Senpai really was amazing.
That was a fact Haru couldn't deny.
But tonight hadn't just left him amazed... it had also left him startled.
Utaha rested in his arms, eyes closed as though she had no strength left to move.
Her sweat-damp hair clung to her face, her cheeks still flushed with a lovely red, lashes faintly wet. In that moment, she was the most beautiful sight in the world.
Outside, silence had returned.
Most likely, Hiratsuka-sensei had gone back to bed.
Haru could imagine it perfectly... no matter what, if he or Utaha called out to her, she would only pretend she had just woken up.
But what happened tonight would stay carved in her mind forever.
Most likely, the entire night, she'd have the scene playing on loop in her head.
Holding the girl who seemed so weak and boneless in his arms, Haru's thoughts grew complicated.
It's a bit like you performed a cool dance in the heavy rain, then later searching the school confession board for photos of yourself... only to find your performance pinned at the top of a meme forum instead.
A shock beyond words.
"You look a little distracted."
Utaha opened her eyes. Still basking in joy and exhaustion, her gaze was hazy, temptingly soft.
Haru smiled, telling a lie: "I was just wondering… after you rest and head back, won't you be too tired to wake up in the morning?"
"I'll be fine."
Utaha answered with confidence. Her lips curved with a proud smile. "Maybe it's because of all that training, but I feel more energetic than ever."
She paused, her eyes soft with memory. "Before I started following your workout plan, my stamina was nowhere near this. If I did a full physical exam now, I'm sure my parents would be shocked."
"Why your parents?" Haru asked, playing along.
Her smile brightened. "Because they know exactly how weak I was in my first year. Back then I couldn't even run a few kilometers. Now it's easy."
Then, remembering something, her eyes lit up with expectation. She looked straight into his eyes.
"So… when are you going to teach me that grappling technique?"
Haru blinked, surprised she'd bring that up even now.
Clearly Yukino had left a deep impression on her.
"Tomorrow, or one of the next few days. Anytime is fine... it's not like it's some forbidden move," Haru said.
But Utaha shook her head firmly. "No."
Haru caught on quickly. "You don't want Yukino to find out?"
She stayed silent.
Having her thoughts exposed so bluntly was embarrassing, so she hid behind silence.
Haru understood and offered, "Then I'll teach you at school."
"At school?" Utaha frowned, puzzled. "When would you even have the time?"
Classes were too short, lunch breaks even shorter and they all ate together. There was no avoiding Yukino.
"You misunderstood. I mean when I'm at the karate club. You can come by under the pretense of watching."
Her eyes sparkled. "It's decided, then."
Perfect. Plenty of students in the karate club admired Haru. If he demonstrated grappling techniques for them, Utaha could naturally observe without suspicion.
And Yukino was already used to her clinging to Haru. At most, she'd just complain afterward.
Once Utaha had mastered the "grappling technique"… it would be time to challenge Yukino head-on!
After a while, Utaha finally regained her strength. Her own bathrobe was useless, so she borrowed a fresh one hanging in the bathroom.
It was Haru's size, so it hung loosely, even covering her legs.
But at this hour, with no one else around, she wasn't embarrassed.
When she returned to the guest room, it was still dark. Shizuka lay in the same place as before, seemingly asleep. Relieved, Utaha tiptoed to bed, pulled up the covers, and blushed as memories of the night replayed in her mind.
Emotions, once bottled too long, would eventually burst out. Even she was no exception.
Though she wasn't sleepy yet, she closed her eyes.
But lost in her mix of sweetness and shame, she missed one detail...
Shizuka hadn't shifted even a little. Not the slightest movement.
For someone truly asleep, that was unnatural.
Even the stillest sleeper changes position through the night.
But when Shizuka returned earlier, her thoughts had been in chaos, and even her usually sharp instincts failed her.
By coincidence, Utaha overlooked it too.
And thus, Shizuka's "night of suffering" began.
She had heard the sounds outside, then heard Utaha sneaking back in.
During that time, she barely dared to breathe, terrified of being discovered.
Only when Utaha lay down quietly did she finally relax.
But once she relaxed, the images surged back.
Like glitching clips in a video, the scenes looped endlessly in her mind... without a pause button.
If only she hadn't been curious!
If she hadn't discovered their secret, she wouldn't be like this now.
In the darkness, Shizuka's cheeks burned red.
After all, ever since returning, she had kept her legs tightly pressed together…
No matter how much time passed, she couldn't sleep. Instead, the memories stirred up even more heat inside her.
And she couldn't just leave either.
Or rather... she didn't dare cross the living room and risk facing Haru.
She had no idea how to face him.
Yet her emotions had already built too high.
Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes slightly, gazing at the girl beside her.
It was too dark to see Utaha's face, so she listened intently to her breathing.
One second.
Two.
A full minute later, Shizuka confirmed the rhythm stayed steady and calm.
Finally, she felt safe.
And with that safety, came the courage to release her pent-up heat.
So...
The half-dozing Utaha suddenly heard a strange "singing" beside her.
That probably couldn't be called singing.
It was more like a faint hum.
Wait.... seriously?
Hiratsuka-sensei, what are you doing?
Can people really do that in their sleep?
Utaha instinctively opened her eyes, but since she couldn't clearly see what was happening beside her and didn't dare use her phone as a light... she shut them again.
That was when a whisper, soft as a mosquito's buzz, brushed against her ear.
"You little bastard…" murmured Shizuka.
Utaha: "???"
—
Outside.
Haru was wide awake as well, his mind occupied with how to deal with Shizuka's situation.
With no real solution coming to mind, he reflexively activated his [Perception] skill, intending only to check if Utaha had already fallen asleep.
But the instant the skill kicked in, he froze.
Good grief, Sensei!
He stayed silent for a long while before sighing inwardly.
This night is way too eventful.
—
The next morning at breakfast, Yukino held her chopsticks with a puzzled look. Her beautiful eyes kept darting between Utaha and Shizuka.
From her perspective, Utaha didn't look too bad... though there was a hint of weariness in her expression.
But the one sitting beside her… that was a different story entirely.
Dark circles hung under Shizuka's eyes, her gaze unfocused, her whole attention scattered.
The signs of severe lack of sleep were obvious.
What on earth happened to them?
Was Hiratsuka-sensei tossing and turning all night? Or maybe Utaha kicked off her blanket?
Otherwise, how could both of them have had such a restless night?
Yukino was very confused.
~~~~~~~~~~
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