noveldrama
Chapter 140
Chapter 140
As Sia and Alice plotted and maneuvered in their rivalry over Yujin, there was one woman who, alone, sat happily at the eye of this storm—Yujin’s teacher, Aika.
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*Grinning widely*
“My student calls me by my first name... heh, we really are like a couple, maybe even newlyweds!”
Aika was quietly thrilled. In Japan, calling someone by their first name without honorifics, *yobisute*, is something usually reserved for family or lovers. It made her feel as if they were really dating. She was genuinely pleased to feel as if they were in a relationship.
… Meanwhile, Sia and Alice were up to a lot more than that, and were puzzled by Aika’s calm. But the 32-year-old woman, blissfully laughing over something as small as a name, was oblivious to it all.
To her, things were perfect just as they were.
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“Imagine, being the kind of woman who makes miso soup for her partner every morning. I must be the picture of a new bride. Not that my student would see it that way…”
*Creak*
“Aika. Please, be my girlfriend!”
“...What!?”
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The moment Yujin poured dopamine into her system, her thoughts completely scattered.
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“W-What are you…”
“We’ve been living like a married couple, haven’t we? So being a couple wouldn’t be so strange…”
“Married? Couple!?”
It sounded so much like a confession that her mind went blank, opening up into a field of flowers.
Wait, my student just asked me to be his girlfriend? And he thinks of us as newlyweds? Our cohabitation, too…?
Is this… a real confession? Now that he’s reached S-Class, is he finally making his move?
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“Wh-what? Out of nowhere… I didn’t even do my makeup or wear a nice outfit today! If I had known, I would’ve worn something cute!”
Inside Aika’s mind, petals swirled in a flurry of excitement, enough to make her previous satisfaction with simply being called by her first name seem absurdly minimal.
Seeing the pure excitement of his teacher, Yujin’s response was:
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“Whoa, she looks happier than I thought. Could it be… that my teacher might…?”
*Ding*
[Hypno-chan smiles innocently and rubs her cheeks against yours.]
*Skill ‘Perfect Hypnosis’ activates.*
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“No way. She’s probably just uncertain about how to reject me.”
Yujin interpreted her reaction as reluctance.
Ah, she’s struggling with how to turn me down, huh. Figures—she’s the ultimate challenge. No shortcuts here.
If the chairwoman saw, she’d probably scold him with an “Oh, you clueless idiot!”
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*Smiling*
“That’s alright. Actually, this is better. It’s way better than if she didn’t realize it was a confession at all.”
Yujin took this as a positive sign—at least his teacher hadn’t completely missed the confession. And…
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“If I keep going like this, it should work.”
That was the core of his plan. How to break through to a teacher who didn’t even see him as a man. A simple, consistent approach of repeated advances.
Yujin grinned.
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“Let’s go on a special mission together!”
“...Huh? Special mission?”
“Yeah, I just got permission from the chairwoman…”
He explained that he had spoken with the chairwoman and secured permission for a special mission to take down Paimon, a dangerous creature, with just the two of them.
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“So, when you said ‘couple’…”
“It’s a mission for the two of us, as a couple!”
“...Ah. That’s called ‘partners,’ not a ‘couple,’ Yujin.”
Aika sighed. She thought her student was making her heart race with his misguided words once again.
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“Well, at least I get to go on an official date with him…”
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“First, let’s eat and discuss things slowly.”
“Sure!”
Even if Aika had curbed her expectations, she would soon realize she was mistaken. This time, things were genuinely different.
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*Clink*
“Wow, Aika, this miso soup is delicious. Must be because the most beautiful woman in the world made it.”
“Hm, well, maybe I just made good broth today.”
“I wish you’d make miso soup for me every day.”
“...Pfft!?”
*In Japan, that means, ‘Will you marry me?’ Yujin!*
Even during their meal, Yujin didn’t stop his flirting.
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*Cough, cough…*
“Are you okay? Let me help you.”
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*Squish, squish*
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“...! ...!!!?”
*He’s touching my lips? Staring at me so intently?!*
He gently wiped her mouth after her coughing fit, brushing his finger over her lips.
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“I-I can do it myself…”
“We really do seem like newlyweds right now, don’t we?”
“...Hm, hmf.”
Blushing at his bold flirting, her cheeks turned red.
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*Dizzy*
What is this? Is my student… making a move on me? Or is it just my imagination…?
Still unable to fully trust her luck, Aika remained hesitant.
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“The person who marries you will be so lucky, Aika. You’re such a good cook, beautiful, kind, and graceful. Honestly, I wish I could be your husband.”
“...!!!!”
This has to be real! Is he actually asking me to be his bride right now?
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A barrage of three straightforward confessions hit her hard. Faced with the relentless charm of the world’s greatest student, she had no choice but to believe he was genuinely trying to woo her. Just as Yujin planned.
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*Smiling*
The plan was simple: keep pressing on until she acknowledged him as a man, whether she liked it or not.
His strategy was straightforward. His teacher didn’t see him as a man, so he’d keep up the advances until she did. And he’d do it in a playful, nonchalant way that wouldn’t be an outright confession but would still catch her off-guard.
After all, if you keep tapping away, even the sturdiest tree eventually falls.
For a fortress as tough as hers, this was the classic approach.
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Well, of course my student likes me. He must’ve been holding back this whole time, and now that he’s S-Class, he’s just letting it all out!
*Beaming*
The problem was that Yujin had completely misjudged Aika.
She already knew he loved her. The little brat, Gong, had snitched on him after he was pushed down to 8th place in the S-Class ranks.
So, she had simply been waiting.
*When will he confess? I’m ready to say yes anytime.*
In truth, “impenetrable fortress” was probably the least accurate description for her.
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*Giggling*
*He’s being so obvious, thinking I wouldn’t notice. How adorable~.*
I wonder if she’s just shy and brushing it off. Well, since she’s not rejecting me, I’ll keep going with this approach.
Unfortunately for Yujin, he couldn’t have imagined his teacher had fallen for him from the very first meeting…
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*I should start planning ahead! The house, the dowry, the wedding dress…*
Meanwhile, Aika also lacked any sense of urgency. Even as the “perfect opportunity” sat spinning in front of her, she made no effort to seize it. She was simply waiting for her student to place the confession right in her lap.
If Sia or Alice saw this, they’d likely reach enlightenment, questioning why they even bothered forming alliances.
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* * *
After breakfast, Yujin and Aika sat down to talk about the mission—a special assignment to subdue the final boss, Paimon.
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“What about academy lectures?”
“Well, I don’t want to miss everything, so I’m planning on just attending the morning classes. Here’s my schedule…”
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*Holding on tightly*
*Sneaky contact. Very good.*
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They were sitting cozily on the same couch, with Yujin’s plan in action.
To speed things up, he’d started adding light physical contact to the mix.
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I mean, I’ve had some close moments with her before...
*Smack*
…But this is the first time I’ve taken the lead. Heh.
The key difference now was that Yujin was the one initiating these moments.
Pretending to show her his schedule, he leaned close enough that their arms touched.
How did Aika respond?
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“Oh my, Yujin, isn’t this a little close?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Aika. I just like you so much that I got carried away. Should I move back?”
“Not at all~ How could I dislike my student showing affection?”
*Squish*
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Rather than minding, she subtly leaned into him, relishing in her student’s transparent affection. Receiving his attention for the first time, she couldn’t have been happier.
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*Silently*
So she doesn’t mind at all… She really doesn’t see me as a man.
Yujin felt disheartened. But only briefly, as he soon wore a bright smile.
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“Alright then, let’s see how much you can handle.”
*Casually*
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His hand moved up her back, subtly gliding to her shoulder. He gently pulled her a little closer.
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*Closer. Soft.*
“What’s this, Yujin? What are you up to?”
“I just thought it’d be easier for you to see
from here. Do you mind?”
“Nope, it’s fine.”
And so, Aika found herself nestled against him, her head softly resting on his shoulder.
They both smiled.
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“Well, then, thank you for that.”
“Thank me? Yujin, isn’t there a bit of mischief in that smile?”
“Of course. I mean, with such a beautiful woman like you, how could I not be a little mischievous?”
“You’re welcome to confess anytime~.”
“Be careful, or I just might.”
“Awww~ My student, the future husband~?”
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Their playful, sugary interaction continued, faces close, exchanging words that could easily be mistaken for a genuine confession.
If anyone overheard, they’d likely be shouting, “Just date already!”
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You don’t see me as a man, even after all this? This difficulty level is brutal.
So, they each had their own thoughts: Yujin marveled at her resilience, while Aika was mentally preparing for their future.
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“Oh, right. We’ll probably need to spend some nights away to hunt Paimon.”
“That’s fine. Anything for you, Yujin.”
“And I did promise to treat you to something like a hotel room while we’re at it.”
“Oh, right. I’d forgotten.”
“I found a place, but it’s so nice that I’d have to share it with someone.”
“Huh? Why?”
“I’m not sure, but that’s what they said.”
Yujin gave her a boyish smile.
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“Anyway… would it be okay if we shared a room?”
“...I’ll look forward to it~”
*Better buy some nice lingerie...*
It was a simple, innocent grin that set her heart—and her whole world—ablaze.