Inside the Katsuragi house, in the living room.
Katsuragi Shouko sat on the sofa, her expression a little conflicted.
Because honestly, she still wanted to talk with Hikari a bit more. After all, he had helped her and her daughter so much.
"It's all because I'm so clumsy. I actually spilled tea on Hikari-kun, making him leave uncomfortable like that."
"I should go apologize to Hikari-kun, and also thank him properly. Maybe offer to cook for him sometime, or give him a massage or something. Since we're neighbors now, it'd be convenient…"
After making up her mind, Katsuragi Shouko stood up from the sofa, patted her rounded, shapely hips beneath her skirt, and went out the door.
When she arrived at Hikari's house, Shouko raised her hand and knocked gently on the door.
But there was no response.
"Hikari-kun?"
'He'd only come home not long ago, he shouldn't have gone out again, right?'
Feeling a bit puzzled, Shouko lifted her hand again, about to knock once more.
However, just then, she heard something strange coming from inside.
There were odd sounds of conversation, faint but clear, coming from within the house, mixed with bursts of rather vigorous noises.
Shouko's expression immediately turned awkward. Her face flushed red, and she looked visibly embarrassed.
It wasn't that she couldn't guess what was going on, she wasn't some shy young girl anymore.
But the problem was… both of those voices were very familiar to her.
Hearing what unmistakably sounded like Katsuragi Sayaka's voice, Shouko couldn't help but cover her face with her hands.
After standing frozen by the door in mortified silence for a few minutes, Shouko finally decided to hurry away.
As she left, her foot accidentally stepped into a small puddle of water on the ground, almost making her slip.
She quickly pressed down her skirt, hurried back home, went straight to her room, and shut the door firmly behind her.
———
[Inside Hikari's House]
Katsuragi Sayaka was lying obediently in Hikari's arms, the two of them leaning together on the sofa.
"Sayaka, are you okay?", Hikari asked gently, looking at Sayaka, who was still panting softly.
"It's... it's okay. I just accidentally dirtied your yoga mat," Katsuragi Sayaka said in a small voice.
Hikari looked down.
He saw some bloodstains on his exercise mat, seemingly left after the massage.
He shook his head and said, "It's fine. It can still be used after wiping it. No big deal."
Katsuragi Sayaka immediately said, "How can that be? I must compensate you with a new one, Hikari-kun!"
"It's okay, I'll just buy another one myself later," Hikari said casually.
"Okay~", Katsuragi Sayaka didn't say more and obediently continued to snuggle in Hikari's arms.
"Have you rested enough? With things like massage, it's best to do it more frequently when you've just started, to build up muscle tolerance. Otherwise, it will hurt every time you get one later," Hikari said casually.
"Mhm, let's continue."
Following Katsuragi Sayaka's words, Hikari continued massaging her.
And Katsuragi Sayaka, occasionally enduring her sore muscles, also helped massage Hikari in return.
———
Another hour or two later.
Hikari saw the mobility-impaired Katsuragi Sayaka back to her home.
When the two entered the house, they happened to encounter Katsuragi Shouko, who was already wearing a thin lace nightgown, coming out of her room.
While walking, Katsuragi Shouko kept her hands pressed tightly against her skirt hem, and her steps were carefully taken.
For some reason, Katsuragi Shouko's complexion was unusually flushed.
And after seeing the two of them, her eyes became somewhat evasive.
"Madam Shouko," Hikari proactively greeted her.
"Hik... Hikari-kun, hello!", Katsuragi Shouko immediately responded, but her eyes dodged about, not daring to look directly at Hikari.
"Mom, I'm not feeling too well, I'm going to sleep first," Katsuragi Sayaka's gaze towards Katsuragi Shouko was also slightly flickering, afraid the other might notice something unusual.
"Ah, okay!", Katsuragi Shouko immediately nodded in response.
At that moment, another figure came down from upstairs; it was Katsuragi Yuki.
"Huh? Sis, you're back?", Katsuragi Yuki waved at Katsuragi Sayaka with a smile.
"Mmm," Katsuragi Sayaka, her face red, nodded slightly.
"Your sister isn't feeling well. I'll take her upstairs to rest. Yuki, you entertain Hikari-kun," Katsuragi Shouko said to Katsuragi Yuki. After speaking, she walked to Katsuragi Sayaka's side and helped support her, whose legs weren't too steady, upstairs.
"It's fine, no need for entertainment. I'm going back now," Hikari waved his hand, turned, and went out.
However, Katsuragi Yuki said she would see Hikari off and followed him out the door.
———
In the hallway—
Katsuragi Yuki quickly walked to Hikari's side, turned her body sideways, and asked him with a smile, "How did it go with my sister tonight? Did you have a good time?"
Looking at Katsuragi Yuki's smiling face brought close to his, Hikari smiled and reached out to pinch her tender, smooth cheek, asking, "Was it you who guided your sister to come find me?"
"Yes, it was!", Katsuragi Yuki nodded proudly and told Hikari about her late-night talk and persuasion of Katsuragi Sayaka earlier.
"You, ah," Hikari smiled and shook his head, casually praising Katsuragi Yuki with a few things she liked to hear, then prepared to turn and go back to his room.
But just as he was about to close the door, Katsuragi Yuki reached out and stopped the door, seemingly still having something she wanted to say.
"Wait a moment, Hikari-kun."
"Hmm?", Hikari looked at her questioningly.
Katsuragi Yuki first brought her face close and kissed the corner of Hikari's mouth, "This is a goodnight kiss~ Mmm, it really has my sister's scent~"
Seeing Katsuragi Yuki's carefully savoring expression, Hikari smiled and shook his head.
"That, Hikari-kun, prepare yourself these next few days. I plan to have my mom come over to find you for a chat these next few nights too~", Katsuragi Yuki said to Hikari with a meaningful smile.
Seeing the fox-like smile on this extremely proactive girl's face, Hikari also smiled and said, "Alright, I'll be prepared."
He didn't take Katsuragi Yuki's words too seriously, feeling it was a bit like a y*ung girl's jest.
After all, it wasn't too strange for her to persuade her sister Katsuragi Sayaka; they were peers after all.
Moreover, before coming, Katsuragi Sayaka had already laid her cards on the table with him once this afternoon.
But as a daughter, persuading Katsuragi Shouko, that seemed unlikely.
Just now, when he was seeing Katsuragi Sayaka out and stepped on that patch of wet floor at the entrance, he could guess who had been lingering there.
So, with Katsuragi Shouko knowing full well he spent tonight with Katsuragi Sayaka, whether Katsuragi Yuki could actually persuade her to come find him for a chat was questionable.
But seeing Hikari not taking it too seriously, Katsuragi Yuki's expression was quite earnest.
———
The next day, early morning.
After receiving the specially made breakfast boxed lunch from Katsuragi Shouko, Hikari came to school as usual.
Before class, his front desk mate Yoshida Saki came to chat with him, but before they could talk much, three gyaru crowded over.
After chatting with the three gyaru for a while, the class bell rang.
The first period was homeroom teacher Tsukishima Kyoko's math class.
It has to be said, math isn't easy for students in any country.
Although Hikari felt no pressure listening, many students were already drowsy.
After all, other things might deceive you, but math won't, because if you don't get math, you just don't get it.
However, after class ended, Tsukishima Kyoko didn't, as usual, call out those students who dozed off during class to scold them.
Instead, she walked over to Hikari, who had been listening attentively the whole time, and said, "Hikari, come with me for a moment."
"Huh? Me?"
"Mhm, come out!", Tsukishima Kyoko's beautiful face was serious.
Hikari had no choice but to follow Tsukishima Kyoko out of the classroom under his classmates' gleeful looks.
"Follow me," After leaving the classroom, Tsukishima Kyoko walked ahead, leading the way.
Hikari followed for a few steps before kindly reminding her, "Tsukishima-sensei, this direction isn't the way to the staff room."
"Just follow me," Tsukishima Kyoko said in a low voice.
Seeing her adopt a teacher's manner, Hikari had no choice but to follow behind her.
Soon, Hikari followed Tsukishima Kyoko to her intended destination.
An old warehouse behind the school building.
This was an old warehouse both Hikari and Tsukishima Kyoko were very familiar with.
Following Tsukishima Kyoko, he pushed the door open and entered the warehouse. Hikari looked around carefully at this place, where he and Tsukishima Kyoko had once accidentally connected, the place of her first blood.
After looking for a while, Hikari turned his head questioningly to look at Tsukishima Kyoko, unsure why she had suddenly brought him to this old place at this time.
And Tsukishima Kyoko was also looking at him at this moment.
In this old place with no one else, just the two of them, Tsukishima Kyoko wasn't as cold-faced as outside, not like the icy queen who looked like everyone owed her money. Her whole face had softened a lot.
And seeing that Hikari's gaze was also directed this way, she spoke softly, "Hikari, I have a very important matter I want to discuss with you."
Seeing Tsukishima Kyoko's suddenly serious expression.
Hikari's expression also turned serious. He suddenly asked, "Tsukishima-sensei, are you pregnant?"
"How did you know... Huh? No! Why are you suddenly saying that?", Tsukishima Kyoko looked at Hikari with a shocked expression.
Hikari maintained his composure and explained, "That time before was an accident, so we didn't have any protective measures. Naturally, there's a possibility of hitting the jackpot."
"Plus, I've noticed your various strange behaviors recently, the way you often sneak glances at me from behind. I've been aware of it."
"Although there might be other possibilities, I feel this possibility is the greatest."
"So you knew I was secretly watching you before...", Tsukishima Kyoko looked at Hikari somewhat silently. She hadn't expected Hikari's observational skills to be so sharp.
But seeing Hikari's increasingly serious face and his very complex gaze directed at her lower abdomen, Tsukishima Kyoko suddenly broke into a smile.
Like a spring breeze brushing the face, or the fragrance of peach blossoms, she said somewhat amusedly, "Your observation skills are indeed sharp, your mind works quickly, and your guess is quite logical. Even I thought so at first."
"Because recently, it's been quite a long time since my last period, which made me very nervous."
"But I went to the hospital and got checked. I'm not pregnant." [T/N: Tch!]
"I just got sick because I've been under too much pressure lately."
Hikari frowned and asked, "What illness?"
Looking at Tsukishima Kyoko's smiling face, Hikari had the feeling of a female lead in a drama denying pregnancy on purpose.
But Tsukishima Kyoko said with a smile, "I really just have an illness, no need to worry. It's a common female disease called polycystic ovaries."
Hearing Tsukishima Kyoko's words, Hikari recalled.
"Polycystic ovary syndrome? A disease caused by endocrine and metabolic abnormalities in women of reproductive age, characterized by chronic anovulation and hyperandrogenism. The main clinical manifestations include irregular menstruation, infertility... etc."
Hearing Hikari detail various explanations of the disease, Tsukishima Kyoko couldn't help but be stunned, "You actually know about this disease, and in such detail?"
"Just have a relatively good memory," Hikari had long been capable of photographic memory.
And with so many girls around him, he had naturally, intentionally or unintentionally, learned some knowledge about female physiology.
"It's good that you understand," Tsukishima Kyoko nodded calmly.
"So, Sensei, you're not pregnant," Hikari asked.
"Mhm! Didn't hit the jackpot. What, you want to be a dad?", The usually cold-faced Tsukishima Kyoko suddenly asked Hikari with a smile, looking surprisingly playful.
"Uh, haha!", Hikari laughed awkwardly twice. This kind of question really wasn't easy to answer.
He changed the subject and asked, "Since it's not pregnancy, then what is the very important matter you mentioned, Tsukishima-sensei?"
"What, if it's not pregnancy, there can't be other important matters?", Tsukishima Kyoko laughed.
"No...", Hikari was just about to speak.
But Tsukishima Kyoko interrupted, "I got divorced."
As she spoke, she slowly took off the wedding ring on her ring finger, "You were involved, so you should know that my previous husband and I had a marriage in name only. For certain reasons, he never touched me."
"Of course, I also know that you, Hikari, have other women, and more than one," Even though it was a major event like divorce, Tsukishima Kyoko's tone was unusually calm, as if she were talking about a very ordinary matter.
"Huh? Sensei, what do you mean by telling me all this?", Hikari slightly furrowed his brows, looking somewhat puzzled at Tsukishima Kyoko. He faintly sensed some of Tsukishima Kyoko's thoughts.
And Tsukishima Kyoko also slowly explained, "It's simple. I'm telling you about my divorce because I want you, and also myself, to no longer have psychological burdens."
"And me saying you have other women isn't meant to pressure you."
"However, since that kind of accident has already happened between us, our relationship can never go back to the past. I've tried and found that I simply can't forget you no matter what."
"Before, it was due to my status and my situation, but I really can't bear it anymore. After all, status is temporary, and I'm willing to make changes regarding my situation."
"So, if you are willing to break up with those other women and cut off all contact, then I'm willing to wait for you until you graduate."
"After you graduate, we... we can get married!"
By the end, Tsukishima Kyoko's fair, pretty face was somewhat flushed.
This shy appearance of hers, if seen by students and teachers who had only ever seen her cold, icy side, would probably shock them.
But Hikari was frowning, staring intently at Tsukishima Kyoko.
Because although she said she wasn't pressuring him, it still felt somewhat pressuring in practice.
Seeing Tsukishima Kyoko looking directly at him, not averting her gaze, with a rare shy expression, Hikari shook his head, "Sorry, Tsukishima-sensei, I can't fulfill your request."
"Why? Am I not pretty enough?", The shyness on Tsukishima Kyoko's face faded slightly as she asked, puzzled.