Chapter 122 – Has anyone ever said that you are biased? 

After being splashed with the slightly cool water, Yukio was not about to hold back. He dove into the pool, and with a few strokes, scooped up a large handful of water to splash back at Ichinose.

"Ahhh! Water fighting like this is too unfair!" Ichinose tried to shield herself but to no avail. She could only gather a small amount of water, while Yukio, with wide strokes, brought up curtains of water.

If the water in a splash fight were considered ammunition, then the firepower disparity between them was immense. It was like modern artillery relentlessly bombarding archers.

"The one who ambushes first has no right to call it unfair." Yukio wore a mischievous grin, secretly admiring Ichinose's character.

He was well aware that Ichinose's actions were meant to lighten the mood, to shift away from the earlier seriousness and let him freely enjoy the day.

Seeing Ichinose so earnest, Yukio felt compelled to play along. Today, they'd focus on having fun. With that thought, he whipped up another splash towards Ichinose.

"Haha, that's too much, Yukio-kun!" Her bell-like laughter drew the attention of those already in the water. Kushida, noticing their almost couple-like playful interaction, swam over: "Really now, don't pick on Ichinose-san."

"Kushida-san!" Ichinose greeted her and then brushed back her forehead hair. The water Yukio had splashed sparkled under the sunlight, making her shine.

The droplets weaving through her hair, sliding down her delicate neck to her collarbones, against Ichinose's naturally fair skin, made her look radiant and strikingly beautiful.

"We're just having a water fight. Though I'm on the losing side, it's not really bullying," Ichinose said warmly, taking Kushida's hand in a friendly gesture, showing no sign of being upset by the defeat.

"I see," Kushida remarked, "You and Yukio-kun seem to have a great relationship."

Ichinose, not overthinking it, suggested pointing at the water slides in the distance: "I get along well with Kushida-san too~ How about we try that? Yukio-kun, do you want to join us?"

"Let's check it out. If the line's too long, I'll pass." Yukio decided to see for himself, always reluctant to waste time lining up.

For example, if a friend highly recommends a restaurant, waiting for about ten or twenty minutes might be manageable. But if it requires queuing for two hours? That's a definite no-go.

The school's water slides are relatively safe, about seven meters high with protective measures on both sides, preventing any dangerous accidents. Perhaps because slides appeal less to boys, combined with the other two pools diverting the crowd, they found surprisingly few people waiting when they arrived. Only a few couples were in line before it was their turn.

Yukio decided to wait. Kushida and Ichinose kept chatting about various girl topics, while Yukio let his mind wander, occasionally overseeing the pool from his elevated position.

Wait, what's that situation over there? Looking closely, he recognized Rika from his class, harmoniously hanging out with Ryuuen. It seemed the previous courage test event had fostered some friendship. Seeing this, Yukio smiled contentedly, but his smile was short-lived as he heard, "Yukio-kun, it's our turn."

Turning around, he saw Ichinose waving at him before she laid on the slide, letting go and sliding down with a trail of cheerful laughter that lifted everyone's spirits.

Kushida, noticing no one else around, tentatively suggested to Yukio, "How about we slide down together?"

"Huh?" Yukio didn't catch her drift. Slide down together in what manner?

"Just like in TV dramas, where the guy holds the girl's waist from behind as they slide down together," Kushida earnestly explained, providing a detailed and concrete description.

"I think I get it," Yukio quickly grasped the concept but still didn't see the point: "But why would we do that?"

Kushida's expression ruined slightly, her mood visibly dampened: "Has anyone ever told you that you can be quite biased?"

If Ibuki were here, she probably would have a lot to chat with Kushida, unfortunately, she wasn't.

Yukio raised an eyebrow, sensing Kushida might have some complaints with him.

Without waiting for his response, Kushida continued, "It just feels unfair. You're willing to have a water fight with Ichinose-san but won't slide down the slide with me."

"You invited her to be the vice president, and I got nothing." Kushida didn't understand her own behavior, which was entirely out of character for her.

Jealous? Unlikely, as she didn't feel that kind of bitterness. If it had to be attributed to some emotion, it might be envy and a sense of grievance.

Envious of Ichinose's treatment and aggrieved that she was left out, even though she had given Yukio her most precious thing on the cruise, he seemed to disregard her.

Actually, joining the student council or not wasn't a big deal for Kushida, but Yukio not even mentioning her made Kushida feel uncertain.

Was it because a wolf no longer cares after eating the sheep? Hence, he so easily forgot about her.

"Makes no sense," Yukio muttered, acting as if she was part of some melodramatic palace drama. Why so sentimental?

He stepped forward, enveloping Kushida in a half-hug, half-embrace, pressing her against himself, ready to slide down. If they delayed any longer, Ichinose might come up to check if the slide was malfunctioning.

"Is this okay?" Yukio asked, getting ready without exerting much force, merely symbolically encircling Kushida's waist. Due to the swimsuit, his hands were directly on her stomach.

Indeed, Kushida's stomach was quite smooth, without a hint of excess fat, so slender it seemed like a bit more force could break her waist.

Faced with such a forthright action, Kushida's cheeks turned a suspicious shade of red, her expression instantly shifting to one of satisfaction.

Indeed, how could a wolf forget the sheep it had eaten? Her worries were unnecessary.

With newfound boldness, Kushida grabbed Yukio's hands, pulling them slightly higher: "Maybe here would be better."

"?" Yukio could only see the back of Kushida's head, not her expression, unable to discern her thoughts.

Puzzled, he reiterated his assessment of Kushida: "As I said, you're quite unique."

"It's all your fault," Kushida's voice softened considerably: "How about we sneak off to the shower later? Let Ichinose go find Shiranami and Kobashi first."

Yukio tightened his grip: "You make a good point. It's proper to rinse off after swimming."

***

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