"Ahem. Hayato-kun, please help me treat the wounds."
Tachibana's words broke the awkward silence that had settled between them. Hayato snapped out of his daze, pulled out the iodine, and began treating the scrapes on her feet with a cotton swab. The brown liquid absorbed into the white cotton.
The iodine itself didn't hurt, but the cotton touching raw skin inevitably stimulated the pain receptors. Each touch sent sharp tingles through her nerves.
Still, compared to enduring the agony of walking earlier, this was infinitely better. Bearable, even.
A few minutes later, both feet were properly treated. The wounds were cleaned and disinfected.
Hayato even applied bandages to the more severely scraped areas, wrapping them with careful precision.
"Try not to get the wounds wet for the next couple of days, sensei."
"I know that much. I am a teacher, after all. I have basic common sense."
"Who was screaming like crazy earlier, then?"
Tachibana's face flushed with embarrassment as she bit down in frustration. Her teeth clicked together.
"That's different! Boys obviously have more courage than girls. But Hayato-kun, you stayed so calm facing that monster... have you experienced this kind of thing before?"
While men typically showed more bravery, Hayato's composure had been extraordinary. Facing a monster and the threat of death without showing even a hint of fear or panic. It made Tachibana suspicious. Too calm. Too composed.
"I did see a dead body just yesterday."
The memory clicked for Tachibana. Right, Hiratsuka-senpai had mentioned something about that.
"But honestly, I was scared too. It's just... I'm a guy. If I showed fear and panicked, wouldn't that make you, a woman, even more terrified? I had to stay calm. Only by staying calm could I find a way out."
Guilt washed over Tachibana, cold and uncomfortable in her chest.
He'd done it for her sake. Suppressed his own fear to keep her from falling apart.
"Thank you."
"You're my teacher. What's there to thank me for?"
"How about I..."
Suddenly, Tachibana trailed off, hesitant. The words caught in her throat.
"Come on, sensei. Don't leave me hanging."
But she didn't respond immediately, biting her lip as she thought it over. Weighing the options.
Remembering the condom in Hayato's pocket, she figured this idea might actually work. He was at that age, after all.
"If you don't want to say it, that's fine."
Hayato seemed genuinely indifferent, shrugging slightly.
"How about... I introduce you to a girlfriend?"
As repayment for saving her life, Tachibana thought this seemed reasonable. Fair trade.
"That's... I don't know if that's appropriate."
Hayato's gaze fixed on the beautiful chestnut-haired teacher before him, his expression uncertain. Conflicted.
"Just tell me if you want one or not."
Tachibana suddenly became insistent, pushing past his hesitation. Her tone left no room for deflection.
"Sensei, no, absolutely not! We're teacher and student, I'm your student! Sure, I just saved your life, and maybe you're feeling grateful and developed some fondness for me, but we have a teacher-student relationship. It really can't work. Even if you insisted... I guess I couldn't completely rule it out."
Tachibana: ???
A giant question mark appeared above her head. Her brain short-circuited.
The next second, her face turned bright red as she frantically explained, waving her hands.
"Not me! I'm not introducing myself as your girlfriend! I'm your teacher! How could I introduce myself as your girlfriend?!"
"Wait, it's not you, Tachibana-sensei?"
Hayato feigned shock, his eyes going wide.
Internally, he was grinning. Teasing this teacher was surprisingly entertaining. Her reactions were gold.
"Of course not!"
"Then, is it Hiratsuka-sensei? That won't work either. She's way too old. Really not a good match."
Tachibana's eye twitched, a vein pulsing at her temple.
She understood now. This student was deliberately messing with her. Playing games.
When facing danger, he showed that serious, composed attitude. But in private life, he had this playful, relaxed side. Two completely different people.
"As long as you're willing, I'd dare to introduce her."
"Absolutely not."
"Hehe. Hayato-kun faced down a monster, but is scared of one female teacher?"
"Hiratsuka-sensei isn't just any female teacher. I don't know exactly what kind of person she is, but every time someone mentions her, my heart trembles."
The instinct was strong and immediate.
"Hahahaha!"
Tachibana couldn't hold back her laughter anymore. It bubbled out of her, bright and genuine.
"The girl I want to introduce you to is around your age."
"Thank you so much for creating this opportunity between Yukinoshita-san and me, sensei. I'm truly grateful."
Tachibana sighed helplessly, shaking her head.
"Not Yukinoshita-san. I'm not related to her, how would I introduce you? I'm talking about my younger sister."
"Your actual sister?"
Tachibana Rui, right?
"Yes, my actual sister. Interested?"
"Is she in Chiba?"
"Tokyo."
"That's pretty far."
"Then I won't introduce you. Oh, but I should mention, my sister is transferring to Sobu High in a couple of days. She's in Tokyo right now handling the paperwork."
Having turned the tables, Tachibana felt much better. Victory tasted sweet.
A subtle smile played on her lips, her eyes reflecting Hayato's face as her amusement grew.
"Regretting it now? If you beg me, I might reconsider introducing you. My sister is very cute and pretty, you know!"
"No need. A man can't go around begging people. When your sister arrives at Sobu High, I'll just win her over directly and show you. Actually, 'win over' sounds too aggressive. I'll have your sister chase after me instead. That's what I'll show you, sensei."
Tachibana stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Her mouth hung open slightly.
Her sister was a beautiful girl! How could she possibly end up being the one doing the chasing?! The confidence was absurd.
Calm down, Hina. Hayato's just teasing and joking around. Don't take the bait.