Karuizawa held the soda can, unable to meet his gaze.

The lingering sweetness of the juice in her mouth made her blood feel slightly warmer, her heart pounding as if struck by something.

She had acted too impulsively just now and was starting to regret it.

She didn't even know what expression to wear anymore.

The silence stretched on for so long that Kei finally mustered the courage to steal a glance at Kaoru.

"By the way, what should I call you from now on?" Kaoru suddenly asked.

"Eh? What to call me?" Karuizawa voice unconsciously rose a little before softening again under his gaze.

"Calling each other by our first names… would that be okay?"

"Kei?"

In an instant, Kei's pulse quickened.

Blood rushed to her head, making her feel lightheaded.

She could feel her chest heaving violently, her entire being unsettled.

"Say… say it again." Her tongue felt tied—she had never been this nervous before.

Even when she was with Hirata, it didnt feel like this.

"Kei." Kaoru paused. "But doesn't this feel too intimate? Would it bother you?"

Kei abruptly lifted her face.

Though she was stammering, her tone was firm.

"No! I want you to call me that!"

The girl's gaze was too intense.

Kaoru averted his eyes slightly and said, "Got it. I'll keep calling you Karuizawa-san in public, but more intimately in private."

Kei instinctively puffed her cheeks.

He could have just called her that all the time, but now it was only reserved for private moments.

How unfair.

Yet, for some reason, she felt inexplicably happy.

Their relationship had taken another step forward.

Maybe they could hold hands someday, appearing openly in front of everyone.

And maybe, just maybe, she could stand proudly before a certain official girlfriend and settle things once and for all.

At that thought, a twinge of guilt pricked Kei's heart, but she quickly steeled herself.

In this silent war, she wasn't the one at fault.

The blame lay with Kaoru, who had accepted her.

After all, Kaoru hadn't refused her—clearly, he had tacitly agreed to it.

"I don't mind, but I'm curious—why haven't you broken up with Hirata yet?"

At first, Kaoru had assumed Kei would dump Hirata immediately and cling to him instead.

Yet, she was still maintaining a surface-level relationship with the latter.

Kei flushed and mumbled, "Is that what you want?"

Kaoru blinked.

What was she talking about?

Then it hit him.

His expression grew odd—their earlier conversation must have led her to misunderstand him.

Kei didn't miss his reaction, and her heart began to race.

Had she overthought things?

"… Should I break up with him now?"

"No, breaking up now wouldn't do you any good." Kaoru shook his head. "I'm not your best option. There's no need to burn your bridges. Take your time to think it over. You can tell me whenever you've made up your mind."

Kei froze, her expression complex, as she heard him continue.

"If you want to back out, you can do so anytime. I won't force you to do anything that makes you unhappy."

This wasn't just empty talk—it was Kaoru's genuine thought at that moment.

Even in his previous world, he had always adhered to one principle.

Lust was lust, and perversion was perversion.

But once it crossed into coercion or violation, the situation would be entirely different.

It was precisely because of this consideration that Kaoru had deliberately restrained himself, carefully controlling how he treated them.

Over the past few months, the things he had done could be counted on one hand.

The most extreme case was Ichinose Honami—not only had he taken her first kiss, but he had also touched her all over.

Next came Kushida Kikyo and Horikita Suzune, followed by Karuizawa Kei and the others.

It was for this reason that Sakayanagi Arisu had realized he wasn't just a simple lecher.

At this moment, though Karuizawa Kei wasn't aware of these details, she had vaguely begun to sense something.

"It's fine… you can do whatever you want to me, anytime." The girl bit her lip lightly and uttered words that even she found shameless.

"Whether it's in the classroom, the dorm, or anywhere else… I'll satisfy your desires."

Then, as if adding emphasis, she continued, "Even if it's in front of Hirata-kun… I can do it."

Kaoru fell silent.

It seemed he had truly chosen the wrong test subject.

"This won't bring you any benefit. Do you really want to become a personal plaything?"

Kei's face flushed crimson.

Such words were far too much for an inexperienced girl like her, yet she nodded firmly and whispered.

"Because Mitoma-kun will definitely compensate me in other ways."

"I never said anything like that, did I?" Kaoru frowned in confusion.

Kei didn't know how to explain, so she could only murmur.

"The first time we met… didn't you touch me? And then… you came to protect me. You said it was a transaction."

Kaoru gave her a strange look. "So you think even this kind of thing can be a transaction with me?"

"Is that… not allowed?" Kei suddenly remembered something and hurriedly denied, "I'm still a virgin—please don't worry about that. I've never done anything with Hirata-kun, and I'm not some particularly wild girl either. This is the first time I've ever… said something like this to a boy…"

As she spoke, her voice grew softer, and her delicate face turned even redder.

Kaoru calmly observed Kei.

There was no denying that the girl's figure was already quite enticing.

Her small but perky chest might not match Kushida Kikyo's, but it was above average—judging by the sensation against his arm, it was just the right size to fit in one hand.

Thanks to their height difference, he could easily glimpse her collarbone, beneath which lay snow-white curves, exuding a tender and delectable allure.

Moreover, the way she blushed faintly was more impactful than any deliberate seduction.

"Kei," Kaoru suddenly said.

He suddenly called out like that, causing Karuizawa Kei to tense up all over.

Flustered, she stammered, "Wh-what is it— Eek—"

Before she could finish, Kaoru had already grasped the girl breast, completely enveloping it in his palm.

'Hmm just the right size, not a bit too much or too little.'

It was the uniquely delicate and tender boobs that only a young girl could possess.

"Don't say things like that so casually to men in the future," he murmured. "Because it's really hard to resist."

Kaoru pressed close to her ear, inhaling the faint fragrance from her neck, while his hands never stopped moving.

He could feel her soft body trembling slightly.

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