Horikita Suzune froze instantly.
Wait, a list?
It seed that was indeed the case. After all, attending a hearing at the Student Council wasn't sothing just anyone could do; nas had to be reported in advance.
"The attendees must have Sudo Ken's personal consent, since it's for his defense."
Seeing her look of sudden realization, Shimizu Akira understood perfectly—she hadn't considered this layer at all. She had simply thought of a breakthrough and couldn't wait to tell him.
Horikita pursed her lips tightly, her face darkening. It felt as if she had struck her own weakness again.
Back in the first month, because of the surveillance footage issue, she had snubbed Sudo Ken quite unceremoniously. He hadn't said anything then, but he had walked out of the classroom with a cold face. No matter how low her EQ was, she knew he definitely didn't like her. In fact, most of the class didn't exactly welco her, given her blunt way of speaking.
Her own view of Sudo was also average at best; in the second month, she had even felt that since his grades were so poor, it might be better if he just left. But the current situation was that if Horikita Suzune wanted to go to the Student Council, she had to pass through Sudo Ken.
As for telling her ideas to Sudo himself and letting him handle it? She wasn't that stupid.
Her goal in going to the Student Council wasn't for Sudo Ken at all, but because the Student Council President, Horikita Manabu, would be present. Her ticulously prepared speech was ant for her brother—if she gave the opportunity to soone else, wouldn't she just beco background noise?
Therefore, she had to go to the Student Council personally and secure a spot.
If she were to ask Sudo Ken to let her join... The first people she thought of were Hirata Yosuke and Kushida Kikyo. But Hirata's relationship with those three idiots wasn't great; last ti he tried to hold Sudo back, he was pushed away rudely. Kushida Kikyo was even more out of the question—asking that woman for a favor? Not a chance.
Reflexively, she thought of Shimizu Akira, but even Shimizu didn't seem to have spoken much with Sudo Ken.
Just as she was thinking this, Sudo Ken suddenly stood up from his seat and walked straight to the back row. Horikita thought he was looking for Ayanokouji Kiyotaka—since the two were friends. Unexpectedly, the red-haired boy scratched his head and walked up to Shimizu Akira.
"Shimizu! Um... where are we going for lunch?"
"Sorry, lunch might not work today, Sudo," Shimizu said sowhat apologetically.
"I have to say sorry in advance; how about we move it to the evening? Actually... soone already made a bento for ."
When he agreed yesterday, he hadn't expected Horikita Suzune to make him a bento.
"Huh? Who?!" Sudo couldn't help but ask back, his tone as blunt as ever.
"," Horikita Suzune interjected before Shimizu could react, her eyes sharp. "Do you have a problem with that?"
After all, his tone and expression were incredibly punchable.
Sudo was stunned by Horikita's sudden retort, his brows knitting into a knot.
"You? You're making a bento for Shimizu?" He looked Horikita up and down as if witnessing so impossible anomaly.
Horikita didn't bother with his mockery and only gave him a cold glance.
"Why make a bento for no reason!" Sudo persisted, adding, "Is your cooking even that good? What if you give Shimizu a stomachache?!"
In Sudo's eyes, Horikita had zero EQ; she was just decent-looking. She had snubbed him recently, and in the whole class, only Shimizu Akira was willing to talk to her.
There were even rumors about whether the two were dating, but after yesterday's events, he felt in his heart that Shimizu was a reliable, good man—this woman, Horikita Suzune, simply wasn't good enough for him. Now she was hogging Shimizu's lunchti, disrupting a al between two "real n." It was simply outrageous.
Horikita's brow furrowed instantly. "Is my cooking any of your business to judge? It's not for you anyway!"
Caught between the two, Shimizu Akira felt a cold sweat as the tension escalated. He never expected that one day he'd experience being at the center of a fight—and with Sudo Ken of all people! He had zero interest in n.
So he spoke up: "Stop arguing. Horikita went through the trouble of making a bento; I can't waste her effort. As for Sudo, I'll treat you to tonkatsu tonight—the extra-large kind—how's that?"
Sudo pursed his lips and let it go, though he still looked at Horikita with so resentnt. He suddenly rembered sothing and slapped his forehead: "Oh right, Shimizu, what a sha about the hearing next Tuesday! If you didn't have to participate in the Boxing Club's exhibition match, I'd definitely have you co help !"
Shimizu nodded and replied, "Yeah, just leave it to the others. I believe in you guys."
"Yeah! Leave it to !" Sudo patted his chest. "We have an eyewitness this ti; we'll definitely settle things properly!" With that, he turned and left slowly.
To Horikita Suzune, what she just heard made her doubt her own ears. What was going on? Why was Sudo Ken suddenly so close to Shimizu Akira? Judging by his tone, he had a big problem with her making the bento. Or rather, he seed to hate her from the bottom of his heart.
What baffled her more was that he had proactively invited Shimizu to the hearing—judging by the tone, it was clearly Sudo asking for a favor. An opportunity she desperately wanted was rejected so easily by the other party?
'No way?! What on earth did Shimizu Akira do? Did he give Sudo Ken so kind of love potion? It's only been one day!'
Horikita felt she understood less and less. Sudo had been the type to look at everyone with a scowl just two days ago, but this morning, he was like a different person—speaking to Shimizu with a politeness that didn't sound like him at all.
She didn't deny Shimizu's excellence, but could his charisma really be that great? To spend a day with soone and have them open their heart as a friend? Especially with Sudo, the most hot-tempered guy in class.
Seeing her expression, Shimizu could easily guess what she was thinking.
"I feel the sa as you—baffled," he said, holding out his hands with a look of confusion.
"It all started yesterday when I talked to Sakura-san. He obviously misunderstood and thought I went to the Student Council yesterday to help him. And! After school yesterday, Sudo actually went looking for those Class C guys for my sake and almost got into a fight. Luckily, I was 'lucky enough' to talk him down. After I explained things clearly to him, his attitude turned weird like this."
Co to think of it, the way Sudo stared at his back before leaving yesterday was abnormal enough. What normal man stares at another man's back like that?
However, to Horikita Suzune, this story sounded strangely familiar—starting again from when he talked to Sakura-san? And that phrase "lucky enough," he's said it several tis now, hasn't he?
"Just how lucky do you have to be?" she finally couldn't help but say, her tone muffled with frustration.
"There's a limit to being humble. I know you're outstanding, so stop worrying about my feelings, okay?"
Shimizu Akira, you say "lucky" every day, and yet you easily handle things others can't. Is it really just luck? Pies don't just fall from the sky. He must have done an investigation in
advance, or noticed sothing off about Sudo and followed him secretly to discover this. This guy, Shimizu, must know she has a strong sense of pride and is humoring her on purpose.
But this humility only made her feel even more inferior to him.
"Whatever you say." Shimizu squinted his eyes instinctively.
Could the information brought by the Daily Intelligence be counted as his own strength? Calling it "good luck" wasn't an exaggeration at all. But since he had no intention of ntioning it to anyone, he could only resignedly accept the "humble" label.
Horikita felt a bit awkward, vaguely sensing she might have been too harsh just now. After all, Shimizu was doing this for her sake. But then she thought about the hearing; joining it was a must. she had promised her brother, and if she missed it, he would be so disappointed.
Yet her relationship with Sudo was as it was; the argunt just now was proof. They couldn't go three sentences without being at each other's throats. There was no way he would easily agree to let her join. Putting herself in his shoes, she would probably suspect the other person wanted to sabotage the hearing. Sudo likely thought the sa.
And yet, Sudo had proactively invited Shimizu, who had declined because of the boxing club. It was clear Sudo admired Shimizu; he not only cherished the chance to eat with him but also listened to what he said. If Shimizu spoke up to let her join the hearing, Sudo likely wouldn't refuse.
In that case, if she wanted to join, she had to ask Shimizu for help.
'So, I have to ask him again?'
Horikita stared at the bento box in her desk, suddenly realizing she had to make him lunch every day this month.
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Noon arrived quickly.
"Here." Horikita thought for a mont, took out the bento box, and handed it to her seatmate.
Shimizu took it and opened it. The food inside was arranged with extre neatness: the rice was pressed into small square blocks, golden-fried cod sat beside them, and the green broccoli and carrots were cut to a uniform size. Even the sauce was wiped ticulously along the edges of the ingredients, showing a rigor that brooked no error.
He looked up at Horikita; she was looking out the window with her head turned away.
"It looks very well-made." Shimizu picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of broccoli, and put it in his mouth. The crisp texture mixed with a light sauce flavor spread across his tongue. "It tastes good."
Horikita's shoulders relaxed imperceptibly. "Don't misunderstand, it's just fulfilling the agreent." She paused and added, "If it doesn't suit your taste, just say so."
Shimizu smiled and didn't reply, just lowered his head to continue eating. Every ingredient in the bento was handled perfectly; the cod was crispy outside and tender inside, the carrot cubes were sweet, and even the rice had a faint fragrance. With this skill, there was no way anyone would get a stomachache. Then again, with his physical fitness, it was hard for him to get sick in the first place.
Halfway through the al, Kushida Kikyo suddenly approached with an innocent smile: "Hey, Shimizu-kun, it's such a sha you can't attend the hearing."
Shimizu stopped his chopsticks. He suddenly rembered that Kushida was, in a sense, a key figure in improving his relationship with Sudo. If she hadn't ssaged Sudo, Sudo wouldn't have stepped up for him, and Shimizu wouldn't have gone to check because of the intelligence alert.
What Shimizu couldn't figure out was why she pushed all the credit onto him. But regardless, he was grateful for her help and said, "Kushida, regarding that business with Sudo, our relationship wouldn't have improved this quickly without you. Thank you."
Kushida blinked her watery eyes. "Oh, what are you saying, Shimizu-kun? I didn't do anything. Sudo-kun helped because you're naturally very trustworthy, Shimizu-kun."
Her words were flawless, praising Shimizu while keeping herself out of it. If Shimizu hadn't caught a glimpse of her secretly tightening her fingers, he might have believed her.
What was going on? Had Kushida tried to ntion her own help, only to not be recognized by Sudo?
'Wait, could she be saying these convoluted things because she's trying to indirectly show that she actually worked hard?'
Shimizu knew her personality too well and imdiately thought of this as the most likely possibility. But Sudo Ken couldn't understand those twists and turns at all.
That man sotis struggled with things said directly to his face, let alone deciphering deep anings. Expecting him to catch subtext was less realistic than expecting Yamauchi Haruki to win a national badminton championship.
For Kushida Kikyo, after all that effort, wouldn't it be all for nothing?
"Shimizu-kun, you rember our agreent, right?" She glanced at Shimizu's bento, which was almost identical in style to Horikita's. Her smile didn't change, but she didn't speak to
Horikita at all, only adding to Shimizu: "After you finish eating, rember to check your phone."
With that, she waved and turned to leave.
Horikita watched her walk away, feeling that Kushida was a bit unusual today. After all, the woman had suddenly stopped talking to her—usually at this ti, she would co over to say hello or so trivial small talk. This sudden silence actually made her feel inexplicably out of place.
Then again, for her, it was probably a good thing. But... judging by the tone just now, it seed she was the one who brokered the relationship between Shimizu and Sudo behind the scenes?
Why was she being so good to Shimizu? And what was this "agreent" she ntioned?!
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