Chapter 109: Prayer Plaque Wish, Kei Karuizawa's Flawless Love (Combined 5k) (Patreon)

Tanabata.

Although Tanabata wasn't, strictly speaking, a "Lovers' Day" in Japanese cultural tradition, to a bunch of seventeen- and eighteen-year-old boys and girls, that kind of cultural distinction meant absolutely nothing.

What mattered was that today, you could make a wish.

You could write your deepest wish on a small ema plaque and hang it from the great tree, letting it flutter in the wind — as if that alone might let the gods above see it and help make the wish come true.

During class that day, Naruse had already overheard people in the Class A classroom talking about it.

"Are you guys going to hang up ema plaques tonight?"

"Of course we are! I already bought mine."

"I heard the school's two big trees are the best spots to make a wish. What time are you planning to go?"

"Earlier, probably. If we go too late it'll be way too crowded."

The tree they meant stood at the western edge of the Artificial Island, in a small grove near the seashore.

As the oldest tree on the entire island, its trunk was thick enough that it took two or three people joining hands to wrap around it, and its branches so lush that in summer they blocked out a huge swath of sunlight.

Every Tanabata, this was the most popular wish-making spot on the island. Students would tie ema plaques inscribed with their wishes to the branches with red string, and from a distance, the whole tree looked like it had bloomed with red flowers, swaying gracefully in the sea breeze.

Listening to the excited chatter around him, Naruse allowed a faint smile to touch his lips.

Since he'd already promised Kei Karuizawa, he intended to keep the day free for her.

Meanwhile, over at the Student Council, ever since Yamamura Miki had become his deputy, her performance had far exceeded Naruse's expectations.

In just a few days, she'd not only sorted out everything the First-Year Management Countermeasures Department needed to handle, but had also compiled all the relevant data into a detailed summary.

That included task priorities, completion status, and the opinions and suggestions submitted by students from every class.

On top of that, Yamamura had proactively kept tabs on the mood of the campus forums, compiling a report on sensitive topics and posts that could potentially spark controversy.

For someone who'd been in the job less than a week, that kind of output was outstanding.

Flipping through the report she'd submitted, Naruse found himself quietly impressed.

No wonder — Squad Member Yamamura really was one useful woman!

Lunchtime.

Ai Morishita sat down beside Naruse and spoke, her face blank.

"Naruse, I hear a lot of people are going to hang ema plaques tonight to make wishes."

"Yeah, I know."

Naruse smiled. Wherever there was demand, a market followed — with Tanabata approaching, the shops along the shopping street had rolled out all kinds of elaborate ema plaques.

Some had red string tied beneath the plaque, others even came with little wind chimes attached, and the prices varied widely.

"Naruse, don't you want to hang one up?"

"Uh, I do want to."

Naruse shrugged. Hanging up an ema plaque was one of the things he'd promised Kei Karuizawa today, so of course he wasn't going to skip it.

"With who?" Ai Morishita asked sharply.

"With Kei. So I probably won't have time for you tonight."

Naruse paused, then went on, "If you're hanging one up today too, I can write my name on it right now."

...

Hearing that, Ai Morishita was clearly a little annoyed.

The way she showed her displeasure was to reach out with her chopsticks, stir around in Naruse's bowl, and fish out a piece of chicken to pop into her own mouth.

"That upset, huh?" Naruse raised an eyebrow. "Then I won't write your name after all, so you don't have to be annoyed."

"No!" Ai Morishita glared at him and said flatly.

"Then let's go buy an ema plaque right now and hang it up."

"Now?" Naruse looked a little puzzled.

"That's right."

Given how close things had become between him and Ai Morishita by now, Naruse didn't refuse the request, and with Yamamura Miki tagging along, the three of them went to buy ema plaques together.

Naturally, Yamamura was only along for the ride — when Naruse asked, she said she didn't have any particular wish she wanted to make right now.

As for Ai Morishita, she picked out an ema plaque about the size of her palm, its surface polished smooth and warm — one side for names, the other for a wish.

A red string was tied beneath the wooden tablet, hung with a tiny glass wind chime and a small paper charm, both glinting faintly in the sunlight.

Naruse took the pen, and once Ai Morishita had written her name, he added his own after it.

[Ai Morishita] and [Hikaru Naruse].

Then Naruse flipped the plaque over, meaning to see what wish was written on the back.

"Wait a second."

Ai Morishita's voice rang out, sounding a little flustered.

"The wish is already written. You don't need to look, Naruse."

"Heh, I'm still pretty curious, though."

Naruse moved fast, flipping the plaque over before she could stop him, and found a line of delicate handwriting.

[I wish to have Naruse's body.]

The corner of Naruse's mouth twitched slightly.

"Why would you write a wish like that?"

"Is that not allowed? It's my real wish."

Now that Naruse had already seen her wish, Ai Morishita declared it bluntly, without a trace of embarrassment.

"I still haven't gotten your body, Naruse."

"Fine then. I hope your wish comes true soon."

"Naturally." Ai Morishita flashed him a cute peace sign, looking utterly unbothered.

A completely different person from how she was in bed.

"Since it's written, let's go hang it up," Yamamura said.

"Mm."

After school that afternoon.

Naruse was in the Student Council room, working through a document on the [First-Year Student Mental Health Survey], when his phone suddenly buzzed.

He checked it and found, of all people, a message from Airi Sakura.

"Hikaru-kun, are you free to meet right now? I bought an ema plaque for wishing."

?

Airi Sakura had bought an ema plaque too?

Naruse wasn't surprised — he simply typed back a quick reply.

"Sure, I'll head over right away."

Airi Sakura sent the address, saying she wanted to see him.

She was actually quite perceptive — she'd known all along that Naruse would be spending today with his "official girlfriend" Kei Karuizawa, leaving few chances to slip in somewhere in between.

But the time Naruse spent at the Student Council was a decent window.

Ten minutes later, Naruse arrived at the meeting spot and found she was already there.

Airi Sakura was still a bit socially anxious by nature, so she'd chosen a small grove behind one of the classroom buildings for their meeting spot.

Her long red hair was tied into twin tails hanging down her back, and the moment she spotted him, she didn't hesitate for a second before throwing herself straight at him.

"Hikaru-kun~" "Mm."

Airi buried her face against his chest and wrapped both arms tightly around his waist.

Feeling the warm, soft body pressed against him, Naruse's lips curved into a gentle, doting smile.

"Airi, you're being awfully forward today."

"Because it's Tanabata."

Naruse ruffled her hair, and she lifted her head to speak, her tone very earnest.

"I already wrote my ema plaque."

"Let me see."

At that, Airi pulled an equally finely made ema plaque out of her pocket.

It was a little smaller than the one Ai Morishita had chosen, but its edges were carved into the shape of flower petals, the surface coated in a thin layer of clear varnish.

Her name was already written on it, so Naruse added his own name after it.

"Do you want to hang it up now, Airi?"

Airi shook her head, offering a new idea of her own instead.

"I don't want to hang it on the tree."

"Hm?" Naruse, a little confused, asked at once.

"Then where do you want to hang it?"

"I could hang it in my dorm. I want to keep this plaque with me all the time."

"All right then."

Naruse didn't mind either way — as long as it made Airi happy.

"Hm... why are you covering it so tightly? Won't you let me see the wish?" "That's..."

Airi's face flushed slightly. Honestly, the reason she kept her hand pressed over the plaque was that she really didn't want Naruse to see what was written on the back.

"All right, all right, I won't look then. There'll be plenty of chances later, anyway."

"Mm..." Airi murmured softly, her voice very tender.

"Once the wish comes true, I'll let you know what it says, Hikaru-kun."

"Then I'll look forward to it."

The two of them chatted for a while before Naruse left — he still had a bit of Student Council business to wrap up, and after that, he had his date with Kei Karuizawa to keep.

Airi stood there holding the plaque, watching his retreating figure with a dazed, wistful look.

The wish she'd written was really just a single short line.

[I wish to be cherished by Hikaru-kun.]

The meaning behind it was plain — Airi's longing had always been clear.

Around five in the afternoon.

Naruse finally finished up all his Student Council business, then headed out to the shopping street off campus for dinner with Kei Karuizawa.

The honey-haired girl had dressed up specially for the occasion — a light-colored slip dress paired with a thin white cardigan.

Her honey-colored hair was pulled into a loose side ponytail, giving her a bright, energetic look.

The moment she spotted him outside the restaurant, she threw herself at him at once.

"Hikaru-kun!" "Mm."

She looped her arm through his and pressed her whole body against him.

While they waited for their food, Kei pulled something out of her small handbag.

An ema plaque.

This one was different from the ones Ai Morishita and Airi Sakura had picked.

It was a special "couples' edition" the shop had put out, the wooden tablet shaped as a blatant, unmistakable heart.

The surface was painted a pale pink, with a delicate red string tied below it, hung with two small bells that gave off a crisp, pleasant chime with the slightest movement.

"Pretty, right?"

Kei held the plaque up in front of Naruse, a proud smile on her lips.

"Not bad."

Naruse smiled gently, then asked.

"Have you decided on your wish, Kei?" "Of course!"

At that, Kei nodded firmly.

Then the two of them each signed their names on the front of the plaque.

Once Naruse finished signing, Kei flipped the plaque over without any hesitation and showed him the wish written on the back.

It was just one line.

[Kei wants to be with Hikaru-kun forever and ever!]

The exclamation point at the end looked especially thick and heavy, as if she'd pressed the pen down hard while writing it.

"Okay."

After dinner, the two of them walked hand in hand to the great tree by the sea on the western side of the Artificial Island.

A good number of students had already gathered around it.

Some were tying ema plaques to the branches, some were taking pictures, and others stood chatting in small clusters — the air buzzed with a lively atmosphere.

When Naruse and Kei appeared among the crowd, they still drew plenty of eyes.

Of course, while Kei was a beautiful girl, the main reason people were staring was really Naruse.

It wasn't just because he held the title of Advanced Nurturing High School's most handsome face — it was that he was now the head of the Student Council's First-Year Management Countermeasures Department, a fact that had already spread across campus through the official Student Council appointment.

That a newcomer who'd only enrolled a few months ago could become a member of the Student Council's leadership was hard not to be curious about.

Beyond that curiosity, the way Naruse openly held Kei's hand without any hesitation also caught the attention — and stirred the envy — of quite a few girls.

The students around them cast envious glances one after another — some murmured quietly, some smiled faintly, and some had a look in their eyes that said, plainly, "I'm so jealous."

Feeling all those envious eyes on her, Kei's lips curved into a satisfied smile.

Once a spot opened up near the front, Kei handed him the plaque and asked him to hang it on the branch himself.

"Sure."

Naruse stood nearly six feet tall, and with a bit of a stretch on his toes, he managed to tie the heart-shaped plaque onto a fairly high branch.

Once it was tied, the red string swayed gently in the sea breeze, like a tiny figure dancing.

"There. Your wish will definitely come true, Kei." "That's right!"

The two of them stood beneath the tree as the sun sank low, stretching their shadows long across the ground.

Around eight that night.

Kei pulled Naruse back to her dorm, and once the two of them settled onto the sofa, she immediately curled up in his arms.

The two of them stayed like that quietly for a good while, until Kei felt her heartbeat quicken, and she lifted her head to look him straight in the face.

"Hikaru-kun." "Hm?"

The next moment, she leaned in close, and a warm sensation seared itself into his mind.

"Mm..." "Mm... mm..."

It was a long, tender, lingering kiss. Kei kissed him with real seriousness, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck.

Their breaths mingled together, and both their heartbeats raced faster.

Then.

Kei suddenly broke the kiss. Right after, she rose up out of his arms and reached out to take his hand in hers.

"Hikaru-kun, let's go to the bedroom." "Okay."

Naruse wasn't slow on the uptake — today's atmosphere, and the look in Kei's eyes, were both different from usual.

Perhaps something was about to happen, as naturally as it should.

Once inside the bedroom, Kei gave him a small push forward, then turned and locked the door behind them.

With a soft click, the lock caught — followed by the rustle of clothes falling to the floor.

"?"

Naruse turned around; the girl, now standing right beside him, had already slipped off her dress, leaving only her underwear.

"That's..." Having seen her in plenty of underwear before, Naruse realized this particular set was one he'd never seen.

"I bought it new. Does it look good, Hikaru-kun?"

Kei actually wasn't shy at this point — they'd done plenty already, after all — she was just a little excited, and a little nervous.

"It looks good."

The purple lace against her snow-white skin made for a striking contrast.

Naruse's throat bobbed.

"...Yeah. It looks really good."

Saying it twice in a row actually made the nervous Kei laugh.

The next moment, Kei stepped slowly forward, until she was close enough to feel his breath, face to face.

"Hikaru-kun... today's Tanabata." "Mm."

"You told me before that some things need the right moment — and that you wanted me to think it through clearly, not just decide on impulse because of the mood."

"I understand how you feel, and I've made my own feelings clear to myself too."

"Once lovers reach this point, this kind of feeling is bound to come — and it isn't a craving for the body, but—"

Kei might have been in her first relationship, but she knew exactly what she felt.

"—it's the love that makes me want to become one with you, Hikaru-kun."

She stood before him, her eyes glinting with an intense, burning light.

"Hikaru-kun..." "Today, I want to... go all the way with you."

As she said it, her cheeks flushed deep red, the color spreading all the way to the tips of her ears, even leaving a heavy blush across her pale neck.

Naruse thought it over for a moment, then spoke seriously.

"Are you sure, Kei?" "I'm sure."

"I'm not someone who's faithful in relationships." "I know."

"...Okay."

Hearing Naruse say the word "okay," Kei swallowed hard, then nodded firmly.

"Hikaru-kun, I'm mentally ready." "Mm."

Naruse smiled gently and spoke in a soft voice.

"Since you've already brought it up yourself, Kei, there's no way I'd refuse now.

"I won't back down."

Naruse cupped Kei's pretty face, the warmth passing from his palms into her skin.

"Kei." "Mm, I'm ready... Hikaru-kun, you can do it however you want." "Okay~"

A July breeze, carrying the warmth of high summer, slipped in through the gap in the window and drifted gently over the two figures locked tightly in the bedroom.

Their silhouettes sank down together, still pressed close without a gap between them.

Bright moonlight fell over the silhouettes of the two lovers.

Inside the room, love spilled across the floor.