Chapter 172: Treat You As My Little Princess, Only Happy Without Bitter

“No!”

Himekoji refused outright.

Like hell! The System’s punishment was no joke!

“Don’t want to.”

However, what surprised Himekoji was that Mashiro practically spoke the same words in unison with him at the exact same time.

Though her voice was tiny, so faint it might slip past your ears if you weren’t careful.

But don’t let it slip past! You have to hear it, all of you, hear it clearly! Mashiro actually stood firmly on his side!

Damn it… he felt a little touched for just a second…

“Hmm?”

Hiratsuka-sensei, who got refused flatly by both, was actually stunned for a moment. She paused, then shot a surprised glance at Mashiro.

“What… what kind of black magic did that kid use? It’s only been a few days, little Mashiro. You’re already breathing through the same nostril as him?”

“Akito’s Baumkuchen is very nice,” Mashiro answered.

“All Baumkuchen tastes pretty much the same!” Himekoji couldn’t help grumbling.

And, so Mashiro was on his side… just because of Baumkuchen…

She just purely saw him as an… Owner, didn’t she?

He felt… strangely complicated.

Himekoji couldn’t help but pull at the corner of his mouth, managing a weak, exhausted smile.

Hiratsuka Shizuka was both amused and exasperated by Mashiro’s reason. As if remembering something, she spoke up again:

“Sensei can buy Baumkuchen for little Mashiro too, any amount you want, even enough to make you full.”

Eh? Wait, what was sensei doing?

Was she trying to coax away his System-appointed live-in roommate right in front of him???

Too much!

Still, judging by how Mashiro had stood firmly by his side and spoken up for him without hesitation just now… Hiratsuka-sensei’s half-hearted attempts at coaxing probably weren’t really anything to worry about.

“Make me full?”

Mashiro tilted her head, thinking for about two seconds.

“Sure.”

“Pfft—”

Himekoji nearly spit out blood upon hearing Mashiro switch sides so easily and casually.

Did the slap to his face have to come this fast?

“Hey, Mashiro… So as long as there’s Baumkuchen, it doesn’t matter? It doesn’t matter whose it is?”

“But you said it, Akito. Baumkuchen always tastes the same no matter whose it is,” Mashiro seemed confused.

“Ha!”

Hiratsuka-sensei immediately clapped her hands, seizing the chance to try and settle this good thing.

“Then it’s settled! Little Mashiro, hurry and move into sensei’s place.”

“How can you do that? Sensei! You’re breaking your word! Just two days ago you said it was perfectly fine for Mashiro to live temporarily at my place!”

Himekoji absolutely could not agree to this.

“I said temporarily, and the temporary period is up! Besides, after seeing what happened just now, do you really think I could possibly feel safe leaving Mashiro at your place?”

Even though the second half of her argument definitely made sense… this concerned Himekoji’s future happiness! He had to press on stubbornly!

“Tha—that was just a misunderstanding! Anyway! I absolutely WILL take good care of Mashiro! I promise!”

[Ding!]

[Choose!]

Huh?

This goddamn System! Why did the Choice have to trigger right at this exact worst moment?!

This was sheer murder!

The moment Himekoji saw the content of the choice, he almost cursed out loud.

A thin layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He stood there stupidly, mouth open, but the words he needed to say next just stammered and stuck in his throat. He couldn’t get them out no matter how hard he tried.

Hiratsuka-sensei gave him a puzzled look.

“What’s wrong? Continue! I’m listening. What else did you want to promise me?”

[Choose!]

His head was already starting to ache as if it was about to split open!

Whenever the Choice triggered, if Himekoji didn’t select instantly, the pain would hit, each wave more intense than the last.

Every second he delayed, the pain doubled!

But—

Damn it! Had the System upgraded the “delayed punishment” pain? Shifted it from physical damage to magical damage?

He’d actually gotten kind of used to the old method!

But now it hurt so much, so unbearably, so excruciatingly… it was killing him!

“Alright, alright! I get it! I’ll choose! B! I CHOOSE B!”

Himekoji steeled himself. He had to just bite the bullet and do it.

……

“I… I promise—” Himekoji squeezed the words out between gritted teeth, tragic yet firm.

“I promise… to treat Shiina Mashiro as my little princess! To only be happy, not bitter!”

“Hah~”

The moment the words left his mouth, that hellish agony in his brain vanished instantly. He felt light as a feather, incredibly refreshed. Unable to control himself, a soft sound of relief escaped his lips. (♂Sound effect implied)

“Y-you promised what?!”

Hiratsuka-sensei stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.

What kind of utterly perverse, treasonous nonsense was this depraved creature spewing?

Ea… eat… eat… eat his… ?!

Was he rebelling?! Did he want another trip to the police station?!

No—his skin must be itching for a beating!

Three days without punishment, and he was already scaling the roof to rip off the tiles!

Without another word, Hiratsuka-sensei pulled out her belt.

“Wait! Sensei! Wh-what are you doing pulling my belt?!”

Himekoji jumped in fright. He hurriedly grabbed onto his own loosening pants, fear-stricken, and scrambled frantically backwards.

“Akito, what is ‘happiness’? Is it tasty?”

Standing calmly aside, completely unaffected by the tense stand-off between Himekoji and Hiratsuka Shizuka, Shiina Mashiro quietly voiced her question.

“That thing CANNOT be eaten!”

Hiratsuka-sensei immediately, loudly, and without a shred of doubt, cut in with the answer.

“Oh, inedible.”

Mashiro instantly lost interest.

……

Then—

Whack! Thud! Whack! Thud!

After Hiratsuka-sensei and Himekoji had used the belt as their… instrument of “communication” to deeply explore the emotional and physical connection between them… they finally decided to sit down properly. They began some friendly negotiations regarding the “ownership rights” concerning Shiina Mashiro.

“You even managed to utter such perverted, disgusting, lewd, despicable, shameless garbage! There is absolutely no way I would ever feel safe letting little Mashiro stay at your place anymore!”

The Female Teacher declared with righteous dignity.

Then, abruptly, her tone shifted—

“However… your scheme to use taking care of little Mashiro as an excuse to satisfy your warped desires and take advantage of her… that twisted motivation I can actually… somewhat… understand…”

No! You profoundly misunderstand!

Himekoji’s entire face darkened like spilled ink.

If not for the System’s damn punishment… he would be desperately trying to ditch this huge trouble as fast as possible!

Eh… really?

Something seemed to wobble inside his heart…

No, no wobbling! Wobble nothing!

“Look, how about this? Maybe we can find a compromise? A balance point? So Mashiro gets looked after, your perverted desires get satisfied, and I can rest easy too. A triple win!”

I don’t have any perverted desires!

Though he badly wanted to scream that retort… now wasn’t the time to argue about that—

“Is there… really such a balance point?”

Himekoji’s expression turned serious. He subconsciously leaned forward slightly, tuning in earnestly.

“Of course.”

Hiratsuka-sensei’s smile, in Himekoji’s eyes, seemed enigmatic, profoundly inscrutable, even transcendently detached.

The Female Teacher paused, letting the anticipation build fully…… before she finally continued:

“You and Mashiro—BOTH move into my place.”

……