Nanashi couldn't help but smile. Classic case of saying one thing and meaning another.
He was an expert at handling tsundere types. With a devilish grin, he teased,
"If I'm a jerk, then I'll be the best jerk just for you."
"Huh? Something's off with you, Chika."
The moment he activated his spatial ability, he realized—Chika had already entered that state.
"In that case, I won't hold back."
After sitting at his desk too long, Nanashi stretched and stood upright, straightening his back.
Sitting too long wasn't good for your health. Best to alternate between sitting and standing.
—Time Slowed—
—Time Returned—
"Aah!"
Chika suddenly shuddered and collapsed onto the sofa.
"Chika, are you okay?"
Kaguya rushed over, alarmed to see Chika's flushed face twisted in discomfort.
Despite what she often muttered to herself—calling Chika a pest or even a sow—in truth, Kaguya saw her as a close friend and was genuinely concerned.
Chika's face was burning, her breath ragged, her body trembling and writhing slightly on the couch.
Nanashi leaned over and pressed a hand to her forehead, feigning seriousness.
"She's fine. Just needs a bit of rest."
Kaguya immediately trusted his words. After all, he was a powerful esper—surely he knew what he was doing.
"Come on, let's finish our student council work," Nanashi said casually, already settling back down to his desk.
Kaguya, though still glancing at Chika from time to time, also returned to her paperwork.
In her focused state, she didn't notice the suspicious movement behind the president's desk...
...or Chika's gradually intensifying reactions on the sofa.
"Is Chika asleep?"
After completing her duties, Kaguya stood up and stretched, flexing her stiff fingers.
She turned around and found Chika curled up on the couch, visibly sweating, her hair sticking to her damp forehead.
Nanashi approached and gently wiped her face with a tissue, placing a hand on her forehead with a thoughtful expression.
"She's good now—just a bit tired. I'll take her to the infirmary to rest."
Without waiting for a reply, Nanashi scooped her up and carried her out under Kaguya's quietly envious gaze.
The infirmary was empty. No nurses. No students.
Nanashi gently laid Chika on a bed. The moment he did, her eyes opened.
She looked up at him—embarrassed, flustered, and clearly not asleep.
Nanashi pinched her nose playfully.
"What's with that look? Want me to bully you again?"
"!!!"
Chika quickly held down the hem of her skirt, shouting, "Absolutely not!"
"Chika-chan," Nanashi said with a grin, "does this mean we're officially boyfriend and girlfriend now?"
Given how far they'd already gone, the question was mostly rhetorical.
Chika nervously twisted her fingers and answered softly,
"Y-Yeah... but! You can't tell Kaguya-chan!"
Nanashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"If I can't tell Kaguya, then I probably shouldn't tell anyone else either, huh? Wouldn't want her finding out indirectly."
"Mhm… Just don't tell anyone!"
"A secret relationship, huh?" Nanashi chuckled. "Not sure why we need to hide it from Kaguya though…"
He had other girlfriends. It's not like Kaguya didn't already know.
But Chika, daughter of a powerful politician, had sharp instincts.
She'd already sensed there was a spark between Nanashi and Kaguya—just waiting for the right moment to ignite.
The way Kaguya had reacted earlier confirmed it.
So for now, Chika wanted to keep things quiet… at least until after Kaguya made her move.
Nanashi didn't mind. He was good at keeping secrets.
He sat on the bed and wrapped his arms around the bashful Chika.
"Feeling comfy in those clothes now?" he asked teasingly.
Chika shivered. Nope, not comfortable.
"Let me help with that."
With a snap of his fingers, a fresh white undergarment appeared in midair.
And of course, since he summoned it, he insisted on helping her change.
They didn't take long in the infirmary—just enough time to get Chika settled.
By the time they returned, class was about to start.
Nanashi slipped into his seat, only to be poked on the shoulder by Megumi.
"What's up?" he turned to her.
"You look really refreshed," Megumi said innocently, tilting her head.
"Kind of like after what we did on the rooftop...?"
Nanashi's eyelids twitched. This girl is really sharp.
She was right though. He did feel refreshed.
Those "few minutes" in the infirmary… well, they were definitely more than just changing clothes.
Accidents happen, right?
As he recalled the taste from earlier, he unconsciously licked the corner of his lips.
Soft, sweet... like a ripe peach.
Maybe someone else could offer a new flavor someday.
Like… Megumi, perhaps?
"Nanashi, you're giving me a very lustful look," Megumi teased.
"You're just too attractive," Nanashi shot back with a smirk.
She raised an eyebrow and then subtly nodded to the side.
"Yui's staring at you. Was it your fault she looks like that?"
Nanashi glanced over.
Yui sat clutching her stomach, occasionally gasping for breath.
The moment she met Nanashi's gaze, her face turned scarlet and she quickly looked away.
"Ah... I told you, all you needed was to rest. No need to suffer like this."
"Time, stop!"
At Nanashi's command, everything around the classroom froze, just moments before class was due to start.
A profound silence enveloped the room.
"Time has stopped?!" Yumiko gasped, her expression frozen in disbelief.
Yukino, on the other hand, remained calm—she had already experienced Nanashi's ability to control time.
"Nanashi, what are you planning to do?" Megumi asked, curious and a little surprised.
"Nothing serious. I just want to check on Yui."
Nanashi walked over to Yui, who sat staring in stunned silence at the frozen world. He waved a hand in front of her eyes, bringing her back to reality.
He crouched down, gently placing his right hand on her lower abdomen.
"Still hurts?" he asked softly.
Yui's cheeks flushed a delicate pink as she gave a small nod.
"I told you to take it easy. But you didn't listen. Now look at you."
"It's because... Nanashi is just... too amazing," Yui mumbled, shy to the point of hiding behind her bangs.
The implication behind her words was crystal clear.
Megumi looked calm, as if she'd already pieced everything together.
Yukino's eyes turned complicated. The girl who used to cling to her and call her "Yukino-chan" every day… had fallen too.
Yumiko stood there, mouth agape, her mind in a frenzy.
Yui's... already that far along? Didn't she say she was full?
Her shock deepened.
Could it be... she overate? No, wait—that's not what this is!
Was that her first time being that bold?
Yumiko's brain buzzed with chaos.
"You were hurt pretty badly yesterday, right?" Nanashi said gently. "Let me heal you."
"Mmm... okay."
At the mention of yesterday, Yui lowered her head even more, her forehead nearly brushing Nanashi's.
"Chuu~" Nanashi teased, taking the chance to kiss her soft, supple cheek. A faint golden glow lit up around his hand.
Warmth spread through Yui's abdomen. The pain melted away.
"…mm."
Overwhelmed with emotion, Yui leaned in and kissed Nanashi on the lips.
Yumiko's eye twitched.
This was Yui. The same timid, slightly ditzy girl who used to tiptoe around everyone's feelings—now taking the lead?
Can love really change a person that much?
The doubt wouldn't leave her heart as she watched Nanashi's soft smile and gentle tone.
She recalled how Nanashi used to show such care for Yui—eating her awful homemade cookies and complimenting her without hesitation. And now... he'd even stopped time for her.
Some romances were enough to make people envious... even jealous.
Once Yui was healed, the two finally pulled away from their affectionate moment.
But then, unexpectedly, Yui whispered, "I'm sorry…"
Nanashi tilted his head. "Huh? What for?"
"Because... because Mom…"
She trailed off, then quickly pushed Nanashi back. "Never mind! I'm fine now. Let's get ready for class!"
"…?"
Nanashi blinked, confused. But since she clearly didn't want to talk about it, he returned to his seat.
Time resumed.
During Class
Yui sat at her desk, a storm of emotions swirling inside her.
She felt... guilty.
Not for what happened between her and Nanashi—but for her mother.
She'd accidentally walked in on her mother the day before… during a rather private moment.
Later, her mother confessed everything. She'd been fantasizing about Nanashi, and begged Yui for forgiveness. She promised it would never happen again.
Yui didn't know how to react.
Anger? No. Disappointment? Maybe. But she understood.
Her father had passed away early. Her mother had never remarried, raising Yui alone through hardship.
Because of her, her mother had given up the happiness she might've had.
How could Yui blame her?
She could already understand—intimately—what her mother felt.
Even just now, as Nanashi touched her and kissed her... her thoughts slipped in that direction.
It was a perfectly natural human reaction.
So what about her mother, who hadn't felt a man's warmth in over a decade?
She didn't resent her… but she also didn't know how to tell Nanashi about it.
Caught between guilt and confusion, Yui found herself deeply troubled.
Noticing Yui's faraway expression, Megumi leaned toward Nanashi and whispered,
"Nanashi, there's a girl coming to the Research Club after school."
"A request?" Nanashi asked, perking up. Since the club was founded, they'd only gotten one commission—Yui's.
Megumi shook her head. "Nope. She's coming to investigate you."
Nanashi narrowed his eyes. "Investigate me?"
He was confident that his current actions were flawless—undetectable by people or even satellite surveillance.
But… what about the early days? When he was still getting the hang of his abilities?
Had someone picked up on something from back then?
"Who is she?"
"A girl named Hayasaka. She dresses like a gyaru, but from what I can tell, that's just a disguise. Should we be concerned?"
"Hayasaka?"
That name struck a chord.
The all-purpose spy maid of the Shinomiya family?
If she was investigating him… it was likely because she sensed something off with Kaguya.
But if it was her—then there was nothing to worry about.
Nanashi shrugged. "Yeah, I know her. She's Kaguya's maid. Don't worry about it."
"Got it," Megumi nodded.