Chapter 78: Impotent and the Water Monster
Chapter 78: Impotent and the Water Monster
…
The next day, on the streetcar back home, both Himekoji Akito and Kasumigaoka Utaha slept heavily the whole ride.
Luckily, Akito woke up just before their stop. If not, going by Kasumigaoka alone, it seemed like she would have kept sleeping straight to the final station.
“Ms. Kasumi, Ms. Kasumi… wake up. We’re here!”
Akito rubbed his sleepy eyes, yawned, and gently pushed Senpai’s soft shoulder.
“Water… water… so thirsty.”
After being woken up, Kasumigaoka’s first reaction was actually looking for water.
Luckily, Akito was prepared; it wasn’t his first time dealing with this kind of thing.
He made sure to unscrew the bottle cap before handing her the mineral water. Her body felt like jelly. It wasn’t clear if she even had the strength left to open a bottle.
“Off we go.”
Akito walked out ahead.
“W-Wait!”
He hadn’t taken two steps before the girl called out to stop him.
“What is it?”
Akito turned back, confused.
“Give… give me a hand…”
Feeling his gaze, the girl hastily turned her head away, looking noticeably flustered for once, her face flushing red down to her neck.
Pfft!
Akito almost laughed, but remembering this was Kasumigaoka Utaha, he managed to swallow it just in time.
“Mmm, let’s get up.”
He walked back to his Senpai, barely holding back the chuckle, and offered his hand.
“Mmm…”
The girl responded softly and reached for Akito’s hand.
But the very next instant, the moment her fingertip touched his palm—
“Ah!”
Utaha suddenly cried out sharply, jerking her hand back as though shocked by electricity, faster than a blink.
“Huh?”
Akito paused, startled.
“What’s wrong?”
He asked.
“Huh? Ah… I just kind of felt a static shock between us. Didn’t you feel it?”
The girl hugged her outstretched arm protectively, looking shaken.
“Huh? Not even a little bit.”
Akito shook his head, baffled.
“Maybe… your imagination?”
A possibility struck him. Maybe this was the real-life version of being scared from past experience? Like the snake bite making you fear ropes?
Kasumigaoka regarded the hand he offered with suspicion. After a little hesitation, she gathered her courage and cautiously offered her hand again.
History repeated itself. The instant their hands touched again, Utaha tried to pull back reflexively. But this time, she didn’t succeed. As her hand started retreating, Akito caught it firmly.
“See? Nothing happened.”
Akito shook his head, amused.
Watching Kasumigaoka’s frightened, “girly” expression filled him with sudden satisfaction.
Hmph! Serves you right, you little troublemaker! Always teasing me before. Now you finally got a bit scared!
His palm felt warm and strong. Utaha’s initial urge was definitely to pull away, but her whole body felt weak and heavy, utterly drained of strength.
At least… the static shock she’d been so worried about didn’t appear.
So… Was it really all in her head then?
But why then… did she still feel a slight dampness… down below?
Akito pulled Kasumigaoka up to her feet and promptly let go of her hand.
“Let’s go.”
He started walking ahead by himself again.
“W-Wait!”
“What now?”
Akito sighed inwardly. Why all the troubles?
“Give… give me some support… I still can’t walk properly…”
Akito: “…”
…
After leaving the station, Akito hailed a taxi and safely delivered the completely unable-to-walk Kasumigaoka Utaha home.
Just before parting, maybe because she found her own performance that day utterly pathetic and wanted to salvage some pride.
She tugged lightly on Akito’s clothes hem. Without any warning, she suddenly declared with utter scorn: “Hmph! Impotent!”
“Oh, Water Monster.”
For the very first time ever, Kasumigaoka Utaha was left speechless.
…
…
The two-day monthly holiday ended in a flash.
Monday back at school was the day exam results were being posted.
Though there were rules about schools not publicly ranking students or showing their scores, Toyonoshi Academy found a clever workaround with phrasing.
They listed every student in the whole grade, names arranged from top to bottom in ranking order. Only, there were no numbers next to the names, neither were the actual scores written down.
The very first day these lists went up, a thick crowd always swarmed around them. Several layers inside and out.
It was the exclusive stage for the top students and the popular “Normies.”
Today was no exception.
“Look! Hayato’s as great as ever! He’s still solidly in the top three!”
“First Yukinoshita, second Hayama. Every time! Honestly, you barely even need to look; the top spots are obvious.”
“W-Wait! This time, Yukinoshita is second!”
“What? Hayama’s first? Awesome, man!”
“Wow! Pride of the regular classes! Even the elites from the international program can’t beat Hayato!”
The compliments flowed generously.
Suddenly, though, someone muttered under their breath—
“Hold up… that doesn’t sound right… Look… Hayama is third. The name in the top spot… is Himekoji Akito…”
“Huh? Stop talking nonsense!”
“Who dares spout crap like that? Throw the traitor out!”
“No! It… it seems… it seems real!”
A second voice chimed in from the crowd.
“The list definitely says so… though I still find it hard to believe…”
Then came a third voice.
Panic spread like wildfire.
“Let me see!”
“Really? Stop blocking the front! Move aside if you’ve already seen it!”
The commotion started. Everyone pushed and shoved, desperate to get a look.
About half a minute later, the buzzing, buzzing scene suddenly fell eerily silent.
What the…? Everyone exchanged bewildered looks.
Finally, someone broke the heavy silence, declaring—
“Ah, it’s just that Pervert guy. What’s so special about getting first? It’s just number one, right?”
“Exactly! Besides, Hayama got third! Third in the whole grade! Now that’s amazing!”
“Yeah, compared to Hayama, what’s Himekoji? Probably just got lucky with the answers.”
“Wait, I heard Yukinoshita in second place was only three marks off a full score.”
“Well then… that means first place, Himekoji…”
No one dared finish that thought. Everyone exchanged awkward glances. The enthusiasm drained away quickly, replaced by shaking heads and dispersing students.
“Tch, what a bogus exam! Even a Pervert gets first place?”
“Totally!”
…
Himekoji Akito stood right at the very back of the crowd, his face looking stormy. Nobody noticed him.
He’d hoped to flaunt “Super Scholar” powers and bask in the spotlight… only to find he never even got a chance…
Hey! Hey! What the heck was that?
How come scoring a perfect in every subject, being first in the entire grade, meant less to everyone than Hayama being third?
He placed first? So what? It’s just first place.
Hayama came third? Wow! Truly the Hayama we know!
This bias…
Sigh! Frustrating. Annoying.
“Hey, Himekoji. Come with me for a bit.”
Just as Akito was fuming alone, Hiratsuka Shizuka Sensei walked over suddenly and tapped his shoulder.