Date A Live Encore - Volume 8 - Chapter 2

Natsumi Double

 Standing alone in the quiet suburbs was the “Spirit Private Academy”. 

 A man and woman walked down the corridor of the school together. 

 One was a young woman with a petite figure, she had her naturally curly hair tied back into a messy ponytail and wore old and loose sportswear. 

 The other was a teenager who was walking behind the girl, wearing a suit that was obviously not well-fitting. 

 These were teachers of the Spirit Private Academy. The woman was Natsumi-sensei and the man was intern teacher Itsuka Shido. 

 “So starting today, you will be taking over a class for the next three weeks…” 

 Natsumi-sensei explained all of this casually as she glanced at him over her shoulder. 

 “…Are you okay? Do you understand what I’ve been telling you? Do you need me to explain it again? If there’s anything you want to say, do so now.” 

 She then asked with a trace of worry. 

 “Oh? No, I’m okay so far. I still understand what I need to do. Because becoming a teacher is my dream, I’m looking forward to this internship very much.” 

 “…Ah, really? That’s good to hear… To be honest, I’m not especially confident. Why would I be a good teacher?” 

 “Sensei?” 

 Natsumi-sensei muttered something unclear to herself. Shido tilted his head with an uncertain smile. 

 “…Well, that’s not important. Leaving that aside, we’re here. You will be taking over class 2-4 while you’re working here.” 

 Natsumi-sensei pointed to the school-grade card hanging on the front door of the classroom. 

 Noticing this, Shido swallowed to moisten his now dry throat. 

 “…Let’s say hello to everyone before we get started. I’ll introduce you properly.” 

 “O-Okay…” 

 “There’s no need for you to be so nervous. Everyone…” 

 Halfway through the sentence, Natsumi-sensei suddenly found herself coughing hesitantly. 

 “Most of them are good children.” 

 “There are some of them who aren’t good?” 

 Shido said with some surprise, leading to Natsumi-sensei to start chuckling as she said, “Is he really that young?” 

 “Probably the so-called group? In particular, there is that one person in this class…” 

 “‘That person’?” 

 Shido frowned upon hearing this profound statement. Natsumi-sensei shook her head with an expression that seemed to remind him of something that could only end badly. 

 “…No, well, it will probably be okay. They’ll probably only go after me.” 

 “…?” 

 Shido looked suspicious again… but it was bad to have a negative preconception of students he hadn’t even met yet. So he didn’t say anything else. 

 In order to regain his confidence, he straightened his tie. Shido put his hand on the door to the classroom and knocked. 

 Then he took a deep breath, opened the door, and walked into the classroom and towards the first class he would be teaching. 

 “Good Morning—” 

 But. 

 “Whoa?!” 

 The moment he stepped into the classroom, Shido tripped on something and fell forward and landed face-first into something soft. 

 “…That hurt. What just happened…?” 

 “Yeah—Ahh…” 

 When Shido raised his head, he immediately heard an ominous voice coming from somewhere above him. 

 He cautiously raised his head and Shido spotted a dignified-looking girl’s face immediately. 

 The gentle sensation that he could feel against his cheeks and the warm body temperature. At that moment, Shido finally understood that he’d accidentally run face-first into the chest of a beautiful girl. 

 “W-Whoa?! Y-Yeah, I’m sorry! That was an accident…!” 

 Shido hurriedly stood up again, bowing and apologizing profusely. Then the girl shrank her shoulders while she covered her chest while blushing profusely. 

 “A-Ah, I can’t get married anymore, you will… take responsibility, right?” 

 “E-Eh?!” 

 Shido shouted, alarmed at the same time there were a pair of voices cheering from somewhere next to them. 

 “Oh! He’s screwed up already! He’s screwed after just starting his internship!” 

 “Obscene. A shameless teacher was born.” 

 “How, why…” 

 While Shido was in a state of embarrassment, Natsumi-sensei walked into the classroom behind him and crouched down calmly as she picked up a fishing line tied under the entrance. 

 “Really… this kind of thing again. Hey, Kaguya, Yuzuru, did you do this?” 

 “Nah!” 

 “Embarrassed. Grumbling.” 

 The twins who had been cheering off to the side suddenly felt their shoulders tremble. It seemed that they were the ones that set Shido up to fall. 

 That meant… 

 “…Miku, you too. Stop messing around and go back to your own seat.” 

 “Okay!” 

 After Natsumi-sensei finished speaking, the student named Miku also waved her hand and answered as she returned to her own seat. 

 “Then, that…” 

 “…Ah, don’t worry about that. They are always like that. Probably because they heard that I will be working with an intern teacher, so they were probably more excited… Really, this bunch of idiots…” 

 Natsumi-sensei sighed and said, “Hey,” she urged Shido. 

 Hearing her urging, Shido coughed to regain his composure and made his way to the podium. 

 Then, once he made it to the podium, he spoke more loudly to make sure that everyone could hear him. 

 “Ah, then I’ll get started then. Everyone, I’m an intern teacher, Itsuka Shido. Starting from today, I’ll be this class’s teacher. I know that I’m inexperienced but I will do my best. Please take good care of me.” 

 “Please take care of me!” 

 After Shido introduced himself. The entire class responded with great enthusiasm as well. 

 It turned out that while there were some students who liked pranks, the class, as a whole, were still good people. 

 As the thought crossed his mind, one student sitting right in front of him suddenly raised her hand. 

 She was a serious girl with long red hair tied with black ribbons into pigtails. She wore the uniform for the Private Spirit Girls Academy and also wore a pair of black framed glasses. 

 She looked like a junior high school student… However, it was possible that she was just petite. To be honest, Natsumi-sensei looked about the same height as her. 

 “Hmm? Any questions? Ah…” 

 “I’m the class representative, Itsuka Kotori.” 

 “Itsuka-san.” 

 “Just call me Kotori. Onii-chan… No, because you have the same last name as me.” 

 The girl—Kotori, cleared her throat and explained. It seemed that he had heard her call him “brother” for a moment… But this was probably similar to the one time he accidentally called one of his teachers “mother”. 

 “Yes. I want the students to introduce themselves to you, what do you think about that idea?” 

 “Oh, so that’s what you were thinking. A wonderful idea; I’m very grateful. Please do that.” 

 After he finished speaking, Kotori nodded and stood up. 

 “So as for me, I introduced myself just now. My name is Itsuka Kotori. I am the class representative for this class. My favorite things are chupa chups lollipops and my brother. If there’s something that you don’t understand, please feel free to ask me.” 

 Kotori finished, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. 

 “Okay, please take care of me. So the relationship between Kotori and her brother is really good.” 

 After Shido finished speaking, the twins named Kaguya and Yuzuru shrugged. 

 “No, she is the only child.” 

 Commentary. Kotori’s “Onii-chan” refers to a Prince charming-like fantasy character. He’s her imaginary brother.” 

 “T-That…” 

 Shido felt sweat trail down his face as he replied… However, this age was a sentimental one for children, so it was understandable to have such a fantasy. As a teacher, it was his responsibility to accept these parts of his students’ personalities. 

 In that vein, Kotori seemed to call him her “Onii-chan” just now… It would be more troublesome to investigate it further so Shido pretended not to hear it. 

 “Uh, so, who’s next to introduce themselves…?” 

 Shido looked around the classroom. This time a young girl with hair as dark as night stood up energetically. 

 “My name is Yatogami Tohka. My favorite thing is Kinako bread! Please take good care of me, Shido-sensei!” 

 “Okay, please take care of me too. You really are full of energy.” 

 “I am the Hurricane child: Yamai Kaguya!” 

 “Declaration. Likewise, I am Yamai Yuzuru.” 

 The identical twins finished their introduction with a dramatic pose. Shido was taken aback by their enthusiasm and a dry smile appeared on his face. 

 “I take it, you two like…pranks?” 

 “Hehe! Really smart of you!” 

 “Smile. Please be alert at all times.” 

 “… Thank you for your advice.” 

 Shido smiled bitterly and this time a petite girl sitting on the left shook her unscientifically majestic as she stood up. 

 “Mun… my name is Hoshimiya Mukuro. My favorite thing is sweet potato yokan. Please take care of me.” 

 “O-Okay. Please take care of me as well.” 

 Shido was surprised by her cool confidence. Next was the girl sitting next to Mukuro who stood up and saluted with a rabbit puppet worn on her left hand. 

 “Ah… my name is Yoshino. Please take care of me…” 

 “<Yoshinon> is called <Yoshinon>. Please take care of me as well, Sensei!” 

 “Please take care of me as well, uh <Yoshinon>?” 

 Shido tilted his head in confusion, Natsumi-sensei then muttered to him: 

 “Well, it’s Yoshino’s friend. She has special permission so don’t worry about it… so how is it so far?” 

 “Huh? What about…” 

 “…I mean Yoshino. Isn’t she cute? She’s a miracle gifted to us by God. Her appearance is really beautiful but what makes her truly beautiful is her heart, even caring about me whenever we pass in the corridor. If you ask me whether she is a human or a goddess, then the answer is obvious: she’s a goddess. She will also treat you gently. However, you can’t be mistaken: she is being gentle because she is a goddess but that’s interesting to you. I can’t understand how you can’t be fascinated by the super universal goddess Yoshino, but if you do anything to hurt her, I will destroy you and your whole family, understand?” 

 “Ah! Natsumi-sensei, please calm down.” 

 She was acting too different from the enthusiasm of the other students. Shido was quick to appease Natsumi-sensei and stopped her from continuing. 

 Natsumi-sensei seemed to realize that Yoshino was embarrassed and cleared her throat awkwardly. 

 “Okay, okay. Let’s continue. Who will introduce themselves next…” 

 “Me! Let me! Let me introduce myself!” 

 After she finished speaking, Shido noticed a student raising her hand enthusiastically. It was the girl whose chest he’d crashed into when he first came into the classroom. 

 “I’m a high school student and active idol: Izayoi Miku! I adore girls! I hate men!” 

 Miku spoke with high emotions as she lifted her large breasts. 

 Although there were several points of concern with her self-introduction, Shido only smiled bitterly in response. 

 “So you hate men then? That’ll be really hard for me to manage…” 

 “Yes, but it’ll be okay! Darling-sensei is the exception!” 

 “Darling…?” 

 “Yes; in my mind, Darling goes above being a girl! Welcome to class 2-4! Welcome to Miku’s World!” 

 “…O-Oh, is that right?” 

 Shido was confused by the fact that she was calling him “Darling” and her description of Class 2-4, but he could only answer in this way. 

 Just as Shido was about to turn his attention to the next student, he suddenly noticed something: a young girl spreading out super professional-looking photographic equipment on her desk and pointing the camera lens at him. 

 “…Excuse me, but what is your name…?” 

 “My name is Tobiichi Origami. Please just call me Origami. Or rather, my sweetheart.” 

 Shido asked as he lowered his gaze to the rollbook and Tobiichi-san answered indifferently as she folded the paper. 

 “Then, Origami. What exactly are you doing…? 

 “Making a record.” 

 “A record?” 

 While Shido was confused by the familiar words but the unfamiliar usage, Origami continued: 

 “—X Month, X Day. 0840. Mom and Dad met like this. In a few years time, Chiyogami, one day you will also have a beautiful encounter of your own. Mom wants to send you a word for the future—Chloroform won’t work immediately.” 

 “Hey, what are you recording? Who are you recording to?” 

 Shido wailed but Origami did not answer and just continued to record Shido’s figure. It made Shido a little afraid to look away. 

 “And lastly…” 

 Shido’s gaze drifted to the final student and then he felt the muscles in his face begin to twitch. 

 However, his reaction was understandable. After all, the woman sitting at the final desk didn’t look like she belonged in high school. 

 Despite wearing the same uniform as everyone else, she was wearing a skirt, and sitting on a chair with her legs spread out wide, and holding a large tin can of beer in one hand. Her face was flushed red, and her vision was blurred. Compared to the other classmates in the academy, this sort of behavior was more suited for a bar of an izakaya. 

“Hey hey… Hello. I am Nia!” 

 “In what way is she a high school girl?!” 

 Up until now, Shido had been doing his best to endure, but in the face of Nia’s role-playing as a high school girl, he couldn’t help but shout. 

 At that moment, Nia pouted in dissatisfaction. 

 “That’s too mean! I am a high school girl! I’m very vulnerable! It’s like a glass in my teens. Oh.” 

 “High school students wouldn’t know the title of that song! Also, if you’re going to call yourself a high school girl, you can’t drink beer!” 

 “Huh? No, no, you’re misunderstanding! This is definitely carbonated barley tea.” 

 “You’ve got a big tongue! What the hell kind of carbonated barley tea is this?” 

 “Yeah, I’m from the research department… If I don’t drink this, my hands will shake and I won’t be able to hold my pen.” 

 “So it’s completely alcoholic!” 

 After Shido shouted at her, Nia gave out a carefree laugh. 

 …In the end, he felt that trying to talk her out of it would be in vain. Shido only sighed heavily and glanced at Natsumi-sensei after looking across the classroom. 

 “Uh… are all the students here?” 

 “Well… for the most part. Strictly speaking, there is one person, that is—” 

 Natsumi-sensei was halfway through the sentence when the back door of the classroom slid open. 

 “Hah… I made it…” 

 At that moment, a woman walked into the classroom while stifling a sleepy yawn. 

 She was a beautiful woman with perfect proportions and a very neatly dressed uniform. She didn’t look like a high school student at all… She couldn’t be a high school student but the reason was different from Nia. Her sexy charm gave off the impression of a mature older sister who was in her mid-twenties. 

 Natsumi-sensei frowned when she spotted the figure of the student. 

 “…Natsumi, you’re late.” 

 Natsumi-sensei said this and the student who was also called Natsumi shook her head and smiled. 

 “Don’t be so rigid about this. I’m only a few minutes late and it’s still within the margin of error… Ah…?” 

 It was at that moment that Natsumi noticed Shido for the first time. 

 “Ara Ara? Who is this? Did my sister finally get herself a boyfriend? I understand that you want to show off to everyone, but you can’t just bring him to work like this!” 

 “S-Stop talking nonsense!” 

 Natsumi-sensei shouted, her face blushing. Seeing Natsumi-sensei looking embarrassed, she laughed aloud: 

 “I’m only kidding. You must be the legendary intern teacher, right? Please take care of me.” 

 “O-Okay. …Please take care of me as well.” 

 Natsumi winked at Shido and Shido replied as sweat trailed down his cheeks. 

 It was clear that the other party was a high school student and he was an intern teacher but despite that, the other party behaved like an older sister with a powerful aura and calm composure. 

 However, there was another thing that made Shido curious. He tilted his head and looked at Natsumi-sensei. 

 “…‘Natsumi’?” 

 That’s right. The name of the student who’d just come in was exactly the same as Natsumi-sensei who taught this class. 

 Then, Natsumi-sensei frowned in a troubled and unhappy way while lowering her voice and helpfully explaining: 

 “…Well… How should I explain this… That student has a little bit of an older sister’s charm…” 

 “That’s a really strange way to describe it…” 

 Shido muttered as more sweat trailed down his face. He didn’t know why but he didn’t think it would be wise to investigate it any further. In short, they were sisters, but it would be too easy to confuse them if they were both just called Natsumi. Shido secretly decided to call the teacher, “Natsumi-sensei” and the student “Natsumi”.” 

 “Natsumi-sensei, you have a sister. And—” 

 “—” 

 Just as Shido was about to speak without thinking, Natsumi-sensei suddenly showed a fierce expression. 

 “…And? And what? ‘Your sister is so beautiful’? Ah, yes, thank you for your compliment. I’m sorry that the sister of such a beautiful person is such a short melon. Fortunately, you met me first. If you’d met my sister first and heard that she had a sister, you would definitely imagine that she would be a beauty as well? You shouldn’t think of siblings as beautiful at the start and end up disappointing yourself.” 

 “Ah, Natsumi-sensei, no one said any such thing at all…” 

 Shido shook Natsumi-sensei’s shoulders after which she then widened her eyes in shock. 

 Natsumi, who was watching this process unfold, curled her hair with her fingers and sighed weakly. 

 “It’s like Sis has a small theater playing in her brain, and once she gets started, it’s going to be almost impossible to stop.” 

 “Y-You need to shut up! I’m telling you—” 

 “Sensei! Please relax, sensei!” 

 Shido quickly held back Natsumi-sensei who was about to go off on another rant again. 

 Natsumi-sensei still looked angry but was reminded that class was supposed to start now. Soon after, although she was short of breath, she said: 

 “…In short, the whole class is here now.” 

 “O-Okay. Ah… Then everyone please take care of me.” 

 “Please take care of me!” 

 The students replied in unison. 

 …This was the situation. Despite some questionable events, the intern teacher Itsuka Shido began his internship at the Spirit Private Academy. 

 “—Okay, now turn to the next page.” 

 A few hours after he’d finished introducing himself that morning. 

 Shido soon found himself standing at the podium in front of the students in class 2-4. 

 The subject that Shido was teaching was Modern Japanese and they were currently reading “The Restaurant of Many Orders” by Kenji Miyazawa. It was a story about two hunters who discovered a restaurant while hunting for game in the forest. However, the restaurant was not a place where guests could eat, but for the guests to be eaten. This was a basic outline of the story. 

 Of course, in preparation for this day, Shido had read through the textbook several times already and had simulated various teaching situations in his mind. Natsumi-sensei who was supervising his lesson was observing the lesson from the back of the classroom. 

 However, there was still a lingering tension filling his entire body. 

 After all, this would be the first time he took a teaching position in front of real students. The feeling of the students’ gaze upon, although gratifying, was also becoming a heavy pressure of its own. 

 “…” 

 …No, it would be better to say that some of the gazes were aimed strangely. 

 How could he say it? Shido had a strong suspicion that, although some of the students were seriously paying attention to the lesson, there were a few who looked like those of the predator who appeared in “Restaurant of Many Orders”. 

 Shido glanced up from the textbook to look at the students. He noticed Origami holding up a camera lens, Miku was breathing quickly, Kotori, whose glasses glinted, was smiling like a sadistic sister planning a prank, and the smiling and horny Nia. Natsumi was licking her lips. 

 Over half of them had already zoned out. 

 Having said that, he couldn’t interrupt the lesson to point this out. He ignored the cold sweat trailing down the back of his head, Shido did his best to ignore the sight and return to the lesson. 

 “Ah, let’s see… is there anyone who wants to read the lesson—” 

 “I-I’ll read it!” 

 “Huh? Then I’ll count on you to read it, Nia.” 

 Shido called Nia by her name and waved his hand for her to begin. 

 Then, Nia stood up, swaying back and forth as she began to read aloud. 

 “Shido’s fingers picked up the white mud which looked like a lustful octopus as he ravaged Nia’s private parts. Nia flailed her body about because of the powerful ecstasy that penetrated her body. ‘Ah, N-No!’ However, after Shido showed a sadistic smile—” 

 “Stop right there—!” 

 Shido heard the obscene content that Nia was continually spewing out and shouted involuntarily. 

 “What the hell do you think you’re doing, Nia!” 

 “Huh? I’m reading the scene where the two hunters spread butter on their bodies.” 

 “Miyazawa never wrote such a scene!” 

 He didn’t anticipate that she would edit the text indiscriminately. Shido couldn’t help but yell. 

 Natsumi, Miku, and the other students took notice and they soon started talking as well. Tohka and Mukuro, who were among the group of well-behaved students, tilted their heads with expressions that made it clear that they didn’t understand what was going on. Only Yoshino didn’t know why her cheeks were flushed red and her head was bowed down. 

 Was she uncomfortable? 

 “Anyway, let’s start from that same paragraph. Now…” 

 Shido deliberately cleared his throat loudly and after recomposing himself, he called on the next student and continued the lesson. 

 The story of “The Restaurant with Many Orders” was not a long one and so he asked the students to read the text from start to finish. The story’s ending was that the two hunters were about to be eaten by a group of mountain cats who were rescued by the hounds that belonged to the guide whom they’d been separated from during their trip. 

 “Okay… so this is the story. What do you all think about it?” 

 After he finished speaking, Shido glanced around the classroom. His eyes paused on a young girl with her hands raised—Origami. 

 “Oh, so Origami, please share your thoughts.” 

 “—Their technique was sloppy. If it had been me, I would have had the guests locked into the room as soon as they stepped through the shop door, blocking their escape route and then poisoning them.” 

 “I wasn’t talking about the mountain cats’ opinion!” 

 After Shido’s eyes widened in surprise, Natsumi and the others nodded their heads in agreement. 

 “The short answer is that they let them escape.” 

 “Ah, that’s right. It’s really more of a lack of success than an actual failure.” 

 “Understanding. Shouldn’t this story be a lesson to bring attention to the fact that when dating in recent years, if you’re complacent and take an escapist approach, you’ll let someone you’re after run away?” 

 “Yeah!” 

 Yuzuru’s insight inspired the other students and they nodded their heads in agreement. All of these sentiments expressed were carnivorous perspectives. Shido could only sweat nervously as he listened to them. 

 “—Ah, yes. This story reminded me of something. Sensei, can I ask a question?” 

 At that moment, Natsumi shifted her gaze sideways with a sexy movement and raised her hand. 

 Although Shido thought that her movement was inappropriate, her attitude and actively participating during the lecture was commendable. Shido nodded after wiping the sweat off of his forehead with his sleeve. 

 “Huh? Of course. Is there something that you didn’t understand?” 

 After Shido asked the question, Natsumi smiled and asked: 

 “Sensei—do you have a girlfriend?” 

 She promptly raised an explosive question. 

 “…!” 

 All of a sudden, there was a commotion in the classroom. 

 Immediately, the atmosphere changed and Shido swallowed nervously. 

 No, the question itself wasn’t a big deal. It was better to say that as long as there was an intern teacher coming to the school, they would definitely have to deal with this kind of question. Regardless of whether or not he actually had one, they would only tease him about it for the first few days. 

 Still—Shido’s survival instinct, that primitive feeling, was sending alarm bells through his entire brain. 

 Because he had a strong suspicion that this could lead to a major problem at this school at this moment. It might even be bad enough to get himself killed. 

 He suspected that if he answered incorrectly, he would likely be putting his life in danger. 

 “Uh, I…” 

 Shido took in the numerous expectant gazes of the students and scratched his head— 

 “…I don’t have a girlfriend.” 

 He decided to tell the truth. 

 “…” 

 Everyone immediately sighed in relief—but then, the classroom was immediately full of tension. 

 However, only one of the girls seemed to sigh in regret. It was Miku. 

 “What a shame…” 

 “Y-Yeah. Why are you so sorry about something like that?” 

 “No, that’s not the issue! It’s not like no one is deliberately trying to claim Darling-sensei and his girlfriend!” 

 “…” 

 Shido listened to what Miku said and his face wrinkled in nervousness while trembling. However, Miku’s face lit up and she clapped her hands in excitement. 

 “Ah! But! Since Darling-sensei is single right now, it means we all have a chance!” 

 “Huh? Well, that…” 

 Miku finished but before Shido could express his opinion, the rest of the students began talking amongst themselves: 

 “Ah! But such a thing isn’t limited to just Miku, right?” 

 “That’s right! Don’t forget about the hurricane children and try to say something self-righteous!” 

 “Acknowledgement. The possibilities are endless.” 

 “—To Chiyogami. This is a record of our battle. Take heart in your mother’s courage.” 

 “Hey! Why are you talking about this kind of thing during the lesson? Can’t you tell that my brother is feeling uncomfortable?” 

 “Class Rep, we all know you’re smart too, so take advantage of this opportunity to call him your Onii-chan.” 

 “Uh… that… I-I… also am… kind of… interested.” 

 “Mun. What kind of girl does Nushi-sama-sensei prefer? If you could choose from this group?” 

 “Oh! Shido-sensei, who would you choose?” 

 It wasn’t just the problematic student group now but also the well-behaved students were also talking excitedly. 

 “Uh, I think…” 

 Shido was at a loss for what to say so he cast his gaze to Natsumi-sensei for help. …However, it seemed that Natsumi-sensei deliberately avoided his gaze as if to say “don’t look at me”. 

 With nowhere to go, the students suddenly leaned forward and forced Shido to answer the question, causing Shido’s eyes to dart around the classroom frantically. 

 Shido was a healthy man, so he would be lying if he said he wasn’t at least a little interested despite the age difference. 

 However, even though he was still technically in-training, Shido was still a teacher after all and they were still students so he had to draw a line somewhere, much less choosing which of his students would be his favorite. This violated Shido’s morals as a teacher. 

 “…What.” 

 At that moment, an idea immediately came to Shido’s mind. 

 After Shido spread out his arms to appease his students, he said: 

 “Thank you all. Even if you are only joking, you’re making sensei very happy—but ah, as a teacher I… I actually am interested in women older than me!” 

 “Eh…!” 

 After hearing Shido’s declaration, all of the students were caught by surprise. 

 Nia, Natsumi, and Miku’s expressions immediately lit up but then they realized, “Ah, but at this time, I’m still younger than sensei…!” 

 After seeing their reaction, Shido mentally flashed a victory pose… Actually, if Shido was being honest, he actually didn’t particularly care for mature sister-type girls, but this was the best answer that wouldn’t hurt anyone around the room. 

 However, he was too naive if he thought that it was over. 

 Because when he intended to continue the lesson and picked up the chalk and turned to face the blackboard. Meanwhile, everyone’s eyes slowly trailed to the back of the classroom. 

 “If Darling-sensei prefers mature women…” 

 “Then that means…” 

 “…What?” 

 Natsumi-sensei, who was seated at the back of the classroom, was stunned with a red face and noticed everyone’s gazes focused on her. 

 That’s right. Even though she looked like a junior high school student, Natsumi-sensei was a legal adult. According to what he had said, she was the only woman in the classroom who would even be within Shido’s strike zone. 

 “What is it… What the hell do you think you’re doing! Why the hell are you trying to touch me…! Hey, keep your hands to yourselves…!” 

 “Ah! I’m sorry…! I didn’t expect things to turn out this way…!” 

 He continued to apologize over and over to Natsumi-sensei, the students all gasping with interest: “Oh…” 

 “So it turns out that… this kind of casual attitude.” 

 “A lolicon… so there’s such an attribute.” 

 “L-Lolicon…” 

 The students were all watching Natsumi-sensei with intense focus. Natsumi-sensei fidgeted under their gazes and uncomfortably covered her blushing cheeks and twisted her body. 

 At that moment, the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. 

 “…! Okay then class! Please stand up and salute!” 

 Shido, looking as though a savior had come, almost immediately fled from the classroom as soon as they finished. At the same time, Natsumi-sensei also made her escape through the backdoor of the classroom and to the hallway. 

 The students’ voices came out loudly in the classroom, but then going back to try to explain would only make things worse. As a result, Shido quickly caught up with Natsumi-sensei and walked with her to the staff room. 

 “…Say.” 

 “…What?” 

 On their way, Shido spoke awkwardly, and Natsumi-sensei turned away and answered. 

 “…This sort of thing is always embarrassing for me. I didn’t expect things to turn out that way…” 

 “…It’s fine. No one is going to take it seriously… it’s only you have to deal with being sad and having sex with an ugly woman like me.” 

 “Huh? No, how could I think that! Natsumi-sensei is cute!” 

 “…! Eh!” 

 After Shido finished speaking, Natsumi-sensei glared viciously at Shido as she ran down the corridor at a break-neck pace in order to escape. 

 The intern teacher Shido finally managed to escape thanks to the bell ringing after the end of the lesson. 

 However, that tranquility lasted only for a few minutes. 

 The reason was obvious because the class that Shido was teaching was the fourth lesson of the day. 

 That was to say, the bell that just rang not only indicated the end of the lesson but also the beginning of the lunch break. 

 As expected, Shido was immediately kidnapped by the students who’d invaded the staff room—actually, they invited him to join them for lunch and then brought him back to classroom 2-4. 

 Incidentally, the students had turned the classroom into something a little different from how it looked a few minutes ago. The desks were now arranged into a circle that looked like a dining table. 

 The students and Shido, as well as Natsumi-sensei all came together and put their bentos on their respective desks and put their hands together. 

 “Okay… Thank you for the meal.” 

 “Thank you for the meal!” 

 Shido said loudly with his hands together (at first, he asked Natsumi-sensei to shout but she firmly refused) and the students all imitated him and also shouted. 

 “Umu… O-Oh!” 

 At that moment, Tohka noticed Shido opening his bento box and suddenly let out a loud noise. Shido was taken by surprise by her reaction and turned his attention to Tohka. 

 “Huh? What’s wrong?” 

 “No… I just think that your bento is beautiful. Umu… it looks delicious.” 

 Tohka finished speaking, swallowing her saliva. At the same time, her stomach grumbled audible. 

 “Haha! That’s really nice of you to praise it. If you’re okay with it, would you like to try it?” 

 “Huh! May I?” 

 “Sure, of course.” 

 Shido passed the bento over to Tohka. She then carefully selected among the dishes and then decided to pick up one of the tender chicken pieces with her chopsticks.” 

 She then stuffed it into her mouth and chewed it a few times, and suddenly her eyes went wide in surprise. 

 “I-It’s really delicious! What is this… this isn’t normal fried chicken!” 

 “Oh, so you noticed it. I added a little bit of lemon juice and basil leaves to the noodles. I think it tastes refreshing, do you think it’s delicious?” 

 Shido answered proudly. Tohka’s expression then turned to surprise again. 

 “Is it true that you made this yourself, Shido-sensei?” 

 “…!” 

 The moment Tohka finished speaking, the other students looked at Shido’s bento box at the same time. 

 “Um… is that really a bento?” 

 “Really? Hey, Sensei, would you like to come cook for me before the event?” 

 “…Sensei, can I also have a bite?” 

 Kotori pushed the frame of her black glasses as she asked. 

 “S-Sure, of course.” 

 He’d already let Tohka taste it so how could he refuse the rest of them? Shido gave in and let everyone else have a taste. 

 In the next moment, the rest of the students’ chopsticks continued to come in from all directions as the students quickly sampled the dishes that Shido made. 

 “Wow, it’s so delicious…” 

 “Shiver. Is this the level of a man’s cooking?” 

 “Oh… there are two brushes.” 

 All of the students expressed their appreciation for Shido’s bento. To be honest, he would be lying if he said that he was unhappy. 

 However the bigger problem was the number of people. There weren’t many dishes left in his bento box that hadn’t been eaten by the ten girls. 

 “Ahaha… I guess everyone is still growing.” 

 Shido looked at the lighter bento box and smiled bitterly. At that moment, a figure quickly approached the bento box—It was Origami. 

 “Sensei, I want it too.” 

 “Huh? Did you miss the chance? It’s a bit of a headache, plus there’s very little food left…” 

 Shido replied in embarrassment and Origami shook her head to show that wasn’t the issue. 

 “That’s not a problem. You just need to take off any metal items like belts and watches, and apply cream to my body.” 

 “‘The Restaurant of Many Orders’…!” 

 Such foreshadowing was hidden in her statement. Moreover, it was from the perspective of the mountain cat. 

 “Hey! Origami, you just had some of the fried chicken! I just saw it!” 

 “Hey!” 

 Tohka roared. So Origami gently covered her mouth and returned to her seat. 

 After Origami moved back to her seat, this time, it was Yoshino and Mukuro who walked over to him with regret on their faces. 

 “I’m sorry… Sensei’s bento was so delicious. And then…” 

 “Mun… I’m sorry… Please accept Muku’s Burdock thread in exchange.” 

 They both explained as they split some of their side dishes from their bento boxes for Shido. The other students also wore pained expressions as they each put a side dish from each of their bentos into Shido’s. 

 A few minutes later and Shido’s bento now had more dishes than before he started. 

 “Wow… I feel more luxurious than before.” 

 Shido said with a smile as he tasted the fresh lunch dishes. 

 Even though it was the same dish, there were subtle differences in the seasoning for each family. For Shido, who was interested in cooking, he could actually taste a wide variety of flavors which was unbelievable. 

 “Well, they’re all delicious. I don’t feel like I deserve them.” 

 Shido spoke and the girls smiled with either joy or a little bit of embarrassment. 

 “Oh, r-right.” 

 “Humility. Nothing was as delicious as what you made. It must be because it was shared with everyone that it tastes so delicious.” 

 “Haha, so that’s what it is. There’s nothing wrong with eating together like this—should we do this again during tomorrow’s lunch break?” 

 Shido glanced around at everyone to ask. The students then looked at each other and ultimately shook their heads. 

 “No, everyone usually prefers to eat in their favorite places.” 

 “Well. There are also classes that have lunch with their senseis like this but somehow Natsumi-sensei always seems to disappear when the lunch break begins.” 

 “Mun… but since we were with Nushi-sama-sensei today, we successfully managed to have everyone together like this.” 

 Suddenly, a cough could be heard… 

 After everyone finished speaking like this, Natsumi-sensei was shocked and immediately started coughing. It was probably because of the sandwich she’d been quietly nibbling during that time and they’d noticed she was thumping on her chest. 

 “Sensei! Are you okay?” 

 “…I-I’m alright.” 

 Natsumi-sensei managed to swallow the sandwich and nodded gently. 

 She soon found herself on the receiving end of her students’ gazes. 

 “By the way, where does Natsumi-sensei usually go for lunch? We don’t usually ask every day, but how about joining us for lunch again like today?” 

 “Huh Ah, uh, that…” 

 While Natsumi-sensei stammered incoherently, Natsumi who was sitting across from her finished off the last of her vegetable juice shrugged and said: 

 “Ah, it’s impossible. My sister has always been eating toilet meals ever since she was a student.” 

 “…!” 

 Natsumi-sensei heard what Natsumi said and her shoulders suddenly trembled. 

 However, Tohka who’d never heard of such a thing before, could only tilt her head in confusion. 

 “A toilet meal…? What is that?” 

 “It literally means to hide in a toilet stall and eat a meal alone during the lunch break. I don’t really get how she feels about it. It seems that regardless of whether she’s eating with everyone or if she’s seen eating by herself, she thinks it’s embarrassing. Moreover, she deliberately hides in toilet stalls of abandoned places where no one else would go. There was once a female student who stumbled upon her there and she was scared to death. It’s one of Natsumi-sensei’s most surprising moments from her past—” 

 “A-AAAAAAHHHHHHH!” 

 Natsumi-sensei heard what Natsumi was explaining and, in a moment of panic, hurled the half eaten sandwich at Natsumi. 

 “N-Natsumi-sensei!” 

 Shido called out to Natsumi-sensei, and her shoulders shook in surprise. It seemed that she hadn’t acted consciously. 

 “A-Ah, I’m sorry…” 

 After Natsumi-sensei answered with an embarrassed tone, in the next moment, a sandwich flew across the room and hit her in the face—it seemed that Natsumi intended to fight back and retaliate. 

 “…” 

 “…” 

 Natsumi and Natsumi-sensei were silently glaring at each other for a moment. They then moved the desks aside and slowly approached each other. Seeing this, Shido couldn’t help but idly think that it was like two soldiers entering the arena. 

 “Anyway, was throwing that at your sister too much to handle, sister?” 

 “…So I didn’t want you to talk about that! After all, wasn’t it because you talked incessantly about that sort of thing. Plus you threw your sandwich at me as well so you’ve done two bad things to my one.” 

 “Chatty? If someone’s going to ask a question, I’m more than happy to answer. If I speak nonsense, I can’t accept the facts being ignored. Speaking of which, isn’t it also because Little Natsumi also has such an interesting story?” 

 “No, don’t call me by that name!” 

 It seemed that Natsumi managed to touch a nerve. They watched as Natsumi-sensei roared loudly, clearly intending to grab Natsumi. 

 “Hey, wait a minute—” 

 However, he couldn’t let them fight. Shido was panicking and made a move to stop them. 

 However, before he could, there were two figures who’d already taken the lead in the intervention between the two—it was Kaguya and Yuzuru. 

 “Hey, stop it you two! Seeing this kind of duel, you need to have a referee like the Yamai sisters!” 

 “Stop. Even if you wrestle directly like this, you won’t be able to solve any problems. Would you like to leave this to the Yamai sisters?” 

 “…Huh?” 

 “Leave it to you… what do you mean by that?” 

 When Natsumi asked in doubt, the Yamai sisters nodded in unison and then explained: 

 “As we said before, since it’s necessary to determine the outcome, it would make sense to set some ground rules!” 

 “Explanation. Specifically, you two declare the terms on which you wanted to clash, put them in a box, and then pull them out. Of course, writing about crimes or assault is strictly forbidden.” 

 “That’s exactly the case. The loser must apologize honestly! This is the best way to fight against each other over meals!” 

 At that moment, Kaguya and Yuzuru each flashed a dramatic pose that looked like an explosion should have gone off behind them like something out of an action hero—a feeling that was impressive. Some of the students burst into enthusiastic applause. 

 “Oh… so that makes more sense. I can agree with that. Can we write it down on notebook paper?” 

 After that, Natsumi pulled out a notebook from her bag and tore out two pieces and passed one over to Natsumi-sensei. However, Natsumi-sensei frowned uncomfortably. 

 “…! Hey wait a minute, I never agreed to this…!” 

 “Oh my goodness! Then does this mean that I win without having to do anything? Then I’ll stand by what I said.” 

 “…! I-I know! I’ll do it! I’ll do it…!” 

 Natsumi-sensei bent down to pick up the notebook paper. 

 The two glared at each other for a moment with heated gazes as they wrote down on the notebook paper, folded it again and put it into the cardboard box that the Yamai sisters prepared beforehand. 

 “Yes! Now drumroll please!” 

 The rest of the students rapidly hit their desks with their hands. 

 “Draw!” 

 The Yamai sisters drew a note from the box while stirring up an intense atmosphere. 

 “Let’s see… what is it?” 

 “Published. The way to determine the victor is—‘Whoever’s swimsuit can make the intern teacher Itsuka Shido’s heart skip a beat is the winner. The reward is a kiss from Shido-sensei.’” 

 “…What!” 

 After hearing this victory condition, Shido and Natsumi-sensei shouted in unison. 

 “Hey… what’s with this way of winning this contest?” 

 “Also, why are you dragging me into this too?” 

 However, the Yamai sisters paid him no mind. The two again flashed another dramatic pose and continued the conversation. 

 “Oh? So even the location and the time of the decisive battle have been decided. That’s a smart idea.” 

 “Decision. Then during the gym class this afternoon, we will have the challenge at the swimming pool.” 

 “Would you just listen to me, please?” 

 As a result, Shido who had no say was completely ignored until the very end. 

 Incidentally, Natsumi-sensei suggested that the way to determine a winner was playing a game of “peekaboo” 

 “—Shine! The first Spirit Private Academy School Swimsuit Exhibition!” 

 “OH!” 

 It was the fifth lesson of the day, physical education. 

 In the summer, the sea-like sunlight fell on the pool and the girls’ voices could be heard throughout the pool. Everyone had changed out of their uniforms and into their dark blue swimsuits. Everyone was looking forward to the debut between two competitors. 

 Incidentally, Shido had been forced to sit on a chair by the pool next to Nia who was holding a microphone (actually it was just a folding umbrella). 

 “Okay! The First Spirit Girls Academy Swimsuit Contest is about to begin! I’m your old acquaintance, who drank bubble wheat tea and has been banned from the swimming pool by sensei, Nia. I will act as your MC and provide live commentary! Additionally, eating and then immediately swimming is very dangerous, so don’t try this if you aren’t a Spirit!” 

 Nia shouted good naturedly while the rest of the students applauded. 

 “Thank you everyone! Okay, now the Yamai sisters have come to our rebroadcasting station! How do you feel about this showdown that makes you feel strongly about wanting to do the pool exercises that we were supposed to do this chapter?” 

 “Oh. Sisters are our closest friends and our most dangerous opponents. There’s no doubt that it would escalate to something like this.” 

 “Explanation. After they proposed the duel between them, it was expected to be more beneficial to Natsumi. However, considering the fact that Shido-sensei has publicly expressed his preference toward mature females, whatever happens going forward will cause waves.” 

 “So that’s how it is! What do you have to say about this, intern teacher!” 

 “Uh… can you just let me go now…” 

 “It turns out that everyone has their own preferences and that’s great! Chest sizes are all equally distinguishable! What a beautiful saying! Thank you!” 

 “I never said that!” 

 Even though Shido muttered his denial of Nia’s fabricated claim, Nia was deaf to his voice. She held the microphone firmly and continued to speak excitedly: 

 “Okay! Let’s get started!” 

 “Let’s take a look at the first attack! Are you actually a high school student! The whole body exudes an adult charm, the sexy symbol of Spirit Private Academy! The proportions of the body, appearance, and everything else makes people think of the ideal woman! Natsumi!” 

 Cooperating with Nia’s enthusiastic speech, a burst of smoke appeared and Natsumi dressed in the standard school swimsuit walked toward the pool. 

 “…!” 

 Shido couldn’t help but gasp after seeing her appearance. 

 Although the effect was a little too exaggerated, it was a school here. After all, it was a swimming class. 

 Of course, Natsumi was wearing the standard dark blue school swimsuit that tried to reduce the exposure. 

 However, the swimsuit served to highlight her outstanding proportions. 

The fabric clung to her skin; and it highlighted her impressive chest, stretching the fabric to the limit. This uncoordinated feeling created an indescribable and sexy atmosphere. 

 “—So, would you really dare say that you’re not at least a little interested in a younger sister?” 

 After she finished speaking, Natsumi smiled at Shido with malevolent intentions and seductive movements. 

 That sort of sensational look, any male high school student would surely imprint that image in their minds after seeing it and would still linger a week later. In fact, Shido would be lying if he said that his heart rate hadn’t jumped up a little at that moment. He was obviously an intern teacher but he wasn’t a high school student anymore which put him in a strange dilemma. 

 “—Okay, now please head back!” 

 “That was one of the Natsumis of the Spirit Girls Academy! Now the other shall be unveiled! With her flat figure to minimize air resistance, warmly supported by people with special taste! She has a poisonous mouth but all of it is for the sake of her students, surprisingly! In fact I took care of her when I participated in this event before. Fortunately, she helped to set up the network. Let’s welcome Natsumi-sensei!” 

 It felt a little different from the style introducing Natsumi. After the series of introductions, a petite figure emerged from the smoke. 

 However, the students’ cheers brought about a huge commotion. 

 However, this was an understandable reaction. Because Natsumi-sensei who appeared on the scene was dressed in an elastic bath towel used when changing clothes, that had prints of ducks out on a sunny day. 

 “Natsumi-sensei…?” 

 Shido frowned uncertainly and Natsumi-sensei grimaced with a bitter expression on her face. 

 “…I know… Ah I did my best…” 

 Natsumi-sensei spoke as she looked away from him, her face flushed and her hands were trembling under the bath towel. 

 “Whoa…!” 

 At that moment, the students made a commotion. 

 Natsumi-sensei, much like everyone else, was wearing a dark blue swimsuit. There was nothing special or strange about that on its own. However, teachers didn’t own school swimwear so the nameplate on the chest read the name of the swimsuit’s real owner: Yoshino. 

 But the fact that Natsumi-sensei had her hair tied up neatly and was wearing a swimsuit on its own had a strong impact on the students who had, up until now, only ever saw Natsumi-sensei in sportswear. 

 “O-Oh…” 

 And Shido was no exception. Natsumi-sensei suddenly showed an unexpected swimsuit pose and couldn’t help grab his attention. 

 “Wow!” Nia saw this and pretended to scream in surprise. 

 “This is…! It looks like the combat style of Natsumi-sensei has a surprisingly good effect!” 

 “Combat…?” 

 Tohka tilted her head and asked Nia with uncertainty. So Nia went on to say, “Let me explain!” 

 “Think carefully, the school swimsuit is indeed a summer monster full of special charm. Coupled with Natsumi-sensei’s body, the destructive power is unmatched—but the uniform we were wearing before is also an outfit that can’t be underestimated. After all, we’re all high school girls! High school girls!” 

 It wasn’t cledr why this was so heavily emphasized but Nia went on to say, “But…” 

 “Natsumi-sensei usually only wears sportswear! And it wasn’t a light and fashionable kind of sportswear but traditional sportswear that was reminiscent of olden times! The difference between the 80 points for uniforms and the school swimsuit is 20 points. But if we compare the -30 points of the old sportswear to the 100 points of the school swimsuit, it would be basically 130 points! Natsumi-sensei had only ever worn old sportswear up until now…!” 

 “Wow…!” 

 After listening to Nia’s explanation, the students made an amazed sound. 

 However, Natsumi-sensei herself spoke with disgust: “…Don’t just talk about people like they’re resourceful strategists, please…” 

 Of course, Nia ignored her and then pointed the microphone umbrella at Shido. 

 “Okay, young teacher, what did you think? Who do you think deserves the win?” 

 “Huh? Oh, well…” 

 Shido was pulled out of the atmosphere and felt something shake his shoulders abruptly, and answered: 

 “Uh… well, I think both of them are very attractive.” 

 “What does that mean!” 

 “There can’t be two winners… right?” 

 Shido looked at the poolside and said that. 

 Everyone applauded—presumably, everyone else held the same opinion. 

 After noticing such an atmosphere, Nia suddenly leaned back. 

 “Ah, okay! My reputation is just like this, I understand how to be flexible! The first swimsuit exhibition at the Spirit Private Academy is won by both Natsumi sisters!” 

 “OOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!!” 

 After hearing Nia’s announcement, all of the other students clapped harder and cheered. 

 Natsumi’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment but ultimately she just shrugged helplessly. 

 But there was one person who opposed such a result. 

 “…W-Wait a minute…!” 

 —It was none other than Natsumi-sensei herself. 

 “Hey, what the hell is this…? Is there something wrong with your eyes? Why do you think that I’m as beautiful as Natsumi?!” 

 “Natsumi-sensei…” 

 “You. Do you despise me? Or are you pitying me? What a joke. Try again immediately—” 

 “You…—Enough is enough!” 

 Natsumi-sensei was halfway through her sentence when Natsumi knifehanded the top of Natsumi-sensei’s head. 

 “That hurt!” 

 Natsumi-sensei shouted sharply as she held her head and crouched down on the spot. 

 “You… what do you think you’re doing…?” 

 “I’m the one who should be asking you that. The result has already been decided, so what are you talking about? Just take a few steps back and just accept it. You’re the one who threw a sandwich at me, and I understand why, but instead you pay attention to Shido-sensei. Who is actually wrong here?” 

 “W-What…! Is it still necessary to ask… Obviously there’s still going to be a problem! You are clearly prettier and more beautiful than I am…! You’re better than me! Everyone has been saying so since childhood!” 

 “…” 

 Natsumi-sensei finally finished shouting before pressing her cheeks with both hands. 

 “U-Uh…” 

 “…I’ll just go ahead and say… Sis, you’re being way too troublesome.” 

 “W-What…? H-How…” 

 “It’s a bit embarrassing, but I am indeed beautiful and I won a lot with just my looks.” 

 Natsumi spoke proudly. Nia heard the words and sighed in admiration, “Wow! I really want to talk about such things!” 

 “But to say that I am better than you? You shouldn’t say such stupid things. Even while growing up—I envied you so much.” 

 “Huh…?” 

 Natsumi-sensei stared at her sister while letting out a stunned noise. 

 “There are a lot of people gathered around, but it’s my sister that everyone relies on. I envy you for your clever hands and the way you take care of flowers and how you can seemingly do anything. I envy you for being able to pull everyone’s attention without trying. Others probably think that I don’t care at all, so I don’t dare try to rely on anyone when I feel lonely…” 

 “N-Natsumi…” 

 “Sister, you’re such a cheater. Why is it that you are clearly loved by everyone but makes it look like no one likes you? And that to say nothing of intern teacher Shido-sensei.” 

 Natsumi spoke sadly. 

 Natsumi-sensei stared at her sister with a confused expression and then looked away from her and murmured softly: 

 “…S-Sorry…” 

 “So, do you have any objections to the result?” 

 “Ah… um… no…” 

 Natsumi-sensei nodded honestly. 

 So in the next moment, the expressions of both Natsumis suddenly changed, and Natsumi smiled and said: 

 “—Really? Then come claim your reward. Both sides are winners rather than losers so both of them get it, right? The reward was a kiss from Shido-sensei.” 

 “…What?” 

 After Natsumi finished speaking, everyone else thumped their palms as they suddenly remembered the prize. 

 “Oh, I almost forgot about this. Although it is a shame, I will recognize it this one time.” 

 “Then, Darling-sensei and others will kiss you…” 

 “H-Huh?” 

 Everyone cheered and Shido could feel his forehead burst out into a nervous sweat. 

 “Uh… Just judging by the atmosphere just now, shouldn’t we just ignore the reward altogether?” 

 “What are you talking about, silly. You’ve stolen this heart.” 

 Natsumi said as she slowly closed her eyes and waited for a kiss. 

 “Hmm,” Shido murmured before looking at Natsumi-sensei with an apologetic look on his face. 

 “…That, Natsumi-sensei, I’m really sorry to do such a thing…” 

 When Shido showed an uncertain expression, Natsumi-sensei looked away in embarrassment and snorted. 

 “…I know that. It’s all up to you. However, I think you won’t be able to get rid of the awful stench after kissing me for a week.” 

 “Why would you say that? Uh… although things have reached this point… I’m still very honored.” 

 “…! That’s it, that’s what you are—” 

 Natsumi-sensei frowned and wanted to say something else but suddenly stopped partway through the sentence. 

 The reason is obvious. Because the determined Shido took advantage of the stiaution to press his lips against Natsumi-sensei’s lips. 

 Several seconds later, Shido’s lips separated from Natsumi-sensei’s lips and he moved to kiss Natsumi’s lips with his eyes closed. 

 “How was it? Do you have anything to say about it yet?” 

 There was a sense of accomplishment in Shido’s heart and at the same time, wiped the sweat from his forehead—he could tell that the atmosphere now felt different compared to before. 

 Natsumi-sensei’s face was flushed a deep red like a tomato while Natsumi was smiling happily, “Oh.” In addition, the rest of the students’ eyes went wide and their gazes were now fixed solely on Shido. 

 “Eh… W-What…” 

 “No, that kiss was…” 

 “Confirm. Couldn’t you kiss her cheeks?” 

 Listening to what Yuzuru said, Shido’s face suddenly went pale at the realization. 

 What she said made perfect sense. After hearing the lovely phrase, “A Reward Kiss”, very few people would have guessed a mouth-to-mouth type kiss. 

 However, somehow, the confused Shido thoughts were dominated by the inexplicable thought, “When it comes to kissing, he kisses on the lips, otherwise it would be impossible to seal.” 

 “Beep—! Judge Itsuka, you fouled!” 

 “Yeah! Natsumi-sensei, you are such a cheater! Darling-sensei, everyone else also wants one!” 

 “N-No, T-That… O-Oh!” 

 Everyone approaching him with such intense pressure forced Shido to jump into the swimming pool fully clothed.