Kojima Kana currently taught Japanese literature to Class 1-C at Aoyama High School.
The Nakano quintuplets belonged to that class.
Although Shirase himself was in Class 1-A, there were still plenty of familiar faces in Class 1-C—like Isshiki Iroha and Totsuka Saika.
As for Class 1-A, that was even more familiar territory, including Hayama Hayato, Miura Yumiko, and Yukinoshita Yukino.
At school, Kojima-san held a terrifying reputation among students—known as "Demon Kojima."
Simply because every time she appeared on campus, she radiated a fiercely oppressive aura that could cow students into silence.
But Shirase knew very well: away from work, she was just a scatterbrained woman who always insisted, "I'm a responsible adult!" despite her constant clumsiness.
Alright, perhaps "ordinary" wasn't the right word—after all, her figure was undeniably breathtaking.
Just that slender waist, those smooth legs, and her astonishing chest alone would be enough to make Kominami Asumi-san gaze upward in envy for a lifetime.
Even the Nakano quintuplets, famed for their own impressive assets, paled slightly by comparison.
The first time Kojima Kana met Shirase, she'd tried her hardest to maintain her stern "female demon" image from school.
But as they grew familiar, Shirase had directly shattered her facade. After that, she simply… gave up and went fully casual.
Just like right now.
After coming home, she casually undid two buttons at her neckline, clearly desperate for air, revealing delicate collarbones and a glimpse of smooth, pale skin below her throat.
With lazy steps, she shuffled to the fridge in slippers, took out a bottle of mineral water, and gulped it down loudly. Letting out a satisfied sigh, she wiped her mouth carelessly with her hand.
This carefree image had absolutely nothing to do with the "Demon Kojima" known at school.
"Is dinner ready yet?"
Kana set the bottle aside, turning back to Shirase with bright, shining eyes—clearly at least "big genius" level intelligence reflected there.
Shirase immediately rose to his feet. "I'll go make it right now."
"Ah, thanks so much~!" Kana happily flopped onto the sofa, crossing her slender legs and hiding her small, delicate feet in slippers, wrapped neatly in sheer black stockings.
Just as Shirase opened the fridge, she turned her head again and reminded him, "Oh, I want farmhouse-style spicy pork tonight, but not too spicy, okay?"
"Got it," Shirase replied lazily.
Farmhouse-style spicy pork—essentially pork stir-fried with chili peppers—was famous for being irresistible with rice. But without the chili's heat and aroma, the dish would lose much of its charm.
He'd once made it for Kana on a whim. She'd ended up red-faced from the spice yet still stubbornly shoved two more mouthfuls into her mouth.
Clearly, she liked the dish. Even though the spiciness made her wary, she approached it with a typical "too weak to handle spice, yet still craving it" attitude.
"It's so nice having someone at home to cook for me~ Plus, I get to try dishes I've never even seen before," Kana murmured contentedly, leaning back against the sofa as Shirase disappeared into the kitchen.
Kana herself was actually a pretty good cook, but the Chinese dishes Shirase made were genuinely new to her.
Of course, she'd visited local Chinese restaurants before. But since the owners had to cater to local tastes to make money, authentic flavors were inevitably sacrificed.
"Oh, right—I still need to ask him about Kirisu-sensei's request before I forget again."
Kana lightly tapped her forehead. She still felt a little regretful that she hadn't ended up teaching Shirase's class.
When she'd hit a low point in life, Shirase's parents had kindly supported her.
So, when she'd heard that Shirase's parents had passed away, she'd been terrified he might do something reckless and immediately took him into her home.
Much to Kana's relief, Shirase hadn't sunk into gloom. Instead, having him around filled her house with warmth and energy again.
As for Kirisu Mafuyu, the teacher in charge of Shirase's class, Kana had discovered by chance that Kirisu-sensei was quite similar to herself: difficult to approach at school, yet very kind-hearted in private.
The only difference was that Kana herself gave off an intimidating presence at school, while Kirisu-sensei was known for cold indifference.
When Shirase finally brought the dishes out, he found Kana lounging lazily on the sofa, a soda and TV remote beside her. Her pretty eyes were glued intently to the TV, where a popular variety show played.
In that relaxed position, her slender waist was emphasized even more clearly than usual. Her stocking-covered feet perched on the armrest, looking especially soft under the bright lights. Her neat, unpainted toenails revealed their natural pink hue, making them look unexpectedly dainty and cute.
"Dinner's ready, Kana-nee," Shirase called.
"Coming, coming!" Kana shot upright with an energetic bounce, the sudden movement making her ample curves beneath the loose white blouse jiggle gently.
After washing her hands, she sat down, gazing nervously yet expectantly at Shirase. "Did you try today's spicy pork yet?"
Clearly, she was still worried it might be too spicy.
Shirase nodded. "Yeah, I tasted it a bit."
"How was it?" Kana sniffed gently, recognizing that enticing aroma of pork and chili peppers, and instinctively swallowed.
"I took out most of the spice, but left a bit in. Without that, you wouldn't even recognize it as spicy pork," Shirase explained.
Kana's eyes grew slightly anxious. "You intentionally left it spicy?"
"I remembered halfway through slicing the pork."
"Was it deliberate or accidental?"
"Deliberate," Shirase answered honestly, then leaned back dramatically.
He needed dinner himself, after all. Nakano Itsuki's earlier "treat" of meat buns had barely filled his stomach.
Only after he picked up his chopsticks and started eating did Kana dare to follow suit.
After just one bite, she reacted exactly like last time—hissing sharply at the spice, face flushing, yet unwilling to stop, continuously shoving pork into her mouth.
Honestly, the way her cheeks turned red from the heat and her breath grew ragged while refusing to stop was rather adorable.
"Still too spicy—but definitely better than last time," Kana sighed, already prepared with her ice-cold mineral water, quickly gulping it down to ease her burning tongue.
Shirase almost reminded her that cold milk was much more effective than water, but seeing her drink with such pleasure, he decided not to bother.
"Right, Kirisu-sensei wanted me to ask you something," Kana suddenly remembered, lowering her voice gently. "Have you been pushing yourself too hard at school lately?"
Shirase looked up in confusion. "Have I? I mean, sure, I've been studying every day, but isn't everyone doing the same?"
Kana shook her head gently, her tone softening further. "Kirisu-sensei told me she suspects it's because your placement test scores were only slightly above average. Adolescents at your age are particularly sensitive about self-esteem, so you might be overcompensating by studying every spare second you get…"
"Don't rush to deny it yet. Kirisu-sensei said not only has she seen you studying between classes, even your classmates mentioned it. She even asked the soccer club captain—he said you don't enjoy club activities at all. Whenever possible, you hide alone in the clubroom, memorizing vocabulary."
Kana paused here, gazing at Shirase with genuine concern. "You might not realize it, but some students have privately started calling you 'Shirase Haruto, the Discipline Machine.' You're clearly very popular with girls, yet you barely interact with them—or even boys, for that matter. You're completely absorbed in your studies."