The room fell silent for a few seconds.
Suzuran bit her lip.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIOMRASslz
She knew she shouldn’t say it.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFl2UadFSoG
But still, in a voice barely above a whisper, she asked:
“Then… can I touch your arm muscles?”
She said it quietly, not quite a joke, not quite a confession—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzP6mBPunmM
just a small nudge to see how close she was allowed to get.
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Kouichi turned slightly, his gaze landing on her.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbyzX4pQ9k
For just a moment, something flickered in his eyes—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTKI6j4cWkv
but he didn’t reply right away.
Seeing his silence, she hurried on, her voice picking up speed and pitch like she was afraid he’d misunderstand… or worse, say no.
“It’s for the exam! Really! Everyone’s practicing palpation in class—biceps, deltoids, triceps… I have to pass too!”
Her face was already red, but she held her ground,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBOpttZUebg
trying her best to look confident.
Kouichi stared at her—stubborn, flustered, determined.
Finally, his gaze softened.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRaXUPgiZ6A
A breath escaped his lips, almost a sigh.
“…Fine. Left arm.”
The words were quiet, calm. But they were permission.
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He rolled up his left sleeve, exposing the clean lines of his forearm and biceps—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmJernS7n6e
firm, defined, composed—just like him.
“Ten minutes. Palpation only.”
His tone was as cool as ever, as he added:
“No laughing. No daydreaming. No weird thoughts.”
Suzuran's eyes lit up.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9FVPKADZwP
She nodded furiously, like a kid who just got permission to pet a very fancy dog.
“I swear—study mode only!”
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She carefully reached out, her fingertips brushing his arm.
The moment her fingers touched skin, she froze.
“…Ugh.”
A breathy, involuntary sound escaped her.
This wasn’t like anything in the textbook!
No one ever said muscles could feel like this—so springy, so firm, so…54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe7zPBnRuve
temptingly real.
She had expected something hard and static.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ556APQlQ6p
But instead—there was warmth. Depth.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3Bx32Pwth
A weight that made her want to touch again.
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Her eyes focused, hands trembling slightly,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU4nx5zozKV
trying desperately to maintain her “I’m being professional” façade.
Kouichi said nothing.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwFvHeElSbT
He just lowered his gaze and watched—without pulling away.
He let her touch him.
But it was as if he were silently saying—
You can touch me like this.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8C6FYaUtcF
But only like this.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVBfeM74rb
Only from this distance.
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDIO8HVaS0
She glanced at him again.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSStnuwd622
Still calmly seated beside her, editing her report without so much as a blink.
As if nothing had happened.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKkMy60XWRM
As if her little emotional derailment was part of the routine.
He didn’t scold her.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHfsD8fpCPk
Didn’t dodge her.
He simply… carried on.
And somehow, that made her feel—
Maybe it was because he was always so steady…54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrecoA2WM8J
that she could inch a little closer each time.
She took a breath.
Then, carefully, she cradled his hand in both of hers.
That hand.
The one that had shot across her chest that day when he hit the brakes.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡosXwViyCry
The one that had thrown her whole heart into chaos.
Her fingers trembled slightly as they slid slowly over each of his knuckles—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ4RbbvIUaN
like she was holding something precious, too fragile to grip tightly.
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It was a very quiet hand.
The joints defined, calluses soft at the creases,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzA5LwEGq2e
fingertips warm and calm.
As her fingertips brushed his index finger,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjH0JFFkX7L
she felt the veins beneath his skin—subtle, winding, like strands of strength coiled under a surface of warmth.
So cool…54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeEl0cJAQ1z
She thought, and immediately her cheeks flushed hotter.
Her heart stumbled up into her throat.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX4LYqd7vwZ
Her gaze followed the path of her own fingers—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcPNTGRvu8b
from the web between thumb and forefinger,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyKedBYUM9s
to the back of his hand,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2Re5ftRAu
down to the long, slender bones of his wrist.
There was something addictive in the quiet complexity of it all.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ACRlvtgxP
Something that pulled at her, soft and slow and impossible to stop.
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And then—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZfuSZWSaT
her fingers moved again.
Not consciously.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cgTCB9wL4
As if her body had decided on its own.
She slowly, almost soundlessly—
interlaced her fingers with his.
One finger.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVjiOQjKMcP
Then another.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9ARRbU1TV7
And another.
Until their hands fit together—perfectly.
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Ten fingers. Intertwined.
She froze.
She hadn’t said a word.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡglexmEAang
But her body had confessed everything.
There was no way to explain this as "studying."54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXwiylCxWrD
This wasn’t about anatomy.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNKyfefZY6
This was… the way lovers hold hands.
She stared down at their joined fingers,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUt2xHH4Wk
her palm burning from his warmth.
And somewhere in her heart, a soft voice whispered:
If only I could stay like this.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEwQ5G4H549
Not just for palpation.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeUJFQuWvE
Not just for ten minutes.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjhCcuMFZ3R
But forever.
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrAXNubh73
She bit her lower lip.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23bhpPkrWD
Too afraid to look up.
Because what she feared most…54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJud7UorPWe
wasn’t rejection.
It was the possibility—
that in his eyes,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9TsZcFE9Wv
she might see a tiny flicker of indulgent gentleness.
The kind of look that would make her54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaAH2CuSJSl
lose all ability to pull away.
The kind of look54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqhRJ3vsOl
that would make her fall even deeper.
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NGOVVbvYz
“…My lady,”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrCdrQ4KR2
His voice was low, the calm she always knew.
But this time—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsODqzyr9Yf
there was a faint huskiness to it, like he’d just pushed something down.
“Are you sure this part… is covered in the textbook?”
Suzuran snapped back to reality.
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She looked down—
Her right hand, still holding his left.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw33GPLn9Ww
Their fingers laced tight.
Like lovers.
Like a secret promise in the middle of an ordinary afternoon.
Her heart dropped.
“I—I…”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWsDZksSkf
She couldn’t even finish.
Her face had turned red to the roots of her hair.
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What. Just. Happened?!
She meant to feel his tendons. Just the hand. Just for class!
But somehow—her fingers had just slipped into his without her noticing?!
She yanked her hand back in a panic—54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8yyOyOt5VM
but fumbled halfway, making it seem more like she didn’t want to let go.
Kouichi didn’t release her immediately.
He simply watched her.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLR5ZL8sn5n
Quietly.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvqYxlCgPn
As she panicked like a kid caught sneaking cookies before dinner.
Her lips moved, but no words came out.
And then—finally, he spoke.
“…Time’s up.”
His voice was calm as ever. Composed.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNLKuTEh6B
As if absolutely nothing had happened.
But only he knew—
That for one second,54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspQhR0QzRp
his fingers had gently squeezed back.
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“I-I was just checking your muscle tone! That’s all!”
“Mm. Got it.”
He calmly pulled his hand away—unhurried, smooth.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6GUXSekA7E
But there was still a faint warmth left behind in her palm.
He paused for a second.
Then added, as if it were a matter-of-fact follow-up:
“So… would you like to check any other muscle groups?”
“…What?”
“For example—pectoralis major, biceps brachii, wrist flexors…”
“Wait a second.”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5q0GvsYMIe
Her eyes suddenly lit up.
Her brain raced through the names he just listed:54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcN64m8q7GF
Pectoralis major, biceps, wrist flexors…
Every one of them…
were the muscles you use when you hold someone close.
“Wait—are you saying… I should test them by having you hug me? For accuracy?”
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT1nsK8O4oX
Kouichi didn’t reply.
He just turned and gave her a look—expression neutral, eyes steady.
Suzuran, meanwhile, lit up like a Christmas tree.
“Yes! Yes yes yes!! Obviously!!”
“….”
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54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaFbec9o9V
Without a word, he slowly raised a hand…54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6QOOhp1wBG
and pressed it flat against her face.
“Idiot.”
Tone completely deadpan.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAblN6K4Ef
As if stating “Your book is upside down.”
Suzuran’s face exploded red.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡogMzDkID4M
“Wh—Hey!!”
“I was kidding,”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwHaJ9JdYzu
Kouichi muttered, calmly returning to her report.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUaQuL034u
His voice dry as ever.
“I didn’t think you’d actually take it seriously.”
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“No wonder your etiquette grades are so borderline…54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRI9XwUh5C
You’ve probably been reading shoujo manga under the desk instead.”
“Hey—!”54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99AXUsF2lr
She exploded, grabbing a pillow and rolling back and forth in outrage.
“You can’t say stuff like that in that tone!!54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNH5dMlHHB
Don’t forget who your master is!”
Kouichi shot her a glance and deadpanned:54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbw2yjdbEJL
“You were the one who took it the wrong way.”
“I did not! It’s called hands-on learning, thank you very much.”
“Mm. Real dedication. I’m impressed.”
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK6DMsZwUf2
He nodded with mock sincerity, then looked back down to continue writing comments, like he was grading some kind of midterm paper.
But in that moment—
facing away from her—
his lips twitched54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCP3rn7Cnu8
into a small, unmistakable smile.54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGcOttzT9vU
54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG0SZclxSp8
You made it this far—you're seriously the sweetest! 🥹💗54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvfI8vhDJ4v
If you liked it, don’t forget to like 👍, bookmark ⭐, and drop a little comment 📝~54Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz9nNV43xXN
Your support keeps me going—and keeps the characters falling deeper in love 💞💭
and then Add to home screen.