Stealing Spree

Chapter 2298: Relaxation

Upon returning to Hayashi-sensei's office, I found her deep in thought, likely contemplating our earlier conversation. She looked up as I entered, "Looks like you took your time sending her out. Did you stop in the hallway again?"

My lips twitched a bit since she was spot on, but I played it cool by putting on a teasing smile. "Maybe. Maybe not. Did sensei peek at us?"

Hayashi-sensei rolled her eyes, displeased at how I easily threw it back to her, "Knowing you and how you answered, I didn't need to peek to figure you out."

"Yeah. I guess so. In your eyes, I'm already this menace who can't keep his hands to himself."

"Am I wrong?"

"Not really but you know what, sensei? I'm also quite selective, you know? I just have the tendency to be more accommodating to women." I nonchalantly shrugged as I walked towards the seat opposite her and sat back down.

"Accommodating, huh?" Hayashi-sensei leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping the desk to a silent rhythm. "Hmm, I suppose that's one way to put it."

"Wow. I never thought you'd agree with me this quick, sensei. Are you getting softer on me?" "You wish!" Hayashi-sensei rolled her eyes again but I could tell the amusement playing on her lips. "Let's get back to the matter at hand, shall we? Something happened last Friday, no? Tell me about it."

As I thought, she already heard about Minami Shouko but she wanted to hear about the incident from me as part of my report. Now that I think about it, I haven't seen that senior yet. Is she behaving?

"Minami Shouko will stop making trouble, sensei. At least, I promised to become the connection she was seeking."

"You tamed her in just a day?"

"Not a talk. I played her game and talked to her. That's it."

Of course, that was an oversimplification of what happened. Since I solved the incident of the missing equipment from various clubs and successfully drew her out, the mastermind to it all, I figured out a lot about her. Such as the identity of the girl who sent me a love letter with a key to a storage room on the third floor of the School Building.

There's no doubt that she's troublesome but once I connected with her, it became easier.

"It's not about taming, sensei. It's more like... understanding her. She was just lonely and seeking a genuine connection." I continued, "I plan to bring her under my wing but I think Shizu already got her to be the new General Affairs Officer."

"She poached a girl from you. Now that's new." Hayashi-sensei teasingly smirked, "Looks like your girls are learning from you. But isn't that good? Shizu's load would lighten."

"It's not about poaching, sensei. It's about giving her a place to belong and keeping her from causing trouble." I corrected her with a sigh.

"Sure. Sure. Whatever fits your narrative." Hayashi-sensei leaned forward, her smile never wavering. "But, at least, you did a great job stopping that troublemaker. You deserved praise for that."

"Oh? It comes with praise? And I thought I was just doing my job." I put on an interested smirk as I matched her.

"You don't want to? Fine. Let's forget it then." Hayashi-sensei feigned disappointment. Her smiling eyes were telling a different story though.

Without a word, I stood up and moved over to the space next to her. She was surprised but didn't stop me at all as though she had already read my next move.

"I'm waiting for my praise, sensei. Don't hold out on me," I said as I leaned closer, my face invading her personal space.

"Look at you being audacious again. Forget it. I'll hold out on praising you until Minami Shouko shows improvement in her behavior. Do you not have anything else to report?" Hayashi-sensei waved her hand dismissively as she acted unaffected by our closeness.

"Well, apart from that. Nothing much happened. I'll start working on our clubhouse and plant something there. You can look forward to a potato in a few months, sensei."

"This student. Will I be excited over a potato?"

"Maybe? I don't know. It's something your favorite student will be working hard for," I teased as I closed in further, my hand landing on her shoulder as though I was once again preparing to give her a massage. To relieve her of stress.

"Who says you're my favorite student?" She flatly said, trying to maintain her strict

demeanor but the red on her cheeks betrayed her.

Once again, my presence was too effective on her.

"You. Isn't that the reason why you ask me to keep reporting every day?"

"You brat. You know the reason why you're here. I'm keeping an eye on you!"

"Oh. Is that so? I swear I heard it from you. You said it doesn't matter if I look like my father anymore, I'm my own person in your eyes. Was that a dream?"

Of course, I made that up just to see how she would react. But she didn't call me out on it. Instead, she pinched my cheeks before saying, "You're such a rascal, you brat. You're definitely not my favorite student. You're my most troublesome one."

"Oh. So that was a dream. Shucks. What a letdown." I feigned a sad puppy look but Hayashi- sensei naturally saw through it right away. She rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue before releasing my face.

"Don't push your luck too far. Now, if you're done with your report, you're free to go." She warned with a hint of playfulness in her voice.

"Well, won't something be missing if I leave now? Sensei, let me relieve your stress."

"You're my source of stress. How can you relieve it?" Hayashi-sensei said with a playful smirk, "But I suppose a little... distraction wouldn't hurt."

I knew she was going to say that. At this point, my massages had probably climbed up her list of things she's looking forward to every day.

Or not necessarily the massage but this moment we're sharing together.

It's her own relaxation time. Even though I sometimes gave her a headache, she could loosen up around me. Something she probably wouldn't do around other people.

Having gotten her permission, my hands began to knead the tension out of her shoulders, feeling the muscles beneath her lab coat and blouse relax under my touch. Hayashi-sensei let out a small sigh as her eyes closed briefly. It was a sound that I'd come to recognize as a sign of her letting her guard down, if only for a little while.

Little by little, Hayashi-sensei's tension eased under my skilled fingers as she leaned to my side. The sound of her calm breathing was music to my ears as I knew she was enjoying it.

As always, I tried holding myself back but upon seeing her relaxed expression, my thoughts drifted towards more intimate possibilities. I moved myself behind her, audaciously slipping between her back and the backrest of her chair. She unconsciously slid forward, opening the space up for me.

Once I settled down on it, my hands that were on her shoulders moved downwards before slipping them to her navel, tightly embracing her.

Hayashi-sensei's eyes snapped open, "Onoda-kun! What are you doing? This isn't what I was thinking when I sensed you moving behind me."

"Me too. But I can't help it, sensei. Just relax. You're also tense around here. I'm only going to

hold you."

"Like I said, I'm stressed because of you. Ugh... This isn't normal anymore. I shouldn't..." Hayashi-sensei's protest was weak and she didn't even bother to push me away. With her voice trailing off, she eventually leaned into my embrace, the back of her head trying to hit me but to no avail. In the end, she let out a sigh that was part exasperation, part relief. Naturally, that was all I did. Pushing for more was just asking for a death wish. I held her until she seemingly melted in my arms, relaxing completely.

Once that's done, I whispered to her, "Sensei. You don't have to think about anything. Just take this as me repaying my gratitude to you. I'll provide you comfort whenever I'm here

alone with you."

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