As Natsuha Shinomiya finished watching the movie, Ito Youshito had already received a message from Kyouko Tsukishima.
Kyouko Tsukishima (Teacher): "[Ito-san, can you arrive at my house before 8 p.m.?]" (Seen)
Ito Yoshito: "[No problem, Tsukishima-sensei.]" (Seen)
Kyouko Tsukishima: "[Great, I'll send you my address.]" (Seen)
---Timeskip---
"Goodbye, Yoshito!"
"Goodbye, Aunt Tsubaki, Miyajima-nee!"
After saying farewell to Tsubaki and Sakura Miyajima, Ito Yoshito left the Miyajima Dojo and headed to the train station to make his way to Kyouko Tsukishima's home.
At this time, it was around 7 p.m., and unfortunately for Yoshito, he encountered the evening rush hour on the train, squeezed into a crowded car filled with people.
The sweltering heat caused the clean clothes Yoshito had changed into after washing at the Miyajima Dojo to become damp once more.
"What a torment..."
As the moon shone faintly, a refreshing breeze gradually lifted Yoshito's spirits.
Walking along the path, he waved his phone around, following the navigation instructions until he finally arrived at the apartment where Kyouko Tsukishima lived.
Upon arriving downstairs, he noticed a neatly dressed middle-aged man in a suit descending the stairs and heading toward the parking lot beside the apartment.
Curiously, Yoshito glanced at him before continuing upstairs to Kyouko Tsukishima's place.
"Bang, bang."
He knocked on the door.
"Tsukishima-sensei, it's me, Ito Yoshito."
He heard soft footsteps approaching, and then the door opened.
Before him stood a delicate face he had often seen over the past week, with smooth dark blue hair elegantly styled atop her head.
The meticulous bun softened her strikingly cold demeanor, making her appear gentler.
The fitted blue knit dress hugged Kyouko Tsukishima's curvaceous figure perfectly, accentuating her alluring shape.
"Come in," Kyouko Tsukishima said, mindful of her image in front of her students. Even at home, away from her work setting, she maintained a serious and aloof expression.
'Perhaps Tsukishima-sensei is naturally a bit distant?'
Yoshito pondered as he stepped into her home.
"Excuse me!"
"Try these on!"
Kyouko half-squatted, opening the shoe cabinet at the entrance to retrieve a pair of new men's slippers.
Standing behind Kyouko, Yoshito couldn't help but be distracted by the alluring sight revealed by her posture.
The knee-length fitted dress accentuated her mature curves enticingly as she crouched down.
Before she turned around, he quickly averted his gaze, but the subtle sweep of his eyes was noticed by Kyouko, though she chose not to comment on it.
Kyouko led Yoshito to the living room.
"Is it okay if I serve you some barley tea?"
"Sure," he replied.
Kyouko entered the kitchen, returning with a cup and filling it with barley tea.
"Um? Why aren't you sitting?"
She noticed Yoshito still standing when she stepped out of the kitchen.
"Oh."
Feeling a bit awkward since she was his teacher and they weren't very familiar yet, he hesitated.
"Here," Kyouko handed him the barley tea, then waved her hand slightly and continued, "Please take a seat. I'm going to change my clothes. We can start the tutoring session in a moment."
"Okay," Yoshito replied, taking a sip of the tea and nodding.
Watching Kyouko's figure disappear into the bedroom, Yoshito curiously surveyed the decorations around him.
The room was decorated in muted, elegant tones, with walls painted in soft ivory and light gray, creating a calming and harmonious atmosphere.
A plush carpet in a subdued deep blue covered the floor, providing a comfortable feel underfoot and adding warmth to the space.
'This really suits the cold exterior and warm interior of Tsukishima-sensei,' Yoshito thought, mentally nodding in approval.
"Bang!"
'Is Tsukishima-sensei that quick?'
He became curious when he heard the door open.
Stepping out of her room, Kyouko still wore the fitted blue knit dress, but now silky black stockings hugged her well-defined thighs, making them appear even more toned.
Kyouko was acutely aware of the heated and almost imperceptible gazes that kept drifting to her long, shapely legs. A slight blush crept across her porcelain-like face.
'As expected...he seems quite fond of my stockings.'
"Itou, let's go to my study. It's time to begin your tutoring session."
Yoshito quickly gulped down the barley tea, set the cup down, and followed Kyouko into the study.
The room was bathed in warm light and filled with a light scent of wood, the shelves lining the walls were meticulously arranged with books, while a few open books lay on a beautifully crafted desk.
A black-and-white sketch of sisters adorned the wall, enveloping the study in warmth.
Kyouko approached the desk, motioning for Yoshito to sit.
"Yoshito, you sit here."
Once Yoshito was settled, Kyouko opened a nearby folder and extracted a test paper.
"Please work on this paper. Once you've finished this foundational exercise, I will explain some challenging points, and then we can tackle your missed monthly exam from last month, which will be easier to understand after that."
Under the warm glow of the lamp, Yoshito scribbled quickly.
Over the past week, he had reviewed the lessons he had missed, and aside from a few difficult questions, he could handle most of them.
Moreover, the test Kyouko provided mostly consisted of foundational questions with minimal calculations, so Yoshito finished quickly.
"Sensei, I'm done."
Kyouko, lounging in a comfortable office chair and reading with her legs crossed, paused in surprise at his speed.
"That was fast?"
She set aside her book, pushed herself up from the chair, and as she did, her dress swayed, the straps on her shoulders tautening and relaxing under the motion.
"Let me see."
Kyouko rolled her chair over next to Yoshito's, sat down, and began to grade his test paper.
Bored, Yoshito fiddled with his phone, but he couldn't help but be drawn in by the enticing sight of her legs, accentuated by her stockings, each time he glanced down.
Seeming to find her crossed legs uncomfortable, Kyouko shifted, straightening her legs.
The seamless black stockings caught the light in the dimly lit room, making her legs even more enticing.
'Hmm? Surely she's not doing that intentionally?'
"Yoshito, you did quite well," Kyouko remarked, setting down her pen and allowing a subtle smile to grace her lips.
'As expected, he is a highly talented student. I must not let his potential go to waste. I might need to increase my expectations for him, but to make a horse run, you must feed it well. Rewards are necessary, such as... black stockings...'
This was the first time Yoshito had seen Kyouko smile, akin to a rare winter sun illuminating a budding snow lotus, revealing its beauty against the cold highlands.
"However, there are still a few questions you got wrong. Let me explain."
Just as fleeting as it had appeared, Kyouko's smile vanished, and she returned to her serious demeanor.
With a purposeful motion, Kyouko used her foot encased in a blue house slipper to glide her chair closer to Yoshito.
Due to the need to explain the problems, Kyouko positioned herself quite close to him.
Her hair flowed gently past her shoulders, slightly swaying as she turned the pages of her book.
At this close distance, Yoshito could sense a faint, intoxicating fragrance that tugged at his senses.
Her clear, cold voice flowed like melting snowwater, as she calmly and eloquently explained the questions to him.
Stealing a glance at Yoshito, Kyouko noticed him with his head bowed, seemingly absorbed in her explanations, though the subtle movements of his body betrayed that his thoughts were elsewhere, plying him with an irresistible pull of distraction.
"Ah," Kyouko sighed softly, setting her pen down and crossing her legs once more, the gentle sound of her stockings brushing together stirring Yoshito's inner heat.
"Do you find it beautiful?"
The sudden question broke the calm flow of her voice, her magnetic tone turning curious.
"It's simply exquisite!"
Yoshito replied, a dazed expression on his face before quickly realizing his blunder.
"Tsukishima-sensei, that's not what I meant... I was saying that your explanations are precise and truly exceptional!"
A cold sweat trickled down his forehead as his mind raced to recover.
"Keh," Kyouko maintained a poker face, gazing at Yoshito, making him feel uneasy in the silence that followed.
"Do you want to touch it?"
The sudden, unexpected question caught Yoshito off guard.
"Uh?"
He questioned his hearing, looking at Kyouko who now wore a faint blush on her usually pale cheeks.
"Kyouko-sensei?"
"Do you want to touch it?"
Kyouko, suppressing her embarrassment, repeated the question.
"...I want to!"
After a moment of silence, Yoshito discreetly used his Curiosity Ring to probe Kyouko's intentions, understanding that she wished to motivate him to study through this means.
Therefore, he honestly voiced his thoughts.
"Alright, as long as you can achieve a satisfactory score on the upcoming monthly exam..."
"I promise to accomplish the task!"
A surge of enthusiasm erupted within Ito Yoshito's heart, as if a powerful battle song had filled him with fervor!
"Then you need to pay close attention while I explain!"
Tsukishima Kyouko shot Ito Yoshito a disapproving glance, her tone indifferent.
'The vitality of this young boy... truly remarkable…'
From that point on, despite the occasional sound of fabric brushing against itself or a faint, elusive fragrance in the air, Ito Yoshito made a concerted effort to ignore them, focusing his full attention on Tsukishima Kyouko's lecture.
With Ito Yoshito's cooperation, Tsukishima Kyouko found her explanations becoming increasingly smooth, experiencing the joy of teaching that comes from a moment of understanding, and couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of satisfaction with him, bolstering her resolve!
"Alright, let's take a break!"
Tsukishima Kyouko paused, stretching lazily, the contours of her curvy figure accentuated by her fitted knit dress.
"Ah—"
She let out a long breath, fatigue evident as she rubbed her shoulders, weary from supporting her conscience for so long.
"Kyouko, how about I give you a shoulder massage?"
Watching her struggle to reach her shoulders, blocked by her own ample figure, Ito Yoshito suggested.
"Sure," Tsukishima Kyouko glanced at him again, feeling the uncomfortable soreness, and nodded in agreement.
Ito Yoshito stood and moved behind her, his rough hands, calloused from frequent sword training, resting gently on Tsukishima Kyouko's delicate, smooth shoulders.
The coarse yet warm sensation brought Tsukishima Kyouko an unexplainable feeling, gradually melting away the discomfort in her shoulders with a wave of warmth that spread throughout her body, leaving her feeling tingling and numb.
From his tall stature, Ito Yoshito had a clear view of Tsukishima Kyouko's lovely silhouette.
Her neck was long and graceful, reminiscent of an exquisitely carved white jade vase, with flowing lines and skin as smooth as cream.
The contours of her profile extended into an elegant curve, appearing both dignified and lively.
In the gentle interplay of light and shadow, her delicate collarbone peeked out, as if it were nature's most perfect sculpture, subtly prominent and harmoniously contrasting with the lines of her neck.
The collarbone's shape was defined, neither exaggerated nor understated, perfectly highlighting her femininity and allure.
Continuing down, her willow-like waist supported her generously full form, while her straight back, resembling white jade, was effortlessly defined, the hem of her dress resting gently over her curves, creating a captivating silhouette.
"Glug."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Tsukishima Kyouko, quietly enjoying the comfort of Ito Yoshito's massage with her eyes closed, suddenly heard a sound and asked curiously.
"It's nothing, just feeling a bit thirsty, haha…"
Ito Yoshito chuckled, unable to admit that the allure had him salivating with hormones surging through him.
"Hmm… how about some barley tea?"
Tsukishima Kyouko stood up and walked toward the study door, inquiring.
"Sounds good."
After Tsukishima Kyouko left, Ito Yoshito returned to his original seat, trying to calm the restlessness caused by the vivacity coursing through him, suppressing the urge that had built up and was pressed firmly against the edge of the desk.
"Hmm? What's this?"
In a small and concealed gap under the writing desk, Ito Yoshito caught sight of an old-looking notebook and curiously picked it up.
"Did it fall here by accident?"
Curious, he flipped through it, discovering that part of it contained someone's diary.
He immediately closed it; he had no intention of prying into someone else's privacy!
←_←
"Bang bang!"
Tsukishima Kyouko pushed open the door with her shoulder, coming in with a cup in each hand.
"Here you go, this is for you."
"Thank you, Kyouko," Ito Yoshito accepted the cup and asked curiously, "Is this your notebook?"
He lifted the notebook he found and handed it to Tsukishima Kyouko, who took it and glanced at it.
"It might belong to my husband; let's just put it aside for now!" she said, placing it on a shelf.
"You can go over your mistakes; we should be getting back to work soon!"
"Alright."
Ito Yoshito was not surprised to learn that the youthful-looking Tsukishima Kyouko was married.
After all, her mature demeanor and the ring on her fourth finger told a clear story...
She was a married woman.
As for whether her married life was happy, that remained a mystery...