[Third Person Pov]
So she left?" Clark asked as he finished buttoning up the summer variant of his school uniform. The lighter fabric felt strange against his skin, but it was mandatory once the heat rolled in every year.
"Yes, Lady Yami left in the middle of the night while everyone was fast asleep… well, almost everyone," Sol replied, adding a deliberate pause at the end. Clark's face twitched slightly at the implication, but he kept his mouth shut about it.
"Should I have stopped her?" Sol asked.
"No, you did the right thing letting her go," Clark said, walking toward the bedroom door. "We can't force her to stay if she doesn't want to—"
The moment his hand touched the handle, the entire door ripped clean off its hinges with a loud crack of splintering wood. Clark froze, staring at the door now dangling from his grip.
"Fuck!" he cursed loudly.
"Language!" Both Sol and Seiko called out at the exact same time, Seiko's voice carrying up clearly from downstairs.
"Damn, it seems like my power has grown again," Clark grumbled, carefully setting the door back into place and trying to align the hinges as best he could.
"Well, multiple factors are at play here," Sol said calmly, falling into his usual explanatory tone as his voice followed Clark out of the room. "It was your birthday not long ago, and you're still going through puberty. It's natural for your baseline strength to increase exponentially as your body develops. On top of that, you've been pushed harder in recently than you ever have before. Extreme stress and exertion tend to trigger sudden growth spurts in power for people like you."
"I'm aware of that, thanks Sol," Clark sighed, already heading down the stairs toward the kitchen where the others were getting ready for breakfast.
Lala was resting her head on the table with a dreamy expression, illusionary flower petals gently drifting around her like something out of a fairy tale. She looked half-asleep but content.
"Good morning, Clark~" she greeted in a soft, languid voice.
"Morning," Clark replied, then turned to Seiko who was already plating food. "I can't stay for breakfast. I've got morning duty today."
"Just eat here at super speed," Seiko said firmly, sliding a full plate toward him. "I'd rather that than you heading off to school hungry."
"I literally go for months without an ounce of food—" Clark started, but the sharp look Seiko shot him made him stop mid-sentence. "Fine, whatever."
In the blink of an eye, the entire plate was empty. Clark stood there holding a single piece of bacon between his fingers as he chewed the last bite. "Alright, I really better get going. See you later."
On his flight to school, Clark kept getting sidetracked. He zipped through the early morning sky, muttering under his breath, "It's too early in the fucking morning for people to be out committing crimes. What is wrong with them?"
"Please be mindful of your language," Sol added, sounding thoroughly exasperated.
"No, you can't make me," Clark shot back before suddenly accelerating with a burst of speed, leaving a faint rush of wind behind him.
…
When Clark finally arrived at his classroom for morning duty, he found his assigned partner already there waiting. The moment he stepped through the door, both he and Itsuki froze.
Itsuki let out a deep, soul-weary sigh that came out almost like a groan from the very bottom of her soul. "Why… why is it you of all people?"
"'Oh hey Clark, how are you?'" he mocked, answering his own fake question in a sarcastic tone. "I'm fine, thanks for asking. How nice of you."
Itsuki's jaw tightened, her teeth grinding together as she spoke through clenched teeth. "I didn't ask because I don't care how you are."
Clark just smiled, clearly amused by the whole situation. "Haha. Good morning to you too, Itsuki."
Itsuki grabbed the broom she had been holding and pointed it straight at his chest as he walked further into the room. "Let's make one thing very clear. We're not friends. What happened didn't suddenly make me start liking you. We're nothing to each other, you got it? So don't start acting all friendly with me like we're buddy-buddy now."
Clark stared at her for a moment, then his smirk widened. "...I'm going to have so much fun teasing you."
His words only made Itsuki's face flush with anger. She took a slow, deep breath, clearly trying to calm herself down before speaking again. "Just get to work and don't talk to me."
"So you know, I should be the one who's being cautious around here," Clark said casually as he started wiping down the blackboard with steady strokes. "After all, I was the one who got attacked. I'm the victim in this whole scenario, the defenseless lamb to the hungry wolf who just couldn't keep her paws off me."
Itsuki gripped the broom with both hands, her knuckles turning white as the wooden handle began to creak under the pressure. Her face grew redder by the second, a mix of embarrassment and irritation flooding her features. She snarled at him, her voice sharp and low. "I thought we both agreed not to say anything about it!"
"You were the one who brought it up first," Clark scoffed, opening one of the classroom windows to let in some fresh air before he started cleaning the erasers. "I didn't tell a single soul. I kept quiet even when it risked my source of income with your sisters."
"What?" Itsuki stared at him in genuine confusion, not quite following what he meant.
"They were obviously worried about you," Clark explained, rolling his eyes as he worked. "You were acting weird lately, so they figured I might know something since we're in the same class. I didn't say a word to them, and they weren't exactly thrilled with me about it."
"I see," Itsuki muttered quietly. She watched his back as he lifted the chairs down from the tops of the desks and set them neatly into place one by one. After a moment, she whispered almost under her breath, "I'm sorry."
"Huh? Why the heck are you apologizing?" Clark asked, turning to look at her with a puzzled expression. That was the last thing he had expected to hear from her.
"It sounds like you really need the money—" Itsuki began, clearly uncomfortable. She didn't want to apologize to someone like Clark, but she felt like she had to.
"Ha!" Clark interrupted with a sharp laugh. "Listen here, honey. You can call me all the names in the world, but broke ain't one of them."
Itsuki pulled the broomstick close to her body, closing her eyes tightly as she tried to gather what little self-control she had left. Then she started lightly banging her forehead against the wooden handle in quiet frustration.
By the time most of the chairs were back on the floor, Itsuki was grumbling to herself. "Why… why did it have to be him out of everyone in this entire school? Literally anyone else would have been ten times better."
Clark scoffed at that, feeling the need to defend his honor and pride. "No, they wouldn't. It wouldn't even be close."
"Yes, yes it would!" Itsuki hissed back, glaring daggers at him. A fresh blush crept across her cheeks. "It was awful. I regret every single bit of it! If I could take it back, just know that I would."
Clark paused as he lowered the last chair into place. "It's one thing to regret it," he said, turning toward her and slowly making his way across the room. "But it's another thing entirely to claim it was awful."
"W-What are you doing? Stay back!" Itsuki stumbled over her words, holding the broom protectively in front of her like a makeshift weapon.
"I just want to see if you really mean it," Clark said with a grin. He kept advancing until he had backed her up against one of the desks. The broom pressed firmly against his chest, but he didn't seem bothered by it at all. He continued smiling as he added, "You know, it actually hurts a little to hear you say it was awful… because I certainly enjoyed the hell out of it."
"Of course you would, you man-whore!" Itsuki hissed, though her voice lacked some of its usual bite.
Clark chuckled softly, easily snatching the broom out of her hands before she even realized what he was doing. He set it aside and kept talking. "You know, I have this special skill. It lets me know when people are lying to me." He continued teasing her, clearly enjoying every second. "And it went off the moment you claimed it was awful."
"T-There's no way you have an ability like that," Itsuki rolled her eyes, though her cheeks were still tinged with red. "Even if you did, it's clearly broken, because I wasn't lying! It was awful. Disgusting. You're a no-good kisser."
Clark started snickering, thoroughly amused by her denial. He could hear her heartbeat racing wildly in her chest. He caged her in against the desk as she tried to lean back as far as possible, practically sitting on top of it now. "Get any closer and I'm going to scream," she threatened, shooting him a defensive glare.
"I'll stop and back away," Clark said softly, his voice low and teasing, "once you can look me straight in the eyes and claim with absolute certainty that not a single tiny part of you enjoyed that kiss." Their noses were nearly touching now, the warmth of his breath brushing against her lips.
Itsuki breathed roughly, her eyes darting across his face in a panic. His striking blue eyes, clear and confident like gems behind glass, stared back at her with unwavering intensity, waiting patiently for her answer. The air between them felt thick, charged with something neither wanted to name.
"Well? I'm waiting," he whispered. His lips quirked into a charming grin. "Or has enough time already passed that you've forgotten how it felt?"
His grin widened as he added, "If you need a reminder, all you have to do is say so. I'll be more than happy to oblige."
Itsuki was now as red as her hair. She looked down, unable to meet his gaze any longer. Part of her desperately wanted to punch him in the gut, scream at the top of her lungs, and run as far away as possible. The fact that this was happening with Clark of all people made her blood boil with frustration and embarrassment. Yet the closer he got, the harder it became to push him away.
Since another part of her felt a strange, electric rush traveling up her spine. Being pinned like this, with him looking at her so intently, made her feel like the main character in one of those shoujo manga she secretly read. As one of quintuplets, it was rare to ever feel like the center of someone's full attention. Yet here he was, focused only on her, his presence overwhelming and impossible to ignore. It made her stomach flutter in a way she hadn't expected, a confusing mix of irritation and reluctant excitement.
Her fingers gripped the edge of the desk tightly. She couldn't bring herself to admit he was right. Her mind had been stuck in that locker all weekend, replaying the kiss on an endless loop. Her body still grew hot just remembering the intoxicating feeling, like she had been drowning in lust and desire.
But she was far too prideful and stubborn to admit any of it. She refused to give him the satisfaction, at least for as long as she could hold out.
She froze when Clark gently lifted her chin with his fingers, tilting her head up so she had no choice but to look at him. Her breath came out audibly now. She pressed a hand against his strong chest, her eyes showing a hint of vulnerability as she stared up at him.
"P-Please…" she pleaded softly. Even she wasn't sure anymore whether she was begging him to stop or begging him to continue. Maybe it was a little of both.
"You really are cute and fun to tease. Do you know that?" Clark muttered quietly, taking in her watery eyes, flushed face, and quivering voice.
"I hate you… I hate you so much," she whimpered. Her eyes grew wetter as she curled her hand into a fist, gripping his shirt.
"I know. I'd hate myself too," he added casually.
Before she could respond, the distance between their lips disappeared. The kiss started slow and deliberate, Clark's mouth moving against hers with surprising gentleness that quickly deepened. Itsuki's eyes fluttered shut as a spark of heat shot through her. She told herself she would push him away any second, but her body betrayed her. Her free hand rose instinctively, fingers brushing his jaw before sliding up to cup the side of his face, holding him there as if afraid he might pull back too soon.
The kiss grew more sensual, turning passionate as Clark tilted his head slightly, capturing her lips more fully. Itsuki let out a soft, involuntary sound against his mouth, her fingers pressing firmer against his cheek and then threading lightly into his hair. She couldn't seem to let go. Every time she thought about pulling away, the warmth of his lips and the solid feel of his chest under her palm kept her in place. Her other hand joined the first, roaming from his shirt to the side of his neck and back to his face, tracing his skin as if memorizing the moment despite herself. The tension between them crackled, a confusing blend of resentment and undeniable attraction that made her heart race even faster.
Their breathing grew heavier, the kiss turning hungry as Clark's hand rested on her waist, pulling her a little closer on the desk. Itsuki's fingers stayed glued to his face, reluctant to break contact, her thumbs brushing over his cheekbones while she kissed him back with equal fervor, lost in the heat of it.
Then the school bell rang, loud and piercing.
Clark broke away with a sharp cry of pain, clutching both hands over his ears as he crouched down. The sound reverberated through his skull like knives, excruciating due to his enhanced senses growing stronger along with his powers. "Ah—fuck!" he gasped, teeth gritted in agony.
"Clark!" Itsuki shouted, genuine concern flooding her voice. She jumped off the desk to help him, but in her haste her foot slipped on the polished floor. She crashed forward, her chest pressing firmly against his face as they both tumbled to the ground in a tangled heap.
Itsuki groaned, finding herself straddling Clark's waist. One hand rested on his muscular chest for balance while she looked down at him with worry. His glasses were knocked askew across his face, one lens slightly fogged from their earlier closeness.
Just then, the classroom door slid open. Haruna, Lala, and Komi stood frozen in the doorway, eyes wide as they took in the compromising position: Itsuki sitting on top of Clark, flushed and disheveled, with his face still partially buried against her.
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