"Tsk~" Yukino rolled her eyes at Hoshimi, the willfully ignorant jerk, and retracted her foot, sitting down beside him. "Wasn't using 10% a bit wasteful?"
Hoshimi's performance after using "Removal Modified" in the afternoon was too stunning. He completely dominated Hayato Hayama, often hitting the ball into the net before Hayama even reacted. Such a performance was overkill. A slightly lower rate could have still crushed the competition without incurring severe aftereffects.
"10% was indeed a bit wasteful, 6% would have been enough to turn it into a one-sided game," Hoshimi admitted.
"Then why did you use 10%? Enjoying the aftereffects?"
"No," Hoshimi sat up, looking earnestly at Yukinoshita's profile. "I just wanted to perform more perfectly, to make others envious of you."
"Like this..." Hoshimi raised his voice, mimicking a female voice, "Wow~ Yukinoshita-san has such a strong boyfriend, I'm so envious~ Yukinoshita-san must be very happy every day~"
Listening to Hoshimi's exaggerated voice, Yukino's earlobes turned red. She lightly punched Hoshimi's chest, "Stop it, don't mimic that! It's not like that at all!"
"Haha~" Hoshimi laughed and straightened up, "It's really that exaggerated. Didn't you feel it, Yukino? The envious and jealous looks from the girls."
"..." Yukino glanced at Hoshimi but said nothing.
Indeed, while she was sitting on the sidelines, she felt the envious and jealous gazes from all directions...
Honestly, her feelings were complicated. She was often bathed in envious and jealous gazes, but usually, they were filled with more jealousy and malice.
But today, it was mostly envy and goodwill...
This unprecedented feeling caused an indescribable flutter in her heart...
"Yukino, I've shared my secret. It's your turn to praise me~" Hoshimi leaned closer to Yukino, smiling at her.
"Hmph!" Yukino snorted softly. Glancing at Hoshimi, she felt a bit annoyed. This jerk really knew how to take advantage. Just as she was beginning to feel a little better, he scooted over again.
And so close! Their bodies were practically touching! Their faces were nearly touching!
Why is this jerk so skilled at this?
The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. Yukino turned her head away, not wanting to deal with Hoshimi.
"Eh? Yukino, are you planning to break your promise?" Hoshimi edged closer.
His left hand rested on Yukino's thigh, leaning forward, trying to see her face.
"..." Yukino remained silent, turning her body to the side, refusing to let Hoshimi see her face.
"Oh dear~ My honest and upright Yukino has turned into a promise-breaker. How heartbreaking, chest-thumping, head-shaking, sorrowful..."
Facing Hoshimi, who had transformed into a walking dictionary of idioms, Yukino turned her head in exasperation, gritting her teeth as she praised, "Hoshimi! You're really handsome! Is that enough?"
"No, the tone is wrong. That's not praise, it's scolding!"
"Hoshimi, don't push it."
"Oh dear~ My honest and upright Yukino..." Hoshimi started again, this time more sincerely, with a voice so mournful it sounded like he had suffered a great injustice.
"Whoo~~" Seeing Hoshimi's Oscar-worthy acting, Yukino took a deep breath to calm herself.
Then she covered Hoshimi's mouth and praised him seriously, "Hoshimi, you're really handsome."
Hoshimi's eyebrows curved happily, and he licked Yukino's cold palm.
Yukino pulled back her hand and wiped it on the sofa in disgust.
"Hehe~" Hoshimi laughed, pulling out his phone from behind and shaking it, the meaning clear.
"You recorded it?" Yukino felt a huge wave of embarrassment and instinctively reached for Hoshimi's phone.
Hoshimi dodged her attempts with a grin, "Of course I recorded it. This is the first time you praised me, Yukino. Of course, I had to capture it."
"..." Yukino's hand paused, giving Hoshimi a cold stare.
She suddenly felt Hoshimi was childish, and that she, grabbing for his phone, was equally childish.
To avoid being drawn into further childish behavior by Hoshimi, she decided to stop fighting for the phone.
Let him record it, it's nothing shameful anyway.
"Hoshimi, you've fulfilled your promise, so it's time for you to go home," Yukino said coldly, issuing a clear eviction order.
"Oh dear~" Hoshimi clutched his heart and collapsed onto the sofa. Looking at Yukino in her pajamas, he reached out like a dying man, his hand trembling as he said, "Yukino... My aftereffects... I need you to hug me for a bit so I can move."
"Get lost! Don't even think about it!" Yukino slapped his hand away, unwilling to deal with this encroaching jerk.
"Yukino, just five minutes."
"..." Yukino looked at Hoshimi with a gaze reserved for idiots. "Hoshimi, are you an idiot? Go home now, don't make me kick you out."
"Yukino, three minutes."
"Don't even think about it! Not even for a minute!"
"Yukino, then 30 seconds. I can accept 30 seconds, considering how hard I worked this afternoon."
Yukino laughed angrily, looking at Hoshimi with sadistic eyes.
You jerk, still daring to bring up this afternoon? That first-year student who provoked me in front of my face, you think I've forgotten?
If you say one more word, you won't leave today!
I'll tie you to a chair and we'll have a good talk about that first-year student who is pure in body but not in spirit!
Seeing the sadistic look in Yukino's eyes, Hoshimi's smile turned cunning.
He gritted his teeth, as if making a great sacrifice, and lowered his voice, "Yukino, if you hug me for ten minutes, I'll teach you 'Removal Modified.'"
"?!?!" Yukino's lips parted in shock as she looked at Hoshimi.
After a moment of silence, she cautiously asked, "You really want to teach me 'Removal Modified'?"
With a sly smile, Hoshimi leaned in and whispered in Yukino's ear, "I can teach you, just don't use it recklessly."
In truth, he had hidden and embellished some details when he shared his secret earlier. Overall, it was close to the reality, just with some minor differences.
For instance, the life-threatening danger was purely artistic embellishment.
The little girl who demonstrated and taught him "Removal" had a conversation with him after seeing his modified "Removal Modified."
"Kiyokawa, your talent is really scary. You managed to modify 'Removal,' which only the Kure clan can use, into a potential activation technique that ordinary people can use. Even if Grandpa saw you using 'Removal Modified,' he probably wouldn't be sure it's the Kure clan's secret 'Removal.'"
"Karura, according to your clan's history, 'Removal' is essentially a potential activation technique most suitable for the Kure clan. But it's not exclusive to your clan, right? Other physically strong martial artists could theoretically learn and use 'Removal,' right? Though the effect might not be as good as yours."
"Um~ I'm not sure about that. Maybe Grandpa would know."
"No need to ask your Grandpa. Let me ask you a question. Doesn't your clan recruit strong outsiders? Among these strong recruits, haven't any of them learned 'Removal'?"
"Eh? Let me think... Ah~ I remember. There was a strong recruit who learned 'Removal,' but after using it two or three times, he never used it again."
"Probably not suitable. Did he later use a similar potential activation technique?"
"Yes! But it was very weak, a far cry from 'Removal!'"
"Exactly as I thought. 'Removal' is a potential activation technique based on your clan's special physique. Outsiders trying to use it would have poor adaptability. Instead, they might be better off developing their own potential activation technique based on 'Removal.' So, my 'Removal Modified' is essentially my exclusive potential activation technique."
"Seems like it... Kiyokawa, you're so smart. If your body were stronger, I'd come over and kidnap you for marriage. Right, Kiyokawa, be careful not to exceed the threshold when using 'Removal Modified.' For your body, 20% is the limit. Beyond that, your oxygen supply can't keep up, and your heart will give out."
"Well, I probably won't need to use it. Also, why are you always thinking about marriage, little girl?"
"Family mission... and it's comfortable... Kiyokawa..."
"Eh?! Don't pounce! Don't use 'Removal!' Karura, behave yourself!"
"Kiyokawa, I'll help you train. You must get strong quickly so I can kidnap you. That way, Grandpa won't reject you for being weak."
Recalling that memory, Hoshimi's expression grew slightly unnatural.
Previously, he hadn't considered Karura a real person. Now, knowing she was real, he realized how dangerous his past had been.
If his physical condition had been a bit better, would Karura have kidnapped him for marriage?
The thought made his back ache.
"Hoshimi, what are you thinking?" Yukino's cold voice snapped him out of his reverie.
"I was thinking, trading 'Removal Modified' for a ten-minute hug feels like a loss," Hoshimi quickly gathered his thoughts and put on a contemplative expression.
"Hmph! You think you're losing out! I feel more cheated! Are you teaching me or not?"
"Yukino, let's raise the price a bit, how about half an hour?"
"Get lost! Just ten minutes!"
"Yukino, how about twenty minutes? Otherwise, it's a big loss for me!"
"Five minutes," Yukino said flatly.
"Deal! Ten minutes! No backing out!"
"Deal!" Yukino's eyebrows arched in satisfaction, feeling she had made a good deal.
Hoshimi let out a long breath, relieved to have pulled it off.
And he got a ten-minute hug with Yukino. A complete win! His plan could continue...
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