SMACK!
A sharp, stinging sound abruptly shattered the quiet hum of the teachers' office. Heads turned, papers were set down, and all eyes swiveled towards the source of the noise.
"Kirisu-sensei? Is everything alright?" one of the female teachers asked, her voice laced with surprise and concern.
Mafuyu Kirisu offered a curt, professional nod in apology. "My apologies for the disturbance. I am merely… educating a student." Her tone was as chilly and crisp as the morning frost. Her glacial gaze then returned to the bewildered boy standing before her desk—Hikigaya Hachiman, who was currently clutching his stinging cheek with a look of pure, unadulterated panic.
"Hikigaya," she began, her voice dropping to a dangerously low register, like a judge pronouncing a sentence. "Care to offer a proper explanation? Why… precisely… did you just lay a hand on my thigh?"
"I-I don't know either!" Hikigaya stammered, his soul practically fleeing his body. "I-if I said my hand moved on its own, would you believe me, sensei?!"
Of course, he found Kirisu-sensei's elegant legs, sheathed in their sophisticated black stockings, to be incredibly alluring. But even with a thousand lifetimes' worth of courage, he would never dare to actively mess with the Ice Queen of Sobu High!
Could it be… that evil power inside me acting up again? Wait! Do I even have an evil power inside me?! His internal monologue was a frantic, desperate scream.
Sweating bullets, he grasped for the flimsiest straw he could find. "A-A bug! There was a bug flying near your leg, sensei! I was just trying to swat it for you, so I…"
"Hey. Hey. Hey." Kirisu-sensei's voice cut him off, each word dripping with sarcastic disbelief. "Hachiman. Isn't that excuse just a little too pathetic, even for you?"
In response, an undisguised aura of killing intent began to radiate from her, making the very air around her desk feel several degrees colder. Hikigaya, who was already notoriously afraid of women, felt his knees turn to jelly. The woman in front of him wasn't just any woman; she was his homeroom teacher, the formidable Kirisu Mafuyu!
She stared at him in silence for what felt like an eternity, her face an unreadable mask of ice. After a solid thirty seconds of this soul-crushing scrutiny, she finally let out a nearly imperceptible sigh.
"Shizuka is a friend I trust deeply," she stated, her tone slightly less frigid. "Since you were once her student, I will extend that trust to you this one time. I will believe your… explanation." She leaned forward slightly, her blue eyes narrowing. "But if you make a 'mistake' like this again in the future, Hikigaya…"
"It won't happen! I swear on my life, it will never happen again!" Hikigaya immediately vowed, raising his right hand as if taking a sacred oath.
Phew… Hiratsuka-sensei! You're my savior! No matter what, I have to find a way to properly thank you, Hiratsuka-sensei!! He internally wept tears of gratitude for his former teacher.
Expressionlessly, Kirisu-sensei waved a hand towards the door. "If there is nothing else, you are dismissed. Remember what I said about getting along with your classmates. And if you are struggling with your studies, I expect you to ask for help."
Hikigaya nodded meekly. "O-oh."
He absolutely wanted to get out of there. But before he fled, a burning question forced him to dig his own grave a little deeper.
Kirisu-sensei naturally noticed his hesitation and frowned. "Still here? If you have something to say, spit it out."
"Uh…" Hikigaya paused, gathering his courage for a few seconds before cautiously asking, "Kirisu-sensei… could I… possibly… get Hiratsuka-sensei's contact information from you?"
If Hiratsuka-sensei was teaching at a nearby school, he might have mustered the courage to seek her out on his own. The problem was, Kōdo Ikusei Senior High School was all the way in Tokyo. Seeing her was next to impossible. In his desperation, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and ask.
Kirisu-sensei raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Didn't Shizuka tell you anything before she left? And here she was, so concerned about you…"
Hiratsuka-sensei is concerned about me? Sensei, please, elaborate! I need details!
"I can give you Shizuka's contact information," Kirisu-sensei said after a moment of thought, a calculated glint in her eye. "But… on one condition. For the next math exam, Hikigaya-kun, you need to pass."
"Huh? W-what?!" Hikigaya's face immediately fell, all color draining from it. Math was his natural enemy!
"You can't do it?" she said indifferently, turning back to her computer. "Then I won't give it to you. If you can't even manage to pass a simple math exam, what right do you have to bother your previous teacher?"
Watching her deliver this critical blow to his very being, Hikigaya could only sigh in defeat. "I… I understand. Thank you for your… guidance, Kirisu-sensei."
"Class is about to start. You should go now."
"… Yes."
Shoulders slumped in dejection, Hikigaya turned to leave. But as he did, his peripheral vision caught something on Kirisu-sensei's laptop that made him do a double-take. The keyboard was adorned with cute, moe-style anime girl stickers, and her desktop wallpaper featured a certain vengeful knight from a popular game, depicted with a massive greatsword and a prominently bare, smooth back.
No way…
Sensei… you don't play Genshin Impact, do you?!
Hikigaya's mind was reeling.
Could the Ice Queen Kirisu-sensei secretly be… an otaku girl?!
Of course, he didn't dare let his shock show. After stealing a few more furtive glances, he quickly bowed and fled the office.
"…"
Meanwhile, after Hikigaya had fled the scene, a rare moment of quiet contemplation fell over Kirisu Mafuyu. Her hand drifted almost subconsciously to her thigh, the exact spot where her student's touch had briefly lingered. A faint, unfamiliar warmth seemed to remain.
To be honest, this was a first for her. No boy had ever dared—or accidentally managed—to touch her there. And the fact that it was him, her own student… For some reason, a strange, fluttering sensation stirred deep within her, confusing and unsettling the normally unshakable teacher.
On the other side, Class 3-J.
[Ding! Under the effect of the Forced Affection Card, Hikigaya Hachiman unconsciously touched Kirisu Mafuyu's thigh. System Points +100.]
[Hikigaya Hachiman's Affection for Kirisu Mafuyu: 59/100]
"Oh?" Yukinoshita Yukino, seated in her regal 'King's Seat' at the back of the classroom, blinked in mild surprise as the system notifications materialized in her mind's eye. "A new capture target?" she murmured to herself, a curious glint in her sharp, blue eyes.
She had just used another one of those Forced Affection Cards during the recent break, testing its random nature. And this time, the points gained from a single forced act were even higher than with Kasumigaoka! But that wasn't what truly caught her attention.
The main point was… the starting number. Her Hikigaya's affection for this new girl began at a staggering 59??
Is this some kind of joke?
Kirisu Mafuyu… just who are you? she thought, a flicker of possessive irritation crossing her features. How could you make my Hikigaya have such high affection for you right from the start? Yuigahama Yui, whom he had known for over a year, only registered a 67! This was… unprecedented.
Yukinoshita's brow furrowed slightly as she subconsciously muttered the name aloud. "Hmm? Kirisu… That surname… it sounds strangely familiar…"
A few seconds of intense mental searching later, the pieces clicked into place. Her expression subtly shifted, a rare look of dawning horror replacing her cool curiosity.
"Kirisu Mafuyu? Wait… you don't mean Teacher Kirisu?!"
*The homeroom teacher of Class 3-B?!*
A cold dread washed over her. Oh no! What have I done?! How did I just force Hikigaya-kun to touch his own homeroom teacher's thigh?! This is a disaster!
Yukinoshita was immediately filled with profound regret. She had no idea what kind of fallout Hikigaya was facing right now, but she sincerely hoped he was still in one piece. Please be okay, Hachiman…
Taking a deep breath to steady her racing thoughts, she directed an annoyed query inward. System, are you even functional? Are teachers also considered potential capture targets?
The system's response was prompt and utterly shameless. [Yes. Kirisu Mafuyu possesses exceptionally high individual stats. Should Hikigaya Hachiman achieve a state of intimate closeness with her, the host will be rewarded with an extremely high volume of System Points. It is strongly recommended to guide Hikigaya Hachiman directly into Teacher Kirisu's bed.]
Yukinoshita's face palmed internally. You… you degenerate, dirty-minded system! she retorted, a blush of secondhand embarrassment creeping up her neck. In our society, teacher-student relationships are strictly forbidden! That kind of thing is absolutely impossible and completely unacceptable!
Without a doubt, pushing for that level of excessive affection was completely out of the question!
However… a more pragmatic thought began to form. Teacher Kirisu was, after all, Hikigaya's homeroom teacher. As his self-proclaimed (and system-appointed) girlfriend, she naturally hoped her boyfriend could maintain a positive and beneficial relationship with the woman who guided his class. A good teacher-student relationship would undoubtedly benefit Hikigaya's future studies and school life.
Therefore, if the opportunity presented itself… fostering a moderate amount of positive affection with the teacher would still be necessary. It was a practical move. Plus, she could still earn a decent amount of points from it. It was killing two birds with one stone.
Yes, that's it, Yukinoshita comforted herself, mentally nodding. The primary objective is purely to foster a healthy and productive teacher-student relationship. That is the most important thing here. The points are… merely a secondary, incidental bonus.
She was almost convinced. Almost.