As a result, the gentle teacher realized that Fushimi Makoto hadn't been lying.
His drawing skills were exceptionally good.
Even better than hers!
She watched him from behind for quite a while before reaching that conclusion.
It couldn't help but pique her curiosity.
For a high school student to be this good at drawing, he must have started practicing when he was very young.
The beautiful teacher found herself getting distracted.
Fushimi Makoto had noticed what was happening long ago. To avoid disturbing the other students, he picked up the paper and pen he'd prepared, wrote a line, and held it out to her.
Matsukaze Mayu took it curiously. It read: I wasn't lying, was I?
A smile flickered in her eyes. She wrote back: Have you been studying art for a long time?
Fushimi Makoto: Guess.
Matsukaze Mayu: You shouldn't talk to your teacher like that.
Fushimi Makoto: It's a long story. Let's talk about it another time.
Matsukaze Mayu was just about to write a reply when something suddenly occurred to her.
Wasn't she passing notes with a student during class?
She came to her senses with a start and realized that quite a few students around them were sneaking glances their way. Her behavior had clearly aroused everyone's curiosity.
Just as she was blushing and feeling awkward, Fushimi Makoto suddenly said softly, "Teacher Matsukaze, I'll ask you about it another time. I feel like this might be disrupting class for everyone."
Matsukaze Mayu was taken aback.
He was helping her out.
The curious students around them also realized what was going on.
So he was asking the teacher for advice. No wonder they'd been writing and drawing. They probably didn't want to disturb everyone.
With their curiosity satisfied, the students lost interest in sneaking glances.
Suppressing her embarrassment, Matsukaze Mayu lifted her chin, pretending to be calm. Her voice was soft as she said, "That's all right. You can ask me about anything you don't understand."
"Got it."
And just like that, the little incident was over.
Matsukaze Mayu returned the paper and pen. As she bent down, her fragrant scent enveloped Fushimi Makoto and filled his nostrils.
"Let's talk after school," she whispered into Fushimi Makoto's ear.
He could even feel the warm breath from her lips brushing lightly against his ear.
To any guy, that was an unmistakably intimate gesture.
But Matsukaze Mayu didn't think anything of it.
She and Fushimi Makoto lived in the same apartment building, and he was her student. He'd just helped her out, too, so her fondness for him was steadily growing.
Most importantly, Fushimi Makoto's drawing skills had piqued her curiosity.
Much like how the supernatural phenomenon of the Time Loop had fascinated Yukino.
After school.
As soon as Fushimi Makoto arrived at the athletic field, Hayato Hayama and his popular friends came over.
"My family gave me a few movie tickets, and I have one extra. Want to come with me?"
Hayato Hayama smiled as he invited him.
Fushimi Makoto was puzzled. He and Hayato Hayama weren't particularly close, yet Hayama had gone out of his way to approach him after school and invite him to a movie.
Then he noticed Miura Yumiko and the others watching him from nearby, and it clicked.
As expected, they must have asked Hayato Hayama to invite him.
Hayato Hayama was the handsome, sunny boy everyone at school adored. He belonged to "everyone," not to any one person in particular.
Fushimi Makoto was about to answer when a familiar girl's voice called out from ahead. "Fushimi!"
He turned to look. Nakano Ichika was waving to him from the school gate, with four other equally beautiful girls standing beside her.
Fushimi Makoto waved back, then said to Hayato Hayama, "Sorry, I have plans today."
"No problem. Maybe some other time."
Hayato Hayama didn't seem bothered at all, which confirmed Fushimi Makoto's guess.
As Fushimi Makoto hurried toward the school gate, Hayato Hayama turned back to Yumiko and the others and smiled ruefully. "See? I told you he might be busy lately. He wouldn't have time."
"The Nakano Quintuplets are waiting for him together. Is he really dating Nakano Ichika? And what about Yukinoshita?" someone said enviously.
Hayato Hayama reminded them, "Try not to gossip about other people's private lives, especially when it's something that could easily lead to rumors."
"Oh, sorry..."
Hearing this, Yumiko couldn't help asking, "Are you close to him?"
"We're not that close, but the Soccer Club really wants him to join."
"No wonder you're always so forward with him. Anyone who didn't know better would think you had a crush on him," Yumiko teased.
She understood. Hayato Hayama was in the Soccer Club, and if he could recruit Fushimi Makoto, it would make the club even more popular.
Meanwhile, Fushimi Makoto reached the school gate. He greeted Nakano Ichika first, then the other four.
The five sisters reacted in different ways. Ichika beamed, while Nino stared him up and down, her beautiful eyes glinting.
Miku and Yotsuba were curious.
Itsuki pressed her lips together and maintained her composure, desperately suppressing her urge to learn more about Ichika's secret.
"Are you sure you don't want to let me treat you to dinner today? I'm really free."
The first words Nakano Ichika said left the other four girls stunned.
All four pairs of eyes immediately fell on Fushimi Makoto and Nakano Ichika.
Nakano Nino looked especially like she wanted to say something.
If she weren't so unfamiliar with Fushimi Makoto, she probably would've been unable to resist interrogating Ichika.
Fushimi Makoto put on a thoughtful expression. "You're asking me in front of your sisters on purpose to make it harder for me to turn you down again?"
"Huh? You saw right through me?" Nakano Ichika grinned, completely unembarrassed at being found out.
"Something like that's easy to guess. If I turned you down in front of your sisters, you'd be a little embarrassed."
"So, does that mean you'll come?"
"Sorry, but I have to say no."
Nakano Ichika froze.
Fushimi Makoto pointed back toward the school. "I didn't explain myself properly. I have plans with Teacher Matsukaze today, so we'll have to have dinner another time."
The five sisters instinctively turned around. Sure enough, they saw Matsukaze Mayu in the distance, walking with Hiratsuka Shizuka.
"Then another time," Nakano Ichika said, her smile returning.
Fushimi Makoto asked, "If I'd agreed just now, were you going to use the opportunity to invite Yukinoshita along with me?"
This time, Nakano Ichika was genuinely surprised. "Was I really that obvious?"
Of course not. I just figured you out during the Time Loop.
Fushimi Makoto didn't explain. "Another time. I'll help you invite Yukinoshita then."
"Then it's a deal! We'll get going now, too. See you tomorrow."
Before she left, Nakano Ichika openly got Fushimi Makoto's contact information.
This left the other four girls even more surprised.
The five girls hadn't gotten far from the school when Nakano Nino couldn't hold back any longer. "Ichika, you and that famous Fushimi guy are..."
The others watched her intently, too.
She'd gone so far as to ask for his contact information. They clearly weren't just ordinary classmates. They had to strike hard—no, interrogate her!
Nakano Ichika looked perfectly at ease. "I guess we're friends now."
All but Nakano Itsuki, who had already suspected as much, looked astonished.
Nakano Nino said doubtfully, "You've never had any guy friends, not once in your life."
"Are you so interested because Fushimi's looks are exactly your type?"
"What? Don't slander me!" Nakano Nino blushed.
Even though she had been privately admiring Fushimi Makoto's looks just now.
He was totally her type!
"All right, I know you want to ask about him. I don't know much, but I'll tell you what I do know."
Nakano Ichika chuckled mischievously, quite pleased with Nino's reaction.
She glanced back at Fushimi Makoto, who was still by the school gate, and remembered what he'd said at lunchtime.
He had so many secrets that made people curious. No wonder Yukinoshita was so interested in him.
She wanted access to the microphone in their private conversations, too.
When Nakano Ichika turned around, she noticed that Itsuki was looking back as well.
Hmm?
What was that about?
Chapter 8: Is It So Hard to Admit You Care?
Fushimi Makoto watched the Nakano Quintuplets leave, then asked the system in his mind, "FW System, why aren't there any missions related to Nino and the others?"
[Because I'm a trainee system. I can only assign this many missions at a time.]
"You're really making things difficult for me."
[Why?]
"If you could keep assigning me missions, I could help you finish your training sooner. You're holding back your own progress."
[Stop scolding me, stop scolding me. I'm counting on you to handle my training missions.]
After teasing the system, Fushimi Makoto saw Hiratsuka Shizuka and Matsukaze Mayu walking toward him.
"Fushimi, sorry for the wait."
Matsukaze Mayu looked rather pleased.
Hiratsuka Shizuka asked curiously, "Did you two make plans?"
"Yes. I have something I want to ask him about, and we happen to live in the same apartment building."
"I see. I'll leave you two to it, then."
Hiratsuka Shizuka smiled at Fushimi Makoto and left of her own accord.
Matsukaze Mayu and Fushimi Makoto walked home together. She was just about to ask about his drawing skills when he spoke first. "Are you going grocery shopping today, Teacher Matsukaze?"
"I am. I'm all out of ingredients at home."
"Then would you like to go together?"
"Are you shopping for ingredients to cook, too?"
"That's not all. I meant we could have dinner together."
As he spoke, Fushimi Makoto glanced at Matsukaze Mayu, who looked a little surprised, and added, "I'm pretty good at cooking, too."
"How good?" Matsukaze Mayu asked without thinking.
Before you continue