In fact, after the information is refreshed, they always want to attack me!

"Then you should at least ask for leave," Shimizu Akira replied rationally.

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone, followed by a nonchalant chuckle: "...I just happened to forget today."

"Okay, I understand." Shimizu Akira nodded. "Then remember to ask Captain Sato for a day off if you don't want to go. I won't disturb you any longer, goodbye."

After hanging up the phone, a look of confusion immediately appeared on Shimizu Akira's face.

(What happened to the other person? In the first two weeks of last month, they even reminded me to report to the boxing club.)

(Why did you suddenly decide not to go today? You didn't even ask for leave.)

Thinking back carefully, ever since that day when she came to his dormitory and spoke with Matsushita Chiaki, her attitude had become exceptionally presumptuous—as if she had suddenly gained some kind of support.

(It seems I borrowed points from several people in the class yesterday...)

He squinted, recalling Karuizawa Kei's recent unusual behavior.

It feels like the other person has slowly become a different person.

“She should understand that I only signed a one-month protection agreement with her—once the deadline is up, if she can’t hand over 80,000 points, I will no longer protect her.”

Akira Shimizu thought about it again. Based on this month's points, Megumi Karuizawa might not actually be able to come up with 80,000 points. In a sense, the boxing club could completely replace him in protecting the opponent.

Those 80,000 points are no longer as important to him as they were last month.

The agreement from last month started on the first Friday of the week, which means that once this weekend is over, he and the other party will have absolutely no relationship left.

Chapter 107: 105 Karuizawa Megumi: I'm clueless, what should I do!

The neon lights in the private room cast dappled shadows on Karuizawa Megumi's face. Just as she put down her phone, Sato Maya leaned over and playfully nudged her shoulder.

"Oh~ It's Shimizu-kun calling again?" Maya blinked. "Is he checking up on you guys? When did you guys start doing this?"

A hint of unease flashed across Karuizawa Megumi's face: "Don't talk nonsense... it's just about the boxing club."

Sitting next to her, Matsushita Chiaki turned around and wisely smoothed things over: "Shimizu-san is also a member of the boxing club, right? Didn't Megumi recently join the boxing club as manager? It must be club-related."

"Exactly!" Karuizawa Kei quickly chimed in, unlocking her phone as she spoke. "Oh, right, I need to send a message to the department head to ask for leave..."

Sato Maya sighed dramatically, sinking into the sofa. "You're always running to the boxing club, and I finally managed to drag you out to play today. Seriously, did you only join because of Shimizu-kun? I don't think he even notices you. You should just quit!"

Mori Nene's off-key singing suddenly soared to a high note, drowning out Karuizawa Megumi's almost inaudible sigh.

She was typing a text message with her head down.

[Hello, Manager Sato, this is Karuizawa Megumi. I'm sorry I couldn't attend the club activity today...]

Karuizawa Kei stared at her phone screen, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the name "Shimizu Akira" in the call log.

(To be honest... he himself hasn't been there many times... even though it was a special privilege granted to him by the minister, it still feels a bit unfair.)

She muttered to herself.

Joining the boxing club was not a spur-of-the-moment decision—even as manager, the workload was no less demanding than that of a regular member.

Arrive half an hour early each day to check the equipment, carefully wipe down each piece of equipment after training, and always make sure to replenish drinking water.

Not to mention, when members are absent, she has to call each one to confirm the situation.

These trivial matters alone take up nearly an hour each day.

Today, she had planned to go to club activities as usual, but Maya Sato suddenly insisted on going out to play.

After being coaxed and pleaded with by her best friend for an entire class period, she reluctantly went to the karaoke bar.

Perhaps, deep down, there was also a bit of resentment towards Shimizu Akira for rarely appearing in public.

When I saw the caller ID, I thought it was something important! ...But when I answered, the other person asked about work.

Karuizawa Kei placed her fingertips on the top of her phone screen, lost in thought for a moment.

(Ultimately... I didn't join voluntarily in the first place.)

She gently bit her lower lip.

His joining the boxing club was entirely arranged by Akira Shimizu—his so-called "legitimate identity" was just a cover for him to protect himself.

(Isn't it enough to just lend my name? Do I really need to go there every day?)

If it's an obscure club, being a ghost member isn't necessarily a bad thing.

However, the boxing club, as the school's flagship club, is managed as strictly as a small business; taking more than three days off can result in expulsion.

but...

(With Shimizu's relationship with the minister, there shouldn't be any problem, right?)

Thinking of this, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

After all, she and Shimizu Akira had an unbreakable contractual relationship, and this sense of security allowed her to confidently compose the text message:

[Department Head Sato is requesting a week's leave due to illness...]

The moment the send button was pressed, Mori Nene sang a slightly off-key note, causing Sato Maya to burst into laughter and fall onto the sofa.

Karuizawa Megumi tossed her phone into her bag, thinking that this capriciousness was probably one of the privileges the contract granted her.

Her hand, which was reaching for the drink, suddenly stopped—because Matsushita Chiaki was looking at her with an indescribable gaze, a gaze that seemed to be a mixture of worry and unspoken words.

"Qianqiu? Why are you looking at me like that?" She subconsciously touched her cheek, forcing a standard sexy smile.

This wasn't the first time. Whenever exam results were announced, or whenever she deliberately spoke in an exaggerated tone, Matsushita Chiaki would always cast such a thoughtful look at her.

His gaze seemed to penetrate her carefully maintained facade, as if he could see right through her thoughts.

(Has something been seen through...?)

She suppressed the thought as soon as it popped into her head.

After all, Matsushita Chiaki's grades were mediocre, and he was always quiet and low-key in class.

"I'm probably just being too sensitive," Karuizawa Kei told herself, casually tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's nothing." Matsushita Chiaki gently shook her head and handed her a glass of orange juice. "I just feel...you seem really tired lately."

Water droplets condensed on the glass fell onto Karuizawa Megumi's hand, making her shiver slightly from the coolness.

She shook the orange juice in her hand, and the ice cubes made a crisp sound as they hit the glass.

"Ah~ it's probably because being the manager of the boxing club lately has been too exhausting." She stirred the ice in her glass with a straw. "So this is just a good rest!"

Matsushita Chiaki gently pressed down on the back of her hand: "Just relax and enjoy yourself today. We've already discussed the loan amount from last month, so you don't need to rush to pay it back. We'll split today's expenses among the three of us."

"Eh? This won't do..." Karuizawa Kei's fingertips curled slightly.

The sudden change to the chorus in the private room caused a brief pause in the conversation.

Under the dim light, Matsushita Chiaki looked at her, her tone tinged with helplessness: "Because... the three of us have noticed that you've been borrowing points everywhere in class. In short, we've already had 45,000 points deducted this month, and we really can't afford to help you with any more. This treat today is probably the last time we'll splurge."

The straw was unconsciously bitten by Karuizawa Megumi, leaving teeth marks.

Maya Sato and Nene Mori were vying for the microphone in front of the screen, and their cheerful laughter sounded particularly jarring at that moment.

"I don't know why your points are running out so quickly..." Matsushita Chiaki's voice softened further, "but I suggest you don't take too long off. The boxing club is one of the most popular clubs in school, and having that membership will make things much easier. If you run into any trouble... the seniors in the boxing club will help you. You've seen the special nature of this school; having a reliable club to rely on can save you a lot of trouble."

“…I know! Chiaki, sometimes you really are like a nagging older sister!” Karuizawa Megumi paused, then smiled and said.

As she spoke, she picked up her phone, opened the chat history, and glanced at it—the messages she had sent earlier had already been marked as read.

Minister Sato's reply, "Understood," lay quietly in the chat box.

Even though the other party had clearly sent a confirmation that they had received her consent, she felt a strange sense of panic.

The panic intensified when I caught a glimpse of my personal points out of the corner of my eye, which showed I only had 12000 left.

Chapter 108: 106 What kind of mindset led you to give yourself away like this?!

As usual, Akira Shimizu opened his eyes at 5:30 in the morning.

He nimbly rolled out of bed and began his daily Saitama-style training plan.

One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats—this set of exercises that most people would find difficult to maintain—is as natural as breathing for him.

When he finished the last set of movements, he felt not at all tired, but rather as if there was inexhaustible energy surging within him.

"This body is really a bug."

Akira Shimizu wiped his sweat in front of the mirror and couldn't help but smile.

His unwavering dedication over eight years has made this training routine as simple as eating and drinking for him.

He could even feel his muscles craving more challenges, but reason prevailed over impulse.

After changing into the school-issued sports uniform, he quietly closed the door and walked towards the school playground.

The rubber track still smelled damp from last night's rain, and his running shoes made a regular "tap-tap" sound as he stepped on it.

In fact, I've been going for morning runs like this for a whole month now.

But the numbers on the scale remained unchanged, and the results of the physical fitness test were also frozen at the original point.

After all, his physical abilities could not be improved any further.

These days, I exercise more to maintain the strength of my body than to improve.

Akira Shimizu knew very well that even for top professional athletes, the core goal of their daily training was to maintain rather than enhance their skills for more than 90% of the time.

In a sense, maintaining one's peak performance is far more difficult than it was during the initial climb.

He regulated his breathing steadily, his steps remaining firm and rhythmic. One lap after another.

When he crossed the finish line of the tenth lap again, he stopped.

One lap around the track is about one kilometer, which means he has just completed a ten-kilometer run.

Akira Shimizu took his phone out of his pocket, and the screen lit up, displaying a countdown timer: 29 minutes.

This was achieved even though he didn't deliberately sprint at full speed in the last two laps.

That's a pretty good result.

Just as Shimizu Akira was about to turn and leave the playground, he caught a glimpse of a slender figure out of the corner of his eye.

—It is Kikyo Kushida.

She was wearing the same sportswear as him, standing on the inside of the track, holding a bottle of mineral water and a neatly folded towel, walking towards him.

"Good job, Shimizu-kun! Ten laps, that's really impressive!"

“…Thank you.” Shimizu Akira was slightly taken aback, but still naturally accepted the water and towel she offered.

The cool mineral water slid down my throat, instantly quenching the burning thirst.

He casually wiped the sweat from his forehead, only then realizing—why was the other person here?

Since the start of the semester, Akira Shimizu has been running laps for over a month, and this is the first time he has met his classmates and companions.

"Shimizu-kun is really amazing!" Kikyo Kushida put her hands behind her back, tilted her head slightly, and smiled brightly. "You've been going for a morning run since the first day of school, right? Horikita-kun also told me that you get up at 5:30 every day to exercise! You've kept it up for eight years! That's a really remarkable habit."

However, Akira Shimizu was perfectly aware of the smiling girl's intentions; she probably wanted to ask him for a favor again.

"It's nothing," Shimizu Akira replied naturally.

--etc?

Did Horikita tell her that?

When did these two people's relationship become better?

No, that doesn't make any sense.

He was well aware of Horikita Suzune's almost physiological aversion to Kushida Kikyo.

And Kikyo Kushida? How could she possibly genuinely like someone who always had a sullen, "keep away" face and who repeatedly, even dozens of times, ruthlessly rejected her declaration of "being friends" to her face?

Akira Shimizu could almost imagine that Kikyo Kushida probably had a lot of angry "greetings" to Suzune Horikita in private.

"Shimizu-kun, are you keeping up with your Japanese lessons lately? If you're having trouble, I can tutor you!" Kikyo Kushida clasped her hands together and smiled sweetly.

Akira Shimizu quickly searched his memory—he vaguely remembered that her Chinese language score was in the eighties, and her other subjects hovered around that range as well. Although not top-tier, she was more than capable of tutoring him, who scored a mere 29 points.

"Thank you, but I've already asked Horikita to tutor me," he politely declined, since he had already prepaid for the tutoring points.

As soon as he said it, he suddenly realized something.

"Ah, you want to invite me to the study session, right?" Shimizu Akira suddenly realized. "Sure, I'll go sometime. That should help you get a representative, right? It'll be like casting a vote for you. But I can't help you campaign for Horikita; you know she really dislikes you."

It was just a small favor anyway.