In no time at all, Kasumigaoka Touji had effortlessly overtaken his mother and caught up to Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was leading the pack.
He gave her a casual, almost lazy wave—a form of greeting—and then, with a fluid, serpentine movement that was both graceful and flashy, he elegantly wove past one skier after another, rapidly descending the mountainside and soon disappearing from view.
"How is he going so fast?"
Kasumigaoka Airi glided to a stop beside her daughter, a look of mild surprise on her face. She tilted her head thoughtfully. "This boy… maybe he has a natural talent for becoming a professional snowboarder?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha's eye twitched at her mother's words. She could probably guess the real reason for her brother's insane speed—he was absolutely cheating with his psychokinesis! How shameless!
Of course, she saw right through it but said nothing. Instead, she seized the opportunity to 'worryingly' backstab a certain someone.
"Nii-san is going so fast, and making such sharp turns… I just hope he doesn't end up crashing into anyone…"
Hearing this, Kasumigaoka Airi's expression shifted slightly. She tightened her grip on her ski poles. "That boy… I specifically told him to take it easy at first, to focus on stability… and he goes and completely ignores me!"
She turned her helmeted head toward her daughter, the goggles and face mask making her look like a seasoned winter warrior. "Utaha-chan, later on, you help Mom teach him a proper lesson."
"Eh? Me?" Kasumigaoka Utaha looked at her mother with genuine surprise.
Kasumigaoka Airi chuckled, a knowing glint in her eyes. "Of course. You're not just his older sister anymore; you're his girlfriend now. It doesn't hurt to rein him in appropriately. It'll help solidify your position."
"...Is that so?"
Even though, deep down, she felt she was often the one being 'reigned in' and 'arranged'… the prospect of teaching her brother a lesson under maternal orders was too tempting to refuse.
Kasumigaoka Utaha hesitated for only a few seconds before nodding in agreement. Then, with a slight bend of her knees and a powerful push of her poles, she accelerated away down the slope.
"Hehe~ Utaha-chan, you're still too young to contend with your mother!"
Kasumigaoka Airi watched her daughter's retreating back with a triumphant hum. 'Did she really think I couldn't see the little jab she was making earlier?'
'You're underestimating your mother far too much!'
Having deftly arranged matters for both her children, Kasumigaoka Airi turned her head to search for her husband. Let the young ones go play by themselves; now it was her turn to enjoy some quality skiing time with her partner…
****
On the Other Side of the Mountain
Kasumigaoka Touji shot down to the mid-mountain area, arriving near the station for the double chairlift. With a precise lean and a subtle turn, he expertly used the edge of his snowboard to carve into the snow, sending up a satisfying spray of powder as he came to a clean, controlled stop.
"Perfect—!"
Though a bit rusty, the successful maneuver sent a thrill of excitement through him. He clenched a fist in triumph.
That felt so cool just now!
Honestly, snowboarding really was more thrilling than skiing! For a moment there, he'd truly experienced the exhilarating rush of speed and passion!
Touji-kun adjusted his stance on the board, hopping around to face back up the mountain. He estimated it would take Kasumigaoka Utaha and the others a while to make their way down.
Might as well get in line for the chairlift back up.
With that thought, he began to slowly glide his board toward the end of the queue that had formed.
"Huh? Sensei?"
But then, his progress halted abruptly. There, standing in the line, was Kojima Kana.
She wore a stylish cocoa-brown wool coat over a black sweater, her impressive figure unmistakable even in winter layers. A black knitted hat was pulled snugly over her hair. Seeing her, Touji-kun instinctively stopped dead in his tracks.
His mind, completely unbidden, replayed a vivid scene from the previous night—her form, half-obscured by steam in the sulfur spring…
What am I thinking!It's terrible to immediately recall your teacher's… state of undress upon seeing her!
A complex mix of shame, guilt, a forbidden thrill, and a profound sense of impropriety washed over Kasumigaoka Touji.
Kojima Kana, hearing his voice, instinctively turned. A soft "Ah!" escaped her lips. She unconsciously raised her hands as if to shield herself, taking a half-step back. Then, a vivid flush of crimson spread rapidly across her delicate, fair cheeks, visible even in the cold mountain air.
Why are you blushing like a teapot, Sensei?!Touji-kun silently complained, even as he found this flustered version of his teacher unbearably cute.
And at this moment, Kojima Kana's mind was also involuntarily replaying the events of the previous night.
It's terrible to think about a student's… physique right in front of him!
Kojima Kana's mood instantly turned incredibly complicated, tangled with her own deep sense of impropriety.
...
"Pfft—!"
A soft laugh finally broke the tense silence. Kasumigaoka Touji shook his head, a wry smile on his face.
"Sensei, you absolutely cannot be like this at school. If word got out, my reputation would be ruined."
Their eyes, which had been carefully avoiding each other, finally met briefly before skittering away again.
The thought of the stern, formidable "Kojima Kana" revered by the entire student body blushing like a schoolgirl… that would definitely be headline news. His own reputation had only just improved from "playboy" and "philanderer" to "romantic genius" after his identity as 'Winter' was revealed.
He really didn't want it to morph into "the beast who doesn't even spare his teachers." That would be the ultimate injustice, since he and the teacher were completely innocent… probably?
"Like… like what?" Kojima Kana asked, not immediately grasping his meaning.
"Blushing," Touji-kun said, enunciating the two words clearly.
"Huh? Am I… blushing?" Kojima Kana was startled by the accusation and instinctively raised a hand to touch her cheek.
Now that he mentioned it, she did feel her face growing warmer. Perhaps she really was blushing a little…
This realization only added to her distress.
What's with blushing just from looking at a student! Am I some kind of love-struck maiden?And even if I were, the object of affection is completely unacceptable! This is practically criminal!
Officer, I am not that kind of teacher! —She was already mentally preparing her defense.
"Sensei, you actually look quite cute like this," Kasumigaoka Touji couldn't help but add. "There's a kind of… contrasting cuteness to it."
"...Ha!?"
In an instant, Kojima Kana's face darkened. A terrifying, oppressive aura seemed to radiate from her, causing the people nearby to feel their hearts skip a beat, casting uncertain glances their way.
Kojima Kana fixed Kasumigaoka Touji with a glare full of ill intent.
"Kasumigaoka-san, are you… flirting with your teacher? You have some nerve!"
Her voice dropped, taking on the sharp, disciplinary tone she used in the classroom. "It seems I've been too lenient with you lately, leading you to mistakenly believe a teacher can be flirted with so casually."
Kojima Kana, unsure how else to handle the overwhelming awkwardness, defaulted to her professional persona. But the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. What in the world did I just say?!
While she was secretly berating herself, Kasumigaoka Touji stared at her with a look of utter bewilderment.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! Talk about a mood whiplash! And without any warning!
He was genuinely caught off guard.
Touji-kun looked at Kojima Kana, his mouth twitching. For a moment, he was at a complete loss for words, utterly stumped.
The atmosphere instantly froze over.
The people in front of and behind Kojima Kana couldn't help but sneak glances at them, curiosity burning in their eyes. What was their relationship? What had just happened? From the fragments of conversation they'd overheard… it sounded like something…
Something involving a breach of ethics and morals!
The expressions of the nearby tourists subtly shifted, a mix of judgment and intrigue.
"…Sorry!"
Finally, Kojima Kana rubbed her face with both hands, as if trying to physically erase her own expression. When she lowered them, her features were arranged into one of strained apology.
"I was… too flustered just now. My emotions got a little out of control."
"Sensei, your way of being 'flustered' is truly one of a kind," Kasumigaoka Touji muttered under his breath.
"You think you're quite the comedian?" she shot back, raising a perfectly shaped eyebrow.
"You're not so bad yourself."
"..."
"Anyway," Kojima Kana said, forcing her voice back to a semblance of normalcy, "from now on, we will maintain a perfectly normal teacher-student relationship."
"Weren't we doing that before?" Touji-kun asked innocently.
"Uh… slip of the tongue, slip of the tongue," Kojima Kana gave an awkward laugh and quickly changed the subject. "Kasumigaoka-san, when are you planning to return to Tokyo?"
"The afternoon of May 3rd," he replied.
"Then… how about I treat you to dinner that evening?" she suggested, tilting her head slightly.
Kojima Kana was also returning on the 3rd. She figured she could fulfill her promise of a treat then, and added, "You can bring Honda-san along. But if you do, that counts as the one treat. No double-dipping."
Kojima-sensei held up a single, slender finger to emphasize her point.
"Then I'll bring her along," Touji-kun agreed readily. He already had dinner plans with Kani Nayuta that day anyway. If sensei was treating, they might as well make it a group affair.
"Alright, I'll make the arrangements then," Kojima Kana said, her expression indicating the matter was settled.
After that brief exchange, Kasumigaoka Touji moved to take his place at the very end of the queue.
He wasn't entirely sure why, but he found himself hoping Kasumigaoka Utaha wouldn't discover that Kojima-sensei was here. Perhaps it was because of last night's events, which left him feeling a lingering, inexplicable sense of guilt…