As the first rays of sunlight peeked through the curtains, Ichinose stirred beside him. Her face was flushed, her expression peaceful, though there was a slight trace of anxiety in her eyes. She had to leave before anyone saw her.
"I... I need to go," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the quiet room.
Ayanokoji nodded, already knowing what had to be done. Soon, Ichinose started to move around and gather her things.
It didn't take long till Ichinose was ready.
When Ichinose was ready, she glanced at him, biting her lip nervously. "Are you sure... no one will know?"
"Of course," Ayanokoji said, not bothering to look up from his screen. "No one will find out. I've taken care of everything."
Ichinose gave him a small, grateful smile before she quietly slipped out the door, careful not to make any noise.
While Ichinose had left the room, he turned on his laptop. With a few swift keystrokes, he accessed the security cameras in the dormitory. His fingers moved expertly, navigating through the school's supercomputer system with ease.
Within moments, he had found the footage of Ichinose entering and leaving his room. A quick deletion, and any trace of her movements that night was wiped from existence.
With the matter settled, he took a long, refreshing shower, the hot water washing away any lingering thoughts of the night before.
~~
On Wednesday, the third day of the special exam, Ichika met up with Ayanokoji Kiyotaka at the entrance of Keyaki Mall. Her eyes gleamed as she approached, noting that Kiyotaka was already waiting before she even arrived.
"You're early, Ayanokoji-senpai," Ichika said with a teasing smile, clearly pleased. "I thought I'd catch you messing around with your phone or making a call, but you've already impressed me by just being here, waiting like this."
Ayanokoji's expression remained unreadable, as usual, but Ichika's presence was hard to ignore. She had a way of effortlessly drawing attention to herself, something Ayanokoji had noticed even yesterday. He responded in a neutral tone, "I just figured it was better to be on time."
Ichika laughed softly. "Not just on time—early too. You keep exceeding my expectations, senpai." With that, she motioned for him to follow as they entered the mall together.
Their first stop was a store called 'Hamming,' which specialized in home goods and daily necessities. Ichika walked confidently through the entrance, grabbing a blue shopping basket along the way. Ayanokoji observed her actions quietly, curious about what she had in mind. After all, he had never really spent time shopping for kitchenware, and this errand had been her idea.
She stopped near the kitchenware section and began scanning the shelves. Ayanokoji couldn't help but ask, "Have you done much cooking before?"
Ichika paused for a moment, then shook her head with a slight smirk. "Nope, not even a little bit. I'm the type of girl who'd rather let someone else do all the cooking for me." She turned her head slightly, throwing him a sly look. "I mean, it's way more fun that way, don't you think?"
Ayanokoji wasn't sure if she was joking or completely serious. 'So, she doesn't cook at all but is planning to make me buy all this kitchenware? What exactly is she aiming for here?' he thought to himself, still unsure of her true intentions.
They arrived at a section filled with various utensils, and Ichika immediately zeroed in on what she wanted. "Let's see… for starters, you're going to need a cutting board, a kitchen knife, a fruit knife, bowls, a whisk, a pot, and a ladle."
She started picking up the items, tossing each one into the shopping basket one after the other, listing them off like she was placing an order. Ayanokoji watched as she confidently made her selections, seemingly without a care about the prices.
"These are high-class, expensive items, Ayanokoji-senpai," Ichika said, almost proudly. "And you'll only use them when you cook for me, understand?"
Ayanokoji raised an eyebrow. "You're saying these are exclusively for you?"
"Exactly," Ichika nodded, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "After all, a skilled chef like you needs the best tools to make the best food, right? And when you're making something just for me, it has to be perfect."
Ayanokoji couldn't help but smirk a little. "And if I want to use them for myself?"
Ichika shot him a warning glance, her tone playful but firm. "Oh no, senpai, these are off-limits unless you're cooking for me. Got it?"
"Sounds like I'm being treated like a personal chef," Ayanokoji muttered, half-jokingly.
Ichika shrugged with a playful smile. "If the shoe fits."
He considered his options. 'There's no way I can refuse her, not if I want to make sure Ken gets paired with her.' He sighed inwardly, knowing he had little choice in the matter. "Fine. I'll get what you want."
Ichika's eyes gleamed. "I knew you'd see things my way, senpai. Now, let's keep shopping."
Ayanokoji followed her through the aisles, watching as she tossed more utensils into the basket, occasionally pausing to have casual conversations. Their topics ranged from the quality of the items to how every chef needed to have high-end equipment to make the best dishes. It almost felt like she was using this shopping trip as an opportunity to spend time together.
At one point, Ayanokoji couldn't help but remark, "These are better than the ones I usually use."
"Well, you'd better keep them safe and sound, Ayanokoji-senpai. Remember, they're exclusively for me." Ichika's teasing tone was unmistakable.
"You're a demon, you know that?" Ayanokoji muttered under his breath.
Ichika only grinned in response, not at all fazed by his remark. "Maybe. But you don't have to buy them, senpai. You can call it quits whenever you want." She shrugged nonchalantly, though Ayanokoji knew better than to think it was that simple.
He shook his head, realizing she had him in the palm of her hand. 'She knows exactly how to push my buttons. I can't back out now, not with Ken's future in the balance.' He watched her carefully as she continued shopping, aware that she was fully exploiting his situation.
"Do you think I'm a bad girl, Ayanokoji-senpai?" Ichika asked suddenly, turning to face him with a curious look.
Ayanokoji met her gaze, his face calm. "I wouldn't say that."
Ichika smiled broadly at his response, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I'm glad you think so. Everything should be fine, then."
By the time they reached the checkout, Ayanokoji realized just how much she had made him spend. The total cost for the utensils alone had exceeded 15,000 private points. He sighed as he paid for everything, watching Ichika cheerfully take the bags as if she hadn't just drained a significant portion of his points.
"Next, let's get some ingredients," Ichika said as she led him toward the supermarket.
Ayanokoji followed silently, his mind running through the events so far. 'She's pretty good at manipulating the situation to get what she wants. I wonder if she's always like this.'
Once inside the supermarket, Ichika wasted no time picking out a wide variety of ingredients. Ayanokoji noted how thorough she was, choosing everything from vegetables to meat to fruit, and even some exotic ingredients like nam pla and chili peppers. It was clear she wasn't planning on holding back.
"You're really stocking up," Ayanokoji remarked as he watched her toss more items into the cart.
"Of course," Ichika replied with a grin. "You need all the right ingredients to make something delicious for me, right?"
Ayanokoji could only nod in agreement, though the growing total cost was starting to weigh on him. By the time they finished shopping, his overall spending had reached around 20,000 private points.
"I think we're all set now, Ayanokoji-senpai," Ichika said, satisfied with their haul. "Let's head back to your dorm so you can cook me something amazing."
As they walked toward the second-year dormitory, Ayanokoji couldn't help but ask, "Why are you so comfortable letting a stranger like me cook for you?"
Ichika tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, when you think about it, going out to a restaurant is kind of the same thing, isn't it? You don't know the chef there either, but you still eat the food they make."
Ayanokoji considered her words. "I suppose that makes sense."
"And besides," Ichika added with a smile, "I can watch you cook, which is even better. That way I can see how sanitary you are, unlike some sketchy restaurants where you don't know what's going on in the kitchen."
'She's surprisingly practical about this,' Ayanokoji mused as they approached the entrance to the dorm.
Ichika stopped for a moment, looking up at the building with her hand shading her eyes. "It's a bit unsettling, isn't it? But it looks the same as the first-year dorms," she remarked, surveying the exterior.
Ayanokoji nodded, guiding her inside and through the lobby. Ichika waved casually at some of the second-year students who glanced their way, completely unfazed by the attention.
When they reached his room, Ichika stepped inside, immediately noting how tidy everything was. "Wow, Ayanokoji-senpai, this place is spotless. Did you clean it recently?"
~~
A/N: Check out my new original novel Harem Master: Seduction System. If you like harem stories with a Harem God System, you will love it. Check it out.