"Excuse me for intruding."
Nobi Hiroshi took off his shoes and followed Shizuka into the girl's room.
Upon entering, he saw pink bedding and furniture, clean and tidy, with a floral scent in the air.
There were a few plush toys on the bedside, and a photo frame with Shizuka's old pictures on the desk. Her round face was very cute, and the room was filled with a girlish charm.
Minamoto Shizuka's mother specially brought snacks and juice to treat Nobi Hiroshi, who was tutoring her daughter.
For good students who excel in academics, parents of classmates would certainly look upon them favorably and be much more enthusiastic.
"nobi, Auntie won't disturb you two. You two just study quietly."
"Okay, thank you, Auntie."
Nobi Hiroshi placed his school bag in the corner. Looking at the plate of snacks, they were strawberry daifuku, which he quite liked.
Without being polite, he picked up a strawberry daifuku to taste, then sat kneeling on the tatami with Shizuka and began tutoring.
The Japanese low round table was a bit short, and Nobi Hiroshi was somewhat unaccustomed to it. He got a cushion and placed it under his feet, which made him much more comfortable, though it was a bit hot.
"Shizuka, look, although this small path winds and twists, we only need to divide it into several sections, translate them, and piece them together to get a rectangle."
Nobi Hiroshi pointed at the textbook with his finger, analyzing the difficult problems for Shizuka and providing ideas.
It was about finding the area of the shaded part, a type of problem he had truly done to death before.
"So that's how it is!"
"Hiro, you're really amazing. Hearing you explain it, I also think this problem is so simple."
Shizuka smiled sweetly and started to answer, holding her pencil.
Taking advantage of this break, Nobi Hiroshi moved his body slightly and kneaded his calves. After kneeling for half an hour, his toes were a bit numb.
Warm sunlight shone in from outside the window, falling on the girl's beautiful face.
Nobi Hiroshi stared at Shizuka's profile. From this angle, her diligent and hardworking self looked even cuter.
Below the double braids tied with elastic bands was a long and elegant neck like a swan's, revealing narrow, fragrant shoulders, and her snow-white skin appeared even more sacred in the golden sunlight.
Especially the bangs on her forehead, which were playfully tossed back and forth by the mischievous breeze from outside the window.
"Alright, Hiro, what should we review next?"
After finishing the answer, Shizuka raised her head. Their relationship had progressed a lot, and their addresses had become more intimate.
At least there was no "classmate" suffix anymore.
"Oh, let me see."
Nobi Hiroshi adjusted his body back, ready to flip the book, but his foot suddenly cramped, his body tilted, his right arm fell under the table, and his palm pressed against something soft and squishy.
His fingertips unconsciously pressed it. It was soft, it must be someone's thigh.
"Ah!"
The girl's face turned crimson, and she quickly slapped away Hiro's hand, calling out indistinctly and shyly.
"I'm sorry, Shizuka, I didn't do it on purpose."
"It's just that my foot suddenly cramped."
Nobi Hiroshi, who had recovered, quickly waved his hand and apologized to the girl.
You really can't blame me, I'll do it again next time.
"Oh, seriously, be more careful next time. I'll forgive you this time."
Seeing that Nobi Hiroshi's action was indeed unintentional, Shizuka was not angry. She shyly lowered her head and continued to study.
It was just, what was that electric current just now? Shizuka didn't quite understand. She shifted her legs, feeling a bit itchy.
"Alright, I'll be careful next time."
Although he said that, Nobi Hiroshi still leaned closer to Shizuka, their shoulders already touching.
Anyway, he had already touched her leg, so doing this again shouldn't be a big deal.
"Hiro… are we sitting too close?"
"Are we? I don't think so."
"Let's not talk about that for now. Let me explain this problem to you again. This is a key and difficult point, so you must remember it well."
Nobi Hiroshi stared at the textbook with a normal expression, and Shizuka steadied her legs, studying diligently.
She felt like something was off, but it also seemed like nothing was off. It was just that the atmosphere in the room had changed, and their two figures leaned against each other.
Listening to Shizuka's slightly flustered breathing, Hiro continued to open the book, teaching earnestly.
"How about it, Shizuka, do you understand?"
"Yes… yes, I do. Thank you, Hiro, I learned a lot today."
"No need to thank me, I should be thanking you. Last time, thanks to Shizuka standing in front of me, Gian didn't make a move."
"Hmph, caring for classmates is what we should do. Moreover, Hiro is a transfer student, so he should be taken care of even more."
Smiling gently, Shizuka's eyes curved into a beautiful crescent shape. Hiro, who was drinking juice, paused slightly, thinking of something. If he wasn't afraid of being (censored) abrupt.
"Hmm, I didn't expect my luck to be so good, to meet the beautiful and understanding Shizuka."
"I don't look bad either, maybe we're just a match made in heaven."
Nobi Hiroshi laughed heartily, leaned his head over, and met the gaze of the dumbfounded Shizuka.
The girl's clear eyes widened, and her fair, tender face gradually began to turn crimson.
Her nimble eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly. Nobi Hiroshi's words were like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.
Shizuka shyly lowered her head, secretly glancing at Nobi Hiroshi's fair and handsome profile, her eyes fixed on him, her little heart beating rapidly.
Hiro is indeed quite handsome, a good match… Bah, bah, bah! Shizuka, what are you thinking?
"Hiro, you're too direct, aren't you? Praising a girl to her face, and saying 'match made in heaven' or something…"
Calming her restless heart, Shizuka clutched the corner of her skirt, raised her head, and said softly.
Nobi Hiroshi's words would be considered those of a scumbag in his previous life, but in this relatively romantic era, they were quite effective, especially in a certain country where education was very widespread.
"Isn't being direct better?"
"Shizuka is indeed very beautiful. Am I not allowed to tell the truth, and say you're ugly against my will?"
"You're not wrong to say that."
"Oh, forget it, whatever you say."
Shizuka nodded, thinking that Nobi Hiroshi made a lot of sense, but she just felt that when he said it, it had a slightly different meaning.
"Shizuka, Auntie, I've bothered you today, I'll head home now."
With the tutoring session over, Nobi Hiroshi was ready to leave. He went downstairs, changed into his shoes, and arrived at the front door.
"Goodbye, Nobi Hiroshi, you're welcome to come to our house again next time and help our Shizuka more."
"Goodbye, Hiro, we'll see you at school tomorrow."
Shizuka and her mother waved Nobi Hiroshi goodbye, and Shizuka herself even went out to the street, watching Hiro disappear into the distance with a look of reluctance on her face.
"Strange, isn't he just a new transfer student? Is Shizuka's relationship with him that good?"
Minamoto Yoshie looked at her slightly different daughter and tilted her head. Shizuka didn't seem to see guests off like this before, what was going on today?