The next morning, the doorbell yanked Shichen out of sleep. In loose lounge pants and bare-chested, he stepped out of his room.
Minamiya Natsuki and the others had already left—otherwise he wouldn't be dressed like this. At the moment it was just him and Nina at home; Nina barely counted.
He didn't have P.E. today, so showing up to campus late didn't matter.
He went to the door and opened it without checking. The person outside was surprising—and not.
"Yukina? What are you doing here?" he asked, puzzled.
"Shichen-sensei, you… your… where are your clothes?!" Himeragi Yukina's eyes snapped to his bare torso; one glance and she spun away, cheeks flaming.
A man's body—
It was the first time she'd actually seen his.
"Ah? Oh—right… Come in first, I'll go put something on."
"Please hurry, Sensei—I'm going to be late," Yukina said anxiously.
"Then why aren't you heading to campus?"
"I'm your monitor. I'm supposed to go with you!"
"…Right." Shichen finally remembered her assignment.
"Yukina, I don't have class today. It doesn't really matter if I go."
"Eh? You're not going to—mm!" She'd started to turn back and immediately spun away again.
"Just come in. I'll warp you to campus after I change," he said, shaking his head as he headed to his room.
He didn't particularly mind her seeing him shirtless. What was there to be shy about? Besides, he was in good shape. Still, he wouldn't flaunt it on purpose—that would embarrass even him.
Hearing his footsteps fade, Yukina finally turned around and stepped in, tiny steps, face still pink. She couldn't get the image of his upper body out of her head. She'd always been surrounded by women; she'd had almost no contact with men. The physical differences stuck with her.
And… were those the "abs" the girls were always teasing about?
Shichen came out in a T-shirt a moment later. Noticing her still-rosy cheeks, he grinned. "Still thinking about it?"
"Thinking about what?"
"My body."
"Um… Sensei, aren't you a little mean? You didn't do that on purpose, did you?"
"How could I? I was asleep. How was I supposed to know you'd skip going straight to campus?"
"I told you I'd commute with you, didn't I?"
"You're a bit rigid… I'll take you over first—it's almost time for class. I'll wash up and come right after, okay?"
"You won't lie to me?"
"I won't. I'm awake anyway."
"Okay."
"Here." Shichen walked over and took her hand.
Yukina froze, then tensed up. "S-Sensei…?"
"What's the problem? If I'm warping us, I have to hold on to you," he said matter-of-factly.
"Mm…" With his big hand around hers, her heart kicked into overdrive.
"Heh—let's go."
In the blink of an eye, they were at Saikai Academy's undergrad campus.
"Eek—!" The instant scene change made Yukina yelp.
"Quit being dramatic. You saw this last night," Shichen said, letting go.
"Um… Sensei, you didn't… steal my… underwear, did you?" she asked cautiously.
"…What nonsense is that?"
"I just feel like… you seem very… interested in my underwear."
"You were the one who flashed it at me, okay?"
"I did not!"
"What are you thinking about all day? Weren't you supposed to be monitoring me?" He flicked her lightly on the head. "And besides, who'd want those tacky panties?"
"T-they're not tacky…" she muttered.
"They're not? Ask Nagisa and the others. See what they say—and maybe check their styles while you're at it."
"Sensei…" Yukina suddenly stared hard at him.
"What?"
"How do you know Nagisa and the others don't wear 'tacky' ones?"
"I… guessed."
"Really?"
"What else? They're not like you—showing under your skirt like a shameless flirt."
"I am not shameless!"
"Anyway, they're city girls. They're not going to wear anything that rustic."
"…Are mine really that bad?" she wavered.
"Learn from them. Go on—get to class. I'll head back to wash up and be right back."
"Okay."
Watching him vanish, Yukina finally headed for the classroom building. She didn't doubt he'd come—if he didn't plan to, he wouldn't have said so.
Still, the fact that he came early for her made her happy. Thinking that, her steps grew lighter and a smile tugged at her lips.
In that case, she was definitely going to ask Nagisa and the others whether her underwear really was tacky. If it was, she'd change it—so if it got seen, she wouldn't be teased for it…
Wait—why was she assuming it'd be seen?
…
"Miss, it really was Shichen-sensei and that transfer student," came Mogwai's report through the phone.
Aiba Asagi—earbuds in, seated by the window in University, Year 1, Section B—listened without expression. She'd just caught a glimpse of someone who looked a lot like Shichen… with a very obviously feminine silhouette beside him. Unwilling to believe it, she'd had Mogwai check the campus cameras—and it was true.
Why had that transfer student come to school with Shichen-sensei?
And at this hour?
So late—did that mean they'd been… No, impossible.
"Asagi, your face looks a little scary~" Tsukishima Rin plopped into the seat in front of her.
"Rin… what is it?"
"Heh—thinking about Shichen-sensei again?"
"I am not."
"Oh come on, you can't fool me. Keep playing coy and someone's going to steal him away~"
"…"
"That super-cute transfer from the undergrad division is close with him now, right? Plus there's Nagisa and Avrora—fierce competition," Rin said, half laughing.
"Mm…" Asagi bit her lip, looking pitiful.
"Hey, don't give up. You've got huge advantages. You're taller, curvier—the figure, the presence. Shichen-sensei will like your type."
"R-really?"
"Believe it—but you've got to make a move. Waiting and being tsundere won't get results."
"Make a move, huh…"
Thinking about what she'd just confirmed, Asagi realized she really couldn't keep coasting. Especially with Avrora and the others living with Shichen—home-court advantage was a thing.
Shichen had no idea Asagi had made up her mind after seeing him bring Yukina to campus. After washing up and grabbing a quick snack, he headed to school.
During class hours campus was quiet, but he'd barely walked a bit before the bell rang for the break. With nothing pressing to do, he headed into the classroom buildings.
At the third-year undergrad classroom, he spotted Sansan and the others chatting and laughing with their classmates. He gave a casual wave and moved on to Nagisa's class.
"Shichen-sensei!" As if she'd sensed him coming, Yukina stepped out to meet him.
"Still don't trust me?"
"It's not that… Why are you here, Sensei?"
"To show you I came to campus, obviously."
"Mm…" Yukina felt unreasonably happy.
"Sensei~" Akatsuki Nagisa came over too, with Avrora and the others trailing behind.
"Shichen, didn't you say you weren't coming today?" Avrora asked.
"I got bored. Nothing to do at home anyway."
"Then you should've just come with us."
"Too early. I'm a Teacher. Why would I show up at dawn?"
"Natsuki comes in early."
"Senseis aren't all the same."
"Oh?"
"Sensei, did you come for something?" Nagisa asked.
"Not really—just wanted to check on you all."
"Hehe~ I like that," Nagisa said, beaming.
"By the way, where's Kanon?"
"She took leave again today. I don't know if she's sick," Nagisa said, worried.
"Again, huh…"
~~~
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