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As summer vacation's final day drew to a close, time blinked forward to the opening ceremony day.
Following the principle of new semester, new atmosphere, Bokue directly slept comfortably through the night.
When he woke and opened his eyes, sunlight filtering through curtains into the bedroom had reached almost blinding brightness.
The AC continued its dutiful work inside the room. Cool air blew from the vents along the oscillating directional blades.
Only a certain nekomata girl's drawn-out breathing reached his ears.
"Mmm... Bokue make kittens..."
Even dreaming about making kittens...
Hearing Kuroka's sleep-talking murmurs beside the pillow, Bokue couldn't help finding it somewhat amusing.
Then he reached out to wrap around the nekomata girl's waist, directly pulling her over in one motion.
"Mmm..."
Though still dreaming, Kuroka seemed to have trained some kind of instinct. With Bokue's gentle pull, she immediately made a responding movement—unconsciously extending both arms to loop around the young man's neck.
Pull tight, nuzzle nuzzle.
"hmm?"
As if realizing something was off in her dream, the nekomata girl who'd been happily sleep-talking the second before suddenly stopped, furrowing her brow slightly. Like she couldn't quite believe it, she continued pressing her cat nose against Bokue's cheek.
Then opened her still-sleepy eyes.
"Eh? Bokue, you're actually still here? I thought I was hugging the blanket..."
"The blanket?"
Bokue raised one eyebrow.
"Yeah, after all didn't you say school starts today, Bokue? I figured you'd already left."
Kuroka raised her hand to rub her drowsy eyes, yawning.
"Haah~ By the way, what time is it?"
"Let me check."
Bokue picked up the phone he'd left on the nightstand, lighting the screen for a glance.
"Mmm... exactly nine in the morning."
"Eh?"
Kuroka's eye-rubbing hand immediately froze before she snapped her eyes wide open.
"Wait wait! Didn't you say school starts today, Bokue? Why are you still home at this hour?!"
"...I already explained this to you before."
Bokue turned sideways, switching positions to pull the nekomata girl in his arms even tighter. The two stayed nestled under the covers like this—nearly zero distance, face to face.
"Before, I had to go to school every day to earn money to support you. But now I don't need to go through that trouble anymore, so naturally I don't need to go so early~"
"Eh? I guess that's right..."
Recalling that Bokue had indeed said something similar before, Kuroka's cat ears perked up and tilted as she hummed while tilting her head.
Immediately after, her eyes brightened.
"Does that mean today we can stay home and go hard all day..."
"No."
Before she could finish, Bokue decisively refused.
"Forgot? Yesterday I bought daily necessities for Yura. I definitely need to find time to deliver them today. Plus..."
"Plus what?"
Hearing the keyword, Kuroka's cat ears immediately stood straight up while her golden eyes narrowed sideways.
"Don't tell me you made plans with another girl?"
"..."
Bokue didn't avoid the topic, directly mentioning the encounter with School Nurse Hasegawa at the shopping center last night.
Kuroka listened seriously at first, but when she heard the four words "physical examination," she couldn't hold back a snort.
"That school nurse wants to give you a physical? Are you serious?"
"Well, I already agreed..."
Bokue shrugged.
"Alright, get up now for breakfast then head to school. We should arrive just in time for their morning break."
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Just as Bokue had said, when he finished breakfast and arrived at Saikai Academy, the entire school was immersed in rousing music.
Now nine-twenty—right when Saikai Academy's second morning class ended. Also known as exercise break time. The school broadcast played exercise music.
At this hour, basically all students concentrated on the field. Plus, being the first day of school, few would request leave for physical discomfort. So even classrooms and dorms would be nearly deserted.
Bokue didn't go to the field. He took advantage of this timing to head straight to the administrative building.
After all, the infirmary was inside the administrative building. Since Dr. Hasegawa was the school nurse, she didn't need to supervise exercises. This timing was perfect.
Completely unlike the old Kuoh Academy administrative building's feeling of majesty within antiquity, the merged Saikai Academy's administrative building was clearly more modern and contemporary. From outer walls to interior, everything adopted directly white-painted minimalist style.
However, just as Bokue stepped onto the administrative building's front stairs preparing to enter—a figure came toward him head-on.
Bokue hadn't originally planned to pay attention, but the approaching male teacher stopped and raised his hand in a wave.
"Yo, if it isn't Keikain-kun. Why aren't you at the field but instead coming to the administrative building?"
"...Sakazaki-sensei?"
Bokue recognized him.
Sakazaki had originally been the homeroom teacher for the class next to his at Kuoh Academy. Apparently, like School Nurse Hasegawa, he'd also moved to Itogami Island due to the school merger.
He wasn't particularly familiar with the man—just knew this person existed.
Though running into him at the administrative building... a promotion? No longer homeroom teacher but transferred to administration?
Without answering the male teacher's question, Bokue asked back.
"What about you, Sakazaki-sensei? Not homeroom teaching anymore?"
"No... I'm still homeroom teacher of course."
Sakazaki smiled. Holding documents in one hand, he pointed behind himself with the ballpoint pen in his other hand.
"Still teaching last semester's class. Just had some business at the administrative building right now. Was heading to the field. You, Keikain-kun..."
"Got it. You can go."
Bokue said flatly. Simultaneously, the golden glow representing magnetic field power flashed in his eyes before he lifted his leg to continue forward, brushing past the male teacher still frozen in place.
About two seconds later, the golden glow in Sakazaki's eyes gradually faded.
He seemed to wake from a dream, still somewhat dazed as he turned to glance at the young man already behind him. Scratching his head, he nodded blankly.
"Uh... alright, understood."
With that, he left toward the administrative building's exit without looking back.
Bokue likewise didn't look back, passing through the corner beneath the stairs and heading straight toward the infirmary.
But what the young man didn't know—after they'd gone separate ways where neither could see the other's back, Sakazaki who'd reached outside the administrative building stopped.
He turned to look back at the building. His originally rather amiable expression vanished, replaced by jealousy so intense it nearly drove him mad.
"So it's this brat? To think he'd make Lady Afureia willingly spend ten years—what does he have that could make You so interested...!!!"
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