After the afternoon lecture ended, the professor had just about finished tidying up the laboratory. As always, it was time to return home.
Since we had bought research materials when we went grocery shopping last time, and the refrigerator was already full of food for the same reason, there was no need to go to the mart.
After hesitating briefly in front of the Warp Point about where to go, the professor simply set the destination for home and returned.
It was a tiring day... or it would be, except my body doesn't feel fatigue. I don't feel mental fatigue either, though I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
Now that I'm home, I should eat, shower, and sleep, right? Today I'll just sleep. As I was thinking this, the professor quietly approached me.
"Can we talk for a moment?"
"Huh?"
I responded with a dumbfounded voice at the professor's sudden shift in mood.
The professor put down the briefcase and flopped onto the living room sofa. I followed with my eyes and headed toward the sofa where the professor had finally settled.
When I sat down beside the professor, she leaned forward from her reclined position. Her expression was serious, as if about to discuss something important.
"What were you talking about with that student earlier? She seemed really fidgety."
I briefly recalled the memory. Our conversation had jumped around so much that we'd said a lot of unnecessary things. After filtering out the unimportant parts and keeping only the main points, I wondered if I should tell the professor.
But since it wasn't something shameful enough to lie about, I didn't feel the need to hide it.
"Well, she's from the Dept. of Spellcraft, and she said she'd help me return to my original body size."
"Helping is good, but I'm not sure if that's okay. You know it could be dangerous to meddle with Urr since she's a Demon God, right?"
The professor looked at me with concern. Her hand gently caressed my face as if I were precious. The touch that fell away softly seemed to carry the professor's memories.
As I quietly gazed at that hand, I raised my eyes again. Meeting the professor's blue eyes, she made a slightly contorted expression.
"...If you can take care of yourself, it's fine. But if it seems reckless, you should tell her not to do it. Understand?"
"Yes."
I nodded. The professor wanted to feel reassured, but seemingly unable to fully relax, she reluctantly nodded as well.
"Right, you may look like this, but you're not a child."
She was someone with a tender heart, despite being strong. Outwardly, she was brilliant, beautiful, and dignified, but inside she seemed soft and fragile—as if she might shatter if handled carelessly.
Of course, few people would ever get close enough to see that inner self.
"If you're that worried, would you like to see her contact information?"
"Contact information?"
"Yes, she gave me her contact information."
I rummaged through my coat pocket and pulled out a square folded piece of paper. When I unfolded the paper that had been folded twice, I could see the characters Sera had written earlier.
She said it was her email address and number, but I had no way to read it. Even if I could read it, I had no means to contact her, so it would be difficult.
The professor took the paper and let out a small groan.
"I see. Well, at least she doesn't dislike you for being a Demon God, so that's good."
The professor worried a lot. Seeing how she worried about me being disliked made me think she was like a mother. It gave me a warm feeling.
I smiled, feeling happy for no particular reason.
"It's thanks to you, Professor."
"Really...? Thank you for saying that."
The professor smiled even more tenderly than before and then gently pulled me into a hug. It seemed like she wanted to embrace me on impulse. So I just stayed still.
I could feel her warmth. As the professor was hugging me, my arms felt awkward just hanging there, so I wrapped them around her body too, just like she was doing.
Like that, pat-pat. We held each other and felt each other's heartbeats.
"Ah, shall we eat something delicious today?"
We had already eaten something delicious for lunch, but the professor always seemed to want to attach meaning to eating good food. Like eating when in a good mood because you're happy, or eating when depressed because you're sad—that kind of feeling.
"What are we going to eat?"
The first time, I had objected; the second time, I just went along with it.
Humans are creatures that always adapt and evolve. I didn't particularly like delicious food nor did I feel hunger, so I had no desire to eat, but this was the third time I asked about the menu.
The professor hummed as she put on an apron.
"Let's see, what should we eat today? ...How about chicken? Shall we roast it in the oven together?"
"Anything is fine with me."
"Great, then we'll put it in the oven like this and it'll take two hours... Shall we shower?"
"Does it take that long?"
"But the skin will be super crispy!"
The professor wore a confident expression. After staring at her for a moment, I nodded in agreement.
Whatever works.
"Come on, let's go shower!"
Just a moment ago, the living room and kitchen seemed filled with a heavy atmosphere, but the professor's high-spirited voice swept it all away.
The mood suddenly changed. I could tell the professor's mood had improved.
I went along with the atmosphere and took off my coat. Just by extending my arms slightly backward, the coat slid down helplessly. It was a pitiful sight caused by my narrow shoulders and the coat requiring broader ones.
Though I called it pitiful, it was a useful technique, so I just accepted it.
After removing my coat, I went to the changing room with the professor. I put my hand on my belt, loosened it slightly, and my skirt fell helplessly. My face suddenly flushed as I recalled what happened earlier today.
"Urr, what's wrong? Your face is red... Do you have a fever?"
"N-No, I don't!"
I desperately shook my head at the professor's hand approaching to check my temperature. The professor tilted her head, wondering if I was really okay or just pretending to be.
"I... I was just remembering what happened earlier today..."
Rather than brushing it off and making the professor worry more, I confessed the truth. It was embarrassing, but I thought it was the right thing to do.
As expected, the professor chuckled. With a reaction like "Oh, so that's what it was?" she laughed and then smoothly took off the shirt she was wearing underneath.
I stared at her for a moment before quickly turning my head away.
*Do Demon Gods have sexual curiosity?*
After recalling what happened earlier, the conversation I had with Sera came back to me as well. The most provocative phrase seemed deeply etched in my mind.
I tried not to be conscious of it, but that very effort made me more aware.
Usually, I would just think, "Oh, the professor is helping me bathe, how convenient." But today, it felt somehow strange.
I wondered if showering together was really the right choice. I grabbed my head and pondered for a while with my back turned.
"Urr? What's wrong?"
"Ah, no... it's just..."
Should I be honest about this too? No, right? That would be going too far... No matter how open we are, there are limits to what I can say. Besides, talking about it wouldn't solve anything.
I had no desire to receive sex education at my age.
I squeezed my eyes shut. Since running away suddenly would obviously seem strange, I decided to undress as usual and raised my hands. I slowly put them down, thinking I should just do what I normally do.
I unbuttoned my shirt and took it off, and the professor's concerned voice reached me.
"...Aren't you going to wear a bra? I have sports bras too."
"..."
"Are you worried that will grow too?"
"..."
"Well, I guess there's nothing we can do then..."
After asking a few times, the professor spoke as if she understood everything. Thinking she had touched on a sensitive topic, she wore a slightly embarrassed expression.
Honestly, that wasn't the issue at all.
"...L-Let's go in."
"Mmm, okay."
With my head bowed, I gently pushed forward, and the professor naturally moved into the bathroom.
The large apartment had a large bathroom. It wasn't like a public bath with two showers, but it was spacious enough for two people.
I stood in front of the mirror. The professor stood behind me, combing my hair with her hands. I could feel my tangled hair coming loose with each tug. Sometimes my head would jerk backward when she hit a particularly stubborn knot.
"Ugh."
"Oh, sorry. I'll be gentler."
"...It's fine."
When my head tilted back, my eyes met the professor's looking down at me from above. I tried to avoid her gaze, but I caught sight of the professor's naked body in the mirror.
Things that were just part of the daily routine before now made me consciously observe with interest because of what someone had said.
Sexual curiosity. I didn't think I had any, so why was I like this? I bowed my head in embarrassment.
The professor treats me well, so how could I have such thoughts about her body? It was a moment of guilt.
As I hunched over with my head down, fidgeting, the professor placed her hand on my back.
"Urr, you seem off today... Are you still upset about having your skirt pulled off in front of everyone? Should we skip the third-year lecture?"
"That's not it... it's, um, my body..."
As I stammered and failed to complete my sentences, the professor tried to find meaning in those briefly cut-off words.
After quietly observing my flustered state, she seemed to have an epiphany.
"Do you want your chest to grow first?"
"Huh?"
What is she talking about?
"These things should be developed when you're young... There's no guarantee your chest will grow when you return to your original size."
"...R-Really?"
"So we should gently massage it starting from when you have this young body."
The professor had already placed her hands on my chest and was gently caressing it.
I gasped, "Hik."