Chapter 4: Sensei Got Home-Cooked Food!

The morning sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting a soft glow across the room. But instead of the usual peaceful awakening, Haruki was jolted from his sleep by loud, unfamiliar noises. Unlike the usual ruckus from his neighbor's house, these sounds were coming from his own home. With a groggy mind, he struggled to make sense of the chaos.

"SENSEI!~~ SENSEI!!~ WAKE UP!!" a voice shouted, cutting through his sleepy haze.

"Er... Yes, you should wake up, Uncle Haruki," Yuki added, his tone more measured but still insistent.

Haruki blinked a few times, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep. "Yuki, what's all the noise? And who is this girl in my house? Your girlfriend?" he mumbled, still half-asleep. Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted him fully awake as someone hit him on the arm.

"Sakura...? What are you doing in my room? And you should not hit your sensei—it seriously hurts, y'know!" Haruki complained, rubbing his arm.

Sakura stood beside his bed, arms crossed and a stern expression on her face. "We only have a two-year age difference, so that's not really a problem for me. Now wake the hell up already," she retorted, her tone firm but with a hint of amusement.

"Okay, fine," Haruki grumbled, finally sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

As he fully awakened, a pleasant aroma wafted through the air, coming from the direction of his kitchen. He sniffed the air, curiosity piqued. "What's that smell? Did you cook, Yuki?" he asked, still trying to piece together the morning's events.

"N-No, I-I don't know how to cook... Sakura made it!" Yuki stammered, his face flushing with embarrassment.

"Oh... Wait, OHHH!" Haruki's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. He quickly got out of bed, fully awake now.

"You didn't go to your room last night? And you got into my kitchen without permission? How bad of a student are you?" he teased, though there was a hint of genuine surprise in his voice.

Sakura's cheeks flushed slightly as she shot him a glare, her expression a mix of irritation and embarrassment. "What do you mean? I thought I'd at least give you a home-cooked meal as a thank you for what you did yesterday. And I did ask Yuki for permission."

"O-Oh... then... thanks," Haruki mumbled, his voice barely above a whisper. But then, his expression grew serious, and he added in a louder voice, "But no more of this. We should make up a story and end this whole fiancé charade. We're just a student-teacher relationship, and we're going too far."

He meant well—Haruki only wanted to guide his students along the right path, fearing that this pretend engagement could lead to complications in Sakura's life.

Sakura's eyes softened, but she quickly masked her emotions with a smile. "I know, I know. C'mon, let's eat. Where's the dining table?"

"Do you think there's a dining table in my room? I mean... if you have one, that's amazing, but I don't. I eat at the counter in the kitchen," Haruki explained, rolling his eyes at her question.

"And Yuki?" Sakura asked, glancing at the younger boy.

"He eats at the counter or from a hotel. I eat from a hotel too, except for breakfast, which I usually have to skip or just eat toast," Haruki admitted with a shrug.

Sakura frowned. "Oh, that's sad! Then you should be grateful, y'know!"

"Fine, let's just eat!" Haruki conceded, heading toward the kitchen. When he saw the nicely cooked omelet rice waiting for him, he paused. His eyes welled up with unexpected tears, memories of his mother's cooking flooding his mind. He hadn't realized how much he missed those simple, comforting meals until now. For a brief moment, he even thought about going home.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice soft with emotion.

They began eating, and Haruki and Yuki's eyes sparkled with delight as they dug into the meal, savoring each bite. Sakura watched them with a small smile, pleased to see them enjoying her cooking. Yuki glanced at Sakura, noticing her gentle smile and the light blush that dusted her cheeks. A pang of jealousy stirred within him, but he quickly brushed it aside, trying to break the romantic mood despite his shyness.

"E-Erm... Well... Thank you so much, Sakura-san. I wish... I-I, um... could eat this forever..." Yuki mumbled, his voice shaky with sincerity.

"Oh, don't mention it, Yuki! It's just me showing my gratitude to Sensei for taking care of us and for letting me sleep in his room. You can call me if you want me to cook some other day~," Sakura offered, her tone light and playful.

"Oh...! Thanks~" Yuki replied, his heart fluttering at her words.

"The food... it's... good, and I'm thankful that you woke us up early," Haruki added, trying to maintain his pride while hiding his bashfulness. But his attempt at sounding indifferent only made Sakura laugh, finding his shy demeanor utterly endearing.

After breakfast, they got ready for school. As they drove together in Haruki's car, students and passersby cast envious glances their way, marveling at how cute the "fiancé-hubby" couple looked. But only Haruki, Yuki, and Sakura knew the truth behind the façade.

Once they arrived at school, Haruki found himself thinking about the students who had lost their motivation to continue coming to class after hearing about Sakura's supposed engagement. Determined to lift their spirits, he announced a surprise field trip to the beach the next day.

"We're going to the beach tomorrow as a field trip, so make sure you're ready," Haruki declared, his voice carrying a note of enthusiasm.

The class was stunned, not expecting a beach trip during their first week of school. But after a moment of confusion, they burst into cheers, excited by the unexpected outing. All except for Izumi, who merely smirked, his expression unreadable.