Ephemeral Ability Reflects the Heart

With a background of fading orange light in the sky, which was turning to darkness.

Kurohane Yotsuba stood at the entrance of the principal's office and knocked twice on the door.

「Come in」

「Excuse me」

She waited for a reply from inside, before entering the room.

After a half-second pause, she turned around politely, closed the door behind her, and bowed to her fiancée who was sitting at the desk.

Principal Ootori responds to this gesture with a raised hand in a hawkish manner, which is a sign of respect for his fiancee as well as respect for his position as the principal and her position as a student.

「Thank you for your hard work. It seems that all the preparations are going smoothly」

「Yes. All the work of the student council has been completed without incident」

There are still some classes working, and the executive committee is putting the final touches on their work. The public morals committee also plans to leave a few people on school to supervise the students who will be staying overnight.

Overall, the preparations are not finished, and all that remains is to hope that tomorrow will be smooth and without any problems. 

At Yotsuba's reply, Principal Ootori nodded, stood up, and looked back out the window.

「Tomorrow, huh? I'm looking forward to it」

「Yes」

For the students, this is the school festival they have been waiting for. They will have the chance to experience it three times, and each time will leave them with different memories.

Even Yotsuba, as the student council president, is deeply moved by this school festival.

「...Yuuji-san may have had enough of it by now...」

「That's harsh」

Principal Ootori smiles as he turns his body back toward the room.

But he frowned as if he had noticed something.

「But that's unusual. You asked me to meet with you at this time of the day, and yet here you are, making small talk. It's not like you」

「Indeed」

Yotsuba chuckles and affirms the point.

In the evening, even though they are in the principal's office with no one to disturb them, there are still many students left in the school. And it is not like "Yotsuba" to show her face as a childhood friend and fiancée in a private conversation at this time.

However, for Yotsuba, it doesn't matter right now.

And now, she took a step forward. After her feet are on the carpet and her center of gravity is fully shifted, she takes another step. She slowly moves closer to Principal Ootori.

Her attitude probably made him feel uncomfortable.

「Yotsuba?」

He calls out to her calmly, using their private names, although he is accusing other people of speaking inappropriately.

「Your eyes are red, are you all right? You haven't slept much, have you?」

「I'm fine. But more importantly...」

Yotsuba looked up at him and told him with a slight blush on her cheeks.

「I have a favor to ask you」

「A favor?」

「Yes. I just can't hold out any longer. ...Will you listen to me?」

「......」

She could see Principal Ootori was puzzled by her upward glance.

It seemed that he was not used to being seduced by a woman and did not have much experience with women. Even though he was much older than Yotsuba, and he usually showed his dignity as an adult. But――

...he is cute.

A faint feeling of superiority comes to her mind.

She remembered Ayase's suspicious knowledge that many women are attracted to the gap between a normally good-looking guy and a girl.

Maybe it was not a mistake at all.

Phew...

Principal Ootori exhales lightly and smiles. 

「If there's anything I can do, I'm listening. Just ask」

「Thank you very much. Then, will you be my servant?」

「...eh?」

A look of exclamation appeared on his handsome face.

And a few seconds passed without any response. Meanwhile, Yotsuba just looked up at him with a smile.

At last, he asked her with a look of disbelief on his face.

「W-what did you just say?」

「I said, will you be my servant?」

「Is this some kind of a joke? Or is it a secret word?」

「No. Of course not」

She understands why he said that.

In fact, Yotsuba herself would have reacted in a similar way if she had been told a few days ago.

「Just a private moment is fine. I am asking you to kneel to me, obey me, and become my slave to be tortured at my will. ...Oh, and don't worry, I won't make any unreasonable demands financially」

「Wait, Yotsuba」

Principal Ootori's hand gripped Yotsuba's shoulder.

「What in the world are you talking about? If it's not a joke, it's even more laughable. I know you're not the kind of girl who talks like this without a reason...」

「It hurts, Yuuji-san」

「...huh? I'm sorry」

A small voice startled Principal Ootori, and he hastily withdrew his hand.

Yotsuba, on the other hand, lightly brushed her shoulder with her hand and exhaled.

She then looked up at him and his eyes were upset.

It was as if he was looking at something he did not understand. It's never happened before that he looked at her like this.

...As she expected, it was going to be like that.

But her heart ached, even though she had half-expected it.

「I've been holding back for a long time」

「...holding back?」

「Yes. I had to keep playing the honor student under pressure. And because of this... I have a desire to dominate people, men」

「...Do you know what you're talking about?」

「Of course, I know what I'm saying」

She knows that it is a desire that would be considered wrong by the general public.

That it is an action that could destroy all the trust that exists in the world.

「And yet. I'm asking you to do this because I'm at my limit. I can only talk about it with you, Yuuji-san」

「...that's...」

「Am I being too harsh?」

「I don't like it when you talk like that」

Principal Ootori shook his head in disagreement.

He exhales deeply, closes his eyelids, and ponders for a few seconds.

The calmness with which he understood the abruptness of the conversation in just a few seconds and was able to formulate his opinion is an indication of his personality and ability.

After he has finished his thought, he looks down at Yotsuba with quiet eyes.

And then, words like a child's words are spun from her fiancé's lips. 

「If you really mean what you say, I must correct your thinking. No matter what the reason, it is wrong for human beings to dominate others」

「...Yuuji-san」

「Do you understand me, Yotsuba?」

His voice and eyes are very gentle.

She can tell that he is really thinking about Yotsuba and saying that.

So Yotsuba dropped her head.

「...Yes, I understand very well」

「Well, good」

She did not see Principal Ootori's face at this time, but she could sense from the tone of his voice that he was relieved.

She could tell that he believed in her, that he understood her when she answers him this, and that even if things got temporarily out of hand, she would soon recover.

But... that's what she doesn't like about him.

What's with that superior attitude?

Do you think you understand my suffering just by listening to a few words you said to me?

Do you think that you have just pointed out the mistakes and that everything is over without even trying to understand my inner feelings?

While you say that domination is an evil act, isn't what he is doing just an attempt to impose the difference of gender, age, and power?

Still, Yotsuba takes a step backward, pushing these thoughts away.

Principal Ootori does not move. He is probably just casually watching her movement.