"Let me see now... Classmate Nishimiya wasn't jealous earlier, was she?"

Akira leaned in slightly, imitating Shouko's tone from before as he teased her, an impish smile tugging at his lips.

Shouko rolled her eyes and tried to slide her chair back to her own seat, pretending she hadn't heard him.

But there was no way Akira was letting her off the hook that easily—he had waited a long time for this kind of opening. So, he kept poking at her, his words dripping with playful sarcasm.

Shouko, flustered by the memory of how gently he'd explained the math problem to her earlier—and now seeing that same face grinning mischievously—snapped.

She grabbed his arm and, without hesitation, bit down.

"I—I—I was wrong!"

Akira yelped, completely caught off guard.

Pain bloomed across his arm. His muscles tensed in reflex as he hurried to apologize. He couldn't believe the normally calm and gentle Shouko had just bitten him—and with some serious force, too.

Clearly, even a rabbit would bite when cornered.

He mentally swore that next time, he wouldn't test her patience like this again.

Feeling the sting fade slightly and seeing him flustered, Shouko slowly let go. But because she'd held on a bit too long, there were a few strands of saliva still connecting her lips to his skin.

Flustered herself now, she dipped her head, the tips of her ears turning a soft red. And before he could react—she bit down again.

But this time, instead of biting with anger, she gently licked the mark she'd left, back and forth.

She recalled those nature documentaries where injured lions and tigers would lick their wounds to ease the pain. Somehow, that image had stuck with her, and she figured if she caused the pain, she should try to help soothe it.

Her logic wasn't perfect—but her heart was in the right place.

The result, though?

Akira was experiencing something entirely different. The first bite had been a jolt of pain, but this... this careful, rhythmic licking… it sent a chill right down his spine.

"A-Akira, are you okay? Does it still hurt?" Shouko asked, looking up at him with concern.

He shook his head quickly—maybe too quickly—and dug into his bag for a wet wipe to clean the spot. Trying to keep his composure, he wiped away the saliva and said seriously:

"I'm not some kind of lolicon pervert, okay..."

Then, despite himself, he sniffed the air as if checking something.

Shouko, misreading his silence, started to worry that he might be angry.

Softly, she offered:

"How about… I let you bite me back?"

And before Akira could respond, she extended one of her pale, slender arms toward him.

He stared at the delicate arm in front of him, then took a deep breath, pushing aside the dark little thought that popped into his mind.

"It's fine," he said at last. "The bite didn't actually hurt much—I was just thinking."

To reassure her, he gently took her hand and patted her head.

"Mhm mhm…"

Shouko leaned slightly into his hand, visibly relaxing.

Meanwhile, Ishida Shoya returned to the classroom carrying a wet rag. He immediately noticed Shimada Ikki and Hirose Keisuke were already in their seats—but he said nothing. He simply walked back to his desk and began wiping it down.

"Baka yarou!"

"Who did this?! I just went to get water, and someone flipped my desk?!"

Two other boys had just returned with drinks and were met with the wreckage of their area. Their shouts echoed through the room, drawing everyone's attention.

"Ishida did it," the Crew Cut Guy called out immediately, tossing the blame to clear his own name. Then, as if rewarding himself, he snickered behind his hand and glanced toward Shoya.

Sure, he'd been punched earlier that morning, but now he had his revenge—without even throwing a fist.

Even though a few classmates had seen what really happened, no one spoke up for Shoya.

The two boys quieted down quickly. Ishida was known for being fearless when it came to fighting—and with Hirose Keisuke potentially backing him up, no one wanted to be caught in a one-sided beatdown.

Plus, Ishida didn't care if teachers called his parents. They, on the other hand, did.

Shoya heard the accusation, but he didn't react. He just kept wiping his desk in silence, his face expressionless.

He had no intention of yelling or fighting now. It wasn't worth it.

But after class?

That guy was going down.

"Dong… dong… dong!"

The classroom door opened and Teacher Takeuchi stepped in, his brows already furrowed.

"What's going on here?! Why are the desks and chairs a mess again?!" he barked as he scanned the chaotic back rows.

Students quickly scurried to sit properly in their seats, eyes fixed forward.

None of the desks had been fixed. Most of the students in the back row had only returned right before the bell rang.

Takeuchi's gaze landed on the Class Monitor.

"Kawai. Explain."

Kawai Miki sighed. Of course, she was going to be the one asked.

She stood up and answered with a hint of reluctance:

"Takeuchi Sensei, Ishida and Ito were the ones who fought earlier."

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Takeuchi slammed his hand on the podium repeatedly, his face reddening.

"Ishida again?! What the hell is wrong with you?! Go fix the desks and chairs right now!"

No mention of Ito. The teacher didn't even try to hide his bias.

Shoya clenched the rag tightly in his hand, a vein popping in his forehead—but said nothing.

He knew this wasn't fair. But he also knew this was his mess. Without a word, he tossed the rag on the desk and began restoring order—pulling desks upright and cramming textbooks back into drawers.

He didn't even look at Takeuchi Sensei. What was the point?

The man already had a target painted on him.

"Alright, class starts now. Those still outside, come in already—and next time, don't be late." Takeuchi muttered as he cracked open the Japanese language textbook.

"Same routine. Stand up one by one and read today's lesson out loud."

He dragged a chair from behind the podium, sat down, and began his usual detached class.

The class dragged on with students reading aloud in order. Takeuchi mumbled a few vague explanations and wrapped up just before the bell rang.

As the bell echoed through the room, he didn't even bother saying "class dismissed." He just closed his book and walked out.

The second he was gone—

"ITO!!"

Shoya's voice roared across the classroom.

He had waited the whole class.

-------------

POWER STONE!!!

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