Chapter 165: Sitting on Shoulders, Lifting High, Kei's Great Satisfaction (Two-in-One 5k) (Patreon)

The girls' line was packed, a sea of bobbing heads.

Kei Karuizawa had pinned down Kikyo Kushida as most likely the "fish-stealing cat," but she didn't blow up on the spot. She quietly pulled her gaze back.

She knew this wasn't the time to press the matter.

There was still an hour and a half left of the joint PE class, and Kei had started her own training as well.

Once his test was over, Hikaru Naruse took the initiative to look toward the girls' side, searching for his girls.

Airi Sakura, for one. She had finally managed to make a friend in Haruka Hasebe, so the two of them stood together, and she looked reasonably at ease.

As for Kikyo Kushida, the girl kept putting her little angel talents to work, chatting and laughing with girls from both classes, completely in her element.

And Suzune Horikita? The black-haired girl once again stood off to one side by herself, arms folded. Even with Class A girls right beside her, she looked out of place.

After the two Special Exams over the summer, the Class D girls were still not one bit closer to Suzune Horikita. She didn't seem to mind, though, and kept radiating that icy aura of hers.

"Honestly... Manabu Horikita finally praised her a little, so why is she still like this?"

Because Naruse had posted such startlingly good results, the PE teacher told him he was free to do as he pleased on the boys' side.

It was still September, but today was pretty hot.

Hikaru Naruse swept a glance over Class D's corner, and an idea suddenly popped into his head.

The next moment, he walked straight into the girls' line.

"Why has Naruse-san come over here?"

Under the curious gazes of the girls, Hikaru Naruse called out to Kei Karuizawa by name.

"Kei, come here a second."

Calling her by her given name so intimately, along with the tender look on his face, made a lot of the girls take notice.

Not far away, Kei's test had just finished too. Hearing his voice, she shoved through the crowd without a moment's hesitation.

"Hikaru-kun?"

A dazzling smile lit up the girl's face, and her eyes brightened at once.

"What are you doing over here?"

Kei's persona in Class D was the "domineering gyaru," but in front of Naruse she couldn't keep up the act at all. Her voice came out sweet and soft.

Hikaru Naruse smiled and said warmly, "It's too hot today. I'm going to buy drinks for everyone. Come with me."

Hearing that, a lot of girls stared at his face again, each with different thoughts.

Everyone knew Naruse had earned a ton of points in the two uninhabited island exams. Rumor had it he held several million Private Points, which was a big reason the boy kept drawing more and more attention.

Number one in the Handsome Ranking, formidable physique, and a mountain of Private Points in hand.

It'd be a miracle if nobody had designs on him.

"Sure, let me go tell the PE teacher."

Kei responded eagerly to anything Naruse proposed and never once killed the mood.

While she turned to go find the PE teacher, Naruse stood beside the girls' line, sticking out like a sore thumb.

After a little while, two familiar faces drifted over.

Asuka Shiraishi and Ryoko Nishikawa.

"I heard Naruse-san is treating everyone to drinks. Can I place an order?" Ryoko Nishikawa stroked her braid and smiled sweetly.

"Afraid not." Hikaru Naruse shook his head, his tone flat. "I'm buying whole cases. It's simpler that way. Taking individual orders would make it a pain to keep count."

"I see."

Ryoko didn't care about the drinks in the least. She said nothing and handed the opening to Asuka beside her.

The golden-haired girl gave a soft smile and said unhurriedly, "Naruse-san, that's a lot of drinks. Do you need more helpers?"

"No. Two people are plenty for this."

"Is that so."

Asuka Shiraishi nodded, then added meaningfully, "I thought Naruse-san especially liked group activities... More people makes things livelier, after all."

"Hm?"

Asuka hadn't meant it that way, but Hikaru couldn't help giving her several extra looks.

As for the girl who sat behind him, Hikaru actually understood her a little. She looked gentle, but she had a logic of her own. If she said something like that on purpose, there had to be a reason.

"Shiraishi... do you have something to say to me?"

"No, I don't."

Her voice was soft, and her long golden hair stirred in the breeze, making for a strikingly beautiful picture.

"Is that so."

The next second, Naruse didn't stand on ceremony. He reached out and pinched Asuka's small face.

His fingers gave her pale cheek two gentle squeezes, and he put on a menacing tone. "Then why do I get the feeling you really do have something you want to say?"

"I really don't."

Asuka's eyes widened a fraction. It was the first time the two of them had been this close. She was surprised, but her attitude barely changed, as if nothing had happened.

Naruse's move, on the other hand, left Ryoko and all the other girls around them dumbstruck.

"What's going on?"

"What does pinching her face mean?"

A boy grabbing a girl's face. Even between close friends of the opposite sex, that wasn't something you saw every day.

What was with these two?

The girls were baffled, and then they heard Naruse's gentle voice.

"Don't fob me off with lines like that. I can judge for myself.

"I feel like you really do have something to say, but every time it gets to the tip of your tongue, you swallow it back."

Naruse didn't let go. He kept pinching Asuka's face and lowered his head to ask, "What is it you want to say?"

"Mm..."

Asuka had no resistance at all to having her face pinched. Instead she reached up and rested her small hand on the back of his, still unhurried. "All right. There is one thing that's been troubling me lately."

"What is it?"

"It's a girl's secret. I can't tell you yet, Naruse-san."

Her tone was as soft as cotton candy.

"You really can't tell me?"

"Please be patient and wait for me, Naruse-san. I need to convince myself first."

"Fine, then."

Hearing that, Naruse took his hand back and smiled. "Then tell me whenever you're ready."

"Mm."

After he pulled his hand away, Asuka touched her own cheek, as if the warmth of his fingertips still lingered there.

"Naruse-san, you're such a bully~"

"Is that so."

Right as the two of them were talking, Kei's voice came over.

"Excuse me, coming through!"

She barged between Ryoko and Asuka and marched straight up to Naruse.

Kei had seen the whole scene just now, too. She'd only stopped to say a word to the PE teacher, and someone was already trying to raid her home turf that fast?

Class A people really are all thieves!

"Kei?"

Kei came to his side. She didn't so much as glance at Asuka, only hooked her arm through his.

"Hikaru-kun, the PE teacher said yes. Let's go to the convenience store."

"Okay."

Asuka and Ryoko watched the two turn and leave. Ryoko thought for a moment, then asked calmly, "Do you think... Naruse-san noticed?"

"Naruse-san is a smart person, and a gentle one. He wouldn't presumptuously pry open another person's feelings by force."

"I heard he's the one who confessed to Karuizawa first."

"Really?"

"Mm."

Ryoko and Asuka exchanged a look. The two best friends were thinking very different things.

*

The convenience store closest to the field.

Hikaru Naruse asked the clerk, who then hauled two cases of sports drinks out from the storeroom in back.

"That's 80 bottles. You're sure you want this many?"

"Yes."

A bottle of sports drink cost 280 Private Points. Two cases came to 80 bottles in total, a little over twenty thousand points.

For Naruse's finances these days, that was a minor expense.

A few days ago he'd collected Manabu Horikita's 600,000-point babysitting fee, which had pushed his Private Points past 6 million.

And that didn't even count the two [Junior Bond Card]s that kept accumulating. If he withdrew the points inside, he'd have at least another million or so.

Given Class A's current lead, he figured his holdings would break ten million by the end of the second term.

Once the drinks were picked out, Kei wanted to help carry them, but the boy turned her down.

"Kei, I didn't call you over to help. I just wanted you to go through the motions," Hikaru Naruse said slowly.

"When we get back to Class D, you can hand out the drinks yourself. That'll make everyone trust you more.

"These two cases include the PE teacher's share, so go pick out a few better-tasting ones separately. Grab one for me while you're at it."

"Oh, okay."

Hearing that, a wave of sweetness washed through Kei.

After he paid, the clerk who'd rung him up was curious how he planned to carry two cases of drinks alone, but he was startled soon enough.

Naruse stacked the two cases, pressed down on the top one with one hand to tip the stack to the side, and slid his other hand underneath. Once he'd checked the position, his wrist tightened, and he lifted both cases with a single hand.

Satisfied they were stable, he shifted the drinks onto his right shoulder and had the balance under control.

All 80 bottles were 550 ml, which meant the load came to roughly forty kilograms.

Naruse looked well-proportioned, nothing like one of those freakishly muscular guys, yet carrying two cases on one hand had left the clerk gawking.

Watching Naruse shoulder the two cases so effortlessly, Kei's eyes shone with delight.

"Hikaru-kun, you're so strong."

"Not really."

Hikaru Naruse smiled down at his girl and teased, "With your weight, Kei, I could lift you with one hand too."

"And how would you lift me?"

"With my hand under your butt~"

"You jerk!"

Kei pouted playfully, then seemed to think of something and said, "Speaking of which, there's something I really want to try."

"What is it?" Naruse raised an eyebrow slightly.

Kei went on. "I was scrolling through social media the other day and saw some guys let their girlfriends sit on their shoulders so they can see farther. At concerts and stuff.

"I want to try it too."

The girl thought about it, clearly looking forward to it.

"Is that all? Easy."

Having heard her out, Naruse found it even simpler than he'd expected.

"Then after we hand out the drinks, during the break, will you let me try, Hikaru-kun?"

"Of course. No problem."

*

The two of them headed back to the PE class on the field.

Everyone had seen Naruse carrying two cases of drinks with one hand, and they were all stunned.

They'd just watched his terrifying running only a little while ago, but shouldering the drinks one-handed showed a different kind of strength.

"Damn, he's carrying two cases with one hand?"

"Naruse-san is incredible."

"Karuizawa's only holding a little bag. Naruse-san really can't bear to make his girlfriend carry the water."

"Totally."

"I'm so jealous of Karuizawa~"

Scattered gasps of admiration rose from the crowd. After Naruse set the two cases down on the field, Kei got enthusiastically to work.

Like a hardworking little bee, she began handing out water to the girls around her, while Naruse passed drinks out to the boys on the other side.

"Thanks for your hard work in training today, everyone. Have a drink!"

"This is Hikaru-kun's treat."

"One each, there's enough for everybody~"

A free drink was naturally welcome, and some of the girls grew even more envious of Kei.

Her boyfriend was not only ridiculously handsome and physically gifted, with loads of Private Points, but generous too. She'd heard he'd even treated everyone to fancy bento before.

Plenty of rumors claimed Naruse was tangled up with lots of girls, but that barely counted as an issue. Many girls simply didn't mind.

Having a partner like that was what made you the true "heroine" of campus.

After everyone had received a drink, students from both classes expressed their thanks. Naruse even handed one to the PE teacher, who looked quite pleased.

"Thank you, Naruse-san. That's very kind."

"You've worked hard too, sir."

After another half hour of training, the clock reached 4:20, and a ten-minute break began.

*

Break time.

Kei stood in the girls' line, her eyes fixed on the spot where Naruse had already returned among the boys.

That posture of a wife turned to stone, waiting for her husband to come home, made her two best friends, Maya Sato and Nene Mori, ask in confusion.

"Karuizawa, what are you looking at?"

The girl smiled, her eyes curving into two crescent moons.

"I'm waiting for Hikaru-kun to come over."

She hadn't kept her voice down, and since the girls were all standing close by, plenty of people heard her.

Naruse is coming over again?

A lot of girls looked over curiously, and sure enough, a little while later Naruse arrived.

And this time was different from handing out drinks. As soon as he reached Kei, he crouched right down.

"Kei, come on, give it a try."

"Mm-hm."

Naruse stood close to 1.8 meters tall, while Kei was only about 1.55.

Seeing her man crouch down, the girl blushed a little and deliberately put on a pampered voice. "Hikaru-kun, you'd better not drop me, okay? Remember that."

"Don't worry. I'll carry you steady."

Hikaru Naruse gave a gentle smile and waved her over to give it a try.

The next moment, Kei walked up behind his head, swung her long legs over, and braced one hand on his shoulder.

The moment she took that pose, the girls watching the scene erupted into a buzz.

"Wait... what is she doing?"

"Is Karuizawa really going to sit on Naruse-san's shoulders?"

"Ugh... I'm so jealous!"

The girls caught on quickly. Once they saw Kei's movements, they understood right away.

At the same moment, the girls connected to Naruse wore all sorts of expressions.

Ai Morishita and Miki Yamamura, Asuka Shiraishi and Ryoko Nishikawa, Airi Sakura, Suzune Horikita.

But the one who reacted most strongly among them was Kikyo Kushida.

With so many familiar faces around, Kikyo kept her expression fairly normal and didn't lose her composure, but inwardly she was already cursing.

Knowing Naruse as she did, she guessed at once that Kei must have been the one to suggest this.

Meanwhile, Kei was already in motion. She slid her legs forward over the boy's chest and settled her bottom onto Naruse's shoulders.

"Am I heavy, Hikaru-kun?"

"For you, Kei, you're actually really light~"

Naruse's voice was gentle. He held her thighs so she couldn't tip over, and went on. "Kei, hold my head tight to keep your balance."

"Okay."

Kei wrapped both hands around Naruse's head, her fingers hooking lightly into his hair.

"Hold steady..."

Naruse didn't spring up all at once. He rose slowly, which was actually harder on him, but his expression stayed calm.

Little by little, the boy straightened his body.

That way, Kei felt less of the weightless drop. The pose was sweet, but with a girl's legs off the ground, that sense of weightlessness could trigger an instinctive fear.

"Are you steady?"

"Mm..."

Once Naruse had fully risen, Kei felt very secure. She trusted him completely, and there wasn't a trace of fear in her.

When the boy was standing all the way up, she hugged her boyfriend's head and suddenly found the view in front of her wide open.

The corners of the girl's mouth curved up at once, and she said in an utterly sweet voice, "It's so high up, Hikaru-kun~"

With Kei perched on Naruse's neck once he'd stood up, the smile on her face made the other girls green with envy.

"I'm so jealous!"

"This is way too sweet!"

"Kei Karuizawa... that's something else."

Where there was envy, there were naturally also people whose expressions turned sour.

The several girls who shared a "special relationship" with Naruse looked at the satisfied smile on Kei's face, and even Suzune Horikita, standing with her arms folded, seemed off in her mood.

Airi Sakura watched with envy but didn't dare show it.

And Kikyo Kushida, standing closest of all, felt a thick jealous fire flare up inside her.

That damn woman!