"I'm not feeling this. Can I head back to my cell now?" Kiyoshi's question snapped Meiko back to reality. She had nearly overlooked the fact that there was still one more person she needed to interrogate.
"You can definitely do it there. Shingo and Joe, you'll be in charge of counting and supervising. I also need you to ensure that they're putting all their strength into their swings."
After giving the order, Meiko watched as the four stood up from their chairs and made their way over to the corner of the room. Gakuto and Andre showed absolutely no enthusiasm, even as they began taking turns striking each other with the menacing baton. Their screams only grew louder, echoing the lack of excitement in the air.
"So, what kind of excuse do you have for me?" Meiko leaned in and asked directly before Kiyoshi, her curiosity evident. She was quite a tall woman, and to match his height, she leaned slightly, resting her arms on the table.
"It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, I just made a quick trip to the bathroom."
"Is that all there is?"
"Yeah, I have to admit, it's a little embarrassing to say this, but for some reason, it took me longer than I expected."
Kiyoshi aimed to keep his focus by locking eyes with her, but from where he was sitting, it felt like she was gradually breaking that connection. She had been doing it from the start, which was part of why she had not said much.
Unbeknownst to Kiyoshi, he found himself captivated by her figure for a bit longer than he intended. If he were to be more courteous about it, he might say he was simply admiring her body.
He noticed every graceful movement she made, how her body effortlessly adapted, and every stunning curve she created caught his eye. Everyone in the room was on the same page, and it definitely wasn't Meiko's fault. After all, she was just dealing with the hand she was dealt—a body that some might call a bit provocative.
As Kiyoshi found himself so close to her, he could feel his heart racing uncontrollably. The overwhelming urge to glance down at her deep cleavage was almost too much for him to resist.
It was only the pain that he felt next that finally stirred him awake.
"Did you hear me, jerk?"
"Argkkk… What?" Kiyoshi completely ignored her instructions, and as a consequence, his face ended up getting smashed into the hard table.
As Meiko lifted her head, tugging at her hair, she leaned in closer, her lips glistening as she moistened them with a quick lick. At that moment, Kiyoshi found himself momentarily distracted, almost forgetting the throbbing pain etched across his face.
"I said I don't believe your fucking excuse," she whispered, her voice low and intense. Kiyoshi could feel the warmth of her breath brushing against his ear, sending a shiver down his spine.
"Are you sure I mentioned it here? What if they overhear us?"
"It's all good, just lean in and tell me straight to my ear—what actually went down today?"
Kiyoshi found himself questioning whether she was being serious. After all, their relationship went beyond the typical dynamic of a warden and a prisoner. They were partners, each leveraging the other for their own gain.
Taking a deep breath, Kiyoshi tried to steady his racing heart, but instead, he found himself inhaling her body's sweet, fragrant scent. He could no longer make out her features but could still see her smooth, white neck.
Occasionally, sweat flowed from her neck down. Given that this room had minimal ventilation, it was natural that she felt hot, but then he couldn't help but appreciate her ears.
Meiko had run out of patience ages ago. If it weren't for the fact that Kiyoshi held a bit more value than the other prisoners, she would have definitely slammed his face into the table for the second time.
She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The breath brushing against her ear was unmistakably Kiyoshi's, but then a wave of warmth began to spread down her neck. She could even tell how his breath gradually grew heavier.
This situation brought back memories for Meiko, reminding her of the other day when she experienced something new—letting a man touch her breasts for the very first time. She went ahead with it, thinking it wasn't a big deal at the time. Yet, even now, she can't shake off that odd sensation her body experienced back then.
"Can we move somewhere else? I swear I'll share all the details I have with you," Kiyoshi's voice was gentle, almost too gentle as if it were playfully tickling the inside of her ear.
"This is your last chance. If you don't want to tell me, that's okay, but just know you'll be joining in their punishment," Meiko said, her voice rising a bit more than she intended. Thankfully, she managed to keep the attention of the others at bay.
"Does the name Kate ring a bell for you?"
Kiyoshi was taken by surprise when Meiko decided to rear-choke him. The way she did it from the front, with a table separating them, made it seem almost like she was hugging him instead. Still, he stayed completely still, as if any movement might cause his neck to snap at any second.
"How did you come across that name?" Meiko asked with a serious tone, her shock evident as her body instinctively reacted to the situation.
"I-"
"Hold on, let's find another spot," Meiko said, finally releasing Kiyoshi, allowing him to take a deep breath and regain his composure.
The few minutes that went by felt like a wild ride for him, swinging from a craving that gnawed at his common sense to a heart-stopping moment that Meiko unintentionally sparked. But that wasn't the end of it. He still had a lot to explain to her, and it seemed pretty clear that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight until she felt satisfied with everything he had to say.
"Meiko-senpai, are you for real? We were just getting to the good part!" Shingo exclaimed, clearly frustrated when Meiko abruptly told them to stop.
"How many are we talking about?"
"So, I counted 69 times... that doesn't seem like enough, does it? You said a hundred."
For some reason, although she didn't mind it, Shingo felt a twinge of disappointment, and Joe seemed to share that sentiment, too.
The feeling likely stemmed from a bit of jealousy towards Gakuto and Andre, who seemed to effortlessly connect with girls while they were still grappling with their own struggles in striking up conversations.
"Alright, that's enough for tonight. You all can head back to your cells now," Meiko said with a firm tone. She then turned her gaze to Kiyoshi, adding, "And since you haven't faced any punishment yet, you'll be on toilet cleaning duty. Just a heads up—if there are any stains left behind, don't count on getting a good night's sleep."
Gakuto and Andre were in really rough shape. Nearly every inch of their skin that wasn't protected by fabric was marked with bleeding wounds. Just picture the bruises hidden beneath their clothes. They might have taken it slow initially, but it's hard to say who kicked things off with the aggression.
Kiyoshi watched as Joe struggled to support Andre's hefty frame while Shingo effortlessly held up Gakuto. He couldn't help but shake his head at the scene unfolding before him.
Kiyoshi hung around for a bit, patiently waiting for Meiko to finish locking up their cells. It took a little while, but eventually, she returned. He was then led into a room that typically served as both a warehouse and a kitchen.
The room was relatively sparse when it came to furniture. The only notable piece was a table positioned right in the center, flanked by four chairs on each side. Inside the glass cabinet, a jumble of food ingredients sat alongside various unused items, creating a curious mix that caught the eye.
When the door slammed shut, Kiyoshi instinctively straightened up. A wave of worry washed over him, and he couldn't shake the feeling that things might take a turn for the worse in no time.
"Just a heads up, I don't know her or anything, so please don't ask me about it."
"So, can you share where you ran into that bitch, and did she say anything interesting?" Meiko spat out the words, her voice dripping with hatred. She couldn't even bring herself to say her name.
Kiyoshi grabbed a chair and settled into it before finally replying, "I met her not too long ago. You could tell she was waiting for me, especially by the way she intercepted me."
Kiyoshi took a moment to pause as if he were rummaging through his memory. In truth, though, he was simply contemplating how to embellish his story about his encounter with Kate.
They had definitely crossed paths, but Kiyoshi wasn't about to share the part where he ended up on the ground. Instead, he saw this as a perfect chance to gather some intel from Meiko. He was curious about the reasons behind her intense dislike and what exactly the girl named Kate was after.
"Kate Takenomiya is the president of the Aboveground Student Council, so it's understandable if you're not familiar with her."
"Hold on a second, I think I've come across the name of that organization before-" Meiko interrupted Kiyoshi mid-sentence as if she was already in the loop about what he was about to say.
"You idiot! The Aboveground Student Council is totally different from the Underground Student Council. We're here to uphold the classic rules laid out in the school code of Hachimitsu Academy, while they take care of the extracurricular activities and student clubs around school.".
Kiyoshi felt a deep sense of gratitude for Meiko taking the time to explain it to him. He stumbled upon something unusual and quickly shared his thoughts on it:
"Why haven't I heard about them before? I'm pretty sure they're just as much in the spotlight as you all are, right?"
Kiyoshi figured that the reason he was in the dark about Kate and her organization was simply because he was still a freshman. It seemed logical when you thought about it, but deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something else at play.
Meiko lifted her chin with a huff, her whole attitude shifting as if she were deliberately flaunting her undeniable pride. "I totally get it. They're just dirt on the floor, and honestly, who really pays attention to that?"
Meiko took a seat directly across from Kiyoshi. It was as if she suddenly recognized that her behavior was a bit off from her usual self. After a quick adjustment of her glasses, she shifted back into her serious demeanor.
"Instead of that, I'd like to ask you one more time—are you sure she only came to you to introduce herself?"
Kiyoshi also skipped over the moment when Kate stepped in to offer her help for getting back at the Underground Student Council. The reason behind this was that he was eager to hear it straight from Meiko herself.
"That's everything, and that's why I'm feeling so confused. It's just how short our meeting was that almost made me forget about it," Kiyoshi said, frustration creeping into his voice. He wanted Meiko to take the bait.
So, when she fell silent, he made a real effort to conceal his smile. He understood that she was likely unsure about sharing the real issue they were facing.
Kiyoshi nailed it when he pointed out Meiko's dilemma. She was convinced she didn't need to dig any deeper into the situation. Just as she was about to call it a night, he dropped an unexpected comment that caught her off guard:
"Ugh, my head is just spinning right now. How about we just let that go for now? Instead, I'd love to hear about Mari-senpai. How's everything going with your relationship? Is it improving?"
"What are you talking about all of a sudden..." Meiko was still taken aback, but Kiyoshi appeared unfazed and smoothly shifted to a different subject:
"When I mentioned that I wanted to help mend your relationship, I was serious about it. So, I've been thinking about a bunch of different options, and once this is all wrapped up, I'm confident you'll end up getting what you're after."
It was the first time Meiko had experienced such a heavy sense of guilt. She really shouldn't have thought of him as anything significant. In fact, she didn't even care if he died. That's just how deep her disdain for men ran.
However...
Watching him put in so much effort to help her left her feeling a mix of shock and fear. It was as if something had shifted within her, and she couldn't shake the feeling that it was connected to Mari's command to get rid of the boys.
"Have you thrown in the towel? There are plenty of ways to mend your relationship. One approach could be gently encouraging Mari-senpai to come out of her shell."
She raised her hand to stop Kiyoshi, trying to prevent herself from sinking further into this confusion. She let out a long sigh that echoed in the quiet, and as she released it once more, she felt a surge of determination wash over her.
"Listen, Kiyoshi, there's something important I have to tell you."