"That guy, isn't he…?"
Hyūga Akikiku was also in the classroom. Of course she recognized Natsume Yō. Her sharp gaze slid past him to Wada Chiba, knowing immediately who he was here for.
"Excuse me, young man, who are you looking for?"
The gaggle of girls had already spotted him, so naturally the chūnin teacher at the front couldn't miss him either. She stepped forward with a polite smile.
"Teacher, I'm here to see Wada Chiba. But please, continue with your lesson. I'll wait outside." Yō bowed respectfully.
"No need. Since you're here for her, you can wait inside. Class is almost over anyway."
The teacher's tone was gentle, clearly not intending to chase him off.
"In that case, thank you very much."
Yō bowed again, then obediently followed her into the room.
When it came to seating, he didn't hesitate—he sat right beside Wada Chiba. Her seat just happened to have an open spot, so why waste it?
The moment Chiba saw him, her eyes lit up with joy. But in the next instant, she quickly masked it with an exaggerated pout, turning her head away.
Yō caught it instantly.
Without warning, he slipped his hand into hers under the desk. Chiba's face flared scarlet, but no matter how she squirmed, he didn't let go.
"Still mad at me?" Yō asked with a teasing grin.
"Y-you—let go already! This is so embarrassing!" she whispered, her voice barely louder than a mosquito.
"Not unless you say you're not mad. If you're not angry, I'll let go. If you are… then I'll hold on forever."
Yō knew well: sometimes a guy had to be shameless.
"…Fine, I'm not mad anymore! Now let go!"
She answered in a rush, desperate to escape.
Yō only smirked. "Silly girl, you actually believed me? As if I'd let go of my precious treasure that easily."
And with that, he clasped her hand tighter, fingers interlaced so there was no escape.
"Cough, cough. Student, please pay attention to classroom discipline," the teacher scolded, finally noticing.
"My apologies, sensei! It won't happen again!"
Yō immediately stood, tucked Chiba's hand behind his back, and bowed deeply.
"…Hmph. At least you know to apologize. Sit down."
Moved by his courtesy, the teacher let it slide. After all, a polite student was every teacher's weakness.
Once her back was turned again, Yō leaned in. "Missed me?"
"…Every day," Chiba admitted, head lowered, cheeks burning. "I think about being with you every day."
"Then let's go out after class. I owe you some proper time." Yō reached out and gently ruffled her hair, ignoring the curious stares around them.
"…Mm."
Chiba gave a tiny nod, falling silent.
Yō also behaved after that. It was still a classroom—there was a limit to how many rules even he could bend.