This was supposed to be a part of a more humorous plot, but it grew into its own thing, so...
Not necessary, but listen to "Target for Love - Blue Archive."
Warmth
Most fishes are ectothermic or cold-blooded, meaning they regulate their body temperature through absorbing heat in their environment. When the surrounding temperature gets too cold, freshwater fishes tend to gather near the bottom of lakes and rivers where warm water sinks. There, they enter a state where their natural metabolism slows down, lessening the need for food and oxygen.
—
Winter in Kivotos was… harsh.
Not too harsh to be considered a natural disaster, but still enough to stall the students' daily life. Lessons were canceled, and most shops had to close early on account of everyone staying indoors. The very few brave or foolhardy enough to venture out during the day were met with the chills of empty streets and glares from gloomy passersby.
Or, in the case of one sleepy student, the cold had completely shut her down.
Hoshino hugged her whale plushie tighter, turning it over so her face smothered the warmer side. Last night had been another doozy, what with all the delinquents milling about thinking they owned the place. Seriously, couldn't they all just go into hibernation or something? It was getting tiring to reprimand them. She felt like she the cranky old neighbor in television shows, shooing kids away from their lawn, day in, day out.
…Actually, that sounded about right.
"…"
"..."
The man sitting beside her let out a weary sigh. His writing stopped as he gave Hoshino a blank stare. "So, when are you coming out of there?"
When? What a silly question.
"Never."
One does not simply come out from under a kotatsu, especially not on a freezing day such as this. Not to mention, the heater she had back at home was broken, and she hadn't filed a replacement for it yet.
"Adopt me, Sensei~" Hoshino mused. "Marry me and let me live under your kotatsu. I'll be a good housesitter, I promise~"
"I'll think about it once you graduate," Sensei said, not even batting an eye.
Although it sounded indifferent to those unused to Sensei, twisting the phrase around meant Sensei had neither accepted nor shot her down. He was sincerely considering her offer and the cool, yet somewhat caring way he went about it really tickled Hoshino's fancy.
"Ah, I guess Sensei likes them older, huh? I understand. You're waiting until graduation for me to ripen into womanhood. Then, once the boundaries of our forbidden love finally dissolve, you'll swoop in like a hawk and carry me away to uncharted lands across the ocean. How romantic~"
Sensei's brow twitched.
"But there's no need to wait for all that," Hoshino said. She threw her arms up and beckoned to him like a child crying out for its mother. "Come! Take me, Sensei~! There is nothing to fear; the revolution is upon us! Teacher-student relationships are not banned— nay, in Kivotos they are the law~!"
"I refuse."
"Thought so." Hoshino sighed, nestling her arms back under the kotatsu. "Always such a puritan. And besides, it's not like you'll ever want an old old woman like me. I'm way past your target range."
Still...
Smiling in satisfaction, Hoshino turned her back toward Sensei and snuggled into a more comfortable position, hands gripping her whale plushie as she buried her face into it. Her heart threatened to burst out from her chest at any moment, and she whispered under her breath. "...that's why I like you…"
Silence. She had no way to tell if Sensei heard her, nor was she eager to find out, not while her face was still a blushing mess. Seconds turned into minutes, and Hoshino heard the telltale sounds of papers shuffling together. Sensei had gone back to work. She was in the clear.
Well… it's not like I care if he knows…
"Hoshino."
"Hm?"
"Do you like kotatsu?" Sensei asked.
That piqued Hoshino's interest. She squirmed out of the covers of the kotatsu and answered honestly. "Yes. I love them."
Sensei nodded, relief apparent on his face. "I see."
"Heehee, I know what you might be thinking, Sensei," Hoshino said, "'If you love them so much, we should get one for your clubroom!' or something like that. I definitely will! It'll be hard to scrounge up the cash this month, but I'll definitely look into getting one for the Task Force."
Her smile brightened. It might take a while, but just imagining how her cute juniors would react to their very own kotatsu gave Hoshino immense amounts of pride and joy.
Shiroko would probably be the first to tuck in; she hated being cold the most. Followed by the excitable Nonomi, then Ayane. Serika would be last. Not that she would dismiss the thought, but she would be too embarrassed to knowing she had to squeeze in a tight space with the rest of them. She was absolutely adorable that way.
"Ah," Hoshino realized, "Nonomi would probably be too big to fit in a small kotatsu. I need to save up for a really big one. Big enough the entire FTF can snuggle inside and take a nap together~"
Just like one big happy family. Speaking of which…
"Hey, Sensei," Hoshino continued, barely minding if he was listening or not, "Did you know? Fishes are cold-blooded, meaning their bodies have no way of regulating temperature. Since they can't warm themselves up, most species of freshwater fish sink to the bottom of lakes and rivers where the water is less cold and they won't freeze to death."
Hoshino dove inside the kotatsu again, poking her head as if emulating her point. "In a sense, they're like me and this kotatsu. When it gets cold, I migrate under the sheets where it's warm and leave once the temperature starts ramping up."
"Mh. Fascinating." Sensei nodded again, his attention focused on the document in his hand.
"But then, if all the fishes are at the bottom, it'll be hard to see them from the surface…" Hoshino crossed her arms and laid down on her stomach, a sudden melancholy in her voice. "That's nature, I guess. Summer really is the ideal time for marine enthusiasts like me."
The problem was… summer weather was too hot.
A sheet of paper carefully balanced atop her cowlick. "Hmm? This is…?"
"Budget report," Sensei answered calmly as if the two words together didn't make Hoshino already want to run away and hide. He handed her a pen. "Sign anywhere."
"Uhee…? I have a bad feeling about this…"
It was just a feeling, though. Hoshino trusted Sensei with all her heart; he would never mislead her. If signing something did cause her to get into trouble, it would likely be because of her own laziness anyway, and probably deserved it.
Sensei chuckled. "Don't worry. You're not in any hot water."
"What's this for then?" Hoshino asked. "And what were you doing all this time, anyway?"
"Me? Oh, I was checking Schale's resources and found we were currently going under budget."
Hoshino skimmed through the documents Sensei gave her. Sure enough, there were far too many zeroes for her tiny, broke mind to comprehend. And he said they were under budget?
Just how much funding does Schale have?!
Apparently, a lot, as Sensei delivered yet another bombshell she did not expect.
"I was writing a letter to the General Student Council asking if I can use the excess funds to buy and distribute kotatsu to the different schools."
No way…
"You're not the only one who likes them," Sensei said. "Don't worry about saving up. Abydos is number one on the list. You'll have your very own kotatsu in no time."
A hand came up to tussle her hair. He was treating her like a child, yet Hoshino found herself unable to stop him. He loved spoiling his students. He loved spoiling her. That was his sole pleasure as an adult. When she thought she finally had a handle on him with all her teasing, Sensei still managed to somehow tear down her defenses and sweep her off her feet. It all seemed too good to be true. Unbelievable. But the way he smiled at her, how he acted as though he was just doing his duty as their teacher, made her accept his graces as genuine.
Sensei came through for her time and time again, just as he said he would.
A familiar sensation welled up inside Hoshino, like tiny butterflies rising in her stomach. She felt weightless, her heart thumping in her ears as if she were floating underwater. Her lips curled into a smile. What was it called, again?
Oh, right…
Hoshino broke into a laugh. "Heehee… Hahaha!"
"W-what's so funny about it?" Sensei had always been self-conscious when it came to his students. He scratched the back of his head lightly, looking pensive and unsure. "On second thought, I really should have asked all of you first…"
"No, no, it's not that!" Hoshino exclaimed, almost doubling over from laughter— something she had not experienced in a long time. "I just didn't think Sensei would have the guts to blatantly abuse his position like that. This old timer is impressed!"
"It's not abuse if I don't frame it that way," Sensei responded. A sly expression crept up his face. It was the look of a cunning, evil mastermind holding the entire world in their palm. "Based on first-hand experience, kotatsu offers a substantial boost to a student's mood and morale. Happy students are good students. And good students get better grades. Isn't that right, Miss Abydos-Student-Council Vice-President-and-Foreclosure-Task-Force-Representative Hoshino?"
Hoshino roared in laughter again. She gave him a thumbs-up, a loyal partner-in-crime, through and through.
"Yup, you got that right, Sensei of Schale! Kotatsu are indeed super beneficial. All the students will love them~ Haha!"
"Hahaha!"
"Heehee~"
It didn't take long for both of them to laugh their fill. Sensei laid down under the kotatsu, head resting on his hands as he let the heat warm him up. "Well, I doubt it would go that well," he said, putting a slight damper on their parade. "Rin would probably put me through the wringer, but I'll figure something out."
Hoshino scooched closer to him, snuggling her blanketed body on his side. "Mhm~ Thank you for your hard work~"
A light sleepiness slowly started to envelop them. Hoshino embraced her impromptu body pillow, and in return, Sensei brought his hand up to brush her hair, their beloved kotatsu shielding them from the worst the cold had to offer. Outside, the winter sun hid behind pure white clouds. Afternoon fast approached; a shared nap time was all but inevitable.
Sensei's consciousness slowly drifted off to sleep, and he mumbled something before the drowsiness had taken over. "Goodnight, Hoshino."
"Goodnight, Sensei."
It was a gentle scene. Pleasant, as one could describe it as such. Comfier than summer's warmest nights. Fluffier than the downiest snow. Hoshino hummed lazily, her pair of blue and yellow mismatched eyes peeking through their lids. Though she had appeared asleep, in truth, she was far from it. She locked her gaze on the man she had the fortune to call her teacher.
Life truly worked in miraculous ways. She was grateful to have met him. Softly, Hoshino spoke the words echoing in her heart. They contained no pretense. No lie, no deception. Not to him, nor to herself.
Only warmth.
"I love you… heh~"
—