-Conversations between teasers-
-From Mayu's point of view-
"I'll take you up on that offer another time. Meet me in front of the dorm in half an hour," he ordered into the back I had turned to face him, arms crossed protectively in front of my chest.
Half an hour?! Holy shit! I still had to wash my hair and had no idea what to wear! Because if we were going out for dinner, I wanted to wear something smart. He had really hit the bull's eye with that one. 30 minutes was not enough. There was no time for any mishaps or changes. But that aside - he invites me to dinner? Was I allowed to take that as a date?
Nonsense! Don't get carried away now... You idiot...
With my eyebrows furrowed, I listened as the sound of rustling clothes could be heard behind me and hopefully Satoru was actually getting dressed. I didn't really want to see him bluntly naked. Well, although... I was a little bit curious. And yes, ok. That was a lie! Of course I would love to see him naked! Let's not kid ourselves.
After all, he had joined me in the bath. It was more than funny, but I found it incredibly amusing. Still, it was very unfortunate that I couldn't look away from him.
Next time, I had to remind myself not to use too much foam.
Next time...
Just like before, my heart began to jump in a triangle, while the thousand butterflies in my stomach fluttered around wildly and incessantly, looking for their places. Who said he was allowed to do that again? Or was he even allowed to? I certainly hadn't been angry with him, but a second time?
Now it was quiet behind me.
No sound of clothes or of him himself.
"Are you finished?" I asked curiously and was halfway through turning carelessly towards him.
"If you want to look anything away from me, then yes."
Oh fuck!
I paused briskly in my movement, pressed my lips together caught off guard and turned my gaze forward again. The thought of seeing him naked was exciting, of course, but not in this situation.
"No, I don't really want to," I said, shaking my head and smiling.
"Actually?" he repeated brightly, "are you trying to tell me something?"
Oh, Mayu ... Think and then talk!
"No. No. Really. It just slipped out by mistake!" I hiccuped and hoped that my little faux pas had been buried.
Sometimes it would have been better to think before I spoke... Sometimes it worked, but not always. Especially not when I was upset in any way. And I meant - hello? I was standing naked behind my half-naked teacher, who was also extremely attractive! Who could think straight then?!
Luckily for me, he didn't say anything back. Maybe it was better that he didn't share his thoughts with me this time.
But what was he doing there for so long? The few items of clothing he had with him earlier were put on in a flash, weren't they?
I heard the sound of the clothes again and once more I was hopeful that the gentleman was finally dressed. So I dared to glance over my shoulder at him again, which was promptly smeared on my bread again.
"I can come back to you in the bath, Mayu," he admonished me, but with a teasing undertone.
...! Was I going too fast again? He must have seen in the mirror he was standing in front of that I wanted to turn around again. Couldn't he simply have looked in a different direction? That was unfair. But wait a minute - could it also have been possible that he was just holding me out, even though he was probably already finished getting dressed?
If only I had known that it was the same, then I could have taken revenge on him.
"I didn't want to look! And no, you're definitely not coming back into the bath so you can see me naked!" I yelped in horror.
"That's too bad," he regretted theatrically, "but I could see that you wanted to look again."
I rolled my eyes and let the corners of my mouth shoot up. If I really didn't want to get myself into trouble, then I should have been a little more careful. Although I had loved playing with fire beyond words. However, I hadn't exactly been in the best position to do so.
"I really hope that the half hour only applies once you're out of here," I demanded.
"Of course it does. From now on then!"
How from now on? Confused, I turned around and could just see him, fully dressed, open the door and walk out.
That rascal!
A second earlier, this wretch had threatened me with the fact that I could have anything looked away from him? Well, that cried out for revenge! He was in for a treat. My little flame of play fire, which I would actually have considered, went out in an instant. It wouldn't have been too bad if he had seen a little more of my body.
Soured, I puffed the air out through my nose. I hated having the upper hand taken away from me. What's more, he had lied to me as cold as ice. He was already dressed at least enough so that I wouldn't have seen the most intimate parts. I laughed out loud. I had fallen for him again.
Shaking my head, I reached for my shampoo and wet my waist-length hair completely before shampooing it.
I was doing something with it. I'd only been there for four months and in that time he'd been busy with missions and other stuff more than half the time, but in the last few weeks he'd been paying more attention to me and my supposed power to curse.
Sometimes so much that I wanted to burst, but there were also moments when we often laughed together and got up to some nonsense. All in all, I've had a pretty crazy, but once again totally brilliant time here at the academy.
I immediately let the shampoo out of my hair again and continued to concentrate on my body, which I soaped up next.
The last two weeks in particular had been very intense compared to the others before. In our training sessions, we had become physically closer - no, not as I had thought, that we were getting down and dirty, but there had been one or two fighting techniques that he had suggested to me. So nothing kinky. Bathing, on the other hand, was far more intimate than what we had experienced together so far.
Piggy! It was much hotter in my head than it was in reality.
Finally, I rinsed off the fragrant foam water and let it drain out of the bath before getting out and drying myself off.
I was sure that I only had a whopping 20 minutes left until the agreed dinner time, but I spared myself a glance at the clock. It only slowed me down unnecessarily and I wrapped my hair in a towel turban.
With just a fluffy white towel wrapped around my half-wet body and on my head, I stood in front of the large bathroom mirror and reapplied my make-up for the evening. However, this only consisted of a black eyeliner line and mascara to cleverly accentuate my ultraviolet eyes.
I didn't use the rest, such as concealer, foundation or powder, as it hid my freckles and made me feel like a doll. I just didn't like it. It bothered me immensely to constantly think about the fact that I had a layer on my face that I could destroy with every touch and make it look blotchy.
My eyes immediately caught sight of my numerous lipsticks, which immediately began to flirt with me.
Immediately I had rarely done without them, because I loved them, but I didn't think they were absolutely necessary for tonight.
After all, we were only going out for dinner, not on a date.
Next, I hastily freed my hair from the towel turban again, ran my fingers roughly through my straight hair before massaging hair oil into the damp lengths and quickly slipped into my fresh and already laid out underwear.
To my regret, and because I didn't know anything about my further evening program until just now, I had only taken my underwear and my sleeping clothes into the bathroom. As already mentioned, I didn't have enough time to change my clothes, although I still didn't know what outfit I was going to wear. So I decided to wrap the white towel around my body again and hope that none of the boys came out of their rooms while I was scurrying to my room.
Why did the bathroom have to be at the beginning of the long corridor and my room at the back? Had Satoru chosen it that way? After all, he was the one who had assigned me my room immediately after I had been admitted and Megumi had intervened to ask why I had been given that room of all places. There was still no answer to that question.
So fine!
Mission to get into my room half-naked in 3... 2... 1...
Quietly and, above all, slowly, I opened the door from the bathroom and caught a glimpse of the long corridor to my left. Apart from the few blood-orange rays of sunlight shining in through the windows, there was no other source of light anywhere. So for now, I could assume that none of the boys' doors were open. I saw nothing else but the empty corridor.
Just as well, because I didn't necessarily intend to get caught in my own misery. Especially not by Kento. Or Megumi. Oh, or preferably by Satoru. Although that wouldn't have mattered either.
I mean, who doesn't go swimming with their teacher? Mind you, without any swimming costumes or anything else covering me up.
I immediately scurried through the bathroom door, left it open and slipped out, a cool breeze snaking around my not yet completely dry legs, on which goose bumps immediately appeared.
I passed door number one and door number two, where Kento and Megumi lived, but fortunately nothing was moving and I was able to sneak past unnoticed. Just two more doors and I had reached my kingdom! But the penultimate door belonged to my date - äh, Satoru. Jesus Christ in heaven. Why did that make me so confused?
With my heart pounding loudly, almost drowning out my almost silent steps, I left this last fateful obstacle behind me and smuggled myself half-naked into my room, immediately closing the door behind me.
Relieved, I expelled the air and let the tiny bit of tension that felt important enough to emerge fall away.
Done!
I didn't want to repeat this cloak-and-dagger operation again.
Now it was time to hurry! I was literally running out of time.
Regardless, I dropped the snow-white towel to the floor and paid a quick visit to my large mirrored wardrobe, which I literally tore open and skimmed over my choice of clothes.
The little black dress? No, too short and dark. The innocent mid-length crisp white dress? Didn't fit the plan. Something colorful and shorter? Not for tonight! A tight-fitting trouser suit in royal blue? No. A loose, monochrome blouse with comfortable jeans? Too everyday! Why was I so picky! What was wrong with the shoes? Shoes! In the end, they determined what clothes I wore.
I was immediately struck by ivory white sandals with a comfortable mid-height heel and delicate straps and the perfect outfit came to mind. I reached for a beige knee-length dress, decorated with a floral print, a high-necked frill collar and long, playful sleeves. In other words - romantic.
I quickly slipped into my favorite dress, closed the black mirrored wardrobe and checked my outfit.
Here and there, I adjusted the flared hem of the dress before I went to my desk on my left and reached for my perfume from the shelf above. I put two more spritzes on my neck and shoulders and in my hair, because that's where it smelled the longest, and on my wrists. To finish, I ran my fingers through my still damp hair again, quickly grabbed my cell phone, which I stowed away in a small handbag, and clasped the handle of my bedroom door.
Glancing at the clock on my bedside cabinet next to my big bed, which immediately told me that exactly 30 minutes must have passed, I ripped the door open with a rush and bumped straight into big, broad shoulders and a strong chest.
"Oops!" I gasped in horror and clutched the muscular upper arms that had stood in my way, "sorry."
"Right on time," I heard the familiar voice over my head and felt one of those arms wrap around my waist.
Satoru's masculine scent immediately caught my nose, and I suddenly felt unspeakably hot. My pulse began to race. That was a little too close for me - at least for the hallway of the dormitory. Surely the rumor mill around us was already boiling. So I hesitantly took a step back, but immediately realized that there was no further escape as I was already leaning against the closed door.
I swallowed hard. Hopefully we were alone in the corridor at the moment, because I didn't want to be a target for the rumor mill, even if I would have loved to snuggle closer to him. However, as if he had heard my thoughts, he pulled me close to him again, and I shuddered as I looked at his face - much more at his soul mirrors covered by the black blindfold.
Satoru placed his index finger under my chin and leaned down a little towards me. I instinctively held my breath and was no longer able to push him away from me. What was he doing to me? My heart doubled its speed as his face came closer and closer to me.
I blinked.
He hadn't come this close to me before and if he didn't stop immediately, it would be our first kiss.
However, he didn't stop and the next moment he felt his soft lips brush the corner of my mouth before they made their way over my cheek, kissing tenderly. They glided delicately up to my ear, where they stopped.
I felt an unspeakable icy shiver run down my spine, not realizing that I had almost clawed my way into his cloud-white shirt.
"That dress looks really good on you, beautiful," he whispered to me, before biting my earlobe tenderly, eliciting a sharp intake of breath.
...!
He didn't really do that?
I immediately braced my hands against him to regain a little of my stolen distance and looked up at his face again in horror. I was immediately covered in goose bumps and my breath caught in my throat. My cheeks, which had certainly turned the color of a juicy cherry, were literally burning. How dare he! I was more than extremely sensitive in my ears, which meant that it wasn't just my ears that were irritated.
"Satoru!" I hissed, growling, but quietly enough to make it clear that he had hit me hard, "are you crazy?"
But instead of showing remorse, the corners of his mouth lifted, while his shoulders began to shake treacherously. Was he laughing at me? What a lout!
"You're really nasty!" At first I thought you were going to kiss me and then that? If only you knew that you were arousing me..., "Next time I'll turn to you in the bath," I promised him quietly and threateningly, referring to the action I had almost caught earlier.
"An invitation for the next time? I'll gladly accept."
I closed my eyes and turned my head to the side. All I wanted to do was defend myself, what had I done instead? Invited him to bathe again. I mentally applauded myself - first think, then speak...
"No, not really. Although you don't stick to it anyway. And now come on! Let's go! I don't want the other two to see us!"
To give my words even more emphasis, I put more pressure on his upper arms and only now did I notice that he was dressed casually to suit me. His uniform made way for a snow-white shirt that discreetly revealed his stature, which he left generously unbuttoned and wore with sand-colored trousers that were rounded off with black shoes.
Was there anything I didn't find good-looking about him? Probably not.
Luckily for me, we walked through the dormitory to the exit without being spotted, just like I had earlier. So our little rapprochement remained hidden from Kento and Megumi, which secretly relieved me.
The summer evening air immediately provided some much-needed cooling as we left the dormitory. Although it also cooled my burning cheeks and annoyed ear, it was still far too warm for that. It was probably only because my thoughts couldn't tear themselves away from how close Satoru had just come to me.
The numerous trees around us only allowed the occasional hazy rays of the setting sun to shine through, which meant that the evening was slowly fading into night.
Even though it probably hadn't been a good idea, I still walked right next to him and naturally clasped his hand with mine. At first I thought that he might only tolerate this for a few seconds, but then I was pleased that he intertwined his fingers with mine and made it clear to me that he had enjoyed it just as much as I had, that we were giving each other a little intimacy.
The whole situation made me more than happy.
I saw our walk to the restaurant as a kind of evening stroll, which gradually turned into a night walk and I had a certain fondness for those.
The atmosphere was completely different from daytime, the air seemed purer and with a clear night sky I could observe the numerous stars and admire the brightly shining moon. I was definitely one of those night owls who could enjoy this magic more than probably most of us.
The same applied to autumn and winter. If it had been up to me, there would have been no spring or summer. Even though both seasons had their countless advantages, such as the magnificent blossoms of the delicate cherry blossom trees, which I counted among my favorite natural spectacles, just as much as going swimming in the sea in summer and countless other advantages. Nevertheless, they did not overthrow my two beloved seasons.
And even though I had previously grumbled about the fact that my companion had allocated me the furthest room, I was completely happy with it. Because I had direct access to the leafy courtyard, which resembled a flowery garden.
Hidden between the large and numerous cherry blossom trees was a bench or two to sit on, which I had already visited many times in recent months.
At night, it was almost eerily quiet and still around the academy, if you ignored the noisy cicadas.
Exactly the places I had needed to retreat to at times. Nothing but me, my thoughts and the peace and quiet to ground myself a few times.
After a few silent minutes, however, I grabbed the cozy calmness of her collar and let her disappear.
"What would you like to eat today?"
"I'm particularly in the mood for sushi."
"Oh yes, good idea. I really like that too," I said happily.
"I always have good ideas," he was convinced of himself, whereupon I raised an eyebrow and almost started to laugh.
"Well. That's not quite true. Basically, yes, but the torture methods you use on me are anything but good."
"Well, they're good, but you just don't respond to them."
"... I probably never will," I sighed discouragedly.
"I'm not so sure about that, Mayu. I sense that there's an immense curse power inside you. The one that should be assigned to a special rank and I'll see to it that you use it soon."
Special rank... Once again we had the term that had stuck with me since I arrived at the academy. In my opinion, it was also more like a punishment in my case.
It was extremely unpleasant for me and if I had had it in my hands, I would certainly have been something like a Jujuzist pre-grader - not even suitable for first class.
Only talented, strong and extremely few Jujuzists and curse spirits held this rank and title and were worthy of it. Me, on the other hand?
It was still a mystery to me how they came up with the extremely glorious idea and decision to classify me in the special rank without further ado.
My admission to the academy at the time was literally the result of a bad movie scene. Together with Satoru, who had saved me from this extremely angry 2nd-rank curse spirit less than an hour before, I was immediately allowed to face my next evil of the evening. I stood in front of none other than the principal Masamichi Yaga.
If I had been asked nicely at this point which of the two I found more frightening, I would probably have chosen ... both?!
A tall, handsome and very broad man, estimated to be in his mid-forties, who didn't make a single face behind his pitch-black sunglasses, but was preparing something like a felt doll?! I later found out that he made so-called curse covers in the form of cuddly toys and gave them curse powers. He looked me up and down and that alone made me feel sick to my stomach. But when he set his thin lips, which had been framed by a defined chocolate-brown beard, to a word, I instantly got the feeling of obeying.
I wanted to shit my pants! Literally! I wondered whether I was more than just standing in front of him. Where to put my hands, which I ended up hiding behind my back, and watching the look on my face when I met him.
I was carrying all these worry packages around with me at that moment.
Grumbling and deep-toned, his clear and demanding voice bluntly asked me to state my name and why I should be accepted to the academy.
In my head, the letters formed my answer. I resolved to give him my answer confidently and steadfastly, as he had just asked me to do, and not to show him that I was extremely wary of this gorilla.
I could still remember shakily beginning with, "My name is Mayu Ryomen a-and-".
Nothing more than those six words echoed through the anteroom of the academy, and I wanted to mention that the recording was due to the nature of the two boys, but Masamichi Yaga interrupted me as if it was a matter of course.
As if it was only yesterday, I could still remember his exact words, "You, Mayu Ryomen, are now officially admitted to the academy! Please show her around the dormitory, Satoru, and make sure she's trained properly!"
Unlike before, there was a tone of voice mixed in that I couldn't describe as anything other than awe.
Maybe I was wrong, but at the moment I mentioned my name, I felt a slump in my mood that they had vehemently tried to hide. However, as a highly sensitive person, such vibrations were rarely hidden from me. But who was I to ask exactly that? So I left it at that and saved the question until I was alone with Satoru a little later.
I didn't get a clever or even desired answer as to why he interrupted my explanation - I should have been satisfied with that. Instead, I was told straight up that I had been assigned to the special rank.
At the same time, Satoru had listed the different grades for me and three guesses were made as to how outraged I was that I was given such a high classification without further ado.
"Boo! May the special rank jujuzist tell me where her thoughts are?"
Startled, I stared up at Satoru, who had now stood in front of me and placed his hands on my shoulders, bringing me to a halt.
Oops. That was too much of a head trip, wasn't it?
"Oh," I began thoughtfully - I couldn't really talk my way out of it now, "I just can't come to terms with the fact that I belong to the special rank. It would be really kind of you if you wouldn't mention it. I think it's terrible and extremely inappropriate."
At least it wasn't a lie, but it was only half of the movie.
"Do you think so? At least we're on the same page."
I hadn't thought about it like that before, but he was invariably right.
Now my jaw dropped, "seriously? But that's exactly the problem, Satoru! How can I, a nonagenarian, be on a par with you? Belonging to the same rank even though I can't cast curses, unless it was those 4th rank poopers. I don't have any cursing power and there never will be any," I protested dejectedly.
This comparison was even worse than the fact itself.
"Don't go scaring the hell out of me," he tried to calm me down, came up to me and put his arm around my shoulder from the side, making me keep walking, "she'll come, just wait and see."
"No way," I mumbled snidely and turned my gaze away from him, "if it were up to me, I wouldn't even call myself a jujuzist..."
"What?!" he was indignant, "not even a jujuzist? We're happy for anyone who is the same as us. There are only a few who have inherited seeing curses from birth. Our institution includes the principal Masamichi, Megumi, Kento and me. In addition to the four of us, we also have four other Jujuzists. But they are currently in Kyoto for a longer period of time, which is why you haven't met them yet."
Now I pricked up my ears.
"Really now? So there are other students among us?"
"Yep. They're second-year jujuzist So three of them. One of them belongs to the special rank, just like you."
Oh, another special-rank jujuzist? At least I was no longer completely alone on the podium with Satoru. However, I already feared that he must have had just as devastating a power to curse and curse energy as Satoru. But it also made me happy to hear that there were more of these strange people among us than the ones I had already come across.
"Another one of special rank?" I was interested, 'I hope he can see a bit more than just curses, can't he?' I asked self-deprecatingly.
I simply felt out of place in this position.
"Don't put yourself down like that. And yes, he can. He's even a distant relative of mine. Let me tell you that he, Yuta Okkotsu, hasn't had it any easier than you have."
His pride in his distant relative was honored, but this mini-hopeful, who I had naively thought that there was someone else like me, a good-for-nothing, was just leaving.
I also didn't believe that I should have been comforted by the fact that this Yuta was having just as hard a time as I was. After all, he was also related to Satoru.
In my family history, things were much darker. There was no one who had passed on this strange ability to me. Just like my supposedly dormant power to curse, which I was still firmly convinced was non-existent.
All that was left was to see these things, but certainly not to exorcize them.
In short order, I was pulled into Satoru's arms.
"It's really getting to you, isn't it?" He didn't like my displeasure at all and raised his index finger in front of my face, "Listen. I have an idea. If my attempt tomorrow fails, I'll sit down with the top Heinis again and ask them if they won't demote you, agreed?"
"Would you really do that?", I tried to raise a spark of hope again.
"Only if it's good for you," he grinned broadly at me and I already suspected what he was thinking. He was horrified to see my expression.
"You already have anyway."
"Nope. That wasn't a direct invitation," he gloated confidently.
I tilted my head. It was hard to believe that he had cleverly arranged this for himself.
"All right..." I sighed in surrender, "would you like to go bathing with me next time?"
I could hardly believe it myself, but I had just made this absurd offer.
"Like I'd say no," he murmured contentedly, "but don't you think that's a bit too little? After all, I have to sit down with those nasty old men and they're anything but friendly."
Admittedly, I shared his view, even if it meant that it was at my expense. I had already noticed in the short time I had been there how stubborn they were and how Satoru didn't like going to them. So I more than appreciated his suggestion.
"For once, yes. So what else can I do for you?"
"I'll think about that when the time comes," he said happily, while I suspected something nasty. After all, it could have gone in any direction.
So after it was decided that I would make him a promise if his plans for tomorrow failed, we continued hand in hand on our way to the center of Tokyo.
Nevertheless, my recording situation still had me firmly in its grip. This mood swing that I had felt there gave me no peace. Should I have dared to broach the subject again? After all, I had been in this place for a few months now and had already gotten to know Satoru from several sides, and vice versa.
I sucked in my breath to dare to ask my question again, "...", but then I didn't.
You're a chicken. Just ask him. I can't get any more than the same answer.
"... Tell me. You remember how I stood in front of Masamichi at the beginning, don't you?"
"Of course," he replied more coolly.
Should I really ask him? He doesn't sound very enthusiastic right now - does he suspect my question?
"Why did he interrupt me to ask my name?" I asked bluntly, ignoring my growing uncertainty about his emphasis, "it seemed to me as if he was instantly uneasy."
Silence fell between us for a moment. If I wasn't mistaken, he was searching for the right words. He began to grin, which irritated me.
"Very well observed, Mayu," he confirmed my perception, which, by the way, I didn't want to believe was possible, "but that's a topic we should discuss at another time."
The tone of his voice didn't sound like he was going to answer any questions. But at least I no longer had to resign myself to just being happy, but knew that there was something behind it that seemed to be bigger. So all that remained was to wait and see what it was and when he was ready to talk to me about it.