a brilliant move. Unfortunate, but genius."
Ichika simply stared at the screen in silence, her eyes calm, as if she had already predicted this side of Ayanokōji. Instead of surprise, there was a kind of resignation on her face. She chose not to speak, just crossing her arms.
"This is..." Hirata began, looking between the screen and Ayanokōji. "That's not something you would really do... right?"
Before he could finish, everyone heard a faint sound. It was Suzune Horikita, who had unconsciously shifted slightly on the bed, as if needing space to breathe and process what she had just heard.
She was completely confused. Scared and moved.
"Why... why would you do that...?" she murmured, her voice slightly trembling.
Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but it was as if she couldn't really see, as if everything around her had become a blur. Her mind spun with the words: "Better her than Suzune..."
"You... would think of protecting me... to that extent...?"
"That's irrational, Suzune," Sudou finally said in a low voice. "That version of him... isn't okay. He's clearly not okay."
"But even so..." Suzune swallowed hard. "Even so... he still prioritized me."
A wave of warmth rose in her chest, contradicting her initial fear. She was scared, yes. But also... strangely touched.
Kei, on the other hand, stayed silent for long seconds. Her usually lively and confident eyes were now dull. The pain on her face was obvious. She took a deep breath, trying to hold back her emotions, but her breathing was uneven.
"So that's it?" she murmured. "From the beginning... was that all I was to him?"
"Kei-chan..." Maya Satou began, concerned, but Kei raised a hand, asking not to be interrupted.
Ayanokōji, who had been standing beside the bed with Horikita, stepped forward. He positioned himself in front of Kei, leaning down slightly to be at her level. His expression was neutral, but his eyes carried an unusual sincerity.
"That's not how I think now, and I never thought that way in the first place," he began, in a low, calm voice. "I never intended to sacrifice you. Not even in that reality— it never crossed my mind."
The room fell silent again.
"That version of me..." he continued. "Is more broken than I am now. He's under a different pressure, maybe a harsher one. But even so, that doesn't justify the thought. I... apologize, Karuizawa."
Kei stared at him for a few seconds. Her eyes trembled.
"You... you really mean that now...?"
"I do," he replied calmly. "I don't want you to think that, in this reality, I'd ever consider you disposable. Not even for someone else."
Those seconds felt like an eternity. Kei didn't know if she wanted to cry, scream, or hug him. In the end, she just took a deep breath, shut her eyes tight, and nodded slowly.
"Thank you... for being honest, Ayanokōji," she said, her voice choked.
She discreetly wiped away a tear before it could fall.
Ayanokōji nodded, stood up, and calmly returned to Suzune's side. As soon as he sat down, he felt her hand gently touch his.
"Thank you for being honest with her..." Suzune murmured to him, without looking at him. "And also that... even if that version of you... made such a cold decision... the fact that you thought so much about me..."
He didn't reply with words. He just interlaced his fingers with hers, silently.
Sakayanagi watched the scene, her eyebrows slightly raised.
"Curious..." she murmured. "Even after seeing how cruel he can be at times, he can still redeem himself with a simple gesture."
"That's what makes him so dangerous," Ichika commented, watching closely. "He's cold... but never entirely. He knows the exact limit of where to stop."
"That, or he's learned to seem sincere even when he needs to look vulnerable," Kamuro said, a bit skeptical. "We never know if he's showing the truth or manipulating the whole room."
"Hah... that's exactly like him," Ryuen laughed. "But this time... it felt honest. Almost too human for our little monster."
"...I'm just afraid of what that future version might do to Kei-san..." Maya whispered. "Even if she seems strong, this... this is too much."
"I agree," Hirata murmured. "It's hard to imagine what she must be feeling in that timeline. Knowing she's being used as bait, as a distraction... that could destroy her soul if she finds out."
"But it also shows how desperate that future Ayanokōji is," Ichinose finally spoke up, defending Ayanokōji. "He wouldn't make such a cold decision unless he was at his limit."
"Hm. And that only makes it scarier how far he can go when under pressure," Sakayanagi added.
Everyone fell silent for a few more moments. Some looked at Kei with empathy. Others analyzed Ayanokōji with a new layer of caution and respect. And others, like Ryuen and Ichika, were simply entertained by the emotional chaos all of it had caused.
"What I want to know is..." Mako began, frowning. "Is his father really that dangerous? To the point where he thinks throwing a girl in front as bait is the only way to protect her?"
Ayanokōji answered without taking his eyes off the screen.
"Yes."
The short, direct answer left no room for doubt. And the silence that followed carried the weight of something yet to come.
"Ah... Can't you go a single second without thinking about me?" said the black-haired girl, surprising the brown-haired boy.
"Would that be a problem if it were true?" asked Kiyotaka.
"Of course, your girlfriend might get jealous..."
"From what I can see, it's someone else who's jealous..." No sooner had he said those words than the boy felt a sharp hit on one of his shoulders.
SPLASH
Suzune pushed him into the pool with a kick.
In the reaction room, the atmosphere was still heavy with the weight of Ayanokouji's earlier thought — about using Kei as bait to protect Suzune. The uncomfortable silence lingered like a thick fog. But as the new scene appeared on the screen — lighter and more playful — the tension began to lift.
Kei was the first to react, her eyes still a bit red, but now forcing a smile to her lips."Hmph..." she let out a soft puff of air, hugging her knees on the bed. "At least Horikita knows how to get revenge quickly."Despite her trembling voice, she didn't sound angry — just relieved. As if she were telling herself that there was still lightness between those two, even if... even if it hurt a little.
Ichika, who had remained silent until now, let out a snort and crossed her arms."Kiyotaka-senpai being teased back... that's rare to see." She rested her chin on her hand, clearly amused. "And he deserved that kick, let's be honest."Her eyes shifted toward Suzune with a curious glint, closely observing how the girl reacted to her more daring and free-spirited version.
Suzune, still holding Ayanokouji's hand in the present, let out a quiet laugh. Not forced. Not restrained. Just a soft, genuine breath."I must admit... seeing that surprised me a little." She tilted her head slightly. "Was I being... bold?"
"Very much!" exclaimed Kushida, raising her eyebrows. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Horikita?"
The comment drew scattered laughter, even from Horikita herself, who shook her head, embarrassed."I don't know if I should be flattered or worried about this version acting more... impulsive. Especially since I'm already very impulsive."
Chie smiled and snapped her fingers excitedly, sitting up halfway on the bed."Ah, how wonderful! The heat of youth! The impulsiveness! The restrained passion that bursts out in the form of a water kick!" She then made a dramatic gesture with her arms. "Yes, yes, Horikita-san, you're a young lady learning to allow herself. This is pure art!"Suzune rolled her eyes, but couldn't help a slight smile at the teacher's theatrics.
Ryuen, meanwhile, whistled."Tsk... that Ayanokouji really is one skilled bastard. Even when he tries to provoke, he leaves the girl speechless and still takes a perfectly aimed kick." He smirked, shaking his head. "And Suzune, huh? All that coldness was just a front?"
"Shut up, Ryuen," muttered Ibuki, rolling her eyes. "You couldn't provoke anyone like that without getting kicked in the face."
"Maybe not, but I wouldn't mind..." he replied with a lewd tone, drawing an exasperated groan from the girl beside him.
Sakayanagi calmly crossed her legs, eyes half-closed, observing closely."Hmmm... It's curious to see Kiyotaka-san so comfortable with that kind of interaction... He used to seem so... mechanical." She paused, her voice always polite, but with a hint of irony. "And now he's even flirting with double meanings..."
"Are you suggesting he changed because of Horikita?" asked Ichika, raising an eyebrow.
"Maybe... or maybe he's allowing himself to be seen." Sakayanagi answered with a faint smile. "Something he avoided at all costs before."
Chie, sitting a bit farther back, crossed her arms and laughed."I nearly fell off my chair with that scene! Horikita kicking him without even hesitating! You two... were definitely flirting, huh?"
Suzune covered part of her face with her hand, visibly embarrassed, but the smile on her lips betrayed her.
"I don't know if 'flirting' is the right word, sensei..."
"It is," Kei murmured — so quietly almost no one heard it. But Sato, sitting beside her, definitely did — and gave her a quick, but not judgmental look.
"It was pretty straightforward, huh?" commented Hirata, still surprised by Ayanokouji's teasing tone. "That... is new for him."
"Maybe he's learning how to be more... human," Haruka said softly, hugging a pillow in her lap. "Even if he gets kicked now and then."
Chabashira-sensei kept her gaze fixed on the screen, but her eyes showed something rare: a quiet sense of pride.
"He's opening up... That's good," she murmured to herself. "But... Suzune is too. And that... is even more impressive."
Ayanokouji heard her, but didn't comment. He simply gave Suzune's hand a gentle squeeze, which she didn't let go of.
Kei watched everything in silence, but her heart ached. Seeing the two of them joking like that, with such natural intimacy and playfulness... it didn't feel like acting. It was genuine.
"So... this is what he was hiding..." she thought, lightly biting her lower lip. "It wasn't just a lack of emotion. I really didn't have what he needed."
She then tried to quietly get up to fetch a glass of water. She didn't want anyone to see her teary eyes. But just as she moved, a glass appeared in her hand. Surprised, she looked up to see Ryota calmly smiling and waving. She gave a soft laugh, murmuring a thank you.
Ishizaki tried to break the tension, sensing the lightness was threatened by another wave of emotion."Hey! But that kick was awesome! Did y'all see that? He flew straight into the water like a bag of rice!"
Ike burst out laughing, gesturing wildly. "Seriously! The way he fell! Like... glub, straight down! Hilarious!"
"The best part was the look on his face right before!" added Sudou. "Like he was thinking, 'Wait, you actually kicked me?'"
"Of course she kicked him, idiot," muttered Kushida, laughing. "He provoked her! It's the least she could do."
"It just shows how comfortable they are with each other," Ichika commented thoughtfully. "To the point where they tease, push, challenge one another..."
"Is that... a good thing?" asked Mii-chan, puzzled.
"It's... beautiful, in a way. And also dangerous." Ichika paused. "When you get too close to someone like him... you either get hurt, or end up falling..."She glanced at Kei, who was calmly sipping her glass of water.
Kei noticed Ichika's gaze but didn't say anything. She just looked back at her and took a deep breath."It wasn't real... just a future..." she whispered to herself.
At the center of the room, Ayanokouji himself seemed... quiet. But not cold. Just contemplative.
"This version of me is more... relaxed around you. Less calculating."
Suzune smiled, turning to look at him again.
"And even so, you still got kicked."
"Maybe I deserved it."
"No doubt." She gave his hand a light squeeze. "But it was nice to see that you... can be like that."
The room then fell into a brief, comforting silence. For the first time since the heavy revelation earlier, everyone could breathe. The lightness of the scene had restored balance — even if subtle wounds were still being treated behind the scenes.
"What do you think you're doing, Suzune?"
Suzune looked down, where the brown-haired boy was staring at her with a gloomy expression. The girl sat on the edge of the pool, putting them in a somewhat strange position, and with that, the black-haired girl's thoughts began to emerge.
She glanced around, a little embarrassed, even looking behind her, and seeing that everyone was busy with their own things, she started moving her foot toward Kiyotaka's face until she placed it right on his lips.
"What are you doing, Suzune?"
"I need to clean the impurities that Karuizawa-san left on you..." said the black-haired girl, trying to hide her embarrassment.
The image suddenly appeared on the screen, plunging the room into an awkward silence that lasted exactly two seconds... before exploding into laughter and unexpected reactions.
— HAAAAAAAA!? — Ichika shouted, falling backward on the couch with her legs up. — IS THIS REAL!? DID SUZUNE REALLY DO THAT!?
Ryuen laughed loudly, slapping his thigh.— Hahaha! I can't believe it! She put her foot on his face!? Is this a new kind of fetish or just the evolution of Horikita's domination!?
— And she even said "clean the impurities that Karuizawa left"! — Ichika fanned herself, still laughing too hard. — What kind of possessiveness is that? I'm shocked and... a little impressed!
Suzune, in the present, froze.
Her eyes were so wide she barely blinked. The color in her face went from a light pink to scarlet red in seconds.— I-I-I... what...? — she managed to stammer, her voice choked with embarrassment. — This... this is a distortion! This version of me from that possible future is very... very exaggerated! I would never do that!
But no one in the room seemed willing to let it go.
— Looks like the dominatrix mode has fully unlocked! — teased Ryuen, with a feline smile. — You didn't just control him, Suzune... you cleaned his soul with your foot!
— Shut up! — Suzune retorted, covering half her face with her hands, clearly wanting to sink into the couch.
Ayanokouji, next to her, tilted his head slightly with that calm and inquisitive look of his.— So... this is the kind of thing you would like to do?
— KIYOTAKA!! — Suzune shouted, using his name aloud, something rare, and lightly hit his arm, completely flushed.
— I'm just trying to understand your tastes — he replied seriously. — Seems I have more to discover.
— O-OF COURSE IT'S NOT MY TASTE! This is... this is crazy! — she countered, totally overwhelmed with shame.
Kei, until then silent, quickly looked away from the screen. Her fists clenched on her knee, and her teeth clenched subtly.
— Tsk... — she murmured, too low for others to hear, but still letting out a tone of frustration.
She was no longer his girlfriend. She had accepted that. But seeing that scene... seeing that version of him accepting something so intimate and unusual, something he had never shared with her, hurt more than she wanted to admit.
Ichinose, on the other side, pretended to be looking at one of the couch cushions, but her eyes had a slight annoyed sparkle.— Foot... on the face... — she muttered, trying to rationalize what she had just seen. — Is this some kind of... symbolic ritual...?
— Or just possessiveness — commented Mako, laughing quietly, enjoying her best friend's obvious discomfort. — It's okay, Honami. You still have chances... if you accept to enter a love triangle with feet.Ichinose blushed softly at what her best friend said, mainly because indecent thoughts were generated.
Kushida, for her part, widened her eyes at the screen. The image had stirred something in her subconscious — and, to her dismay, parts of her brain liked what she was seeing a little too much.
She quickly looked away and bit her lower lip.— "Don't think silly thoughts, don't think silly thoughts, don't think silly thoughts..." — she repeated mentally, clenching her fists.But her mind was already invaded by alternative and indecent images.
Sato and Chiaki also blushed, looking at each other and then at the screen, in awkward silence.
— This is... this is very intimate, isn't it? — Chiaki asked, not knowing where to hide her face.
— Yeah! It's like... too intimate! — Sato replied, waving her hands in the air. — And... I don't even know what to think!
— I know what to think... — muttered Kushida, before immediately shutting up, noticing what she just let slip.
— Huh? — Chiaki turned her face, surprised.
— Nothing! Nothing! Just... heat, right? Pool... summer... those things! — she said quickly, fanning herself.
Hoshinomiya-sensei, scandalized and at the same time impressed, was left open-mouthed.— Wow. WOW! That escalated really fast! Someone should censor this scene... but also, like, why would they do this in a public place!?
She then looked at Chabashira with a knowing expression.— Are you telling me you never did something like this in your youth, Sae-chan?
— Of course not — Chabashira replied firmly, but there was a slight blush on her left cheek.
— HMMMM... — Hoshinomiya smiled mischievously. — I suspect...
Ike and Sotomura were stunned.— She... she put her foot on his face! — Sotomura said. — Like, with real force!?
— It didn't look like force... it looked like... sensual? — Ike commented, eyes wide open. — Does that even exist!?
— Guys... — Hirata rubbed his face, completely lost and slightly flushed, not expecting to see his friends doing that in a public place. — Is this... a relationship? Is this... romantic?
— Depends on the definition of romance — Ichika commented, still laughing. — But look, if someone did that to me, I'd get married.
— You'd marry even a cardboard box, Ichika — Nanase said, sighing.
Sakayanagi, for her part, watched with a thoughtful but amused expression.— I wonder what motivated this attitude in the alternate Suzune... — she said, touching her chin. — Jealousy, yes, but also a deep desire to mark territory, perhaps?She looked at Suzune and smiled. — You seem like a much more reserved person, but... could it be that, deep down, that's how you feel, Horikita-san?
Suzune now completely covered her face with her hands.
— This isn't fair... This version of me is out of control!
— Or just being honest — muttered Ayanokouji calmly.She looked away from him, still deeply blushing.
Kei discreetly grabbed her purse from behind the pillows and calmly took her phone. Her heart still ached for what she was about to do now, but she knew it was one of the steps she had to take after the breakup.
Seeing Suzune show feelings — even possessive ones — so directly and even intimately with Kiyotaka reminded her of how he never showed the same to her and only made her more certain that their breakup was the best decision.
— "You didn't even look into my eyes when you kissed me, Ayanokouji..." — she thought bitterly, sighing as she realized the mistakes of her relationship. "But that doesn't matter anymore." — Kei thought, smiling while looking at Ayanokouji's contact saved as "Love" on her phone — Kei smiled softly — "Time for a new step in my life" — Kei smiled calmly, changing the contact name to "Ayanokouji."
Ichinose observed her discreetly from afar, her expression heavy.— "So... is this the kind of woman that attracts him?" — she thought, with a sigh.
But there was also an uncomfortable feeling of her own. She didn't want to imagine someone putting their foot on her face. Much less if it were Horikita. But, if it were her... with Kiyotaka...— "No! What a terrible thought!" — she thought, lightly pinching herself, blushing.
Okitani finally spoke with theatrical enthusiasm.— What an extraordinary scene! The symbolic purification of bodies through the union of instincts! A silent dance of possession and redemption!
— Shut up, Okitani! — Kushida, Ibuki, Ichika, Sato, and even Ryuen said simultaneously.
— First time I speak and I'm already censored, is this the price to pay for being an extra? — Okitani thought, kneeling and looking at his hands.
Suzune took a deep breath, trying to recover, but the shame was overwhelming.— At least... no one else will remember this, right...?
— I already took a mental screenshot — Ichika said, laughing. — And I'm going to tell everyone who ships you two in the fandom!
— You have problems! What exactly are you talking about? And what fandom?! — Suzune retorted.
— And you have weird fetishes. We're even, and don't question my comments about that!
— These bastards breaking the fourth wall again. — Ryota sighed, thinking while fixing the fourth wall that was broken again.
As the chatter died down, the screen paused with the final image of Kiyotaka looking at Suzune's face, her foot still touching his lips, and her trying to hide the embarrassment with a flushed expression. It was a ridiculous scene... intimate... unsettling... but there was something undeniably personal, genuine, raw.
And everyone — even those who laughed, got annoyed, or blushed — knew they were witnessing more than just a provocation.It was Suzune showing how much she cared.And Ayanokouji... accepting.
— This... doesn't seem like just a random scene. — Ichika finally said. — It looks like she really loves him.
— Seems like it — murmured Kei, from the back of the room, without looking at anyone.
— And he does too. Even if he doesn't say it directly. — added Mako.
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable... but one of acceptance.
Was she implying that she wanted to clean Kei's kisses with her foot? — "What a strange way to show affection," thought the brown-haired boy.
To the surprise of the black-haired girl, the boy began kissing the sole of her foot, making her feel ticklish.
"Hey... stop," the girl begged, but Kiyotaka simply ignored her and kept going, moving from her foot up to her leg, reaching her thighs, and with a quick move, he dragged her into the pool with him.
"What's wrong with you!?" shouted the black-haired girl as soon as she surfaced.
Ryuen was the first to break the silence with a laugh that echoed through the room.
— HAH! Damn, Horikita... that one I really didn't expect! — he said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye from laughing so hard. — Man, and that Ayanokouji there is in demon mode, huh? Eating her up with his eyes and his mouth too!
Ichika, next to Ryuen, was holding her stomach laughing.
— "Cleaning impurities with the foot"? WHAT KIND OF LINE IS THAT!? — she said between laughs. — Suzune, did you become a priestess now? Or is it just a fetish?
The real Horikita, sitting on the bed next to the present-day Ayanokouji, buried her face in her hands and murmured:
— I... I don't... I would never do that in public! — she protested, but her voice lacked firmness. Her face was completely red, her eyes avoiding the screen, and her fingers drumming nervously on the bedsheet.
Ryuen didn't let up.
— You said "in public"? So you'd do it in private, is that it!? — he said with a wide smile.
Horikita bit her lower lip and narrowed her eyes, but the redness on her cheeks only grew deeper.
— Shut up, Ryuen...
Ayanokouji, with his usual calm and steady expression, slowly turned his face to her, eyes watching her expression.
— Looks like you have some... peculiar tastes — he said, raising an eyebrow, thinking about certain things to do during the next break.
Horikita turned her face away, trying to hide her embarrassment.
— I don't... I don't have those! That's me from the future, it has nothing to do with the present reality! — she said, although her voice trembled slightly at the end.
Ayanokouji, expressionless, just commented:
— Whether it's me now or in the future... I'm sure I wouldn't regret any of it.
The response made Horikita widen her eyes and stare at him. Her lips formed automatically and, for a moment, she opened her mouth but said nothing. Her eyes dropped silently, visibly touched... and even more embarrassed.
Kei, sitting on the other side of the room with her arms crossed and eyes fixed on the floor, snorted.
— What a ridiculous scene... — Kei said. — It doesn't even look romantic.
Mako-chan, who was a little farther away, heard Kei and let out a light chuckle.
— But you quickly looked away when he started kissing her leg, didn't you? — teased Mako-chan, something about Kei made her think they would be great friends.
Kei responded firmly, although she couldn't hide the slight blush on her face:
— Because it's... disgusting. Feet in the mouth? Ugh...
— Sure, sure — Mako replied with a mischievous smile. — Nothing to do with the fact it's Ayanokouji-kun.
Kei turned her face sharply, this was going to be annoying, she could feel it.
— He can do whatever he wants. There's nothing between us anymore.
Ichinose, further back, watched silently, her expression stern with a slight frown. When the screen showed Ayanokouji pulling Suzune into the pool, the girl looked away, swallowing hard.
Sato, Chiaki, and Kushida watched silently too, but the blush on their faces was evident.
— I... I didn't know Horikita could be so... — Sato started, but couldn't finish the sentence.
— Intense? — Chiaki completed, still wide-eyed.
— I'd say... provocative — Kushida commented quietly.
She, however, squeezed her thighs and looked away from the screen, a clearly indecent thought passing through her mind involving a certain apathetic boy. Then she shook her head, trying to dispel it.
— Ridiculous — she murmured to herself, crossing her arms.
Ryuen wasn't done having fun.
— You're very quiet, Horikita. Embarrassed to see what you like? Or mad because this Ayanokouji is way bolder than the one here?
Horikita sighed deeply.
— This is just one possible future. It doesn't mean it will happen. — But her voice sounded more like a desperate plea for everyone to forget what they saw.
Ichika gave the girl a light tap on the shoulder.
— Ah, Suzune, relax. You looked beautiful in that scene! Half priestess, half dominatrix. Some people would pay for that.
Chihiro, shy in the corner of the room, looked at the screen with wide eyes, covering her mouth with her hands.
— That was... very intimate. They didn't even seem like themselves! They're always so serious...
Mii-chan, next to her, tried to organize her thoughts.
— I... think they just showed a side we never saw before. Maybe the side that stays hidden when no one's looking.
Ichika whistled.
— AND WHAT a side! Ayanokouji licking feet and kissing thighs... this man definitely isn't cold all the time.
Ayanokouji just gave a neutral look.
— That was just a direct response to a stimulus. Nothing special.
Ryuen clapped his hands.
— Direct response to a stimulus, he said! The guy's a machine programmed to seduce when he sees a big toe! Hahaha!
Horikita grabbed the pillow from the bed and threw it at Ryuen, who caught it easily, still laughing.
— At least try to look a little more human, Ayanokouji — Suzune grumbled, cheeks still red. "Just like you did in the room with me." Horikita thought, blushing as she remembered.
Kushida crossed her legs awkwardly.
— I don't know... there's something strange about this future relationship. Like, that possessiveness about "cleaning impurities"... it's kind of...
— Sexy? — Ichika interrupted.
Kushida blushed even more and glared at whoever said that.
— No! It's... problematic. That's all.
Chiaki laughed, covering her mouth.
— Everyone here is kind of strangely affected by this scene.
Ryuen pointed at Ichinose.
— And you there, Ichinose... got nothing to say? You're always smiling at this guy. Are you just going to stay quiet watching him licking someone else?
Ichinose slowly raised her eyes.
— He can do whatever he wants. It's not like I have the right to say anything... — she said quietly, but her eyes shone with suppressed jealousy.
Mako-chan poked Kei again.
— This room is full of broken hearts, huh?
Kei just crossed her arms tighter and muttered.
— I don't care. I already said that.
Hirata sighed.
— Do you guys think this future will really happen?
Ayanokouji whispered, still staring at the screen, something only Suzune heard.
— Only if Suzune really wants it.
Horikita looked at him, surprised.
— Why?
— Because these kinds of things don't happen by chance. They require desire, intention... and action.
Horikita looked away, biting her lower lip.
— You get on my nerves when you talk like that, like you have everything under control.
— I just observe, Suzune. The future is right there on the screen. The choice, in the end, is yours.
The room fell silent for a few seconds. The air was heavy, filled with conflicting emotions: embarrassment, jealousy, curiosity... desire.
Then Ryuen clapped his hands.
— What a wonderful day, huh? We saw Horikita sensualizing with her foot, Ayanokouji turning into a romantic fetishist, and the whole room melting with embarrassment! — he said, laughing.
Ichika waved excitedly.
— I want more of these scenes! Who would have thought Suzune could be this fun!
Horikita sighed deeply.
— Why do I have a feeling the next scenes will only get worse...
Ayanokouji replied with a slight nod:
— Because they probably will.
The brown-haired boy simply looked at her and gave a small smile, then submerged himself in the water, leaving the girl perplexed. That was until she felt Kiyotaka's hands firmly gripping her buttocks and his mouth touching her intimate area, making her let out a scream that she quickly muffled with one hand while trying to hold onto the pool edge with the other.
She couldn't believe what they were doing in a public place, but the excitement she felt thrilled her.
As soon as the image appeared on the screen — the exact moment the brown-haired boy disappeared underwater, only to reappear with firm hands on the girl's butt, followed by his mouth going straight to her intimacy — the room fell into a stunned silence. But it lasted only two seconds.
"WHAAAAAAAT!?" several exclaimed at the same time.
"NOOOOOOOO!?" Ichika shouted, jumping from her chair with her hands on her head as if she had just accidentally seen a forbidden movie; she didn't expect something like that out of nowhere, at least before there was some indication it would happen.
"Holy shit!" Ryuen laughed loudly, slapping the table as if acting surprised. "Is this real? Is this REALLY happening!? The guy's literally... underwater... doing... that!?"
"That... that's not even bold... that's crazy!" Ichika exclaimed, her face flushed but unable to look away from the screen; they really should go into acting.
"Unbelievable..." Hoshinomiya-sensei said with an almost hysterical chuckle, her cheeks rosy and eyes wide. "Wow. WOW! That escalated fast! Someone should censor this scene... but also, like, why would they do this in a public place!?"
"That boy... is that Ayanokouji?" asked Hirata, still trying to process it. His friend was really crazy and daring enough to do this? Ayanokouji? Him?
"Is that really him...?" Ike was speechless, mouth open.
At the center of the room, the most intense reaction came, as expected, from Horikita Suzune, who upon seeing that, widened her eyes as if she had received an electric shock.
"B-b-b-but..." her words stumbled over each other — "...but this... this is a school area! A school pool! There are rules! Security cameras! How... how did he have the nerve to...!?"
Her cheeks were absurdly red, but there was something else in her expression besides embarrassment.
"Horikita..." Ichika teased with a mocking smile — "you're trembling. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine!" she answered way too quickly. "I-I'm just shocked! I didn't expect... he... that we..."
"That you?" Ichika raised an eyebrow.
"That they!" Suzune corrected, still very flushed, looking away.
"Wow..." Kushida was stunned, eyes glued to the scene. "He just... held her and... did that right there!? That doesn't even seem like the Ayanokouji we know..."
"I don't know what to think about this!" Sato said, very flushed watching the scene while discreetly adjusting her skirt.
"I know what to think..." Kushida murmured, then immediately shut up, realizing what she had just let slip.
"Huh?" Chiaki turned her face, surprised.
"Nothing! Nothing! Just... heat, right? Pool... summer... those things!" she quickly said, fanning herself as if sweating.
Kei, who had been sitting silently until then, clenched her fists, her expression one of surprise; she didn't know this daring side of Ayanokouji... Her eyes were fixed on the screen, but there was no shock — there was intensity. She said nothing immediately, but her eyebrows clearly showed she was digesting every second of that scene.
"So that's how he acts when genuinely turned on by someone..." she murmured, almost inaudible.
Chabashira-sensei, for her part, had frozen. Arms crossed, gaze fixed on the screen, but her face betrayed a deep blush that spread from her cheeks down to the base of her neck.
"That... is unacceptable." she said finally, firmly. "In a school area? That goes against all regulations!"
"But you're red, Chabashira-sensei..." Ichika commented, with a mischievous smile.
"None of your business!" she answered sharply, turning her gaze to Horikita. "Suzune. Explain yourself."
"What!? Why me!?"
"Because the girl in the scene is you!" Chabashira pointed out. "You should know better than this! Where is your composure, your discipline!?"
"I-I didn't do that! That's not me! It's a future version! A possibility! A... a TEMPORAL ABERRATION!" Suzune stumbled over her words, covering part of her face with her hands, clearly desperate.
"You're much looser in the future, huh, Suzune?" Ayanokouji commented calmly, resting a pillow on his legs.
Suzune glared at him, very flushed.
"D-don't say things like that with that calm face! You were the one who did that!"
"Was I?" he replied, looking at the screen as if analyzing a puzzle and not... well, a hot underwater scene. "Seems like the girl didn't protest."
"W-WHAT!?" Horikita almost jumped out of bed. "Of course not! I mean, no... I mean, THAT'S AN INVASION!"
"Hmmm..." Ryuen crossed his arms, laughing. "If that's an invasion, then why is she holding onto the edge like she's in paradise?"
"I...!" Horikita froze. She had no words. The image spoke for itself.
"I didn't expect this from you, Suzune." Ichika said theatrically, placing her hand on her chest. "I thought you were all proper... even kind of cold. But look at that muffled moan... damn. That was pretty sexy, you know?"
"I DIDN'T...!" she interrupted herself, but her mouth stayed open for a second, as if trying to deny even her own voice.
Chie, who had been just watching until then, let out a mischievous giggle, softly licking her lips.
"Ayanokouji is more talented than I thought. And Suzune... well, let's just say now I understand why she's so interested in him."
"PROFESSOR CHIE!" Suzune stared at her, horrified.
"It's true, isn't it?" Chie continued with a smile. "This isn't just lust. Look closely at the girl's expression... that's surrender. She trusted him enough to let herself go like that, even in that place. That's... romantic. In a very perverted way, of course."
"Chie... this is highly inappropriate!" Chabashira said, trying to keep composure.
"Oh, come on. Like you're not blushing to the soles of your feet yourself." Chie retorted, crossing her legs elegantly. "Frankly, what worries me more is his technique. Breathing underwater like that? Impressive."
"I... I'm going to faint." Ike said, swaying slightly.
"I'm starting to think he really is a monster." Hirata said, still perplexed. "Not in a bad way... but... he seems so controlled in everything, and now this!?"
"A cold mind... and a hot body." Kushida murmured, unaware.
"WHAT?" Ichika shouted, turning laughing excitedly.
"N-nothing! I... I said nothing!"
At that moment, silence fell again for a few moments. The frozen image on the screen showed only the girl leaning on the pool's edge, desperately trying to muffle her own moan as her body trembled at the touch of the submerged boy.
"Do you really think you could do something like that...?" Ichika asked Horikita softly.
Suzune hesitated.
"I... would never do that... in public. Never." she murmured, but her voice trembled a bit too much.
"But you would... if you were alone?" Ichika pressed, eyes half-closed with a mischievous smile.
Suzune looked away, redder than ever.
"That doesn't matter! That's not the point!"
"But it's a very interesting point." Chie said, teasing with a sharp look.
Ayanokouji just watched. Silently. But with a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth. The kind of smirk that only made things worse.
Suzune noticed and completely lost patience while still very flushed.
"STOP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT! YOU'RE UNBEARABLE!"
"I'm just thinking." he answered. "About how you seem more honest when you're embarrassed."
"AAAAAAAH!" she screamed, turning toward the wall.
"This will spark many conversations in the school hallways." Ryuen commented, still enjoying the chaos. "Seriously, Ayanokouji... of all places. The school pool?"
"Was the water warm, maybe?" Ichika asked sarcastically.
"Apparently, it got warm later." Ryuen answered, laughing out loud again.
"Well... this scene is the best so far." Hoshinomiya murmured, trying to lighten the mood. "But, let's be honest... that was the hottest scene yet, right?"
"Huh?" several reacted.
"What? I'm an adult, I can say that!" she said, laughing. "And Suzune is too, apparently."
"I'M NOT... I MEAN, I... AAAARGH!" Suzune screamed, burying her face in her hands.
The image disappeared from the screen.
But the consequences... were only just beginning.