"Let me see, Nishimiya-san — were you jealous just now?"
Tsuna couldn't help but tease, mimicking Shouko's earlier tone after watching her return to her seat.
Shouko ignored the teasing and feigned ignorance, trying to slide her chair back to her own spot.
But Tsuna wouldn't give her the chance. Having finally found the opportunity, he continued to pepper her with playful remarks.
Thinking back to the man's attentive instructions and gentle voice — now coupled with his cheeky teasing — Shouko's irritation flared. Without hesitation, she grabbed his hand and bit it.
"Wrong, wrong, wrong…"
Tsuna was startled by her sudden action, but the sharp pain quickly snapped him back to his senses. His arm muscles twitched instinctively as he whispered a plea for mercy.
He hadn't expected Shouko, usually so gentle, to bite directly — and with such force. It was true: even a rabbit will bite when provoked.
If there was a next time, he told himself, he'd never be so cocky again.
Hearing his plea for mercy, Shouko slowly released her grip. Perhaps from holding on too long, a few silvery threads lingered between them as she pulled away.
While he wasn't paying attention, Shouko, her ears slightly flushed, bit him again and gave a quick, deliberate suck — showing no intention of letting him off easily.
Realizing she had been a bit too impulsive earlier, Shouko licked the teeth marks on his arm.
She remembered how injured lions and tigers in the wild would lick their wounds, and she imitated the action, thinking it might ease Tsuna's pain.
Of course, she knew humans and animals were different, but the instinct to soothe remained — especially after seeing how deep her bite had been.
To her, it might have seemed harmless. To Tsuna, however, the experience was completely different. The first bite had been painful, but the second — with that strange, lingering sensation — sent a shiver through his body.
"Tsuna, are you okay? Does it still hurt?" Shouko asked with genuine concern, releasing his hand and looking up at him.
Tsuna quickly shook his head to show he was fine, even taking a wet wipe from his schoolbag to clean away Shouko's saliva.
He told himself he wasn't some lolita-loving pervert — but still leaned in to sniff it.
Shouko fell silent, unsure how to react, a little worried she might have upset him. Then, in a small voice, she offered, "How about I let you bite me back?"
Without hesitation, she extended her pale, slender arm.
Tsuna took a deep breath, suppressing the slightest hint of wicked thoughts. He spoke gently, "I'm fine. It didn't hurt much earlier. I was just thinking."
He then took her hand and softly patted her head in a soothing gesture.
"Mhm…" Shouko sighed in relief, leaning into his touch.
---
Shōya returned to the classroom with a damp rag. He immediately noticed Shimada and Keisuke had arrived, but ignored them and quietly went to his desk to wipe it.
"Bakayarō!"
"Who did this?! I just went to get some water and you flipped my desk over?!"
Two boys, water bottles in hand, walked back into the classroom to find their desks in disarray. Their angry shouts drew curious glances from nearby students.
"Ishida did it," the crew-cut boy declared, eager to clear himself of blame. He shot a glance at Shōya and chuckled.
Who had punched me so early in the morning for no reason? I'd only just arrived, but I couldn't get over it — yet I didn't want to fight back.
The students who had witnessed the entire incident said nothing to defend Ishida. The crew-cut boy's accusation simply hung in the air.
The two returning students didn't dare to complain further. They could talk all they wanted, but they were still wary of provoking Ishida.
If it came down to two against one, they might try — but if his friend Hirose joined in, they'd be in for a beating.
They weren't afraid of their parents being called, but they were afraid of getting hurt.
Ishida, sitting in the back row, heard the crew-cut boy's words but stayed silent, continuing to wipe his desk. He decided he'd deal with him after class.
It was nearly time for the lesson to begin, and the four-eyed teacher was probably on the way. Fighting now would be pointless — better to settle it later.
*Bang… bang… bang!*
"What are you all doing so early in the morning? And what's with these desks and chairs?!" Homeroom teacher Takeuchi stepped into the classroom, his voice sharp with irritation.
Everyone quickly sat down and turned toward him at the podium.
Most of the students in the back row were playful and loud. They had rushed back at the sound of the bell without fixing the desks and chairs that had been knocked over.
"Kawai, what happened?" Takeuchi asked impatiently when no one answered.
Miki had expected to be called on. With a sigh, she stood up and replied truthfully, "Teacher Takeuchi, this is from a fight between Ishida and Ito."
*Bang! Bang! Bang!* Hearing Ishida's name again, Takeuchi slammed the podium in anger. "Ishida! What's wrong with you this early in the morning?! Go put those desks and chairs back!"
He didn't even mention Ito, who had also been involved in the fight.
Ishida clenched the rag in his hand, a vein bulging in his forehead.
Knowing he'd been singled out unfairly, he suppressed his anger, tossed the rag onto his desk, and went to fix the overturned furniture. He shoved the scattered textbooks back into a drawer, his expression dark.
The teacher's tone made it clear why he hadn't questioned Ito — and Ishida understood all too well.
"Alright, class is starting. You all out in the hall, get in here now — and be quicker next time," Takeuchi said, letting in the students waiting by the door before flipping open a Japanese textbook.
"As usual, everyone take turns reading aloud today's chapter," he instructed casually, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
The period passed with students reciting in turn. Takeuchi spoke briefly at the end before dismissing them.
When the bell rang, he didn't even announce the end of class, simply closed his textbook and walked out.
"Ito!!" As soon as Takeuchi left, Ishida, who had been holding himself back the entire period, shouted for the crew-cut boy.
---