"Yukari-sensei, please marry me!"
A childish, high-pitched voice echoed from behind, causing Yukari Sasaki to freeze mid-task.
Turning her head in surprise, she saw a little boy standing behind her, dressed in a light-blue kindergarten uniform top paired with matching dark-blue shorts.
Out of all the children she looked after, this boy was both the most adorable and the most mischievous.
Because he was bright, cheerful, and highly independent, he naturally acted as the leader of the kids.
To make managing the class easier, Yukari had even appointed him as the class monitor.
Hearing him suddenly confess to her like this, she blanked for a moment before letting out a very gentle, helpless smile.
"Thank you for liking me, Fuyumi~ Teacher loves playing with you too."
Yukari didn't take the child's playful words seriously, assuming it was just the innocent, friendly kind of 'liking' a child felt when they enjoyed playing with someone.
However, children nowadays were generally precocious.
To prevent him from picking up anything inappropriate from television, Yukari took extra care to caution him.
"Liking to play with someone and *liking* someone in that way are two very different things, little Fuyumi."
"When you talk to the other children, you have to make yourself clear, okay? Otherwise, it might cause a lot of misunderstanding and trouble for them."
Afraid that he might press her for explanations about concepts far too mature for his current age, she quickly pressed on. "In short, little Fuyumi isn't allowed to say 'I like you' to anyone just yet. You can do that when you grow up a bit more."
Choosing to listen selectively to her advice, the little boy nodded, hiding his hands behind his back.
"I see. Yukari-sensei is jealous, so you don't want me telling other girls that I like them, right?"
"Huh?"
"That's fine by me. I only like Yukari-sensei anyway, so I'll only ever say it to you."
'Do kids these days... even understand what being 'jealous' means? I certainly never taught them that.'
As she thought about it, a helpless smile graced her lips.
But before Yukari could find the right words to clarify that this wasn't jealousy, the little boy spoke up again.
"Since I agreed to your condition, Yukari-sensei, shouldn't you agree to my request too?"
Assuming the boy wanted her to accept his earlier 'marriage proposal,' Yukari shook her head softly. "Little Fuyumi, you're still too—"
Before she could finish, a small, soft, innocent hand reached up and gently cupped her cheek.
The boy's eyes were clear and pure, devoid of any malice, acting like a gentle wave that washed away the words on her tongue.
Locking eyes with him, Yukari heard a tone of genuine, deep-seated concern ripple from his voice. "Then Yukari-sensei must promise me to stay far away from those adult men, okay? The way they look at you is very dangerous. You don't seem to like their stares either, so you'll promise me, right?"
"..."
Blessed with a gentle, elegant face and a stunningly curvaceous figure, Yukari Sasaki was a famously beautiful woman in the area.
Naturally, she never lacked suitors or admirers.
However, their overly vulgar glances deeply repulsed her.
She had always thought she was the only one who noticed, but she never
expected...
But he...
Deeply touched by the little boy's protective care, she raised her hand to stroke his hair, her smile brimming with tenderness and affection.
"Mmh. Teacher promises you."
Children were incapable of hiding their emotions.
So, having received an affirmative answer, the boy beamed with joy.
He reached up with his other hand to cradle her face, slowly drawing closer.
Confronted by his sudden proximity, her wine-red eyes quivered and trembled gently, swirling like vintage wine in a crystal goblet, radiating a rich, intoxicating warmth.
Perhaps it was due to the boy's heartfelt concern, or perhaps his movements were simply too sudden, but Yukari's mind went entirely blank.
She found herself completely unable to resist.
And yet...
The expected sensation did not land on her lips.
Instead, a fleeting, cool, and soft touch brushed against her forehead.
Yukari blinked her wide eyes in a daze, staring blankly back at the little boy who was still holding her face.
Oblivious to the whirlwind of complex emotions his actions had stirred within the older sister he adored, the pure-minded boy withdrew one of his hands and held it up in front of her face.
?
Not understandong what this little troublemaker, who was already far too skilled at tugging at heartstrings at such a young age, wanted to do next. Yukari's dazed, unfocused eyes gradually centered, and she noticed a red string tied around the little boy's extended pinky finger.
It was just a regular piece of red yarn, nothing special.
But being tied around his pinky...
'Could he mean...'
With the delicate finger wrapped in red yarn reflected in her wine-red eyes, the boy said happily, "I've already kissed Yukari-sensei, so that means you belong to me now~ It's a promise, we have to stay together forever!
Mmh... we'll save the real kiss for when we get married."
Yukari raised a hand to touch her forehead, where the cool sensation of the kiss lingered.
Facing the boy who eagerly awaited her response, and unwilling to shatter this beautiful, innocent moment, she treated it as a harmless childhood game.
So, she took the other end of the yarn and tied it around her own pinky, linking their fingers through the red thread.
"Mmh. It's a promise."
*Click~*
Yukari Sasaki wound the red string into a neat little ball and placed it inside a delicate, exquisite box she had spent a long time choosing.
Recalling how the little guy, Fuyumi, had grown increasingly clingy and affectionate over the past few days, a breathtaking, soft smile naturally bloomed on her lips.
Her slender, pale fingers unconsciously traced the beautiful, carved patterns on the wooden box.
Seated at her desk in the staff room, completely immersed in this sweet reverie, Yukari was suddenly startled awake by a smooth, masculine voice right beside her.
"Sasaki-sensei."
Caught off guard by the abrupt greeting, she frantically pushed the box aside and looked up.
"Inoue... Supervisor Inoue! When did you get here?"
The man's meticulously styled black hair was slicked back, gleaming as bright as his polished leather shoes.
Having made grade supervisor at the young age of thirty, Supervisor Inoue reached up to push his gold-rimmed glasses up the bridge of his nose.
He took a few slow, unhurried steps closer, offering a genial laugh.
"Just now. I came over to ask if Sasaki-sensei would be interested in joining us for dinner tonight?"
"A dinner gathering?"
Since they shared the same office, if there was a departmental dinner, it was impossible for her to be kept in the dark.
Yet, she hadn't heard a single whisper about this particular outing.
As if sensing her doubts the man spoke, the affable smile on his face remaining seamless. "Ah, consider it a private dinner. Just you, me, and a few other teachers—Kusaba and Harasawa."
"I-I see."
Yukari knew of Kusaba and Harasawa, but she rarely interacted with them.
According to the rumors floating around the school, both women were very close to Supervisor Inoue—in fact, they likely shared a rather complicated relationship behind closed doors.
Perhaps because of this backing, they weren't particularly kind to their colleagues, often carrying themselves with an arrogant, condescending attitude that made them highly unpopular.
To be suddenly invited to dinner by people she barely spoke to...
To be honest, Yukari had no desire to accept.
A look of conflicted hesitation washed over her gentle features, and she spoke in a tone heavy with apology. "I'm terribly sorry, Supervisor Inoue, but I have some urgent matters to attend to at home today... so..."
Instead of taking the hint and backing off, Supervisor Inoue chuckled and leaned casually against the edge of her desk. "A bit later in the evening works too. Tomorrow is a rest day, so there's no need to rush your time."
He didn't specify whether the dinner could be pushed back or if her personal errands could wait... but judging by his stubborn refusal to leave, his intentions were clear.
The harder he pushed, the more
Yukari felt she absolutely could not go.
"I am truly sorry, Supervisor Inoue.
The situation at home is quite urgent... Perhaps another day? Let's definitely find a time to gather when we're all free, alright?"
Her tone was soft and polite, laced with appropriate regret; her conduct was entirely flawless.
However, "another day" was a perpetual raincheck.
Based on Supervisor Inoue's observations of Yukari, if he failed to secure her company today, it would be twice as difficult to invite her out in the future.
His warm, genial expression stiffened, a faint shadow passing over his features.
Yet, he refrained from pushing further verbally.
In the shared office, the other teachers who hadn't clocked out yet were subtly casting glances in their direction.
Drama between young, unmarried, attractive colleagues was always a magnet for attention.
Among the onlookers were the very women he had mentioned—Kusaba and Harasawa.
Seeing that Supervisor Inoue's charms were failing to sway Yukari, the two women exchanged a brief look, the let out some warm, sisterly smiles, and strolled over to her desk.
"Oh, come on, Yukari, don't be such a party pooper. It's just a dinner to help colleagues bond. It won't take up much of your time."
"Exactly. Look around, everyone's watching. If you reject Supervisor Inoue so bluntly, it'll be terribly embarrassing for him. Just say yes."
The two women, both of perfectly average appearance, took turns tag-teaming her with persuasive remarks.
While Supervisor Inoue was a head department teacher, he didn't wield absolute power in the school.
Though Yukari respected his position, she wasn't about to compromise her own safety for his ego.
At worst, her professional life might become a bit rocky in the future.
Just as she was gearing up to refuse them a second time, Kusaba leaned in close to her ear, lowering her voice to a sharp whisper.
"Sasaki-sensei, you do realize that Supervisor Inoue is the one handling the teacher evaluations this year, right? Is your family matter... truly that important?"
Teacher evaluations could be a minor formality or a career-defining hurdle.
Their primary purpose was to document daily performance and recommend outstanding educators for promotions.
However... if an evaluation was intentionally tanked, it served as the perfect excuse to terminate a teacher's contract.
Yukari was confident in her work ethic, but a school year was long.
If someone determined to make her life miserable started giving her the runaround, causing her to make consecutive errors, getting fired wouldn't be difficult at all.
'This is a blatant threat.'
Yukari was still young.
Even if she were fired, it would only make finding her next job slightly tedious; it wasn't worth throwing herself into a dangerous situation for.
So, under such threats, she took a deep breath, preparing to stand up, pack her box into her bag, and take her leave regardless.
But right then, a sharp knock rattled the office door.
The abrupt sound instantly drew everyone's attention as they turned their heads toward the entrance in unison, and saw a little boy standing by the door, clutching his stomach.
"Yukari-sensei... my, my tummy hurts so bad."
The boy's cheeks were flushed with a perfectly healthy, radiant color.
Aside from the dramatic clutching of his stomach, he didn't look like he was in an ounce of pain.
Annoyed that this brat had interrupted just as Yukari was on the verge of giving in, Supervisor Inoue shot a meaningful look at Harasawa.
And the latet, leaning into his silent command, offered a plastic, sweet smile and spoke up. "Little boy, Yukari-sensei is a bit busy right now.
Why don't you let Harasawa-sensei take you to the infirmary instead?"
Without giving the woman so much as a passing glance, the little boy kept his eyes locked strictly on Yukari.
Though she didn't understand why the little guy was here, Yukari knew instantly that he had come to rescue her.
The tension on her face from the threat slowly dissolved, replaced by a warm smile.
But just as she opened her mouth to speak, Supervisor Inoue stepped forward.
Walking up to the little boy, the man extended a large hand and patted his head roughly, offering a friendly but completely cold smile.
"Little boy, didn't your teachers ever teach you that to be a good person, you have to—"
Thud.
Using the momentum of the man ruffling his hair, Fuyumi deliberately threw his weight backward as his head clipped the adjacent doorframe with a sharp, audible crack, and he collapsed onto the floor.
A second later, a piercing, deafening wail shattered the silence of the office.
"Waaahhh!~"
!!!