Locked Down, Lifted Up

Serena and Mike sat on opposite ends of the sofa in the living room. The reality of the lockdown had barely sunk in, yet here they were—living under the same roof, something neither of them had expected.

Mike scrolled through his phone absentmindedly, but his attention kept drifting toward Serena. He stole quick glances at her, only to dart his eyes back to the screen each time. It wasn't long before Serena caught him in the act.

"Hey, what are you secretly looking at?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh-hh... I was just thinking... are you planning to wear that all day?"

Serena glanced down at herself. She was still in her high-rise shorts and oversized hoodie—the same clothes she'd been wearing since last night. She sighed, realizing Mike had a point. She couldn't exactly stay like this the whole day, especially in front of her own student.

"Do I have a choice?" she muttered. "All my other clothes are in my apartment."

She pulled her legs up onto the sofa, resting her chin on her knees, arms wrapped around them. It was only just sinking in—she had a place to stay for now, but she'd need fresh clothes too. Mike, sensing her dilemma, spoke up without hesitation.

"Miss, you can wear mine if you want."

Serena snapped out of her thoughts and turned to him, a faint blush creeping onto her pale cheeks. But almost immediately, she turned her face away.

"Don't be stupid," she scoffed. "Your clothes would be way too big on me."

"Yeah, but girls look good in slightly oversized clothes, don't you think?" Mike teased. Then, before he could stop himself, he added, "And I'm sure you'd look even more... beautiful."

Serena froze. Her blush deepened, and this time, she buried her face into her knees. Mike smirked. Huh… she's not as cold-hearted as she pretends to be. Encouraged by her reaction, he leaned slightly closer and tried to peek at her face.

"I'm just kidding, Miss," he said, chuckling. "You don't have to wear my clothes. Actually, I have some of my older sister's clothes here. If you'd like, I can show them to you."

Serena lifted her head slightly, just enough to look at him. "Your sister? But, won't she be angry?"

"Nah! Emily buys new clothes almost every week. Her wardrobe is overflowing, so she left some of them here. They're just lying around unused, so don't worry about it. You can borrow whatever you like."

Serena hesitated for a moment, but with no better option, she sighed and nodded.

"O-okay… if you say so. I'll go take a bath first."

"Take your time, Miss," Mike said with a grin. "I'll get the clothes ready for you."

As Serena left for the bathroom, Mike went to his room and dug through his wardrobe. He gathered up all the clothes his sister had left behind—skirts, shirts, dresses, and even some casual wear. Piling them onto the bed, he called out toward the bathroom.

"Miss, I've placed all the clothes on my bed. Pick whatever you like."

From inside the bathroom, Serena's voice came through the door. "Okay."

Satisfied, Mike flopped back onto the sofa, a small smile on his lips. He couldn't help but wonder what his usually cold teacher would look like in his sister's clothes.

But just as his imagination started to wander, a thought struck him like lightning.

'fuck!...I totally foyto ask her about the sleepwalking thing'

His smile vanished, and he sat up straight, rubbing his forehead.

'yeah, i should atleast talk to her once regarding it.'

Mike was still sitting on the sofa, lost in thought. He knew he needed to talk to Serena about her sleepwalking, but something inside him hesitated. He wasn't sure how she'd react? would she get mad? Would she find it embarrassing? Or would she maintain a distance from him, since Mike knew one of her secret?

"Tch... Should I just let it go? No... but what if something happens again? Something between us?" As he sat there debating with himself, the door to his room suddenly opened.

Serena stepped out, her white hair still slightly damp from the bath. She was wearing a plain white tank top that clung slightly to her form, along with black sweatpants that rested just right on her waist. Mike's train of thought completely derailed.

His eyes widened slightly as he took in her appearance—she looked so... different from the usual soulless and intimidating teacher he knew. The loose, casual look made her seem softer, more natural. For a moment, he forgot all about the sleepwalking issue.

Serena noticed his gaze. She tilted her head slightly and asked, "Hey, what's with that look? How do I look?"

Mike blinked, trying to snap himself out of it. "Uh... y-you look..." His words got stuck in his throat.

Serena narrowed her eyes at him, stepping closer. She crossed her arms, clearly suspicious. "What's with that reaction? Say it properly."

Mike gulped. "No, I mean... you look fine. Normal. I mean, like...good. N-not that good—uh, I mean not bad either! Just, you know."

Serena sighed, shaking her head at his nonsense. "You're acting weird." Then, without warning, she lightly punched his chest, causing Mike to flinch slightly. It wasn't painful, but it caught him off guard.

"H-Hey, what was that for?" he asked, rubbing his chest.

Serena smirked slightly, "For looking at me like a pervert."

Before Mike could say anything else, she turned around and walked into the kitchen, leaving him sitting there, completely dumbfounded.

'Pervert? Me?'

Mike felt a little annoyed hearing those words, but he quickly composed himself. After all, it was Miss Serena calling him that—a beauty like her.

Just then, his thoughts were interrupted by a notification from his phone. He glanced at the screen and saw a message from one of his group chats: VIRGIN PARK. Curious, he expanded the notification to read the messages without opening the chat.

- - -

• VIRGIN PARK •

ALEX: [What's up, mf's? How's the first day of lockdown going for you all?]

JAKE: [Just normal. This corona thing saved our asses from those math assignments… phew…]

N: [I'm just happy we don't have school for a while now…]

JAKE: [By the way, does anyone know anything about the Soulless Beauty? I'm kind of missing her.]

ALEX (replying to Jake): [Yeah, me too! I just hope she doesn't get infected…]

N (replying to Alex): [Mf, don't say that… If she gets infected, then what's the point of us coming to school?]

THOR: [Anyone up for some gacha?]

N: [I'm in.]

ALEX: [Me too.]

- - -

Mike glanced at the messages but didn't bother replying. He preferred talking in person rather than chatting online. Tossing his phone onto the sofa, he stood up and made his way to the kitchen, where Serena had gone.

When he entered, he saw her standing on a small wooden stool, stretching up to reach something on the high shelf. She was slightly off balance, her fingers just barely brushing against the object she was trying to grab. Mike smirked and silently stepped closer. Leaning in, he whispered softly.

"What are you doing, Miss?"

"Huh?—"

Startled by his sudden presence, Serena lost her balance. The stool tilted dangerously, and she felt herself falling backward.

But before she could hit the ground, strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Mike had stepped in just in time, catching her. His hands held her firmly under her arms, securing her upper abdomen—just slightly below the swell of her chest, which was only covered by her tank top.

Serena's back pressed against Mike's chest, and she could feel his warmth. Her mind went blank for a moment as a strange fluttering sensation spread through her stomach. Her breath hitched slightly as she processed the situation.

Then, in a soft voice, Mike spoke near her ear.

"Be careful, Miss."

Serena's face turned warm—she knew she was blushing. She felt so small and vulnerable in his embrace like this. Her heart pounded against her ribs, and she wasn't sure if it was from embarrassment or something else entirely.

"Th-thank… you, Mike…" she mumbled, barely above a whisper. Then she swallowed, trying to suppress her flustered state.

"Now, can you… please let me go?"

Mike, who had still been holding her without even realizing it, suddenly snapped out of it.

"O-oh! Yeah, of course!" he stammered.

But instead of simply letting go, Mike lifted her up slightly, holding her in the air for a second. He hadn't expected her to be so lightweight. His arms barely strained as he held her, and for a brief moment, curiosity took over. He swirled her around slightly, just to feel her weightlessness a little more.

"H-hey! Wh-what are you doing?!" Serena's flustered voice rang out. "Put me down right now!"

Realizing what he was doing, Mike immediately stopped and gently placed her back on the floor. Her bare feet made contact with the cool tiles, but she refused to turn around and face him.

She knew her face was probably as red as a tomato, and she didn't want him to see it.

'w-was... I just enjoying that?' she thought, squeezing her fingers into her palms.'but why? Why am I feeling this way? And especially...because of him?'

Her thoughts spiraled, but before she could get a grip on herself, Mike's next words completely shattered her focus.

"Miss, um… I never realized you were this… light."

Serena's entire body tensed.

"Wh-what did you just say?!"

She spun around to glare at him, her blush still visible on her cheeks. Mike, seeing the dangerous look in her eyes, took a step back. "N-nothing! I didn't mean it in a weird way!"

Serena crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. "You better behave yourself."

Mike scratched the back of his head awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "S-so… what were you trying to grab from the shelf?"

Serena sighed, still a little embarrassed. "Just some coffee beans… I need caffeine if I'm going to survive this lockdown with you."

Mike laughed nervously. "Well, I can get them for you instead of letting you risk your life climbing stools."

Serena rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Just get it for me already."

Mike reached up effortlessly and grabbed the coffee beans, handing them to her. As their fingers brushed for a second, Serena quickly snatched them away. Mike smirked at her reaction.

"Still blushing, Miss?"

Serena's expression darkened. "Shut up and make yourself useful by boiling some water." Mike chuckled but did as he was told.