As soon as Shirase and Nakano Nino stepped into the elevator, Nino smiled teasingly. "Looks like Miku won't reject you anymore."
"That could be misunderstood," Shirase warned. "Please add 'when it comes to studying' at the beginning."
Nino clicked her tongue. "Do you have to be so nitpicky? It's not like I was teasing you."
"I'm just getting ahead of it in case you try to use this to extort me."
"Huh? When did I ever extort you? Don't go spouting nonsense, Shirase! I, Nakano Nino, am not that kind of person!"
"Oh, really? I figured you might take revenge after I extorted a leg photo from you last time."
"…"
Nino froze, her fair cheeks flushing.
Fine—she had thought about it. But with everyone chatting so happily just now, she'd completely forgotten. Now, hearing Shirase bring up the leg photo again, she shot him a furious, embarrassed glare. "You still have that photo?"
"Thought about setting it as my phone wallpaper. How's that for bold?"
"Don't you dare!" Nino snapped, blushing fiercely. "You really are a pervert! What normal person would use a picture like that as wallpaper?"
"What's wrong with appreciating a girl's legs?" Shirase asked, perfectly calm.
"As expected—total pervert!"
"So will you send more in the future? Ideally with different poses. And stockings."
"Keep dreaming!"
The elevator doors slid open. A couple waiting on the first floor glanced at Nino's red cheeks, then at Shirase's calm expression, looking more and more confused. Nino noticed and quietly quickened her pace, following Shirase to the building's main entrance before finally breathing out in relief.
Then Shirase piped up again. "Really can't send me one more?"
Nino was about to refuse flatly—but Ichika's words flashed through her mind: Maybe Shirase's always been holding back around you.
She fell silent for a few seconds, eyes flicking away in embarrassment. "If… it's just one more, I—I guess it's not impossible."
Shirase slowly raised two fingers. "Then two more?"
"I've put up with you long enough, Shirase! Don't push your luck!"
But she didn't get the chance to vent—
Because Shirase played his trump card.
He opened his arms and pulled her straight into his embrace, brazen and sure of himself.
The instant he hugged her, Nino's strength left her; she melted into his arms.
"Y-you're doing reckless things again…" she murmured, biting her lip, eyes shimmering, too shy to look him in the eye.
For all her protests, she didn't resist or try to push him away.
Tasting sweetness for the first time, a girl is quickly swept up by happiness and excitement, helpless to do anything but sink into it.
Feeling his warm breath at her neck, listening to his heartbeat, Nino gradually went soft. The corners of her lips lifted into a small smile; she leaned against him, quietly content, as if she could stay there forever.
"I suddenly wanted to hold you, so I did," Shirase said with a low chuckle.
Nino raised her head bashfully, cheeks flushed, lashes trembling. "Um… have you always been…"
"Always been what?" Shirase asked.
Nino bit her lip—but in the end, she couldn't say it out loud. Even so, she could read his intentions in everything he did.
Ichika was right all along! This guy really has been holding himself back…
Nino took a deep breath, tamping down the bashfulness of a young girl, and was just about to work up the courage to decide—
When she caught sight of a figure outside the entrance.
Her gaze flicked over, and she froze.
"What are you looking at—"
Following her line of sight, Shirase froze too.
Standing outside, dressed casually in black, was Hiratsuka Shizuka-sensei.
She had an ice cream bar in her mouth, like she'd stepped out to shop—or meet someone. But right now it was as if someone had hit pause. She stood there, stunned, shock written all over her face, not even noticing the melted ice cream dripping onto her chin.
Her expression practically read: Shocked my mom for a hundred years!
Nino flushed scarlet, shoved Shirase away, and hurriedly stepped aside, fussing with her slightly messy hair and zipping up her track jacket.
Shirase, on the other hand, stayed perfectly composed and struck first. "Hiratsuka-sensei, didn't expect you to be into peeping."
"Cough—cough—"
About to speak, Hiratsuka choked on his sudden accusation. She yanked the ice cream out; melted sweetness dripped onto her lips, catching the sunlight.
No matter how you looked at it, the whole scene seemed… suggestive.
"What do you mean, 'peeping'? I was clearly just passing by!" Hiratsuka shot back with an exasperated laugh, striding over.
Nino was so flustered she didn't even dare raise her head.
Shirase stayed calm. "Passing by? Looked to me like you were watching for quite a while."
"Don't slander me! How could I possibly do something like that?" Hiratsuka said—but she couldn't hold back a grin.
Maybe she had been passing by, but stopping to watch the show? Absolutely intentional. And probably for over a minute.
Shirase glanced at Nino with a faint smile. "You go up first. I'm heading to training soon anyway."
Nino felt pardoned. She mumbled a hasty greeting to Hiratsuka-sensei and beat a quick retreat.
Watching her go, Hiratsuka couldn't resist teasing, "Sending your friend away first, huh? Planning to face me alone?"
Shirase arched a wary brow. "Does Hiratsuka-sensei still want to fight me?"
"Don't play dumb." Hiratsuka laughed, flicking him on the forehead, her look turning increasingly gossipy. "Honestly, I didn't expect Shirase-kun, the school's infamous heartbreaker, to be holed up here on a Saturday secretly dating a girl."
"That wasn't 'secretly dating,'" Shirase said, shaking his head.
"Oh? Then what would you call what you were doing just now?" she asked, arms folded, grinning.
Calm as ever, Shirase answered, "Innocent kids tasting their first love. Hiratsuka-sensei probably wouldn't get it, right?"
Hiratsuka's smile froze.
You little brat—what are you implying? So what if I'm single? Do I eat at your house or something?