Chapter 228: Fuyuji Mikage's Final Resort (Bonus Chapter)

The October twilight slowly seeped into the sky above the campus. The evening breeze, carrying the crisp coolness unique to early autumn, drifted gently into the balcony.

Below, on the campus's main thoroughfare and other school paths, silhouettes moved in abundance—heading every which way. Some walked in pairs or threes, murmuring softly side by side. Others jogged alone, earphones in, their shadows stretched long and then shortened beneath the street lamps.

Inside the room, Morishita Ai and the others, having returned from their shopping trip, sat cross-legged on the floor, savoring the spoils of their expedition—a 45-inch LED LCD television.

As for the adorable little Miki—due to what had just transpired, she had been far too shy. Before the words had even left her mouth, she had already aroused the suspicions of the other three and, ahead of time, fled back to her own room in a flustered retreat.

Ichiban Kuji.

That lottery-drawing method commonly seen in anime—a bunch of little balls, and if you draw the one golden ball, you win the grand prize.

Bro, with study materials costing only a few thousand points, had successfully won a luxurious grand prize worth over a hundred thousand points. Meanwhile, Morishita-sama, who had also bought a fish tank and spun the lottery several times in a fit of pique, had brought back for Fuyuji several cans of some unknown, bizarre beverage.

Yes—the very can of eel energy drink that Fuyuji was drinking right now!

The yellow-and-black can felt cool in his hand. Printed on its body was an exaggerated eel illustration and the eye-catching words: "Rich in Eel Skull Extract!" He smacked his lips. An indescribable, faintly scorched, uniquely fishy flavor spread through his mouth. It truly did bear some resemblance to that fish he had burnt to a crisp last time.

The 45-inch television appeared somewhat enormous in this tiny room. Adding to that, the original TV mounted on the wall still hadn't been taken down, so it could only be placed diagonally on the floor near the balcony. Connected to the Switch, one round after another of tense, thrilling games began.

"Is it my turn yet?" Fuyuji's head lazily poked in from the balcony doorframe.

"Please wait just a little longer, boyfriend-kun." Morishita maintained her duck-sitting posture, both hands resting obediently on her knees. Faintly visible were the jade-like, adorable toes wrapped beneath her black stockings.

"Stop bothering me!"

Kamuro Masumi, her expression dark and stormy, hammered at the controller with rapid presses, producing a dense, resounding series of sharp clicks and clatters. Her eyes were locked onto the screen. Without turning her head, she spoke.

"..."

It seemed she still hadn't cooled off. After all, being asked by the award presenter, right in front of everyone, about the contents of her shopping—study materials and the like—just imagining that scene was enough to make one...

Fuyuji slowly withdrew his head and strode toward the sofa, sinking deep into its soft cushions and sprawling out.

Beside the low table nearby, Shiraishi Asuka had her head lowered slightly, examining the past exam papers of the second and third years that they had brought back.

As the representative of the girls' side, she had taken on the task of setting the questions for the Japanese Literature subject.

Over there, the television blared intense, dramatic sound effects. The light flickered and danced across the two girls' lovely faces. Beside them, the quiet, gentle girl raised a hand and gracefully tucked a wisp of pale golden hair behind her small, delicate ear, revealing the elegant line of her neck.

The light and shadow of the fierce games. The serene silhouette of quiet study. And the lingering, subtle scent of the eel energy drink in the air...

How harmonious...

Fuyuji was just about to smile when, in the very next second, the phone in his pocket abruptly vibrated.

[Cha-Cha: You piece of trash. Where are the answers for the math section of the special exam? Hurry up and hand them over. Horikita Suzune is dead for sure. No one can save her. I said so!]

Clutching his phone, Fuyuji sank into silence.

Cha-Cha—just what have I done to make you disrespect me this much?!

Is this any way to ask someone for a favor?

Where are the perks from before? The pics?

Where are your social graces?

[Fuyuji Mikage: Weren't things still pretty harmonious this morning? The two of you even held each other and slept through the whole night. You can't be turning your backs this fast, can you?]

With a sharp buzz, Kushida Kikyo's messages came firing back like a string of firecrackers.

[Cha-Cha: Ugh~]

[Cha-Cha: Don't make me remember what happened last night... AAAAARGH—! To think I actually held that woman and slept through the whole night! You must have used some kind of hypnosis app or something to hypnotize me, you damn dog.]

[Cha-Cha: Say it! That's definitely what happened, isn't it?! Otherwise, why didn't that dead-faced Horikita react either?]

[Cha-Cha: Say it, you piece of trash! Say it!]

What do you expect me to say? If I had a hypnosis app, I'd have used it ages ago, wouldn't I?

Fuyuji listlessly tapped at the screen.

[Fuyuji Mikage: No. I don't expect the two of you to become good friends either. But how can you still be thinking about making her drop out?]

[Cha-Cha: This is my long-cherished wish. And besides—the very thought that I showed such a pathetic, miserable side of myself right in front of Horikita Suzune... heh heh. As I thought—I still can't allow her to remain at this school.]

[Cha-Cha: Hurry up and help me!]

...I feel like Suzune's been done a bit dirty here.

In that very instant, Fuyuji's body snapped ramrod straight. The listlessness on his face was swept clean away, replaced by a sacred solemnity. Straightening his back, he spoke with righteous, unwavering conviction as he typed his message.

[Fuyuji Mikage: Kikyo, you are all my wings. So forgive me—I cannot show favoritism toward either side. SeriousFace.JPG]

[Cha-Cha: Heh... What kind of photo do you want?]

[Fuyuji Mikage: Please don't misunderstand. I am a man of integrity.]

[Cha-Cha: Two photos?]

[Fuyuji Mikage: My feelings for Suzune are genuine. My heart beats with vivid, living passion.]

The phone in his palm buzzed with a sharp vibration. A photo had been sent to his phone.

In a dimly lit environment, the first thing that greeted his eyes was a striking expanse of luminous, porcelain-white skin. Instantly recognizable from the surroundings was that adorable belly button—making one instinctively want to press a kiss against it. The higher the gaze traveled, the dimmer the light grew, until it reached that full, soft swell—barely contained by a white lace bra, yet straining to burst free. A heavy, weighty sense of pressure came crashing forth.

The scenery visible in the corner revealed that this had been taken outside—probably while she was having drinks somewhere with her friends.

After staring fixedly for a long while and deducing that it had most likely been taken stealthily from beneath the hem of her clothes, pointing upward, Fuyuji silently covered his nose.

Cha-Cha—this is way too stimulating!

[Fuyuji Mikage: Babe, you read me like a book!]

[Cha-Cha: Want more? I'll send you some when I get back~ The specially customized kind~ Wink.JPG]

[Fuyuji Mikage: To strike down Horikita Suzune—I, for one, shall not shirk this duty!]

[Cha-Cha: Then get moving, you hear?! If I lose, you're dead, you perverted scumbag!!]

The corner of Fuyuji's mouth twitched. Gripping his phone with righteous indignation—

What happened to last night's "you're the most important to me"? What happened to "for your sake, I'm willing to let Horikita Suzune go"?

Women truly are fickle creatures!

Hmph!

A cold gleam flashed through the eyes of the scumbag Fuyuji. His fingers flew across the screen, seamlessly switching windows. With a sharp snap, he forwarded the chat log to Horikita Suzune. Then, with practiced, consummate ease, he went about his two-timing business.

You're far too naive. Did you really think I'd give up an entire forest for a single tree?

[Fuyuji Mikage: Suzune, you know I've always been on your side.]

The other end of the line fell silent for quite a while. Only then did a message belatedly arrive.

[Horikita Suzune: Fuyuji-kun—have you... always been this shameless?]

Between the lines, one could feel the helplessness of the sender on the other end.

[Fuyuji Mikage: That's not important. What's important is—I'm on your side!]

[Horikita Suzune: Thank you. I still need to keep studying. Goodbye.]

[Fuyuji Mikage: Hey, hey, wait, wait, wait! I'm supporting you this much—Suzune, don't you have anything to show for it?]

[Horikita Suzune: Come over to my place for dinner tomorrow. Goodbye.]

[Fuyuji Mikage: Can't we switch it up a bit? Like, you know... WinkWink.JPG]

[Horikita Suzune: Fuyuji-kun—if your brain is always filled with this kind of lewd garbage, it'll grow dull and sluggish. Go get some exercise.]

"..."

That steel-plate-like response instantly extinguished the fiery, rising emotions that had just been kindled within Fuyuji.

[Fuyuji Mikage: Suzune, is it really okay to be this oblivious? At least send me a photo of your knee-high socks or something.]

[Horikita Suzune: I have no such thing. However—I can give you something else.]

[Fuyuji Mikage: What, what?!]

A window suddenly popped up on his phone screen.

[Cha-Cha: You damn dog—still trying to play both sides, are you?! Tattling and snitching, huh? You'd better not let me run into you tomorrow, or you're dead!]

Crack! Fuyuji instantly turned to stone.

[Horikita Suzune: That's all. Fuyuji-kun—if you're coming, remember to message me. Have a good day.]

Suzune—you're utterly despicable!

He—the great two-timing swindler Fuyuji Mikage—had actually capsized at the hands of a mere Horikita Suzune. All day long hunting geese, only to have his eyes pecked out by one!

Mentally and emotionally drained, Fuyuji spent another dozen or so minutes coaxing and placating Cha-Cha—with considerable effort—before he finally managed to secure and safeguard his pics.

Gazing at yet another photo that had been sent over, he let out a long breath and leaned back against the sofa.

Still—his objective had been achieved. Judging by the current situation, Cha-Cha was only putting up a tough front. Eight or nine times out of ten, she wouldn't actually make Suzune drop out. The relationship between the two of them had already turned strange and peculiar.

"That girl from Class D again?"

A light, airy voice, carrying a trace of warmth, sounded beside his ear. Fuyuji turned his head and looked. At some unknown point, Shiraishi Asuka—who had just moments ago been at the low table reviewing test papers—has now become seated close beside him.

Her legs, wrapped in white stockings, were drawn together gracefully and slanted to one side, sinking slightly into the soft sofa. Her head leaned just a little closer to the phone screen. Her warm skin was practically pressed against his arm. Her flawless, snow-white profile was so close he could see her lashes, trembling faintly with each blink of her eyelids, and the alluring beauty mark at the corner of her eye.

Thread after thread of delicate fragrance—the scent of shampoo, mingled with the unique fragrance of her body—drifted over, making Fuyuji unconsciously deepen his breaths.

"Yeah. Asuka still remembers?" Fuyuji laughed dryly, feeling rather embarrassed.

After all, last semester, Cha-Cha's perk photos had been caught red-handed by Shiraishi Asuka. And now, she'd caught him in the act again.

"I remember every single girl who appears around Fuyuji." Shiraishi spoke with a smile that was not quite a smile. Within her violet eyes, a shimmering light rippled and swirled. "Last night—you were together with her?"

A direct hit!

"Yes." Fuyuji replied woodenly.

"Trying to add another new companion for me again?" Shiraishi asked once more, her voice gentle and warm. Smiling radiantly, she gazed fixedly at him.

"..."

Fuyuji was utterly speechless. Beneath the gentle, tender stare of those violet eyes, he subconsciously straightened his posture. For some inexplicable reason, he felt his own body rapidly shrinking, while Shiraishi's delicate frame continuously magnified within his field of vision. In terms of sheer presence alone, he had already been completely overwhelmed.

"Shiraishi-mama..." Fuyuji called out in a dry, hollow voice, attempting to launch a gentle offensive.

"Dame!"

Shiraishi crossed both index fingers into an X, striking a pose of refusal. Smiling, she spoke.

"Even I—can be greedy, you know. I don't want to share Fuyuji's love with other people. The four of us now—that's already enough. Not to mention..." Her violet eyes swiftly swept past the ring of red marks on his neck—still not fully faded—and she said nothing more.

Seeing that his strategy was completely ineffective, Fuyuji drew a deep breath. Abruptly puffing out his chest, he glared fiercely, directly at Shiraishi.

"Really, truly won't do?"

"It won't do." Shiraishi tilted her head slightly. Her smile remained as serene and tranquil as ever.

"In that case..." Fuyuji's gaze abruptly sharpened. Slowly, he rose to his feet. His expression, in an instant, turned cold and severe. "I have no choice but to use my final resort..."

"What?"

With a muffled thud, pale golden hair billowed through the air, scattering and spreading across the sofa like blooming flower petals.

Fuyuji pushed Shiraishi down onto the sofa in one swift motion. Both hands braced on either side of her cheeks. With tears and anguish, he let out a soul-wrenching cry:

"Shiraishi-mama—I want to build a harem!"

"No—" Her tender, delicate lips had only just parted when they were mercilessly sealed shut by Fuyuji. "Nn!"

Her violet eyes abruptly flew wide. Her breath instantly grew quick and ragged. A vivid, brilliant crimson—so bright it seemed about to drip—rapidly surfaced, spreading from her exquisite collarbone to the swan-like curve of her neck, to the rounded lobes of her ears... setting off the girl's snow-white skin all the more alluring and captivating.

Shiraishi instinctively raised her slender arms and wrapped them tightly around Fuyuji's neck. Her fingertips sank into the roots of his hair at the nape of his neck. Her legs, wrapped in pure white stockings, drew up slightly, rubbing and brushing against each other unconsciously. Her calves began—intermittently, absentmindedly—to graze and scrape against his ankle like goose feathers. A tingling, numbing electric current instantly surged throughout Fuyuji's entire body.

"Can I?" Fuyuji raised his head and asked once more.

"No— Nn!"

Her arms, delicate and powerless, gently, feebly patted against Fuyuji's back.

[Bad boy...]

Another dozen or so seconds passed. Fuyuji released her once more. Their scorching, burning breaths still tangled and intertwined inextricably. Those eyes of Shiraishi's—brimming with a watery, shimmering light—were so close at hand, as though veiled by a thin, seductive mist.

"Yes or no?"

"Just a little bit more..." Shiraishi's brows and eyes curved like crescent moons, revealing the sly, secret delight of a fox that had just stolen a chicken.

"Crafty woman—"

Just as Fuyuji was about to unleash his ultimate technique and thoroughly deplete Shiraishi's HP bar to zero—his movements came to a halt. His entire body abruptly, violently stiffened. The blood in his veins ran cold by half.

At some unknown point, the intense, dramatic background music of the game inside the room had ceased. Two figures now stood silently beside the two of them. Without sorrow or joy, they gazed at him.

"What a fierce, heated battle." Morishita Ai clenched her little fists and rendered her assessment with a cold, indifferent expression.

"What a debauched, degenerate relationship..." Kamuro Masumi trembled from head to toe with sheer fury.

"..."

In the silence, Fuyuji extended both hands and, bit by bit, pulled Shiraishi's soft, limp body upright. Straightening her posture, he then—with a sharp whoosh—buried his head into her embrace like an ostrich. Both arms wrapped around her waist. Peacefully, serenely, he closed his eyes.

"Perverted boyfriend-kun—get up right now!" Morishita, beside herself with mortified fury, extended both hands and, like pulling up a radish, attempted to yank his body free.

"You think playing dead will let you slip through?! Get out here!" Kamuro, without the slightest mercy, planted a kick squarely on his rear.

This must be a dream. As long as I open my eyes in a moment—everything will be alright.

The sound of curses and insults. The springy impacts of flesh. The light, lilting laughter of a young girl. All of it intertwined and wove together within the tiny room, refusing to fade for a long, long time...

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50 [Power Stones] = Bonus Chapter!