Chu Xin, startled by the sudden tug, cried out, “Hey, Shimizuma, slow down!”
However, Shimizuma, acting as if a different person entirely, completely ignored Chu Xin’s words. She continued to pull him straight out.
Chu Xin couldn’t simply stand his ground and resist Shimizuma. Doing so would only cause an accident due to inertia.
The image of them in that compromising position from yesterday still lingered vividly in Chu Xin’s mind. ‘Surely… nothing else untoward will happen, right?’
Students nearby, hearing the commotion, cast glances their way.
Upon realizing it was merely the class president pulling the vice-president, they simply sighed, “Perhaps *that’s* what youth truly is…” before returning to their own affairs.
Yet, a few peculiar whispers could also be heard, such as quiet murmurs like, “‘A love-triangle is brewing… I wonder if I can join in?'”
Chu Xin, however, was oblivious to these comments. His entire focus was on maintaining his balance.
It was only a few steps from Chu Xin’s seat to the back door of the classroom. Shimizuma, moving with sudden impetus, reached the doorway in moments.
But… at that precise moment, Chu Xin’s fears were realized.
Shimizuma, who was prone to tripping on flat ground, was now running. It was inevitable she would fall.
Just as expected, Shimizuma stumbled over the threshold at the very instant she was about to step out, pitching forward.
Due to the sudden forward momentum, Shimizuma’s ‘absolute territory’ was exposed. Her pure white panties, rounded buttocks, and slightly plump thighs were revealed.
The sight was incredibly impactful, though it lasted only a fleeting moment.
‘Wh-white…?!’
Chu Xin had no time for careful observation. He instinctively grabbed the door frame to steady himself. Then, with a sudden surge of strength, his hand, still clasped by Shimizuma, gripped her wrist firmly, pulling her back up and preventing her fall.
Had he simply tumbled with Shimizuma in that moment, their final position would have been utterly disastrous, certainly not the ‘woman on top’ scenario.
It was highly probable that… his face would have ended up buried in the mysterious depths beneath her skirt. If he had been even unluckier, perhaps he would have… fallen on top of Shimizuma…
This entire sequence of actions unfolded in a flash of lightning.
It was fortunate that Chu Xin hadn’t neglected his training recently. It was also lucky they were already by the door, and most importantly, Chu Xin had anticipated a fall. Only then could he execute such a maneuver.
If it had been like on the subway, where he’d fallen before he could even react, they both surely would have ended up in a heap.
Only when Shimizuma stood dazed but steady at the door did Chu Xin finally exhale. His heart still pounding with lingering fear, he released her wrist. His grip, however, had left a red mark. Concerned, he asked her, “Class President… are you alright?”
The commotion wasn’t significant; only Shimizuma’s initial stumble had been somewhat loud. Some students in the class noticed but decided not to intervene, thinking they might “disturb the two class presidents.”
After all, from their perspective, there was nothing unusual about the pair at that moment.
Shimizuma remained in a daze for a moment before mumbling, “Ah… I tripped again…”
Before Chu Xin could speak, she looked at him, her eyes narrowing into a gentle smile. “I’m fine, Chu Xin-kun~ I’m so sorry about just now… I almost made you fall too~ I’ll make it up to you later~”
Chu Xin waved his hand, indicating that it wasn’t necessary and he was fine.
“No, no~ It was my mistake… so it’s settled~ Now… let’s continue with our business~”
He scratched his head, realizing she offered no room for refusal. Moreover, this incident had already wasted quite a bit of time. It must be almost time for class, right?
Students who had gone to the restroom or were fooling around were already starting to return.
He was about to object, but then he saw Shimizuma already preparing to pull him along again.
Just then, Hasegawa Ten’i, who had been to the restroom, returned. Chu Xin saw her. She stopped behind Shimizuma.
Hasegawa Ten’i, upon seeing Chu Xin, still trembled as before, but seeing Shimizuma standing with him, she felt a quiet displeasure within.
During the free period of the first class, she had intended to take advantage of Chu Xin’s natural sleep and the inattention of others to do something… something she fantasized about and truly liked.
But for some reason, during the break after the first class, Shimizuma was always standing next to Chu Xin. When she asked why, Shimizuma would simply respond with her usual dazed, healing smile.
Hasegawa Ten’i decided to ask Chu Xin. She looked at him and spoke softly, “Chu Xin, what are you and Shimizuma… going to do?”
Chu Xin paused for a moment, then honestly replied, “The class president said she wanted to tell me about the vice-president’s duties and things like that. Why, Hasegawa-san?”
“N-nothing…”
Perhaps having reacted, after Hasegawa Ten’i responded to Chu Xin, Shimizuma immediately pulled Chu Xin away. “Ah… Ten’i-chan, Chu Xin-kun and I have some things to do right now~ Let’s chat later…”
Hasegawa Ten’i watched the two walk away. Her mind stirred, and she thought of following them, but just as she moved, the class bell rang.
She cast a reluctant glance in their direction, contemplating skipping class to secretly follow them. However, Yan Ping, carrying textbooks, appeared at the front door of the classroom. Frowning, she addressed Hasegawa Ten’i, who was still unwilling to enter the classroom from the back door. “What’s wrong, Hasegawa-san? Class has started, hurry inside.”
Hasegawa Ten’i gave one last unwilling look in the direction where they had disappeared, then could only nod and reply, “Alright… Teacher, I’ll go in now.”
****
Fortunately, no “lucky pervert” incidents occurred along the way.
Shimizuma half-ran, pulling him all the way to the rooftop, completely unfazed by the sound of the class bell.
The wind on the rooftop, carrying the scent of the sea, swept over Chu Xin, rustling his clothes and hair. It also nearly lifted Shimizuma’s skirt.
Chu Xin quickly turned his head away, no longer looking. The previous incident had been due to… um, poor circumstances.
Maria Academy was a seaside school; even though the ‘Empty Sea’ was yet to be developed, a sea breeze still blew every morning.
The two stopped. The rooftop was deserted, leading to a silence between them. Or rather, Chu Xin fell silent; Shimizuma merely continued to smile with narrowed eyes.
From the rooftop, a part of the [Empty Sea] was visible. Chu Xin gazed into the distance, looking at the boundless [Empty Sea], and his mind found a strange tranquility.
He rubbed the [Tear of the Void] on his left hand. ‘I truly have a deep connection with the word “void”…’
With that thought, he casually asked, “So… Class President, what exactly do you need to tell me that’s so important you’d skip class to bring me here?”
Shimizuma, however, showed a hint of anger on her face at Chu Xin’s words. This expression, combined with her slightly baby-fat cheeks, didn’t make her seem angry at all; instead, it made her appear incredibly cute. “Chu Xin-kun… the vice-president’s duties are a very important matter! How… can you consider it a small thing?”
Chu Xin, rarely seeing Shimizuma so serious, spoke with a touch of helplessness, “So… Class President, what exactly *is* this very important matter?”
He had no idea what a vice-president’s duties entailed here. In his previous life, the high school vice-president seemed rather useless, doing little beyond maintaining discipline during self-study when the class president was absent.
But Shimizuma slowly uttered just one sentence: “The duty of the esteemed vice-president… is to ‘cooperate’ well with the class president’s work~”
“Huh? Is that all? Nothing else?” Chu Xin blurted out instinctively.
Seeing her opposite him, wearing that healing smile, Chu Xin received a definite affirmative answer while also feeling as though he had been played.
Yet, Shimizuma’s next words left Chu Xin utterly bewildered.
“After all… Chu Xin-kun is someone from the ‘outside’~ You understand many things, so there’s no need to say too much…”
Chu Xin froze. “What do you mean? What does ‘from the outside’ mean?”
Though, if one were to speak of being ‘from the outside,’ Shimizuma’s situation certainly fit the description. However, no sooner had the words left his lips than a thought abruptly flashed through his mind: ‘Perhaps Shimizuma is an ability user with ‘mind-reading’ powers. She’s always been able to perceive my thoughts, so perhaps she understands how I came to this world… that I’m one of those so-called transmigrators.’
‘No, no!’ Chu Xin immediately corrected himself. ‘Where did this thought in my mind come from? The leap in logic is too great!’
This idea had simply appeared in Chu Xin’s mind, as if someone had abruptly inserted ‘this passage’ into his brain. He immediately ceased that line of thought.
Facing Chu Xin’s momentary panic, Shimizuma reverted to her usual dazed expression. After a moment, she finally spoke, “Hehe… Chu Xin-kun isn’t a transfer student from the outside, is he…? So… you should know the vice-president’s job, right?”
Chu Xin nodded, half-believing, half-doubting, saying nothing more. He simply tried to empty his mind as much as possible.
Shimizuma said nothing further. “Let’s go… Chu Xin-kun… class has started~”
****
Chu Xin had expected them to be scolded upon returning to class, but they weren’t. Shimizuma had simply handled it with a casual “class matters.”
He had known for a while that Shimizuma was far more clever than she appeared.
Back at his seat, after giving perfunctory answers to Hasegawa Ten’i’s questions, he found himself unable to calm down. His mind was filled with the recent events.
Shimizuma’s explanation was too… peculiar.
He instinctively silenced his phone and, during the break, secretly opened the “Miss Blond with Zero Dating Experience” app.
But then, something even more shocking appeared.
The previously unreleased [Task], which had shown progress, was suddenly changed.
It now read: [Special Task: Stay away from Shimizuma.]
[Task Hint: Stay as far away from Shimizuma as possible.]
[Success Condition: …@#…]
[Success Reward: Skill: Mental Focus.]
[Skill Description: A concentrated will can penetrate solid rock.]