Chapter 216: Shizuka Hiratsuka's Iron Fist of Justice
Smack!
Gabriel swung her "Friendship-Ending Fist" in pure fury, the wind from her punch slicing through the air like a whip. The sound echoed through the quiet lingerie shop, startling even the saleswoman at the counter.
Kouya reacted instantly, catching her small fist in one hand. Her knuckles pressed against his palm, warm and trembling with indignation.
She glared at him, puffing out her cheeks. "Let go!"
He didn't move. "No."
She tried again, her body twisting as she launched another punch with her other hand, but he caught that one too, fingers closing around her wrist before she could land the hit.
The two of them stood there, frozen in a strange, intimate stalemate—faces close, eyes locked, like two rivals refusing to yield.
The tension between them could have snapped at any moment.
The saleswoman peeked over curiously, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "You two have such a close relationship," she said with an envious tone.
"Not at all!" they barked back in perfect unison.
They both froze again, glanced at each other, then turned away at the same time.
"Hmph!╭(╯^╰)╮" Gabriel yanked her hand free with an exaggerated pout. Even though she turned her head, Kouya noticed the faint blush on her ears. It was small, but impossible to miss.
"No… lingerie," Gabriel muttered quietly, her tone suddenly meek. "Just normal underwear."
The saleswoman's polite smile didn't fade. "Of course, miss."
She hung the lacy black lingerie back on the rack and took out a simple white set. "For middle school girls, it's best to focus on comfort and healthy development. This one is soft, breathable, and supports growth—it's perfect for you."
'Wait. What did she just say?'
Kouya's expression darkened. 'Don't tell me she just called her a middle schooler?!'
And now that he thought about it… it explained the strange glances he'd been getting from earlier. The saleswoman must've thought he was dating a junior high girl! What kind of pervert did she think he was?!
He wanted to shout that he wasn't some criminal, but the lazy angel beside him didn't help her case. She was short—barely 149 centimeters—and her chest was so flat it might as well have been a board. Not to mention her messy hair, her blank expression, and her total lack of fashion sense. All her money went into gacha games instead of clothes.
Honestly, if you didn't know her, you'd swear she was a first-year middle schooler.
Seeing Gabriel's sullen look, the saleswoman hesitated. "Is something wrong, miss?"
Kouya sighed and coughed lightly. "She's my classmate. My seatmate, actually."
"Eh? Classmate?" The woman blinked in surprise, then bowed repeatedly. "Oh my, I'm terribly sorry!"
So she was in high school? Though from her size and figure, no one would have guessed.
Gabriel folded her arms, still sulking. "Forget it. I'll pick one myself." She brushed past them, grabbed a plain bra from the rack, and stomped off toward the fitting room, her ponytail swaying like an angry cat's tail.
...
Kouya stood waiting near the entrance, glancing around awkwardly. Every so often, a few customers passed by, each giving him the same suspicious look—as if wondering what a guy was doing loitering inside a lingerie shop.
Then, just when he thought things couldn't get more awkward, he felt eyes on him.
Turning his head, he locked eyes with a familiar black-haired girl.
"Machiko?"
She froze like a deer in headlights. In her hands was a shopping bag, but her eyes darted between him and the racks of bras behind him.
'Oh no. He could already see the misunderstanding forming in her head.'
Why was Kouya standing in a lingerie store alone?! Was he here buying underwear for someone? Vigne? Raphiel? Or… something even stranger?!
Kouya gave a dry smile. "You shopping too?" His tone was casual, but even he could hear how weird it sounded.
Machiko stiffened. "A-ah, um…" She clutched the bag to her chest. "About earlier—"
"It was my fault at lunch!" she blurted before he could finish. Her hair quivered as she bowed deeply. "I shouldn't have made promises I couldn't keep! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me!"
Then, without warning, she turned on her heel. "I—I have to go!"
Kouya nearly facepalmed. It looked like she thought he was about to eat her alive.
"Wait." He caught her wrist, his voice firm. "Stop talking and listen to me."
Her body froze. "Y-yes…" Her voice trembled. She tried to pull away but couldn't, her lower lip trembling as she looked up at him with wide, watery eyes.
Kouya sighed heavily. "At lunch, I only asked you to help me submit a club application to the student council. That's it. Nothing weird. Got it?"
Machiko blinked, clearly trying to process it. "R-really?"
"Yes, really."
'Then what the hell had she been imagining?!'
Before he could scold her further, a smooth, teasing voice drifted from behind him.
"Well, well, Kouya-kun… would you care to explain why you're grabbing a girl's arm in a lingerie shop?"
Kouya froze. That voice.
He turned slowly. "...Miss Shizuka?"
Machiko turned as well, eyes widening in disbelief.
The woman who entered wore a long, flowing coffee-colored dress, her jet-black hair cascading freely down her back. Her elegant face carried that trademark air of lazy grace, but her sharp eyes and confident stride made her presence undeniable.
Shizuka Hiratsuka—their teacher.
Kouya's stomach dropped. "You've got to be kidding me…"
'Why did this woman appear everywhere he went? Didn't she have a life? Maybe if she spent less time stalking students and more time dating, she'd already be married!'
Miss Shizuka's eyebrow twitched. "Kouya-kun, are you and Machiko dating?"
"Of course not!" Machiko's hands flew up instantly. "It's not like that at all!"
Shizuka's eyes narrowed, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Then perhaps you could let go of her arm. Because from where I'm standing, this looks… compromising."
"It's just a misunderstanding," Kouya said, releasing Machiko immediately. "You can ask her."
Shizuka turned to Machiko, who hesitated for a second before nodding shyly. "There was… a misunderstanding."
She couldn't say more. What was she supposed to tell her teacher—that she thought Kouya wanted her to do something indecent? No way she could say that!
Shizuka's expression softened, but her tone remained sharp. "Alright, I believe you. But Kouya-kun, you might want to be more careful. Boys who toy with girls' hearts don't end up very well."
Before Kouya could respond, the fitting room door opened.
Gabriel stepped out with a bag in hand, calling lazily, "Hey, come carry this. Let's go already."
Silence fell over the store.
Every gaze turned toward her.
Gabriel froze, her face going pale. Her eyes flicked between Machiko and Shizuka, and then her cheeks went bright red. "Ah… this isn't what it looks like."
"G-Gabriel-chan?" Machiko stammered, eyes wide, covering her mouth in disbelief. Her imagination was already running wild.
As for Shizuka—her lips curved into a sweet, terrifying smile.
She cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing like thunder in the tense air. "Kouya-kun," she said in a silky tone that promised pain, "come here. Sensei's got a special buff for you—'Bed Rest for Three Days.'"
Her eyes gleamed dangerously.
Kouya took a step back, sweat beading on his forehead. "W-wait, I can explain—"
"Sometimes," Shizuka said, raising her glowing iron fist, "a boy just needs a righteous punch to set him straight."
Her fist came down like divine judgment.
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