The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Suzuran bit her lip.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyzXjFhfWa
She knew she shouldn’t say it.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSwxDWo9t3
But still, in a voice barely above a whisper, she asked:
“Then… can I touch your arm muscles?”
She said it quietly, not quite a joke, not quite a confession—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6G4sti3S5J
just a small nudge to see how close she was allowed to get.
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Kouichi turned slightly, his gaze landing on her.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAGxh2tV2oJ
For just a moment, something flickered in his eyes—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIyzHYub65a
but he didn’t reply right away.
Seeing his silence, she hurried on, her voice picking up speed and pitch like she was afraid he’d misunderstand… or worse, say no.
“It’s for the exam! Really! Everyone’s practicing palpation in class—biceps, deltoids, triceps… I have to pass too!”
Her face was already red, but she held her ground,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5vQMdi8H9
trying her best to look confident.
Kouichi stared at her—stubborn, flustered, determined.
Finally, his gaze softened.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2TKlMw4lv7
A breath escaped his lips, almost a sigh.
“…Fine. Left arm.”
The words were quiet, calm. But they were permission.
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLql8fd5lsU
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He rolled up his left sleeve, exposing the clean lines of his forearm and biceps—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh0fO2uTDf9
firm, defined, composed—just like him.
“Ten minutes. Palpation only.”
His tone was as cool as ever, as he added:
“No laughing. No daydreaming. No weird thoughts.”
Suzuran's eyes lit up.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJEGnoRnsaW
She nodded furiously, like a kid who just got permission to pet a very fancy dog.
“I swear—study mode only!”
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfo3hvjmqe
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She carefully reached out, her fingertips brushing his arm.
The moment her fingers touched skin, she froze.
“…Ugh.”
A breathy, involuntary sound escaped her.
This wasn’t like anything in the textbook!
No one ever said muscles could feel like this—so springy, so firm, so…21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXb6GA3HeoC
temptingly real.
She had expected something hard and static.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6vCI4NA9Cj
But instead—there was warmth. Depth.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnm8CMTuuUR
A weight that made her want to touch again.
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Her eyes focused, hands trembling slightly,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSQgaE7lfO
trying desperately to maintain her “I’m being professional” façade.
Kouichi said nothing.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtZwNCW5nNr
He just lowered his gaze and watched—without pulling away.
He let her touch him.
But it was as if he were silently saying—
You can touch me like this.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡow56cCENOM
But only like this.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hnPE4fDAY
Only from this distance.
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mDTOx4fbU
She glanced at him again.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7ug5E8saN
Still calmly seated beside her, editing her report without so much as a blink.
As if nothing had happened.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XUAYqqFk2
As if her little emotional derailment was part of the routine.
He didn’t scold her.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLOdhicLKL6
Didn’t dodge her.
He simply… carried on.
And somehow, that made her feel—
Maybe it was because he was always so steady…21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAppiy501fO
that she could inch a little closer each time.
She took a breath.
Then, carefully, she cradled his hand in both of hers.
That hand.
The one that had shot across her chest that day when he hit the brakes.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz5bxw1547x
The one that had thrown her whole heart into chaos.
Her fingers trembled slightly as they slid slowly over each of his knuckles—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsqjVTl7S9
like she was holding something precious, too fragile to grip tightly.
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It was a very quiet hand.
The joints defined, calluses soft at the creases,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ofqRDf8y8
fingertips warm and calm.
As her fingertips brushed his index finger,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fCQIFjtxe
she felt the veins beneath his skin—subtle, winding, like strands of strength coiled under a surface of warmth.
So cool…21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Z5OVdZgkg
She thought, and immediately her cheeks flushed hotter.
Her heart stumbled up into her throat.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NlvpT8M8d
Her gaze followed the path of her own fingers—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGYhCb5Ad4
from the web between thumb and forefinger,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPlmMBmbGnQ
to the back of his hand,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPGh9PO5Gng
down to the long, slender bones of his wrist.
There was something addictive in the quiet complexity of it all.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbknjZ2YDOb
Something that pulled at her, soft and slow and impossible to stop.
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And then—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIhesfRri9c
her fingers moved again.
Not consciously.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLXti6clVM4
As if her body had decided on its own.
She slowly, almost soundlessly—
interlaced her fingers with his.
One finger.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjUQiA6Nnx
Then another.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMzaATjdvf
And another.
Until their hands fit together—perfectly.
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Ten fingers. Intertwined.
She froze.
She hadn’t said a word.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxCqKthaN1V
But her body had confessed everything.
There was no way to explain this as "studying."21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlbysIJjup
This wasn’t about anatomy.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwwXxWhSTn0
This was… the way lovers hold hands.
She stared down at their joined fingers,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeoF8xaRBNa
her palm burning from his warmth.
And somewhere in her heart, a soft voice whispered:
If only I could stay like this.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdAiyX2zqi
Not just for palpation.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePBmY9a319
Not just for ten minutes.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEss1tFofS
But forever.
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5vHkCM7J5b
She bit her lower lip.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9xe4uSlqY
Too afraid to look up.
Because what she feared most…21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpKZjTqTXu
wasn’t rejection.
It was the possibility—
that in his eyes,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQnXk5SJdKr
she might see a tiny flicker of indulgent gentleness.
The kind of look that would make her21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlJ8nvd0Mbj
lose all ability to pull away.
The kind of look21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAudQx5WYj4
that would make her fall even deeper.
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcvuZIPOzL
“…My lady,”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGH5jWQCl4t
His voice was low, the calm she always knew.
But this time—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP5yujS88y9
there was a faint huskiness to it, like he’d just pushed something down.
“Are you sure this part… is covered in the textbook?”
Suzuran snapped back to reality.
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She looked down—
Her right hand, still holding his left.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYs3iCYDnO
Their fingers laced tight.
Like lovers.
Like a secret promise in the middle of an ordinary afternoon.
Her heart dropped.
“I—I…”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzvuUTOj97b
She couldn’t even finish.
Her face had turned red to the roots of her hair.
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What. Just. Happened?!
She meant to feel his tendons. Just the hand. Just for class!
But somehow—her fingers had just slipped into his without her noticing?!
She yanked her hand back in a panic—21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNjade1UwtK
but fumbled halfway, making it seem more like she didn’t want to let go.
Kouichi didn’t release her immediately.
He simply watched her.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsrFmUNan4
Quietly.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7yLh1wq7ED
As she panicked like a kid caught sneaking cookies before dinner.
Her lips moved, but no words came out.
And then—finally, he spoke.
“…Time’s up.”
His voice was calm as ever. Composed.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCoyKloDKUH
As if absolutely nothing had happened.
But only he knew—
That for one second,21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwEcitOwHcD
his fingers had gently squeezed back.
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“I-I was just checking your muscle tone! That’s all!”
“Mm. Got it.”
He calmly pulled his hand away—unhurried, smooth.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfakyNjjNa5
But there was still a faint warmth left behind in her palm.
He paused for a second.
Then added, as if it were a matter-of-fact follow-up:
“So… would you like to check any other muscle groups?”
“…What?”
“For example—pectoralis major, biceps brachii, wrist flexors…”
“Wait a second.”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwqCf24TSY
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
Her brain raced through the names he just listed:21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlPlEzuYaw6
Pectoralis major, biceps, wrist flexors…
Every one of them…
were the muscles you use when you hold someone close.
“Wait—are you saying… I should test them by having you hug me? For accuracy?”
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmyfOfh4XBN
Kouichi didn’t reply.
He just turned and gave her a look—expression neutral, eyes steady.
Suzuran, meanwhile, lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Yes! Yes yes yes!! Obviously!!”
“….”
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPNlR4B9DnF
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqiNHUanw2
Without a word, he slowly raised a hand…21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ69uWWbEDCW
and pressed it flat against her face.
“Idiot.”
Tone completely deadpan.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWEVhXV2tC
As if stating “Your book is upside down.”
Suzuran’s face exploded red.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkQkjgjuPn
“Wh—Hey!!”
“I was kidding,”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ98LyBQfu7f
Kouichi muttered, calmly returning to her report.21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJRgViAclb
His voice dry as ever.
“I didn’t think you’d actually take it seriously.”
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHL2fNeJSxu
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwEd25XOtn
“No wonder your etiquette grades are so borderline…21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmxuOuB7NO
You’ve probably been reading shoujo manga under the desk instead.”
“Hey—!”21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZfhRIj9AIc
She exploded, grabbing a pillow and rolling back and forth in outrage.
“You can’t say stuff like that in that tone!!21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHe6PEZeLpZ
Don’t forget who your master is!”
Kouichi shot her a glance and deadpanned:21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIjGHkhfmc
“You were the one who took it the wrong way.”
“I did not! It’s called hands-on learning, thank you very much.”
“Mm. Real dedication. I’m impressed.”
21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLTdOPqYA2
He nodded with mock sincerity, then looked back down to continue writing comments, like he was grading some kind of midterm paper.
But in that moment—
facing away from her—
his lips twitched21Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwQFTuvFnZV
into a small, unmistakable smile.
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