Watanabe and Daiki began to laugh sinisterly.
The three closed the door, and Yamamoto didn't walk over immediately. Instead, he pulled a stocking from his pocket and put it over his head like a robber.
"Hurry up and get the camera ready. I can't wait any longer," Yamamoto said as he started taking off his clothes.
By this point, Masashi already understood what they intended to do. They planned to record the assault to use as leverage later, a classic but effective tactic. However, the downside was that if the victim was someone with a strong moral compass, she might still report them regardless of the threats. That's why they wore stockings to hide their faces.
It seemed like the right time to act; otherwise, it would be too late. Masashi refocused his energy and stood up.
Yamamoto had already stripped Naoko of her clothes. Seeing her mature, graceful figure, even the three who were no strangers to such things felt their heartbeats quicken.
"Hurry up, Yamamoto. This kind of woman is too tempting," Watanabe said, holding the camera, his hands trembling slightly.
"Shut up, I know," Yamamoto replied, his voice thick with desire, as he pulled on Naoko's dress roughly.
Suddenly, the room went completely dark.
"Damn it, what's going on? A power outage?" Yamamoto cursed.
At that moment, they heard the door open, and a shadow slipped in. The three were startled, and Watanabe shouted, "Who's there?"
The figure didn't respond but charged forward at an incredible speed.
Before the three could react, they felt a sudden numbness in their bodies, and with a single "smack," they all collapsed to the floor.
Masashi looked at his hand in satisfaction; it seemed his acupressure skills hadn't deteriorated.
In the darkness, Naoko's faint, alluring voice continued to echo.
Masashi turned on the lights and looked at her, her body writhing slightly. He took a deep breath, picked her up, and carried her to the washroom designated for teachers.
It was only a short walk, but Naoko clung tightly to his neck, her smooth, warm skin pressing against his chest. Her flushed face and soft skin radiated warmth, and her intermittent sighs were nearly maddening.
Masashi sighed; he had to muster almost inhuman restraint to bring her to the washroom.
Turning on the faucet, Masashi placed her head under the cold water.
"Ugh…cough…what are you doing?" she stammered as the cold water slowly brought her back to her senses.
Masashi let her go, then grabbed a towel from the wall and handed it to her.
"Are you…Masashi?" Naoko asked, still looking dazed.
"Here, wipe your face," he replied.
She took the towel, wiped her face, then looked up, "What are you doing here?"
"Maybe take a look at yourself first," he replied, realizing it was distracting to have her standing there unclothed. If it had been his past self, he probably wouldn't have been able to handle it.
Naoko looked down at herself and gasped, covering herself hurriedly. "Did…did you do this?" she asked, her voice furious.
"It wasn't me; it was Yamamoto and his friends. They're unconscious outside if you want to check," he replied.
"Really?"
"You can check if you want."
She started to get up but quickly sat back down, realizing her current state.
"Put this on," he said, offering her his school jacket.
"Th-thank you."
"I'll wait outside. Hurry up and get dressed," Masashi said before stepping outside.
She couldn't help but feel a bit touched. Naoko had always thought he was a considerate person.
Women really are complicated—she was taking forever just to get dressed. Waiting for her made Masashi impatient, something he disliked.
Eventually, Naoko came out, wearing his school jacket, having adjusted her appearance a bit.
"Luckily, they didn't damage your dress, or I'd be in trouble," Masashi muttered to himself.
Naoko glanced at him, then couldn't help but stifle a laugh, managing to hold it in.
"Those guys are in here. See?" Masashi pulled off the stocking from Yamamoto's head.
Seeing the three sprawled out on the floor, Naoko fully understood what had happened.
"Did you drink something someone gave you?" he asked.
She thought for a moment. "A female student gave me a soda. Do you think she…?"
"Likely. You were drugged. If I hadn't come, they would have succeeded."
"Did…did they do anything to me?" she asked hesitantly.
"No, they didn't. They were about to take your dress off when I stepped in."
"How did you knock them out?" It was hard for Naoko to believe Masashi, who was small in stature, had managed to take out three people.
"It was simple—two words: sneak attack. Any other questions?" Masashi didn't want to dwell on this.
"No, that's all." Noticing his discomfort, she didn't press further.
"If that's it, you should head back. I need to deal with them."
"What are you going to do to them?" she asked, alarmed.
He smiled at her, "You've been watching too many crime dramas. I'm not planning to do anything extreme."
Realizing she was overreacting, Naoko relaxed.
Masashi dragged the three unconscious men into a nearby classroom, placing Yamamoto on the teacher's desk. Then he noticed Naoko was still watching him from the doorway and walked over, "Why haven't you left?"
"C-could you walk me out? I'm a little scared," she admitted timidly. After the close call, her vulnerability showed through, and she was like a frightened child.
Masashi frowned, "Alright. Bring your car around and wait for me downstairs, okay?"
"Okay, I'll wait for you. Don't take too long," she said, her voice soft.
Once she was out of sight, Masashi grinned and got to work.
He found the soda bottle in Naoko's office, then searched Daiki, where he discovered a small blue pill packet. Dissolving the pills into the soda, he poured a bit into each man's mouth until it was gone. Then, satisfied with his work, he discarded the soda bottle and the paper towel he used to avoid leaving fingerprints.
"Stimulants mixed with hallucinogens, and they're in the ultimate '69' position. I can't wait till dawn," he muttered with a smirk.
***
When Masashi reached the parking lot, he saw Naoko peering out of her car window anxiously. When she saw him approach, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"What took you so long?"
"Let's go. I need to get home for dinner."
"Let me take you out for dinner. I still need to thank you."
"Maybe next time. Dressed like that, we might attract attention."
"Alright," she agreed reluctantly.
Masashi glanced at her and said, "Let me drive. You look half-asleep; I don't trust you behind the wheel."
"I don't know why, but I feel a bit dizzy," she said, moving aside to let him take the driver's seat.
"It's just the lingering effect of the drug. Rest, and you'll be fine."
Just as he was about to start the car, Naoko suddenly remembered, "If I'm not mistaken, aren't you only 16? You're not even old enough to have a driver's license."
"Don't worry. Whether I have a license or not has nothing to do with whether I can drive," he said, smoothly shifting gears.
"So…you really don't have a license?" she asked, now alarmed.
"If we see any police, we'll just switch seats," he replied, relishing the thrill. Within eight seconds, he had the car accelerating from 30 to 120 km/h. As the scenery blurred past, he felt exhilarated.
Naoko, however, had never experienced this side of her car's performance and clung tightly to her seatbelt, a terrified expression on her face.
"Where do you live, by the way?" he asked.
"Are you serious? You've been driving for almost an hour and are only asking now?" she replied, trembling from either fear or frustration.
She knew it was better to hold her temper, though, given that he'd saved her life. She calmly directed him.
Eventually, he slowed down, unfamiliar with the area, which allowed her to finally relax.
"Let's listen to some music," he suggested.
Naoko turned on the radio, and a clear female voice filled the car.
"Love Me Tender. I didn't expect to hear such an old song," Masashi said, a hint of nostalgia in his tone.
"You like this song?" she asked, surprised.
"An old friend loved this song. She sang it beautifully. Unfortunately, she's no longer around," he replied, his voice quiet.
Naoko fell silent.
"Which way now?"
"Oh, turn right, and we're there," she replied, snapping back to attention.
They arrived at a quiet, two-story apartment surrounded by a serene atmosphere.
"Teaching must pay well. This place isn't cheap, I'm sure."
"It's nothing, really. Would you like to come in and sit for a bit, or perhaps wait while I change clothes and then we can go for dinner?"
"No need. You should rest properly. Goodbye." With that, he turned and walked away.
A hint of disappointment showed on Naoko's face.
Suddenly, she saw Masashi turn back, and her heart raced as she hurried toward him.
"Almost forgot to tell you something—don't tell anyone about what happened tonight. At least, not the reason. By tomorrow, you'll understand. Remember that." Only then did he finally leave.
Watching his figure grow smaller in the distance, a wave of reluctance rose in Naoko's heart. She just hadn't noticed the change in her own feelings.