Chabashira-sensei's compromise

The three returned to the dormitory. As the elevator doors opened, the phone terminal in Ken Kaneki's pocket suddenly vibrated.

He took out the terminal and opened it to find a new message sitting in his inbox.

A quick look at its contents revealed that it was actually from Sae Chabashira.

Seriously, that impatient?

Ken Kaneki had expected Sae Chabashira to approach him within the next few days, but he really had not expected it to happen that very day.

Perhaps reaching Class A really was very important to Chabashira-sensei.

Ken Kaneki read through the message again. Aside from some unnecessary remarks, it boiled down to a single sentence.

Come to my private office in a little while. I have something to tell you.

He put away the terminal without telling Ayanokoji or Koenji about the message, a smile appearing on his lips.

"Something happen?" Ayanokoji and Koenji asked.

"Nothing. I was planning to book a table for dinner, and the restaurant just messaged me. Let's eat together later," Ken Kaneki said calmly.

He really could lie without blushing or missing a beat. Honestly, it did not quite count as lying. He genuinely intended to treat them to dinner; he simply had not booked a private room yet.

"Oh, sure." Neither Ayanokoji nor Koenji suspected anything, and they said no more.

The three went into their respective rooms, with Ken Kaneki entering last. He glanced at rooms 401 and 403, waiting until both of them had gone inside before entering his own room.

After closing the door, he took off his uniform and changed into a black casual shirt and dark gray trousers.

With no classes to attend, casual clothes were more suitable for the private conversation ahead, and more comfortable as well.

He straightened his collar in the mirror, then turned and left, heading toward the faculty office area.

Teachers at Advanced Nurturing High School had their own private offices. They only used the large shared offices for meetings or working together.

Ken Kaneki reached the end of the corridor and stopped before a door bearing a nameplate that read "Sae Chabashira." He raised his hand and knocked.

"Come in." A cool female voice came from inside, and Ken Kaneki pushed the door open and entered.

The office was small and furnished very simply: a desk, two armchairs, and a bookcase. A faint fragrance lingered in the air.

Sae Chabashira sat behind the desk with a document in her hand. She looked up at Ken Kaneki and pointed to the armchair opposite her.

"Have a seat."

Ken Kaneki walked over and sat down in a relaxed manner, watching her calmly.

"How has school been treating you lately?" Sae Chabashira put down the document and folded her hands on the desk, her question carrying a little concern.

"Pretty well," Ken Kaneki replied briefly.

Then a deathly silence fell over the office.

Ken Kaneki leaned back in the armchair and crossed his legs without speaking. His gaze remained placid, and Sae Chabashira could detect no change in his emotions.

Sometimes, saying nothing could work greatly to one's advantage. Learning more from Ayanokoji's expressionless face might secure greater gains at the negotiating table.

After all, whoever lost their composure first at the negotiating table lost, just as whoever confessed first in love lost.

Time slowly passed, and neither spoke first.

Perhaps finding her current posture tiring, Sae Chabashira shifted slightly. Her skirt suit outlined the enticing curves of her buttocks.

She picked up the fountain pen on her desk and fiddled with it unconsciously.

Her gaze moved away from Ken Kaneki's face to the window, then quickly returned.

Ken Kaneki simply watched her quietly. From beginning to end, that faint smile remained on his face.

Finally, perhaps because she could no longer keep her composure, or perhaps because having Ken Kaneki stare at her was making her inexplicably irritated, Sae Chabashira set the pen on the desk with a soft tap.

"Just what exactly do you know?" Sae Chabashira stared at Ken Kaneki, her voice growing impatient. "Why did you say those things to me on the tree-lined path this morning?"

Ken Kaneki smiled. He sat up, rested his elbows on his knees, and leaned slightly forward.

Psychologically speaking, this posture resembled the signs a carnivore displayed before attacking and could intimidate the other party in a negotiation.

"I'm more or less certain now. I told you because I wanted to make a deal with you."

He looked into Chabashira-sensei's eyes, gently drawing her in.

At his words, Sae Chabashira sneered and leaned back, trying to assume the authority of a teacher.

"A deal? I'm just an ordinary homeroom teacher. I have nothing you need. There's nothing I want, and I have no need to make any deal with you."

Ken Kaneki stood, walked around the desk, and came to Sae Chabashira's side.

Sae Chabashira instinctively tried to retreat, but her chair was already against the wall. She could go no farther.

Ken Kaneki bent down and planted his hands on the armrests on either side of her chair, enclosing her between himself and the backrest.

He lowered his head toward Chabashira-sensei's ear. His warm breath brushed her ear, making it tickle.

"Is there really nothing you want?" Ken Kaneki lowered his voice. "Like... reaching Class A?"

Sae Chabashira's body abruptly trembled. She whipped her head around and fixed her eyes on Ken Kaneki.

They were so close that the tips of their noses nearly touched.

His masculine scent instantly enveloped her. Sae Chabashira felt a strange sensation run through her body, and her heart began racing uncontrollably.

She clenched her teeth and forcibly suppressed her panic, silently cursing her body for letting her down.

"What nonsense are you talking about?" She turned her face aside, still stubbornly refusing to admit it.

Ken Kaneki did not move away. He stared at Chabashira-sensei's profile, his gaze openly aggressive.

"The homeroom teacher of Class 1-D was once a student at this school herself and, for some reason, has an obsessive desire for Class A. Am I right, Chabashira-sensei?"

Ken Kaneki enunciated every word.

Sae Chabashira turned to meet his teasing gaze. Her teeth clenched with resentment, and her hands curled into fists at her sides before falling open helplessly.

This student had discovered her most deeply hidden secret.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She understood that she had completely lost the initiative. He was now in control.

"What do you want?" She closed her eyes and sighed, a trace of compromise entering her voice.

Ken Kaneki straightened and looked down at her.

"I want you."

Sae Chabashira's eyes flew open in utter disbelief. She shook her head repeatedly, insisting that it was impossible.

"Impossible!" she said hurriedly. "I can give you points. I can transfer them to you every month.

"Or I can use my position to offer you certain conveniences within school regulations. Whatever job you want, I can help arrange it."

Ken Kaneki looked at her, speechless.

"Chabashira-sensei, have you forgotten what you signed just this morning? Besides, you should have read my file. With the income from the secondhand platform and the Micro Bank, do you think I'd be short of that handful of points? As for a job, do you think I need one?"

Sae Chabashira had no answer. Yes, she knew better than anyone just how valuable those three contracts from this morning were.

This student's means and financial resources were far beyond what an ordinary teacher like her could match.

What could I give him?

Apart from this body, she had nothing.

Sae Chabashira bit her lower lip and shook her head again. She could not sell her body, especially not to her own student.

Ken Kaneki gave her no opportunity to evade him. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Sae Chabashira, pulling her out of her chair and holding her tightly against him.

"Let go of me!" Sae Chabashira struggled fiercely, pushing hard against Ken Kaneki's chest with both hands, but she was not strong enough and could not break free.

"On the first of next month, Class 1-D's Class Points will drop to zero." Ken Kaneki breathed into her ear as he delivered those words.

Sae Chabashira instantly stopped struggling. She froze and looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Zero? How could that be?" she murmured.

She had certainly seen Class D's behavior over the past few days: talking in class, arriving late, sleeping, and playing on their phones. Their discipline was abysmal.

Watching those students every day made her seethe, but she could not warn them.

But the school had given every class 1,000 Class Points in the first month. Even after deductions for disciplinary violations, surely they would not lose every last point.

Dropping to zero had never happened in the school's history.

"Impossible." Sae Chabashira regained a little composure. "They may be terrible, but they certainly wouldn't lose all their points."

"Then how about a bet?" Ken Kaneki released one hand and caught her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"If Class D's points aren't zero on the first of next month, I'll bring Ayanokoji and Koenji with me and take Class D to Class A unconditionally, fulfilling your wish."

Sae Chabashira's breathing grew rapid. That offer was far too tempting.

"What if the points are zero?" she asked.

"If they're zero, you'll be mine."

Sae Chabashira looked at Ken Kaneki. His clear black-and-white eyes seemed to sparkle with starlight, carrying absolute confidence.

Despite her unease, she felt she still had a reasonable chance. Driven by her overwhelming desire to reach Class A, Chabashira-sensei compromised.

"All right. I agree."

The moment she finished speaking, Ken Kaneki lowered his head and kissed her.

Sae Chabashira's eyes widened as an intense sensation spread across her lips.

She instinctively tried to push him away, but Ken Kaneki's arms tightened like iron bands, holding her firmly against him.

Ken Kaneki cupped the back of her head with one hand and deepened the kiss.

Sae Chabashira's hands dropped limply. Her mind went blank in an instant, and she could only passively endure Ken Kaneki's invasion.

Three minutes later, Ken Kaneki released her.

Sae Chabashira took a step back, her waist pressing against the edge of the desk. She gasped for breath, her cheeks scarlet.

"Nothing's been settled yet!" She glared at Ken Kaneki in embarrassed anger and wiped her lips with a hand.

"You'll see when the time comes." Ken Kaneki chuckled, withdrew his hand, and turned toward the door. He pulled it open and walked out without looking back.

The office door slowly closed. Sae Chabashira collapsed into an armchair, staring blankly at the closed door.

She had actually been taken liberties with by a new student who had enrolled less than a month ago.

The heat in her face refused to fade. She covered her cheeks, overwhelmed with shame and indignation.

What if Class D's points really are zero next month? What if he really takes me?

Anxiety over what she stood to gain or lose spread through her heart. Sae Chabashira leaned against the armchair's backrest and stared at the ceiling, unable to collect herself for a long time.