Chapter 127 – Couple?
Nagumo's agreement to Yukio's one-on-one match also stemmed from his confidence in his physical abilities, having undergone sports training from a young age and excelling in the volleyball match at the pool.
Thus, in terms of physical fitness, Nagumo was convinced he would not lose to Yukio.
The previous defeat at the pool, unable to hit back, was merely due to Yukio being on the shore while he was in the water.
Had they been on equal ground, Nagumo believed he would not have lost, hence he readily accepted the challenge.
Ichinose sighed, witnessing the situation escalate. She wanted to mediate and prevent the conflict but didn't know where to start.
Kiriyama and Tachibana remained silent spectators, thoroughly enjoying the drama and wishing Yukio and Nagumo would start fighting on the spot, if only Horikita Manabu Manabu weren't there to maintain order. They even regretted not being able to fetch some snacks from the dispenser to munch on while watching.
Horikita Manabu felt helpless with the troublesome pair but had to continue with official matters: "This item is settled, then. Lastly, we have absence penalties."
"The school suggests treating unpunctuality as absence due to the tight schedule of the sports festival. The question is, do we follow the previous years' penalty of deducting points from the absentees' class, or do we set our own?"
Nagumo, seemingly more engaged, suggested: "Just deducting points is dull. Why not expulsion for absence? Or at least deduct class points?"
This wasn't directed at Yukio but reflected Nagumo's usual stance in the student council for increasing elimination rates, a stance Horikita Manabu invited Yukio to counteract.
Horikita Manabu, not waiting for Yukio's response, immediately rebutted: "Impossible. Such harshness, like expelling someone for a single absence, contradicts the school's fundamental objective of nurturing students for society."
"Just increasing the point deduction for absence will suffice." Horikita Manabu, holding the final say, made a decision unalterable by Nagumo.
With the three amendable items addressed, Ichinose finally stopped her note-taking. As she was about to put her pen down, she noticed Yukio getting up to leave.
"Anything else? If not, I'll be going."
Regarding the class point rules and why Class D still managed to pay, Yukio thought to inquire Horikita Manabu through text later.
"?" Ichinose hastily tugged at Yukio's shirt, signaling he shouldn't just leave as there were more matters to attend to in the student council.
"Oh?" Yukio noticed Ichinose's gesture and teasingly offered, "Do you want to leave together? We can."
Ichinose, flustered by Yukio's playful comment, glanced awkwardly at Horikita Manabu, silently indicating she didn't intend to leave right after the meeting.
Yukio and Ichinose, through their actions, inadvertently focused Horikita Manabu's attention on them. Horikita Manabu, momentarily taken aback, then coughed to clear his throat, "Well, we in the student council do not oppose campus romance. If you two have matters to attend to, feel free to leave."
Ichinose blinked in confusion and then looked even more bewildered, as if grains of sand had entered her eyes. Horikita Manabu's words had apparently led to a misunderstanding, suggesting he thought Ichinose and Yukio were a couple.
This left Ichinose extremely flustered and embarrassed, feeling like she was caught in a whirlwind of misunderstanding. She didn't think she'd leave the meeting with Yukio, and yet, that's exactly what happened, adding to her distress and confusion.
Nagumo, meanwhile, was boiling with rage, gripping his fists so tight under the table they nearly pierced his palms. He had gone to great lengths to assist Ichinose in joining the student council, viewing her as a valuable tool. His hostility towards Yukio, sparked by rumors of Yukio's closeness with Ichinose and confirmed by their interaction at the pool, had now reached a boiling point. Witnessing the scene in the student council room only fueled his determination to teach Yukio a memorable lesson during the sports festival.
...
"What are you thinking about?" Yukio waved his hand in front of Ichinose, snapping her out of her daze. She blinked, still looking a bit lost, before exclaiming in surprise and then hastily diverting her gaze, unable to face Yukio as openly as before, "The president, he seemed to have misunderstood our relationship!"
"Are you worried about that?" Yukio chuckled. "Either I'll go or you can go clarify things with President Horikita tomorrow. It's not a big deal."
"Right?" Ichinose paused, realizing Yukio was making sense. A misunderstanding could easily be cleared up with an explanation. Feeling relieved, she relaxed again. However, her concern quickly returned, "Wait, that's not right. I almost forgot, Yukio-kun, why would you agree to Nagumo's challenge during the sports festival? If we had stuck to the previous grouping method, wouldn't everything have been fine?"
Yukio looked deeply into Ichinose's eyes, causing her to feel slightly unsettled, before explaining, "Ichinose, if you keep thinking this way, you'll definitely lead your class down to D class."
"In this school, wanting to live harmoniously is not wrong, and wanting to spend joyful times with classmates is also not wrong."
"But the premise must be that you must have strength. If you are strong enough that no class can threaten you, naturally, you can be friendly and spend three happy years together."
"But without strength, everything is just a fleeting illusion, ultimately shattering the moment you fall to Class D."
Ichinose was somewhat wordless. She understood that Yukio was thinking for her benefit and was also answering her question.
This school is not a place where refraining from attacking means you won't be attacked.
Yukio's words, while advising Ichinose, also explained that even if he had insisted on the previous red and white grouping method, wouldn't Nagumo still find a way to cause trouble during the sports festival? Certainly, Nagumo would find a way to launch an offensive.
So, why restrain oneself? It's better to let go and face each other head-on, with victory or defeat depending solely on oneself.
The logic was very straightforward, and Ichinose understood it immediately, but still hesitated. Uncharacteristically, the always sunny Ichinose hung her head low: "But, does it have to be like this... do we have to fight each other? We are all classmates, after all."
"Heh." Yukio looked at Ichinose's bowed head, and without thinking, his hand naturally reached out and caressed Ichinose's silky hair: "How about this?"
"Apart from our competition in special exams, if you encounter any trouble, you can come to me. After all, as you said, we are all classmates."
"Really?" Ichinose lifted her head, still under Yukio's caressing hand, but didn't mind it: "Didn't Yukio-kun just scold me?"
"That persuasion failed." Yukio shook his head with a smile, knowing Ichinose understood the logic but was reluctant to follow through. What else could he do?
It's like everyone knows smoking is harmful to health, but aren't there still several hundred million smokers worldwide?
"Anyway, if you're troubled, feel free to talk to me." Leaving those words behind, Yukio left to discuss how to deal with Nagumo with Ryuen.
Watching Yukio leave, gazing at his upright figure, Ichinose felt a surge of emotions, as if returning to that day at the shoe locker, their unexpected meeting.
She thought of many things.
The quietness when they first met, the amazement at the shoe locker encounter, the strategic brilliance during the special exams, the care shown during the summer, the dominance at the pool preventing her from entering the water, and the gentleness at that moment.
All of these moments came together, causing an inexplicable emotional wave within Ichinose. Slowly, she reached out her hand to the top of her head, to the spot where Yukio had just caressed, but couldn't replicate the comfort of Yukio's touch.
***
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