Chapter 247: Persistent Crimson Girl
"But teacher, I have one more request."
"What request? Let's hear it."
Just as he said this, Kallen suddenly stood up and quickly closed the distance between them.
Her fiery red hair brushed past Mahiro's nose, while the faint fragrance from the girl unabashedly drifted into his nostrils.
Unlike those girls who deliberately adorn themselves, Kallen's scent was very subtle and not at all overwhelming.
As Kallen grabbed his collar with both hands and pulled him closer, her barely concealed chest accidentally peeked out from the uniform's neckline. With just a downward glance, he noticed that flash of red.
It's a matching set too.
"Kallen, what do you mean by this?"
"I want to ask you, teacher—were you in Shinjuku yesterday?"
Whether to maintain her sickly facade or from excessive excitement, Kallen practically pressed her entire body against him. Her slender legs clad in white thigh-highs were both taut and powerful.
More alluring than Student Council President Milly, and even surpassing Shirley from the swimming club.
Though this was merely his own imaginative speculation.
As for Kallen's question, Mahiro responded with an evasive attitude, smiling as he said:
"Whether I was or wasn't—is that really important?"
"Don't play dumb. Answer my question directly."
"Direct answers aren't really my style. Since you're asking, doesn't that mean you already have an answer in mind? Why bother asking me then."
"Don't answer a question with another question!"
Such a straightforward girl.
She absolutely had to hear the words "I did go to Shinjuku" from his own mouth.
Unfortunately, Mahiro was naturally contrary by nature—if he weighed 160 pounds, at least 161 pounds of that was pure defiance.
So he looked teasingly at the girl leaning against him with such seriousness and said:
"What if I did go? What if I didn't? Don't forget this is a school, and I'm your teacher. Do you really think treating your teacher like this is appropriate? Although this rooftop isn't frequented by many people, that doesn't mean no one ever comes. If someone were to see us like this, Kallen, what kind of rumors do you think would spread through the school?"
Bang—
Right after he spoke, the rooftop door suddenly swung open.
Startled, Kallen immediately released him.
But when they turned to look, there was no one there—only the door blown open by the wind.
When she turned back, she saw Mahiro looking at her with an amused expression, making Kallen glare at him in embarrassed anger.
"Kallen, can we go now? President Milly is probably waiting for you."
"Hmph."
Kallen snorted coldly and left the rooftop without looking back.
Mahiro didn't mind her attitude, simply smiling slightly as he followed behind, heading with Kallen toward the Ashford Student Council club.
Along the way.
Blue skies, white clouds, green grass and shady trees, complemented by pure white marble fountains, made Ashford Academy breathtakingly beautiful.
Glancing sideways at Kallen walking with her hands lightly clasped in front, taking small steps—her smooth red short hair and delicate features gave off the immediate impression of a fragile noble daughter.
She lowered her gaze slightly, as if shy about attracting others' attention.
But upon closer observation, one could detect occasional flashes of resentment in her seemingly delicate eyes. Especially after noticing Mahiro's gaze, the corners of her eyebrows twitched frequently,
and her seemingly slender hands were clenched so tightly that veins bulged.
Clearly, she was still brooding over what happened on the rooftop.
Yet it wasn't really his fault.
However, since they were at Ashford Academy where she maintained the image of a fragile young lady, Kallen had no choice but to suppress her anger, constantly reminding herself to endure it.
Moreover, as the walking pair consisted of a handsome man and a beautiful woman, they stood out noticeably in this hormone-filled campus. Particularly when the male was recognized as the new teacher Mahiro, the occasional passing girls couldn't help feeling envious of Kallen.
Some even wished they could take her place.
After all, a young, accomplished teacher with such striking handsome features would be highly sought-after anywhere.
To put it bluntly: someone who could easily rely on his looks chose instead to dedicate himself to teaching.
Throughout the walk, Kallen kept pondering how to continue pressing Mahiro for answers.
She was now about sixty percent certain that this somewhat unorthodox teacher had been to Shinjuku.
As for the remaining forty percent doubt, it naturally stemmed from his frivolous and unreliable personality.
Though she might appear as a typical violence-prone girl who solves things with fists, Kallen's mind wasn't as simple as one might assume. Despite rarely attending school, she consistently maintained top-tier academic performance.
Not bad.
Actually, quite impressive.
However, when they arrived before a building resembling a European palace, Kallen halted her thoughts and couldn't help asking:
"This is...?"
The girl's tone carried surprise and bewilderment. She never expected such a place to exist within Ashford Academy.
"The student council activity room. More accurately, it's where the student council holds parties—you could call it a clubhouse."
As he spoke, Mahiro stepped forward to push open the grand door, but just as he grasped the handle, he seemed to remember something and turned back:
"Oh, I forgot to warn you—you might experience a flood today. Be careful with bubbly drinks, like champagne."
"Weirdo."
Kallen merely felt slightly puzzled for a moment before completely dismissing his fortune-teller-like remark.
Seeing this, Mahiro just chuckled softly and shook his head, then pushed open the ornately decorated door before them.
But contrary to expectations, there was no surprise attack from Milly this time.
Not even party poppers were used.
Instead, she and other student council members were waiting for them properly.
Milly wore a pristine white apron, and in the center of the magnificent hall, an array of exquisite food was arranged on the dining table. Just looking at Milly made it clear she had prepared everything freshly.
Though she was a noble young lady, Milly possessed exceptional culinary skills, making her perfectly suited as a wife candidate.
"Ah, here they come~"
Seeing Kallen arrive, Milly happily stepped forward and took her hand. "Welcome to the student council, Kallen. I'm Milly Ashford, the student council president."
"Ah... I've heard of you, President Milly. Pleased to meet you." Kallen replied in a soft, somewhat flustered tone.
Though her timid demeanor was feigned, her genuine surprise was real—she hadn't expected the student council president to be this enthusiastic...
"And this here is our student council advisor, Mahiro," Milly continued. "Over there are Lelouch and Shirley, our energetic girl who's in love with Lelouch. As classmates, I believe you already know them. That's Rivalz, the student council secretary, and finally, this is Nina..."
Milly introduced each member to Kallen in turn.
Some were familiar faces, others were new, but through exchanging pleasantries, everyone gradually became acquainted.
However...
An energetic girl, a serious knight with low presence, a popular vice president, and an advisor...
Now they even had a sickly-looking girl added to the mix.
Mahiro couldn't help but feel like Milly was collecting them all to summon something.
Probably just missing a mysterious transfer student at this point.
Just as Mahiro was thinking this, he suddenly felt someone's gaze from the second floor.
Looking up, he saw C.C. leaning over the railing in her repaired straightjacket, staring intently in their direction.
Well, C.C. wasn't looking at him—she was staring at the unopened pizza boxes on the table.
"This foolish Witch..."
She probably ordered pizza too late, had it intercepted by Milly, got trapped inside, and now could only stare longingly from the second floor at the delicious pizza she couldn't eat.
"Um, hello Kallen, I'm Nunnally..."
Just then, a soft voice came from nearby. Turning, they saw Nunnally approaching in her electric wheelchair, with a plate of food resting on her lap.
With others' help, the food Nunnally was carrying was also placed on the table.
Then Nunnally maneuvered her wheelchair to stop before Kallen.
Kallen looked surprised at this petite, blind girl who couldn't walk, while Lelouch explained Nunnally's identity to her. After listening for a while, Kallen's surprised expression gradually softened.
"Mahiro-sensei, what are you thinking about?"
Milly, who should have been the life of the party, had unusually not been enlivening the atmosphere and instead came over to his side.
Following his gaze, she noticed the stacked pizza boxes in the corner of the table.
"That reminds me, Mahiro-sensei, I forgot to ask—did you buy these pizzas?"
"Ah, yes, I bought them. It's Crazy Friday today, and Pizza Hut had a promotion, so I bought some for dinner," Mahiro casually lied.
"...Dinner?"
Milly blinked, looking at the five pizza boxes, then back at him.
This much food... for dinner?
So Mahiro-sensei actually has such a big appetite?
"Emmm, well, I'll bring these pizzas upstairs first."
"Let me help you, sensei."
The warm-hearted Milly rolled up her sleeves to assist, but was stopped by Mahiro.
"No need, I can handle it myself."
He quickly took the pizza boxes from Milly's hands and carried them upstairs.
After seeing him take the pizzas, C.C. withdrew her gaze and leisurely turned around, returning to her bedroom from the second-floor corridor.
It seems this Witch isn't interested in parties—the only thing that can capture her interest is pizza...
Is this woman Italian or something?
To be so obsessed with pizza.
While thinking this, Mahiro climbed the stairs and delivered the pizza to the room.
"Here, you've been waiting. The pizza you wanted."
"Open the box for me."
Hiss—
Facing C.C.'s demanding words, Mahiro slightly inhaled in surprise.
"Listen, I brought you the pizza, and you don't even thank me? Now you want me to open the box too? Should I just feed it to you directly?"
"That would be fine too."
"Tch."
The shameless woman suddenly tossed something at him the next second. Mahiro caught it and looked—it was a chip.
"What's this?"
"I found it."
C.C. rose from the sofa, gracefully picked up a piece of seafood pizza with her mouth, and muttered: "The green-haired girl from downstairs dropped it when she came to the second floor."
"Nina Einstein?"
"Mhm, thought you might be interested in what's inside."
Mahiro: "...."
What could possibly interest me about its contents?
Could it possibly contain her... compromising footage or something?
"But thanks anyway."
Mahiro pocketed the chip and left the bedroom.
Since something was found, it should naturally be returned to its owner, especially when it belonged to that always timid-looking girl.
Just imagining her having lost something, she must be quite pitiful.
Well, it's definitely not because I'm coveting her brains, interested in that strategic weapon Freya, and want to use this to deliberately get close to her.
Absolutely not.
Just as he reached the stairs, he saw Milly holding a bottle of expensive champagne she'd somehow obtained, and the carbon dioxide inside had reached its limit after vigorous shaking.
Pop—
The champagne was opened.
The cork flew directly toward Kallen. Kallen, who had been standing there with a delicate expression, suddenly sharpened her gaze, her right hand shooting out like lightning to casually swat the cork away.
But only then did Kallen realize the role she was currently playing, her body freezing abruptly.
Meanwhile, the champagne that sprayed out with the cork landed perfectly on Kallen, who was frozen in place.
She was drenched from head to toe, even her white thigh-highs becoming translucent enough to show her skin tone.
Fortunately, her school uniform had a jacket covering it, preventing any revealing views of her shirt underneath.
Truly living up to expectations, Milly-san, completely fulfilling my trust in you...
And so, Kallen ended up taking a shower at the student council club.
The clothes she changed out of were naturally handled by Shirley and Milly, who were present, for cleaning.
However, the remaining Nina was too timid, and there were no suitable clothes in the dormitory, so the important task of providing a change of clothes fell upon Mahiro.
There were two reasons for this.
First, because he was a teacher.
Second, because among those present, he was the most familiar with Kallen.
Originally, Lelouch was about to step forward, but Mahiro stopped him. Although Lelouch argued that this was the perfect opportunity to clear their suspicions regarding Shinjuku.
The problem was, Mahiro had no intention of clearing those suspicions at all.
His identity wasn't as shady as Lelouch's. If Lelouch wanted to clear his name, he could find another time.
"So this is what Britannians are like!"
Kallen thoroughly enjoyed the hot shower, washing away the scent of champagne from her body.
At the same time, she muttered a small complaint about the student council members who had caused her current predicament.
However, judging by the smile at the corner of her lips, Kallen wasn't in a bad mood.
This experience felt very fresh and relaxing for her—someone who had been taking sick leave from school but was actually engaged in anti-Britannia activities with her comrades in the slums. It was filled with the unique atmosphere of school life.
Suddenly, a faint knocking sound made her tense up.
"Who is it?"
Kallen asked warily, pulling the shower curtain aside slightly to immediately see the person who had entered from outside.
"I brought you some clothes. They're mine, but they're clean."
Mahiro walked in as the automatic door opened, holding the clothes in his hands.
"Ah, thank you, teacher. You can just leave them over there."
"OK."
Mahiro placed the clothes on the vanity but didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stood to the side and pulled out his phone to play with.
"Why are you still here?"
Kallen couldn't help but ask when she noticed Mahiro's presence through the curtain.
"Oh, I thought you might need some help, so I decided to stay for a bit. The bathroom tiles are quite slippery—it would be terrible if you slipped while reaching for the clothes."
As he spoke, Mahiro looked up.
His gaze fell on the hazy silhouette reflected on the shower curtain, shrouded in steam from the hot water, and he felt a sudden warmth in his nostrils.
If he had seen her body directly, he might not have reacted this way.
But it was this kind of half-revealed, ambiguous allure that was most dangerous—like a deadly poison. The faint shadow behind the curtain made it all the more tempting.
His frivolous words made Kallen frown slightly, and she instinctively covered her chest with her arms.
Just as she was about to tell him to leave, she suddenly stopped herself.
Instead, she said:
"Could you hand me that small bag over there?"
At the same time, she pulled the shower curtain aside slightly.
Kallen felt this was an opportunity—a rare moment when they were alone and he had let his guard down.
Mahiro didn't refuse. He picked up the small pink pouch on the vanity and handed it over.
But as Kallen took the pouch, she suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him into the shower.
"Eek—!"
Perhaps due to excessive force causing her feet to slip, Kallen let out a light gasp as she stumbled forward, crashing into Mahiro along with the shower curtain.
Seeing Kallen about to fall, Mahiro instinctively reached out. One hand supported the girl's slender, soft waist while the other coincidentally landed on her chest. The sensation of fullness and softness transmitted from his palm through neural currents to stimulate his brain.
Just like that, he steadily caught the slippery, damp body, and the subtle fragrance from her recent bath rushed into his nostrils.
Their current posture couldn't be more ambiguous.
Coming to her senses, Kallen completely froze, her face reddening at a visible pace as if scalded by hot water.
She stiffly raised her head only to see Mahiro wearing a calm smile, completely different from her own flustered state.
"I told you the bathroom was slippery, but you wouldn't believe me."
His calm tone carried a hint of teasing, "But what I'm more curious about is how bold Kallen-san really is? Trying to pull me directly into the bathroom—were you planning to invite your teacher to bathe together?"
His words instantly cooled Kallen's mind.
Cooled to a frightening degree.
She didn't even change her position, allowing Mahiro to continue holding her as she flicked a dagger from her wallet and pressed it against his waist.
"If you don't want to get hurt, answer my questions obediently. Understand?"
"I don't understand."
Mahiro maintained the same smile, but Kallen suddenly felt a sharp pain in her wrist, losing strength before her vision spun wildly.
From being in a position of coercion, she was about to become the coerced.
Even her own weapon, that dagger, was now pressed against her chin.
Her hands were twisted behind her back, firmly grasped by one hand.
"I really don't understand you, Kallen-san. Shouldn't your teacher have never offended you? Was it necessary to pull out a dagger against your teacher?"
Mahiro spoke with remarkable ease.
"Let me go! I... I just wanted to confirm if you were in Shinjuku before!"
"Haven't I already said? Does it matter whether I was there or not?"
"It matters!"
"Really? But it doesn't matter to this teacher. More than that, I'm more concerned about something else. I don't think Kallen-san seems like a sickly person at all—you move with remarkable agility. What do you think would happen if the school found out about this?"
Mahiro whispered these words close to Kallen's ear.