"Shouko, we're here. You can let go now."
"Tsuna, I think I left Nanase Teacher's homework at school. How about you take me back to get it?"
He didn't say anything more but turned back to look at her silently, the meaning already clear.
From school to home, he had somewhat adapted, no longer holding his breath like at the beginning, afraid that with any movement, the thing pressed against his back would also move...
Of course, there were no special reasons midway, such as sudden braking, which would be too dangerous. He always put safety first.
Especially now, during the time when students and office workers are leaving school and work, there are many vehicles and pedestrians on the road.
"Alright, alright, I'll get off."
In the end, Shouko gave in, took off her helmet, rubbed her face against his back, and reluctantly got off, using the excuse that it was 'itchy.'
She thought that there would be many more opportunities like this in the future, so she could take her time. After all, her Tsuna wasn't going anywhere.
Shouko said goodbye to him, mentioning that she would come over to find him again tonight, and then walked toward her house.
It was around 5:30 PM, and she still wanted to go back and help her grandma prepare dinner, assisting with various tasks.
"Click..."
"I'm home."
"How does it feel?"
Tsuna changed his shoes and walked into the living room, a bit confused by his Mom's words. "How does what feel?"
Shizuka, who was watching a drama, paused the TV, turned back, and raised an eyebrow at him, stubbornly refusing to explain.
"..." He somewhat understood what his Mom meant—how did it feel to carry Shouko for the first time?
Ignoring his Mom's winks, he decisively turned and left the living room with a 'calm expression.'
Seeing this, Shizuka put away her expression and continued watching her drama. That brat wouldn't say anything, and no matter how she asked, he wouldn't tell her.
Moreover, looking at his forced expression, something must have happened. It wasn't that she didn't believe him, but she knew Shouko, whom she had raised, too well.
If it weren't for age restrictions and the constraints of both sets of parents, she sometimes wondered if Shouko would have completely devoured Tsuna.
Of course, it was also impressive that Tsuna hadn't taken any dangerous steps so far. His father didn't have such willpower back then...
Putting aside those random thoughts, Shizuka got up, paused the TV, and left the living room, heading toward the kitchen.
The next day.
"Tsuna, can you put your backpack in front?" Shouko looked at him, displeased, riding the motorcycle with his backpack on his back. That backpack was particularly an eyesore.
"No, it's not easy to operate with it in front." Tsuna didn't look at her displeased little expression.
He was doing this on purpose. If he did that every morning, it wouldn't be very good...
Especially since he could only look but not eat, because Shouko was still young, still a minor.
Although she had transformed from a loli into a maiden, she was still a minor at the end of the day.
His conscience wouldn't allow it...
"Alright."
Ultimately, with no result, Shouko lightly punched his arm and could only obediently get on the bike, hugging his book-filled backpack and sulking.
She could tell that this person was definitely doing it on purpose. Usually, his backpack only had one or two books, flat, but now it was completely stuffed and bulging with books.
——————————
As the dismissal bell rang and after Nanase Teacher left the classroom, several people packed their backpacks and left the classroom, heading to their respective clubs.
"After school, I'll wait for you at the parking lot at the school gate."
Receiving a nod from Shouko, Tsuna waved to the two and turned to walk toward the staircase.
What happened at the school gate yesterday didn't cause any ripples at school today; it was just a small interlude.
Shouko and Ajitani continued walking toward the Art Club with their backpacks.
An hour passed with Ajitani drawing an unknown number of circles.
"Clap, clap, clap..." The Art Club Leader clapped loudly. "Alright, everyone take a break. Sitting for too long is bad for your health, so it's good to move around."
After she spoke, she was the first to walk out of the Art Club classroom. Several students also got up and left the classroom to go out and move around.
The students who were still painting stopped and began stretching their muscles and bones.
"Ajitani, can I ask you a small question?"
Ajitani, who was about to get up to go to the restroom, was stopped by two uninvited guests. However, she wasn't annoyed, just curious about what questions these two seniors had.
This scene naturally attracted the attention of many people in the classroom, but everyone just glanced briefly and then looked away.
They knew those two had something to ask Ajitani, but they didn't know why they were looking for her.
This also included Shouko, who was originally discussing illustration problems with Miyagi Yuki not far away, but her gaze was forcefully pulled back by Miyagi Yuki.
"Senior, what's the question?" Ajitani was curious.
"Could we talk somewhere private?"
She nodded and walked out of the classroom with the two, arriving in the corridor. She also gave Shouko a reassuring look.
Ajitani looked at the scenery downstairs, waiting for their question.
"It's just... it's just..." The words were on the tip of his tongue, but the boy found it hard to ask, completely unlike the easy and simple way he had rehearsed it in his mind...
"Senior, if there's nothing, I need to leave for a bit."
"Kazuryu wants to ask you if Shouko classmate has a boyfriend." At this moment, the boy next to him, who couldn't stand it anymore, helped him ask.
Mainly, he also felt that the other person was a bit too slow, always too embarrassed to ask, which was testing his patience.
"..."
"Senior, do you like Shouko-chan? Are you here to gather information from me?" Ajitani looked at the two in disbelief.
"No... no, I just wanted to ask privately." The boy looked at Ajitani's exquisite face and suspicious gaze, quickly waving his hands in denial.
"Alright..."
She looked at his stammering manner. If she believed his words, then all the romance novels she had read would have been for nothing. At the same time, she was convinced in her heart that he liked Shouko.
"Senior, then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Shouko-chan has a boyfriend, and they've been together for over ten years."
"..."
"..."
The two clearly didn't believe her words, thinking the joke was too perfunctory. Together for over ten years? Were they together in Kindergarten?
And Ajitani, seeing that the two didn't believe her, shrugged and turned to leave. She was in a hurry to go to the restroom. She had said what she needed to say; believe it or not.
Anyway, if the other person went to confess, they would just be rejected, and might even be slapped in the face by someone.
Moreover, many people had written love letters to Shouko during their three years of junior high.
"Dōto, what do you think?" The boy stared at Ajitani's scurrying back, finding her very cute.
"It feels a bit perfunctory. I think it's probably fake..."
"Then this meal?"
"Does that even need to be said? Of course, you're paying."
"..."
He agreed with that statement; he also felt that Ajitani's words were a bit too perfunctory.