After that, it seemed like Veil was intentionally becoming intimate with different girls in places he knew I'd pass by. He was still an excellent assistant. I couldn't complain about that, but his after-school activities flustered me to no end.
I had been so focused on my grades during my school years that I never spent any time on romance. Maybe that's why things like this affected me so much.
It didn't help that I always caught him in extremely provocative situations. I did learn my lesson from last time and passed by without saying anything to him. I never caught him with the same girl twice, and that seemed to disturb me more.
A quiet uneasiness began bubbling in the pit of my stomach, and it became harder and harder to talk to him normally.
After finals had concluded, I wasn't surprised that nearly all my students had high scores. This boosted the prestige of the academy overall, so I was rewarded with extra Merit Points. I thought I would be excited when this happened, but I felt hollow. Summer began, and I spent my points buying new clothes, eating out, and drinking. Yet no matter what I did, my anxiety wouldn't fade.
When the next semester began, it finally hit me...
He wouldn't be here anymore.
There was another student who was almost as popular, though in a different way. A large group surrounded this student, chattering excitedly, until I instructed them to take their seats. His name was Caster. He did decently on the assessment test, but his grade was 75%. It was above the rest of the students, but... it paled in comparison to what I had experienced last year.
I tried to push the thought of Veil out of my mind and asked Caster to be my assistant, but he politely refused.
"I don't have enough free time as it is," was all he said. My heart sank. That's when Veil appeared in my doorway. For some reason, I stupidly thought he had come to see me, but he instead smiled at Caster and said,
"Hey, what's taking you so long? We're supposed to go to the party together," Veil called.
"Oh, sorry, I got held up!" he replied, then he exited the room.
I watched them become surrounded by a crowd of classmates as they strolled down the hallway. Moments later, everything became silent.
I stared at the empty doorway and mumbled,
"He didn't even say hi..."
I couldn't get the disappointment off my mind as I cleaned up my classroom. I was in the middle of polishing some beakers when I had a visitor.
"Hey, Madam. Is it still okay for me to use the lab?"
I recognized the voice and sharply turned to see Veil stepping in through the door.
"... Yeah... sure," I replied awkwardly. He smiled and sat at a desk. Then he started pulling various jars of liquids and powders from his backpack. "Weren't you at a party?" I noted, keeping my head down.
"I got bored," he answered, casually as he put on rubber gloves and goggles. I observed him quietly for a few moments as he began creating a strange concoction. He put a lid on the jar of whatever he'd created and sighed.
"What are you making?" I inquired. Veil hummed before replying,
"A surprise for my brother."
The chemicals began bubbling faintly in his jar, and he grinned.
"Is it something dangerous?" I asked, as I finished cleaning the last piece of glassware. His gaze shifted toward me.
"Of course not... I love my brother."
I felt relieved by his response, but then he continued,
"It's a chemical that'll dye his skin green for 72 hours."
I gasped.
"What?!"
"Yeah!" he chimed excitedly, "I plan to put it into a box, that'll spray the chemical out as a mist when he opens it," he explained further.
"... Your brother might get really mad if you do that," I commented. His grin spread,
"I know, right?! It'll be hilarious."
I was once again seeing a new side of him. Though the most overwhelming feeling I got at that moment was joy that we were in the same room again.
"How has the new semester been going so far?" he asked, while slowly lifting the lid from the jar. He then sprinkled in a powder, which made the chemical inside change from green to clear.
"So far... it's been going alright. I got some new interesting students and nothing too eventful happened," I answered.
"Oh... that's disappointing," he began, then he looked at me once again and said, "I actually missed you."
His comment made my heart tremble. I couldn't think of the appropriate way to respond.
"It's fine if you didn't miss me," he added.
That's when I blurted,
"Of course I missed you."
He looked absolutely victorious.
"... Only today?" he inquired.
"No, I missed you all summer long," I replied without thinking. He returned his attention to his experiment and muttered the word,
"Interesting."
Not long after that, he began packing his things and cleaning the tools he'd used.
"I'll be back tomorrow," he announced, once he was done.
"Okay... I'll see you then!" I replied, forcing myself to sound cheerful.
Yet I felt uneasy the entire time. I also felt embarrassed that I'd admitted my feelings so easily.
Though the worst feeling of all...
was the urge to ask him to stay as he walked out the door.
He returned the next day to complete his horrid concoction. It disturbed me how happy I was to see him.
"How are you today?" he greeted while taking a seat. I sat at the desk beside him and replied,
"I'm good... how about you?"
He smiled at me sweetly.
"I'm doing great... now."
I felt a flutter in my chest. I wasn't sure if he meant what he said in the way it came across. Even if he did, I needed to remind myself that he was a notorious flirt and that I shouldn't take it seriously. Plus, he's my former student.
I cleared my throat.
"Your brother might not forgive you after this prank," I commented, to change the subject.
"... I know my brother well. He'll get over a prank like this the moment his skin returns to normal," he answered calmly.
"Oh... well... I guess if you're sure." My reply came out a bit awkward.
"I would never push my brother over the edge. I know exactly how much he can handle," he mumbled while placing his ingredients on the desk.
"Alright, alright, I get it," I replied while resting my elbows on the table. He got to work. He looked so serious and focused that I almost forgot that he was creating a prank project.
"... I should be done with this by tomorrow," he commented suddenly, as he packed up his things.
"Oh..."
The words escaped me. Should I encourage him to create mild torture experiments for his other friends so he has a reason to come back?
"... What are you doing Friday?" he inquired.
I thought for a moment.
"After class? I don't have any plans."
Veil grinned.
"Then do you want to get dinner with me? I'll pay."
"Yeah. That sounds great!" I answered quickly. Seconds later, I realized I shouldn't have... and wondered if this was considered a date... even though I just wanted a reason to hang out again.
"Good," he replied, then he stood up and added, "I'll see you tomorrow... and Friday."
As he left, I pressed a hand against my chest, trying to calm the excitement I shouldn't have been feeling.
He returned as promised the next day, this time he unpacked a box, springs, gears, and a spray can.
I left what I was doing to sit next to him again.
"Looks like you're almost done," I remarked.
"That would be correct," he replied. He put on his goggles and started using the small blowtorch to weld some of his materials together. The sudden flames startled me a bit, so I backed away. He put the torch aside and picked up a pair of pliers.
"What classes are you taking this year?" I asked to get a conversation rolling.
"... I have Physics, Hand to Hand Combat, Sword Arts, and Advanced Mathematics."
His last statement bothered me... Advanced Math is Ms. Ermerald's class. Her statement,
"He's hot, right?" echoed over and over in my head.
"Are you... taking an assistant position with any of your new teachers?" I mumbled.
"... No... I made an exception for you only. I don't usually do that kind of thing," he answered nonchalantly, but his words moved me so much I almost felt like crying.
"I'm surprised. You were so good at it," I commented.
"... I was... properly motivated," he replied, looking up to meet my eyes. His voice was laced with something alluring and dangerous. I couldn't move. My thoughts came to a complete stop.
Veil looked away from me with a smirk. Then he quietly completed his project.
"Thanks for letting me use the lab... I'll make sure to stop by again," he lifted his hand and patted my cheek, "See you again soon."
I swallowed hard and nodded. Unable to tear my eyes from him as he packed up to leave.
As soon as I was alone, I exhaled heavily and tried to compose myself.
Friday couldn't arrive fast enough. I wore one of my nicest outfits and received lots of compliments from several students and staff.
Once classes were over, I waited for him anxiously at my desk since he hadn't asked me to meet him somewhere else.
He was dressed up when he arrived as well. Very impressively so. As he approached me, it almost felt like I was dreaming, or he was a celebrity straight out of a magazine shoot.
I was staring at him without realizing it until Veil smiled at me sweetly and said,
"You look nice."
It was hard to believe him, and I suddenly regretted not dressing up even more.
"Thank you..." I muttered.
He then extended his hand toward me and said,
"It's time to go."
I could feel my body trembling with excitement the closer I got, and when I placed my hand in his, a wave of euphoria washed over me.