"Consider it making up for your mistakes."
Despite having crossed that line in their relationship, the two of them still got along much as they had before.
Tsukikawa Shu still showed little respect for his teacher and could even be quite mischievous. Hiratsuka Shizuka did not mind. With her slightly scheming personality, whenever she found Tsukikawa Shu useful, she worked him to the bone.
Of course, they had gotten along well from the very beginning.
"Teacher is my girlfriend too," Tsukikawa Shu said righteously. "And my wife."
"...Don't say things like that out in the open."
Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately grew a little nervous and covered Tsukikawa Shu's mouth with her hand. Her voice dropped at once, and a faint blush appeared on her face.
She looked around. There was no one in the corridor, while the classroom remained bustling with the great cleaning effort. Only then did she let out a sigh of relief.
"How many times have I told you? You are not allowed to mention our relationship in public."
"Not even when no one sees us."
Hiratsuka Shizuka put her hands on her hips with a stern expression.
But the faint flush on her face added a touch of cuteness to that sternness.
"But you can't hide it forever, can you, Teacher?" Tsukikawa Shu said.
"I know that..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka immediately lost her assertiveness. Pinching at her sleeve, she looked away. "But now isn't the time to make our relationship public."
"But Teacher Hiratsuka, speaking of which, I wonder if you know a popular Chinese saying: if you want the horse to run, you have to give it grass."
Tsukikawa Shu said.
"That is indeed true."
Hiratsuka Shizuka nodded and smiled. "How about I give you a little red flower, then have you perform in front of the whole class like an elementary school student?"
"No, Teacher Hiratsuka. That grass is actually a verb." Tsukikawa Shu shook his head.
"A verb?" Hiratsuka Shizuka did not understand.
"Yeah. It's a verb derived from a homophone for 'fuck,'" Tsukikawa Shu said.
"..."
Only then did Hiratsuka Shizuka understand what Tsukikawa Shu wanted to do.
"What are you trying to do?"
She had not expected Tsukikawa Shu to not only ignore her words, but to push his luck even further.
Faced with Tsukikawa Shu's steady advance, Hiratsuka Shizuka was forced to retreat step by step.
In the end, she was backed against the classroom door.
School had been over for a while. Most students had either gone home or headed to their clubs, while those remaining were busy cleaning or decorating the classrooms. No one was passing through the corridor for the moment.
Noisy sounds drifted out from the classroom, where the great cleaning effort was still in full swing.
If someone came out into the corridor now, or someone inside opened the door, the two of them would be caught red-handed.
"You wouldn't dare!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka was somewhat annoyed, yet she did not dare speak too loudly or resist.
She had not expected Tsukikawa Shu to become so bold. He actually dared to get handsy in a place where they could easily be seen by someone else.
Any little noise could easily draw attention.
But just then, footsteps sounded from the stairwell around the corner.
"Stop it, now!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka seized the chance to push Tsukikawa Shu away, then quickly straightened her clothes and hair. Her face, however, remained slightly flushed.
Two girls came down the corridor from the far end. They were none other than the only two current members of the Service Club, Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Hama.
Yukino Yukinoshita still wore that nearly expressionless face, carrying a faint chill to it.
Yui Hama, meanwhile, was cheerful as ever, with a lollipop in her mouth.
"Teacher Hiratsuka." Yukino walked over.
However, when she looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka's expression, she frowned slightly.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, do you have a fever?"
Yukino Yukinoshita looked at the lingering flush on Hiratsuka Shizuka's face.
"Ah... something like that."
Hiratsuka Shizuka clasped her hands behind her back, suddenly feeling a little guilty. She cleared her throat. "What do you need me for?"
Yui Hama looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka, then at Tsukikawa Shu, her mind spinning rapidly.
Tsukikawa-kun really plays it wild. When did he win over Teacher Hiratsuka?
She was a little puzzled, but she was not the type to pry or gossip. She remained as cheerful as ever.
She had always gotten along well with everyone and often acted as the lubricant in communication between different people. She merely kept this sort of gossip to herself and would not spread it around.
"Ahaha... Yukino has something she wants to ask Teacher Hiratsuka." Yui Hama smiled a little awkwardly.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, I would like you to explain why this person has appeared on my club member list."
Yukino Yukinoshita held a list in her hand, then pointed at Tsukikawa Shu beside her.
Her slender, fair finger had a tiny bit of nail at its tip, like a hazy white crescent moon, and it nearly poked Tsukikawa Shu in the nose.
"Huh?" Tsukikawa Shu was a little dumbfounded.
Only then did he see the words "Service Club" written on the list.
Below were the names Yukino Yukinoshita, Yui Hama, and Tsukikawa Shu.
"When did I join this club?" Tsukikawa Shu also looked at Hiratsuka Shizuka.
Tsukikawa Shu immediately understood that his teacher had set him up. There definitely would not be anything good waiting for him afterward.
At the same time, he regretted not getting handsy enough with Hiratsuka Shizuka just now. He had barely even pinched her thighs.
Wouldn't he have to get his revenge later?
"There's no helping it. It's school policy."
Hiratsuka Shizuka looked completely composed. "A club needs at least three people. The Service Club can't manage with just the two of you. You don't want the club to be dissolved, do you?"
"Besides, you will have quite a few tasks requiring you to act together. Putting you in the same club makes it easier for me to manage you."
"...But I don't want to work with him. Teacher Hiratsuka can find someone else." Yukino Yukinoshita looked at Tsukikawa Shu as she spoke.
Yukino Yukinoshita did not hold any hostility toward Tsukikawa Shu, but she could hardly say she liked him either.
The main reason was the upcoming social event with Seaside Comprehensive High School. Tsukikawa Shu was a spy Hiratsuka Shizuka had sent to keep an eye on her. Yes, a spy.
Yukino Yukinoshita did not want anyone restricting her actions, but Tsukikawa Shu was someone she simply could not control.
"I agree with Yukinoshita's suggestion."
Tsukikawa Shu straightened up as if it were only natural. "The Service Club is too small to hold a great Buddha like me!"
"..."
Yukino Yukinoshita gave Tsukikawa Shu a somewhat surprised look.
It was the first time she had heard someone use that saying in such a narcissistic way.
Even more narcissistic than herself.
"No."
Hiratsuka Shizuka rejected it outright. "The Service Club has to handle many troublesome matters. Other than you three, no one else is reliable."
"Yeah, Yukino. I think Tsukikawa-kun is pretty great too. This school social event will definitely go well."
Yui Hama smiled as well and tugged on Yukino Yukinoshita's sleeve.
"..."
Hiratsuka Shizuka's tone was firm, leaving no room for negotiation. Yukino Yukinoshita could only give up and turn to leave.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, Tsukikawa-kun, I'm really sorry. I'll try to persuade Yukino."
Yui Hama pressed her hands together, then hurried after Yukino Yukinoshita.
"Yukino, I'm sure Tsukikawa-kun won't cause trouble. Teacher Hiratsuka must have put a lot of thought into this too..."
Faintly, Yui Hama could be heard doing her best to persuade Yukino Yukinoshita.
Hiratsuka Shizuka sighed.
"Teacher Hiratsuka, I actually don't want to join a club like this either." Tsukikawa Shu protested as well.
"What do you think of those two girls, Yukino and Yui?" Hiratsuka Shizuka revealed a meaningful smile instead.
"Sorry, but if I have to actively pursue them, I'm not interested."
Tsukikawa Shu said, "I only want free gains!"
"I'm creating opportunities for you, and you still don't want them."
Hiratsuka Shizuka put her hands on her hips in irritation. "Your ability can only be unlocked by signing Marriage Contracts. Aren't such excellent conditions worth taking the initiative for once?"
"Sorry, but I don't do deals that lose money."
Tsukikawa Shu still looked unconcerned. "Leaving aside whether I would get anything in return after putting all my effort into pursuing someone, even if we became lovers, what if we ultimately couldn't make it to marriage—wouldn't that just mean I was raising someone else's wife for them?"
However, Hiratsuka Shizuka grabbed Tsukikawa Shu by the cheek in annoyance and snapped:
"You've already had their bodies, and you still have the nerve to talk about raising someone else's wife?"
"Even if I pursued them, they wouldn't agree." Tsukikawa Shu shrugged. "I already have two girlfriends around me."
Only those who had entered the Inner World could accept his conditions for a huge harem. Otherwise, there was simply no way to convince them on the level of values.
"Anyway, both of those girls are very good. I don't care whether you succeed or not. Just go develop some feelings with them first. Consider it a little favoritism from me."
Hiratsuka Shizuka patted Tsukikawa Shu on the shoulder, then added:
"Of course, you are not allowed to use any coercion or inducement."
"Didn't Teacher Hiratsuka also get coerced and induced by me after entering the Inner World?" Tsukikawa Shu said.
"This... You still have the nerve to bring that up?!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka was briefly choked up. After a pause, she smoothed the hair at her temple, blushed slightly, and muttered, "I used to think our age gap was too large, and that I would only hold you back."
"I did like you a little, after all. You are my best student."
"So this wasn't coercion or inducement!" Hiratsuka Shizuka emphasized that final sentence.
Tsukikawa Shu narrowed his eyes.
"So Teacher Hiratsuka had thoughts of an old cow eating tender grass too?" he said with a smile.
"Thanks, but I'm not old enough for that saying to apply yet," Hiratsuka Shizuka said.
"If you like me, how can we not interact more?" Tsukikawa Shu said.
"Cut it out."
Before you continue