Xylem

"Xylem and phloem?"

"Aaah, they're- hang on, I know-" Kahoko screwed up her face, thinking hard. Ryotaro's lips twitched as he watched her, amused.

"Ha! The plant's transport tissue, right?"

"Very good," Ryotaro said, offering her a smile. "See? You're getting better at this."

Kahoko groaned. "Don't tease me. You know I'm hopeless at science."

He laughed, sitting down on the couch across from her. "You're not. You work hard. You just have to work a little harder than others. It's not a completely lost cause."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Some tutor you are," she said, making a face. "Coming over and then telling me I'm a lost cause. Mou, how am I ever going to pass this test?" She despaired for a moment, wringing her hands, before relaxing back against the sofa with a sigh.

"It's not that bad," Ryotaro said, shrugging. "It's mostly multiple choice. It'll be easier than the reviewing we've been doing. I'm sure you'll do fine." He paused, hesitating. "Come here. I'll give you a massage."

Kahoko's eyes widened, flushing slightly, before shifting on the sofa, planting herself between his thighs. Ryotaro swallowed hard, steadying himself, before putting his hands on her shoulders, kneading his thumbs into her back.

"It's just so hard to care," Kahoko said, but her voice was more relaxed already. "I mean, who cares about how a plant works? How is remembering any of this going to help me at all in real life?"

Ryotaro laughed quietly. "There's a lot of things like that we have to learn," he reminded her, working out a knot. "It's part of school."

"I should transfer to the music school," Kahoko groaned. "I bet they don't have to learn useless things about plants and fish and frogs."

Ryotaro smiled. "It's not that bad," he said. "Perhaps all you need is the proper motivation."

"Like what?" Kahoko said, looking back at him with one eye.

Ryotaro shrugged. "I don't know. Treat yourself to something you like after you pass the test."

"That doesn't give me incentive to study, though," Kahoko pointed out. "You should give me a piece of candy after each one I get right."

"I don't have any candy! Why do I have to give you things?"

"You're my tutor! You're supposed to be encouraging me to study!"

Ryotaro laughed and Kahoko giggled, and they settled back into an amicable silence as Ryotaro kneaded her shoulders and rubbed her back, trying to help her stress.

"Mmm..."

Ryotaro froze for a moment at the low moan Kahoko let out, pausing to steady himself before carefully resuming his massage.

"You're providing reverse motivation," Kahoko murmured, her voice utterly relaxed, her eyes closed. "If I keep doing poorly in science, you'll keep coming over to help me and touch me like this."

Ryotaro swallowed with some difficulty, taking deep breaths and trying to remind himself that she was only talking about the massage. It was hard, though, when her voice low and sensual like that and she kept making those little moans...

"I'll tell you what." He cleared his throat. "If you get at least an 70 on the test, I'll come over and give you a full-body massage as a reward. Okay?"

"A full-body massage? That's the one where you're naked, ne?"

Ryotaro cursed himself for his foolhardiness. "Well, traditionally, but you don't have to be, or you could wear a towel or a yukata- I just thought it'd help to relax you after the big test..."

Kahoko turned to look at him slowly, and Ryotaro swallowed hard.

"I didn't say I had a problem with it," she commented, tilting her head, her eyes locking with his. "I was just commenting."

Ryotaro could scarcely breathe. "Okay."

Kahoko turned back around, humming as Ryotaro resumed massaging her, firm hands kneading at her back.

"If I get over a 70, I get a massage from you," Kahoko said, eyes closed. "If you get over a 90, though, we'll do it without the towel."

Ryotaro felt his mouth dry up as his mind began racing through definitions of all the plants terms he knew, trying to evaluate how much studying he would have to do to make sure he got a 90. Kahoko laughed, her back moving underneath his hands.

"Better start studying, ne?" she teased, her eyes sparkling as she looked back at him. "Don't want to mix up xylem and phloem and lose."

He was tempted to kiss her for baiting him, but he held himself back and gave her a dismissive look.

"I don't lose."