After a while.
"Hoshimi! Does your tutor usually sit on the student's lap during lessons?!"
"Yes, Yukino, aren't you the one at my house?"
"Get lost! Are you going to study or not?!"
"Of course, I will. I still don't understand the standard equation of an ellipse. Yukino, can you explain it again?"
"Hoshimi, you..."
Yukino, almost cursing out of frustration, angrily rubbed Hoshimi's head as a form of revenge.
The standard equation of an ellipse, huh?!
Let me first teach you what the standard equation of a circle is!!!
...
Four hours later, Yukino's small classroom session ended, and Hoshimi went to the beach to meet with Kotoko Iwanaga.
The first thing Hoshimi did when he saw Kotoko Iwanaga was snap his fingers.
Snap--
Instantly, the dress Kotoko Iwanaga was wearing transformed into a thin, translucent white shirt on top, with a fitted pencil skirt and black stockings below.
After examining Kotoko up and down, Hoshimi sighed in regret.
What a pity, Kotoko is just not suited for this kind of office outfit.
Kotoko's body is too petite, unable to bring out the charm and allure of the office look. Seeing her in this outfit is like watching a child pretending to be an adult—no matter how you look at it, it's comical.
As expected, Kotoko should stick to the cute style.
"Hoshimi, what you're doing right now is extremely impolite to a lady."
Kotoko Iwanaga, who had been forcibly changed into a new outfit, walked up to Hoshimi, dissatisfied, and poked his toe with her cane.
"Sorry, I just wanted to see if this office outfit suits you, Kotoko. Now I have the answer... Sigh~"
Hoshimi sighed softly and placed his hand on Kotoko Iwanaga's head.
With a thought, he changed her outfit to a black Lolita dress.
Hmm~ This is much better.
Hoshimi placed his hands under Kotoko's armpits, lifted her up, and smiled as he looked up at her, "Kotoko, are you ready to accept your punishment?"
"Hmm? Punishment?" Kotoko Iwanaga tilted her head slightly, puzzled. "Hoshimi-senpai, I don't think I've done anything today that warrants punishment. On the contrary, Hoshimi-senpai, you should be the one apologizing for your earlier rudeness."
"Heh~" Hoshimi chuckled softly and reminded her, "Sly comments, being overly nice... Kotoko, do you understand?"
"Oh... I get it." Kotoko Iwanaga picked up her cane and started thinking about how to knock on Hoshimi's head.
This guy, his sense of revenge is way too strong.
No way, if Hoshimi plans to take revenge on her, she must find a way to get back at him too.
"Kotoko, I apologize for what happened earlier."
Before the punishment, Hoshimi apologized to Kotoko Iwanaga once more.
"Oh, it's fine." Kotoko Iwanaga put down her cane and pouted slightly, complaining, "Hoshimi-senpai, while I have a big heart, I can also be very petty sometimes. Next time, don't try out the same tricks you played with Yukinoshita-senpai on me."
"My eyes are very sharp, no flaw escapes them."
As she said this, Kotoko Iwanaga dramatically covered her right eye with a strong sense of chūnibyō (eighth-grader syndrome).
"Oh? Is that so? Then, Kotoko, can you guess..."
"I won't guess."
Before Hoshimi could finish, Kotoko Iwanaga interrupted him directly, saying, "Hoshimi-senpai, let's not play guessing games anymore. I'm curious about how you're going to punish me. Can you tell me?"
Hoshimi blinked and then spoke two key words, "Yoga, splits."
Kotoko Iwanaga's expression froze, her pupils shaking.
She pressed down on Hoshimi's shoulder, speaking seriously, "Hoshimi-senpai, please don't do this. You might lose your little cutie!"
"Hehe~" Hoshimi responded to Kotoko Iwanaga with a simple, concise laugh.
In the next moment, the two of them disappeared from the beach, their destination unknown.
...
The next day, during the early self-study period in Class 2-J of Sobu High School, Shizuka Hiratsuka made a rare entrance just as the session began.
Clap--Clap--
Shizuka Hiratsuka clapped her hands, drawing the attention of the entire class, "Quiet down, everyone. I have an announcement."
"After next week's midterm exams, all second-year students will participate in workplace experience."
"The group formation for this experience will be the same as in previous years—groups of three, and you should form your teams as soon as possible so that you don't delay your exam preparations."
"Class president, make sure to get the group list to me as soon as possible. It would be best if you could hand it in by this afternoon, understood?"
The soft-spoken black-haired class president stood up and nodded helplessly, "Understood, Hiratsuka-sensei."
"Alright, you can continue your self-study."
With that, Shizuka Hiratsuka left the classroom as quickly as she had entered, leaving the soft-spoken class president with yet another task.
"Everyone~~" The class president, looking resigned, turned to face her classmates and said, "Let's take this self-study time to decide on our groups. Three people per group, and once you're ready, come to me with your team list."
"Got it..."
"No problem..."
"We'll do it right away..."
Several girls who were close to the class president responded.
Then the class broke into a flurry of discussions about forming groups.
"Yawn~" Hoshimi yawned, resting his chin on his hand as he lazily observed the scene in the classroom.
After watching for a while, Hoshimi turned to Yukino and asked, "Yukino, who should be our third member?"
"Whoever you like," Yukino replied without looking up from her studies.
"Alright then, let's wait and see if there's any poor soul left out, and we'll pick her up." Hoshimi was confident that the last person left would be a girl.
There were 40 students in Class J—36 girls and 4 boys. One girl was on long-term leave, so that left 39 students, which would divide perfectly into groups of three.
Considering the three other boys in the class would likely form a group, Hoshimi was almost certain that the last one left would be a girl who would end up in his and Yukino's group.
He just didn't know who this unlucky girl would be.
"Yawn~" Hoshimi yawned again, lying down on his desk, half-closing his eyes.
Before he knew it, Hoshimi had closed his eyes completely, letting his consciousness drift into darkness without entering a dream.
Ding-ding-ding~~~ Ding-ding-ding~~~
The sudden sound of the bell woke Hoshimi up. He opened his eyes and yawned as he sat up.
"Hoshimi."
"Mm?" Hoshimi propped his chin in his hand and looked towards Yukino by the window.
In the morning sunlight of May, Yukino's flawless, jade-like face seemed to glow with a soft, golden halo, as beautiful as a dream.
Waking up to such a beautiful sight... it's enough to make one's heart flutter...
If only it were a view from his bed at home instead of in class.
"Our third group member is decided; it's the class president."
"Oh~" Hoshimi wasn't particularly concerned about the news Yukino shared. He continued to admire the beautiful scene that would one day belong solely to him.
Yukino, remaining in the same position, let a faint smile slip across her lips unnoticed.
It wasn't until class began and Hoshimi fell asleep that Yukino changed her posture. She glanced at the sleeping Hoshimi and felt a subtle sense of pride.
Kotoko Iwanaga? So what? Even if there were three or five more rivals, it wouldn't matter.
The rule that guarantees my victory has already been established.
...
Meanwhile, in the dream world, Hoshimi was stunned by a single sentence from Kasumigaoka.
"Hoshimi, let's meet."
===
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"Hoshimi, let's meet."
In the dream, the first words Utaha Kasumigaoka said after appearing made Hoshimi slightly pause.
He looked at the calm expression on Kasumigaoka's face and asked, "Why do you want to meet?"
"Why?" Kasumigaoka crossed her arms and calmly looked at Hoshimi, asking, "Do we need a reason to meet?"
Hoshimi thought for a moment and replied, "Maybe we don't need a reason, but I'd like to know what you're thinking, Utaha. What do you want to do after we meet?"
Kasumigaoka averted her gaze, looking out at the endless blue sky in the dreamscape, and said softly, "Hoshimi, dreams are still just dreams. No matter how real they may seem, they are different from reality. I want to meet you in reality to confirm something."
She turned back to look at Hoshimi, her wine-red eyes slightly brightening. "Hoshimi, I think you know what I'm trying to confirm without me having to say it."
Hoshimi nodded slightly. Indeed, there was no need for Kasumigaoka to elaborate; the only thing she wanted to confirm was the issue of physical contact and the release of dopamine.
"Hoshimi, do you know how I felt after leaving your dream yesterday?"
Hoshimi nodded again. "I can guess."
Based on Kasumigaoka's previous experience with depression, it's likely that she developed a kind of dependence on him due to dopamine-related issues.
It's similar to the dependency modern young people have on their smartphones. If you suddenly take away a smartphone from a young person, they might initially feel irritable and not know what to do.
With a phone in hand, there are countless ways to entertain oneself—short videos, social media, novels, games—all of which can stimulate dopamine production and create a sense of satisfaction.
Losing that satisfaction suddenly can cause discomfort, which can be masked by engaging in other activities. Over time, one might adapt to life without a phone.
However, Kasumigaoka's dependency on him was far more serious than a young person's dependency on their phone. When people use their phones, the dopamine released in the body is within normal limits, merely leading to satisfaction and happiness. Reaching the point of addiction isn't easy.
But when Kasumigaoka came into contact with him, the dopamine levels surged to the maximum the body could handle, potentially causing side effects if not managed carefully.
In this context, Kasumigaoka's dependency on him could be said to have reached the level of addiction.
This was evident from her depression after leaving his dream.
Initially, Kasumigaoka's depression had been alleviated through treatment by a psychologist, and her dependency on him had significantly decreased.
Over time, Kasumigaoka might have been able to completely overcome the impact he had on her.
But yesterday, he had pulled Kasumigaoka into his dream, and they reconnected...
After several months, the dopamine levels surged again, and the dependency resurfaced.
For Kasumigaoka, this was a case of "old habits die hard," and all the progress she had made was undone.
What reignited was her reliance on him, and what was undone was the progress she had made in treating her depression.
After considering all this, Hoshimi could roughly guess Kasumigaoka's psychological state after leaving his dream yesterday.
Restlessness, anxiety, fear that he would suddenly disappear again—under these circumstances, it was predictable that Utaha would propose meeting.
After thinking it over, Hoshimi looked at Kasumigaoka and asked, "Utaha, when do you want to meet?"
Kasumigaoka's eyes brightened as she said, "Tomorrow."
"Hmm? Tomorrow?" Hoshimi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Utaha, are you sure about tomorrow? Tomorrow is Wednesday; we both have classes, don't we?"
"We can take the day off." Kasumigaoka stared intently at Hoshimi, her wine-red eyes shimmering with clear anticipation.
"Tomorrow, huh...?" Hoshimi felt a headache coming on.
Due to attendance issues, he couldn't easily skip classes. If his attendance fell below the minimum threshold, it would be a problem.
He definitely didn't want his guardian, Aunt Arisugawa, to be called in. Although she appeared gentle and kind, she had a much darker side beneath the surface.
If she were called in, Aunt Arisugawa would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to impose conditions on him—not seeking his parents' inheritance, but making demands regarding his future.
Aunt Arisugawa was quite responsible, and based on their previous interactions, she clearly treated him like her own son.
Now that he had successfully emerged from the shadow of his parents' deaths, Aunt Arisugawa's methods were unlikely to remain as gentle as before. If she found an excuse and a reason, his carefree daily life would be over.
"Hoshimi, can't we do it?" Seeing Hoshimi hesitate, Kasumgaoka's wine-red eyes dimmed slightly.
Hoshimi sighed inwardly and tentatively asked, "What about the weekend?"
Kasumigaoka shook her head firmly. "I want to meet tomorrow."
She had her plans. She wanted to catch Hoshimi off guard. If it were just about meeting, she would have suggested the weekend from the start.
"Tomorrow, huh... Fine, I understand."
Hoshimi calculated that his current attendance rate was still sufficient to allow him to take a few days off.
Taking a day off to meet Kasumigaoka wasn't impossible. After all, he was guilty...
Oh, the clever Miss Kasumigaoka was clearly taking advantage of this, but there was nothing he could do. After all, he was guilty.
But it's okay; he's keeping track of every little thing Kasumigaoka does. Once he atones for his sins, he'll settle the score with her slowly.
Taking a day off tomorrow to meet Kasumigaoka? That should account for about 30% of his atonement. Yesterday's small compromise adds another 5%.
With his mind made up and plans for future payback in place, Hoshimi felt much more at ease.
He looked at Kasumigaoka and casually asked, "Utaha, where do you want to meet tomorrow?"
Kasumigaoka lowered her head, avoiding Hoshimi's gaze as she softly replied, "I... I haven't decided yet..."
But in a place where Hoshimi couldn't see, Kasumigaoka's eyes gleamed with a hint of satisfaction at her successful scheme.
"Hmm? You haven't decided yet?" Seeing Kasumigaoka with her head lowered, Hoshimi faintly sensed that something was amiss.
From what he knew about Kasumigaoka, she wasn't the type to impulsively rush into something without a plan.
Normally, Kasumigaoka's actions followed a clear plan or a well-thought-out agenda. It was rare for her to do something without being prepared.
"Hoshimi, at first, I didn't expect you to agree so easily... I thought you would try to delay... to postpone our meeting..."
Hearing Kasumigaoka's explanation, Hoshimi was left somewhat skeptical.
===
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There are already more than 30 extra chapters available.
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