Though it was clear that Tsukishima Kyoko was deliberately putting on her usual ice-queen demeanor, the faint blush on her cheeks and her slightly trembling legs betrayed her still-unsettled emotions.
But Hikari didn't call her out on it. Instead, he responded seriously, "Understood."
Hearing his answer, Tsukishima Kyoko finally let out a sigh of relief.
To be honest, from her current perspective, unaware of the existence of the hypnosis app, today's incident was entirely her fault.
But as a teacher, and even a homeroom instructor who usually presented herself as cold and strict, she was terrified that Hikari might spread this incident or use it to blackmail her.
However, she knew Hikari's character wasn't that bad. And since he had seriously agreed to keep it quiet, it naturally eased her worries somewhat.
She patted her ample chest lightly, adjusted the slightly torn and sagging red garter stockings, bit her soft lips, and apologized guiltily, "I'm sorry, Hikari-kun… about today's incident… I truly apologize."
As she spoke, despite the soreness in her waist and legs, she bent over in a deep bow, her full, proud chest drooping painfully, but she gritted her teeth and endured it.
Unaware of the hypnosis, Tsukishima Kyoko saw herself as the uncontrolled aggressor and Hikari as the victim, hence her apology.
Though, from a societal perspective on gender dynamics, it was hard to say who was at a disadvantage, she still felt compelled to apologize.
"It's fine," Hikari waved his hand, even helping Tsukishima Kyoko straighten up.
Tsukishima Kyoko recoiled as if shocked, swatting away his hand, "Thank you for forgiving me, Hikari-kun…"
Her expression was apologetic and complicated, words failing her.
Because of the hypnosis app, Hikari couldn't explain much to her, so he stayed silent.
And because she didn't know about the app, Tsukishima Kyoko found today's events too convoluted and embarrassing to discuss, so she also kept her lips sealed.
The atmosphere in the abandoned warehouse fell into silence.
After a while…
Tsukishima Kyoko glanced at the ring on her ring finger, shuddered slightly, and, still uneasy, repeated her warning, "What happened in this warehouse today must never be mentioned to anyone. We must act as if it never happened."
"Huh? What are you talking about, Kyoko-sensei? Did something happen?", Hikari looked at her with a puzzled expression, as if he had no idea what she meant.
Tsukishima Kyoko froze for a moment before immediately understanding.
Her cherry lips parted slightly as she exhaled in relief.
But for some reason, she felt an inexplicable emptiness in her heart.
The atmosphere in the abandoned warehouse grew awkward and silent once more.
Ding~ Dong~ Ding~ Dong~
The school bell rang, signaling the start of class.
Breaking the silence, Hikari spoke up first, "If there's nothing else, Kyoko-sensei, I'll head back to class now."
"Mm… alright," Tsukishima Kyoko nodded.
She lifted her sore arms, adjusting her uniform skirt, which clung tightly to her skin due to the sticky fluids covering her body.
After giving Hikari a deep look, she turned to leave, planning to return home.
Right now, she desperately needed a shower.
"Kyoko-sensei, wait a moment," Suddenly, Hikari called out to her.
Tsukishima Kyoko turned back in confusion.
"About that… do I still need to write the apology letter for skipping class earlier?", Hikari asked abruptly.
A few hours ago, during their 'reverse tutoring session', Hikari had brought up the fact that Tsukishima Kyoko had scolded him harshly for skipping class and made him write an apology letter. Not wanting to write it, he had mentioned it then.
At the time, Tsukishima Kyoko, overwhelmed by the "knowledge" being poured into her, had naturally agreed to waive the apology letter.
But the circumstances were different now, so Hikari tentatively asked again.
Hearing his sudden question, Tsukishima Kyoko seemed to recall the earlier events.
She froze for a moment, then her fair, coldly beautiful face flushed slightly as she shook her head, "No need to write it."
Embarrassed and eager to leave this place, filled with humiliation and some unspeakable satisfaction, she tried to hurry away.
But in her haste, she forgot how exhausted and fragile her body was after the event.
Unsteady, she nearly stumbled and fell.
Luckily, she caught herself in time.
Still, the pain in her thighs and the soreness in her calves made walking difficult.
She could only limp away slowly.
Suddenly, a pair of warm hands steadied her arm.
"Hikari-kun?", Looking at the slightly youthful yet inexplicably reliable face of the boy beside her, Tsukishima Kyoko blinked in surprise.
"Sensei, you're still not feeling well, right? Let me help you," Hikari said.
"T-this… alright."
Though the unfamiliar yet familiar warmth of his hands made her feel awkward, and she wanted to refuse, her body was utterly exhausted. Every step felt like walking on knives.
If she tried to walk alone, it would take forever to leave this abandoned warehouse.
Plus, there was something undeniably reassuring about Hikari.
So, despite her discomfort, she accepted his support.
"Are you heading back to the staff room, Sensei?", Hikari asked.
"N-no! Please take me to the parking lot!", Tsukishima Kyoko shook her head hastily.
Guided by her, Hikari helped the limping woman to the parking lot.
———
"Drive carefully, Sensei," he reminded her after helping her into her car.
After all, he had put her through quite the ordeal to break the hypnosis app's effects, leaving her legs weak and unsteady.
"Mm, I will," Tsukishima Kyoko nodded slightly.
Hearing his concerned words and seeing how he had supported her under the scorching sun all the way here, a flicker of gratitude passed through her eyes, warming her heart slightly.
But she bit her lip and quickly pulled her hand away.
She even pushed Hikari back a little, then adopted her usual stern, authoritative tone as a homeroom teacher and commanded, "I'm fine now. Thank you for bringing me here."
"Hikari-kun, hurry back to class. Don't neglect your studies."
Hearing her strict, teacher-like tone and seeing her already turning her head away, Hikari paused, then smiled faintly.
"Understood."
With that, he turned and left without another word.
Hikari understood. Though they had just engaged in some "deep and meaningful" exchanges, it had all been due to the hypnosis app's commands.
And while Tsukishima Kyoko's frenzied, proactive behavior earlier was a far cry from her usual cold, stern self, both of them knew they would never forget what had happened. In fact, they'd remember it vividly.
But in front of Hikari, her student, the usually aloof and authoritative Tsukishima Kyoko still had to maintain some dignity as a teacher and homeroom instructor.
Even though, just moments ago in that abandoned warehouse, the icy facade of authority she always wore had been thoroughly torn apart.
And her most private, unseen side had been laid completely bare before Hikari.
But now, in her normal state, Tsukishima Kyoko clearly couldn't just drop that pretense.
Besides, they had already agreed to pretend it never happened.
So Hikari said nothing more and simply left.
Watching him walk away without hesitation, Tsukishima Kyoko, now seated in her car, let out a sigh of relief.
She inserted the key into the ignition but didn't start the engine immediately.
Instead, she stretched her arms out, gripping the steering wheel, and buried her face in them.
"What have I done… with one of my own students… Ugh!"
Her delicate nose twitched slightly as she caught the strong scent of "Osmanthus" lingering on her body.
Looking at the bruises on her thighs and feeling the soreness in her hips and the pain between her legs, her expression twisted with indescribable complexity.
Just like her expression, her heart was in complete turmoil.
Tsukishima Kyoko couldn't understand how, given her personality, she could have ended up doing "that" with Hikari.
Though she had indeed suffered from long-term deprivation, like a parched, unripe melon in a greenhouse, her self-control should have been enough to prevent such a thing.
But it had happened.
Her mind was a mess.
The nature of their relationship was already hard to acknowledge.
And Hikari was so y*ung.
They weren't even close in age.
She was almost thirty, no longer in her youthful student days.
Though she didn't want to dwell on it, the memories of today's events in the warehouse kept flooding back.
That "exchange" with Hikari might have been the most blissful experience of her life.
Looking down at the diamond ring on her finger, her face twisted with conflict and pain.
Though she had been married for years, her husband had always been… inadequate.
On their wedding night, he hadn't even entered the bedroom, choosing to drink alone instead.
Tsukishima Kyoko had never experienced even a shred of a woman's happiness.
In fact, before today, she hadn't even been a real woman, hence the ble*ding in the warehouse.
Add to that her teaching habits, always lecturing, overly strict, and cold, and they had slept in separate rooms for years.
For a woman with a healthy body, one even more curvaceous and hormonally driven than most, this had left her feeling deeply lonely.
But given her personality, she would never bring it up, choosing instead to endure silently.
In truth, Morishita's earlier hypnotic suggestion hadn't been entirely wrong.
The reason Tsukishima Kyoko was so harsh and cold toward her students was partly due to this unresolved tension in her life.
Though she could usually endure it, even throwing herself into work to avoid thinking about it, years without intimacy, even without "manual intervention", hadn't been a problem.
But some things don't disappear just because you ignore them. They just accumulate, growing heavier over time.
And under the influence of the hypnosis app, it had all exploded out of her.
That was why Hikari had struggled so hard to break the hypnotic commands.
Though Tsukishima Kyoko didn't know about the app, she vividly remembered how the burning desire had tormented her, how agonizing it had been.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y