After shaking off the other grades' interference, Yukio finally drove to the last mobile designated area from yesterday.
They stopped, ate something quick, then received the first mobile directive of the day and set off again.
They took first place for 11 points, then looked for the nearby task point and found an academic event.
[Task: World History. Answer the received test on a small tablet. First place 10 points, fixed supplies; second place 5 points, minor supplies; third place 3 points, minor supplies.
Team limit: six teams. Duration: one hour.]
Yukio drove over and found the cool, composed Chabashira idly flipping through a tablet. She only looked up when she heard the car.
Chabashira-sensei? Yukio couldn't help feeling lucky—first Hoshinomiya, now Chabashira. Then again, Chabashira taught World History, so seeing her at this task point made sense.
When she saw it was Yukio, Chabashira averted her eyes awkwardly, rose with a faint blush, and—like Hoshinomiya—acted guilty and quickly scanned the area.
Seeing no one around, she kept producing supplies—26 items—and handed them to Yukio. "Put them in the car. Take them all."
He loaded them up with practiced ease, then sat beside her and watched her with interest.
Chabashira grew more awkward; her gaze fluttered and she idly pushed back her hair, as if trying to hide her profile behind her dark locks.
They fell silent, but a small, growing intimacy hung in the air that made Chabashira uneasy. Finally she forced herself to speak. "W-wait. Other teams might come by. Don't make it obvious."
The usually cool Chabashira acting like a little girl sent a ripple through Yukio, but he understood her worry.
He didn't get overly familiar—kept some distance and made small talk. "Yeah, I'll be discreet."
Chabashira relaxed at that, then felt a twinge of disappointment she couldn't articulate. Not drawing attention to them mattered—she had her own obsession: getting the next D class promoted to A. Even if it was basically impossible this year, she wanted to be the teacher who pulled it off in the following year.
She couldn't let others know that a teacher like her had...that kind of relationship with a student like Yukio. So she relaxed when he promised discretion, but was also a little let down.
She began to wonder—was there something wrong with her outfit today? Her makeup? Why didn't she seem to draw Yukio's attention?
Chabashira caught herself and shook her head, rejecting the thought. Nervous, she reached into her pocket for the brand of women's cigarettes she smoked—she wanted one.
Yukio didn't stop her, sensing her unease. "What's up? Like I said before, I've already taken care of the previous two D classes on my end."
That was before summer. Since he promised Chabashira, he wouldn't break his word. He'd done what needed doing—just sent money to the previous two D-class students under the pretense of compensation. It took a bit more time to find everyone, but it wasn't hard.
Upon hearing this, Chabashira nodded earnestly. "Thanks to you, truly. Otherwise I might never forgive myself."
Yukio casually grabbed a small bottle of water from her supplies, twisted the cap and took a sip. "No need to be so formal between us."
Chabashira flushed, memories stirring from his words—she didn't know how to respond and simply nodded back, acknowledging she shouldn't be so stiff.
Yukio noticed she wasn't thinking about compensation anymore; her fixation was on promoting the next D class. "So you were thinking about getting the next D class promoted to A?"
Chabashira stared at him, warmed inside. Someone understood her—there was a resonance between them. Her cold face softened; she nodded slightly, affirming his words.
"Then," Yukio didn't elaborate on his plans—he was going to pick her up anyway—"when you succeed, I'll meet you at the gate."
Chabashira snapped her head around and stared at him, her amber eyes flashing strangely. He would pick her up? After she completed her obsession and successfully brought the next D class up?
"B-but—" Chabashira wasn't a naive girl; she immediately saw the gap. "Next year's D class might not—might not..." She couldn't say the rest aloud. Knowing was one thing; being able to deliver on it was another. Yukio had just given her another promise, but she didn't know if she could fulfill it.
"I believe in you." Yukio didn't outline further plans—he just looked at her with pure, encouraging warmth.
Chabashira's heart fluttered; blood rushed, pounding through her like it might burst past reason. She forgot to watch the surroundings, turned toward Yukio, and leaned in to kiss him, letting him taste cigarette smoke.
Yukio smiled, eyes closed. A lady's cigarette—no wonder it smelled a little sweet.
They parted. Chabashira's impulse passed quickly; she scanned the area again, found no other teams nearby, and exhaled. Her water-bright eyes and flushed face glanced at Yukio. Then softly, almost shyly, she spoke her hope. "I'll wait for you."
"No, I should be the one saying that." Yukio said he'd wait for her at the ANHS Gate. They smiled at each other, like they might kiss again.
Yukio's sharp eyes caught a team approaching in the distance, so he straightened up. Chabashira realized their task was about to start.