Kirisu Miharu felt her heart shatter.
If she wasn't blind, then in the kitchen—the one being pressed against the refrigerator by Hozuki Nozomi, her lips intimately pressed against his—was indeed her older sister, Kirisu Mafuyu, right?
She had long sensed something peculiar between these two. It no longer resembled a normal teacher-student relationship.
Good heavens.
Now it was confirmed. Her perfect older sister was definitely dating this student who was even younger than herself!
Had her flawless older sister been stolen away by this man?
Kirisu Miharu clutched her aching chest and quietly retreated to the sofa. She was completely out of sorts—wilted like a frost-bitten eggplant, already drowning in the grief of losing her beloved sister, listless and hollow.
However, what was the truth?
…
Let's rewind to one minute ago.
The kitchen in Kirisu Mafuyu's apartment was cramped. The aisle permitted barely one and a half people to pass, and the refrigerator consumed precious real estate. The air hung thick with the mineral smell of tap water and raw fish, fluorescent light casting everything in sterile white.
Wearing an apron—pale blue cotton with small embroidered flowers—Kirisu Mafuyu felt guilty letting Hozuki Nozomi cook alone, so she volunteered to help wash vegetables.
They had purchased a fish today, and Hozuki Nozomi mentioned he would make braised fish for her to try something different.
She was brimming with enthusiasm.
Although she wasn't the one actually cooking, at least she helped wash vegetables and prepare some ingredients. This way, when Miharu praised her culinary skills, she wouldn't feel quite so fraudulent.
However, when it came to killing the fish, she faltered.
She washed the silver-scaled creature and placed it on the cutting board. The thing was slippery, still wet, its scales catching light like scattered coins. She gestured with the kitchen knife, its blade gleaming coldly, unsure where to begin.
And the fish—as if comprehending its fate—refused to cooperate. It struggled, muscles contracting violently, leaped off the cutting board with surprising force, and slapped itself directly against Kirisu Mafuyu's delicate face.
Splat.
Cold, wet scales against warm cheek. The briny stench of freshwater fish filled her nostrils.
Kirisu Mafuyu yelped at the sudden assault; she retreated hastily and, in her panic, instinctively flung the kitchen knife upward.
The blade tumbled through the air, spinning once, twice—its gleaming tip angling directly toward her face.
"Be careful, Mafuyu!"
Fortunately, Hozuki Nozomi had been monitoring her while cooking. He lunged forward, snatched the falling knife by its handle, and with fluid precision, wrapped his arm around her slender waist, preventing her from crashing onto the cold tile floor.
But in her flustered state, Kirisu Mafuyu's heel landed squarely on the escaped fish. The creature compressed beneath her foot like a wet sponge, and she pitched backward again.
Her soft, pale fingers instinctively seized his lapel, trying to anchor herself by pulling him forward.
Then—
Hozuki Nozomi stumbled, yanked by her desperate grip, while simultaneously bracing one palm against the refrigerator's cool metal surface. His other arm remained locked around her waist, fingers splayed across the small of her back.
A coincidental yet picture-perfect wall-slam materialized.
And most miraculous of all—Hozuki Nozomi's lips met Kirisu Mafuyu's.
Pop~
Soft. Warm. The faint taste of the green tea she'd been sipping earlier. The subtle pressure of her mouth against his lasted perhaps two heartbeats—an eternity compressed into nothing.
Kirisu Mafuyu's eyes flew wide. Violet irises swallowed by shock, she stared at him with utter disbelief.
Her first kiss!
Gone—just like that?
She scrambled to plant her feet and shoved him backward with both palms against his chest.
Her face blazed crimson, spreading down her neck and disappearing beneath her collar. She clapped one hand over her mouth, fingertips pressing hard against tingling lips, her eyes glistening with something between mortification and hysteria.
"Cough, cough—Mafuyu-sensei, you can't blame me for that. It was an accident!"
"I know…"
Kirisu Mafuyu glowered at him, cheeks still burning. She planted both hands on her hips and declared sternly:
"Forget about it. Do you hear me?"
Her feisty yet adorable expression, combined with her flushed, unmistakably shy face, held absolutely no deterrent power whatsoever.
He found her rather cute instead.
"I heard you."
He nodded calmly, deciding to humor her for now. Otherwise, if she erupted from embarrassment, tonight's dinner would become collateral damage.
"Hmph—I... I'm going to the restroom."
Kirisu Mafuyu bit her lower lip and scurried out of the kitchen, her slippered feet pattering against the floor.
She needed to splash cold water on her face. She needed to breathe. She needed to calm down.
Watching her graceful figure retreat—the way her shoulders hunched slightly, the pink tips of her ears visible through strands of pink hair—Hozuki Nozomi unconsciously ran his tongue across his lips.
Not bad.
Mafuyu-sensei's taste.
---
Restroom.
Kirisu Mafuyu clutched her head in frustration, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her face glowed an alarming shade of pink, emotions churning into something impossibly tangled.
She wouldn't blame him—naturally not.
After all, if he hadn't protected her, that kitchen knife might have carved a new feature into her face.
But still...
Her first kiss!
Simply vanished!
That was supposed to belong to her boyfriend. Her future husband! The romantic culmination of confession and commitment!
How did it evaporate—just like that?
And to her student, no less?
Kirisu Mafuyu's cheeks burned hotter, the flush climbing to her earlobes until they practically glowed.
What she found most unbearable was the culprit.
A fish.
Wuwuwu...
She couldn't even dispatch a fish properly. Would he think she was pathetic? Incompetent?
So embarrassing...
---
A few minutes later, Kirisu Mafuyu returned to the kitchen.
She worked to compose her expression—neutral, professional, unbothered—and resumed assisting with preparations.
But her gaze kept drifting toward Hozuki Nozomi's lips.
Looking closely, this guy really was handsome. Sharp jaw, confident mouth, the kind of features that belonged on magazine covers rather than in high school classrooms.
No wonder he attracted so many girlfriends.
Yes—Kirisu Mafuyu already knew about his multiple relationships. So she had been silently warning herself not to fall for his charms and become another addition to his collection.
Her attention landed on the culprit responsible for stealing her first kiss.
The fish.
She discovered Hozuki Nozomi had already gutted and cleaned it. The creature now sizzled in hot oil, its scales crisping golden-brown, filling the kitchen with the rich aroma of frying protein.
Her cheeks reddened again. She instinctively lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes.
She feared seeing contempt in his gaze.
To think—she was his teacher.
Yet she couldn't even handle a fish.
From this day forward, she would never hold her head high around him again.
Hozuki Nozomi calmly monitored the fish, chopsticks turning it methodically. His peripheral vision caught Kirisu Mafuyu's dejected posture—slumped shoulders, downcast eyes, fingers fidgeting with her apron strings.
He spoke softly. "Mafuyu-sensei, thank you for the meal."
"Huh?"
"Thank you for what meal? You—what are you thinking?! Didn't I tell you to forget what just happened?"
Hozuki Nozomi observed the flustered woman, his mood lifting considerably.
"I was referring to tonight's dinner. You're treating me, so I'm expressing gratitude in advance. Nothing unusual about that, right?"
"What do you mean nothing unusual?" Kirisu Mafuyu realized her misunderstanding and couldn't help glaring at him. "Even if you're going to thank me, shouldn't it be after eating? What's the point of thanking me beforehand?"
Hozuki Nozomi sighed. "My apologies, Mafuyu-sensei. Something came up—I need to pick up my girlfriend later, so I won't have time to dine with you."
"...Oh."
Kirisu Mafuyu's mouth opened, then closed. Her shoulders drooped further.
Uncertain how to respond, she could only manage a muffled acknowledgment.
Her chest felt strangely heavy.
Observing this, Hozuki Nozomi suddenly smirked. "If Mafuyu-sensei permits me to experience that again, I could certainly let my girlfriend find her own way home."
"Pfft—shut up! Good riddance!"
Kirisu Mafuyu's expression shifted instantly, and she released an icy snort.
This guy—actually teasing her! She resolved to give him nothing but cold indifference from now on.
---
A short while later.
The meal complete, Hozuki Nozomi walked toward the front door.
Kirisu Mafuyu stared at his retreating back with undisguised displeasure.
So this guy was truly going to pick up his girlfriend?
What irritated her most was her complete inability to stop him.
She couldn't very well demand he abandon his girlfriend and squander his evening on a woman like herself—someone who would never permit him to pursue her—could she?