Unbelievable Charm, Even the Beautiful Teacher Can't Hold Out
After sending the message, Kūjō Ryō stayed on the chat screen.
At the top, the contact name "Mafuyu Kirisu" changed into Typing…
Three seconds later, "Mafuyu Kirisu" reappeared, but no reply came through. Ryō's lips curled into a smile, exactly as he'd expected.
As expected. Even the usually meticulous Kirisu-sensei had been caught off guard by a direct shot like that.
A moment later, Typing… surfaced again.
This time it lingered longer. The cursor blinked and blinked, and finally, his homeroom teacher's reply arrived.
"Prank? Or a punishment from Truth or Dare?"
Ryō didn't reply. He tapped video call instead.
Voice messages were fine, but video made the effect of charm far more obvious.
A few seconds later, a delicate face flushed with embarrassment and obvious irritation appeared on screen.
Mafuyu Kirisu seemed to be in her bedroom. Under warm-colored lighting, she wore conservative pajamas, her hair a little messy, clearly unsettled by his message.
"Ryō, you…"
She started to scold him, but the moment her eyes landed on his face, her words jammed in her throat.
The boy on the screen looked strikingly handsome. His features hadn't changed much from her memory, yet his eyes seemed deeper, pulling her gaze in and refusing to let go.
The smile on his lips carried a confidence she had never seen from him before, and her heartbeat abruptly quickened.
Why does he feel so different? Is it just because it's been too long since I've seen him?
The stern speech she'd prepared lost its bite in an instant. Even her voice turned clumsy.
"Y-you… what did that voice message mean?! Even pranks have limits!"
It sounded less like a reprimand and more like a flustered lover's complaint.
Ryō caught every bit of her panic. His confidence settled like a stone in his chest.
Tenfold charm. The effect was even better than he'd imagined.
He deliberately brought the phone a little closer, letting his face fill more of the screen, and spoke in a low voice that sounded smoother, more magnetic than before.
"Hm? I meant exactly what I said, Mafuyu-nee. I want to come over and rest at noon the day after tomorrow. Is that not allowed?"
His gaze was focused, almost as if he were staring at her through the screen.
Mafuyu Kirisu instinctively wanted to look away, but she forced herself to glare back, even as her cheeks burned hotter and hotter.
"Resting is fine, but you… you… what did that message mean?! W-we're teacher and student!"
Ryō answered seriously, "Mafuyu-nee, compared to calling you 'big sister'… in my heart, I've always thought of you as my wife."
He paused, then softened his voice into something aggrieved, almost pitiful.
"Do you hate me, Mafuyu-nee? Because when you come to me to vent, when you ask me to pick up food for you, when you make me help with cleaning, you never sounded like this…"
On screen, Mafuyu's face turned so red it looked like it might bleed. Her eyes flickered wildly. She couldn't bear to meet his gaze anymore and bit down on her lower lip without thinking.
"It's not that… I… I also…"
Her voice shrank smaller.
"It's just… this is too fast. Too sudden."
Normally you confess first, confirm the relationship, and only then do you call someone 'baby' or 'wife.'
How did he skip straight to 'wife'? Did he read some dating guide? Or was it impulsive?
『When pursuing "Mafuyu Kirisu," you did not act humble or submissive. You took the initiative and greatly amplified the charm effect through a video call. Reward: Points +1. Current Points: 1.』
The system notification made Ryō's heart bloom with satisfaction.
His tone returned to normal. "If you don't like me calling you 'wife,' then I'll go back to calling you Mafuyu-nee."
He continued calmly, "Good night, Mafuyu-nee."
He gave her a gentle smile at the camera, then decisively ended the call.
The screen went dark.
Ryō could already imagine what was happening on the other end. The beautiful teacher staring at the suddenly black screen, covering her burning cheeks, her mind a tangled mess, then rolling around on her bed in flustered frustration.
He hadn't said "I like you, be my girlfriend" or any formal confession, but everything he'd said had already made his feelings obvious.
That was probably how the playboys in his past life did it, right?
The next morning.
Suō Yuki quietly pushed open Ryō's bedroom door and stuck her head in.
When she saw he was still asleep, a mischievous smile appeared on her pretty face.
Then she rushed at him and shouted with full energy, "Wake up, sleepyhead!"
Ryō had barely opened his eyes when a small figure dropped from above and landed on him. Thankfully, she was light and soft, so it didn't hurt much.
Still half-awake and grumpy, Ryō rubbed Yuki's head hard. "You're heavy. Get off."
Yuki looked down at him and froze.
Strange. Cousin feels… different.
She couldn't pinpoint what exactly changed, but the way he looked at her, and that face of his, felt unusually attractive. Her heartbeat skipped for no reason, and a faint heat rose to her cheeks.
"What are you spacing out for?" Ryō reached up with both hands and ruffled her hair into a mess. "Did you not sleep well?"
"Hmph! Stupid cousin. You don't understand a maiden's heart at all!" Yuki snapped back to her senses, pouting as she climbed off him, though her eyes still kept drifting back to his face.
Ryō sat up, flicked her forehead with two fingers, then lay back down. "Go wash up. We're going shopping later."
"Yeah, yeah, I know!" Yuki stuck her tongue out at him, then suddenly bent down with lightning speed.
"Mwah!"
She kissed his cheek, and then bolted out of the room.
Back in her own room, she leaned against the door, took several deep breaths, and pressed both hands to her hot cheeks. Only after she calmed down did she go to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.
In the kitchen, Yoshino Ruru, who was making breakfast, stepped out. She glanced at Yuki, who was wiping her face with a towel, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
No curves, no courage. And she thinks she can compete with me?
After last night, after helping Ryō "release his pressure," Ruru had already placed herself in the position of victor, the rightful main wife.
Today, the final day before school started, she planned to apply even more pressure and make Ryō understand just how good an older woman could be.
With that thought, Yoshino Ruru turned gracefully and walked into Ryō's room with elegant, catlike steps.
The boy, already awakened by Yuki's noise earlier, was lying on his side with his back partly toward the door, playing on his phone.
Ruru lowered her gaze to her own pride and smiled sweetly.
As the "big sister," she had her own unique way of waking someone up.
Even though Ryō was already awake, the method could still be used.
And the effect would be even better.
She approached the bedside gently, then slowly bent her slim waist, letting her full softness fall into view.
… (to be continued)