x
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Suzuran bit her lip.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzaHyVYVbD
She knew she shouldn’t say it.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMcrTLT2Qz
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—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHYsAYgmyQ8
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ggzBNnWFp
For just a moment, something flickered in his eyes—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwxheqzbhrx
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,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4PEDYviOS2
trying her best to look confident.
Kouichi stared at her—stubborn, flustered, determined.
Finally, his gaze softened.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8UZ5jDgb6f
A breath escaped his lips, almost a sigh.
“…Fine. Left arm.”
The words were quiet, calm. But they were permission.
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He rolled up his left sleeve, exposing the clean lines of his forearm and biceps—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KA2U38OT8
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3iBHti2KYc
She nodded furiously, like a kid who just got permission to pet a very fancy dog.
“I swear—study mode only!”
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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…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeeERFSYnBX
temptingly real.
She had expected something hard and static.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBEy7tNTQt
But instead—there was warmth. Depth.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBrWN4XzlZB
A weight that made her want to touch again.
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Her eyes focused, hands trembling slightly,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPWSQcYHomF
trying desperately to maintain her “I’m being professional” façade.
Kouichi said nothing.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Gh8eJamiI
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YsYw0aYIs
But only like this.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡswKEiOBjm8
Only from this distance.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN4UYtAIv8o
She glanced at him again.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIpYK53iky
Still calmly seated beside her, editing her report without so much as a blink.
As if nothing had happened.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHp6p6YVG8
As if her little emotional derailment was part of the routine.
He didn’t scold her.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPDUOztUqr
Didn’t dodge her.
He simply… carried on.
And somehow, that made her feel—
Maybe it was because he was always so steady…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsYd47IIcJW
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9Da450YklS
The one that had thrown her whole heart into chaos.
Her fingers trembled slightly as they slid slowly over each of his knuckles—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ24hZab9Bq
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,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Vynvs801i
fingertips warm and calm.
As her fingertips brushed his index finger,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqNSEHQBtG
she felt the veins beneath his skin—subtle, winding, like strands of strength coiled under a surface of warmth.
So cool…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2wB4oGe25
She thought, and immediately her cheeks flushed hotter.
Her heart stumbled up into her throat.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyWlWLyNKkw
Her gaze followed the path of her own fingers—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1RK1EyGlV8
from the web between thumb and forefinger,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCP6DFFEVS
to the back of his hand,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAAhDMm8BDI
down to the long, slender bones of his wrist.
There was something addictive in the quiet complexity of it all.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzpBpKzWYD5
Something that pulled at her, soft and slow and impossible to stop.
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And then—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6yWigaZEQf
her fingers moved again.
Not consciously.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHaHUxr6ddC
As if her body had decided on its own.
She slowly, almost soundlessly—
interlaced her fingers with his.
One finger.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0pQuGW2Jtl
Then another.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnzTBBwMxF8
And another.
Until their hands fit together—perfectly.
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Ten fingers. Intertwined.
She froze.
She hadn’t said a word.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoBtULnG94l
But her body had confessed everything.
There was no way to explain this as "studying."12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHscO0TOpz
This wasn’t about anatomy.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQb4k7h9ekL
This was… the way lovers hold hands.
She stared down at their joined fingers,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtJGHbGKHb
her palm burning from his warmth.
And somewhere in her heart, a soft voice whispered:
If only I could stay like this.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17wmU6DO4x
Not just for palpation.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1US3S7q4iV
Not just for ten minutes.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuNGSsxWM1
But forever.
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She bit her lower lip.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0kQg25IyFl
Too afraid to look up.
Because what she feared most…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIHpPhvCyMt
wasn’t rejection.
It was the possibility—
that in his eyes,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQzfkj1lHU
she might see a tiny flicker of indulgent gentleness.
The kind of look that would make her12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlENPnWSc9A
lose all ability to pull away.
The kind of look12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ48DhRcbH0
that would make her fall even deeper.
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMiRkpjLi4I
“…My lady,”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBuhUsjZXG
His voice was low, the calm she always knew.
But this time—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRnbnxDanqH
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTph73dmyO
Their fingers laced tight.
Like lovers.
Like a secret promise in the middle of an ordinary afternoon.
Her heart dropped.
“I—I…”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ183VOXIm7U
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—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdhzjGQ4GcQ
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRhVaYbLQ7
Quietly.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2cwsZVWvOZ
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡppuVIcrD4E
As if absolutely nothing had happened.
But only he knew—
That for one second,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAU9bbi7QB0
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.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SXNArX7Fc
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.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYQmfsRNUWW
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
Her brain raced through the names he just listed:12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrzxHM24oXF
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?”
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWGiroXLLjn
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!!”
“….”
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12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY0CLuEwAgE
Without a word, he slowly raised a hand…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡckTYt88xkd
and pressed it flat against her face.
“Idiot.”
Tone completely deadpan.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkSBYgzSlmZ
As if stating “Your book is upside down.”
Suzuran’s face exploded red.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM8OkENsnPq
“Wh—Hey!!”
“I was kidding,”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVeQy5HODyM
Kouichi muttered, calmly returning to her report.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCd3OwFxvb
His voice dry as ever.
“I didn’t think you’d actually take it seriously.”
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Cvip2I2aM
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“No wonder your etiquette grades are so borderline…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ue8neG7bL
You’ve probably been reading shoujo manga under the desk instead.”
“Hey—!”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyHQF7Idwd
She exploded, grabbing a pillow and rolling back and forth in outrage.
“You can’t say stuff like that in that tone!!12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡehGy3I4n82
Don’t forget who your master is!”
Kouichi shot her a glance and deadpanned:12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgminB9IO6m
“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.”
12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8Lc2VUnJf
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 twitched12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPYiY7Xz7o
into a small, unmistakable smile.
