Student Guidance Office.
With the last student finally gone, Hiratsuka Shizuka stretched her arms wide.
Her already strained blouse groaned under the pressure, the buttons threatening to burst, the stitching along the seams ready to give way.
"Finally… I can go home."
She let out a long sigh and rubbed at the stiffness in her shoulders and neck.
Second-year homeroom teacher, second-year Japanese language instructor, and student guidance counselor—her workload had been maxed out from the very first day of the semester.
"I'd better stop by the office first…"
Shizuka left the counseling room, heels clicking down the hall.
As she passed the classroom wing, a familiar figure suddenly caught her eye—stepping out of the girls' restroom.
"…That's Kuzeha?"
That boy just came out of the girls' bathroom?!
Her brows knitted together in an instant.
Every fiber of her teacher's intuition screamed that this needed to be dealt with. Seriously.
But before she could march over and confront him, another figure emerged from the bathroom.
A girl.
Her face flushed, her expression oddly satisfied.
Shizuka froze in place.
Her brain ground to a halt—then spun back up like a cyclone, storming with conclusions she would have been happier not to draw.
Seeing Kuzeha start walking her way, Shizuka quickly darted out of sight.
Her years of experience as guidance counselor told her one thing:
Absolutely do not let them realize I saw this.
They needed to be pulled aside individually. One at a time.
Taking a deep breath, she shot Kuzeha a message.
Five minutes later.
In the teachers' office, Shizuka sat stiff-backed behind her desk, fixing Kuzeha with a sharp, unyielding stare.
She knew this boy well. She had been his homeroom teacher last year, after all.
Raised in an orphanage, forced to care for other children despite being barely more than a child himself—and still managing to keep his grades in the top ten of the year.
He had a sharp tongue, often riling her up, yet at times his maturity was such that Shizuka felt she was speaking with an equal, not a student.
"I saw everything."
"So, when did it start?"
Her opening gambit was straight from the handbook of intimidation.
Kuzeha blinked.
He immediately realized what she was actually implying.
"Sensei… you don't seriously think we were fooling around in the restroom, do you?"
Unmoved, Shizuka pressed on.
"I know boys your age are full of hormones, and sometimes it's hard to hold back. But if you need someone to—well, you can always talk to me…"
The longer she spoke, the more Kuzeha felt this conversation veering off into dangerously inappropriate territory.
Finally, he cut her off.
"Sensei, you've never even been in a relationship. Where exactly are you getting these scandalous scenarios from?
C'mon, Shizuka—an unmarried woman pushing thirty should keep her feet on the ground."
Casual words. But laced with lethal force.
Shizuka's vision went dark.
The blow nearly broke her defenses entirely, fury surging until her chest rose and fell violently.
This time, the button didn't just strain—it snapped.
The small disc shot free, only to be caught in Kuzeha's quick hand. He could still feel the faint warmth lingering on it.
He glanced down at the pale valley revealed between folds of white fabric and muttered under his breath:
"Sensei, I am at an age where my blood runs hot, you know."
Only then did Shizuka register the situation. She glanced down at herself and immediately flushed crimson.
Snatching the button from his hand, she tugged at her blouse, trying to cover up.
In the span of seconds, her emotions had spiked and plunged a half-dozen times.
But that little flare of embarrassment also helped her cool her head.
"…So. What exactly were you and Yotsuya-san from the other class doing in the girls' bathroom?"
"Exorcising."
"You've heard of Hanako of the Toilet, right?"
Not only had she heard of it—she'd watched the anime.
"…She was Hanako, and you played the exorcist?"
Shizuka's lips curled in a disbelieving smile. She crossed her arms—only emphasizing the dangerous curves beneath her blouse.
"No. She was Hanako."
With a wave of his hand, Kuzeha released the bound spirit.
A JK ghost floated up into the air.
Shizuka's lips parted in shock.
"…It's real."
Her voice was barely a whisper, trembling with disbelief.
Kuzeha recalled the spirit with another flick and calmly explained.
"You know as well as anyone, Sensei. Kids our age sometimes awaken weird powers. This is just mine."
Seeing it with her own eyes, Shizuka had no grounds to deny it.
Cases of adolescents suddenly awakening extraordinary abilities were not rare.
In fact, the government had even founded a special academy solely to protect and guide such youths.
"Kuzeha-kun… if you've awakened a power like this, you should consider transferring to—"
"No thanks, Sensei. I'm fine here at Sōbu High."
He cut her off without hesitation.
Shizuka studied him for a long moment, then sighed softly.
"…If that's your choice, so be it."
But then, her brow furrowed again.
"…I'm twenty-seven. Did you seriously just call me thirty?"
Kuzeha glanced at her tightening fist and bolted before she could swing.
At the front gate of Sōbu High—
Beneath the blooming cherry blossoms, a lone figure stood waiting.
Her posture was elegant, her face delicate and refined, her body at once pure and mature in a way that felt downright unfair.
Just her presence made the falling petals seem to pale in comparison.
As expected. There's no one in this world better than my Sakura.
Shizuka was plenty cute, sure—but Sakura always came first.
Hearing his words, the girl's fair cheeks tinged pink.
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, lips pursed, and murmured softly:
"…Last time, Kuzeha-nii, you said the exact same thing to Sora."
"Uh…"
The two walked side by side, unaware that just behind the school gate, another girl stood frozen in place.
Twin tails swayed against her shoulders as her blue eyes trembled faintly, fixed on Sakura's retreating back.
"…Sakura…"