Chapter Seventy-Two: Sleeping Together

“Don’t move.”
Anhe cautioned first, then took a handful of the medicinal paste from the bowl and gently spread it over Ino’s foot. As he applied it, he explained, “This is a remedy from my hometown. It’s very effective at eliminating odors.”

Hearing his words, Ino’s eyes, which had been tightly shut, snapped open in disbelief. She glanced at Anhe, then down at the green, sticky layer now coating her foot, utterly bewildered.

“Is… is what you said true, Anhe?”
“Of course.”
Anhe nodded, seeing that Ino’s face was now completely covered in the paste. He set her foot aside on a stone and continued, “Let it sit for about an hour, then wash it off thoroughly.”

With that, Anhe reached for Ino’s other foot, but she hastily drew it away.

“I… I’ll do it myself.”
Ino’s cheeks were flushed red as she quickly tucked her remaining foot behind her. The lingering warmth from Anhe’s touch still lingered, and as a sheltered young girl, she couldn’t handle such intimacy.

But just because she couldn’t accept it didn’t mean others wouldn’t. Hearing Ino’s intention to apply the medicine herself, Rena Serizawa, who had been pouting jealously nearby, immediately jumped up.

She plopped down beside Ino, tugged at Anhe’s arm, and, when he looked over, pointed determinedly at her own feet.

Seeing her actions, Anhe was surprised.
“You mean, you want it too?”
“Mm-hmm!”
Rena gave two emphatic snorts, her feet—encased in round-toed shoes—swinging back and forth.

Do you have athlete’s foot?
Anhe wanted to ask, but considering Ino was right there, he held his tongue, knowing it would likely embarrass her. He nodded helplessly.
“All right, then.”

He grabbed Rena’s restless left foot, slipped off her shoe, and laid it across his lap. Today, Rena wore white knee-high stockings, through which a hint of pink skin showed. Removing the stocking revealed a delicate, petite foot.

Unlike Ino, Rena’s feet were noticeably smaller and carried no unpleasant odor—only a faint scent of lavender. When pressed, her toes sunk softly into the flesh, exquisitely tender.

“Mmm~”
Feeling Anhe’s fingers glide across her foot, Rena let out a strange sound, her cheeks flushed deeply.

Hearing her reaction, Anhe paused, then resumed applying the paste with renewed vigor.

Her odd noises came in succession, and their interaction seemed more like flirtation than medical treatment.

Ino, watching from the side, was stunned for a moment before grabbing a handful of the paste and turning her back to them.

“They don’t even try to hide it…”
She muttered quietly, feeling Rena’s trembling beside her, her own cheeks tinged with red.

It took Anhe over ten minutes to finish coating both of Rena’s feet. Seeing her limp like melted wax in Ino’s arms, Anhe couldn’t help but smile triumphantly.

A pity, though—if they were alone, he’d certainly have indulged himself.

Standing up, he brushed his hands together and reached for the remaining paste.

“Anhe!”
Ino suddenly spoke up. She watched Anhe, who seemed about to leave with the medicine, hesitated, then asked, “Will this really get rid of the odor?”

“It will.”
Anhe replied confidently.
“Just wash it off after more than an hour.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Ino requested, “Could you give the rest to Ikuchi?”

Meeting Anhe’s curious gaze, Ino dropped her head in shame, explaining, “What I said before hurt him a lot, so I want to…”

“So you want to make amends?”
Anhe finished for her, and she immediately looked up, hope shining in her eyes.

“Don’t worry, Anhe. I’ll pay you back once we return to school.”

But Anhe waved her off, unconcerned.
“No need for payment—just consider the feelings of others before you speak in the future.”

With that, he turned and headed toward the guesthouse with the remaining paste.

Watching his retreating figure, Ino was momentarily lost, her mind echoing Anhe’s words.

---

“How about it—he’s handsome, right?”
A phone suddenly appeared before Ino’s eyes, snapping her from her reverie. Seeing the text on the screen, her cheeks grew even redder.

Rena Serizawa let out a triumphant hum.

---

In the living room, Anhe quickly spotted Ikuchi among a group of boys, surrounded by various playing cards.

Anhe walked straight over.

Hearing footsteps behind him, Ikuchi glanced back instinctively, then jumped in fright when he saw Anhe.

Am I really that intimidating?
Ikuchi’s reaction made Anhe twitch his mouth in annoyance.

What he didn’t know was that ever since word spread of his one-against-seven feat in the classroom two days ago, nearly every boy in the class regarded him as a delinquent; some even claimed he was the heir to a crime syndicate, a rumor as absurd as it was persistent.

When Anhe didn’t leave, Ikuchi remembered the crowd of classmates around him and mustered the courage to speak.

“Anhe, did you need something?”

Anhe nodded and pointed to the door.
“Yes, I do. Could you step outside for a moment?”

“No way!”
Ikuchi blurted out without hesitation. But seeing Anhe’s frown, he realized his mistake and hurried to clarify.
“Don’t misunderstand, Anhe—I just mean I’m busy and can’t step out now.”

Hearing this, the other boys chimed in as well.

“That’s right, Anhe. Ito-sensei gave Ikuchi a task—he can’t leave.”

“If you need something, just say it here.”

“Yeah, Anhe, tell us what you need!”

Anhe looked back at Ikuchi, who nodded along. He shrugged, showing the paste and repeating what he’d told Ino.

“So you’re saying… this can get rid of the odor?”

Ikuchi’s voice trembled as he carefully took the bowl from Anhe.

“It can.”

Thanking Anhe, Ikuchi hurried off to the corner with the bowl.

Athlete’s foot had plagued him for a long time. Though unsure if Anhe’s remedy would work, he was eager to try anything.

Once Ikuchi left, the others exchanged glances but said nothing to Anhe. He didn’t mind, washed his hands in the kitchen, and began his next plan.

Ito Nobue had said she wouldn’t interfere with the students for the next two days, so aside from food, many practical problems needed solving—the first being how to make fire.

---

“This is pointless!”
Hanako threw the stick aside, rubbing her sore wrist and grumbling.

She was responsible for making fire in the girls’ group, and had chosen the friction method. Ten minutes of effort had left her hands raw, but not a spark—not even smoke.

“TV lies—how could you possibly start a fire with just a stick!”

She was muttering when a cry of surprise sounded nearby. Looking up, she saw several girls gathered around a boy, faces full of admiration. At his feet, a small flame flickered.

“He… started the fire?”

Hanako stared in disbelief, hurrying over. Sure enough, a small campfire burned at the boy’s feet.

She gazed at the boy, awestruck. She remembered his name—Anhe Yusheng—a transfer student who, just days ago, had taken on seven classmates single-handedly.

She’d never expected him to be skilled at more than fighting—even fire-making!

Having failed to produce a single wisp of smoke after ten minutes, Hanako was intensely curious about Anhe’s method and asked directly.

“Anhe, can you tell me how you made the fire?”

Her question lit up the other girls; they all echoed her eagerly.

Seeing their hopeful faces, Anhe smiled shyly and pulled a lighter from his pocket.

“It’s not hard—just find some tinder and light it with a lighter.”

He pressed his finger down, and with a “click,” a blue flame appeared.

Everyone was instantly stunned, staring blankly at the lighter in Anhe’s hand.

Hanako looked down at her raw palms, still unwilling to accept defeat.
“But Anhe, where did you get the lighter? Do you smoke?”

---

Anhe waved his hand.
“Of course not. But the teachers who came with us do. If you explain, it’s easy to borrow one.”

---

After solving Hanako’s problem, Anhe moved among the other girls, fetching water or helping with the cooking.

Ikuchi and Ino both came back to find him. Following his instructions, their foot odor had improved markedly.

By noon, after a busy morning, five bonfires burned in the courtyard, each surrounded by skewered foods—fish, beef, lamb, and vegetables—all prepared in advance by the school and kept fresh by delivery staff.

Upstairs in the guesthouse, Anhe found Rena Serizawa and Saki Kuroi playing together. When the three arrived in the courtyard, several girls greeted Anhe.

“Anhe, come sit over here!”

He saw that they were girls he’d helped earlier—Hanako, Ino, and Keiko Kitajima among them—so he led Rena and Saki over.

“Sit here, Anhe!”
Hanako pointed excitedly to the empty seat beside her, but Ino teased with a smile,
“Hanako, haven’t you noticed? Anhe obviously wants to sit with Rena.”

“Huh?”
Hanako paused, but seeing Anhe and Rena’s joined hands, she immediately understood, letting out a meaningful “Oh~.”

With the girls’ playful teasing, Rena’s cheeks blushed, but she didn’t let go of Anhe’s hand.

The two found a seat together, and lunch began.

Barbecue takes time, so as the skewers were arranged on the grill retrieved from the storeroom, the group chatted.

With Anhe as the only boy in this group, the conversation revolved around him—what kind of girls he liked, his hobbies, and how often he treated himself each week…

They say conversation is the best way to foster bonds, and after a whole midday together, Anhe could feel the girls’ affection for him grow stronger.

After lunch, the courtyard was tidied, and the afternoon was free time. Anhe resumed his mission to increase favorability.

Time slipped by, and soon night fell.

With no electricity, after dinner everyone returned to the guesthouse living room.

They gathered together—some performing, others sharing stories—around a candle. In its light, every face shone with innocence, a novel experience none had ever had before.

Time passed amid laughter and games.

When it was time to rest, the students grouped up and headed to their rooms.

And Anhe’s day of effort finally bore fruit.

---

“Huh? Anhe, you don’t know where to sleep yet?”
Hanako’s sudden question caught the attention of several girls.

“Well, I’m not really close to the other boys in class.”
Anhe scratched his head, embarrassed.

Hanako exchanged glances with the other girls, then suddenly suggested,
“How about you sleep with us?”

Anhe looked startled.
“I can’t—it’s not proper, you’re all girls.”

“Oh, it’s fine, Anhe. We’re just sharing a room.”
Hanako moved as if to link arms with him, but Rena quickly beat her to it.

Hanako didn’t mind, instead she grinned mischievously.
“Unless… Anhe, you secretly have improper thoughts about us girls?”

“Uh…”
Anhe was speechless, hesitating for a long moment before finally nodding shyly.
“Then, thank you for your hospitality.”

[Cunning as ever, your plan is complete. Looking at the girls before you, tonight’s fate is sealed—though one wonders if your stamina will hold out…]

(End of chapter)