"I am deeply sorry Nodoka-san," said Negi.
"No need Negi-sensei to say sorry," replied Nodoka smiling as she moved his hair off of his eyes.
Negi closed his eyes and just realized where he was and got up immediately and blushed even more.
Asuna and the other girls that were in the room laughed loudly at the scene. Nodoka giggled a little.
Asuna said, "The sleeping prince finally awoken I see."
"Me a prince hardly," said a flushed Negi.
"Nodoka-san should have kissed you to wake you up prince Negi-sensei," said a grinning Haruna.
Nodoka blushed and said, "It is not like that between the professor and me. We are friends."
"Yeah right Nodoka-san, we all can see where you two are heading," said Yue.
"But she is my student, I...cannot...will not...do anything to interfere with that," spouted Negi.
"Honestly, you two look good together. Granted age difference and the student and teacher thing tends to get in the way, but someday you two will find a way to be together. That is what the cards say anyway," said a happy Konoka as she is president of the Fortune-telling club.
Nodoka and Negi looked at each other and there was dead silence within the room.
"Alright Haruna-san and Nodoka-san, time to leave and let the professor get some rest," said Yue.
Yue did not want to hear anymore of Nodoka and Negi destiny to be together. After all she is in love with him as well.
The three girls that shared a dorm room got up and left Asuna's, Konoka's, and Negi's room.
A couple hours later as Negi was resting up in the loft, a knock on the dorm door was heard by Konoka. She walked over and opened the door. Standing in the hallway was Ayaka. Asuna looked over toward the door and motioned Ayaka to enter the room.
Ayaka began to say something, but Asuna told her to hush as the professor was resting. Ayaka looked up toward the loft as Negi looked down upon her. Ayaka blushed and smiled.
"For Crist sake Ayaka-san, he is just ten years old. Stop fantasizing," said Asuna.
Ayaka turned to face Asuna and was about to say something, but let it go.
'Ayaka-san would you like some tea?" asked Konoka.
"Would love some, thank you," said Ayaka.
"Be right down class rep," responded Negi.
"Do not hurry on my account professor," said Ayaka soaringly in her mind..
Ayaka sat on the couch as Konoka handed a cup of herbal tea.
"Thank you Konoka-san," replied Ayaka.
Negi climbed down from the loft as Konoka handed him a cup of herbal tea.
"Konoka-san, are you ready to go to the bath?" asked Asuna as she was trying to hint to leave Negi and Ayaka alone.
"Um well I guess so," replied Konoka.
"Negi-kun please entertain our guest until we get back," said Asuna with a wink at Ayaka.
Ayaka mouthed a thank you to Asuna.
"Alright Asuna-san I will," said Negi.
The two girls open the dorm door and walked out of the room to the hallway as they shuffled their way toward the baths.
"So Negi-sensei, how are you feeling?" asked Ayaka concerned.
"Feeling better, thank you for asking," replied a smiling Negi.
"Oh my God, I am alone with the professor without monkey-girl or anyone from the class to interfere," thought Ayaka as she blushed.
"Are you alright class rep?" asked Negi.
"Yes professor I am fine," said Ayaka still glowing over the idea of them being alone.
"So how has the equestrian going for you?" asked Negi trying to think of something to say.
"Pretty good, my horse is gaining experience as so am I," said Ayaka.
"Good to hear, maybe someday you will be in the Olympics," said Negi.
"I do not think so, but one never knows. By the way, have you had any leads since the mod-ate about your father?" asked Ayaka.
"Sadly not much if at all since then," replied Negi.
"Too bad. What were you doing at Library Island that caused you to land up in the infirmary?" asked Ayaka.
"How did you hear about me in the infirmary?" asked Negi.
"Professor, I am the class rep after all. The twins told me of course. Library Island?" said a smiling Ayaka.
"Oh right it was just some research," said Negi trying to be vague as possible.
"What kind of research? About your father?" asked Ayaka.
"No, just something that I needed to know for the future, nothing to be concerned about," said Negi smiling.
"Alright as long as it is not dangerous. We cannot have you getting injured more seriously," replied Ayaka.
"Ayaka-san, I...um...would like to thank you for what you do for the class," praised Negi.
"Well thank you professor. I try my best," said Ayaka.
"Well it is getting late so I should be preparing for tomorrow's lesson," said Negi.
"Alright professor," said Ayaka as she approached him. Ayaka embraced Negi with a hug.
"As long as you are fine, I am happy." said Ayaka as she released him from her grasp.
Ayaka left the room with a wave.
At the baths Konoka asked, "Is it safe for Negi being alone with Ayaka?"
"Yeah it is, despite Ayaka-san's little boy fetish, Negi-kun will be fine," replied Asuna as she poured water over her head.
"They did look cute," said Konoka.
"What are you talking about?" said a confused Asuna.
"Negi-kun and Nodoka-san on the couch," said Konoka.
"Yeah I guess," responded Asuna.
"You seem jealous of some sort," said Konoka.
"Now why would I be jealous Konoka-san? I do not even like him that way," said Asuna getting out of the pool size bath.
"I do not know Asuna-san, but it seems every time Nodoka-san is around Negi, if he is injured, she takes over your job. When we were at Kyoto, you told me how Nodoka-san did the nursemaid thing with Negi-kun," said Konoka.
Asuna stopped in tracks before entering the girl's changing room and responded, "Konoka-san listen, Nodoka-san seems very interested in Negi-kun and she cares a great deal what happens to him. So do I, but the difference is she is in love with him. I, on the other-hand, care about his well-being as a friend and that is all."
"Like a big sister would?" asked Konoka.
"Exactly!" responded Asuna as she walked into the girl's changing room with a slight tear falling down her cheek.
"So Nodoka, how was it with Negi-sensei's head on your lap?" asked Haruna as she smiled.
"Comforting I think. I just do not know," said Nodoka blushing.
Yue was reading her magic book not paying any attention to the conversation. Or at least to Haruna and Nodoka she was not.
"So what is next Nodoka-san?" asked Haruna.
"What do you mean?" said a perplexed Nodoka.
"Oh come on girl, he had his head on your lap. He must have felt comfortable there," replied Haruna.
"But he just passed out from being tired. I think anyone who was next to him he would have had his head on their lap," said Nodoka.
"Seriously doubt it, he likes you," said Haruna.
Nodoka blushed and said, "I have not thought about moving it further then as it stands now. Keep telling everyone that he is just ten years old who has nobody in his heart yet. Maybe someday when he is older I hope it will be me that he has in his heart."
"Nodoka-san, remember when I told you that love can be a battlefield?" asked Haruna.
"Yes Haruna-san I do," said Nodoka remembering vaguely.
"Well if you do not move it a little further, the relationship will either stall to just a friendship, and which you do not want, or someone might scoop him up and you will be all alone," said Haruna looking over at Yue.
"But Haruna-san seriously," said Nodoka now getting frighten by the possibility of losing Negi.
"Just think about moving forward and I will drop this topic. I have to deliver my manga to the school publisher," said Haruna as she picked up her finished manga and headed out of their dorm room.
"Yue-san, what do you think?" asked Nodoka as she looked toward Yue.
"What Nodoka-san?" asked Yue pretending she did not catch the end of the conversation.
"Well Haruna-san suggested to move ahead with Negi-sensei," said Nodoka.
"Sound advice by Paru," said Yue flatly still looking at her magic book.
"So you are alright with it then?" asked Nodoka knowing Yue is still in love with the professor but has not told the professor about her feelings for him.
"It is fine Nodoka-san. You are the one who confessed your feelings to him and not me. Do not worry about me," said Yue lying to herself and to Nodoka.
Nodoka got up and said, "Well I will be back. I need some time to think."
"Alright Nodoka-san, be careful and do not stay out long," said Yue as she looked up to see her best friend close the dorm door behind her.
Nodoka walked out of the girl's dorm and found herself sitting on a grassy hill directly across from the World Tree plaza off in the distance.
"If I do move ahead with Negi-kun, I might scare him off and he would never fall in love with me. Have to consider his work as a teacher that may affect his status if he did start to date me. Teacher and student relationships are frown upon. How would the other classmates treat me if they knew we are dating, especially the ones who like or love the cute professor? Then again why would he even choose me among all the others? And most importantly if we dated it would affect my friendship with Yue the most since I know she loves him." said Nodoka to herself getting depressed.
Nodoka put her knees up and her chin in the middle of both knees with her hands grasp together around her lower legs. She looked out toward the World Tree as she remembered their date at the Mahora festival and what happen when she simply asked him to give her a kiss. Yet, later that night when the fireworks were going off she did kiss the professor. She closed her eyes tight not wanting to cry. Nodoka clutched her pactio card.
Just scurrying almost past Nodoka was Chamo. Chamo looked up at her and hurried to her.
"Jochen, what are you doing out here by yourself?" asked the perverted ermine.
Nodoka gave a little sniff as she said, "Hello Chamo-kun, just out here thinking."
"Well you look depressed. What did Negi-kun do now?" asked Chamo.
"Absolutely nothing," responded Nodoka.
"Well something has got you down, did Yue-san finally tell Negi-kun she is in love with him?" asked Chamo.
"Oh no she has not," replied Nodoka.
"Well are you going to tell me or will I freeze out here?" asked a confused Chamo.
"Well its just that Haruna-san advise me to move forward with Negi-sensei. But, I have serious doubts about doing so," said a shy Nodoka.
"Well if you want my advice Jochen. You should give a little nudge forward if you want anything to progress with Negi-kun. He is not proficient in the ways of girls yet, but he is no novice either as you know," advised Chamo.
Nodoka half-heartedly giggled and said, "Yeah the adult kiss he gave Asuna-san, and Eva-chan gave him a sensual kiss at the resort. And when I kissed him twice he was so kind to not offend me. It was like he was confused but enjoyed it at the same time."
"You think so?" asked Chamo.
"Even when he kissed me down in Library Island, it was very romantic," said Nodoka.
"HE KISSED YOU?" shouted Chamo.
"Be quiet! Yeah he fainted but his soft lips touched mine," responded Nodoka blushing.
"Maybe you do have a chance with him after all if you play your cards right," said Chamo thinking.
"Yeah well look who likes Negi-sensei. There are prettier girls who are more endowed with a better figure then me," said Nodoka getting depressed again.
"True enough, but you do have the upper edge on all them. You did confess to him about your feelings. Ayaka-san was second when you guys went into the future the first time but you guys changed the future the second time so Ayaka-san does not remember she confessed," said Chamo.
"That is true that I am the first, but honestly I am his student who is five years older then him," said Nodoka.
"Then why did you fall in love with him? Think about that. He told you that he wanted to start out as friends. And friends make great couples down the road Jochen," said Chamo.
"Yeah you are right according to the books I read about couples. And Haruna might be right about pushing the relationship a little more toward romantic," said a blushing Nodoka.
"Well it is getting chilly out here, shall we head back inside?" asked a shivering ermine.
"Sure!" said Nodoka as she got up and Chamo jumped on her shoulder as Nodoka walked inside the girl's dorm.
Negi opened his dorm room as Nodoka was near hers. Chamo scurried over to Negi.
"Hello there Nodoka-san," said Negi cheerfully.
"Hello Negi-sensei, feeling better?" asked Nodoka.
"Yes I feel a lot better," replied Negi.
"It is getting late and we have class so I better get to bed," said Nodoka as she opened and closed the door quick.
"What was that all about?" asked Negi to the ermine.
"She must been in a hurry," proclaimed Chamo.
Negi and Chamo went inside their dorm room as the door closed behind them.