— — — — — —
30 seconds later
Mafuyu Kirisu's mind went blank.
Those clear, beautiful eyes of hers were filled with nothing but shock.
Her hands pressed against a man's chest, instinctively trying to push him away, but it was like trying to move a wall.
The boy's breath—cold from the night air, tinged with the faint warmth of coffee—poured into her, filling and overwhelming every sense.
Time itself seemed to vanish.
Only when her lungs began to burn did he finally release her.
Mafuyu staggered back against the door, gasping for air, her legs trembling so badly she could barely stand.
Shame. Rage. Disbelief. All tangled in her eyes.
Takuma Kurosawa, meanwhile, looked her over with lazy amusement, savoring her flustered expression.
He reached out, casually brushing his finger across the corner of her lips, wiping away the glisten left there.
"I'm a good guy, you know. Always pay back my debts."
"And besides…" His head tilted closer, his warm breath brushing her ear.
"You're so damn cute, sensei. Tell me—who could resist?"
His whisper sent a shudder through her, every nerve lit with humiliation and anger.
But when her thoughts finally cleared, it wasn't the law she thought of.
It was her duty as a teacher.
Call the FBI? No, wrong country.
Call the police? Still no.
Correct him? Yeah. Easiest option ever.
This silver-haired boy was a wayward student—clearly straying down the wrong path. It was her responsibility to set him straight!
Running away from home was already wrong.
Forcing a kiss? That was practically a crime.
With all the strength she could muster, Mafuyu shoved him back and put distance between them. Her chest heaved as she forced her voice into the sternest tone she could manage.
"Do you… do you even realize what you just did?!"
Her fists clenched tight.
Those emerald green eyes burned with anger—yet the faint shimmer left from the kiss betrayed her.
"What you did was wrong! And it needs t-to be corrected!"
She tried to summon her teacher's authority, but the trembling at the end of her voice and her flushed cheeks made the lecture sound painfully weak.
"…But this time, I'll overlook it. I'll pretend nothing happened."
The words slipped out before she realized what she was saying.
Shit! That wasn't a warning.
That was surrender.
Takuma couldn't help himself. Watching her struggle to hold up her dignity while already conceding, he let out a low chuckle.
It wasn't loud.
But it made Mafuyu's entire face burn.
He stepped forward again.
"Uh.."
She immediately found her back pressed against the door once more.
"Still want to correct me?"
His gaze met hers directly, his lips only inches away.
"Before you lecture me, sensei… maybe try slowing down your heartbeat first?"
He extended a finger, not touching, just lightly pointing at her chest through the thin fabric.
"See? It's racing."
"Like it's telling me you actually… kind of like this."
His teasing whisper left her speechless.
Seeing her lost and unable to retort, his grin deepened.
Straightening up, he stepped back casually and said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "I'm still freezing. Where's the shower?"
Her strength drained all at once. Numbly, she raised a hand and pointed toward the bathroom.
"Hum~"
After some minutes, the sound of running water soon filled the apartment.
Mafuyu sat frozen on the couch, staring blankly at the clock.
Two in the morning.
Just hours ago, she had been the perfect, orderly teacher.
Now… her life had been turned upside down by a boy who'd appeared out of nowhere.
That shameless brat.
That pushy, insufferable boy.
And yet…
When she pictured his handsome face overlapping with the lonely figure curled on the park bench… she found that she couldn't bring herself to truly hate him.
She felt like one of those idiot heroines in stories whenever they met the MC—her IQ practically in the negatives.
CLICK—
The bathroom door clicked open.
Takuma emerged.
He wore one of her spare bathrobes, loose and oversized, the sash tied carelessly. Damp silver hair clung to his forehead, water droplets sliding down the sharp line of his collarbone into the shadow of his chest.
The cold and weariness he'd carried were gone. Now, he looked striking—dangerous, even.
Mafuyu's heart skipped.
But her instincts as a teacher demanded one last attempt.
She shot to her feet.
"W-we need to talk! What you did tonight was completely unacceptable, and as a—"
She didn't finish.
He started walking toward her, step by step.
Her eyes widened, lips parting in alarm as she retreated—until the back of her legs hit the sofa, and she fell onto it with a soft thud.
In the next moment, his shadow loomed over her.
One hand braced against the cushion near her cheek, he leaned down, her emerald eyes locking onto his, now wide with panic.
Takuma's smile sharpened into something undeniably predatory. "Still want to lecture me, sensei?"
"Girl, honestly…"
"I like you much better like this—when your body betrays how much you don't mean what you say."
Before she could respond, he swept her up effortlessly in his arms.
"Ah!"
The sudden weightlessness made her yelp, arms instinctively wrapping around his neck.
Step by step, he carried her toward the bedroom—her most familiar, now impossibly unfamiliar, space.
The door closed behind them with a quiet click.
Darkness. The faint rustle of clothes. And a muffled cry, choked back but trembling with emotion.
It was so manhwa-y.
[Ding! Lodging: complete.]
---
The Next Morning
Mafuyu stirred awake, lashes fluttering.
The ceiling above her was familiar. But the ache in her body was not.
Last night's memories spilled into her mind like shards of broken glass—snowfall, the convenience store, the mysterious silver-haired boy…
And finally, the sound of her bedroom door shutting. After that they...
Her face flushed crimson in an instant.
She bolted upright.
The blanket slipped down, revealing her boobs dotted with marks that made her heart pound in humiliation.
It happened.
With a boy she didn't even know the name of.
She, Mafuyu Kirisu—the student counselor of Ichinose Academy, the model of perfection and authority—had…
She bit down hard on her lip, nails digging into her palms.
Twenty-six years of discipline and restraint. Shattered in a single night by some stranger she'd dragged home.
The absurdity of it all nearly suffocated her.
She hugged her knees, burying her face, trembling with frustration.
Why did it come to this?
Because of her damned sense of responsibility.
Because of that tiny flicker of misplaced kindness.
After what felt like forever, she forced herself to breathe, to calm down.
It had already happened. Now she had to deal with it.
She threw on her clothes, ignoring the soreness that still lingered, and stormed out of the bedroom—ready to confront that man with big...uh no, she needed to focus.
But the sight that greeted her stopped her cold.
The messy, cluttered living room she'd left behind… was spotless. The floor gleamed. Cushions were neatly fluffed and arranged. Even the dusty remote on the coffee table shone as though brand new.
And from the kitchen drifted the mouthwatering smell of breakfast.
Her eyes turned.
There he was. Still in her oversized bathrobe, sash loose, revealing a sharp collarbone and a hint of muscle beneath.
A frying pan in hand, he moved with practiced ease, flipping eggs with a grace that didn't match his cocky attitude.
Morning light outlined him in gold. He looked like he belonged here.
Like the master of the home.
Her cheeks burned all over again. But then the soreness in her body, the humiliation from last night, surged back and reignited her anger.
"Stop! Don't move! I—I'm calling the police!"
At the word "police," Takuma Kurosawa paused, then turned, arching a brow.
Not panicked. Amused.
"Oh? The police?"
He wiped his hands, reached into the bathrobe pocket, and casually pulled out his phone.
Right in front of her, he unlocked it and scrolled with ease.
She froze, caught completely off guard.
"W-what are you doing?!"
His grin turned wicked. "Calling them, of course."
He put the phone to his ear, voice mock-serious: "Hello? Officer? I'd like to report a crime."
"I think… I've been kidnapped by a beautiful teacher."
"Yes, that's right. She lured me in when I was homeless in the freezing cold… then did terrible things to me."
His eyes flicked to her stunned, speechless face, his tone dripping with just the right amount of pitiful complaint.
"Mhm. She's even trying to keep me locked up now. I'm worried about my safety. Please come save me…"
"Oh? Evidence? Plenty."
"There are cameras in this building. And at the convenience store nearby—you'll see her in a tracksuit, coaxing me inside."
Mafuyu was struck dumb.
Her eyes went wide, lips parted, no words coming out.
The fragile thread of her reason snapped clean.
She could only watch as Takuma "ended the call," slipped the phone back into his pocket, and shrugged at her innocently.
"Is something wrong, sensei?"
He stepped forward.
That same scent, which she experienced all night, wrapped around her again.
"If not, then my eggs are gonna get cold."
"Y-You… what are you planning?!" she stammered.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her.
"Mm—!"
Her eyes went wide again.
This shameless boy!
She struggled, but her strength was laughably weak compared to his.
The kiss was deeper, more forceful than the night before.
When he finally pulled back, she was breathless, her face so red it hurt.
Takuma chuckled, brushing his thumb against the damp corner of her lips.
"Sensei… your body's a lot more honest than your mouth. Last night was good btw."
Without pushing further, he returned to the kitchen, plating eggs and bacon and setting them neatly on the table.
He pulled out a chair, gestured for her to sit. "Breakfast first. You'll need the energy if you want to stay mad at me."
His eyes gleamed with playful challenge.
"Besides… you picked me up, remember? Don't tell me you're planning to abandon me now."
Mafuyu sat down stiffly, as if on strings.
She picked up the fork like a machine.
The eggs were soft, cooked perfectly. The bacon crisp and flavorful.
Too good.
Each bite was delicious—but to her it felt like surrender.
Her chest tightened with unfairness.
Why did he, the shameless boy who'd stolen her virginity, get to stand there so calmly?
Cooking in her kitchen. Using her things. Teasing her until she couldn't breathe.
And why… why was she the one eating quietly, tears threatening to spill, powerless to fight back?
Her vision blurred.
She ducked her head, chewing furiously to hide her trembling.
Each swallow was warm—and bitter.
Report him? She'd be ruined.
Kick him out? He'd been sleeping in the freezing night before she brought him here. What if he froze out there?
She couldn't risk it.
She had brought him in. She had failed to stop him. The blame was hers.
The realization left her weak.
Not surrendered… but with no weapon left to fight him.
For now, she'd wait. Watch. Look for an opening.
After breakfast, she glanced at the clock.
Nearly late for school.
Questions piled up inside her—his real identity, why he was homeless, what he wanted…
But there was no time.
She hurried to grab her bag and shoes. At the door, she looked back one last time.
"You… stay here. Don't go wandering off!"
The warning carried no authority at all. It sounded more like a nervous plea.
Takuma leaned lazily against the doorframe, watching her with a smirk.
He nodded.
The door shut.
And... silence fell.
The playful smile faded from Takuma's face.
A faint blue screen only he could see appeared before his eyes.
[Mission: "Warmth on the Ice" — Completed]
[Reward unlocked.]
[Congratulations! Host has obtained Divine Life Skill: Housekeeping Template Lv.1 (0/1)]
[Keep the good work, host.]
A grin tugged at Takuma's lips.
Housekeeping Template. The perfect god-tier skill… for living off someone else.
But that wasn't the important part.
His eyes dropped to the fine print.
[Upgrade Condition: Each 24 hours spent at current lodging grants 1 EXP.]
"Hmmm... One level, per day?"
If he could stay by this icy teacher's side, this "ordinary" skill would skyrocket with terrifying speed.
That was the true power of his Lodging System.
And then, the screen flickered.
[New data.]
[High Energy Warning! Next Lodging Mission: Unlocked]
[Mission Type: Otherworld Expedition]
[Teleportation Countdown: 14 days, 19 hours, 32 minutes, 15 seconds]
Takuma's expression didn't change.
From cozy daily life straight into a monster-ridden world.
This system was nothing if not direct.
Fifteen days. Not too long. Not too short.
Plenty of time to make this icy teacher… just a little cuter.
.
.
.