x
The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Suzuran bit her lip.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHz5EmZlBev
She knew she shouldn’t say it.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJgZ0g1a05Y
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—13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡONJREOm8jZ
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrHt46abNq1
For just a moment, something flickered in his eyes—13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡShf0bcy0nK
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,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ44bMLEjdUm
trying her best to look confident.
Kouichi stared at her—stubborn, flustered, determined.
Finally, his gaze softened.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKzlfMV4uu
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—13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrK8RBHaWbx
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl39krseaqx
She nodded furiously, like a kid who just got permission to pet a very fancy dog.
“I swear—study mode only!”
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYHhCY2YST
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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…13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1qwSb5Z5ZM
temptingly real.
She had expected something hard and static.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMGNBbRQGil
But instead—there was warmth. Depth.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡejRrH7NWKO
A weight that made her want to touch again.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrkd7HuhllY
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Her eyes focused, hands trembling slightly,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLYcokOjGcJ
trying desperately to maintain her “I’m being professional” façade.
Kouichi said nothing.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmgCqCyM7E1
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51MThWDlCf
But only like this.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3FCB8w7E1H
Only from this distance.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdNcMIVWte
She glanced at him again.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruiB7EDyqV
Still calmly seated beside her, editing her report without so much as a blink.
As if nothing had happened.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uBqyWilOt
As if her little emotional derailment was part of the routine.
He didn’t scold her.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM9dHWzaHsC
Didn’t dodge her.
He simply… carried on.
And somehow, that made her feel—
Maybe it was because he was always so steady…13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuykAwIrPxB
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBuoiATbDW
The one that had thrown her whole heart into chaos.
Her fingers trembled slightly as they slid slowly over each of his knuckles—13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2CT9AWuyhJ
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,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXq5XUzEEEO
fingertips warm and calm.
As her fingertips brushed his index finger,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnDfzKygsf
she felt the veins beneath his skin—subtle, winding, like strands of strength coiled under a surface of warmth.
So cool…13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuWKmypzHw4
She thought, and immediately her cheeks flushed hotter.
Her heart stumbled up into her throat.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggm8sI651E
Her gaze followed the path of her own fingers—13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqLFIcEOY4h
from the web between thumb and forefinger,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvvkLASwio5
to the back of his hand,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT4FngFEYID
down to the long, slender bones of his wrist.
There was something addictive in the quiet complexity of it all.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3znyJ6t4D
Something that pulled at her, soft and slow and impossible to stop.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPTAb23vwPD
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And then—13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1iQ9DbEBr
her fingers moved again.
Not consciously.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09RUOvbpDR
As if her body had decided on its own.
She slowly, almost soundlessly—
interlaced her fingers with his.
One finger.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHk9qv9NxxL
Then another.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCZpGgeoaG
And another.
Until their hands fit together—perfectly.
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Ten fingers. Intertwined.
She froze.
She hadn’t said a word.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhwn99sFuM5
But her body had confessed everything.
There was no way to explain this as "studying."13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gLrONUREA
This wasn’t about anatomy.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTpK3A8Tjt4
This was… the way lovers hold hands.
She stared down at their joined fingers,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5G74NXbst
her palm burning from his warmth.
And somewhere in her heart, a soft voice whispered:
If only I could stay like this.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSez0h6hew
Not just for palpation.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiQ6t1BTWi
Not just for ten minutes.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeODSCLrIjt
But forever.
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She bit her lower lip.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQG3ORCoG3L
Too afraid to look up.
Because what she feared most…13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5hSBcTiSD
wasn’t rejection.
It was the possibility—
that in his eyes,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnOBuSQeH0
she might see a tiny flicker of indulgent gentleness.
The kind of look that would make her13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6AJOJBN3dE
lose all ability to pull away.
The kind of look13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIoixdHwBe
that would make her fall even deeper.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnztuLYSdX
“…My lady,”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSAvvC43TLE
His voice was low, the calm she always knew.
But this time—13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQH7m54lDE
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjbvOyvK31
Their fingers laced tight.
Like lovers.
Like a secret promise in the middle of an ordinary afternoon.
Her heart dropped.
“I—I…”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0OoAFHg1tp
She couldn’t even finish.
Her face had turned red to the roots of her hair.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWnWvvcsocf
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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—13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZseJBAtZ7v
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNdtOl3Tx6
Quietly.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡclCa6XBlo4
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDTI0KXJwk
As if absolutely nothing had happened.
But only he knew—
That for one second,13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBUY9uXiJW
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.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9PLsAr0SU
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.”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3KZirzTXY7
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
Her brain raced through the names he just listed:13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwyq3roDhrS
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?”
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡig7ThviAOv
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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Without a word, he slowly raised a hand…13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhL0Eb3EbG
and pressed it flat against her face.
“Idiot.”
Tone completely deadpan.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAvdZu0CNX9
As if stating “Your book is upside down.”
Suzuran’s face exploded red.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0zA33uvArl
“Wh—Hey!!”
“I was kidding,”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Pt36J6Nns
Kouichi muttered, calmly returning to her report.13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNSuAhuwp0k
His voice dry as ever.
“I didn’t think you’d actually take it seriously.”
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLzAlv91Dpy
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“No wonder your etiquette grades are so borderline…13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGXEg0LTZs9
You’ve probably been reading shoujo manga under the desk instead.”
“Hey—!”13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4LZoefY9X
She exploded, grabbing a pillow and rolling back and forth in outrage.
“You can’t say stuff like that in that tone!!13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tOjJoj9p1
Don’t forget who your master is!”
Kouichi shot her a glance and deadpanned:13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl57OfTRvqv
“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.”
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJqV74ivPt
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 twitched13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOIlTdgRyT0
into a small, unmistakable smile.
