He planned to go to school together with Yoshida Saki, who had been sent to stay at a hotel after breaking ties with her family yesterday.
When Hikari got out of the car and was about to enter the hotel, he found that Yoshida Saki was already waiting at the entrance.
The moment she saw him appear, she hurried over.
Greeting him warmly.
"Good morning, Hikari-kun!"
"Good morning, Yoshida-san."
After exchanging greetings, Hikari didn't say much and led Yoshida Saki into a taxi.
Because it was already getting late.
After all, he had gone to Seika Girls' Academy this morning and spent some time talking with Sumeragi Rikka, which delayed him a bit.
So if he didn't want to be late, he had to hurry to school.
On the way, Hikari finally started chatting with Yoshida Saki.
"Yoshida-san, how did you sleep last night?", Hikari casually asked.
"The bed was very soft, and I slept comfortably, but I'm still a little... not used to it," Yoshida Saki answered honestly.
"That's normal," Hikari nodded in understanding.
After all, she had always lived at home and rarely stayed in hotels. Suddenly changing locations naturally felt unfamiliar.
"But Hikari-kun, don't worry. The room is really comfortable, and the manager lady takes good care of me. I'm only a little unaccustomed to it. It's not really a problem," Yoshida Saki quickly explained, seemingly worried about causing him trouble.
Hikari smiled, "You can't stay in a hotel forever. You still need a stable place to live."
"There are some empty rooms in the Asou Apartments where I live. I think there's one upstairs from me."
"I'm on pretty good terms with the landlord, so you can move there when the time comes."
Hearing that, Yoshida Saki's eyes lit up, "The apartment where Hikari-kun lives? That's great!"
But then she lowered her head, "Um... I probably can't afford the rent."
Hikari waved his hand, "I told you yesterday. Your falling out with your family is partly related to me, so I'll take responsibility."
"So don't worry about the rent. I'll pay it."
Yoshida Saki looked embarrassed, "H-How can I let you do that?"
Hikari didn't mind, "It's nothing. The rent isn't expensive, and I might even be able to get a discount if I talk to the landlord."
"If you feel bad about it, just pay me back after you start earning money."
Yoshida Saki also knew that she was homeless and penniless right now.
She had no other choice.
So instead of stubbornly refusing, she nodded and accepted his suggestion.
"Okay, let's do as Hikari-kun says. Once I start working and earning money, I'll repay the rent."
"Even though I can never repay everything you've done for me."
"I can at least pay back the rent. Once I have time, I'll immediately start looking for a part-time job or something."
After everything she had gone through, the Yoshida Saki who had once been extremely shy and insecure had changed quite a bit.
She spoke to Hikari with determination.
Looking at her trying so hard, Hikari nodded, "Be careful when you're looking for part-time work. There are a lot of people in this world with bad intentions."
Yoshida Saki nodded strongly in agreement.
She had encountered too many of them.
Hayato, Mr. Obata, and even her own father had those kinds of thoughts about her.
'This world is truly frightening.'
'Fortunately, there are people like Hikari-kun, who seem like an angel.'
Yoshida Saki looked at him gratefully.
"I'll be careful!"
Hikari advised her, "For now, focus on your studies. You don't need to worry about paying me back yet."
"I might start some kind of business before long. Maybe open a supermarket or something."
"If you want to repay me or become financially independent, you can work for me then."
Hearing that, Yoshida Saki nodded emotionally.
Suddenly, she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.
When she saw him look at her, her face turned slightly red, and she spoke shyly, "You've done so much for me, Hikari-kun. I really want to thank you."
"But I don't have any money right now. There's nothing I can do."
"So... this is the only way I can show my gratitude..."
Hearing her words, Hikari didn't say anything.
He simply nodded.
Seeing that he wasn't bothered by it, Yoshida Saki felt both embarrassed and excited.
After Hikari had taken her to Richter Hotel yesterday, she had fallen asleep without realizing it after showering and chatting with him for a short while.
At the time, she had only been wrapped in a bath towel.
She hadn't even put on any clothes.
But when she woke up this morning, she discovered that the towel was gone.
A warm blanket was covering her.
The moment she woke up and noticed it, she was startled.
Only she and Hikari had been there yesterday.
He must have been the one who covered her with the blanket, and naturally he was also the one who removed the towel.
At that time, Yoshida Saki's feelings had been complicated.
But what made things even more complicated was this.
Just when she thought something must have happened, she discovered there wasn't any blood on the bedsheets at all.
And when she remembered how deeply she had slept last night without being disturbed in the slightest, she finally became certain.
Although Hikari had covered her with a blanket, nothing had actually happened between them.
That made her even more grateful to him.
While she was deeply moved, there was also a tiny bit of disappointment in her heart.
Along with a lot of nervousness and insecurity.
Under those circumstances, when they had seen each other completely exposed, nothing had happened.
Her lack of confidence made her wonder whether it was because she wasn't pretty enough or because her figure was too poor, leaving Hikari completely uninterested in her.
'Am I, this ugly duckling, destined never to receive Hikari-kun's love?'
After being helped by him again yesterday, Yoshida Saki had already decided that she never wanted to leave him for the rest of her life.
So naturally, she liked him.
Because of that, she cared deeply about what Hikari thought of her.
The kiss she had initiated just now was also a small test.
Fortunately, Hikari-kun didn't dislike it.
His reaction gave Yoshida Saki hope again.
She had already decided to spend her whole life repaying his kindness, so she didn't say anything more or do anything more extreme.
Instead, she took the initiative to bring up other topics and chat with him.
Before long, the taxi arrived at school.
Originally, Hikari had planned to return to the classroom together with Yoshida Saki.
But halfway there, a cool fragrance suddenly drifted over.
Looking up, he saw that familiar figure dressed in purple.
She stood in the hallway with her arms crossed, her expression beautiful and cold. Her waist-length purple hair moved in the wind. Her uniform skirt outlined her figure, and her long legs wrapped in flesh-colored stockings reflected the morning light.
Although she was a stunning beauty, the boys passing by didn't dare look at her for long.
Because this purple-haired beauty was none other than the school's famous ice queen, their homeroom teacher, Tsukishima Kyoko.
"Hikari-kun, come with me for a moment."
The instant she noticed him, Tsukishima Kyoko spoke in her usual cold tone.
Hearing that, the surrounding students immediately looked at Hikari with pity.
After all, when someone was called over by the school's famous ice queen, it usually wasn't for anything good.
Even getting scolded until you were covered in spit was considered getting off lightly.
But Hikari didn't show much reaction.
He simply nodded to Tsukishima Kyoko.
Then he told Yoshida Saki to return to class first.
After that, he followed behind Tsukishima Kyoko toward the office.
———
Walking casually behind her, Hikari watched her long legs move as she walked.
His gaze swept over the silver pointer hanging at her waist.
It had made countless stubborn students' palms swell red.
Now it swung gently at her side.
Perhaps because there was something pleasant to look at, Hikari felt as though only a few steps had passed before he arrived at Tsukishima Kyoko's private office.
In the past, whenever she scolded students, she often brought them here.
She would deliberately leave the door open and loudly reprimand students who had made mistakes, frightening even those who merely passed by.
But this time, after bringing Hikari in, she quickly closed the door.
Some students and even teachers who happened to see it shook their heads and went out of their way to stay clear, feeling sorry for Hikari.
After all, she was already terrifying when she scolded people with the door open.
Now that she had deliberately shut it, Hikari was probably about to be thoroughly chewed out.
But the atmosphere inside Tsukishima Kyoko's office was completely different from what everyone imagined.
Although Tsukishima Kyoko kept her beautiful eyes fixed on him from the moment he entered, her gaze wasn't as cold as it was when she looked at other people.
Instead, it carried a bit of warmth and even traces of softness.
Hikari spoke first in a relaxed tone, "Tsukishima-sensei, why did you suddenly call me over so early in the morning? Is something wrong?"
"Can't I call you over if there's nothing wrong? Hmm?", Tsukishima Kyoko bit her lip lightly.
Hikari smiled, "Of course you can. I just want to know why you called me over."
Looking at him acting as though he didn't understand, Tsukishima Kyoko lightly bit her lip and spoke unhappily.
"Hmph! You know perfectly well."
"Did Tsukishima-sensei come to school without eating breakfast? Are you hungry?", Hikari asked with a smile.
"I'm not hungry. I think you're the hungry one," Tsukishima Kyoko's face reddened slightly. Even though she really did feel hungry the moment she saw him, she still refused to admit it.
"Really?"
Hikari saw through her words and stepped in front of her.
Tsukishima Kyoko was wearing a black uniform suit skirt and flesh-colored pantyhose.
Red lace could be seen beneath it.