Sakayanagi Arisu

At 7:30 p.m., Hoshino enjoyed a cup of instant noodles he'd bought from the convenience store in his dorm room.

With a hint of curiosity, Hoshino drank every last drop of the broth.

As expected, aside from being convenient, this kind of food had its own unique flavor. He couldn't say whether he liked or disliked it; he simply thought he'd have to rely on it to fill his stomach quite a few times over the next three years.

Just as he was about to clean up, the doorbell rang.

Hoshino hurried to the door and opened it without checking the peephole.

"Sorry to intrude."

Sakayanagi Arisu entered the room slowly, leaning on her cane.

Hoshino took a pair of small women's slippers from the shoe cabinet and set them in front of her.

"Oh my, did you prepare these especially for me?"

"I thought you might come over."

Arisu heard him and smiled faintly. But then she bent down, took the other two pairs of identical slippers from the shoe cabinet, and tossed them straight into the trash.

"Arisu?"

"I ought to have a pair of slippers just for me, so it's fine if I throw away the other matching pairs, right?"

"...Arisu, are you angry?"

"No."

"No, you definitely look—"

"I'm not angry."

Seeing Arisu smile and insist on it again, Hoshino wisely shut his mouth.

How could she not be angry? She was obviously furious.

Arisu shot him a look, then slowly walked over and sat on the bed.

"Coffee?"

"Mm."

"I only have instant."

"You can probably buy a small coffee maker at the shopping center."

"That's far too expensive. I can't afford one right now. If I want to keep some money aside for emergencies, it'll take at least three months of saving."

As he spoke, Hoshino boiled water in the electric kettle. Amid the noise of the water heating, neither of them said a word.

Fortunately, it didn't take long. Once the water boiled, Hoshino took a mug he'd bought that day from the cupboard and poured in instant coffee powder and hot water.

As he stirred it with a spoon, he stole a glance at Arisu. She sat quietly on the bed, not looking his way.

She probably wouldn't notice, right? Hoshino decided that as soon as Arisu left, he'd get rid of the other mugs in the same style.

He carried the mug over and set it on the table in front of Arisu. Then he sat across from her in the only chair in the room.

"Thank you."

"Sorry I don't have more to offer."

Arisu lifted her mug and clinked it against Hoshino's. For the record, his cup held plain water.

The coffee was still very hot, so Arisu cradled her mug in both hands and fixed her eyes on Hoshino, lips pursed in a faint, enigmatic smile.

"Akira."

"Hmm?"

"How's Class D?"

"Well... I can only say it's exactly what I expected Class D to be like. Putting aside their academic ability and other strengths, the class is obviously lacking in unity. From what I've seen so far, it's hard to imagine them acting as a single class."

As Arisu listened, the smile at the corners of her lips grew.

"But there are a lot of cute girls in Class D."

"Uh, well, I—"

"You're not going to say you didn't notice them, are you? I saw you this afternoon, Akira. You were out with two cute girls."

So that was what she was "angry" about.

There was no point trying to explain or defend himself now. She probably wouldn't hear him out. More than that, she already knew the truth and didn't need an explanation.

The question wasn't how to defend himself. It was how to react in this moment.

Arisu took a small sip of coffee. It seemed to be too hot, so she set the mug down on the table.

Hoshino put his glass down, stood up, walked around the table, and sat down right beside her.

She tilted her head slightly and looked at him through catlike eyes.

"Arisu."

Hoshino put an arm around her waist and pulled her close with a firm tug.

"I'm sorry I made you feel bad."

Arisu nestled quietly against his shoulder and said nothing for a long while.

"Akira... How many girls have you gotten involved with to learn to say such gentle things?"

"Arisu, you know what my life has been like. Don't tease me like that." Hoshino smiled ruefully.

As the youngest child in his family and a prodigy whose extraordinary talent had become apparent at an early age, Hoshino Akira had been kept under extremely close and strict protection since childhood. Before coming to this Advanced Nurturing High School, he'd had very few friends his own age. Arisu, his childhood friend, knew that perfectly well.

She sighed softly.

"Fine, I'll let you off this time. I can't help it if I like you."

She leaned in and took one of his earlobes into her mouth. First, she teased it with her little tongue, then gently nipped it twice with her teeth. She'd made a point of using her sharp canines, and it hurt quite a bit.

Of course, the temptation was more striking than the pain.

Hoshino tightened his arms around her, rolled over, and pinned Arisu to the bed. She watched him without the slightest hint of panic.

"How rough. You've wrinkled my clothes—"

He cut her off before she could finish. After a brief pause, Hoshino felt her inexperienced response.

How long had they kissed? Hoshino didn't know. He only knew that by the time they finally pulled apart, Arisu's tender lips were swollen and red.

Throughout it all, she'd kept her eyes wide open, never looking away.

"I nearly couldn't breathe. What an awful experience."

"When you put it that way, I feel a little embarrassed..."

"Are you going to tell me your kissing is excellent—is that really something you should be bragging about to me?"

Her gaze said without words, You must have plenty of experience.

"Uh, it's not like that."

"I'll get better at it from now on."

Arisu didn't dwell on it. She let Hoshino off the hook easily, and even said something that set his imagination running.

"W-what do you mean?"

"I mean you're responsible for practicing with me until I get the hang of it."

How could she say something like that?

"Could you stop looking at me like that? I'm really embarrassed right now."

Arisu, who usually wore a composed expression, now looked shy and coy. Her flushed cheeks were dazzling, and she was especially alluring.

"...You've been seducing me this whole time, Arisu. Did you come here tonight intending to become an adult?"

"I came because I was certain a gentleman like you wouldn't hurt a frail girl like me."

"I don't consider myself a gentleman. And these days, on the internet, 'gentleman' has practically become a synonym for 'pervert.'"

"That's true. Just now, you forced me down and kissed me. That was hardly gentlemanly."

"Well, I guess I got carried away... Anyway, I'm sorry. I'm reflecting on what I did."

"I'm surprised. Are you really reflecting on it?"

Arisu spoke with a teasing smile. Given their current position, Hoshino couldn't exactly deny it.

"Akira, would you like me to stay here tonight?"

"...Arisu, are you serious?"

"We're engaged. As your future wife, I think it's all right for us to be intimate."

Arisu nodded calmly.

"When I came over today and saw you with those two girls, I felt a little uncomfortable. I know it was jealousy. I envied the fact that they were in the same class as you, and that they could ask you to spend time with them as classmates the very first time you met."

As she spoke, she tilted her head up and lightly pecked Hoshino on the lips.

"Seeing them made me think of something. I was born with a weak constitution, and I might not be able to satisfy you in bed... So I should consider choosing a few trustworthy girls to serve you."

Hoshino wished he could see his own expression. "Shocked" didn't begin to describe it.

"Your face makes it clear you never expected that. That's how much I love you, Akira."

Their eyes met. In that indescribable atmosphere, Hoshino stopped suppressing his impulses. Moments later, the room filled with a mixture of rough breaths and soft moans.