Shiro had expected a little resistance, but the sighs and subtle head shakes from the Nakano sisters still made him chuckle inwardly.
He’d barely pulled out the review notes when Ichika raised her hand.
"Shiro-kun... we already know these things just by glancing at them. But this thod—honestly—it hasn’t really helped us."
The others nodded in quiet agreent, sharing her sentint.
Shiro stayed calm.
"I get that you’re tired of this approach. But even if we go my route, you still need to rember the basics."
He paced slowly, then pointed at the board.
"Think of exam questions like locks. And these knowledge points? They’re your keys."
"What I want to teach you is how to use the right key, not how to force the door open. That’s not how it works. Nobody can break through math problems with brute force."
He tapped a finger against the whiteboard for emphasis.
"Everything in life can deceive you. But math? Math doesn’t lie. If it says no, it’s no. There’s no wiggle room."
"You need to gather the right keys—and learn to use them well—so no lock can stop you."
The sisters looked at each other, visibly processing his taphor. It wasn’t flashy, but it landed.
Internally, Shiro gave thanks for the ntal resonance technique he picked up from the Cthulhu Original Codex. It made his words more compelling—subtle influence, not manipulation.
If this had been Futaro Uesugi, the impact would’ve dropped by at least 20%.
---
"Since today’s our first session, and I didn’t have ti to prepare properly, we’ll officially start the full lessons the day after tomorrow."
"Yeah!" the five sisters cheered together, already more engaged.
"But even if we’re not diving into the big stuff, you still have today’s howork. Take it out."
"Aww, howork? Really?" groaned Ichika.
"I’m so sleepy..." Yotsuba added, fake yawning.
"Shiro-kun, you’re totally a demon in disguise," grumbled Miku.
"Hmph. In the end, you’re just like all the other teachers," said Nino, arms crossed.
Only Itsuki didn’t complain. Adjusting her glasses, she calmly pulled her howork book from her backpack.
With her leading by example, the others reluctantly followed suit.
They couldn’t deny it—Shiro might be strict, but he cared. And they had grown strangely comfortable with him, even respectful.
By the ti he helped each of them through their assignnts, it was already close to 10 p.m.
---
Later That Night – Back at Shiro’s Apartnt
When Shiro returned ho, he found Misaki Senpai already there, her suitcase beside her.
"Junior, welco back. I hope it’s not inconvenient, but I’d like to stay here for a while."
Shiro smiled gently. "Not at all. You’re always welco, Misaki-senpai. In fact, I’m glad."
"Hehe, I knew you were the best. But I’ll pay rent this ti."
"No need. Honestly, I’m fine. You staying here doesn’t cost anything."
He lifted her suitcase with ease and headed to the spare bedroom.
"You’ll be staying in the sa room as last ti—right next to Kanna’s."
"Perfect. Thank you, Junior."
After helping her settle in, they returned to the living room. Shiro handed her a cold bottle of milk.
"There are towels and toothbrushes under the bathroom sink. Snacks are in the kitchen. Make yourself at ho."
"Mm!"
"I’m going to collect the laundry. Help yourself in the anti."
---
On the balcony, the evening breeze cooled his skin as he gathered the clothes from the line.
He paused when he noticed Haruno’s undergarnts still hanging there. She’d clearly forgotten to take them.
Seeing them made his heart ache a little.
It’s only been a few days... and I already miss her.
Without overthinking it, he dialed her number.
It rang twice before she answered.
The background was noisy—she was likely walking in a crowded street—but her voice was bright and full of life.
"Hi~ Good evening, darling. Did you miss ?"
Shiro smiled. "Yeah. I do."
"Aww, you’re sweet. I’m on exchange right now with classmates—abroad."
"Abroad?"
"Mm-hmm. I’m in the U.S. It’ll take about a week before I’m back."
Shiro’s tone shifted, gentle but serious. "Take care of yourself, Haruno. Don’t go out alone at night."
"I know. I’ll be fine. Just wait for ."
They talked for a long while, sharing bits of their day. Shiro eventually ntioned Misaki staying over.
Predictably, Haruno got a little jealous—but she didn’t complain. In fact, it seed like she’d been expecting sothing like this.
There was even a hint of amusent in her voice.
After thirty minutes of gentle conversation, they finally hung up.
---
Rembering that Chihiro-sensei ought to be inford about Misaki’s temporary stay, Shiro made one more call.
"Hello? Chihiro-sensei? It’s Shiro."
"Shiro? Calling this late at night? Don’t you know that sleep deprivation causes aging?"
Her voice was sharp, but he could tell she wasn’t actually mad. From the background noise, she was clearly in a bar—likely an izakaya.
As expected, Shizuka Hiratsuka’s voice could be heard faintly nearby.
He chuckled. "You’re not sleeping either, sensei."
"Tch. Don’t get smart with , kid. What’s up?"
--------------------------------------
Support at patreon/Arthorain and read upto 100 Advanced Chapters!
Reviews
All reviews (0)