The morning sun filtered through the gaps in the curtains, casting a few scattered threads of light across the room.
Sakayanagi Arisu slowly opened her eyes. Those purple irises still held a trace of drowsy, hazy grogginess from just waking. She shifted her body a little, meaning to sit up.
Then Sakayanagi Arisu froze, because she realized there was someone lying beside her. That someone was none other than Shikime Natsu, and right now this guy had his eyes shut, his breathing steady, looking very much still fast asleep.
Sakayanagi Arisu stared blankly at Shikime Natsu's face, so close it was mere inches away, and for that instant her mind went completely blank.
Then last night's memories came flooding into her head like a rising tide.
Those images, those sounds, those sensations, those… flushed-cheeked, racing-heart moments.
On Sakayanagi Arisu's delicate little face, which had looked rather pale from just waking, a startling blush suddenly bloomed.
That flush spread from her cheeks all the way to her dainty earlobes, and even her fair neck took on an alluring pink sheen.
This Shikime Natsu guy… he really is too wicked.
Sakayanagi Arisu fumed indignantly to herself, a flicker of vexation passing through those purple eyes.
All she'd wanted was to throw Shikime Natsu's composure into a little disarray.
All she'd wanted was to tease him a bit, to leave Shikime Natsu itching with desire yet unable to do a thing about it. After all, she was a sick girl of sorts, so what was the harm in playing with a little fire?
She just hadn't expected to end up throwing herself into it in one go.
If this were a shoujo manga, then no matter how forward she got, no matter how much she flung herself at him, Shikime Natsu should have been the one to push her away, saying something like it wasn't the right time yet, that they needed to understand each other better first.
The back-and-forth hadn't even reached that stage. In a manga the male lead would hesitate, would agonize, would rein himself in at the very last moment and say lines like "I don't want to take advantage of you" or "You're not ready yet."
But this Shikime Natsu guy? He hadn't put up the slightest resistance at all.
The moment she dared to offer, he dared to take it straight away, without so much as a moment's hesitation.
Sakayanagi Arisu turned this over in her mind, those purple eyes brimming with complicated light.
What a truly thick-skinned guy.
Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze drifted, almost of its own accord, back to Shikime Natsu's sleeping face.
As she watched him, the corners of her mouth curved into an arc, and in that curve was a tenderness and sweetness she wasn't even aware of herself.
Shikime Natsu had done that sort of thing to her… so surely he'd have to take responsibility, right?
Unless this Shikime Natsu guy meant to play the scoundrel, taking advantage of her like this and then simply walking away.
If it really came to that, then this maiden would not let Shikime Natsu off the hook.
Of course, wicked as his personality was, Shikime Natsu would absolutely never do something so irresponsible. After all, this guy already had so many girlfriends that one more, herself, hardly made a difference.
Besides, Sakayanagi Arisu, whatever else you might say, had a certain amount of financial clout. If Shikime Natsu ever ran short of money down the road, she could help him out.
Just then, Sakayanagi Arisu suddenly remembered how in shoujo manga the first time always hurt a great deal, even after waking. Yet Sakayanagi Arisu found her body free of any discomfort at all. If anything, she felt almost unreasonably good.
She had never felt this good before.
Even though last night had been so intense…
Sakayanagi Arisu felt as if her physical condition had actually improved by no small margin, and it was right then that she seemed to grasp something. She understood that while they'd been doing those things last night, this Shikime Natsu guy had been raising her physical fitness.
She just couldn't figure out how the guy had managed it. But… Sakayanagi Arisu understood now, no wonder Kamuro Masumi and Morishita Ai and the others in the class had been able to shine so brilliantly at the Sports Festival.
So it was because they'd done that sort of thing with this Shikime Natsu guy. Sakayanagi Arisu thought it over, a flicker of comprehension passing through those purple eyes, and then her gaze fell upon Shikime Natsu once more.
Just how many secrets did this guy's body hold?
Sakayanagi Arisu mulled it over, though she didn't dwell on it too much.
After all, she was already this guy's now. There would be plenty of time later to slowly uncover them.
With that thought, the curve of her lips deepened a touch further. Then she propped herself up a little and leaned in close, those purple eyes carefully studying Shikime Natsu's sleeping face.
The more she looked, the better looking he seemed. The more she looked, the more she felt she hadn't come out on the losing end after all.
Sakayanagi Arisu thought this to herself, and then an idea suddenly popped into her head.
Since this Shikime Natsu guy was still asleep… then she'd just leave a lip mark on his face.
Call it… staking her claim.
With that thought, a sly gleam flickered through those purple eyes.
She lowered her head slightly, bringing her lips close to Shikime Natsu's cheek.
But at the very instant she was about to kiss him, Shikime Natsu's pale golden eyes suddenly opened.
Those pale golden eyes held none of the haze of just waking. Instead there was a look that hovered between a smile and no smile, and Shikime Natsu simply watched Sakayanagi Arisu quietly.
Caught red-handed on the spot, Sakayanagi Arisu was, to put it mildly, quite embarrassed. She wondered what sort of expression she ought to make, but though her lips parted, nothing came out.
Still… something felt off. She and Shikime Natsu were already in this kind of relationship, so did getting caught really call for an explanation? So Sakayanagi Arisu just went ahead and kissed Shikime Natsu on the cheek.
After the kiss, Sakayanagi Arisu lifted her head slightly, those purple eyes fixed on Shikime Natsu.
The corners of her mouth curved into a smile tinged with teasing.
"Good morning~"
"Darling."
As she said those words, darling, Sakayanagi Arisu deliberately stressed her tone, precisely so that Shikime Natsu would hear it clearly. As for the change in how she addressed him, Sakayanagi Arisu managed it quite naturally.
After all, the two of them had already done that sort of thing, so if she still called Shikime Natsu by his name like a classmate, wouldn't that be the strange thing?
And yet, having changed how she addressed him, Sakayanagi Arisu still felt her little heart go pitter-patter. This was, after all, the first time she'd ever called a boy something so intimate. Before this, she had never addressed anyone this way.
And of course, she'd never done that sort of thing either. So many firsts left even that lofty, aloof beauty feeling a little bashful inside.
Hearing that name, Shikime Natsu's lips curved as well. Then, looking into Sakayanagi Arisu's purple eyes, which held both a touch of slyness and a touch of shyness, he slowly spoke with a smile.
"Good morning, Arisu."
Hearing Shikime Natsu address her so directly, Sakayanagi Arisu felt a stir within her that she couldn't quite put into words.
It was as if something in the deepest part of her heart had been gently plucked.
That guy who was always so cruel to her had, in this moment, changed how he addressed her too. And… why was his voice so tender when he spoke her name?
This was nothing like the usual Shikime Natsu. Of course, usual or not, when Sakayanagi Arisu heard those two syllables, the joy inside her was impossible to hide.
She hadn't been allowed to bask in that secret delight for long before Shikime Natsu smiled at Sakayanagi Arisu again and said,
"Arisu, now… do you know whether I've got the nerve or not?"
At those words, Sakayanagi Arisu remembered that this whole thing had, in fact, been provoked by her. If she hadn't been the one to stir it up, Shikime Natsu probably wouldn't have taken her outright.
Sakayanagi Arisu had to admit that Shikime Natsu really did have nerve. If their positions were reversed, she wasn't even sure she'd have had that kind of nerve herself.
Just then, as Shikime Natsu rolled over, Sakayanagi Arisu deliberately let herself feel the warmth coming off his body. It was very warm.
Her heart began to race again in spite of herself. Back when her body had still been in that terrible state, having her heart pound this frequently in so short a span could have plunged her into danger.
She wanted, a little flustered, to look away, yet felt that doing so would seem far too guilty.
So… she steeled herself, lifted her head, and looked at Shikime Natsu with those purple eyes, tugging a strained smile onto her lips.
"I know."
There was a note of grudging reluctance in Sakayanagi Arisu's voice, along with a hint of a coquettish pout.
"Darling, you've got the most nerve of all, all right?"
Hearing that answer, Shikime Natsu smiled and said nothing more. Then he shifted his body a little, those pale golden eyes on Sakayanagi Arisu, and spoke.
"All right, we can get up now."
"Otherwise we'll be late in a bit."
With that, Shikime Natsu sat up first.
The blanket slid off his body, revealing his flawless physique.
Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze was drawn to Shikime Natsu's body as well, quite irresistibly so. It had been there last night too, of course, but her attention had been entirely elsewhere. Now it was completely different.
Even the present Sakayanagi Arisu had to concede that this Shikime Natsu guy was a natural-born specimen of perfect modeling. On the strength of that face alone he could live as a kept man, never wanting for food or clothing his whole life.
After all, a man this handsome was bound to still be handsome even in old age.
Sakayanagi Arisu thought this to herself, those purple eyes fixed straight on Shikime Natsu, completely forgetting to look away.
Feeling Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze, Shikime Natsu turned his head slightly.
Those pale golden eyes settled on Sakayanagi Arisu's dumbstruck little face.
Looking at those purple eyes staring so fixedly at his body, at that little mouth parted slightly, at the utterly dazed look on her face,
Shikime Natsu's lips curved into a smile.
Then he bent down slightly, bringing his face close to Sakayanagi Arisu's, a glint of mischief flickering through those pale golden eyes.
"Arisu."
Shikime Natsu's voice carried a teasing edge.
"Still sitting there in a daze? Don't tell me you want me to help you get dressed?"
Hearing such a downright shameless line from Shikime Natsu, a blush rose over Sakayanagi Arisu's exquisite face.
But once Sakayanagi Arisu's eyes met Shikime Natsu's pale golden ones, she seemed to summon her courage again.
"Then… I'll leave it to you, darling."
That's right, Sakayanagi Arisu had gone on the offensive once more. Even though she'd already tested Shikime Natsu's nerve the night before, by now Sakayanagi Arisu had pressed on again.
Bad at it, but still fond of playing.
And the moment those words left her mouth, Sakayanagi Arisu's purple eyes filled with nerves all over again. She'd been the one to say it herself, yet even so, Sakayanagi Arisu still hadn't fully cleared that hurdle within her.
By rights, having already done that sort of thing, this sort of thing should be no big deal. And yet, for a maiden, there really was a threshold to cross.
Only… Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to ignore that threshold within herself entirely, launching her attack once more.
Before long the two of them had finished dressing, and Sakayanagi Arisu's little face was flushed so red it looked ready to drip blood. Shikime Natsu really had done it, and so naturally at that.
Sakayanagi Arisu couldn't help pressing her legs together. The sensation of his hands, just now as Shikime Natsu dressed her, still lingered, and it made the maiden feel utterly mortified.
Especially that appraising gaze of Shikime Natsu's, as if he meant to commit every embarrassing sight of the maiden to memory. It really was terrible.
Soon the two of them stepped out of Sakayanagi Arisu's dorm. The corridor was empty at that hour, since Shikime Natsu had already used his X-ray sight in advance to confirm no one was nearby.
The two walked side by side, and Sakayanagi Arisu could feel that when Shikime Natsu was at her side, it gave her a sense of ease.
As if she could lean on him, depend on him. For Sakayanagi Arisu, it was a feeling she hadn't known in a very long time.
For as long as she'd been aware of herself, the only thing Sakayanagi Arisu had ever leaned on was her cane. Toward anyone else, she had never felt much attachment.
Now, from Shikime Natsu, Sakayanagi Arisu felt that sense of attachment once again.
Before long the two took the stairs down, and just so happened to run into Mako Amikura and Honami Ichinose.
Sakayanagi Arisu's gaze fell on Mako Amikura and Honami Ichinose.
Then Sakayanagi Arisu turned slightly to the side and, of her own accord, hooked her arm through Shikime Natsu's, as if declaring ownership.
Sakayanagi Arisu lifted her head, a hint of a smile in those purple eyes, and greeted the two of them softly.
"Good morning, Amikura-san, Ichinose-san."
Seeing this, Mako Amikura blinked in slight surprise. Her eyes fell on the hand Sakayanagi Arisu had looped around Shikime Natsu's arm, and then on Sakayanagi Arisu's rosy little face.
Then the corners of Mako Amikura's mouth curved into a natural smile.
"Good morning, Sakayanagi-san, and Natsu."
Mako Amikura felt no jealousy or resentment at all. After all, she was one of Shikime Natsu's girlfriends too, so of course there was no reason to be jealous. Otherwise, with Shikime Natsu having so many girlfriends, how long would she have to keep on being jealous?
"Good morning, Mako, Ichinose-san."
"Good morning, Sakayanagi-san, Shiki-san."
Honami Ichinose watched the way Sakayanagi Arisu had her arm looped through Shikime Natsu's, and a flicker of complicated emotion passed through her eyes. Hearing that form of address, the tangle of feelings in her heart only grew deeper.
The four of them soon reached the academic area and parted at the classroom door. Mako Amikura walked over to Honami Ichinose's side, reached out, and gently patted her shoulder.
"Honami-chan."
"Do your best, okay? Sakayanagi-san has already succeeded. With Honami-chan's charm, there's definitely no problem."
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