In the end, I still did not have any strong preference, so I simply chose a pillow of the same model as Tsubaki's.
By the time we walked out of the mall, the sun was already sinking toward the horizon. From this, one could see that shopping with a girl was truly a terrifying thing.
"Now that we have chosen the training tools, next we should… yawn~"
Tsubaki did not even finish her sentence before letting out a huge yawn. She then raised a hand to wipe the tears from the corner of her eyes and murmured,
"I cannot anymore… I am so sleepy…"
Considering how Tsubaki usually nodded off anytime and anywhere, the fact that she managed to stay energetic for so long before getting sleepy was what was truly rare.
Was it because she was doing something related to her interests, or because she was with me, or perhaps both?
I reached out my hand and smiled. "Then let's sleep for a bit first."
"Mmm… then… I will leave everything to you…"
Tsubaki took my hand, her voice gradually growing softer.
Then the girl gently closed her eyes, her breathing becoming long and steady. She had clearly fallen asleep while standing.
Already blessed with an innocent, doll like face, Tsubaki looked even more delicate and pitiful when she was asleep with all her guard down.
No wonder she had earned the nickname "The Sleeping Beauty of Hyakkiyako." It truly lived up to its name.
Thinking this to myself, I tried taking a step forward. Tsubaki followed along with a step of her own, showing no sign of waking up.
So I boldly held Tsubaki's hand and headed toward the station.
Aside from the time near the station when we were stopped and questioned by students from the Valkyrie Police Academy, forcing me to wake Tsubaki once, she remained asleep for the entire journey from Hyakkiyako to Schale.
What kind of scenery did she see in her dreams? Was I there too?
I felt a little curious.
After returning to the Schale residential area, I led Tsubaki to sit on the sofa and carefully pulled my hand free as gently as possible.
But the very next moment I was congratulating myself for not waking her, the girl stretched lazily and slowly opened her still drowsy eyes.
To be honest, I had a slight suspicion…
Was this girl pretending to sleep the whole time just to take advantage of me?
Sigh, if that were the case, it would not be entirely unreasonable. As a Sensei, I should reflect on myself. Was my charm too overwhelming, making me a walking bundle of human pheromones in Kivotos, thus corrupting an originally pure hearted girl into this state?
If so, all I could do was forgive her through the pain.
"Mmm… mm…" Tsubaki's hazy gaze settled on my face, then she revealed a sweet, enchanting smile and spoke as if murmuring in her sleep, "The first person I see when I wake up is Sensei… that is really nice. It feels like I am still dreaming… Huh? This is reality, right?"
Seeing Tsubaki's confused expression, my heart skipped a beat.
What did this mean? Was she hinting at something? Could it be that she wanted to wake up tomorrow morning and see my face as well?
I could not quite tell whether Tsubaki had said this without thinking too deeply, or whether the card's judgment was simply too strict.
Either way.
I thought I had probably fallen for Tsubaki.
If I were to take her hand again right now and confess to her, would she accept?
But what if I had misunderstood? If I rashly made a frivolous move, would I not push away Tsubaki, who currently held a fairly high level of fondness for me?
The key issue was that I still did not clearly understand Tsubaki's feelings, and I was plagued by hesitation and fear of gain and loss, afraid to rush forward and disrupt the progress.
Whenever I thought about emotions being stained with too much calculation, I felt uncomfortable and uncertain.
However, just as I was sulking internally, a slender, pale finger reached toward my cheek and gently poked it.
Tsubaki withdrew her finger and squinted her eyes with a smile. "Ehehe~ it really is reality."
At that instant, I felt my cheeks heating up.
Wait a second? Was I not supposed to be the one doing the conquering?
Taking a deep breath, I was just about to speak when Tsubaki, after glancing around with satisfaction, nodded and spoke first.
"Mmm. This is Schale, right? It feels like a good place for training. Then, Sensei, next let me formally teach you what true training really is."
I played along. "True training?"
"That is right." Tsubaki straightened her expression. "In other words, I am going to teach you methods that let you enter deep sleep faster and more peacefully."
Very good, but I had already learned a little trick where I could instantly fall asleep as long as someone else was nearby.
"In modern society, many people suffer from insomnia just like you do, Sensei. Because of that, they often ask online for ways to fall into deep sleep, such as taking a hot bath before bed, drinking a cup of hot cocoa, or meditating while listening to white noise…"
There was a hint of confidence in Tsubaki's words. "Although there are many different methods, I will teach you the few that I personally tested and found to be the most effective."
I said happily, "That would be wonderful. Thank you so much. But should we move to a more spacious place?"
Tsubaki thought for a moment. "That sounds fine. It is my first time here anyway, so I am not very familiar with the place. If there is a more suitable spot, please take me there, Sensei."
Although my master bedroom contained all sorts of mysterious and wonderful tools that were not appropriate for someone who did not need them at the moment to see, Schale had plenty of guest rooms.
The GSC President who designed Schale's layout back then was truly far sighted and had created quite a bit of convenience for me.
So when would it be time to knock all of them down and turn them into one big room?
After bringing Tsubaki to an empty guest room, the lesson officially began.
"Then I will demonstrate once for you to see first."
Tsubaki took off her geta sandals, tabi socks, and the obstructive armor on her elbows, then lay flat on the soft bed with her hands folded over her lower abdomen. Under the pull of gravity, her ample curves slid to either side, making them even more eye catching than usual.
"You have to watch carefully, Sensei," Tsubaki said. "The first thing I will demonstrate for you is the dantian breathing method."
I forced my gaze away to Tsubaki's serious, focused face and concentrated on listening to her.
"Lie down like this, meditate for a moment… focus your attention on the lower abdomen…"
Subconsciously following Tsubaki's words, I focused my attention on the area she described, then was forced to adjust the position of my waistband.
Even if ninety nine percent of the fault lay in my wild thoughts, was there not at least one percent of fault in Tsubaki being this alluring and the authority given by Azusa being this lewd?
It was only then that I suddenly noticed that Tsubaki had gone quiet.
I hesitantly called out, "Tsubaki…?"
The only response was a vague bit of sleep talk. "Sleepy…"
I could not help but complain, "Wait, is she already asleep? It has not even been twenty seconds."
Was this kind of teaching a bit too lacking in reference value?
"Mmm…?" Tsubaki suddenly jolted awake, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and sat up. "Is it already time to eat…?"
"It is indeed time for dinner… if you are hungry, should we pause the lesson and go eat?"
"Mmm, I am not that hungry. What about you, Sensei?"
"I am fine too."
Mostly because right now, just looking at Tsubaki made my appetite get replaced by something else.
Tsubaki nodded. "Then let's continue the lesson. Being full makes it easier to get sleepy anyway, so it would not have the best effect. Mmm, it looks like the dantian breathing method will not work. Then let's try meditation instead. Meditation should be simpler. Sensei, please sit on the bed."
This should not be an invitation, right…
So I took off my shoes, got onto the bed, and sat facing Tsubaki with some distance between us.
Tsubaki crossed her plump, fair legs, palms facing upward, and explained, "Meditation is not lying down, but focusing your mind while sitting. Sensei, you should sit down too, like… this… way… snore…"
She had not even finished speaking before I finished trying to assume the same posture. Tsubaki closed her eyes, lowered her head, and fell asleep once again.
Suddenly, I realized that there might be something rather unreliable about Tsubaki's training lessons…
"Ha!" Tsubaki startled awake once more, looked around in confusion for a moment, and asked, "…Eh? This does not work either?"
I replied tactfully, "…For a beginner, maybe these are a bit too difficult after all?"
Hearing that, Tsubaki frowned slightly. "That will not do, Sensei. How can you say it does not work without even trying properly?"
Heh, you want to know whether I work or not, huh. Do not rush, there will be a chance.
Clearly not very skilled at teaching, Tsubaki pondered for a moment before making a decision. "Mmm. Alright, instead of demonstrating, it would be better if I guide you from the side. Sensei, give it a try."
As she spoke, Tsubaki moved aside, took the new pillow I had just bought and placed it properly, then beckoned to me.
"Come, lie down, then close your eyes."
I followed Tsubaki's instructions.
After I closed my eyes, Tsubaki's gentle, soft voice came closer, stirring my heartstrings even more.
"Alright, inhale… exhale. Straighten your chest… relax. Slowly, slowly. Focus your mind, Sensei."
But now that I could not see in the darkness, both my hearing and sense of touch became sharper than usual. With imagination added to the mix, I sadly realized that I had completely lost any sense of sleepiness.
Of course, my mind did focus successfully, but entirely on fighting emotions that should not have been surging at this moment.
Unaware of anything amiss, Tsubaki continued speaking softly. "You are gradually relaxing. It feels like your consciousness is sinking underwater… you will slowly fall asleep…"
Unfortunately, this method did not do anything for me.
On the other hand, Tsubaki, who was acting as the guide, fell silent again, probably having fallen asleep herself.
I had to say, this was an incredible skill. No wonder even Hoshino admitted defeat.
Sadly, for me, it was still too difficult.
That said… training together with Tsubaki could certainly deepen our bond and strengthen our connection… but could relying on just this really let me conquer her quickly?
Seia was still waiting for me.
Every time I thought of that, even though I reminded myself again and again that haste makes waste, I still felt restless and uneasy.
But I did not have any better solution than this.
Letting out a quiet sigh, I opened my eyes, preparing to wake Tsubaki, who had stopped speaking and had most likely talked herself to sleep, only to collide head on with a scorching gaze.
At some point, Tsubaki had moved very close and was holding her breath as she intently watched my "sleeping face." The shimmering smile in her eyes instantly turned into shyness and shock when our gazes met.
"Eh, Sensei, you were not asleep… ah, uwaa…!"
Startled, Tsubaki hurriedly leaned back to put some distance between us, only to lose her balance.
Thankfully, we were on a bed. Otherwise, even with the physical conditioning of a Kivotos student and halo protection, she would have taken a nasty fall.
I propped myself up. "Tsubaki, are you alright?"
"I am, I am fine…"
After answering, Tsubaki stared at me shyly for quite a while before asking, "Sensei, um… you saw it?"
This unusual reaction, combined with her earlier act of secretly staring at me.
As expected, Tsubaki actually liked me, right?
So if I confessed to her right now while riding the momentum, could I win her over?
I hesitated, then chose the safer approach and handed the initiative back to Tsubaki.
"If I said I saw it, what would you think, Tsubaki?"
At this point, just go all the way and honestly confess your feelings to me already!
However, Tsubaki closed her eyes tightly.
"…I am going to sleep."
She chose to run away!?
I grabbed Tsubaki's fragrant shoulders anxiously. "Wait, wait, you cannot sleep now!"
"Waa… you are bullying me." Tsubaki's pretty face flushed red, her eyes filling with mist as she spoke with a hint of a sob, coquettishly complaining, "Sensei… you are bullying me."
A shy girl like this truly stirred pity in my heart.
Forcing myself to suppress the urge to pull her into my arms and comfort her properly, I apologized first.
"I am sorry, I am sorry, it is my fault. I should not have said something weird. I did see it, and I will remember that Tsubaki forever, because Tsubaki was really, really cute just now!"
"Ugh…!"
Tsubaki lightly bit her lower lip, clenched her fist in embarrassment and annoyance, and gave me a symbolic punch on the body.
I immediately clutched my upper arm, baring my teeth and begging for mercy while repeatedly apologizing, finally bringing a faint smile back to Tsubaki's face.
I secretly let out a sigh of relief. Then I changed the topic.
"By the way, Tsubaki, I thought of a training method. It might actually work."
"Eh? What is it?"
I gazed into the Inner Discipline Club President's eyes and said sincerely, "Tsubaki, do you remember last time, when you sang me a lullaby?"
"Of course I remember, b but…"
Back then it was over the phone. Now we were face to face, and on top of that, Tsubaki's shyness had not fully faded yet. Her hesitation was understandable.
After a long while, Tsubaki finally nodded shyly, but still said,
"I should say this first, I cannot guarantee it will definitely work…"
"That is great!" I lowered my gaze a bit and pushed my luck. "Then, can we also add a lap pillow?"
"Eh… if it is like that, it would not count as solo training anymore…"
So, joint training then.
"Just try it, just try it."
Under my persistent coaxing, Tsubaki reluctantly agreed.
All I could say was that the effect was remarkably obvious. Perhaps it also had something to do with the fact that I had used up too much energy with Misumi's authority. I quickly fell into a deep sleep.
By the time I woke up again, it was already completely night, and Tsubaki had fallen asleep at some point as well.
Feeling my stomach completely empty, I hurriedly woke Tsubaki. Thankfully, it was not too late, so I took her to have dinner at a family restaurant highly recommended by the Millennium Seminar's accountant, then escorted her to the station to return to Hyakkiyako.
Today, my relationship with Tsubaki had probably progressed somewhat. However, there was no prompt indicating a successful conquest.
The only tangible gain was probably the lullaby Tsubaki recorded for me.