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"I saved her. I didn't do anything else. Do you believe me?"
When Lucian said that in the most sincere tone he could manage, the room fell into a dead, suffocating silence.
Kasugano Sora stared at him expressionlessly.
Then she raised a slender finger and pointed at the sailor uniform on the floor—torn so badly it wasn't even fit to be used as a rag. Next, she pointed at the bed, where the sheets were a wrinkled mess. Finally, her gaze landed on Yukinoshita Yukino, who was wearing nothing but an oversized men's shirt, her bare legs still trembling slightly.
"Luu…" Sora took a deep breath. Her usually clear, crisp voice now trembled with suppressed fury, like a volcano on the verge of erupting. "Do you think I'm stupid?!"
"You 'did nothing'? Then what happened to her tights?"
"And what is this smell in the room—something like disinfectant mixed with… something weird?!"
"Wait, wait, wait! Hear me out—no, I mean, hear my explanation!"
Lucian's scalp tingled. His brain, boosted by his so-called "genius intellect," kicked into overdrive, instantly piecing together an airtight story.
"It really was an accident! This is Yukinoshita, my student. After school today, she ran into trouble during an experiment… I just stepped in to help."
"Then why is she dressed like that, on your bed?" Sora narrowed her eyes suspiciously, like a small cat guarding its territory.
"Because she accidentally made some kind of… disorienting chemical. While struggling, she fell into a muddy pit nearby and got completely dirty. I couldn't just let her walk around outside like that, right? So I brought her back, let her clean up, and lent her some clothes."
As he spoke, Lucian frantically shot meaningful looks at Yukino behind Sora's back.
Yukino felt a surge of embarrassment at the ridiculous "fell into a mud pit" excuse, but for the sake of saving face—for both of them—she forced herself to go along with it. Lifting her slightly flushed face, she spoke in as calm and composed a tone as she could manage.
"…Yes. What eacher Lucian said is correct. That substance was dangerous, and he had to put in a lot of effort to help me. My clothes were too dirty to wear, so I borrowed his shirt."
Watching the two of them play along, Sora couldn't deny that the logic barely held together.
But the faint, unexplainable tension in the air still made her deeply uncomfortable.
"…You really think you can fool me with that."
She bit her lower lip, glaring at Lucian with a resentful look—though the hairpin in her hand quietly disappeared from sight.
"That limited-edition gothic dress coming out this weekend…"
"I'll buy it," Lucian cut in instantly.
"And desserts from my favorite shop for the next month…"
"I've got it covered."
"Hmph! I'll let it slide this time!" Sora huffed, turning away. "But if I ever catch you bringing strange women home again… just you wait!"
With that, she stormed out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
Lucian finally let out a long breath, realizing his back was drenched in cold sweat.
"Grrr…"
Just as the crisis passed, a loud, unmistakable rumble echoed through the quiet room.
Lucian turned toward the source.
The usually aloof, flawless "ice queen" of Sobu High was clutching her flat stomach tightly, her face flushing bright red like a ripe apple. She looked so embarrassed she might disappear on the spot if she could.
It wasn't surprising. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything since noon, and after everything she'd gone through earlier, her energy was completely drained. Of course her body would protest.
"Ahem… I'll go make something to eat. Yukinoshita, you… might want to deal with your clothes first."
Lucian coughed lightly, tactfully changing the subject and pointing toward the washing machine in the corner.
Yukino lowered her gaze and nodded awkwardly.
Looking at the mess around her, she knew there was no way she could go home like this.
Leaving aside her ruined clothes, even the lingering discomfort in her body meant she needed to properly clean up first.
It seemed she'd have no choice but to stay here for the night—or at least for a while.
After a moment of hesitation, Yukino took out her phone and dialed home.
The call was picked up after just two rings. A lively, teasing female voice came through the receiver:
"Oh my, isn't this our adorable little Yukino? It's already this late—why aren't you home yet?"
Hearing her sister Haruno Yukinoshita's voice, Yukino instinctively straightened her posture and forced herself to sound calm.
"I'll… be staying at a classmate's house tonight. We have some schoolwork to discuss. But, sister, how did you know I wasn't home yet?"
"Oh? A classmate?"
Haruno ignored the question entirely, her tone turning playful.
"My, my… our little Yukino, who's always so solitary and stubborn, actually made a friend she can stay over with? Is it a girl? Don't tell me it's a boy?"
"Please stop your pointless imagination. Of course it's a female classmate," Yukino replied coldly.
"Is that so~" Haruno dragged out her words with a soft laugh. "I was starting to think you got swept off your feet by that incredibly handsome new math teacher at your school and ran off on a secret date."
At those words, Yukino's heart skipped a beat, her breathing faltering for a moment.
"W-What nonsense are you talking about?!"
"Oh, I'm not making things up," Haruno giggled. "It's been quite the topic at our company's board meeting today."
"I heard this newly hired teacher, Lucian, not only has an IQ over 180, but also looks like he stepped right out of a painting. On his first day alone, he apparently captured half the girls' hearts at school. Even our cold little Yukino is at that age, after all…"
"....."