"Kiyokawa, you're still young, so there are certain precautions you must take. Do you understand?" Mrs. Arisugawa subtly hinted.
"...," Hoshimi felt increasingly frustrated and helpless, but under the weight of overwhelming 'evidence,' he could only lower his head and reply, "Aunt, I understand."
"Good." With that reminder, Mrs. Arisugawa didn't press further on the matter.
She then shifted the topic with a meaningful tone, "Kiyokawa, your recent behavior at school has your teachers a bit worried, and I must admit, it's also a concern for me. What do you think you should do to ease your teachers' and my concerns?"
Knowing that the main issue was about to be addressed, Hoshimi obediently responded, "I should study hard and achieve excellent grades to put both my teachers and you at ease, Aunt."
"Yes, that's correct." Mrs. Arisugawa nodded in satisfaction.
She then looked at Hoshimi with a faint smile and said, "Since you understand, how about placing in the top five in the next exam? That might help ease your teachers' worries."
"...," Hoshimi was speechless.
What kind of devilish punishment is this?
For a student who stayed home for a year, skipped the first year, and only started attending school in the second year, expecting them to place in the top five in their first exam—especially with less than a week left before the exams, and considering the school's high academic standards—was anything but realistic.
Such an unreasonable demand couldn't be met by most people in the world.
However, Hoshimi, with his dream abilities, found the top five to be a minor challenge.
So Aunt Arisugawa must have other considerations behind making such a harsh request, right?
With this in mind, Hoshimi tentatively said, "Aunt, the midterm exam will start next week. I want to get into the top five, which is a bit difficult. Can you relax the ranking requirements a little bit?"
Mrs. Arisugawa kept smiling, "It's the top five, it's a deal. If you can't meet the requirements, I will hire a tutor to teach you one-on-one."
One-on-one tutoring?
So that's what it is. Hoshimi immediately understood that Mrs. Arisugawa wanted to hire a tutor for him by taking advantage of the problem of his test scores.
In this way, not only can his studies be guaranteed, but his "unruly" private life can also be slightly restricted, or monitored, so as to achieve the purpose of regulating his behavior.
I have to say that Aunt Arisugawa really has good intentions.
I was afraid that directly arranging a tutor for him would cause him to rebel, so I deliberately set an unattainable goal for him. This was to give him hope. When he was unable to achieve the goal, I would have a sufficient reason and excuse to arrange a tutor for him.
It was a good consideration. If he was just an ordinary high school student, the possibility of him being infected would be as high as 99%.
It's just a pity that he is not just a high school student. With the help of his dream ability, being in the top five in the grade is just a piece of cake.
Even without his dream abilities, with a bit of effort, he might still have a chance to meet the goal—after all, he used to be a top student.
Hoshimi, who knows his own business, was full of confidence in his heart, but on the surface he looked distressed and said in a muffled voice: "Aunt, the top five is really too difficult..."
"Difficult?" Mrs. Arisugawa stood up, walked over to Hoshimi, and with a smile, gently poked the hickey on his neck, asking, "Kiyokawa, don't you think this is easier than juggling relationships with three girls?"
"...," Hoshimi remained silent, his expression showing slight frustration and struggle.
With a continued smile, Mrs. Arisugawa withdrew her finger and gently squeezed Hoshimi's shoulder, her tone softening slightly as she said, "Kiyokawa, study hard. Don't disappoint me, and don't disappoint Takuya and Hitomi either. I'm sure they would..."
Mrs. Arisugawa paused, then slightly intensified her tone, "...I'm sure they would want you to succeed and bring further honor to the Hoshimi name."
With that, Mrs. Arisugawa patted Hoshimi on the shoulder.
"Mukami, let's go."
"As you wish, Madam."
With that, Mrs. Arisugawa and the old butler left Hoshimi's home.
Standing still, Hoshimi lowered his head, his expression dark, lost in thought.
After a long while, Hoshimi suddenly sighed, "Phew, exhausting."
As he stretched and moved his body, he muttered indistinctly, "Acting is tiring, and acting in front of elders is even more so."
Mrs. Arisugawa's final words would likely have a profound effect on someone like the 'Hoshimi Kiyokawa,' who had lost both parents.
But as a time traveler, those words had little impact on him.
Study hard? He had already worked hard once before, now he just wanted to enjoy life.
Disappointment? He wouldn't let Mrs. Arisugawa down. He'd achieve the grades he needed to maintain his perfect persona.
The label of 'top student' was appealing, and he intended to keep it.
However, given his current laid-back attitude, the label was likely to evolve into 'academic god.'
Hmm, that sounds even better.
As for upholding the 'Hoshimi' name? A trivial matter.
A man who seeks a good life wouldn't allow anyone to covet the Hoshimi family's assets. After all, they were the foundation of his happiness!
"Hah," feeling a bit tired after a long day, Hoshimi started to feel drowsy. He yawned, scratched his messy hair, and headed upstairs to his bedroom.
Today, he'd go to bed early and enter the dream world sooner. He also needed to figure out how to deal with the frustration stirred up by Kasumigaoka and Yukino...
Before long, Hoshimi was snuggled under the covers.
Just before falling asleep, he suddenly remembered something. He picked up his phone from beside his pillow and checked the messages from Kasumigaoka.
8:05 PM: "Hoshimi, you're home now, right? What are you doing?"
8:07 PM: "No reply? Are you taking a bath? Or did you fall asleep?"
8:37 PM: "Looks like you've already fallen asleep? Poor thing, you must be exhausted from the trip. Sleep well, I won't disturb you."
9:20 PM: "Hoshimi! I officially quit the club! No more listening to that stupid president! Feels so good!"
9:50 PM: "Can't sleep. Why did you fall asleep, Hoshimi? And you didn't even take me into your dream. I'll remember this."
9:52 PM: "[Photo]"
The first photo was a selfie of Kasumigaoka standing by her window, capturing both herself and the quiet night view outside.
Judging by the scenery, Kasumigaoka's home was likely a typical Japanese detached house, and her bedroom was on the second floor.
9:55 PM: "[Photo]"
The second photo showed Kasumigaoka in her pajamas. She had drawn the curtains and was sitting on the bed, taking a selfie from a downward angle.
The angle was perfect, showing off Kasumigaoka's cleavage.
By the way, Kasumigaoka was wearing a black silk nightgown—a sheer, revealing one.
9:56 PM: "Nice photos, right? A little gift for your morning. (*￣︶￣)"
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