A minute earlier.
Mafuyu Kirisu had finished buying her discounted bento and some ingredients for tomorrow's breakfast before leaving the supermarket. She had practically sprinted the whole way there, terrified of missing the discount window.
Luckily, fortune was on her side. By the time she arrived, the timing was just right, she let out a small sigh of relief. But it was too soon to celebrate.
At this hour, her competition was fierce: housewives and fellow office workers getting off their shifts, all of them vying for the same discounted bento boxes and ingredients.
Mafuyu couldn't afford to let her guard down. The office workers weren't so bad, white-collar types who at least tried to keep some semblance of dignity while shopping. But the housewives were a different beast. They were ruthless, willing to throw all grace out the window just to save a few yen. They were the supermarket's most dreaded opponents—the stuff of legend among discount hunters.
When Mafuyu arrived and saw the housewives already poised for battle, her heart sank. But somehow, by some stroke of luck, she managed to fight her way through and get everything she needed. After paying, she left the supermarket, carrying the joy of victory with her as she headed home.
Halfway there, her gaze drifted across the street and she noticed a man and a woman.
Even though a wide road separated them, Mafuyu's sharp eyes could still make out their position and posture. The man was standing. The woman was kneeling directly in front of him. In that instant, Mafuyu's mind jumped to a conclusion, and her face turned crimson in a flash.
She couldn't believe it. The sky wasn't even fully dark yet, and two people were doing something like that in broad daylight! She was equal parts embarrassed and indignant.
She wanted to march over and ask them—did they have no shame?! If you want to do that kind of thing, go home, close the door, and do it in private. No one would care. But out on the street? That was disgraceful.
Even though she was appalled, Mafuyu, a woman who had never so much as been in a relationship—couldn't help but feel a twinge of morbid curiosity. She kept stealing glances at the pair across the street and slowed her pace to a crawl, creeping along like a snail. But when the streetlights aligned just right and she finally got a clear look at the man's face, she froze.
That's... Yuki?! How can that be him?! That's my student, Yuki?! She kept asking herself if she was seeing things. The scene was so shocking she could barely process it. But deep down, she already knew.
That impossibly handsome face was unmistakable—it was burned into her memory. And he was wearing the school uniform. There was no doubt.
Her mind went blank. She stood frozen, not knowing what to do. She never imagined Yuki would be doing something like this with a woman on a public street. And judging by her silhouette and figure, the woman was clearly very beautiful—though Mafuyu didn't recognize her, so she probably wasn't from the school.
None of that mattered, though. What mattered was that her anger was rising fast. Just moments ago, she was worrying about Yuki and Eriri. Now, she sees him with another woman—doing something like this in public. In her eyes, Yuki wasn't just a player anymore; he was a completely shameless scoundrel.
No. I can't just stand by. I need to stop this right now.
Mafuyu decided she couldn't just stand there and do nothing. As Yuki's teacher, she had a responsibility to correct this kind of inappropriate behavior. Without hesitation, she resolved to go over and stop them.
But the road was blocked by a guardrail, so she couldn't just cross directly. She would have to walk another three hundred meters to the pedestrian bridge. Without wasting a second, she sprinted toward the bridge.
Back on Yuki's side.
Artemisia kept wiping, but the stains wouldn't come off. The creamy residue clung to his pants like stubborn cancer cells, refusing to budge. Growing frustrated, she sped up, pressing harder.
Yuki, however, could feel something beginning to stir beneath the surface.
Oh no. No, no, no. That's not good.
"Huh? Why is it getting... hard?" Artemisia tilted her head, confused, and muttered to herself.
Yuki immediately stopped her. "Artemisia, don't bother. These cream stains won't come off without laundry detergent or soap." He quickly helped her back to her feet, subtly leaning back to hide his embarrassment.
"Oh, right!" She suddenly realized what he meant. "Come on!" Artemisia grabbed Yuki's hand and started walking back the way he had come.
"Where are we going?" Yuki looked confused as she dragged him back down the same street.
"My place. To wash your pants," she answered simply and led him in another direction.
Meanwhile, Mafuyu had crossed the bridge and jogged all the way back to where she had seen Yuki. But when she got there, no one.
She stomped her foot in frustration. "Dammit! Where did they go?! Did he see me and run off?!" She quickly figured that was probably the case. She searched the surrounding area, but there was no sign of Yuki.
"That bastard Yuki... Tomorrow at school, I'm going to get to the bottom of this." She shot one last glare at the spot where Yuki and the strange woman had been, then left.
On her way home, her mind churned with thoughts of giving Yuki a piece of her mind. Still, she couldn't be too harsh. That might provoke a negative reaction or backfire.
As a teacher, she needed to guide her students properly—while also caring for their emotional well-being. It was just that Yuki's situation was particularly tricky.
She wasn't against students dating, but in her eyes, Yuki's behavior had clearly crossed a line beyond what was appropriate for his age. After thinking it over, Mafuyu decided that her first priority should be to help Yuki develop a healthy understanding of relationships. He couldn't keep being an irresponsible playboy.