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birinboom · 2 years

Text

Heat Haze

Rengoku Kyoujurou x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 16,134

Summary: As a brand new teacher, fresh out of university, you’re excited to finally start working and getting to know your students and colleagues of Kimetsu Academy. One colleague in particular catches your eye: the fiery, passionate history teacher who happens to take the same train as you every morning.

About the Reader: The reader is in her early 20’s, with Kyoujurou being a couple of years older. She teaches Japanese, loves literature, drinks a bit too much coffee, and is lactose intolerant. Kyoujurou eventually refers to her as ‘my sweet’.

Genre: Kimetsu Academy!AU, fluff, pining, light angst, romance, spice

Trigger warnings (all under the cut): Food/eating, very brief mention of past pregnancy (not related to the reader), minor injuries and blood (the reader twists an ankle, she gets exhausted to the point of fainting and suffers a nose bleed, Senjurou sustains an unspecified minor knee injury), alcohol, (drunken) kissing, implied sex. This fic teeters on the edge of NSFW, but I don’t believe that it crosses the line. If I’m wrong then please let me know and I’ll tag it as such.

The administrative director of Kimetsu Academy - Ubuyashiki Kagaya - surveyed you, fingers steepled under his chin, a mild smile on his lips. You forced yourself to sit still and not squirm in the chair. The interview for the position as Japanese teacher was nearly over. Or at least you hoped it was.

Ubuyashiki's smile widened as he rose from his chair. “Well, I see no need to drag this out any longer.” Extending his hand to you, he added, “Welcome to the academy!”

You gaped at him for a second before gathering yourself up and grabbing his outstretched hand. Was it really that easy?

“I know what you must be thinking,” he said as he moved away from his desk, “you had imagined that it would be more difficult to find a position when you have no experience. Personally, I think that new teachers are just wonderful, filled to the brim with ambitions and hope for their future students. And I wish to cultivate that hope.” Turning back to you, he added, “Experience can be gained anywhere, so why not here? The headmistress and I pride ourselves at ensuring that Kimetsu Academy is the perfect first position for new teachers. And we will be lucky to have you join us!”

You couldn’t do anything but nod as you got to your feet, overcome with the quiet benevolence this man exuded.

He led you back to the teacher’s lounge.

“Let’s get you introduced to some of your new colleagues,” he said. Then he turned, addressing the room at large, “Everybody, may I have your attention please?”

He had barely raised his voice. Yet his soft words made the quiet chatter and scratching of pens stop immediately.

You stood next to him, trying your best not to look like an overwhelmed child as he introduced you to the few people in the room. Forcing your back straight, you kept repeating to yourself that you weren’t a student in trouble. Even if you’d only recently graduated university and gotten your teaching certificate, you were still an adult - just like them.

A woman with two butterfly clips in her black hair came up to greet you. She introduced herself as Kochou Kanae, the biology teacher.

“If you’re not busy, Kanae, would you be kind enough to show our newest teacher around?” Ubuyashiki asked.

She smiled, purple eyes twinkling. “Certainly, Sir. I’m sure we’ll get along famously.”

“We’ll start with the laboratories,” Kochou said, leading you away from the teachers’ lounge. Sending you an impish smile, she added, “That’s my domain, where I rule as an evil queen, torturing my students with boring lectures on allelomorphs and phenotypic traits. At least that’s what some of them claim I do.”

When you gave her a blank look, she laughed.

“My, my, I suppose my students are right in their assessment of me, then. The evil biology queen on her throne of boring textbooks.”

A fond smile spread over your face. “I guess my students are going to say the same things about me. I remember most of my peers in school found Japanese literature boring. I never fully understood them.”

“I thought the same when my classmates complained about our biology lessons!” Kochou said. “I always thought they were so fascinating. And that’s why we become teachers, you and I - we want to pass on our passion about our subjects!”

You were really starting to like Kochou. Her easy-going personality felt like a breath of fresh air.

As she turned to open the door to the biology lab, a ray of March sunlight caught one of her green and pink butterfly clips, making it sparkle.

“I love your hair clips, Kochou-sensei,” you said. “Where did you get them?”

Kochou turned to you again, seemingly puzzled for a moment, before she smiled. “Please don’t call me ‘sensei’, we’re about to be colleagues. ‘Kochou-san’ will do just fine. And these…” She reached up to touch the clips. “I make them myself. I’ve given some out to the members of the flower arranging club, too, since I’m their advisor; it’s like a little inside joke for us. The oldest of my younger sisters has one as well, though she’s not a member of the club.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet! So your sister is a student here? What year is she in?”

Kochou smiled again. “Shinobu will start her final year of high school next year. She’ll have to give up her position as president of the pharmaceuticals research club soon so she can prepare for her university entrance exams. And my youngest sister, Kanao, is here, too! She’ll start her second year of high school.” Letting out a sigh, she added, “They grow up so fast… ”

The two of you chatted while she showed you around, introducing you to any staff members you came across. You paused briefly outside a classroom, the booming voice of the teacher piquing your curiosity.

“That’s Rengoku, the history teacher,” Kochou said as the two of you peered in through the glass pane in the door.

“Is he always this loud?” you asked, casting one last glance into the classroom before you moved on, wondering if he ever disturbed the classes next door.

“Not always, but…” Kochou hid a giggle behind her hand. “He’s very enthusiastic; he often gets completely caught up in his lessons. If you ever have trouble being heard properly in class, you should ask him for some pointers. Just be warned, though…” She leveled you with a more serious gaze. “He will make you practice in front of him.”

“Sounds like you’ve been through that already.”

She giggled again. “I have! We started teaching the same year, and I had some trouble making my voice carry enough. Rengoku put me through the wringer; I could barely speak afterwards.”

As the two of you were descending the stairs of the high school building, heading back to the teachers’ lounge, you spotted the history teacher again. He was a couple of steps in front of you, pushing open the doors to exit the building.

“Rengoku-san,” Kochou called as she hurried towards him, “Do you have a moment?”

He turned, holding the door open. “Kochou, good morning! How are you on this fine day? And who is this?”

Joining him in the small courtyard between the buildings, Kochou introduced you to him. The smile he sent you made your knees feel just the tiniest bit weak.

“Our new Japanese teacher, huh?” he said. “It’s a pleasure to meet you! Let me know if you ever want to coordinate our lesson plans.” Turning back to Kochou, he asked, “Are you two heading to the teachers’ lounge?”

When Kochou confirmed, Rengoku beamed, first at her, then at you.

“Me too! I forgot the print-outs I made for my class this morning!” He let out a resounding laugh, the echo of it reverberating between the buildings.

“Rengoku-san!” Kochou scolded. “Not so loud, you’ll disturb the other classes!”

Saying your goodbyes to the teachers, you let them know how much you were looking forward to working alongside them come April. You didn’t notice how Rengoku deliberately lingered in the teachers’ lounge, delaying his return to his class.

Fastening the last button of your dress shirt, you scrutinized your reflection. You wanted to look your best on your first day of work. Nervousness coursed through your body, making you brush invisible motes of dust off your clothes. Was this normal? It seemed worse than you’d ever felt on the first day of new classes at school, or even when you’d started your part-time jobs. Surely, standing in front of a group of teenagers, having their undivided attention on you as you tried to imprint knowledge on them shouldn’t be so terrifying… right?

You let out a shaky breath. Being a teacher was something you’d dreamt of since your own school days. You wanted to impart your passion for literature to your students and guide them as they grew into proper adults… And you were going to excel at it, nerves be damned!

In an attempt to ground yourself, you thought back to the few teachers you remembered meeting at the academy, trying your best to recall what had made them stand out and what you could learn from them.

You remembered Kochou clearly, her sweet expression and pretty butterfly hair clips cemented in your mind. She seemed so amiable - when she showed you around the academy, every student and staff member you’d passed had greeted her with a smile. You would like to be just as well liked some day.

There was Shinazugawa, the loud and hot-tempered math teacher who made you thankful that the teachers you’d had in school had been much more agreeable. His temper was definitely something you didn’t want to imitate; you would prefer your students to be comfortable with you. But expecting them to do their very best would be a good thing to incorporate into your own teaching methods.

The art teacher, Uzui, had seemed somewhat out of place with his flashy makeup and choice of clothes. Though you were relieved that the dress code for the teachers wasn’t terribly formal. Maybe you could dress a little more casually, too, once you got settled.

And Himejima, the exceptionally tall and muscular civics teacher, who you had - quite literally - run into when you turned a corner. You’d been terrified of how he’d react at first, but he had turned out to be more worried about whether you’d gotten hurt than the stack of papers you’d caused him to drop. That kindness and concern for others was definitely something you’d like to display, too.

The last one you remembered clearly was the chemistry teacher, Iguro, the lower half of his face covered by a mask. Kochou had told you that Iguro was prone to allergies so he always wore a mask to try to prevent himself from getting too sick. He had made you realize that you ought to take more care of your own health, too. You wanted to be strong and thriving so you could be present for your students when they needed you.

The rest of the teachers were a bit of a blur. You remembered seeing the sleepy-eyed physical education teacher, Tomioka, as you and Kochou passed by the gymnasium, his hair dark and unruly. But that was all you remembered about him.

Another loud voice - much more cheerful and enthusiastic than that of Shinazugawa - dug its way up from the depth of your memories. You couldn’t put a face to it. Shrugging, you grabbed your bag. You’d meet this teacher again soon enough, and once you got to know him better you could try to incorporate his enthusiasm into your own lessons.

The train car was jam-packed. Not that you’d expected anything else; it had always been equally as packed when you'd gone to your early morning classes or work shifts. The train pulled into a station and the crowd shifted around to let people off. Letting your eyes glide over the mass as it moved, your gaze landed on someone familiar. You could swear that you’d seen that mane of blonde and red hair and those dark, bushy eyebrows before.

The man held a book in front of his face, preventing you from taking a closer look at his features. Still, there was something very familiar about him. Then it hit you: the history teacher from the academy, the one with the vibrant voice. You remembered being able to hear every word he spoke to his class clearly, even through the closed door. It had to be him. There was no way that anybody would have that same odd combination of hair and eyebrows.

Heat threatened to creep into your cheeks when you thought back on the sunny smile he’d sent you. Odd that you’d managed to forget him at all. You couldn’t help but wonder if he smiled at everybody like that… or if it had been a special smile for you. Closing your eyes for a moment, you mentally shook your head. Of course it wasn’t special, he didn’t even know you yet.

Opening your eyes again, you watched intently as he lowered his book for a moment to turn the page. It only made you more certain that it really was him. You couldn’t help but feel a sense of giddiness that one of your new colleagues took the same train as you. Now you would have someone to talk to on your commute! Hopefully, he’d feel just as happy about some company; he had seemed like the type to enjoy having someone to talk to.

When he raised the book again, you turned your focus to the cover. A young girl held onto an armful of sunflowers as she beamed at anybody who would pay her any attention. You were too far away to read the title next to her, but it looked like a standard comedy manga.

Lowering the book again, he flicked another page. You kept looking at him, trying to recall his name. Then, as if he could feel your gaze, he raised his head, locking eyes with you. You looked at each other for a long moment, neither of you moving. The heat you’d been fighting to keep down crept into your cheeks, much to your chagrin. You’d been caught staring. Finally, his name popped into your mind. Rengoku, purgatory, a prison made of fire hot enough to use for smelting. It somehow seemed appropriate with how intense his gaze was. The air almost seemed like it shimmered around him from the fire in his eyes.

Then a brilliant smile grew on his face, like the sun coming out behind the clouds. You saw him draw in a breath, as if he was planning on addressing you across the sea of people, but a tall man moved in between you, blocking the view. Letting out a breath you hadn’t known you were holding back, you sagged with the relief of being let go from his gaze. You couldn’t believe you’d been caught like that. Now, at least, you would have a moment to think of a good excuse for why you were staring so unabashedly at him.

However, if you had been able to see how Rengoku rose to his toes, stretching and craning his neck in an attempt to catch your eyes again, you’d have realized that your embarrassment was completely unfounded.

He waited for you on the platform, letting the crowd push past him. His gaze on you felt like a spotlight. Your cheeks grew hot again as you tried to remember how to walk casually. One foot in front of the other. Were your arms too stiff? Or were they swinging too much? You couldn’t tell anymore.

Hearing your name called out in that loud voice almost made you jump. You swallowed hard when you saw that same sunny smile - just like the one which had made your knees weak that day - gracing his features once more. How did words work again? Were they supposed to be in any specific order, or could you just let out whatever gibberish your muddled brain was forming?

Finally, after what felt like hours of moving in slow motion, you reached him. He fell into step next to you as you started down the stairs to the street.

“Fancy meeting you here!” he said. “If I had known that you’d take the same train as me, I would’ve kept my eyes peeled!”

His voice was softer than you remembered it from last time, but just as vibrant. The laugh he let out tugged at the corners of your lips, your nerves slowly vanishing like mist in the sunlight.

“I’m so happy to see a friendly face,” you admitted. “It’ll make the commute so much more pleasant. If you wouldn’t mind spending it with me, that is.”

He beamed at you again. “It would be my pleasure!!”

“I’m sorry for staring at you like that, I just--”

He interrupted you before you could finish your apology.

“Nonsense, you have nothing to apologize for! Kochou told me that you’re a fan of literature so of course you’d be interested in my book!”

Book … You’d almost managed to forget the manga he’d been reading from the sheer embarrassment. But you grabbed at the straw he offered you.

“Yes! It looked very…” You fought to find a word that would describe your assumption of the story. “Light-hearted,” you finally said. Was that really the best you could come up with?

Rengoku didn’t seem to mind your current lack of conversational skills. “It is!” he said, grinning. “Very endearing, too!”

You learned a lot about Rengoku on the walk to the academy. Like how he lived a bit further out in the suburbs than you, meaning that he got on the train a few stops before you did. And how his mother taught calligraphy at a community center, and his father ran a kendo dojo adjacent to their home.

“Seems like your whole family are teachers of some kind,” you said.

“We are! Well, with the exception of my younger brother. He starts at the academy today! Our parents are driving him to school this morning, but he’ll be taking the train from now on. He’s been talking my ear off about how excited he is, both to commute with me and to have me as a teacher!!”

You couldn’t help but wonder if the younger Rengoku would be just as vibrant as his older brother. The thought of a middle schooler laughing like Rengoku did made you hide a smile behind your hand.

“Is he expected to become a teacher too?” you asked, trying to get the silly image out of your head.

Rengoku shook his head vehemently. “Senjurou needs to find his own calling! If that ends up being teaching, then that’s great! But it’ll be just as great if he sticks with what he currently wants.”

“And what is that?”

“A librarian. Senjurou loves to read! He’s been talking about joining the literature club at the academy.” Pausing, Rengoku got a thoughtful look on his face. “Though the advisor of the literature club just retired. They’ll have to find someone new.”

“Maybe I ought to take over as the advisor,” you thought out loud.

Rengoku gave you another one of his brilliant smiles. “That would be perfect! I’m certain the students would greatly appreciate it!”

When you first saw Senjurou - on your way home that same afternoon - all you could do was stare at him for a moment. His hair was shorter, and his eyebrows slanted down at the outer corners of his eyes, giving him a more open and innocent look. But beyond that, he was the spitting image of his older brother. You hadn’t imagined that it could be possible.

Senjurou just blinked back at you, while Rengoku chuckled at your reaction.

“Isn’t it amazing how much we look alike? I’m certain Kochou would disagree with me, but I believe it’s due to the kankagari ritual performed in my family!”

You looked at him in puzzlement. “Kankagari? I’m not familiar with that ritual.”

“When our mother was pregnant with each of us she would meditate in front of a burning torch.” Tugging on a lock of his flame-colored hair, Rengoku continued, “That’s why our hair and eyes turn out like this! Our father and paternal grandfather both look the same as we do! And their mothers also performed the same ritual!!”

You let out a laugh. “Yeah, I’m sure Kochou would disagree with you on that reasoning.”

Senjurou only joined your morning commute for a couple of weeks. One day, you found Rengoku alone.

“Where’s your brother?” you asked. “Is he sick today?”

Rengoku shook his head, a sad smile spreading over his face. “No, he took an earlier train so he could spend the time with his new friends. He’s growing up to be so independent!” Looking away, he mumbled, “I guess he’s getting to that age where he won’t need me anymore.”

Commuting with Rengoku quickly became a habit - one you enjoyed every second of. Well, nearly every second…

One morning, a businessman managed to elbow you squarely in the back, shoving you into another passenger. The man barely apologized before he hurried off the train, blind to the tears of pain brimming in your eyes. Rengoku reached an arm out to keep you steady, all the while glaring daggers at the man. The air around him once again seemed to shimmer like a heat haze from the intensity in his eyes.

The next morning you found Rengoku leaning against the railing next to the doors. As soon as he saw you, that beaming smile - which always brightened your day - spread across his face and he moved away from the railing, offering the spot to you, and taking the spot directly next to you.

“That way, if anybody gets hurt it’ll be me!” he grinned. “And I usually get a proper apology out of people!”

Rengoku always had something interesting to tell you during your commute, whether he talked about some article he’d read, or something funny that had happened at his home, or an anecdote about one of his favorite historical characters. And the enthusiasm he always displayed stayed with you, even when he wasn’t present. Slowly but surely, you started falling for him. Which meant that the first time you had to commute without Rengoku’s company, only a month after your shared commute had begun, the packed train car felt surprisingly lonely and almost… empty. You had gotten so used to his vibrant voice, so used to his fiery gaze resting on you, that everything felt colorless and dull without him.

He’d told you the day before that he needed to go in early that morning, but he hadn’t told you why. Just winked at you and said that it would be a surprise. You couldn’t even begin to imagine what kind of surprise it might be.

He wasn’t in the teachers’ lounge when you arrived. But on your desk sat a cup from the local café, along with a handwritten note from Rengoku.

Congratulations on your first month of work! I know you use creamer in your coffee, so I got you a latte.

His handwriting was surprisingly neat. You weren’t sure why it surprised you, what with his mother being a calligraphy teacher. Casting one last glance at the note, a smile playing on your lips, you carefully slipped it into your bag. It’d be a nice thing to look at the next time you doubted yourself.

You turned your attention to the cup, your smile slowly disappearing. It was such a sweet gesture, something that made your heart beat a bit faster… but you couldn’t drink it. You couldn’t really blame him for not having noticed that the creamer you always used was dairy-free. Drinking this would seriously mess up your stomach.

Kochou slipped into the seat next to you, sipping on her own coffee. The cup was from the same café as yours. Odd… Then again, a lot of the teachers got their coffee there regularly.

She motioned to the coffee on your desk. “Oh, perfect, you got one as well. I was somewhat worried that Rengoku would forget you.”

Her words just puzzled you even more.

“What do you mean, ‘forget me’?”

Kochou sent you one of her soft smiles. “Rengoku insists on buying all of us coffee at the end of every month. He says that it boosts morale and camaraderie. I’m not quite sure about the last part… But I was worried that he’d forget about you since you’re new. He can be rather absentminded at times.”

“Oh.” You looked down at your hands, feeling your heart sink. It hadn’t been a surprise just for you. It wasn’t really a surprise when it came to the other teachers, you supposed. Still, it had felt nice to think that he’d done something just for you.

Kochou peered at you. “Are you alright? You seem sad all of a sudden.”

“It’s just…” You looked up again, forcing a smile. “I feel so bad. I can’t drink the coffee he got me. It has regular milk in it and I’m lactose intolerant…”

“Lactose intolerant?!”

The outburst came from behind you. When you turned, you saw Rengoku, his eyes blown wide with shock.

You sent him a pained smile. “Yeah. Sorry, but I can’t drink it.”

“Don’t apologize, it’s on me for not asking! Do you want mine instead? I haven’t touched it yet.”

You shook your head. “No, it’s fine, I couldn’t take your coffee.”

“I insist!! I couldn’t possibly let you be the only one without a beverage when I’ve bought one for everyone else! Mine has no creamer, but it does have brown sugar, is that alright?”

You gave up on arguing with him. Your mother had always told you to pick your battles, and Rengoku seemed determined that you’d get some form of beverage. The last thing you wanted was him going back to the café to buy you another coffee. And if you knew Rengoku well enough - and you liked to think that you did at this point - that would be his next offer if you kept declining.

Well… brown sugar sounded pretty interesting. And if you were very honest with yourself, you liked the idea of drinking the coffee Rengoku had picked for himself. The thought of him willingly sharing something with you - even if he was never going to have his own share - made a little ball of happiness blaze in your stomach.

Switching your coffees, Rengoku sat down on your free side. “I apologize about that! I’ll make sure to ask you what to get next time!”

“You really don’t have to get me anything,” you tried.

“Nonsense! Everybody gets something!”

“Isn’t it too expensive?”

He grinned at you. “I can manage! Still living with my parents means that I can save the majority of my paycheck, so giving my colleagues a treat is my pleasure!”

Taking a sip of your new coffee, you let out a hum of surprise. The brown sugar gave it a slightly burnt, almost caramel-like flavor.

Rengoku beamed at you. “Tasty, isn’t it?”

You nodded. “I never expected it to be this delicious. Do you always drink it like this?”

“I do! It’s one of my favorite things!!”

You let out a soft, contemplative hum as you took another sip of your coffee. This was a tidbit that you could use to pay him back for all the generosity he had shown you.

You didn’t set your plan fully into motion until mid June. Getting onto the train, Rengoku offered you his spot against the railing, as he always did.

You handed him the travel mug in your hands.

“This is for you,” you said. “I thought I ought to give you something since you’re buying me coffees every month. And since you’re spending all of your morning commutes with me. I meant to give it to you much sooner, but it took me a while to get the recipe working.”

Raising an eyebrow at you, he opened it and sniffed at the contents. “Iced coffee?”

You nodded. “Yeah, with brown sugar and some spices.”

“I really appreciate the thought, but you don’t have to give me anything! You’re an interesting person; I’m quite happy to spend my commutes with you!”

Looking away, you felt heat creeping into your cheeks. You couldn’t quite tell if this was just his normal friendliness or if he was trying to say something more.

“Please,” you said, “It would make me feel better if I give something back.”

Rengoku nodded. “Very well, if it’ll make you feel better!” Then he brought the mug to his lips. His eyes widened.

“Well?” you asked, nerves making your skin tingle. You really wanted him to like it.

A wide grin spread over Rengoku’s face. “It’s SO TASTY!!!”

You were almost blown back by the sheer volume. A couple of people turned their heads to stare at you. Yet you noticed nothing but the relief flooding your body. He liked it!

Taking another sip - and letting out another outburst of ’tasty!’ - Rengoku looked at you again.

“How did you make this? What spices did you use?! Please tell me so I can make it at home!!”

You had half a mind to refuse; being the only one to supply him with this special coffee wouldn’t be half bad, especially if you got this kind of reaction. But it didn’t seem fair to keep it from him.

“Well, I used a moka pot and whole espresso beans,” you said, omitting that you’d bought the moka pot and coffee grinder specifically for this experiment. “And I added a pinch of cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the grounds before I heated it.”

“It’s that easy, huh?” Rengoku rubbed at his chin. “Well, I’ll have to give it a try some day!”

A little while later you had to fight to stifle a yawn. Rengoku met your eyes, a small, teasing smile playing on his lips.

“Stayed up too late, huh? Did you work that hard on the coffee recipe?”

You shook your head. “It’s not just that. I keep thinking of ways to improve my lessons. It makes it difficult to sleep sometimes.”

“Tell me,” he asked, voice airy, “Have you made a plan in case you and your students have to stay at the academy overnight during a typhoon?”

You just gaped at him for a moment. “How did you know?!”

He grinned at you. “Because I did just that in my first year of teaching!” Then his smile turned into a more earnest expression as he continued, “But trust me when I say that you’ll never use that plan. It’s best to forget about it now, before it causes you to lose any more sleep!”

His stern expression had your curiosity piqued.

“You sound like you speak from experience…”

“I do! I had to stay overnight a couple of years ago when a typhoon struck us in the afternoon. I was one of the teachers in charge of looking after the students until their parents picked them up. Some parents couldn’t be reached, so I was asked to drive the last few students home before the winds got any worse. But when we were about to leave a power line blew down, blocking the entrance to the parking lot!”

You gasped, covering your mouth. “No way, that actually happened?!”

“Indeed it did!! Nobody was hurt, thankfully, but it was too dangerous to leave so we stayed at the academy until morning!” Looking away, Rengoku’s face turned the faintest pink. Scratching at his cheek, he continued, “I had this elaborate plan in place just in case something like that happened. I wanted to do a detailed lesson on the Kamakura period - such a delightful era! But when I saw the frightened faces of the students, I realized that the last thing they needed at that moment was a history lesson! I would have loved to have an in-depth discussion with a student as ardent about history as I am, to take their mind off the storm, but… none of the students present were history buffs. And I had to be mindful of the needs of all of them! The middle school students were terrified!! I needed to ease their worries at that moment and let them have some fun. So we spent the night playing board games and telling stories.” He finally looked back at you. “You ought to learn from my mistake. I felt so incompetent, never having thought about that scenario from my students’ point of view! At times like that, a teacher needs to abandon their lesson plan! If anything, you need to think of a riveting book to read to them!!”

You didn’t know what to do with all this information. What he said made a lot of sense. At the same time, your mind was still reeling at the thought that those kinds of situations actually happened.

Typhoons were common, sure. But school was usually only completely canceled if the typhoon was predicted to hit the area directly. Most of the time the students were only sent home shortly before a more distant typhoon was expected to hit. Yet, you remembered the typhoon Rengoku spoke of; it had moved faster than the experts had calculated it to. And it had been surprisingly severe.

Logically, you knew that getting trapped at the academy due to a typhoon was possible, but it was one of those things you’d never think would ever happen to you. Yet knowing that Rengoku had experienced it made it seem frightfully possible that you might also experience it one day.

Rengoku seemed to pick up on your uneasiness.

“Did I frighten you?”

“A bit,” you admitted. “It’s one of those things I know happens, but it always happens to other people.”

“My apologies, I meant no harm!”

“No, it’s fine. It just… makes it real.”

The end of the first semester quickly approached. Rengoku happily accepted your homemade iced coffee whenever you offered him some, saying that he just couldn’t get the recipe right at home. He kept spending his commute with you, always vibrant and cheerful, and you only kept falling deeper in love with him.

One morning in August, as the two of you were heading to work just in case the students needed you during their holidays, Rengoku brought up something new: getting together outside of work.

It wasn’t truly new, if you were honest. You’d gone out with your colleagues to have a drink or two after work, and you had spent an afternoon here and there with Kochou. But Rengoku had never asked you to meet up with him, and only him, outside of work.

“There’s a summer festival this Saturday,” he said, “down by the river. Would you like to join me?”

“Yes!” The word was out of your mouth before you could stop it. Looking away, you fought to keep the giddiness off your face. “Yes,” you repeated, more controlled this time, “I’d be happy to.”

He beamed at you. “Great! Senjurou and some of his friends are coming, too. We’ll have a blast!”

The giddiness slowly seeped out of you. He hadn’t meant just the two of you - you were supposed to help chaperone his brother and friends. Still, it would be more time spent with him.

You adjusted your kimono again, making sure that the fabric was lying flat. It wasn’t really necessary, you were sure that the woman at the kimono rental shop knew what she was doing when she helped dress you. Holding up your arm, you fiddled with your sleeve, letting the thin fabric slide between your fingers. You had chosen a kimono with a pattern of pink and blue morning glory flowers on a periwinkle background. Hopefully it looked good on you...

You weren’t left to contemplate your choice of kimono for long. Soon enough, you heard someone call your name. Turning, you saw the Rengoku brothers approach.

Sucking in a deep breath, you swallowed hard. So far you’d only ever seen Rengoku in his work attire. This time he was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, the fabric of the shirt tight around his torso and arms. You knew that his father was a kendo instructor, and you knew that Rengoku sparred with him daily. But seeing the results of that training so casually displayed wasn’t something you’d been prepared for. It only made your crush on him grow.

Rengoku greeted you once more when he got closer. “Gone the traditional route, I see! You look lovely!! Maybe I should have worn a kimono, too, then we could've matched!”

And once again, the air seemed to shimmer around him like a heat haze from the intensity in his eyes. You’d honestly thought that you’d gotten used to it by now.

Senjurou quickly ran off, eager to explore the festival with his friends, leaving you and Rengoku alone.

You drew in a deep breath. Calm down , you told yourself. You had spent time alone with Rengoku nearly every single morning for the past 4 months, this was nothing new. And it shouldn’t matter that he was wearing a shirt which looked like it’d tear if he made one wrong move… right?

Rengoku turned to you. “I hope you’re hungry! I’m planning on visiting every single food stall tonight!!”

You nodded, a smile spreading across your face. Yeah, you could handle this.

Rengoku’s reaction to every single treat he ate was a shout of ‘tasty!’ It was the exact same reaction he’d had when you had given him your homemade coffee. It dulled the glee you still felt from that day. Sure, the food was good, but… Did that mean that shouting ‘tasty’ was a common reaction from him? And did that mean that your coffee hadn’t been great, just… normal? Popping a ball of takoyaki into your mouth, you started chewing. You weren’t sure about anything anymore.

Rengoku pulled you back to the present as he reached out, running his thumb over the corner of your lips.

“You had a bit of sauce on your face!” he said before sticking his thumb into his mouth.

Reaching up to touch the spot, your cheeks hot, you asked, “And you didn’t use a napkin because…?”

He let out a chuckle. “Sorry!! I’m too used to doing this with Senjurou! I’ll have to break that habit soon, though, he’s getting to the age where he finds it embarrassing!” Then he added, almost as an afterthought, “And using a napkin means that the tasty sauce goes to waste.”

Great, you thought. Now he’s treating me like he treats his little brother.

Getting to his feet, Rengoku reached out again, grabbing your wrist and pulling you up.

“Come!!” He said, looking back at you with that brilliant smile of his. “There are some games I want to try before the fireworks show!”

An hour later, Senjurou texted Rengoku that he and his friends had found a good spot to watch the fireworks, right on the riverbank. You and Rengoku started towards them, slowly navigating the crowd on the grassy slope.

A group of teenagers were taking up the whole width of the paved path, laughing loudly as they clowned around. They weren’t your students, and they weren’t too rowdy, so you saw no need to tell them off. You stepped onto the grass, trying to move past them. Everything went fine… until one of the teenagers stepped backwards in an attempt to avoid his friend grabbing for something in his hands. He bumped into you, throwing you off balance. You cursed your decision to wear the traditional sandals with their thick, inflexible soles. So much for trying to look cute. Sidestepping to try to regain your balance on the grass, you managed to put your foot down right on the corner of the sole. It rolled the wrong way.

A pair of hands grabbed you by the shoulders, trying to keep you upright.

“Whoa!” Rengoku said. “What happened? Are you alright?!”

You let out a whimper of pain. “I think I twisted my ankle!”

“Come, I’ll take a look at it.”

He wrapped one of your arms around his neck, keeping a tight grip on your wrist, free arm looped around your waist. Almost carrying you over to a bench, Rengoku then knelt before you, gently pulling your foot into his lap.

You hissed in pain. “Do you know what you’re doing?”

He sent you a strained smile. “Not really… I’ve taken courses in first aid, but this is beyond my scope of knowledge.” Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he said, “There has to be a medical tent around here.”

Wrapping your arms tighter around Rengoku’s neck, you tried to make yourself as light as possible. The doctor at the medical tent had told you to try to keep your weight off your foot as much as possible until you could get someone better equipped to look at it. Rengoku - whose home was just a brief walk away - had offered to borrow his parents’ car and drive you to the emergency room. And he’d insisted on giving you a piggyback ride to his house.

A lock of surprisingly soft hair tickled your cheek. You tried to stifle an exasperated groan, acutely aware of his hands supporting your upper thighs. If it hadn’t been for the dull ache in your ankle, you might have been able to enjoy all of it.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“‘M fine,” you replied sullenly.

It wasn’t fair. He barely sounded winded, even walking uphill with your added weight. Meanwhile you barely dared breathe. Every inhale filled your nose with his scent, warm and musky, with an undertone of clean, sun-dried laundry and cologne. It wasn’t fair that someone could smell so good.

“I’m sorry,“ you blurted out. “About ruining the festival for you.”

“Nonsense, you didn’t ruin anything!”

Tightening the grasp around your own wrist, you fought to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. “Yes I did. I even made you leave before the fireworks.”

“Did you now?”

Hesitating for a moment, he then turned around, starting back down the hill.

“Where are we going?” you asked.

He chuckled. “I want to show you something!”

“But the emergency room…” you tried to protest.

“It can wait for a moment. I promise this’ll make your mood better!”

He took you down a path shaded by trees. Ahead of you the pathway turned, running parallel to the river. A few people had gathered there, waiting for the fireworks.

Letting you down, he helped you hobble to the railing separating the path from the steep drop to the river, just as the first rocket shot into the sky. You felt Rengoku shift behind you, then his warm breath fanned over your ear.

“There,” he mumbled, “Now we haven’t missed anything!”

The doctor ordered you to rest your foot as much as possible for the next couple of weeks. She told you that standing on the train and walking to and from the stations were out of the question. And paying for a cab twice a day would completely break your budget, so you were forced to take some time off. Your colleagues were sweet enough to cover for you if any student needed help with their summer homework. And Rengoku - who seemed to feel somewhat responsible for your injury - texted you several times a week to ask if you needed anything. He offered to bring you dinner on his way home from work on more than one occasion.

But just the thought of him entering your small, messy apartment was too much. You knew that he’d never be satisfied with just dropping off the food at your door, you knew that he’d insist on coming inside to check up on you. He’d probably insist on doing your dishes and taking out your trash while he was there, too.

At any other time you would’ve said yes. But at any other time you wouldn’t be hobbling around your home, supporting your weight against any suitable surface. At any other time, you’d be able to clean and tidy your apartment and take out your trash yourself. But as it were, you couldn’t do any of that. And you didn’t want Rengoku to see the mess you were currently living in.

You didn’t see him again until the beginning of the second semester. His happy smile made guilt course through your body. Maybe allowing him to come over to help you would’ve been alright. But it was too late to change your mind on that. In order to relieve some of both his guilt and yours, you took him up on his offer to support you through the two big events of the fall semester. He guided you through the sports festival in October and the culture festival in November, showing you how to better encourage your homeroom class to do their best in both events. And before you knew it the year was nearly over.

“I started watching that cat samurai show you suggested over the weekend!” Rengoku told you one Monday morning in early December. “I’m nearly halfway through the first season!”

You grinned at him. The show was one of your favorites, one you thought that he would enjoy as well. Seeing how excited he was, it seemed that you had assumed correctly.

“What do you think of it so far?” you asked, reading yourself for a lengthy discussion.

Rengoku launched into a detailed analysis, both of the characters and the combat.

“And the cat is so precious!!” He let out a wistful sigh. “I wish my father would allow animals in our house; I’ve always wanted a pet to--”

He didn’t make it further. The train came to a screeching halt, the jam-packed crowd shifting with it. You clung to a stanchion handle with both hands, feeling yourself slip sideways. Rengoku slammed his hand against the railing next to your shoulder, trying to keep both of you in place. You screwed your eyes shut.

It took a moment for the world to still. The train speakers crackled to life, filling the air with apologies for the sudden stop. People around you groaned, some hissing in pain. A hot breath fanned over your skin.

Opening your eyes again, you found Rengoku’s face just inches away from your own, his heat-haze-eyes closer than they’d ever been. His cheeks had turned a furious pink, his jaw clenched tight.

“My apologies,” he hissed through gritted teeth, “I can’t move!!”

Peeking over his shoulder, your own cheeks heating up as another labored breath fanned over your neck, you saw at least two people leaning heavily against his back. It was only then that you realized just how much he was fighting to keep himself from collapsing against you. His arms were braced against the railing on either side of your shoulders, straining muscles stretching his dress shirt to its limits. You could almost hear the seams complain.

Swallowing hard, you fought to keep your voice even. “It can’t be helped. If you can’t move then you can’t move.”

The walk to the academy was uncharacteristically silent. Rengoku kept more distance between the two of you than he normally did. You racked your brain, trying to come up with something to clear the air. Passing by a residential neighborhood, you spotted a bush which someone had decorated in sprawling string lights.

“Look,” you said, pointing at it. “Someone decorated for Christmas already! I guess the year is nearly over.”

Rengoku let out a grunt in reply.

“Do you have any plans for Christmas Eve?” you tried, desperate to fill the silence.

“None.”

“Yeah, me neither. I’m thinking of getting together with some of my single friends, though, have a little party… Or I might go visit my parents.”

Finally, you felt his gaze on you again.

“You don’t have a partner to celebrate with?” he asked.

You let out an awkward laugh; you thought that you’d already made that pretty clear. Christmas Eve was for couples, you couldn’t imagine planning a get-together with your friends if you could spend the night hand in hand with a significant other, exploring the town in search of romantic Christmas decorations. Then again, some people’s partners had to work on Christmas Eve.

“No, I don’t,” you said.

Peeking at him, you saw a soft smile play on Rengoku’s face.

“Neither do I,” he said.

“Cheers!! ”

A chorus of happy voices filled the room, almost drowning out the clinking of glasses. Taking a sip, you placed your drink back on the table, a warm, happy glow filling your entire body. This was the first end-of-the-year party with your new colleagues, and it was the most fun you’d had in a while. It seemed to you that everybody was more relaxed than they usually were when you’d gone out for drinks.

Across from you, Rengoku picked his chopsticks up again, digging back into his food, a rosy tint in his cheeks. Even he was getting tipsy from Uzui’s infernal drinking games. You knew that Rengoku rarely drank, he usually focused more on the food and conversation. But Uzui hadn’t let him do that tonight.

“It’s nearly New Year’s, Rengoku, we gotta celebrate~!” he’d said, over and over again, as he pushed yet another glass of beer into Rengoku’s hands. Even if you didn’t agree with his methods, you had to admit that they were quite effective.

The drinking games had affected you, too. Everything was fuzzy, the edges of your vision swimming, your head tight from the thick, hot air in the room. You weren’t entirely sure that you could still walk straight. But you were about to put it to the test.

Getting to the restroom had felt like navigating an agility course. You were pretty certain that the bar didn’t have a see-saw in the middle of their main corridor, but it certainly felt like you’d walked across one.

“Might be time to switch to water,” you mumbled, staring at your wobbling reflection.

You heard a knock on the door, then Rengoku called your name.

“Are you doing alright in there?” he asked.

“I am!” you called as you began the long trek back to the door. “I’m just… j-just… really drunk.”

You were pretty sure that you’d spent at least half an hour getting out. And yet, Rengoku was still waiting for you. He gave you one of his standard sunny smiles. You had half a mind to ask for sunglasses.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” you slurred.

“It’s no problem! Do you need a hand getting back?”

You spotted the floor twisting in on itself further down the corridor. Having someone sturdy as support when navigating that part might be a good idea.

“Yeah,” you said, clinging to his offered arm. “I’d like that.”

Rengoku didn’t seem nearly as affected by the alcohol as you did. He supported you steadily as you made your way back down the corridor.

“‘S not fair!” you whined. “We’ve been drinking the same amount, but you’re barely even slurring!”

He grinned at you. “I’ve been eating more than you have. And I’ve been making sure to have plenty of water, too. Trust me, though, I still feel it!”

Stopping in your tracks, you leaned your face against his shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked, voice laced with concern.

“‘M fine,” you replied. “‘S just… the lights are really bright. An’ the floors are moving. Feels like ’m gonna fall.”

Rengoku let out a soft chuckle. “That won’t do…”

He gently guided you down a different corridor, this one blessedly dark and empty. Reaching the end, he helped you sit in the corner so you’d be supported on both sides, then sat next to you.

“How’s this?” he asked.

You’d never heard his voice so soft before.

“Better. At least I can’t fall very far here.” You sat in silence for a moment, before you spoke up again. “Uzui will be the death of me!”

Rengoku let out another chuckle. “He’ll be the death of all of us!”

Turning your head, you peeked at the man next to you. “Is Uzui always like that? So insistent that everybody drinks?”

“Well…” Rengoku rubbed at his chin. “He certainly strives to ensure that everybody has a good time when we’re out! Which, as you know, means no difficult topics of conversation.” He started counting on his fingers. “No moping, no arguing - Shinazugawa has trouble with that one! - and everybody present has to participate. He usually lets me get away with nursing just one drink throughout the evening, but not tonight! He really wants us to take advantage of the ‘all you can drink’ event!” Grinning at you, he added, “Though I prefer to take advantage of the ‘all you can eat’ part instead!!”

He laughed again. Soon, your laughter blended in with his. Sitting on the floor in the cool, dim, empty corridor like this - away from all the mingling voices and clinking of glasses at the party - did wonders for your head. The drunken fog slowly started to lift.

The two of you sat quiet for another while. This time, Rengoku broke the silence.

“Hey…” He hesitated, then shifted his position so he could look more directly at you. “Since we’re alone, I… have been meaning to ask you something.”

His fiery eyes were like embers in the dim light with the way they seemed to almost smolder and glow. Your heart beat faster.

“What is it?” you asked.

“What…” He averted his eyes. If you hadn’t known better, you would have thought that he was nervous. “What do you think of me?” he finally asked.

That was the last question you’d expected. What you thought of him, huh?

”I think you’re great, Rengoku-san!” you answered earnestly. “You’re a very accomplished-- a very well-liked teacher. You’re knowledgeable, you’re kind, you’re pretty cute. I think you’re great!”

His eyes widened. “You think I’m cute?”

You hadn’t meant to let that part slip. Averting your eyes, you let your gaze glide around the corridor, desperate to find something to help you change the topic. But what you found wasn’t exactly what you’d hoped for. On the ceiling above Rengoku hung a few sprigs with green, almond-shaped leaves and a spray of white berries, all of it tied together with a red ribbon. Mistletoe. It had to be a forgotten Christmas decoration.

Rengoku followed your gaze, letting out a soft ‘oh ’ as he spotted the mistletoe. He inched closer.

“May I?” he asked. “If you don’t want to, just say no and I’ll leave you alone.”

You looked at him again. “Do you want to?”

He smiled. “More than anything.”

Your head went empty at that smile. Barely knowing what you were doing, you raised your hands, fingers grabbing onto the collar of his shirt, pulling him closer to you. He let out a surprised grunt. Then your lips touched.

You released his collar, letting your hands run up over his neck, fingers tangling in his hair and tugging him even closer. Rengoku groaned. You couldn’t help but feel proud that you had so easily managed to pull that kind of sound out of him.

One of his arms braced against the wall, the other snaked around your lower back, making you arch your spine to press closer to him. Deepening the kiss, you tasted beer on his tongue.

You had no idea how long the two of you were kissing. Eventually, Rengoku broke the kiss, his sweltering lips brushing over your cheek.

“Please,” he whispered, “come back to my hotel room with me; I want to spend the night with you!”

You froze. Pushing back just enough to see his face clearly, you asked, “Did you plan for this?”

A look of shock swept over his features. “No! I did not!” Sitting back, he continued, “I mean, yes, I booked the room as soon as I knew the location of our get-together, but it was only ever meant for me! Please believe me when I say that I didn’t intend for…” He gestured between the two of you. “For any of this to happen!”

“Why would you need a hotel room?” you asked. “Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just go home?”

“Mostly to ease my mind,” he replied. “I’m not much for these kinds of parties. This way I won’t have to worry about either catching the last train or staying out till morning like Uzui does! Getting a cheap hotel room allows me to just drink without worrying about how to get home or about disturbing my family.” Sending you a nervous smile, he added, “And it’s not much more expensive than taking a cab home!”

His reasoning made sense. You’d been stranded before, only realizing how late it had gotten long after the last train had left. Usually, you’d end up crashing at a friend’s place… Or going the Uzui route and staying out till the morning trains started running.

“This is not a capsule hotel, right?”

Rengoku shook his head vigorously. “No! I’d never be so bold if it was!”

“And you swear that you didn’t get the room just so you could get laid?”

“I swear it!”

“Do you have condoms?”

“I do!!”

“Why, if you didn’t plan to get laid?”

A flustered blush spread in Rengoku’s cheeks. “Well, I… I like being prepared just in case it might happen. I think it’s better to have some in my bag and not need them, rather than need them and not have any available! Don’t you agree?”

Finally, you smiled at him. “I do. I have some with me, too, just in case.” Reaching your hands out to him, you said, “Help me get up?”

The hotel was only a brief walk away. Still, the cold sobered you up, as did Rengoku’s warm fingers laced together with yours. You had no idea what your colleagues might’ve thought when they saw you leave together, your lips swollen and bruised; and you frankly didn’t care right now. It was something to deal with after the winter holidays.

Rengoku’s hotel room was small, the carpet worn, the sheets rough from too much laundering. Still, it was clean and private. And that was all you needed.

Helping you out of your coat, he wrapped his arms around your waist, pressing a kiss to your shoulder.

“Are you still up for this?” he asked. “We don’t have to do anything if you’ve changed your mind! We can just share the bed for the night if--”

Turning in his arms, you pressed a finger against his lips to silence him. You wanted to spend the night with him. To be honest, you wanted to spend so much more than just a single night with him, but if this was what he was willing to offer for now, then you’d take it.

“Yeah,” you said, leaning in to kiss him again. “I do want this!”

Groaning, you screwed your eyes shut, burrowing deeper underneath the covers in an attempt to escape your aching head. You felt the bed dip, then Rengoku caressed your shoulder.

“I brought you some water,” he said.

You fought your way up, keeping the sheets wrapped tight around your naked body.

Rengoku was already dressed in yesterday��s clothes, the tips of his hair still wet from his shower. He didn’t seem to have even a shred of a hangover. It only made the pain in your head throb worse. It wasn’t fair that he was so perfect; you didn’t even want to think about how disheveled you probably looked after last night.

Last night… You remembered Rengoku asking you to call him by his given name. But you weren’t sure if that sentiment still applied today, or if it had only been a request in the heat of the moment. If he still wants it, you thought, accepting the glass, then he can correct me.

“Thanks!” you said, lifting the glass to your lips. “You’re a gem, Rengoku-san.”

You were too occupied with your water to see the look of confusion and heartbreak flashing over Rengoku’s face. By the time you looked at him again, he’d managed to twist his expression back to his normal, carefree manner.

“Do you want breakfast?” he asked.

You nodded. “I’ll give it a try, as long as it’s something bland.”

Breakfast was a quiet affair, at least on your part. Rengoku seemed as vibrant as ever, monologuing your ear off. You couldn’t believe that nothing had changed. It seemed like the night you’d shared had been nothing special to him. But you refused to be the one to bring up the subject of ‘what happens now?’ If this was how he wanted it, then you’d play along.

When school started up again, you still hadn’t talked about what had happened between you. At that point you didn’t think that it would ever happen. Rengoku acted the same towards you as he always did, still just as bright and cheerful and friendly as the first time you met him - but nothing more than that.

Squaring your jaw, you reminded yourself that it could’ve been much worse. He could’ve been cold now that he’d seemingly gotten what he wanted from you. At least he still wanted to be friends. And maybe that was what he wanted, a friend who he could spend the occasional drunken night with. The question now was… was that something you’d be willing to do, too?

You had barely made it into the teachers’ lounge when Kochou pulled you aside.

“So?” she asked, purple eyes wide with curiosity. “What’s going on between you and Rengoku? Are you two dating now?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted. “We’ve never really talked about it.”

You paused your conversation, watching as Rengoku walked past on his way to the restrooms. As soon as he saw you, his face lit up, just like it always did. Just like it had done since that first commute. He waved at you, and you and Kochou both waved back.

“My, my,” Kochou said, hiding a grin behind her hand, “It seems like he likes you a lot!”

You shook your head. “Nah, that’s how he always is. He hasn’t changed his behavior towards me one bit.”

On the last morning of January, you were once again commuting alone. Rengoku still kept up with his monthly coffee runs, which meant arriving earlier than usual. You had decided to not join him this morning, instead opting for a little bit of extra sleep, your confused feelings frequently keeping you awake at night.

You spaced out, staring into the gray morning. Last night had been particularly bad; you’d kept running every conversation you’d had with Rengoku for the past month and a half through your head, trying to see if there was some nuance you’d missed.

The train pulled into your station and you joined the throng crowding around the doors. But they didn’t open. The air filled with stressed voices questioning why.

Then the speakers crackled to life. “Our most sincere apologies for this delay! We’re currently experiencing a technical error.”

You hurried up the steep hill leading to the academy, breath sticking in your lungs. That damned electrical error had made you so late that you weren’t sure you would make it to work on time.

Turning a corner, the school gates finally came into view. As you had expected, Tomioka, the physical education teacher, was there, a bamboo sword propped against his shoulder as he waited for the last few students to arrive. Swallowing dryly, you looked at the man next to him. Rengoku; the one person you didn’t want to see you like this.

Tomioka glanced at his watch, then moved to pull the gates shut.

“Wait!” you shouted, forcing your weary body to move as fast as possible.

Your voice came out as more of a croak. Still, the two men heard you. Rengoku turned in your direction, waving at you, while Tomioka began closing the gate. He stopped it partway, letting you squeeze through.

“Fell asleep on the train, did you?” Rengoku teased. “Is that what happens when I’m not there to keep you company? You ought to--”

You leaned against the wall, your eyes closed, the whooshing in your ears blocking out his voice. Drawing in a labored breath, you opened your eyes again. Rengoku had moved closer, his face marred with concern.

“What happened??” he asked.

“The train,” you said, fighting to just breathe. “It broke down. We couldn’t get off. I ran as fast as I could.”

Pulling away from the wall, you took a step forward. Classes were about to start, you had to get ready! Wetting your lips, you tasted blood. Then your knees buckled.

Your cheek bumped up against something warm and firm. A pair of arms closed around your shoulders. If you’d had the wherewithal to parse any smell beyond the metallic one that overwhelmed your senses, you would’ve noticed the scent of cologne and clean laundry.

The ringing in your ears nearly drowned out Rengoku’s words to Tomioka. Then he guided you towards the main building.

When you regained full consciousness, you found yourself on one of the beds in the infirmary, the privacy curtains pulled shut. You tried to sit up but were instantly pushed back down.

Rengoku’s face came into your field of vision. “You need to rest,” he said.

“But what about class?” you argued, voice feeble.

“Self-study; I asked Tomioka to pass on that message. We still have a while before the next class. But I doubt that you’ll be in any condition to teach today.”

Reaching out, he ran his fingers over your cheek. “You need to take proper care of yourself!” he gently admonished. “Tamayo told me that you likely collapsed because of stress! You even had a nosebleed!! You haven’t been sleeping properly lately, have you?”

And whose fault is that?! you wanted to argue. You wanted to tell him how his innocent and nonchalant attitude towards you was causing you to lose sleep. You wanted to force him to answer the question constantly tumbling around your brain: did he just like you as a friend, or did he like you as something more? But you couldn’t get yourself to push the words past your lips.

Taking a closer look at Rengoku, you noticed that he’d discarded his dress shirt. All he wore was a tight, white undershirt. It ought to be illegal for him to look that good, especially in an infirmary. You might get a cartoonish nosebleed at any point. Wait a moment… hadn’t he said that you’d already had a nosebleed?

Lifting your hand, you gingerly touched your nose. It wasn’t bleeding anymore, but you could feel the dried up blood in your nostrils. You looked at Rengoku in horror.

“I bled on you?!”

He gave you a gentle smile. “Only a little bit! I rinsed it off already, and I always carry an extra shirt in case I spill something on myself.”

You hid your face in your hands. This was too embarrassing! You couldn’t believe that you’d pressed yourself hard enough to get a nose bleed. And you especially couldn’t believe that you’d repaid Rengoku’s kindness of catching you when you all but fainted by bleeding on his clothes.

Peeking out between your hands, you noticed Rengoku staring at you, his fiery gaze taking in your features, lingering on your lips. He was completely oblivious to your inner torment.

Leaning in, he whispered, “Listen, I--”

The door opened and someone entered.

“Rengoku-san, are you still here?” Tamayo, the school nurse, asked.

He flinched away from you, jumping to his feet. “I am!!” he all but cried.

“The headmistress would like to speak with you if you’re done changing.”

He grabbed the fresh shirt out of his backpack and began putting it on. “Tell her that I’ll be there in a minute!”

Hearing the door close again, you looked at him, urging him to stay for a moment, to finish what he’d been about to say.

Swallowing hard, he met your eyes once more. “I borrowed my parents’ car this morning! I thought I’d offer you a ride home tonight!!”

“Why?” you asked. Was he just worried about the health of a colleague? Or did he mean something more but didn’t know how to bring it up?

“Senjurou got hurt horsing around with his friends yesterday! He’ll be fine, the doctor said that he’ll spring right back!! But his knee was pretty swollen this morning, so our parents still found it best that I dive him. That way they wouldn’t need to make multiple trips!”

You let out a soft sigh. That was not what you’d tried to ask. But you were too tired to correct him.

“Sure, I’d appreciate a ride home.”

You stared out at the scenery speeding by. The car was filled with the happy conversation of the Rengoku brothers. None of them seemed to pay any attention to your foul mood. If you had been alone with Rengoku, you would most likely have forced a conversation about what you meant to him, just to get it off your chest. But it wouldn’t be fair to involve his younger brother in that kind of conversation.

Rengoku. Purgatory. You smiled wryly. His name really was apt. Having a crush on him and not knowing how he felt about you was like your own private circle of hell. Yesterday he’d treated you like he did all of his other colleagues. And today, he’d behaved like you were precious to him, going so far as to caress your cheek. He had even looked like he wanted to kiss you before Tamayo interrupted him.

Sighing softly, you peeked at Rengoku. Valentine’s Day was only a couple of weeks away. That would be your last attempt to make him understand how you felt. If he didn’t get your hints - or if he didn’t reciprocate your feelings - you owed it to both of you to stop trying. You couldn’t carry like this.

Pulling the first little cellophane bag of homemade chocolates out of your tote, you settled it on your desk for a moment, adjusting the red bow. Your hands were shaking. Never, not once in all your life, had you been this nervous about giving someone confession chocolate. Hopefully, you’d made it special enough that he would understand. Hopefully, he would notice that the bow was red, instead of the blue you’d used for the bags of obligation chocolate you were giving to your other colleagues.

“What’ve you got there?”

Rengoku’s soft voice made you jump. You hadn’t heard him enter. Casting a glance around the otherwise empty teachers’ lounge, you pushed your chair back, getting to your feet. Turning, you held the bag out to him.

“It’s for you, Rengoku-san! Happy Valentine’s Day!”

He stood still for a moment, eyes flicking between your face and the red-ribboned cellophane bag, before he lowered his gaze, taking in your tote with the other bags of chocolate, each one sporting a blue ribbon. His eyes flicked back up to yours.

“This one’s for me?”

You nodded.

He reached out, gingerly taking the bag from you. You watched breathlessly as he undid the bow, stuffed the ribbon into his breast pocket, and popped one chocolate into his mouth.

“Well,” you asked, almost afraid to hear the answer, “How is it?”

Rengoku covered his mouth. “It’s so tasty!” you heard him mumble. “It’s so, so, so tasty!!!”

You had to hide a smile of your own. You knew how he normally reacted to tasty food; it seemed clear to you that he was trying to suppress that reaction so he wouldn’t disturb anyone else in the vicinity.

“I’m glad that you like it!” you said.

“It’s so good!” he replied, stuffing another piece into his mouth. “Pretty high quality, too, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” you said earnestly, silently begging him to understand what you meant. “I picked the best I could find.”

He let out a soft hum. “I guess I’ll have to get you something equally as special for White Day, then.”

Your knees almost buckled with relief. It seemed that he’d finally caught your hints.

The arrival of March meant that graduation day had come. You fought to control your tears when the former student body president held a speech on behalf of the other students, thanking their teachers for the help and guidance they had received throughout the years.

Once the ceremony ended, you decided to try to find a quiet corner to compose yourself before facing the crowd of students and parents again. It seemed that Rengoku had the same idea.

“You too, huh?” he said when he spotted your wet eyes.

You just nodded, accepting the paper tissue he offered you.

“It gets easier with time,” he said, wiping at his own eyes and blowing his nose. “But I don’t think I’ll ever get fully used to it. I’ll be a blubbering mess when Senjurou graduates!”

You let out a soft laugh. “Aren’t you being a bit too dramatic? I know how much you care about your brother, but his graduation is still five years away.”

Rengoku nodded. “Right! I have to look at what’s right in front of me first.” Slapping his cheeks with both hands, he said, “White Day is less than two weeks away!”

He lowered his hands, two angrily pink palm prints still on his cheeks. Then he sent you one of his dazzling smiles, the teardrops clinging to his lashes making his eyes sparkle.

“And you’d better believe I have something special planned, just for you!”

You looked at the little, white bag on your desk. Reaching out, you touched the red bow. It was so similar to the one on the chocolates you’d given him, almost like it was the same piece of ribbon.

Running the ribbon between your fingers, you then pulled on it, undoing the bow. You peeked into the bag. It was filled with little, heart-shaped pieces of hard candy. Popping one into your mouth, you smiled to yourself as the fresh, sweet taste of peppermint washed over your tongue.

Since hard candy took a while to eat, the sweetness staying with the receiver for a much longer time than that of gummy candy, they were usually used to symbolize love rather than friendship. So that had to be a good sign… right?

Sighing, you let the ribbon glide between your fingers again. You honestly wouldn’t put it past Rengoku to give out hard candy to every woman in his life solely because he thought it was more tasty than anything else, traditions be damned. Looking over at Kochou’s desk, you saw the same white bag, this one tied with a white ribbon. Maybe that meant something, though, that he had given you the bag with the red ribbon…

Rolling the candy around your mouth, you noticed a change in the flavor. Chocolate. There was a little pocket of dark chocolate inside the candy. Surely that had to mean something.

Smiling to yourself, you thought back on the first time Rengoku had bought you coffee; the latte that you couldn’t drink. Ever since then he’d taken extra care to only offer you dairy-free food and drinks. You were certain that he had put meticulous research into this chocolate, too.

The door behind you opened and you heard a little squeal of glee. Kochou hurried to her desk, grabbing at the white bag.

She turned to you, a wide smile on her face. “I’ve been looking forward to these ever since last year! Rengoku always picks the best gummy candies, but he refuses to tell me where he gets them!”

You nodded silently, heart fluttering. Kochou hadn’t gotten hard candy. That meant that the hard candy wasn’t the usual gift from him. It was something only for you.

“May I speak with you for a moment?”

You looked up at Rengoku as he leaned against your desk. The two of you had spent most of the day shooting each other longing, lingering glances, both of you too occupied with work to talk about the candy.

Rengoku cast a quick look at Uzui who tried to appear busy and like he wasn’t listening intently to your conversation. “In private,” he mumbled, “if you don’t mind.”

You just nodded.

Following him out of the teachers’ lounge, he lead you to an empty classroom. Shutting the door behind you, he leaned up against it.

“I--” he started, halted, then cleared his throat. “How did you like the candy?”

You smiled at him. “They were great! Very… tasty.”

“I’m glad.” Stepping forward, he grabbed onto your hands. “So that means that you agree, right?”

“To what?” you asked. You needed to hear him say it outright, to make sure that you didn’t misunderstand again.

He let out a sigh. “I like you a lot. I’ve been trying to show it, but I suppose that I haven’t been clear enough. So when you gave me confession chocolate for Valentine’s Day--” He halted himself again, a look of uncertainty sweeping over his face. “It was confession chocolate, right?”

You nodded, giddiness making your skin tingle.

Rengoku’s face mirrored the relief you felt. He lifted one of your hands, holding your palm to his cheek, nuzzling his face against your skin.

“I feared that I ruined everything at the end-of-the-year party when I asked you to stay with me overnight. You’ve been so distant since then. I assumed that I did something wrong that night, that my actions made you dislike me!”

You let out a soft laugh. “And I thought that you weren’t interested in anything beyond that one night.”

Rengoku turned his head, pressing a kiss into your palm. “But I am! I want every single day! I want to spend my whole life with you!!”

“Your whole life? Isn’t it a bit soon to decide that?”

You felt his lips curl into a smile against the sensitive skin of your palm.

“Perhaps it is,” he admitted. “But a man can dream, can’t he?” Raising your free hand, he pressed it to his chest right above his heart. “Do you feel that, my sweet? Can you tell how fast my heart is beating? That’s all you! I’ve gotten to know you quite well in the past year, and I know for certain that you’re the kind of person I want to spend the rest of my life with!!”

You couldn’t help but laugh again. “I didn’t realize that you could be so cheesy, Rengoku-san!”

He leveled you with a more serious gaze. “Please, don’t use my family name anymore, not when it’s just you and I. If we’re doing this, I want you to use my given name.”

The pleading tone in his voice - and the memory of that night in late December where he had said those same words - made your heart clench. You really had misjudged his intentions.

“Alright,” you said, nodding. “Kyoujurou-san it is!”

He sent you one of his brilliant smiles - which, you realized, he saved just for you.

Kyoujurou insisted on walking you home, getting off the train a few stops earlier than he normally did. You were ambling through the night-dark streets, Kyoujurou’s fingers interlaced with yours, when he pulled you to a stop, his hair blazing like sun-spun gold under the streetlights.

“Would you have dinner with me tonight? As our first official date?”

You looked at him. “I’d love to, but do you think we can find a place that isn’t busy? It’s White Day, I’m sure the restaurants have been booked full for a while.”

Kyoujurou shot you a smile. “Trust me, I know just the place! And the food there is really tasty!!”

He led you to a little street stall, only big enough to fit four people. The old man running the stall greeted him warmly. Turning his gaze to you, he added, “And I see you’ve brought a companion tonight! Come in, please, and have a seat!”

Kyoujurou was right, the food at the little stall was delicious. But as much as you wanted to, you couldn’t match his voracious appetite.

Once he’d paid - and he’d insisted on paying for you, too, since he’d ended up finishing off some of your food - the two of you started towards your apartment building again. But you were sidetracked once more by the sounds of a cheerful crowd.

Turning a corner, you saw groups of people dotting the grass at a little park, spread out underneath the blooming cherry trees, the flagstones of the main pathway lined with vendors.

You let out a soft breath. “I didn’t realize the trees had bloomed yet.”

Kyoujurou pulled you towards the gathering. “Come! I’m sure we can find some dessert here!”

“You still want more food??”

Turning back to you, he grinned. “I always have room for an extra snack or two!”

Spreading his jacket out on the grass to protect your clothes, Kyoujurou then disappeared into the crowd. He returned a while later, hands full of treats. Crouching in front of you, he settled the containers on the ground. Tri-colored dango, sakuramochi, and…

You looked up at him. “Sake?”

“Yes! I thought it would fit the occasion! Or would you rather have tea? I can get you some!”

Shaking your head, you smiled at him. “Sake is perfect!”

You sat for a while, just soaking up the atmosphere, the chilly night air making you scoot closer to Kyoujurou. He didn’t seem to mind, carefully settling his arm behind your back so you could lean against him without being too obvious, occasionally brushing the tips of his fingers against yours.

The walk back to your apartment seemed much too short. You would’ve liked to spend the whole night sitting under the cherry trees with Kyoujurou, but even his surplus of body heat couldn’t keep the chill from creeping into your bones.

Unlocking your front door, you turned to look at him again. “I had a great time tonight.”

He smiled at you. “I did, too!”

You didn’t want the night to end, not just yet. Fiddling with your keys, you asked, “Do you want to come in for a moment?”

His smile grew brighter. “Of course! But only for a moment!”

You had barely pulled the door shut behind you before you felt Kyoujurou’s warm hands on your cheeks. They felt almost burning against your cold skin. Then he kissed you, softer than he ever had before.

Pulling away, he let out a happy sigh. “I’ve been aching to do that all day!”

Grinning, you pulled him into another kiss. And another. And another. Finally, you pulled away, cursing your need to breathe.

“Do you want to stay the night?” you asked.

He pressed a kiss to your forehead. “Not tonight, my sweet. I’d rather save that for when I’m completely sober.”

Nodding, you tried your best not to pout. You knew where he was coming from with that sentiment. Still, it stung to be rejected.

Kyoujurou spoke up again, almost as if he could sense your hurt feelings. “Do you want to visit me during the break? We won’t have a lot of privacy, but we can at least be together! We could frame it as us coordinating our lesson plans!”

You nodded again, a smile spreading on your face.

Looking up from your phone, you stared at the houses in front of you. Which one was Kyoujurou’s home? The directions he’d given you left a lot to be desired, and he wasn’t answering his phone. You couldn’t remember enough from the summer festival, when he’d offered to take you to the emergency room; it had been dark back then, and you had been preoccupied with your aching ankle.

Walking on, your ears picked up the distant clacks of wood striking wood. Following it, you soon came upon a dojo. You hoped that it was the right one and that you weren’t about to disturb someone’s training for no reason.

Peeking around the corner of the building, you spotted the practice hall, the outer screen doors thrown open to allow in some fresh air. And you spotted the two people sparring.

It was Kyoujurou and his father. Both were steaming in the chilly spring air, neither wearing armor. Kyoujurou had shrugged off his gi top, leaving it to dangle from the waist of his hakama. His exposed skin was glistening in the sunlight.

Kyoujurou let out a guttural shout. You watched as he attacked, enthralled with the way his body moved. Each swing, however, was blocked by his father. The wooden swords struck each other, again and again, resulting in the loud clacking sounds which had lured you this close.

His father couter-attacked. Kyoujurou blocked. Somehow - your untrained eye couldn’t tell how it happened - the older man managed to get the tip of his sword wrapped around Kyoujurou’s, wrenching it out of his hands. It fell to the floor with a clatter.

Kyoujurou sunk to his knees with a tired groan. “Not again!! Why can’t I beat you just once today?!”

His father chuckled under his breath. “Because your mind is elsewhere. When will she be here?”

“Soon!” Kyoujurou replied, getting to his feet. He moved to a narrow set of shelves, picking up his phone. “I should have enough time for-- oh beans, is it this late already?! She’ll be here any minute!!”

“Go,” his father said. “I’ll clean.”

Both you and Kyoujuruo’s father watched him leave. You were about to retrace your steps, your mind set on returning to the street and rounding the house that way, when the older man spoke up again.

“How long have you been watching?”

You froze, staring as Kyoujurou’s father turned, meeting your eyes.

“A couple of minutes?” you squeaked out.

His father let out a grunt in reply. “You’re her, aren’t you? Kyoujurou’s girlfriend?”

You nodded silently. This man exuded much more raw power than Kyoujurou did. You couldn’t quite tell whether you liked him or not yet.

As if he could see your apprehension written on your face - which, you told yourself, he probably could - he moved closer with cat-like grace. Then he knelt, settling on the floor.

“I’m Kyoujurou’s father,” he said, “Rengoku Shinjurou.”

You quickly introduced yourself, trying your best not to trip over your words.

“I hope you’ll be good to him,” Shinjurou said. “Despite how he behaves, he has a delicate heart. I’d rather not have to pick up the pieces again.”

You found yourself bristling at his words. “Of course I will! I care a lot about him!”

Shinjurou gave you a brief smile. “As do I.” Standing, he descended from the house, slipping his feet into a pair of discarded sandals. “I’ll take you to the main house; the layout is confusing if you aren’t used to it.”

Shinjurou handed you off to his wife, Ruka, at the private entrance to their house. Ruka seemed elated to meet you, her soft smile so similar to Kyoujurou’s. She pulled you into the kitchen, already busy pouring iced tea into a glass before you had even managed to hand over the cookies you brought.

The two of you settled at the kitchen table, talking about work. Before long you heard the padding of feet hurrying towards you.

“Mom?” Kyoujurou called, fighting to get his arm through the sleeve of his shirt. “Do you know if--”

Seeing you through the kitchen door, he came to a halt, a smile spreading on his face like a ray of sunshine on an overcast day.

“You’re here! My apologies, I lost track of time, I meant to pick you up at the station!” Letting his eyes glide over to Ruka, he added, “I see you’ve already met my mother.”

Ruka patted the chair next to her. “Come sit and chat with us for a moment before you start work. Do you want tea?”

“Perhaps later,” Kyoujurou said. “We should really start working.”

Getting up, you followed him as he led you to the living room.

As soon as he’d shut the doors behind you, he pulled you into a tight embrace, his lips grazing over your cheek.

“I missed you,” he mumbled, his mouth already searching for yours.

“I can’t believe you told your family about us.”

Kyoujurou sent you an embarrassed smile from across the low living room table. “I’ve been so ecstatic since Valentine’s Day that they could tell something was up. They kept asking why and I couldn’t keep it a secret any longer!” Reaching out, he grabbed your hand. “But does it matter that they know? Now we don’t have to sneak around!”

“I guess,” you said. “But I would’ve preferred it if you told me before I made a fool of myself in front of your father.”

Kyoujurou raised his eyebrows. “When did that happen?”

“Well…” You fidgeted, not wanting to tell him that you watched him and his father spar. “I got lost on the way here. And I heard someone sparring and followed the noise. I thought that I’d ask them for directions…”

“And it was dad and I?” he asked.

You nodded. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to spy on you.”

“How many times did you watch me lose?”

Fidgeting again, you said, “Just the last time.”

Kyoujurou hid his face in his hands, groaning. “So much for wanting to look cool. I suppose there’s a reason why dad is the master and not me. Even if it bothers me that I still don’t measure up to him.”

You reached over the table, pulling at his wrist. “But you are cool! You’re much cooler than I am! I wouldn’t last a second against your father! I probably wouldn’t last a second against his students either.”

Kyoujurou lowered his hands, a dejected look still on his handsome face. You interlaced your fingers with his, gently squeezing his hand.

“Speaking of,” you said, trying to change the subject, “Why did you use the wooden swords? I thought kendo used bamboo swords, like the one Tomioka has.”

“The sub-branch that my father teaches uses both,” Kyoujurou said. “Though only the older students are allowed to use the wooden swords. And I’m the only one my dad allows to spar without armor.”

“See,” you said, “You’re the only one! You may not be as experienced as your dad, but he still trusts your skills!”

Kyoujurou finally looked at you, his sunny smile returning. “You’re right! I just have to keep working hard!!” Raising your hand up to his lips, he continued. “And for the record, I do win on occasion!”

Pulling your hand from his, you ran your fingers over his cheek and into his hair, hooking them around the back of his head to draw him closer.

The door to the living room opened. The two of you pulled apart instantly.

Ruka entered. “Working hard already? I made some more tea and snacks for you.”

Kyoujurou gave her a strained smile. “Thank you, mom, but I could have done that!”

Ruka hid a smile behind her hand. “My, did I interrupt something?”

“Nothing at all!!” Turning his smile to you, he said, “We should get back to work!”

“Sensei!”

You flinched away from Kyoujurou again, just as Senjurou pushed the door open.

“Sensei, would you mind helping me with a word? I can’t make sense of it.”

Fighting to hide your annoyed expression, you turned to Senjurou. But Kyoujurou beat you to it.

“She’s a guest, Senjurou. She’s here to work with me.” Waving at himself, he continued, “So you bring your questions over here!”

Senjurou sent you an apologetic smile. “Sorry, Sensei!”

Sitting next to his brother, Senjurou spread the book out between them.

“This one,” he said, pointing. “It’s not ‘bird’, is it?”

“You’re right,” Kyoujurou said, “It’s ‘crow’. See how there’s a line missing here? If you add that line, you get ‘bird’.”

You tried your best to hide your smile as you peeked at them. They looked so cute together. You almost wanted to snap a candid picture of them.

Once Senjurou left, you turned to Kyoujurou.

“I know you said that we wouldn’t have much privacy here,” you joked, “But I didn’t realize that we’d get disturbed this much.”

Kyoujurou returned your smile. “I normally appreciate how full of life this house is! Though I wish it wasn’t as lively, just for today.” Scratching at his cheek, he continued, “If you want… I could show you my room later. We should be able to have a couple of minutes to ourselves up there. And I could show you my collection of ancient maps!”

Kyoujurou led you past the kitchen - where you could hear Ruka and Senjurou chatting as they cooked - and up the stairs to the second floor.

“My door doesn’t lock,” he said, “So we can’t get too involved. But we should at least have a little privacy before dinner.” Then he pushed his door open.

Most of his walls were covered by bookshelves. You only managed to read a few of the titles - all of them books about historical figures - before Kyoujurou pulled you over to his bed.

“Sit,” he said, “Make yourself comfortable!” Then he pulled down a ring binder. Opening it, he settled it on your lap. “This one is Carthage,” he said as he pointed to the first map in the collection. “And this one is Constantinople. There’s the Hagia Sophia, which was still a cathedral back then. When Constantinople fell to the Byzantine Empire in 1453, it was turned into a mosque!”

The two of you sat for a while, leafing through the maps, Kyoujurou’s arm slowly making its way around your lower back. Then he leaned in, his lips brushing over your cheek.

You turned your head to meet his lips. His hold around your back tightened, hand grabbing at your hip to pull you closer. Feeling the tip of his tongue brush over your lips, you opened your mouth.

“Dinner’s ready!”

The two of you finally resurfaced, both of you gasping for breath. Kyoujurou had a dazed look on his face, his hair resembling a bird’s nest - and you were sure you looked equally as out of it.

“‘Kay!” Kyoujurou called, his eyes never leaving yours, before he leaned in to kiss you again.

On the first day of the new school year, you and Kyoujurou resumed your shared commute. During the walk to the academy, you hooked your pinky finger with Kyoujurou’s. You knew that the school board would not look kindly on any displays of affection where the students could see you. This way made it easy to pull apart, while still touching.

Kyoujurou turned to you, his smile as sunny as ever. “I’m really looking forward to this school year, you know! It’ll be so much more calm when I don’t have to ruminate over whether you share my feelings!!”

You just smiled at him. Yeah, this year would definitely be so much better!

You walked down the empty halls, making your way to your next class. Stopping briefly by a window, you gazed out at the cherry trees surrounding the academy grounds. The blossoms were gone by now, soon to be replaced with leaves. You often found yourself wishing that the trees would bloom just a little bit longer; then the new students could experience arriving at the academy for the first time with the cherry blossoms still in full bloom.

Your ears perked up when you heard Kyoujurou’s voice from one of the nearby classrooms. He was too far away for you to hear him fully, but it sounded like he was talking about his hobbies. Hiding a grin behind your hand, you moved closer to the classroom, just so you could hear him more clearly. He’d told you only last night that he liked to have an ‘ask me anything’ session with new students. ‘They’re always so curious, so it’s best to get it out of the way early!’ he’d said.

“Alright, next!” you heard him say.

“Sensei, do you have any siblings?” a student asked.

“I do! My younger brother attends this academy. He’s in his second year of middle school. We look exactly alike, so you can’t miss him!”

You moved even closer, leaning against the wall opposite the door so you could see Kyoujurou through the glass. He was leaning against his desk, arms crossed. As you watched, he unfolded his arms, pointing at one of the students.

“You!”

“Are you in a relationship, Sensei?”

The question unleashed a couple of titters from the students. Kyoujurou just smiled.

“Indeed I am!” he said.

Then, as if he knew you’d been there all along, he turned his head, looking straight at you, the air seeming to shimmer around him.

“And she’s perfect! I couldn’t wish for anyone better!!”

The head of one of the students popped into view.

“The Japanese teacher?” you heard them say. “No way, you’re dating our Japanese teacher?!”

“For how long??” someone else asked.

Kyoujurou laughed. “Only a couple of weeks!” Turning his head to look at you again, a soft, loving smile spread over his face and he continued, “But I know that we’ll spend the rest of our lives together!”

Thank you so much for reading! Likes, comments, and reblogs are always greatly appreciated! If you like, you can check out my other works here. Love, Birin 💖

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twitterpated-passion · 2 months

Text

Wrong Turn | Monster Girlfriend

You didn’t know what you were doing, walking through the forest alone. You could barely make your way through the city, yet you decided to walk through the woods to get to your family’s cottage. You should’ve just brought your carriage with you. Or at least a horse. Your feet were killing you.

You weren’t stopping to camp for the night, no, so you walked, and walked, and walked. And you found a glimpse of humanity. It wasn’t your family’s cottage though. It was an Orc tribe.

You were both severely lost and hopefully not as screwed as you felt.

{--}

The moon was high, but the tribe was lively, the loud laughter and talking obvious. And you were standing on the outside of it, worried about asking for a spot to stay for the night. You knew you needed to do it, it’d be easier walking when it was sunny out, and all you needed was a single night before bidding them ado and never seeing them again. But as you took a step, you saw a pair near the bonfire that sat in the middle of where the huts were.

It was an Orc with a Human, his arms wrapped around them as they sat on his leg, laughing and chatting with the rest of the Orcs that were there. You walked closer towards the bonfire, towards where it seemed that most of the tribe was sitting, but you accidentally broke a stick and the woman beside the Human and the Orc seemed to hear it despite the loud talking around her, and her head snapped over towards you, eyes widening a little when she saw you.

Once she saw you, the rest did, and the tribe got eerily quiet. Realizing that none of them were going to walk to you, you walked over to them, clearing your throat and fidgeting with your clothes before lifting your hand to wave. “Uh- hi? I don’t mean to intrude, but…if anyone knows an inn or something…I need a place to stay for the night…I’m willing to pay.”

Even after you spoke, it was quiet for a while, and you felt like you should’ve just kept on walking. But the woman who saw you first stood and looked you up and down, cocking a brow as she walked up to you. You had to tilt your head up to look at her fully, noticing a multitude of scars littering her exposed arms and one across her nose. Your eyes met hers, a dark brown, only lit by the moonlight. Her arms crossed and with a final beat of silence, she spoke. “You can sleep in the meeting hall for tonight.”

You let out a breath as relief flooded your system, a glimpse of a smile touching your lips as you nodded. “Thank you.”

She nodded once and moved to the side, a hand touching your shoulder as you started walking. “Last building on the right.”

Her voice was raspy, but not deep. It was something you expected to come out of a woman that looked like her. You don’t say anything else however, nodding again before beginning your walk to the meeting hall. It wasn’t that hard to find, given that after the bonfire area in the middle of the tribe every building was in two straight lines across from each other.

You got into the building, trying your best to look around the dark area, the windows lining some of the walls not catching much of the moonlight. With a squint, you made your way through, stepping cautiously until you found a wooden bench. You grimaced at the thought of how your body’ll be in the morning, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, and you set your things against the side of it and sat on the bench, giving your feet a well needed break from walking.

Right as you shrugged your coat off to use as a makeshift blanket, you heard footsteps coming towards the building, one of the doors opening shortly after. You glanced over, noticing the woman from earlier, holding a blanket, and a pillow in one arm while her free hand held a lantern. She silently walked over, putting the blanket and the pillow down before taking a couple steps back. “There.”

“Thank you,” you said, and before she could leave, you leaned towards one of your bags, pulling out a small coin bag to make truth out of your initial request to stay. You grabbed a few coins, and you looked up at her to hand them to her, but she held up her now free hand, shaking her head.

“Don’t, the chief and his chiefess aren’t charging you for sleeping on a bench in a cold building,” she said, and you hesitated. Part of you was relieved that you got to keep some of the coin you brought with you, but another part of you felt like you were pushing the kindness you were already given.

“Are you sure?” You asked, and she nodded, watching as you let the coin fall back into the bag you took them from. You put the coin bag back where you grabbed it and you looked over at the blanket and pillow again, slowly grabbing the pillow, setting it to the side and then the heavier blanket. “Thank you…again.”

“It’s fine,” she said, letting silence blanket over the two of you for a moment longer before she patted your shoulder, turned and walked out of the building, leaving you alone in the darkness.

You settled on the bench, wrapping your coat around your body again and then settling under the blanket. While the bench was hard, the blanket and the pillow lessened the inevitable side pain you were going to have in the morning, and you were always grateful for that.

Exhaustion started to seep into your body soon after you got fully settled, your eyelids getting heavy until they eventually closed and you were finally asleep for the night.

{--}

You woke up to a loud knock on the door, the sound echoing through the building, responding to the noise with a groan, slowly opening your eyes as the door opened and the smell of food wafted through the area. Your stomach growled as you sat up, rubbing your eyes and stretching, hearing your sore body pop and crack as you yawned.

You looked to the side, groggy eyes seeing the woman from before standing near the bench you turned into your bed. She looked down at you silently before handing you the bowl she was holding. “Here.”

Slowly grabbing the bowl, you gave her a tired, yet thankful smile, holding the warm wood close to you and beginning to eat soon after. The Orc woman sat on the bench you made into a makeshift bed, not beside you, but close enough that she wasn’t trying to put obvious distance between you two. You looked over at her midbite, feeling her gaze burning two holes into you. You finished the bite you took and parted your lips to speak, but she spoke before you could, “Aloka.”

Your brows furrowed, but she cleared it up. “My name’s Aloka.”

“Oh,” you said, and through your exhaustion fogged brain, you responded with your own name, only to turn back to the food to take another bite.

The two of you were quiet again, and to say it was awkward would be downplaying it. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t enjoyable to sit in, even if you were five seconds from falling asleep again. Thankfully, Aloka managed to break it, “The chief and chiefess are allowing you to stay longer if you’d like. We would find a room for you if yes.”

“...I appreciate it, but I only needed to stay the night. I could hardly see in front of me and I need to find my family’s cottage,” you said, hearing her hum a couple seconds after you stopped speaking.

“Do you not know where it is?” She asked, and you nodded, taking another bite.

“I do…but normally I take a carriage to get there,” you said after you swallowed that bite. “I decided to walk this time…even though part of me was calling it stupid before I left…it got dark before I could get there so I took a few wrong turns.”

Aloka nodded, slightly lifting an eyebrow at your explanation. “If you thought it was stupid…why do it?”

You shrugged, taking another bite before sighing as you eat for a moment. “I convinced myself right before I left that it would be fine…”

“So still stupidity,” she said after you trailed off, eyes watching you eat the rest of your food. “You’re lucky you found us.”

You nodded, wiping your mouth and setting the bowl beside you. “I am,” you confirmed.

She looked from you, to the bowl, standing to grab it. “Leave the blanket and pillow here…someone will get it later today.”

Your gaze, still slightly tired but getting more awake by the second, watched her and you nodded again. “Alright…but, just a quick question…there’s a lake in this forest…are you-…do you think you know the direction of it?”

Aloka stopped herself midstep, glancing down at you before she placed her free hand on the top of her hip. “If your cottage is close to the lake, you went the exact opposite way to get there…you’re two days from it.”

Your heart sunk and the heat in your face disappeared instantly, the chill of the non-heated meeting hall getting to you. “...Two…days?”

She nodded again and offered you the first bout of emotion you saw from her, which looked to be pity, if your tired mind read it correctly. “That’s right…”

With a breath, you ran your hand down your face, a groan leaving your lips, murmuring, “Shit…”

“...I take it you’ll be staying longer than you thought,” Aloka said.

“I suppose I am,” you breathed out, looking back up at her. “I don’t want to be a bother.”

“It’s…it’s nothing. We’re already collecting Humans, with my brother’s partner being a part of the tribe.” Your eyebrow lifted, remembering the obvious couple from the night before, slightly surprised to learn that she was related to the Orc. “You’ll have a place to stay for however long you plan on staying.”

“Thank you,” you said, those two words seeming to be your favorite at that moment. She nodded in response, and walked out a few seconds after the conversation died.

You leaned against the bench when you heard the door shut, laying back on the pillow and pulling the blanket over your body. You weren’t the best at talking and you were sure it was more than obvious to her, which made for an awkward relationship going forward…but you got the feeling that she was kind.

And the idea of making a new friend gave you the smallest silver lining the situation could have.

{--}

You settled into the chief and chiefess’ hut, since they were the only one with the extra space they were willing to give to you for an indefinite amount of time. You pushed your bags against the end of the bed they set up for you and grimaced at the amount of times you had said any form of ‘thank you’ towards them. At least your parents would be proud of your manners if they heard about this- when they heard about this.

Grateful to have a bed for the time being, you had to force yourself from laying down and falling asleep for the rest of the day. To rest your sore side and your still hurt feet, dreading the walking you have to do for the rest of the day. You put your boots to the side of the bed, fixing the wrinkled clothes you changed into earlier that morning, sighing and falling back on the bed.

You wondered what your parents were thinking, if they were worried or if they thought you were already at the cottage. They tried to get you to go in a carriage, and you cursed yourself from not agreeing to it, but you couldn’t change the past, and so there you were for a few days, abusing people’s kindness and giving them another mouth to feed.

You heard a knock on the door, and it opened slightly before you could respond, the low voice of the chiefess filling the air. “Can I come in?”

“Yea,” you responded, sitting up and moving to the side, watching her open the door and enter, shutting the heavy wooden door behind herself. “Do you need something, chiefess?”

“Just call me Lufi,” she started, giving you a little smile before walking over to you and sitting on the edge of the bed. “Are you settling in well? I know everything must be much bigger to you.”

“It’s fine,” you said. “It’s comfortable…I appreciate you two housing me.”

“It’s what we do,” she said. “Aloka said you were meaning to go the opposite direction.”

You nodded to her words, a small sigh leaving your lips. “Yea, I thought I was going the wrong way, but I must’ve taken a wrong turn when it was dark.”

She nodded back at you. “Would you like an escort, or are you simply going to walk home when you feel comfortable enough to do so?”

“I’ll probably just go home…I was only planning on staying for a week or so anyway,” you said, wondering why you felt so much more comfortable talking to the Orcs that you’ve only just met compared to people you’ve known pretty much your entire life back in the city. “Thank you for the offer though.”

There you go again. She breathed out a laugh, shaking her head. “Don’t thank me, it’s nothing. If anything, Anoal and I would send Aloka, she seems to enjoy your presence. We haven’t seen her warm up to a stranger as fast since Cortek, her brother, had her meet his partner.”

Your heart picked up at the thought of her warming up to you faster than normal. “Yea? I’m not sure what I did to do anything like that other than ask for some shelter.”

Lufi shrugged. “She’s been better since Cortek’s partner joined the tribe…maybe she’s just warming up to your kind. None of us has been treated all that well by most people of different races.”

You nodded, a little solemnly. “Humans kinda suck,” you said, flashing her a small smile.

“Most of them,” she agreed. “But there’s always exceptions, aren’t there?”

“Yea,” you said, “there are.”

{--}

You walked down to the bonfire now roaring in the middle of the tribe area, finding one of the hunts roasting over it and sitting in the open spot beside Aloka. Flashing her a little smile, she returned it to the best of her ability, and your cheeks heated up ever-so-slightly at the sight, liking the way the flames lit up her face.

It’s been a few days since you arrived in the tribe, and despite the lingering fact that you have to go back home, your clean clothes slowly dwindling with each day, but Lufi was right, and every chance you had outside, you were with Aloka, either helping her with her daily chores, eating with her or simply spending your time with her. And you hated to admit it, but you felt more comfortable there than you’ve ever been in the city. You didn’t have to hold a front for the status you had, hell, you doubted people actually could tell your parents were noble because you weren’t packing to wear fancy clothes all week.

Aloka’s hand brushing your leg made you tense, and you snapped out of your thoughts, looking back up at her, meeting her brown eyes. “Do you need something, Aloka?”

She shook her head, but when her hand moved to sit on your thigh, you knew there was something she wasn’t saying, especially when she couldn’t meet your eyes and instead decided to talk to her brother and his partner.

Your brows furrowed, but you took it in stride, putting your hand on hers and watching the fire as it crackled and popped. A smile appeared on your face at the chatter everyone was doing and when you felt Aloka’s hand tighten her grip on your thigh. You leaned against her, not meaning anything by it, but you felt her arm tense before relaxing and she moved her arm, wrapping it around your smaller body before resting on your other thigh, keeping you steady and warm all at the same time.

The air between the two of you seemed to change slightly, seeming like it was thicker, but for a reason you weren’t completely sure of. You felt safe though, in a way that seemed completely friendly and platonic.

Totally.

{--}

Sunlight poured into the room, and you groaned a little as you stirred awake, turning to the side, but hitting something soft and yet hard at the same time, another noise leaving you. You pushed up, rubbing your eyes as you felt chilled air touch your skin. When you cracked your eyes open, looking to your right side to see what you hit, only to realize that this wasn’t your bed, or your room…

When you look beside you, you’re met with a back, a green back and a full head of black hair, unbraided and undone, messily laying on the pillow. You pressed your lips together, eyes widening a bit at the sight of Aloka beside you, breathing steadily, and just as bare as you were at that very moment.

You looked around the room, seeing your clothes and hers littered on the floor, a breath leaving you. You felt awkward waiting until she woke up, but you also felt awful at the idea of putting your clothes on and leaving like you were running away from what had happened the night before, so you slowly slipped out of bed, put on your underwear and shirt, slipping out of her room, but making your way into the kitchen, hoping you have enough time to find some food and not make it seem like you were stealing her food.

However, you weren’t so lucky that time, hearing her heavy footsteps come down the steps and then your name being called by her groggy voice. Walking out with a small slice of bread in your hand, you see her look down at you, tired brown eyes processing that you were still there before she smiled at you slightly. “You stayed.”

“I wasn’t gonna walk out with just my shirt on,” you said, noticing her robe that was tied tightly around her waist. “Sleep well?”

She nodded, running her fingers through the mess that was her bedhead. You, however, couldn’t help but admire it. Comfortable silence fell between the two of you and you stepped back to let her in the kitchen, watching her get a drink before leaning against the counter. “Did you enjoy last night?”

The question threw you off guard, but you managed to nod. Admittedly, you did enjoy the night before, just not the consequences of it…like having to talk about whether you were still friends or not.

A warm finger touched your forehead, bringing your attention back on her. “What’re you thinking?”

“...Are we still friends?” She cocked an eyebrow, finishing her drink and setting the cup on the counter space beside her.

“Do you often spend your nights being intimate with your friends?” Aloka asked you back.

Your face warmed and you shook your head, and you watched another smile -which was more of a smirk at this point- grace her features. “Then I guess we’re not.”

Feeling your heartbeat pick up, you bit your lip. “Then- then what are we?”

“Whatever you want to be,” she said, her tone softening. “I know you’re leaving in a few days…so…”

“Is it wrong of me to not know what I want?” You asked. “I want you in my life…that I know…but…we’ll barely see each other. I just…I don’t want either of us to feel like we’re being held back.”

“Do you remember how you got here?” She asked, and you nodded. “Then come visit…we’ll figure it out. Besides, we still have a few days, and even though you’re already making me soft around my edges- thanks for that- I want you to come back. Alright?”

You nodded again. “Right…” You took a breath, and leaned into her hand when she cupped your cheek. It was a sight to see, seeing how close the two of you got in only a few days. You knew it was natural not to know what you wanted with a person that you’ve only known for a few days, but you felt bad that a happy ending wasn’t in the near future.

But with time, you hoped and put your faith into fate, hoping that it might be into both of your futures someday. For now though? For now you were fine not knowing. As long as you had her in your life.

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