A new week. Sakuraba Mitsuki seemed to be honoring their agreement — by Friday, there'd been no unexpected time stops disrupting his life.
It was as if certain things had died down and settled. But Oreki Gen wasn't letting his guard down. He knew she was simply biding her time, waiting for the weekend.
Where would she want to meet?
Oreki Gen actually had his answer already. They'd exchanged contact information early on — the day she'd pulled him aside to the athletic field — so all he had to do was wait for her message.
It would probably come today. But school was out now.
Oreki Gen grabbed his bag. He still had a full shift today, so time was tight as always.
But —
"Oreki-kun, in a rush to get home?"
A figure appeared suddenly outside the classroom, blocking the young man's path. That familiar teacher's outfit. Had she switched to a different thickness of stockings?
The fabric was noticeably more sheer — practically translucent, almost revealing the flesh tones beneath the black...
The chestnut-haired woman, radiating her trademark mature allure, materialized before Oreki Gen.
"Ah, Amamiya-sensei."
Oreki Gen looked at this alluring, mature young woman whose figure exuded a distinctly bewitching quality, and offered a polite smile.
Internally, though, he was grumbling. So she was deliberately ambushing him at dismissal, was she? Back in his old world, this would be the type of homeroom teacher who'd raid the local internet café to catch truants.
Amamiya Momiji appeared calm, her gaze gentle for the time being.
"You always seem to be in such a hurry going home... Is there something going on outside of school?"
She was clearly probing whether he had an off-campus job.
Sakurato High didn't allow students to work part-time unless they had a special exemption approved by the school. Oreki Gen obviously didn't qualify.
Wait.
A sentence suddenly came to Oreki Gen's mind.
"You wouldn't want the school to find out about your part-time job, would you?"
Was she planning to dig into that angle, get the dirt on him, and use it as leverage?
But leverage for what purpose? Their relationship wasn't deep at this point, and she was his teacher — there was no logical reason for it...
Still, Oreki Gen stayed on guard. He answered calmly.
"It's nothing, really. There's an anime series I've been following, and a new episode drops right about now. I just want to get home to watch it."
The young man's smile was effortless, and paired with his clean, handsome features, it was as refreshing as a summer flower.
But Amamiya Momiji's eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
"Is that so? You're sure you don't have... other things going on outside of school?"
"What other things? I'm not sure what you mean, Amamiya-sensei..."
"Like a part-time job."
She laid her cards on the table.
Oreki Gen shook his head immediately. "Of course not. The school doesn't allow students to work off-campus — why would I do something like that?"
"I see... Oreki-kun, look me in the eyes."
After a brief pause, she said it.
As if obeying the command on instinct, Oreki Gen looked into her eyes.
In that instant, he detected the familiar shift within Amamiya Momiji's irises — like a vortex, dragging at his thoughts and consciousness.
The moment was brief. Almost over before it began.
A slight wave of dizziness passed through his head, and then Oreki Gen's eyes took on a faintly glazed quality.
"Oreki Gen. Now tell your teacher — is it really an anime you're rushing home for?"
Her voice dropped slightly, as though infused with some hypnotic allure. And Oreki Gen, in this moment, played the part of an obedient student.
He shook his head, looking somewhat wooden.
"No..."
Just as I thought. Amamiya Momiji's gaze deepened.
"Then why are you in such a rush every day, and why won't you join a club... Is it because of an off-campus job?"
She waited for the young man to give her the real answer.
"I..."
The young man's eyes seemed to struggle, words catching in his throat.
This was uncommon — it only surfaced in individuals with particularly strong willpower. Was it possible that this impossibly young boy actually possessed remarkable mental fortitude? Interesting... but futile.
Most students had cleared out by now. Amamiya Momiji took a step forward, closing the distance.
She was practically pressed against him, her face leaning toward his handsome features, her breath washing over his skin.
Then she lowered her voice to something warm and hushed.
"It's okay. Be honest. I won't be upset with you. Think of me as a friend — I just want to help guide you. There's nothing you can't tell your teacher. So... tell me. Do you have a part-time job?"
"...No."
The answer caught Amamiya Momiji off guard. The woman looked at the young man with visible surprise.
"Then why..."
"Because... I'm rushing home to play games. Made plans with a friend."
"..."
Amamiya Momiji studied his eyes carefully.
Clear. Carrying a faint trace of vacant compliance. Not the look of a liar. He was still under her influence, evidently.
And yet...
"Didn't I already tell you to cut back on the gaming? You haven't been listening?"
Oreki Gen shook his head with a nervous air.
"I've been trying to play less... but I can't help it. I don't really know what to do about it..."
Troubled by breaking their "agreement" — a perfectly normal reaction.
Could her influence simply be limited on this young man? No wonder she'd felt he was special from the first glance...
Amamiya Momiji considered for a moment, then looked at him.
"Alright. Play less from now on. Can you do that for me? Be honest — can you?"
Oreki Gen raised his head, gazing at Amamiya Momiji with a somewhat dazed expression.
"I'll try my best..."
"Why not 'I absolutely will'?" Amamiya Momiji frowned. This kind of response was unusual — it had never happened before.
Oreki Gen lowered his head with apparent shame.
"Because outside of gaming, I don't really know what to do with myself..."
"You could go to bed earlier. You could review your lessons. You're a student — isn't that what you're supposed to be doing?"
"But studying is so boring... There's no motivation."
So that was the reason.
Looking at this young man whose looks were arguably one-of-a-kind in the entire school, breathing in his scent, Amamiya Momiji involuntarily drew a deep breath.
She caught herself almost immediately. What was she doing?
But... the thought seemed to trigger something. An interesting idea.
Looking at the still-green, inexperienced young man before her.
"Then how about your teacher gives you a little motivation?"
"What...?"
Just as expected — his attention was captured.
Amamiya Momiji let a faintly alluring smile bloom. For a teacher, an expression like this was absolutely taboo — the kind that invited all sorts of misunderstandings. But it was precisely the taboo that made it thrilling, wasn't it?
"Do you think your teacher is pretty?"
Oreki Gen looked at the woman with guileless honesty.
"Of course you're pretty..."
"Then — if you show clear improvement on the next exam, your teacher will give you a reward. A very nice reward."
A spark seemed to light up in the young man's eyes.
"What kind of reward...?"
What a naive young man. Never been exposed to a woman like her, and she was his teacher on top of it... Amamiya Momiji's smile brightened further.
"I obviously can't tell you in advance. But it definitely won't be an ordinary reward. Now, can you promise me you'll stop gaming and focus on your studies?"
"I will!"
"And you'll listen to your teacher and join a club? Become a more sociable person?"
"I will!"
"Good. Then head home, Oreki-kun. I look forward to seeing how you do."
"Okay. Thank you, Sensei..."
Watching the young man walk away, step by step.
Amamiya Momiji gazed at his retreating figure and, before she realized it, reached up to touch the corner of her own lips.
"Strange... Why did I say something like that? Why did that thought even occur to me? Though... this young man really does make you want to just... dote on him."
Of course she'd find it strange.
Oreki Gen was standing one flight below on the staircase, looking up.
He smiled and shook his head.
"So that's how Eyes of Desire works."
That's right — he hadn't been controlled at all. And he was fairly confident he'd figured out Amamiya Momiji's ability.
Hypnosis.
The guiding words she'd spoken to him afterward had been hypnotic suggestions. Including the part about treating the teacher as a friend.
It was essentially a far more terrifying form of PUA rhetoric.
He'd played along — but when she'd pushed him on whether he had a part-time job, he hadn't simply folded and told her the "truth" about gaming. Caving too easily would contradict his behavior last time and seem abnormal.
So he'd layered one lie over another. The second lie, stacked on top of the first, became his "truth."
From her perspective, his willpower was simply a bit stronger than average. That was all.
As for why Oreki Gen had done it — and why he'd activated Eyes of Desire toward the end —
Simple. He didn't want her fixating on whether he had a part-time job, which could hand her leverage to hold over him.
As for this "reward" she'd mentioned...
Well, they'd see who was the cat and who was the mouse.
No longer spending every day in a state of dread, Oreki Gen had suddenly discovered a thrill not unlike playing a game.
BUZZ...
At that moment, his phone suddenly vibrated.