Monday, on the way to school, Himeragi Yukina walked beside Shichen with a cold face, not saying a word.
She was still mad about being tricked all day yesterday.
"Yukina, don't be angry, okay? It's bad for your health." Shichen took her hand and apologized.
Yukina tried to yank free, failed, gave up, and—without looking at him—asked, "Why did you lie to me, Sensei?"
She could tell he hadn't just been teasing Avrora; he'd been deceiving her too.
"Alright. The truth is, I didn't want you going after Gardos," Shichen admitted.
"Why? He's dangerous," Yukina said, finally meeting his eyes.
"He's not dangerous to me. I just didn't want your weekend ruined."
"You mean…?"
"I want you to relax a little. Besides being my monitor, you can still do the things a student should do."
"Sensei, are you… serious?"
"I am. I've no reason to lie to you," he said, looking straight into her eyes, earnest.
"Mm… You're being way too willful…" Yukina turned her gaze away, flustered.
So he lied… for her.
"Hey, how long are you two going to hold hands?" Avrora cut in.
"Eh?"
Only then did Yukina realize Shichen was still holding her hand. She tried to pull away, blushing, but couldn't.
"Sensei…"
"What?" he played dumb.
"Don't play stupid—l-let go… What if someone sees?" she whispered.
"It's fine. This is to keep you from getting lost," he said, gripping tighter.
"Mm… There's no one around. And don't treat me like a child."
"In my eyes you are a child."
"Let go…"
"Nope. Took me trouble to catch you."
"Knew it—you do have ulterior motives…"
"Shichen, holding my hand is enough. Why are you holding Yukina's too? Aren't you hot?" Avrora grumbled.
"Hot? In that case, let's not hold hands," he said, pretending to let go.
"No!" Avrora immediately grabbed both his hands.
"Then stop complaining, or I'll hold Kaguya's hand instead."
"...Okay."
Smiling, Shichen walked on grandly to school, hands linked with the two of them, Kaguya following behind. Yukina kept her head down the whole way, ears red, not daring to look up.
Not only did passersby see; someone on a rooftop did too—peering through binoculars, teeth clenched as she stared at those joined hands.
Damn you, holding my Yukina's little hand! I won't let you get away with it!
There were two P.E. classes on Monday, the last two of the morning. Shichen suspected the school scheduled them to shake off students' weekend laziness.
When the last class ended, he went to the cafeteria with Ogdoos and the others for lunch. Today he sat with Ogdoos's group, so Avrora had to sit at another table with Yukina and the rest. Yukina sat directly behind Shichen—the closest seat—one she and Avrora had fought over many times.
After lunch, Shichen left the cafeteria with Avrora's group; midway they split—Avrora back to class, Shichen to the office.
"Sensei, don't wander this afternoon. Stay in the office," Yukina reminded him.
"You're a little too strict, aren't you?"
"I just don't want you causing trouble."
"What 'trouble' would I cause?"
"Well, the school's full of girls—and lolis…"
"…"
"In any case, no wandering," she said solemnly.
"I can do as you say. It is more comfortable in the office in this heat. But shouldn't I get some kind of compensation?" he asked.
"Compensation?"
"You're restricting my freedom. Don't I deserve something?"
"You have a point. What do you want?"
"How about… let me hold you for a bit?"
"Eh?" Yukina blinked, then flushed.
"W-what are you saying!"
"Sounds reasonable to me. It's not like you can offer anything else."
"E-even so… you can't—don't be indecent!"
"How is that indecent? It's not like I haven't held you before," he said, amused by her shyness.
"Mm… T-that was an accident!"
"Looks like I'll have to wander, then."
"You can't—That's blackmail!" she puffed her cheeks.
"Smart girl."
"…F-fine. If it keeps you from wandering… o-only for a moment," she said, cheeks burning.
"You agreed that fast?" he teased.
"I'm just doing my duty as your monitor," she insisted.
"Is that so? Since you put it that way, I won't wander."
"Good… I—I'm going back to class." And Yukina bolted.
Watching her flee, Shichen smiled and turned toward the office.
He'd only taken a few steps when a cutting hiss split the air.
Whsst—!
A flash of silver streaked past his side and buried itself hard in the floor—a shaft, sunk to the fletching.
All too familiar. But unlike last time, the arrow didn't fuse with the floor and morph into a beast. It hadn't even been aimed directly at him; he hadn't moved to dodge—but it made little difference.
He looked back toward the top of a distant building. His figure blurred and vanished.
"Eh? Where'd he go?"
"Obviously—right behind you."
Kirasaka Sayaka had barely voiced her confusion when a voice she loathed growled at her back.
"You—! Since when—?"
She whipped around. Shichen stood over her, looming so close she plopped onto her butt in fright.
"What's wrong? Forgotten what happened last time?" he asked.
"Mm…" Sayaka frowned, recalling how he'd appeared silently behind her then, too. Space magic—had to be.
"H-how did you show up here?" she asked, frozen.
"You've got some nerve asking me that. Shouldn't I be asking you?"
"W-what's it to you if I'm here?" she shot back, trying for bravado.
"Still mouthing off? Looks like last time's lesson didn't stick," he said with a smile, pinching her chin.
"Let go!" She raised a hand to slap his away—but he caught it. And then the other. He held both wrists in one hand and gripped her chin again.
"You pervert! What are you trying to do?" Sayaka demanded, face flushing.
"What I'm trying to do? How about what you were trying to do. What was that arrow?" he asked, squatting to look her in the eye up close.
"I… I just saw a flying bug and shot at it," she mumbled, looking aside, clearly unconvincing.
"You think I believe that?" His mouth twitched. Did she take him for an idiot?
"Honest truth!" she insisted stubbornly.
"Still stubborn, huh? Let's see if you're still like that in a minute," he said, smiling—coldly.
"W-what are you going to do?" Her heart fluttered at that smile.
"Heh~ Did you forget what I said last time?"
"Y-you're going to spank me again?!"
"You asked for it—shooting arrows at me."
"I-I wasn't aiming at you!"
"What's the difference? You startled me," he said, releasing her—and then he scooped her up by the waist and tucked her against his hip.
"Wait! What are you doing, you perv! Put me down! Don't you dare spank me!" Sayaka thrashed, to no effect.
"Still talking like that? Sounds like someone's itching for it," Shichen said, raising his hand.
"Wait! Wait! Don't—! It's because you were holding Yukina's hand! And the day before—you took her out and even bought her underwear! It's outrageous! I've never even done that!"
The jealousy in her voice was obvious, but Shichen wasn't moved.
"Cut the chatter."
Smack—!
The sharp, ringing crack seemed to ripple the air. Sayaka's struggles stopped at once; her whole body went rigid.
~~~
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