"Sobu High School…"
On the open-air corridor connecting the fourth floors of the two teaching buildings, Yukinoshita stopped, turned around, and stared indifferently at Hoshimi.
Hoshimi, who had been following Yukinoshita all the way, also stopped. He looked at Yukinoshita and extended his right hand with a smile.
"Let's get to know each other again, Hoshimi Kiyokawa. Please give me your advice."
Yukinoshita glanced indifferently at Hoshimi's outstretched hand, then returned her gaze to his face and said coldly, "Yukinoshita Yukino."
"Heh~" Hoshimi smiled, withdrew his hand indifferently, and continued, "Yukinoshita, I don't think there's any grievance between us that cannot be overcome."
"Though I did play some pranks on you in the dream, it was just a dream after all, and I didn't do anything against moral boundaries from start to finish. I believe you understand that very well."
"Of course, if you need me to apologize, I won't hesitate."
Enemies should be resolved rather than perpetuated. Reality differs from dreams, and unless necessary, he doesn't want to become enemies with her.
One more friend, one more path; one more enemy, one more wall. This principle never goes out of date, no matter the circumstances.
"Apologize? Huh~" Yukinoshita sneered, "What you did in the classroom just now hardly qualifies as an apology."
"You said that..." Hoshimi tilted his head slightly, half-smiling. "Everything I said is the truth. Is there an issue?"
"..." Yukinoshita stared coldly at Hoshimi, the chill in her eyes growing more bitter.
"Alright, no more jokes." Hoshimi suppressed his smile and continued calmly, "In the classroom just now, my actions were merely a response to Yukinoshita's targeting. Also..."
Hoshimi gazed at Yukinoshita with a cold stare. "If I hadn't done that, would you have approached me alone after class?"
"..." Yukinoshita frowned slightly.
Indeed, what Hoshimi said was true. If not for his provocation, she would never have asked to meet him alone after class.
In her revenge scheme, it should have been Hoshimi who came to her to apologize.
Until then, she would continue exacting her revenge until Hoshimi came to her with a full apology.
"Yukinoshita, if you agree to reconcile, I will handle the public opinion crisis caused by those words just now."
Seeing Yukino's icy stare soften slightly, Hoshimi struck while the iron was hot.
"..." Yukinoshita looked up at the composed Hoshimi and asked coldly, "So, what about your apology?"
"Of course, there will be an apology. What kind of apology does Yukinoshita desire? Material? Verbal?"
"I want action." A strange gleam flickered in Yukinoshita's eyes, and an unsettling smile formed on her lips.
"Oh? I'd like to hear more." Realizing things might not be so simple, Hoshimi frowned.
"Hoshimi, do you remember all the misdeeds you committed against me in the dream?" Yukino folded her hands across her chest, the sadistic smile deepening.
"It was just pranks, not misdeeds." Hoshimi waved dismissively, explaining lightly.
"Really? In your view, were those merely pranks?" Yukinoshita stepped forward, staring into Hoshimi's eyes.
"Yeah, just pranks." Realizing Yukinoshita might not let it go, Hoshimi became nonchalant.
"So, they were just pranks..." Yukinoshita dropped her pretense of malice, took a step back, placed her hands on her chest, and rested her chin on her left hand with a smile.
"I always adhere to 'an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.' Since you seek an action-based apology, let me 'prank' you with equal measure and frequency."
Hearing Yukinoshita emphasize the word 'prank', Hoshimi asked curiously, "What sort of prank are you planning?"
Yukinoshita smiled, a faint smile radiating dazzling beauty.
She looked at Hoshimi, her vermilion lips parted lightly, and her clear, beautiful voice echoed in the warm spring sky like a brook in a valley.
"Hoshimi, the pranks you played on me were all in a dream, so naturally the pranks I played on you should be the same."
"You played tricks on me for 21 days, so naturally I will play tricks on you for 21 days."
"Then tonight is day one and I want you to sit and lick my feet."
Hoshimi's eyebrows moved slightly, and he subconsciously glanced at Yukino's exquisite little feet wrapped in small round-toed leather shoes.
Licking a woman's feet is indeed a humiliation for a man.
But if the woman is beautiful, maybe it's not a humiliation...
If this is Yukinoshita's prank on the first night, he can reluctantly accept it, after all, he did play a lot of exaggerated pranks on Yukinoshita before.
"The next day, Hoshimi, I want you to lie on the ground, stick your butt up, and let me beat you with a whip. Each time I beat you, you have to say 'Master Yukinoshita, well done!'"
As if imagining that situation, a sense of joy at getting revenge emerged in Yukinoshita's ice-blue eyes, and even the faint smile on her face brightened.
Hoshimi's expression became more subtle. He looked Yukinoshita up and down, completely unexpected that the cold girl in front of him would have such a mischievous side.
Was it provoked by his constant pranks, or was Yukinoshita always like this, just hiding it?
Hoshimi, easily confused, continued to quietly listen to Yukinoshita's "Devil's Declaration."
"On the third day, I want you to be my sandbag and accompany me to practice various Aikido moves."
"On the fourth day, I will blindfold you and make you identify objects. If you make a mistake, you'll be my horse and carry me for 100 meters."
"On the fifth day, you can relax and lie naked on the beach all day in the sun."
"As for the rest, I haven't thought about it yet. We'll discuss it later."
"How about it? Once these 21 days of pranks are over, our enmity will be wiped clean."
Yukinoshita stared at Hoshimi with a faint smile full of malice.
"Oh~" Hoshimi sighed helplessly.
He shrugged and said nonchalantly, "If that's how you want it, Yukinoshita, then let's not talk about reconciliation."
"..." Yukinoshita's smile disappeared, and she returned to her usual cool demeanor.
She looked calmly at Hoshimi and said coldly, "It's just payback for your pranks. If you can't handle it, don't talk to me about making amends."
Yukinoshita lifted her slender neck slightly, her eyes growing colder and colder. "Every action has consequences. You'll pay for what you've done!"
With that, Yukinoshita shot a cold glance at Hoshimi and walked away along the open-air corridor.
As Yukinoshita and Hoshimi passed each other shoulder to shoulder, Hoshimi tilted his head slightly and asked casually, "Yukinoshita, is this your declaration of war?"
"Heh~" Yukinoshita sneered and continued walking without replying.
"Ta--ta--"
Listening to the footsteps fading away in the snow, Hoshimi stretched and strolled casually to the guardrail overlooking the campus scenery.
As a young man, he was brimming with vigor.
It seems like it won't be boring anytime soon...