Is My Hand Really That Interesting?
Mafuyu Kirisu waited until the last of the redness faded from her face before walking into the classroom. After handing out textbooks to everyone, she picked up a piece of chalk and drew a large 6 by 5 grid on the blackboard, then stepped aside.
"Alright, everyone. Let's do self-introductions. Write your name on the board, then briefly share your interests, strengths, and goals. Keep it short."
She gave them a few seconds to process, then lightly clapped her hands.
"Okay. We'll go in order. Start from the column closest to the door."
The first student went up and wrote his name in the grid, then started introducing himself. He looked nervous, barely daring to look at anyone, and his words came out stiff.
"H-hi, everyone. I'm Kazuki Shigemura. I'm male. I like girls. No, wait. I mean I like anime and light novels."
He looked like he wanted to say more, but his brain visibly blanked. He walked back down red-faced.
The second and third students were girls. Their names were Reina Tachibana and Fuyumi Yanagi.
Kūjō Ryō watched attentively, memorizing names and quietly reading personalities from the way people spoke. Honestly, Class 2-A had a pretty high average in looks, and there were even a few girls the system would probably label as "top-tier."
Still, a rabbit does not eat grass too close to home. This was not the time to act.
Then another boy stepped up.
"My name is Taichi Ishibashi. I like manga. Especially little-sister type manga. I want to get into Tōhō Medical University, and become an orthopedic doctor. Yep, that's it."
One by one, the introductions continued, and finally it was Ryō's turn.
He walked up, wrote his name on the board, and faced the room.
"My name is Kūjō Ryō. I'm eighteen. Unmarried. Just an ordinary high school student."
"I don't smoke. I drink only lightly."
"I go to bed before midnight, and I make sure to get eight hours of sleep every night."
"Pfft!"
Laughter immediately rippled through the classroom.
Even the usually icy homeroom teacher smiled.
Mafuyu Kirisu looked at Ryō and, for a brief moment, warmth surfaced in her eyes.
Teaching was exhausting, especially for someone still early in her career. Over the past two years, Ryō had listened to her vent, teased her out of bad moods, and kept her from drowning in stress. Without that steady support, she was not sure she would have made it this far.
When the laughter settled, Ryō continued.
"As for my goal, I'll do my best as a student council president and balance study, work, and life. Thank you."
The bell rang right on schedule, and students began filing out.
Ryō stayed behind, scrolling his phone for a while, then left campus to buy cooked food from a nearby shop before heading over to Kirisu-sensei's place.
It was his fifth time there, but it was the first time he came with their relationship clearly defined, not as romance, but as a private support pact that neither of them would talk about at school.
While changing shoes at the entrance, Ryō glanced around the apartment.
The trash bag still had not been taken out, but the overall cleanliness was noticeably better than the previous times. So his words had actually worked.
Trash is like negative emotions. When you clean it up while you're unhappy, your heart feels lighter too.
"You worked hard. What did you buy?" Mafuyu Kirisu came out of the bedroom in comfortable home clothes.
Ryō lifted the plastic bag. "Fried rice noodles, salt-baked duck, vegetables, and braised pork. Whatever change is left, I'm not sending it back."
"It's fine. Call it delivery fee."
Mafuyu spread a few newspapers across the dining table.
As someone who hated cleaning, she had plenty of little tricks to reduce workload.
Ryō unpacked the containers and grabbed two drinks from the fridge. Even though this was only his fifth time here, he moved like he belonged, like it was second nature.
Mafuyu took a bite first. "The salt-baked duck is actually good."
Ryō smiled. "Of course it is. I've bought it a lot."
Sometimes he did not feel like cooking. On days like that, he would grab salt-baked duck after school, boil noodles at home, and that alone could feel like a feast.
They ate and chatted for a few minutes.
Then Ryō suddenly paused, looked at Mafuyu Kirisu, and smiled.
"Kirisu-sensei. Since we're… close now, can we do that thing people do when they're close?"
Mafuyu tilted her head, curious. "What thing?"
"Feed me a bite."
"…Fine."
Ryō leaned forward with exaggerated seriousness, opening his mouth like a child.
"Ah. Delicious. It tastes even better when you feed it to me."
"That's impossible."
"It's true. If you don't believe me, I'll feed you."
Mafuyu hesitated, then opened her mouth. "Okay. Ah."
Ryō grinned. "Good. Such a well-behaved Kirisu-sensei."
"Why do you sound like I'm a toddler?"
He laughed. "Then you have to listen properly."
"Then it's my turn." Mafuyu narrowed her eyes, fighting back a smile. "Kūjō Ryō, no picky eating."
"That piece is ginger."
"I said no picky eating."
"Then you eat it."
They finished lunch in an easy, cheerful mood.
Afterward, they moved to the sofa.
Ryō scrolled his phone with one hand, while the other idly played with Mafuyu's hand, turning it over as if examining something precious.
Her fingers were long and pale, her skin smooth, her palm warm and soft. The kind of hand that made you forget to let go.
Mafuyu's eyelashes fluttered. His warm grip felt strangely electric, making her arm go weak in a way she did not understand.
She tried to pull her hand back, but her strength did not cooperate.
"Kirisu-sensei," Ryō said quietly, "your hands are really pretty."
"They're not," she replied, flustered, turning her face away to escape the way he looked at her, like she was an art piece.
Ryō did not argue. He simply continued, gently and absentmindedly, as if his actions were the proof.
The tips of Mafuyu's ears slowly turned red.
Are my hands really that nice? Is this really that interesting?
Ryō stopped paying attention to his phone entirely, focusing on her hand like it was the only thing in the world.
Time slipped by.
Mafuyu's body heat rose, and she abruptly stood up, searching for an excuse.
"I'm… kind of tired. You should head back to school soon."
Ryō nodded. "Okay. Have a good afternoon."
Mafuyu returned to her room and closed the door.
Ryō leaned back on the sofa, smiling faintly, savoring the soft warmth still lingering in his palm.
The system notification appeared.
『A warm everyday moment with a beautiful teacher. Points +1. Total Points: 7.』