The morning after was brutal for Coach Mayumi.
She stood at the edge of the track, whistle clenched in her mouth, barking orders louder than necessary. The girls under her command sprinted back and forth, drenched in sweat, while her piercing gaze cut through every excuse and hesitation.
To anyone watching, she looked like the sa iron-willed PE coach as always, unyielding, disciplined, terrifying.
But beneath that mask, Mayumi’s heart still throbbed with the echo of last night.
Renji’s hands gripping her thighs.
His mouth on her skin.
Her moans spilling shalessly in the dim-lit gym.
Damn it... I let a student do that to .
She bit her lip, blowing the whistle again just to drown out her thoughts. Her body still rembered him, still ached for him and that was what scared her most. She needed to push it away. Hide it. Pretend it never happened.
And so, when Renji strolled onto the track later that afternoon, hands in his pockets and a casual smirk on his face, Mayumi’s entire body went stiff.
Her whistle snapped between her teeth.
Her posture turned rigid.
Her voice sharpened.
"Renji Sakamoto! What are you doing here? Don’t you have your own practice to get to?"
The boy didn’t flinch. He didn’t even try to play innocent.
Instead, he walked closer, right up to the boundary where students might notice. His smile was lazy, but his eyes were sharp, hungry.
"Relax, Coach," he said. "I’m not here to distract your girls."
"Then get lost." She scowled, folding her arms under her chest. "You have no business here."
But Renji leaned in, lowering his voice so only she could hear.
"No business? You were moaning my na last night like it was your favorite word."
Her entire face went red.
The whistle nearly slipped from her mouth.
"Y-You—!" she hissed, eyes darting to make sure no one heard. "Shut your damn mouth, Sakamoto!"
Renji chuckled, unbothered by her fury.
"You can act like it didn’t happen, but we both know it did. And the way you ca on my fingers... Coach, you’ve been starving a long ti."
Her knees almost buckled. He’s too bold...
Grinding her teeth, she grabbed his wrist, yanking him toward the equipnt shed beside the field. She slamd the door shut behind them, the sll of chalk and leather filling the cramped space.
Her chest heaved as she glared at him.
"Listen to , you little brat. What happened last night was a mistake. It won’t happen again. You’re my student, I’m your coach. That’s all this is!"
Renji stepped closer, closing the distance, until her back pressed against the wall of stacked mats.
"Funny," he murmured, his hand brushing along her waist. "Because when I kissed you, it didn’t feel like a mistake. It felt like you were begging for more."
Her breath hitched. Her nails dug into her palms.
"Y-You don’t know what you’re talking about."
Renji tilted his head, smirk tugging at his lips.
"Then prove wrong."
Her eyes widened. "W-What?"
"Go on. Look in the eye and tell you don’t want . That you didn’t love every second of it."
Her lips parted—but no words ca out.
The silence said everything.
Renji leaned in, his lips brushing her ear.
"You can keep lying to yourself, Mayumi. But I know what your body’s telling . You want more."
Her fists trembled. Her heart pounded.
Damn it... he’s right.
"W-What do you want from ?" she whispered.
Renji smiled. "Simple. A date. Tonight."
Her head jerked up. "A—what?!"
"A date," he repeated smoothly. "Not as coach and student. As man and woman. Just you and ."
She stared at him like he’d lost his mind. "Are you insane? If anyone saw us!!!"
"No one will." He grinned, confident. "You pick the place. Sowhere you can relax. I’ll handle the rest."
Her pulse raced. Her lips quivered.
A thousand reasons to say no scread in her head. But her body, her heart, her loneliness... whispered yes.
And that whisper was stronger.
"...Fine," she muttered, looking away. "One date. That’s it. After that, we’re done."
Renji smirked, tilting her chin back so her eyes t his.
"You can lie to yourself all you want, Coach. But I know... one won’t be enough."
Her knees went weak at the heat in his gaze.
And deep down, she knew he was right.
By the ti evening rolled around, Mayumi was pacing in her apartnt like a caged animal.
She told herself a hundred tis to cancel.
She picked up her phone, typed Renji’s na, then deleted the ssage before it could be sent.
Every fiber of logic scread at her: He’s a student. He’s too young. This is wrong.
But her mirror told a different story.
She stood there, dressed in a tight black dress she hadn’t worn in years, heels that clicked on the hardwood floor, her hair done up in a way she’d almost forgotten how to do.
Her reflection looked like a woman, no, like a lover ready for soone to claim her.
"Damn it..." she muttered, adjusting the strap of her dress. "Why am I letting him get to ?"
Her phone buzzed.
A ssage.
Renji: I’m outside. Don’t keep waiting, Coach.
Her stomach flipped.
She grabbed her bag, her coat, and left before she could change her mind.
Renji leaned casually against the streetlight outside her building, dressed sharper than she expected: dark jeans, a fitted jacket, hair styled just enough to make him look more mature.
When his eyes t hers, a slow smirk tugged at his lips.
"Well, well... look at you. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to seduce ."
Mayumi’s cheeks flad. "Shut it. I almost didn’t co."
"And yet you did." His eyes road over her body without sha. "Damn, Coach... you’re making it hard to behave."
She swatted his arm, flustered. "Stop saying things like that in public!"
But his low chuckle sent a shiver through her body.
He offered his hand. "Shall we?"
She hesitated... then slid her hand into his. His grip was warm, firm, steady more like a man’s than a boy’s.
And that terrified her.
The restaurant Renji picked wasn’t anything extravagant. A quiet, cozy place tucked away in the corner of town, dim lighting and soft jazz humming through the air. Couples filled the tables, lost in their own worlds.
Mayumi shifted nervously in her seat, trying to act composed, but every brush of Renji’s gaze made her squirm.
"So," he began, resting his chin on his palm. "Tell sothing, Mayumi. What do you actually like? Besides sports, training, and scaring the hell out of your students."
She frowned. "That’s a rude way to put it."
He grinned. "But not inaccurate."
She rolled her eyes, but... thought about his question.
"...I like music," she admitted quietly. "Old stuff. Vinyl records, mostly. My father used to play them when I was a kid."
Renji’s eyes softened. "That suits you. Strong, but classic. Sothing tiless."
Her chest tightened. No man had said sothing like that to her in years.
"And you?" she asked quickly, trying to push the heat away from her cheeks.
"? I like won who know what they want... even if they’re scared to admit it."
Her fork froze halfway to her lips. His words weren’t random. They were aid directly at her.
"...You’re too damn smooth," she muttered, looking away.
Renji leaned closer, his voice dropping just for her.
"Or maybe you’re just not used to being wanted."
Her breath caught. She nearly dropped her fork.
The food between them sat mostly untouched as conversation flowed, light at tis, heavy at others. Mayumi found herself laughing, genuinely, in ways she hadn’t in years. Renji teased, pushed, coaxed her walls down little by little, until she almost forgot the roles they were supposed to play.
By the ti they left, the night air was cool, the city quiet.
Renji walked beside her, hands in his pockets, but his eyes kept drifting to her. She felt it every ti and it made her pulse race faster.
"...Thank you," she said softly, surprising herself.
"For what?"
"For... reminding what it feels like."
Renji tilted his head. "Feels like what?"
She hesitated. Then, in barely more than a whisper...
"To be... a woman."
Renji stopped walking. She froze, realizing what she’d just confessed.
His hand slid around her waist, pulling her against him. His lips hovered dangerously close to hers.
"Mayumi," he murmured. "You’ve always been a woman. And tonight... I’m going to make damn sure you rember that."
Her heart slamd in her chest. Her body leaned in without permission.
And when his mouth finally claid hers, the world around them disappeared.
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