"Good afternoon, esteemed students of Seihei! Apologies for interrupting you during your dining experience. This is Wanabe Rikiku, from the Journalism and Broadcasting Club, we have a special guest with us today. It's the president of the student council..." Ririku's professional announcement came from the speakers.
"Good afternoon! Thanks for having me today, Wannabe-san. I'm Sakurai Hiroshi, your devoted president." A man's voice replied.
"Pleasure is all ours, Sakurai-san!"
"...A bit of your time and attention please, everyone. As the midterm examination is coming up in two weeks. We'll enter the exam study period today, which means all the clubbing activity will be halted until the exam finishes. Effectively immediately." Hiroshi explained, his voice firm yet soothing.
"Understood! I hope everyone hears it loud and clear." Ririku added with her usual cheerful tone.
"I understand that clubbing is important but we have to set aside the fun just for the moment and focus on the academic achievement…" Hiroshi continued to babble about the student's responsibility for a good whole 10 minutes.
"Guess, we won't be going to the club today," Shinji spoke up after he actively listened to the announcement, his arms crossed. At the same time, Shouichi was still chewing on his food.
"Uight? Ue uoughtta utudy." Shouichi spoke with his mouth full.
"Stop talking when you are eating, idiot. You gonna choke!" Shinji scolded.
"...Sorry! Hahaha." Shouichi replied after he downed a bottle of water.
"Anyway, I need to go to the toilet, I'll be right now," Shouichi informed his friend and began to make his way toward the exit.
Meanwhile, Ayane, who had just finished her lunch alone on the rooftop, appeared to have been stopped by a group of random seniors on the staircase. By chance, Shouichi happened to cross paths with them and took the opportunity to eavesdrop from a safe distance.
"Morimura-chan, did you drop this?" The seniors surrounded her, one of the guys was showing her a keychain.
"That's the rooftop key. " Shouichi remembered.
"Why would you go to have lunch alone up there? That makes me sad." The short senior mocked while imitating a sad face.
"... "
"If you are lonely, you can hang with us, you know that right? Ice princess. I promise we'll cherish you very, very much." The tall senior persuaded her, his dirty eyes traced her facial features.
"Give it back… Please…" Ayane requested politely as she reached out her hand to grab it but he teasingly winched it.
"Ah~ah? Why would we? It's not yours at all. This is a school's property. Maybe I'll return this one to the prez." He teased her.
"Tsk! " Ayane clicked her tongue and bared her teeth in disdain. Her usual cold, cruel persona resurfaced.
"Just one date with me. I'll return it to you, how's that sound?"
"Stupid fatso, one date with EACH of us!"
"Yeah!" The seniors seemed to be conflicting among themselves.
"Why do you want to date me, senpai?" Ayane asked with a cold tone in her voice, her face remained indifferent under any situation.
"Well, you are cute and... single! That's why." The fat one replied proudly, he was the one the the least braincells.
"Wrong answer. You guys are disgusting. Please, get out of my sight!" Ayane retorted, her voice hardened. Her words infuriated the seniors greatly, Shouichi noticed the fat guy turning red, like furiously red.
"You cold-hearted bitch! We're just being nice, and this is how you treat your seniors?" he bellowed, his face twisting into an ugly grimace.
"I'm treating you like the disgrace you are," she shot back, her tone calm and unwavering. Shouichi, watching from a distance, was stunned by her ability to stand her ground against the bullies. A mix of awe and admiration stirred within him.
"You damn brat!" the shorter guy snarled, his hand snapping up to slap her. Even his friends froze, clearly startled that he would take it this far.
Slap!
Suddenly, Shouichi stepped between them. The slap meant for Ayane landed squarely on his face instead, the force sending him tumbling backward, landing hard on the ground. His cheeks burned red shortly after.
"Shouichi-kun?!" Ayane exclaimed, flabbergasted.
"What the f**k did you do? You poked the brat's eye!!!"
"I didn't intend to, this rascal came outta nowhere!"
"Screw this shit! Let's leave!" The seniors darted, stumbling on their way in a panic.
"Argh!" The slap landed slightly off target, and one of the fingers poked Shouichi's left eye. For a brief moment, he thought he might have gone blind as sharp, searing pain shot through his eye and deep into his skull. Tears streamed uncontrollably, blurring his vision.
"Shouichi-kun, are you okay? Can you see me?" Ayane asked anxiously, holding his head with both hands, her expression brimmed with worries.
"I dunno. It kinda hurts," He replied in pain, keeping his wounded eye shut.
"Open it for me!" Ayane ordered.
"It's all blurry to me," Shouichi complied obediently as he pried his eye open.
The girl then took a thorough inspection of it, and she uttered, worried, "It's bad. Your eyeball is bloody red. I think it might be bleeding internally."
"Man, so much for playing a hero. Now I'm blind too, Hahaha." He jested, meaning to lighten a mood.
"This is not a good time for a joke, Shouichi-kun. Come with me I will get you to the infirmary." Ayane urged, pulling him up and her arm interlocked with his.
"Ayane, I can walk on my own. I'm not completely blind," He protested, mildly embarrassed by her unexpected display of care and closeness, a thought crossed his mind, "She smells heavenly too... Oh, sweet Neptune!"
"Don't pretend to be a tough guy now. You were just crying like a baby a while ago!" She mocked.
"Huh? I ain't crying, it is the eye!"
"Stop being so stubborn! Just let me help you," she retorted. Ignoring his protests, Ayane pushed them forward, arms linked, as she guided him to the infirmary.
***
"Let me look through your eyes."
"Follow the pen…, Good." A female school nurse with sunken eyes instructed with her dragged voice as she diagnosed him thoroughly.
"I can tell you that you ain't going to be blind. That would've sucked for a cute guy like you." She spoke up, relieved.
"Thanks, Namakura-san." Shouichi expressed his gratitude with a bow.
"I'd prefer Maria, though…" The gloomy nurse said indifferently and shrugged.
"Is he going to be alright?" Ayane asked to confirm, still concerned.
"Yeah, it seems so. I'm going to apply a cold compress to that eye and maybe some eyedrops. If it doesn't improve, you'll need to go to an actual hospital," she explained, already weary.
"That's a relief," Ayane said and smiled at him softly.
"...Since your girlfriend is with you, I'm just gon' leave the supply here. You two can manage yourselves, right?... I just wanna go napping terribly..." Maria discussed as she yawned, her mouth open widely, while she was picking items from her medical cabinets.
"Huh? She's not~!" Shouichi started to correct her, but his words were muffled by Ayane's hands. Her face turned a slight shade of red.
"I'll do it!" Ayane spoke up, confidence and determination sparked in her purple eyes.
"Go back to class, Ayane. You'll miss the math class, they have a mid-term exam review today. " Shouichi gently reminded her as he lay flat on a metal frame bed.
"No! I said I'd take care of you!" Ayane insisted, sitting on a round chair beside him.
"Alright, supplies check, we got a cold press, an eye drop, and some condoms..." Maria mumbled to herself, pushing a cart into a partitioned room.
"A what now? ...Did I mishear it? Ayane just gave her an odd look too. Did she also hear it?" Shouichi thought nervously.
"Alrighty. I'm spent... Please no more cases for the day..." The nurse grumbled as she stepped out and pulled the curtain close, giving the couple some privacy.
"Maria-san… She, um, she's super weird, don't you agree?" Ayane whispered in his ear, visibly bashful. Then she got up and rubbed her hands with a sanitiser.
"Yeah, she is an oddball," Shouichi replied, keeping his tone down.
"Stay still. I'll apply the eyedrops," Ayane instructed, leaning in close. Unintentionally, her collar shifted, giving Shouichi a glimpse of her upper chest and a hint of her pink bra.
"O~okay…" Shouichi stammered, he couldn't focus on anything else.
"Hey! What are you looking at, pervert? I can trace your line of sight, jeez!" She caught him, blushing while squeezing a few droplets into his injured eye.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Hahaha," Shouichi laughed it off shamelessly. Despite her words, she still let him watch them without further complaint.
"Now, cold compress. Close that eye for me please," Ayane added as she meticulously placed on a cold compress and used a gauze to secure it in place.
"How do you feel? Is it too tight?" She probed.
"It feels alright. Thanks, Ayane-chan."
"Now this." Ayane suddenly spoke with a cunning grin, showing a pack of condoms to him, Shouichi's mind imploded, "What the hell is going on?!"
"Wait?! Wait?! Wait?!" Shouichi exclaimed.
"Fufufu, I'm just joking!" Ayane let out a mischievous giggle, cupping her lips with her hands.
A few moments later, the room fell silent, and the awkwardness loomed. Apparently, they hadn't spoken to each other in a week or two, but it felt great to eventually reconnect.
"Thank you for helping me, Shouichi-kun," Ayane said first.
"That's alright. I couldn't forgive myself if I stood by while my friend was in trouble," Shouichi reasoned softly.
I'm truly sorry for that day. I've reflected on it, and I realise I didn't handle it properly. Losing control of my emotions like that… it wasn't like me at all," she apologised earnestly, her eyes filled with regret.
"Me too, Ayane. I'm sorry for saying those hurtful words. I didn't mean any of them," Shouichi replied sincerely, their eyes eventually locked with silent forgiveness.
After a moment, Shouichi spoke up with a serious expression, "There's something I need to ask of you, Ayane-chan."
"Y~yes?" Ayane responded, slightly flustered. She sat up straight and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"I need to peeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Shouichi confessed abruptly, his face deadpan, he added, "I've been holding it in since I left the classroom."
"…" Ayane's irritation was visible as she glanced around.
"Use this!" Ayane suggested, handing a urine bottle, holding her laughter the best she could. It was somehow conveniently placed under a supply cart.
"Huh?! Can't I just go to the toilet?" He refused.
"You can't! Someone will spot you, loitering around the hall." Ayane reasoned, she was dead serious about it.
"So what if anyone sees me?! It's not a crime for what I know," Shouichi argued.
"Knock, knock! Don't go out or you both will get caught and maybe get detention… Also, keep it down, you lovebirds, someone's trying to sleep here." Maria's voice suddenly interrupted them as she poked her head out of a curtain and then quickly disappeared like a ghost.
"Sorry! Maria-san!" They both said in unison. They exchanged a confused look at each other and back to where they left off.
"Just believe me and use this! Can't you just do what I said for once?" Ayane insisted shamelessly. At that moment, nothing could change her mind.
Shouichi exhaled, defeated, "I'll do it. But you have to look away. Got it?" Shouichi made her promise.
"Of course! I won't look. I'm not interested in that little worm of yours anyway," Ayane retorted, pretending to cover her eyes with her hands, but little did Shouichi know, she could still see between the gap of her fingers.
"Ugh! I can't hold this anymore. It's alright, I will do a quick one," Shouichi decided to do it with his back turned.
"Ahhhh...." It felt heavenly. As though all of the pain and suffering washed away, replaced with pure pleasure.
A sudden thought crossed his mind, the "post-pee" clarification dawned on Shouichi, "Wait! Ayane is a complete pervert and a weirdo at that. Crap! I almost forgot about the locker room incident!"
Shouichi melancholically turned his head, checking on the girl.
"So! This is how the boys do it? Fufufu!" Ayane exclaimed out of nowhere, magically teleporting right next to him, her striking eyes, like those of a sly little fox, gazed at his freaky finger.
"AAAH~!" Shouichi nearly screamed, but Ayane quickly muffled his mouth with her hand. She scoffed, "Stop screaming, or you'll wake Maria-san!"
"I've got nothing to lose anymore... Ayane saw everything...." Shouichi cried inside. His male dignity was stripped away by no one but Morimura Ayane.
***
"Feel better now?" After a while, Ayane asked, wearing a cunning smile.
"No! You lewd lady! Stop leering at me with your lustful eyes!" Shouichi argued while keeping his volume down.
"Well, like all biologists or physicists then? I'm practically studying anatomy in real life. This is educational for the mid-term!" Ayane claimed, conceited.
"It's tiny and cute, though, fufufu." She teased, staring at his crotch.
"Ay! It's a grower, you know!" Shouichi retorted and thought vengefully, "Count your days, Ayane!"
"Also, I meant your eye, not your feeling." Ayane coldly corrected.
"Oh?... Well, it doesn't hurt anymore," He replied, gently brushing with his finger.
"Hang on, I'll check it for you," she said, sitting on the bed beside him. Shouichi felt her knee lightly press against his leg. Her jet-black hair cascaded down, brushing softly against his face as she carefully and gently unwrapped the gauze. He blinked a few times, testing his eye.
"Wow, I can see normally now!" Shouichi stated happily.
"It's slightly red but I think it almost heals." She told him, throwing a used wrap into a bin.
"That's strangely effective, I don't really think it would heal that fast," Shouichi mumbled to himself, astounded.
"Haha, All credit to me! Because I've done it correctly," Ayane spoke with pride, placing a hand on her chest.
The couple both giggled collectively, it started to feel like a good old day.
***
"Ahhhh! So that's why you were missing the whole afternoon. And Maria-san helped cover up too? Crazy nurse lady," Shinji said with a surprised look after the couple told him everything. Except for the embarrassing parts like a condom and a urine bottle.
"Man, you're lucky, you recovered from it," Shinji spoke in relief, leaning in to look at Shouichi's eye.
"Shinji, it's on the left side..." Shouichi said irritably.
"Hahaha!" Shinji let out a rowdy laugh, and added, "Basically I'd trade Shouichi's left eye for Ayane-chan. Isn't that a great deal?"
"Fufufu, that indeed was." Ayane chuckled.
"That's funny because I'm the one who got all the cons here," Shouichi murmured to himself.
The Aphrodite trio, all three members, strolled across the school grounds, passing the gym, oblivious to the faint creak of the door being shut behind them.
***
"Miku-chan! Fancy seeing you again," greeted the medium-height boy with a wide grin. He had an unassuming appearance, with light brown hair styled in a parted fringe (comma style) and small, piercing amber eyes. Despite his ordinary looks, there was a cunning glint in his gaze. This was Sakurai Hiroshi, the student council president, who stood waiting for her in the dimly lit gym.
"President Sakurai… I'm, um, I'm here to pay my debt." Miku said softly, visibly afraid of the boy. Miku was tightly wrapping her arms around her bag. The cute girl had long brown hair and a thin physique.
"Huh? Already? You got 100,000 yen with you there?" Hiroshi asked and then sat comfortably on a bench.
"100,000 YEN?! This isn't the amount I owe you! Something is clearly wrong here!" The girl argued, agitated. Miku remembered clearly that she only borrowed 50,000 yen from him.
"Sigh… You are an airhead or something. Remember this picture?" Hiroshi spoke coldly, wearing a cunning smirk. He showed her the picture he took in the council room, it clearly depicted a sexual act between her and his rod.
"That costs 50,000 yen to delete actually. Like we agreed, I haven't accounted for any interest at all. I'm so generous, especially for you, Mika-chan!" He mocked.
Miku stood there frozen as she lost her marble before crumbling on the gym floor. She eventually realised this was a trap that she could never get out of.
"The gym is closed to the public now. So we'll be using it to settle your debt. Sound great, right? Hahaha!"
He walked up to her and caressed her pale face gently. His devious eyes locked right into her blank eyes. The girl already knew what she had to do as she unzipped his pants submissively. When that was over, Sarukai's repulsive liquid was dripping on her trembling cheeks.
Sakurai Hiroshi seemed pleased with his plaything for the time being.
"You're getting good at this, Miku-chan. I've trained you well!" He spoke up, handing her a towel to wipe her face with.
The girl no longer felt anything any more, no shame, no hope, nothing.
"Well, I do have another proposition…" The monster in front of her continued to whisper something in her ear, a chance for redemption.