Chapter 149: Why Ayano Is Acting Weird?

A slender, fair hand suddenly waved in front of Ichinose Ayano's eyes. She immediately came back to her senses and looked at the chestnut-haired girl with a side ponytail in a cute swimsuit beside her, then slightly shook her head.

"She has her own circle too, there's no need for me to interfere."

The good friend beside her was named Horigome China, one of the few friends she had at school.

Originally, China's surname wasn't Horigome. It was just that when she was little, her father passed away. After her mother remarried, she followed her stepfather's surname.

However, the Horigome family was only somewhat wealthier than average people. Aside from a relatively large house, there weren't many other properties. Perhaps even weaker than the once-declining Rurikawa family.

Although China's mother hadn't given birth again after remarrying, and China, like her, was an only daughter, she probably wouldn't have to enter a political marriage like her.

After all, the Horigome family wasn't particularly rich and had no political connections. She could completely pursue love freely.

"Alright, forget it if you don't want to bother her," Seeing that her friend didn't accept her suggestion, Horigome China nodded and didn't try to persuade her further.

She just thought that Ayano and Ichinose Honami were both good in looks, figure, and personality, and they were sisters too. Their relationship should've been very good. They were probably just a bit unfamiliar now from not seeing each other for a while.

As an only daughter, she sometimes envied other girls who had siblings. Now that her friend had a relative living at home who could become a sister, she actually felt a bit envious too.

Horigome China looked toward the shore where Ichinose Honami was surrounded by Yuina and the others, blushing furiously and shaking her head desperately. She also shook her own head silently and looked away.

"Huh? Ayano, when did you get such a pretty bracelet?", Horigome China shifted her attention back to her friend and suddenly noticed the decorative bracelet on her hand.

"Huh?", Upon hearing Horigome China's words, Ichinose Ayano was stunned and suddenly looked at her own wrist.

On her originally unadorned, fair, slender wrist, there was now a delicate silver bracelet.

Seeing this familiar bracelet, the overwhelming experience of being harshly taught by Hachiman surged in like a tide.

Ichinose Ayano, who had been intentionally avoiding thinking about those things, involuntarily trembled.

'What's going on?'

'Why is this bracelet on my wrist?'

She clearly took it off yesterday, and today she hadn't even met with the club president alone, not even gotten within two meters of him. So how had this bracelet silently reappeared?

"This bracelet is so pretty. Ayano, can you take it off and let me try it on?", Horigome China didn't notice Ichinose Ayano's uncontrollably trembling body. Her attention was fully on the silver bracelet. She grabbed Ayano's slender wrist and carefully examined the bracelet that looked like a work of art.

'Weird. The bracelet is so pretty, how come I didn't notice it earlier in the locker room when we changed into swimsuits?'

"Sorry, China, this bracelet... was lent to me by someone else. I forgot to return it...", Hearing that Horigome China liked it, Ichinose Ayano forced a smile and said hoarsely.

If possible, she wanted to take off this magical item bracelet that tormented her too.

But this mysterious magical item was tied to her agreement with the president. She wasn't allowed to take it off for a week. Only then would he agree to help her become a councilwoman and take charge of the Ichinose family.

Although it was taken off last night, allowing her to go home and sleep peacefully instead of tossing and turning.

Now that it had suddenly reappeared on her wrist, even if she was scared, she didn't dare remove it. After all, the bracelet couldn't have moved to her wrist by itself, 'It has to be the president's doing...'

"Someone lent it to you? I see~", Horigome China blinked and looked at Ichinose Ayano, whose expression was a bit unnatural. She suddenly leaned closer to her ear with a mischievous smile, "But Ayano, I know all your friends at school. Who could lend you something that even I don't know about?"

"Don't tell me… this was a gift from that boyfriend you're secretly dating? Is that why you won't even let me try it on?", She knew her friend Ayano had someone she liked. Seemed like they even started dating last week. That daydreaming look during class was obviously love-struck.

But she didn't know exactly who Ayano's lover was.

Maybe a boy from Sobu High, or from another school. After all, Sobu High had strict rules. Some girls focused on studying and didn't want relationships, while others looked outside to make friends.

"No… China, you've really misunderstood. This bracelet really isn't what you think...", Hearing Horigome China's misunderstanding deepen, Ichinose Ayano felt helpless.

Though reality had sobered her up, and she realized what she truly wanted wasn't love but freedom from her father's control...

Now her relationship with the president was even harder to explain to her good friend.

But she truly had no choice. There were so many council members in Chiba. Her father's power wasn't particularly strong, but he had deep connections after many years in Chiba.

Without the president's help, she couldn't resist her father. The most likely outcome was vanishing from school like Hasegawa or Misaki, who threatened her, as if they evaporated from the world without a trace.

Only the president and the elf princess, whom her father was deeply wary of and even tried to curry favor with, could help her take control of the Ichinose family.

Once she was in charge, she'd tell her father to go stay with his mistress and never come back. After all, she'd basically been living alone at home for years.

As for Ichinose Honami, who also wanted to build a relationship with the president and the elf princess now. By then, she could just give Ichinose Honami a sum of money, settle her mother and sister, and send her off.

She had talked with Ichinose Honami during lunch. Honami had come for the sake of her mother and younger sister.

Honami's family situation was unimaginably bad. Three women squeezed into a small room, eating cheap food, struggling just to afford three meals a day. Even buying a slightly prettier hair clip required careful budgeting. A slightly bigger expense meant they might go hungry next month.

Though they shared the Ichinose name, Ayano and Honami's material living conditions were worlds apart.

She sympathized, yes, but she wouldn't give up her agreement with the president just to let Honami get closer to him and help her father.

If she couldn't win the president's favor, she'd be forced to marry someone she didn't like and might even continue being used by her father.

Rather than live that kind of life for her father, it was better to make her own choice.

Ichinose Ayano narrowed her eyes slightly and looked toward the shore. Honami, who had just been surrounded, had now joined Minami and the others in surrounding the small and cute Gabriel. The four stood with arms crossed, their already curvaceous figures made even more impressive, completely looking like they were bullying Gabriel.

She actually wanted Ichinose Honami to take her side. After all, whatever her father could give Honami, she could too once she gained power.

But after testing a bit, she realized Honami just wanted to complete her father's task, improve her mother and sister's life, and enjoy her high school days. So Ayano didn't say more.

It would still be several years before she could gain power. Honami probably wouldn't wait that long. She also didn't dare expose her plans to Honami. If Honami reported her to her father, she'd be done for.

"Hiss... ha...", Ichinose Ayano was thinking about how to survive the week and kick Honami out of the race to get close to the president, when a familiar sensation hit her tongue. Her face instantly turned pale with fear.

'Why now?'

'The president should know I am in swimming class!'

'No, please don't treat me like this!'

The bold determination that had just risen in Ichinose Ayano's heart was thrown aside. Now, all she felt was fear.

But she didn't even know how to beg. Her phone was in her locker in the changing room. Even if she could message the president, she wouldn't dare ask him to stop.

This was a one-week challenge. She had known this from the beginning. If she wanted to escape her father's control, she had to endure.

"Ayano?", Horigome China gently moved her arms in the water, enjoying the cool and refreshing pool with classmates Kitagawa Marin and Miura Yumiko.

But after a while, she hadn't seen Ayano come over, so she looked in her direction.

And was instantly startled. Ayano's face looked strange, and her skin was flushed red.

Though she had her arms and legs spread, swimming in the pool, Ichinose Ayano looked more like someone whose legs had cramped or got caught by aquatic plants. Her long, fair legs kept tensing and bending. Her hands flailed in the water. Her head even dipped in, choking on water.

Horigome China quickly swam over and grabbed Ayano from behind, pulling her to the pool's edge and helping her hold onto the handrail. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief and looked at Ayano with concern.

"Ayano, what's wrong? Did you get a cramp? Want to rest on the shore for a bit?", As Horigome China spoke, she looked at her friend. Even though Ayano held the handrail, her legs were still curled, like a frog crouching in the water.

Ayano wasn't a beginner at swimming. Why would she still use such an ungraceful posture? Wouldn't it be better to float naturally? Or were her legs cramped to the point where she couldn't straighten them?

"N-No... it's nothing... thanks, China... I'm fine...", Ichinose Ayano gripped the handrail, panting hard. Noticing Horigome China's odd look, she tried to gather her curled legs that were kneeling in the water and straightened her body. Alternating her legs to push the water, she floated upright in the pool.

Actually, the empathy bracelet only made her vividly experience another girl's sensations. It wasn't like if the other girl bowed, she had to bow, or if the girl knelt, she had to kneel too.

But before, she had been overwhelmed by that stimulation, losing her rationality. Now that it came again so suddenly, she couldn't control herself and instinctively mimicked the posture of the girl who was, somewhere unknown, being lifted by the president and had curled her legs.

If it hadn't been so sudden, and she had mentally prepared, she might've endured it. At least she wouldn't have made such a scene. Her friend even thought she was drowning...

As Ichinose Ayano was thinking that, her pupils suddenly dilated.

'It's back again?'

As if knowing she had recovered, the feeling came back even stronger than before, even harder to suppress.

Ichinose Ayano slightly opened her mouth. Her hands holding the rail subconsciously let go and slapped onto the water, splashing all over.

"Ayano? Ayano!", Horigome China realized something was wrong with her friend again and immediately caught the weakened Ayano, helping her up onto the shore.

Ichinose Ayano weakly leaned against Horigome China.

A stream of glistening droplets slipped from her swimsuit, trailing along her smooth, fair thighs and delicate feet, down to the sleek floor.

"Ayano? What's wrong with her?"

On the shore, Ichinose Honami was trying to protect herself, joining forces with Yuina and several hot girls to gang up on Gabriel.

They wanted Gabriel to first set her up with Hachiman, then set up Ichinose Honami with Hachiman. After all, in terms of order, Gabriel should try with Hachiman first to see if they were incompatible.

But Ichinose Ayano and Horigome China weren't far from them. Seeing Horigome China helping Ichinose Ayano up onto the shore, they immediately spared the poor and weak Gabriel and jogged over to the two, expressing concern.

"Ayano doesn't seem to be feeling well. Even though she just swam casually for a bit, she started convulsing and became limp. I'm planning to take her to the infirmary to have her checked," Horigome China saw that Ichinose Honami, a relative of Ayano, had come over to ask and didn't hide anything. But she herself also didn't know what exactly had happened.

They had done warm-up exercises too. By all reasoning, this level of swimming shouldn't have been a problem. Unless Ayano's body had some other issue.

"Convulsing and limp? I'll take her to the infirmary," Ichinose Honami looked at the now feeble Ichinose Ayano leaning against Horigome China, unable to even speak, and quickly reached out, intending to take Ichinose Ayano over.

"This... alright. Right now Ayano isn't in a state to change clothes. I'll go get you two some tracksuits to wear before going to the infirmary.", Horigome China hesitated for a moment when she saw the sincere and warm-hearted look on Ichinose Honami's face, then finally let go and allowed Ichinose Honami to take Ichinose Ayano, before running off to get two sets of loose tracksuits for the Ichinose sisters.

Ayano and Ichinose Honami weren't that close. Now that Honami was taking her to the infirmary and taking care of her, maybe their sisterly bond would become closer.

Gabriel and Yuina saw this and tacitly didn't get involved.

However, Yuina felt a bit suspicious when she looked at Ichinose Ayano, whose face had an unusually flushed red.

'This look... why does it feel kind of familiar... it looks just like the shy Shion covering her little mouth in front of Little Hikigaya, desperately holding back her embarrassment...'

After changing both herself and Ichinose Ayano into tracksuits, Ichinose Honami placed one of Ayano's arms over her own shoulder and dragged her toward the infirmary.

"What's wrong with you? Don't tell me... it's that time of the month?", Ichinose Honami asked Ichinose Ayano in a low voice as they walked.

Like Horigome China, she was really curious. How could just a bit of swimming leave Ayano gasping and weak like this? Her legs were wobbly and limp but didn't seem like a cramp.

If it was that time of the month, she probably wouldn't have chosen to get in the water.

"No, um?", Ichinose Ayano tried to shake her head and explain, but just as she opened her mouth, as if the club president hiding somewhere wanted to shut her up, her body instinctively tensed up tightly again, and her legs gave out.

"Ayano?", Ichinose Honami hurriedly caught the nearly collapsing Ichinose Ayano, looking in disbelief at the girl in her arms who seemed to have just gone through intense physical activity, panting heavily, her face burning hot.

'Is Ayano's physical condition really this bad?'

'She can't even handle walking a few steps?'

(Inside the infirmary, behind the bed curtain, an Ichinose completely unaware)

In the end, Ichinose Honami still brought Ichinose Ayano to the infirmary.

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