Feeling intensely self-conscious and burning with nervous embarrassment under his bold, undivided gaze, Shizuka panicked.
Without thinking, she lunged forward, hooking her arm firmly around the back of his neck and clamping his head tightly against her side, trapping him in a rough headlock beneath her armpit.
"Hey, brat! Stop staring like that! Your eyes are way too bold for a student!" she snapped, her face flushing crimson as she desperately tried to mask her mortification.
The moment she did, however, she instantly regretted the impulse.
What on earth am I doing?! she berated herself internally.
Dressing up like a glamorous woman for a lunch date with her own teenage student already felt humiliating enough, but wrestling him on a public sidewalk was peak disaster.
Haruto, on the other hand, didn't mind the close contact in the slightest.
In fact, due to the angle of her grip and the sudden loss of her composure.
His face was pressed directly into the rich, soft cushion of her overflowing bosom, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her perfume mixed with natural warmth—a detail Shizuka was entirely too flustered to notice.
Managing to keep his composure despite the heaven-sent distraction, Haruto patted her arm and murmured.
"Shizuka-sensei... you look remarkably ladylike today, but pulling your student into a headlock right outside a mall isn't very ladylike at all."
"Ugh, shut up! Who cares about being ladylike?!" she huffed in intense frustration, her cheeks burning hotter.
"That word doesn't suit me in the slightest!"
Haruto chuckled deeply, the vibration humming directly against her chest.
"True, the word 'ladylike' definitely doesn't match your usual delinquent aura."
Before she could scold him further, his voice softened, dropping into a smooth, genuine tone.
"Still, you look exceptionally young and stunning today, Sensei. It's a breathtaking change of pace to see you like this."
Shizuka froze entirely.
The unexpected, unfiltered compliment hit her like a physical blow.
Her breath hitched in her throat, and a deep, spreading blush violently stained her cheeks down to her neck.
Overwhelmed by sudden bashfulness, she hastily released her grip, shoving him back a step as she coughed loudly into her fist.
"A-Ahem! Enough of the cheeky flattery. Let's just get going—I've already reserved a private table at the restaurant upstairs."
Without waiting for a response, she spun on her heel and hurried off toward the mall entrance.
Her hips swaying rhythmically inside the tight dress as she tried to put as much distance between them as possible.
Haruto stood back, stifling a rich laugh as he watched her retreat.
"Sensei is honestly way too easy to read," he thought, shaking his head with fond amusement.
She wore every single insecurity and emotion proudly on her sleeve, making her blustering front entirely transparent.
Winning a woman like her over, he realized with a wicked grin, wasn't going to be difficult at all—it was going to be an absolute pleasure.
As Haruto and Shizuka stepped through the automatic glass doors into the cool, air-conditioned interior of the bustling mall.
They remained entirely oblivious to a pair of sharp, calculating eyes tracking their every move.
"Oh my... Shizuka didn't think to invite me along to witness this little secret rendezvous?"
From a short distance away near a luxury boutique display, Haruno Yukinoshita watched the unfolding scene with an amused, knowing smirk.
She happened to be out browsing during a rare afternoon break from her demanding family responsibilities when a flash of familiar, light-blue fabric caught her eye.
"So, the rumors really were true. She actually has a soft spot for younger guys, doesn't she?"
Haruno mused softly, taking in Shizuka's unusually feminine, carefully curated appearance.
In all the years they had known each other, she had never once seen the stubborn guidance counselor go to such extravagant lengths to dress up for anyone.
The sight of Shizuka's flustered posturing and Haruto's effortless, charming composure sent a thrill of mischievous excitement through Haruno's veins.
"Well now... this is turning out to be infinitely more entertaining than I expected,"
Haruno murmured, her eyes gleaming with a sly, predatory light as she subtly tailed them deeper into the mall.
"Shizuka-sensei, aren't you going to say anything at all?"
Haruto couldn't help but let out a soft, teasing chuckle as he watched Hiratsuka quietly and awkwardly stare down at her plate, meticulously pushing her food around with her fork without making eye contact.
"If you keep this up, this is turning into a pretty boring date," he murmured with a light smirk.
Hiratsuka froze completely, her fork stopping mid-air.
A date? Boring?
Beneath her flustered exterior, a sudden, mortifying realization struck her like a physical blow: despite her strict, adult exterior... she actually had zero real dating experience.
Her life had been entirely consumed by her career, discipline, and avoiding the marriage pressures of her family.
Thud.
It felt as though Haruto had landed a critical, direct hit right against her defenseless heart.
Panicking to salvage her shredded pride, she immediately slammed her hands down onto the table and stammered.
"W-What on earth are you talking about, brat?! Of course it's not!"
Red-faced and desperate, she tried to bluff her way through.
"I'm an adult woman, okay?! I've had plenty of boyfriends in the past! What would a teenager like you know about romance?!" she blurted out, her voice rising an octave in a totally unconvincing defense.
Haruto simply smiled gently, keeping completely silent, though his dark, knowing eyes clearly broadcasted the fact that he wasn't buying a single word of her desperate lie.
She is honestly way too easy to read, he thought with fond amusement.
The bright flush spreading across her cheeks, the erratic pounding of her pulse visible at her throat, and her stiff, nervous hand gestures completely betrayed her.
She looked entirely too alluring sitting there flustered in her sun dress, making a powerful, primal urge flare up inside him.
Right then and there, Haruto found himself intensely wanting to lean across the table, grab her by the chin, and kiss her breathless.
Still, showing immense restraint, he reined himself in.
He knew better than to push a cornered wild cat too far.
Seeing his silent, disbelieving expression, Hiratsuka felt her remaining dignity utterly evaporate, replaced by a spike of intense defensive frustration.
She pointed a trembling finger at him, trying to force back her authoritative teacher persona.
"Anyway! Like I said, this is not a date! It's an official celebratory lunch for getting the top exam score, got it?!"
"Got it, Sensei," Haruto replied smoothly, playing along with an innocent nod.
He decided to ease up on the teasing—pushing her any further might actually cause her to completely short-circuit or do something wildly reckless out of sheer embarrassment.
*******
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