After that little episode, the pleasant atmosphere in the living room was now laced with a touch of ambiguity.
Makoto, seeing how Mayu's entire face had turned a vivid, rosy red from embarrassment, sensibly decided to change the topic.
Some things were better left at just a hint.
The truth behind the Four Guardian Beasts would have to wait.
Since Mayu had mentioned Hiratsuka Shizuka, Makoto naturally steered the conversation toward that other beautiful teacher.
"One night, I passed by the park and saw Hiratsuka-sensei drinking alone. She looked really down."
Mayu was visibly surprised. "That actually happened?"
Then she muttered to herself, "I've always admired how carefree she is at school. I didn't think she'd be so overwhelmed in private."
"Overwhelmed?" Makoto looked at her.
Mayu answered as if it were obvious:
"Yeah, Shizuka-sensei doesn't have a boyfriend. She mentioned it to me once. She gets along well with her family, so I figure the stress must be work-related."
Makoto thought to himself: So she doesn't know about Hiratsuka Shizuka's secret matchmaking sessions.
But that made sense. Mayu had such a gentle nature—she wasn't the type to go digging into others' personal matters.
Even when the two of them hung out or chatted, it was probably always Hiratsuka Shizuka who set the pace.
"You just said you admire Hiratsuka-sensei?" Makoto was good at picking up key points.
Mayu smiled shyly. "Mm, I've always admired her carefree and confident aura. Oh, let me tell you a secret…"
She rarely showed such girlish expressions. Leaning in close with a mysterious air, she whispered,
"Hiratsuka-sensei is really strong. I think she must train regularly.
She doesn't talk much about that kind of stuff, but I've paid close attention. If it ever came to a fight, I bet two or three men wouldn't even be able to touch her."
Makoto thought, Isn't that something Officer Tan would say?
Still, her girlish demeanor really was charming.
Mayu muttered with admiration, "If only I were that strong… Unfortunately, the only exercise I've been able to stick with is yoga."
"Yoga, huh? That's pretty good too."
Makoto imagined her in a tight-fitting yoga outfit.
Oh man, with that figure, she'd make anyone's head turn in yoga gear.
He added, "If you really want to work out, don't rush into it. I'll put together a detailed plan for you first."
"You know how to do that too?"
"Yeah, because I work out regularly myself."
Hearing that, Mayu recalled the way he looked that day coming out of her bathroom.
Heh. His body really was solid.
Her cheeks flushed at the memory.
Makoto pretended not to notice. "I'll get the plan done soon. If you run into anything confusing while training, just ask me anytime."
Then, sincerely, he added, "Seriously, I'm on call for you."
"If you say it like that, then I'll believe you." Mayu smiled with eyes like crescents—absolutely lovely.
"Don't worry, this time I'm not joking." Makoto continued, changing the subject. "By the way, I'm taking tomorrow off."
Mayu immediately showed concern. "Why? Are you feeling unwell?"
"No, I just have something to take care of."
"That's good to hear."
It was clear her heart was truly invested in him.
Hearing that he was fine, she relaxed right away.
It was a curious feeling.
Looking at her beautiful face, Makoto suddenly had an idea. "Matsukaze-sensei, would you be interested in learning something new?"
"Learning what?" Mayu asked curiously.
"For example, our club is going to shoot a short film or maybe short videos. You could tag along and learn with us. I'd be your personal instructor the whole time."
"Huh?"
Mayu was clearly caught off guard. "Why bring this up all of a sudden?"
Makoto answered earnestly, "I just realized it. My club advisor—she shouldn't just have a couple of tricks up her sleeve. She ought to be even more capable."
Mayu's cheeks turned pink. What do you mean, "my advisor"?
Aren't I already the official advisor to your club?
Or… have I already become your personal, exclusive one?
But the words that came out of her mouth were soft and gentle: "Okay, I'll do as you say."
At that moment, she looked incredibly sweet and obedient.
She probably didn't even realize that her unintentional girlish charm was her most alluring quality.
Not to mention, her figure was stunning.
They were sitting side by side on the same couch, already close. As they chatted, Mayu unconsciously leaned in closer.
Her hips were wide and her waist-to-hip curve was nothing short of breathtaking. In this posture, she was even more alluring.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked shyly, lowering her voice.
Of course, she wasn't clueless—she could feel Makoto's intense gaze.
Embarrassed, but also secretly happy.
Makoto quickly looked away, turning his attention to the exaggerated laughter coming from the TV show. "I'm thinking of taking a bath. Is that okay here?"
Mayu didn't hesitate at all. With a smile, she said, "Of course. Want me to get you some clothes?"
Then Makoto casually said, "If you throw in a back-scrubbing service, that'd be perfect."
Mayu froze on the spot.
The living room suddenly went quiet—only the sound of the TV remained.
"I'll go run the bath."
In the end, she softly said that with a flushed face, then quickly got up and left.
But Makoto knew—she had agreed.
In the bathroom—
Mayu touched her burning cheeks, realizing how nervous she was again.
And a little excited.
Ever since that last time she scrubbed his back, she'd occasionally had strange dreams.
The male lead in her dream, of course, was that person.
"Even though we agreed last time it would be the last... but..."
She bit her lip, her beautiful eyes flickering with hesitation.
After a while, she whispered to herself, "This time will be the last."
But she hadn't realized that the label "disqualified" had long since been stuck to her.
That night, Makoto once again experienced Mayu's incredibly gentle back-washing service.
And this time, he finally saw the light—he saw the one among the Four Divine Beasts who was the most attractive to men.
All he could say was: as expected of the Four Divine Beasts.
So divine, and yet so beastly.
Just seeing her felt like sensing the might of a tiger's roar.
…
Makoto didn't return home until 9 p.m.
He had originally wanted to stay a bit longer and keep her company.
After all, the Divine Beast had been startled by a tangible hand and was still shaken. She needed someone by her side.
But this time, Mayu was embarrassed to the extreme and simply pushed him out the door.
Still, just before the front door closed, her voice, as soft as a mosquito's hum, pitifully said, "It's not like there won't be another chance. Go home and rest for now."
As soon as Makoto left, Mayu finally returned to the sofa, and with a thump, collapsed limply.
Her dazed eyes were practically trailing threads.
"That guy's really bad… always getting handsy."
She muttered to herself.
But she also understood that if she hadn't been willing, how could Makoto have taken advantage of her?
Besides, that kind of sensation was completely different from what she could achieve on her own.
Even more thrilling.
And far easier to…
The variety show playing on TV had reached a key moment. A guest who had been sitting calmly by the pool was suddenly ejected from their chair.
Amid the guest's panicked scream, the production team maliciously slowed down the footage, capturing the guest's face in midair frame by frame.
Likewise, thanks to the slow motion, the splashing water when the guest hit the pool looked even more dramatic.
Mayu stared intently at the splashes, completely entranced.
Then suddenly, her phone rang.
Snapping out of her trance, Mayu saw it was a call from Shizuka.
"Mayu, let's have lunch together tomorrow, okay? I found a newly opened ramen place today. It's doing great business—I bet the taste is amazing."
"Sure, sounds great!"
"Huh? What's with your voice? Did you catch a cold?"
"No! I'm fine!"
Startled, Mayu replied guiltily.
She knew full well that her pent-up emotions had finally been let out, and her voice was at its weirdest right now.
"Oh… okay, as long as you're fine."
Shizuka responded with a slightly curious tone.
But in her heart, she was thinking, Mayu's voice right now… why does it sound exactly like mine after I deal with my own loneliness alone?
That's right, it must be just like that!
The more they talked, the more Shizuka—single for many years—was convinced.
But in truth, she was only half right.
Mayu had someone by her side.
While Hiratsuka Shizuka… only had battery-powered toys for company.
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