Prologue
At least I want words
“I’m ho. Yuunagi-kun, you’re still awake, right?”
It was Friday night, and for the first ti in a while, I had finished dinner alone. After doing the dishes and getting out of the bath, I lay on my bed, watching a movie that was playing on TV.
I was in a state where I could fall asleep at any ti, but I was soaking in the sense of freedom that cos with the weekend, idly passing the ti with my smartphone in hand.
When the movie was more than halfway through, the chi of my room rang.
There was only one person who would co looking for at this hour.
“Tenjō-san, welco back. The drinking party ended earlier than expected, huh?”
I had been inford in advance that Sensei had a drinking party at work tonight, so there would be no dinner.
As I opened the door, the cool outside air tickled my cheeks.
It had been two seasons since Sensei turned out to be my neighbor and we started our current relationship.
The overly long sumr had finally passed, and the brief autumn had arrived.
The dayti heat had subsided, and the nights were getting colder.
“I left the party early. Can I get so water or sothing?”
“Is it okay if you don’t go back to your own room first?”
I wondered if she was drunk enough to head straight to my room instead of her own after returning to the apartnt.
Still shouldering her bag over her work clothes, her face was slightly flushed, and her eyes looked sleepy.
Her slightly tipsy deanor was unexpectedly alluring.
“——I thought you might be feeling lonely.”
She said such a thing, a bit tipsy.
Relying on the courage given by alcohol, she was bolder than usual.
Her lip service was quite direct.
“I’d really like so comfort then.”
I made my request without flinching.
There’s no point in taking the words of a drunk person seriously.
I half-listen, letting so of it go in one ear and out the other.
“Huhh〜〜 what should I do? Fufu, I wonder what should I do for you?”
Tenjō-san peered into my face with a playful look.
The distance was so close that her breath could touch . Closer than usual, I found myself captivated by her glossy lips.
If she’s this close… couldn’t we naturally kiss?
She was about to step into the room after taking off her shoes at the entrance, but she stumbled over the floor threshold.
Inevitably, she was going to fall right into my chest.
In the narrow hallway, there was no way to dodge, so naturally, I had no choice but to catch her.
“Ah〜〜 thank you.”
“You’re as careless as ever.”
“Maybe it was on purpose?”
“For that, it was quite a stumble.”
“Aren’t you worried about ?”
“That’s why I caught you properly. Are you hurt?”
“Thanks to you, I’m fine.”
She seed genuinely happy to be in my arms. Mixed with the faint sll of alcohol, her body heat had risen, making her sweet scent more stronger than usual.
The warmth and touch coming from her made my heart race.
Tenjō-san didn’t resist. Rather, she relaxed and entrusted her body to .
Just being this close was enough to loosen the reins of my reason.
“…Yuunagi-kun, your hair has grown. Isn’t your bangs getting in the way?”
She reached out and touched my hair with her fingertips.
“For now, it’s okay. Um, are you still going to stay like this?”
I didn’t want to part, but I asked politely.
“It’s just… kind of comforting.”
Every ti she spoke, her breath tickled .
“Don’t show such an opening outside.”
“I wouldn’t do that with anyone but you.”
“I trust that.”
“I maintain teacher mode at school, so let do as I please at ho.”
“You know this is my room, right?”
“Know. But I thought you were waiting for to co back because the light was on.”
Ugh, I couldn’t deny it.
If I had gone to sleep without talking to Tenjō-san, I would have felt off.
In fact, I barely rembered the content of the movie just now.
“I thought you might have mistaken your room because you were drunk.”
“It doesn’t change the fact that we’re under one roof. We eat here in the morning and evening, so it’s kind of like my room too?”
She narrowed her eyes teasingly.
“First, please wash your hands and gargle. In the anti, I’ll prepare so mugicha for you.”
“Okay.”
Tenjō-san seed happy despite being scolded.
I supported her as we headed to the washbasin.
She wasn’t so drunk as to stagger, but without either of us initiating it, it naturally happened.
I tried to act nonchalant as our bodies touched, but it was impossible not to be conscious of it.
I, Nishiki Yuunagi, am a perfectly normal adolescent boy.
It’s an age when interest in the opposite sex naturally grows stronger.
Tenjō Reiyu is a teacher at the private Kiyō High School I attend. Moreover, she’s my horoom teacher.
And she’s also my neighbor, living in the sa apartnt building.
This spring, we discovered by chance that we were neighbors, and our neighborly relationship began, leading us to vow eternal love to each other.
It would be nice if we could openly call ourselves lovers, but since we are a teacher and a student, we must keep it a secret.
Of course, we’ve established a rule called the Neighbor Agreent for the sake of our futures, and we’re working hard to maintain our current relationship until I graduate.
【Clause 1: The fact that we are neighbors is a secret just between the two of us.】
【Clause 2: In tis of trouble, we help each other without hesitation.】
【Clause 3: Yuunagi Nishiki will prepare breakfast and dinner on weekdays. Reiyu Tenjō will contribute more to the food expenses.】
【Clause 4: The Neighbor Agreent can be terminated upon request by either party.】
【Clause 5: Additional rules can be decided upon as necessary through discussion.】
【Clause 6: Neither party shall have a romantic partner until graduation.】
A vague sense of distance that is more than neighbors but less than lovers.
This ambiguity is both the thrill and the troubleso part of romance.
Due to our respective positions, we make sure not to cross a certain line, but there are no clear boundaries otherwise.
The fact that Tenjō-san lounges in my room as if it were her own is proof of that.
Her being able to relax and feel at ease is a sign of trust.
However, because of this, her unguarded behavior often tests my self-control and rationality.
Like the casual hug we shared when she returned earlier, it’s adorable.
Each ti, I maintain a poker face, coolly letting it pass as if nothing happened.
Sotis, pretending it’s nothing is necessary to avoid ruining an important relationship.
“You’re completely oblivious to others’ feelings.”
I calm my emotions and return to the bed to continue watching the movie.
“Thanks for the tea.”
After finishing her mugicha, Tenjō-san took off her light coat and naturally lay down on my bed without asking.
She wriggled around and used my thigh as a pillow.
“…Uh, Tenjō-san?”
“What is it, Yuunagi-kun?”
“Aren’t you too close?”
“Ah? Really? It’s the best view from here, and it’s more comfortable than the floor.”
The soft bed is undoubtedly more relaxing. But I wish she’d think about it calmly.
This is, after all, a man’s room.
“Aren’t you being too relaxed?”
“Am I?”
She looks up at with an innocent expression as if nothing was wrong.
Her gesture, despite being that of an older woman, has a pet-like charm that leaves speechless.
Yes, it’s all the more annoying because I don’t dislike it.
Thanks to various events over the sumr vacation, I was able to slightly lighten the emotional burden she had been carrying.
As a result, she has beco a little more clingy since the start of the second term.
…No, let’s not mince words. She has beco ‘really’ clingy.
“I’m envious that you can relax so much like that with alcohol.”
“Hehe, you’ll understand when you’re an adult. So, be patient.”
“I am. If anything, I’m all about patience.”
Of course, this isn’t just about alcohol.
As a minor, drinking is out of the question.
I’m a serious guy who doesn’t do anything against public order and morals and always abides by the law.
What I’m most patient with is the existence of Tenjō Reiyu herself.
Being with her is the most enjoyable thing, but it’s also a source of worry.
“All that stress must be tough. You need to take breaks properly or you’ll break down.”
Tenjō-san cheerfully responds.
“Whose fault do you think it is…”
“Mine? Yuunagi-kun, do you find botherso? Oh, are your legs numb now?”
When she lifts her head out of consideration, I gently push it back down.
“It’s troubling because I can’t reject you.”
“Wow, that sounds complicated.”
Her response, influenced by the alcohol, was casual and frank.
“Yes, things could get really ssy if I let my guard down.”
“I feel like I’m being threatened. Scary.”
Or rather, I wish she wouldn’t turn to face every ti we talk. Because she’s using my knee as a pillow, her face is dangerously close to a man’s area.
In the worst-case scenario, it could lead to a situation where an active volcano erupts.
If that ever happened, things couldn’t continue as they have been.
The person in question, due to her peculiar lack of knowledge in such matters, is purely enjoying the knee pillow, which makes it all the more problematic.
But it would be a waste to say sothing careless and dampen the mood.
Her being too close is stimulating, but I don’t want distance between us either.
So I dutifully stay awake, waiting for her to co ho.
These various internal conflicts, both big and small, constantly tornted .
How did such a beautiful woman like Tenjō Reiyu manage to grow up so innocent?
It’s nothing short of a miracle in this world.
While I give thanks to the gods, I also feel the urge to curse the severity of this trial.
I desperately line up trivial thoughts in my head to keep a lid on the rising desires.
Now, let’s focus on the movie in front of .
“Hey, Yuunagi-kun, is this movie really that interesting?”
Seeing my serious expression, her face turns towards the TV. Ah, please don’t give my inner thigh such strange sensations.
“The action is intense and stimulating.”
” ? But why do you look like you’re in pain?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
I answer while biting my lower lip.
In this way, I am always on the edge of tornt.
If a provocative woman with no connection to were to stir feelings, I could dismiss it as a coincidence.
With acquaintances or friends, I can exercise self-control based on common sense.
But when it cos to soone in a special relationship, it’s a different story.
Being allowed to be the closest to her, I want to feel and reciprocate that affection in various ways.
Surprisingly, despite all this innocent physical contact, Tenjō-san and I are not officially in a relationship.
No, we simply haven’t clearly articulated to ourselves or others that we are lovers.
We could say that we are essentially in a pure relationship.
Yet, it’s a secret bond that I could never reveal to anyone else.
If soone were to notice, and her would be torn apart.
Fear of that tragedy has kept us from defining our relationship in words thus far.
“Wow, a kiss scene.”
Tenjō-san murmured.
In the movie, just before the climax, a man and a woman press their lips together.
They engage in an intense kiss, sucking and entwining tongues like snakes coiling together.
How can they not feel suffocated by such a kiss?
“…Hey, are you interested?”
Suddenly, she asks as our eyes et.
Her smooth, silky long hair, beautiful eyebrows, and large eyes frad like petals seem to draw in.
A well-defined nose, small lips, soft cheeks, cute ears, and a slender chin.
I am irresistibly attracted to her godlike beauty.
Despite seeing her so many tis, I’m still captivated each ti.
“But it’s not allowed.”
While sending a suggestive glance, Tenjō-san gently presses her fingertip against my lips.
I was caught off guard, unable to respond.
Annoyed, I lightly bite her slender finger.
“Ah!? What are you doing!?”
She panics, pulls her arm back, and jumps off the bed.
“Hey, my fingertip is wet now. Gross~~”
Tenjō-san hurriedly wipes it with a tissue from the bedside.
“It’s because you started doing weird things.”
“I was just teasing you.”
No sign of remorse.
“…Tenjō-san, do you enjoy teasing ?”
“Yeah, it’s super fun.”
She beams with a smile as bright as the sun.
“That’s not very educator-like behavior.”
“It’s just a little playful teasing between close friends.”
“Ugh, I’m completely being played with by an older woman. What if this twists my preferences?”
“Eh, it wouldn’t really be a problem?”
She dismisses it easily.
Her lack of hesitation surprised this ti.
“Why?”
“Because you’re with , so whatever happens, I’ll take full responsibility and face it head-on. So you can relax.”
Tenjō Reiyu’s sense of responsibility explodes.
Her overly gallant statent made my heart flutter.
“Ohh, so this is how I’m being trained…”
I realized.
In the casual exchanges of everyday life, there are monts when my heart is clearly seized, so my heart can never detach from her.
” ‘Trained’ sounds like a naughty term.”
“That’s not wrong. The declaration that Tenjō-san will respond to any of my demands keeps my heart racing.”
I boldly admit what I’m expecting.
“That’s not what I ant!”
“It’s not?”
“Moderation is important in everything!”
“Okay. Then, with moderation, I hope to be able to openly express my honest desires. Please look forward to after graduation.”
“What am I supposed to look forward to!?”
“I will take you to a dazzling new world.”
I counter with wordplay, as it’s vexing to be constantly touched unwittingly.
“What will you make do?”
“Well, you’ll accompany until I run out of desire.”
Japanese is a convenient language. By using taphors and leaving the direct object vague, I can make suggestive expressions without being explicit.
Tenjō-san understands the implied aning of my roundabout words and sits up.
“~~~~ッ!? I’m going ho for today! Goodnight!”
Seeing the tide turn against her, she hastily gathers her belongings and returns to the next room.
Her movents are too agile for soone who’s drunk. It almost makes doubt whether her previous languidness on the bed was just an act.
The movie had ended at so point, and it was now showing comrcials.
I barely rember the content.
Once alone again, I stand in the middle of the room, agonizing.
“Ugh, she’s too cute. I can’t believe she’s older than .”
I grin uncontrollably, covering my mouth even though no one is watching.
Loving her so much was infuriating. I flailed about as if to release the pent-up frustration.
“Ah… I’m completely smitten. Damn it, there’s no winning against her.”
Nishiki Yuunagi is in love with Tenjō Reiyu.
It’s not just a bittersweet experience of a boy’s adolescence yearning for an older woman.
Because it’s serious, I can’t let my feelings run ahead.
“I wish I could grow up faster.”
I mutter softly while looking up at the ceiling light.
The year and a bit until I graduate high school feels impossibly long.
I like Sensei.
I want to hold hands. I want to hug her. I want to kiss her. I want to do more than that.
Such primitive and pure instincts whisper in my brain, trying to numb my reason.
Without either instinct or reason, love would surely break.
The ambiguous nature of my relationship with Tenjō-san makes acutely aware of this.
Not yet capable of an adult physical relationship, yet no longer satisfied with re childlike play.
“…At least I want words.”
Despite being so close to her, I have never once been told “I like you” by Tenjō Reiyu.
Her attitude and gaze certainly convey her affection for .
That’s why I was able to swear eternal love.
Still, I find myself wanting to hear her say “I like you” properly.
I thought I was understanding, but I’m surprised to find myself feeling this maiden-like sentint.
It’s embarrassingly awkward, so I can’t bring myself to tell Tenjō-san.
There’s a subtle discomfort in asking for those words of affection from her.
There’s a reason I can’t speak up, and it lies with Tenjō-san.
As a teacher, she consciously avoids explicit expressions toward , a minor.
Contrary to the oozing affection and innocent closeness, the word “like” stubbornly refuses to leave her lips.
It seems she’s escaping into ambiguity.
As long as our relationship cannot be publicly disclosed, I can understand her feelings and stance.
But still, even if it’s just my own selfish wish, I yearn to hear her say “like” in her own voice
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