Ms.Shirakwa couldn't help herself—she reached out and pinched Hikari's cheek, her eyes twinkling with a gentle playfulness.
Hikari forced a smile, feeling a mix of awkwardness and gratitude. He hadn't expected anything like this from her. Especially not after the wild night he'd had with Natsuhana at the palace. Who knew his glib tongue could still leave him with a sore mouth from some intense… seafood, of all things?
"Let me blow on it for you—no more pain, okay?" Ms.Shirakwa said softly, inching closer.
And then, just like soothing a child, she leaned forward, her soft pink lips pursed as she blew on his swollen tongue. Her face was mere inches from his, the warm breath sending a shiver down his spine.
Hikari froze, his mind blank as he watched her delicate mouth so close to his. If he hadn't known her better, he'd almost suspect she was teasing him, testing some boundary. But her innocent gaze betrayed nothing of the sort—she was entirely sincere.
Ms.Shirakawa had always been like this, a strange blend of naivety and gentleness. She genuinely cared for her students, never sparing any warmth or kindness where it was needed.
He held his ground, resisting the absurd urge to flick his tongue forward. This was a teacher helping a student, nothing more.
After a moment, she drew back and handed him a bottle of her own chilled water. "Here, take a sip. It'll help cool down the burn."
He took a drink, feeling immediate relief as the coolness eased the sting on his tongue. Then, to his surprise, Ms.Shirakawa raised the bottle to her lips and took a sip as well. Her face suddenly flushed a deep red.
"Oh my gosh! We… we just had an indirect kiss, Hikari-kun!" she gasped, the blush only intensifying.
Hikari couldn't help but chuckle, somewhat amused by her reaction. "Uh, technically, yes."
But really, compared to her blowing on his tongue, a sip of water hardly felt worth the fuss. Still, her embarrassment was endearing—so much so that he couldn't bring himself to tease her about it.
Ms.Shirakawa shook her head vigorously, looking utterly flustered. "No, it's totally different. Blowing on your tongue was just me… being concerned for you as your teacher. But… drinking after you… that's…"
She trailed off, her blush creeping all the way up to her ears. "I've never even kissed anyone before."
Her words grew even more flustered as she shooed him out of the office. "Okay, okay. Just finish your breakfast and head to class."
Hikari allowed himself a small smile as he walked out, amused and genuinely touched by her care. Ms.Shirakawa had a kind heart and a genuine, if slightly shy, charm to her. She was the kind of teacher that anyone would want to protect.
In fact, he remembered that someone had once tried to hypnotize her. Fortunately, he'd already given her the Charm of True Love to ward off evil intentions, ensuring she was protected. But still, he knew it wasn't foolproof. If he could somehow inscribe the Mark of True Love on her, her protection would be even stronger. But considering she already had a fiancé, it was an impossible thought.
Sighing, Hikari shook his head. Some things were just not meant to be.
After leaving the office, he decided to make a quick stop by the restroom before heading to his next class.
Just as he was about to leave, however, he noticed a group of girls standing nearby, whispering and giggling as they eyed him.
He froze. The three familiar faces could only mean one thing—Reina Hamazaki and her two friends, the school's most notorious trio of gals, were up to something.
"Whoa!" Reina gasped, eyes wide as she glanced down. "It's so… longm"
"Unreal," muttered Sasaki Yukina, her expression torn between awe and intrigue. "I can't believe it…"
"I want to touch it…" blurted Ruri, her gaze locked on his waist.
Realizing they were staring at his belt, Hikari's face turned red as he quickly buckled up and spun around. "What are you doing here? This is the boys' restroom."
Reina crossed her arms and gave him a knowing smirk. "Hmph, just as I thought, Hikari-kun. You're full of surprises. We just happened to see you here—consider it fate."
Yukina, on cue, folded her arms, her eyes narrowing as she tried to look stern. "Yeah! Don't act like we're the ones being unreasonable. Where were you last night? We waited in front of your apartment for hours, you know."
Ruri nodded, looking somewhat annoyed. "Exactly! You just vanished, leaving us stranded like that."
Hikari sighed, scratching his head. "I went to my mom's place. I don't stay at the apartment every night, you know."
Reina stomped her foot in frustration, clearly not buying his casual answer. "Well, whenever you decide to invite us over, you'd better stick to it. We've been dying for a game night and you're the only one with enough space. Seriously, it's an emergency!"
Hikari shrugged nonchalantly, but he couldn't deny the three of them looked rather pitiful. "Look, you'll get your chance when the time's right. Anyway, I've got stuff to do, so if you'd move aside…"
But Reina and the girls weren't budging. They positioned themselves like a wall, their bodies blocking his way out with a rather effective strategy.
"No way! You're not going anywhere until you promise us a game night." Reina insisted, leaning in close.
Hikari groaned, rubbing his temples. "Come on, you three are going to give me a headache…"
But his mild complaint only gave Reina an opening. She let out a mischievous laugh, catching the double meaning. "Oh, really? Which head are we talking about?"
Yukina joined in, her grin sly. "You mean the one on top, or… the other one?"
Ruri sidled up to him, giving him a playful nudge as she added, "The big head or the little head, huh?"
Hikari rolled his eyes, smiling in spite of himself. "The only head that's going to talk is my fist."
With that, each of the girls found themselves face-to-face with a playful tap on the forehead. He'd barely touched them, but they all yelped in mock horror, clutching their foreheads as if mortally wounded.
"Ugh, I knew it," muttered Reina as they watched him stroll off.
"Plan B?" Yukina suggested, raising an eyebrow.
"Absolutely," Reina replied, with determination in her eyes.
Just as they set off after him, a few other guys, who had just entered the restroom, stopped and stared, jaws dropping at the sight of Hikari exiting with three girls trailing behind.
"Whoa… is he serious? In the bathroom?" one muttered, his face a mixture of shock and awe.
"And with three of them… all at once?" another gasped, shaking his head in amazement.
"Hikari… true legend."
But Hikari was already on his way, blissfully unaware of the rumors that would likely spread from this bizarre encounter.
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