When they got to campus, Shichen split up from Avrora and the others and headed to the office alone, but after a few steps he stopped.
"Why are you still following me?" He looked back helplessly at Himeragi Yukina, who'd been tailing him in secret.
"Um..." Yukina hadn't expected to be caught. She stood there with her head down, embarrassed, toes turned inward.
"Do you need something?"
"N-no..." She bit her lip, words on the tip of her tongue.
"Sigh, you don't have to hide it from me. Just say what you want—I can work with you."
"R-really?" Yukina stared at him in disbelief.
"I'm a teacher. I can cut my students some slack," Shichen said with a smile.
"Isn't it because I look like a loli?" Yukina couldn't help blurting out.
"?"
"N-no, um, forget it." She shook her head quickly, mortified.
"Honestly, who calls themselves a loli?" Shichen's mouth twitched.
"Mm..." Yukina's whole pretty face flushed with shame.
"Alright, tell me why you're following me."
"Um, Shichen-sensei... you won't randomly leave school, will you?"
"What, you want to keep me under surveillance at all times? Afraid I'll do something bad?"
"Yes." Yukina mustered her courage, lifted her head, and met his eyes, resolute—though her cheeks were still rosy.
Since Shichen already knew her identity—and said he didn't mind—she might as well be honest.
"Tell me, why do you think I'd do something bad?" Shichen took a few steps toward her.
"Um... because you're the Fifth Primogenitor—and you devoured the strongest Fourth Primogenitor."
"Just that? You should have plenty of intel on me, right? Have I ever done anything heinous?"
"...No."
"Then there you go. Itogami Island is my turf. I'm not going to wreck my own turf. Not to mention I'm currently a teacher of upstanding character."
"Upstanding character...?"
"Got a problem with that?"
"Teachers with 'upstanding character'... don't act all lovey-dovey with their students."
"Himeragi... forget it, I'll call you Yukina. You don't mind, do you?"
"N-no, it's fine."
"Then Yukina, let me clarify something. It's not that I got affectionate with my students because I'm their teacher. It's that we were close first, and only later became teacher and students," Shichen stressed.
The way she put it made it sound like he became a teacher to prey on students. Even in this fantasy world where demons and humans coexist—and where teacher–student relationships aren't exactly taboo—he couldn't let that misunderstanding stand.
"I see... So doesn't that mean, Shichen-sensei, that you had your eye on Nagisa and the others pretty early? Weren't they even younger back then?" Yukina asked, thinking it through.
"...What do you think about all day? Why do you always jump straight there? Did someone put that idea in your head?" Shichen flicked her forehead, annoyed.
"Ow... The Three Saints didn't say anything," Yukina said, rubbing her brow.
"The Three Saints, huh... Which one sent you to watch me?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Mm. They never showed me their real faces."
"Seems you're not high enough rank yet."
"I guess so..." Yukina couldn't argue. In the end, she was just a low-level operative.
"Don't worry. It won't be long before you get promoted."
"?" Yukina tilted her head, confused.
"No need to get it now—you'll understand later," Shichen said cheerfully, being cryptic.
"..."
"Alright, class is about to start. Get to your room. I promise I'm not going anywhere. If I really do leave campus, I'll let you know. Okay?"
"Really?"
"I'm not lying... Want to pinky promise?" Shichen held out his hand and hooked his little finger.
"Pinky promise?" Yukina blinked.
"You don't know what that means?"
"I do, but..."
"Then it's settled."
Without giving her a chance to refuse, he took her hand and hooked pinkies with her.
"Pinky swear—hang a hook—no changing for a hundred years."
"...What kind of oath is that?" Yukina looked a little embarrassed.
"It's a vow from back where I'm from. Anyway, I won't break it. Go on now," he said, patting her shoulder.
"Oh... then I'll go." Yukina pressed her lips together, turned, and headed for the classroom building—looking back every few steps until she disappeared inside.
Shichen shook his head with a laugh and turned toward the office.
There was no P.E. class that morning, so he enjoyed a lazy half-day. At noon he headed to the student cafeteria by himself.
Teachers showing up in the cafeteria was rare, but Shichen popping in wasn't unusual anymore—he came every day. And he was a P.E. teacher; nothing to be shy about.
Still, being faculty meant he could cut the line when getting food.
Tray in hand, he'd just found a seat when Akatsuki Nagisa and her friends arrived—Himeragi Yukina included.
"Shichen-sensei!"
"Shichen!"
"Hey, you're here. Kanon, not taking leave today?" Shichen asked Kanase Kanon.
Even with Avrora right there, Kanase Kanon was dazzling—like a holy light all her own. Avrora and the others were more like a rainbow's colors.
"Mm. Sorry to make you worry, Shichen-sensei," Kanon answered softly with a faint smile.
He gave her a once-over; nothing seemed off. He nodded. "Good. Grab your food."
"Wait for us here, Shichen."
"Alright."
Avrora and the others hurried to the windows, and Shichen didn't start eating.
While he waited, Endekatos and the rest arrived in ones and twos, mingling with other classmates—they'd fully blended into their respective classes.
"Shichen-sensei."
A little later, Aiba Asagi and her group showed up.
"Asagi, late today?" Shichen smiled.
"Mm, the teacher ran long... Wait for me a sec. Rin, hurry up."
"Asagi, don't run—Shichen-sensei isn't going anywhere," Tsukishima Rin called, scrambling after her.
"Shichen-sensei, we're going too," Akatsuki Kojou said.
"Go on," Shichen waved them off without ceremony.
Since Kojou and the others had moved up to the upper division, Shichen saw them a bit less—mostly on weekends. Thanks to Nagisa and Asagi, though, it wasn't like they never crossed paths.
Avrora's group finished first, of course, and quickly clustered around Shichen. The table seated six, perfect for the five of them. When Enatos and Prote arrived, they had to sit at the next table.
"I swear, the cafeteria seating makes no sense. Why no eight-seaters?" Enatos grumbled.
"Why not ask for an eighteen-seater while you're at it?" Prote shot back.
"Not impossible."
"...Dream on. Even if they had one, you still wouldn't get the seat next to Shichen. This way's fine—at least you're right behind him," Prote consoled.
"True enough... Shichen, want a shrimp tempura? You can have mine." Enatos picked up a big prawn and held it out to him.
"You're not eating it?" Shichen asked.
"I ordered two. One's enough for me," she said with a grin.
"In that case." He didn't stand on ceremony and took a bite.
Enatos's eyes curved into happy crescents.
"Enatos, you're at it again?" Avrora glared, displeased.
"What? Jealous? You can feed Shichen too."
"How am I supposed to feed him noodles?"
"That's your problem."
"Ugh... Shichen, want some noodles?"
"Nah, you eat them," Shichen declined with a shake of his head.
"Really? You're not... grossed out by me, are you?"
"Oh please. Look at how unwilling you look."
"I am not..."
"Eat your lunch. People are staring."
The onlookers were mostly girls—fans of Avrora and the others—watching with delight. Not a single boy in sight; none of them wanted that much PDA shoved in their faces.
Everyone was used to Shichen eating in the student cafeteria because he did it daily with Avrora's group. The boys avoided him—not because he was a teacher, but because he kept dishing out couple-fluff. Plus, arm-in-arm on both sides, beauties all around—way too envy-inducing.
It was the kind of scene you only see in light novels, and here they were, witnessing it live.
"Wait, how are all the seats full? And who's she?" Aiba Asagi and her friends arrived just then.
"Asagi-nee, that's Himeragi Yukina—the new transfer student," Nagisa explained.
"Transfer student? Don't tell me you transferred here for Shichen-sensei?" Asagi locked a sharp gaze on Yukina.
"Uh..." Yukina had no rebuttal.