Disclaimer: I don't own Teasing Master Takagi-San. All I own are my ideas and any OCs. Please Don't Sue.

A/N 1: I hope you liked the last chapter. I realized that the chapter was short, and that I haven't updated in a while, so I am posting two at once. Like before, if you like this story, please leave a review, and if you're viewing this on AO3, please leave a kudo as well.

A/N 2: I'm really proud of how this chapter turned out. I had the last chapter done months ago, maybe even over a year ago, but I wanted to wait to post it until this chapter was done, since I was having trouble finishing this chapter. But inspiration hit me last night, and I finished it. I finished editing this today, so I could finally post to this story again. I hope you like it.


Chapter 4: Into The Inferno

Nishikata wakes up with a huge smile on his face. Yawning, he can hear the local birds chirping, and is extra aware of the beautiful sunshine hitting his body. He walks towards the bathroom, and after relieving the call of nature, undresses and enters his shower. Feeling great, and knowing his home is currently unoccupied except for himself (His parents work early mornings), he starts singing the song Happy by Pharrell. He also thinks about what had happened the day before.

Man, I can't believe it. Takagi-San got embarrassed in public and I totally missed it, all because I was listening to some love songs. I hope she didn't hear that, or I'll never hear the end of it. Then, I ace the math quiz, work up my courage to make plans for Valentine's Day, and actually succeed in asking her out. I even shared my first kiss with her.

Nishikata, mid-wash, stops dead in his tracks and blushes. He can still feel the tingle from her lips on his. He can also feel "Jr" stirring awake again. He ignores "Jr" as best he can and continues washing himself and continues thinking.

So, now that Valentine's Day is in the cards this year, I need to set up my lunch with her. Which means talking to Mr. Tanabe about getting the roof to ourselves and permission to skip a period to set it all up. *Gulp* That should be fun…not. Oh well, one thing at a time. I already did the hard part; this should be nothing. Still, I can't believe Takagi-san showed up at Mano's house yesterday. Really, nothing gets past her, does it? Even if I wish it did in this case. I just wonder how much of my "idea book" she looked at. I also hope she didn't notice the card and teddy bear I got her. At least the chocolates were hidden from view. Despite the fact that she laughed at me yesterday, twice, I need to find a way to thank Mano as well. She did hear me out, tried to comfort me, and I think she was about to give me advice too. I hope Nakai and her have a wonderful Valentine's Day date as well.

Nishikata turns off the water, grabs his towel, and exits the shower, wrapping the towel around himself. He laughs out loud.

Putting aside all the double entendres and um, sexual fantasies I guess, it really wouldn't be a bad idea to double date. Maybe next year's Valentine's Day. This year I got to make sure Takagi becomes mine, and that I do my best to make her happy.

Nishikata finishes getting dressed, brushes his teeth, and goes downstairs. Looking at the time, he realizes that he is ready about an hour earlier than usual. Shrugging, and with a smile on his face, he makes himself a super breakfast today, which includes sunny side eggs and bacon over a bowl of rice, a pitcher of earl gray tea, and some General Towe's chicken. He also makes himself an awesome lunch with some orange duck, a side of mashed potatoes, and an apple, along with some white grape juice. He gathers his stuff for school, and eats his super breakfast, appreciating his good fortune for once. With a smile on his face, he looks at his horoscope in the newspaper. His horoscope says:

"Your luck will be a two-sided coin. You will get what you want, but others will take your good luck as something to be jealous of."

Huh, not what I was expecting today. My luck has been extremely good lately. I hope that someone isn't jealous of me. I wouldn't want to step on someone else's toes in order to succeed. I wonder what Takagi's horoscope says.

Nishikata looks at Takagi's horoscope and is equally confused reading hers. It says:

"Your happiness will be intertwined with bouts of nervousness and terror. Being strong today with your convictions will be key."

I wonder what she would be nervous about. It's Takagi-san were talking about. She doesn't get nervous about anything. Okay, maybe about making love, but I doubt that will come up in conversation today. And her being terrified? That's laughable. Her being nervous is one thing, but her being terrified? Oh, I just can't.

Nishikata finishes up his meal and laughs. He laughs for 10 minutes straight, clutching his sides. Once he reigns in his laughter, he looks at the clock, and his eyes go wide. He only has 12 minutes to get to school on time. He grabs his stuff, including his special lunch, and books it out the door.

Damn it, I must have been cooking for too long to lose track of time like that. And I was looking forward to meeting with Takagi this morning. Oh well, I guess I can just talk with her in class, or at lunch. Hope she's just as happy as I am this morning.

Nishikata makes it to the second floor of his school with less than 30 seconds to spare. As he opens the door to his classroom, he feels a chill run up and down his spine. He briefly looks around. He sees Mano looking at him in a mild panic, and he sees Takagi looking at him with nervousness in her eyes. This confuses Nishikata greatly. This confusion is compounded when he sees Nakai glaring holes through him with the most intense, murderous look Nishikata has ever seen. Nishikata is frozen in fear. He only moves once the bell rings, signaling the start of school.

Mr. Tanabe says, "Alright, class, we will now begin. Nishikata, I would tell you to sit down, but today we are going to be working on a group project for our science lesson. I will be assigning you into groups of 4. I want you to grab your stuff and come sit at the tables I assign you to. There is sensitive lab equipment here, so be careful. Nishikata, since your up, your group will work at Table 1. Your partners will be Nakai, Takao, and Hojo."

Mano and Takagi quickly raise their hands and ask, "Wait, can we switch? I want to be a part of group 1."

Mr. Tanabe looks at Mano and Takagi in surprise.

"I'm a bit surprised. You two are never this insistent. However, your request is denied. Mano, I don't need you distracted by Nakai, and I don't need you distracting Nishikata, Takagi, with your constant teasing of him."

Nishikata's jaw drops. It takes him a moment to recover. When he does, he shouts, "Wait, you know about that?!"

Mr. Tanabe nods and says, "Of course I know. I'm your teacher after all."

Nishikata shakes his head and asks, "Why am I always the only one getting punished then?"

Mr. Tanabe says, "It's simple. Her talking doesn't disrupt class. Your shouting does."

Nishikata stands in shock, only one thought running through his head.

Unbelievable.

Nishikata pinches himself to get out of shock and goes to Table 1, sitting down. Nakai stands up next. Mano tries to whisper to him, "Please calm down, I love you." Nakai ignores her completely, grabs his stuff and sits across from Nishikata. He continues to glare at Nishikata, causing him to shiver in fear yet again. Takao and Hojo sense the ever-growing tension and explosiveness in the air. As such, they grab their things and tentatively make their way over to Table 1. Mr. Tanabe can also sense the "fighting aura" around Nakai aimed at Nishikata and makes a mental note to keep an eye on them.

Mr. Tanabe continues to pair the students up. Mano ends up at Table 4, while Takagi ends up at Table 5. Since Table 1 is in the upper left corner of the classroom (from the students' perspective), Table 4 is in the next row down to the right, and Table 5 is in the next row from Table 4 to the left, Mano and Takagi are nowhere near Nishikata or Nakai. They have no way to warn Nishikata of Nakai and Mano's situation (Mano filling in Takagi last night in a panic), nor are they in a position to quickly break up any fights.

Once Mr. Tanabe gives instructions on the experiment the students are conducting (they are to do the classic experiment of mixing sugar water and having it evaporate, leaving the sugar by itself [an experiment about covalent bonds if I remember correctly]), the students get to work. Table 1 begins mixing the sugar water when Nakai asks, "So, Nishikata, did you have fun at Mano's house yesterday?"

Nishikata gulps at Nakai's tone of voice. Takao and Hojo look between Nishikata and Nakai, worried looks in their eyes. Nishikata takes a moment to breathe.

Okay, I have no idea what's going on. Why is Nakai so angry right now? Specifically, at me too? I don't remember doing anything wrong. I just talked to Mano, then talked with Takagi. I guess I made a few jokes, but that shouldn't upset him, not to this degree anyways. So, what's going on?

Nishikata says with more than a touch of nervousness, "I wouldn't call it fun. I was talking with her about…various things. Then while we were talking, Takagi made a surprise visit over to Mano's house. We all talked for a while and Takagi and I left."

Nakai raises his voice, enough to grab the attention of everyone in the room.

"That's not all is it? I heard that Mano got a peek at your 'Manhood'. That doesn't just happen by accident."

The females in class blush, especially Takagi and Mano (who are slowly preparing to break up any fights about to occur), while the guys in class look over at Nishikata confused. Nishikata's face is beat red. Part of him is embarrassed, for obvious reasons, while the other part is mad at how Nakai said manhood, complete with air quotes.

"Yes, something happened to make "Nishikata Jr." rise up. Both Takagi and Mano got a peek at it, but only at the bulge in my pants. And my 'Manhood', as you put it, works just fine. If that's what you're mad about, don't be. I like Mano, but her and I are just friends."

Nakai, in a rage, and not thinking straight, shoves Nishikata out of his chair and to the floor.

"Liar! I don't believe you!"

Nakai races to the other side of the table. He goes to throw a punch, but stops mid-swing when Takagi stands over Nishikata, her whole body shaking in fear.

"Stop! He's telling the truth!"

Nakai's furious eyes are met by Takagi's wide, scared eyes. Nakai takes a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

"Explain what happened then" Nakai says through clenched teeth.

Takagi, with a blush on her face, and her body still shaking in fear, says, "Nishikata was discussing his Valentine's Day plans for me with Mano. I found out about some of them, and it made Nishikata upset. To calm him down, and to make up for my silence yesterday, I kissed him, which caused him to "Man up". Mano, who had given us some privacy, got curious at our sudden silence, and walked back into the room, only to see "Nishikata Jr." awake. She immediately left the room afterwards. And yes, she did make some jokes, but we could all tell that she still wanted to be with you. As for that dream she had, well, nobody can control what they dream about. We're at the age where stuff like that is going to happen. After all, guys aren't the only ones to have wet dreams. As for why she hid it from you, well, she didn't want this to happen."

Takagi gestures around the room, specifically at Nishikata. Nakai closes his eyes and asks, "So, it really was an accident that she saw, right?"

Nishikata, Takagi, and Mano all say, "Yes. 100% Yes."

Nakai opens his eyes. Takagi and Nishikata relax a bit. Nakai's eyes still show anger, but they are also showing some shame and guilt.

"I…am sorry. It seems like I let jealousy get the best of me. I…should have believed Mano when she said that the two of you were just talking. It's just…well, the thought of you two doing the nasty just doesn't sit well with me. I'm sure you'll understand why soon enough."

With that heartfelt apology, Nakai leaves the room. Mr. Tanabe quickly follows him, unsure of whether to report this incident to the principal or not. The rest of the class is left to their own devices. Naturally, the girls pull Mano and Takagi aside and ask a million different questions. The guys pull Nishikata up off the ground and do the same.

"So, you and Takagi finally hooked up, huh? It's about time" says one of the boys (in the chaos, Nishikata isn't sure who said it).

Nishikata shakes his head and says, "This is a disaster. I'm sure she didn't want this to be public knowledge yet, and to be honest, I really didn't either. So, can we please drop this subject for now?"

"You've got to be kidding, this is going to be the talk of the grade for days."

Nishikata just sighs at that statement. He glances over to where the girls pulled Mano and Takagi. Both of them have blushes on their faces and are looking overwhelmed.

I'm not surprised. This is absolute mayhem right now. As bad as I got it, I'm sure they have it a thousand times worse.

Nishikata is, of course, correct. Mano and Takagi are being grilled, hard, enough to overwhelm even the normally calm and composed Takagi.

"So, how big was "Nishikata Jr." Takagi?"

"Yeah, and how does he compare with Nakai, Mano?"

"I'm more interested in what kind of kinky dream Mano was having. Was it just Nishikata? Or was it Nishikata and Nakai together?"

Mano's blush increases tenfold at that last question. Takagi looks at Mano with sympathy.

Takagi somehow manages to whisper, "Figures they'd want to know about all the sex stuff first. At least they're not prying into the Valentine's Day stuff…yet" to Mano without being heard by the rest of the female mob.

Mano nods and whispers back, "Lucky you. I think the guys are grilling Nishikata about that instead. What the hell are we going to do?"

Takagi looks shocked at Mano's swearing, only having heard her swear on the rarest of occasions, and never in school. However, her shock only lasts a moment, realizing that if sex is the topic of discussion now, that swearing is no big deal.

Remembering what her horoscope said about "Being true to your convictions", Takagi whispers to Mano, "Follow my lead".

Clearing her throat, getting the attention of not just the girls but also the guys, Takagi says, "I can't believe we're surrounded by a bunch of horndogs and perverts. If everyone was this horny, why haven't we been discussing this all year? I would have loved to have known I wasn't the only horny female around here. As for your questions, I will answer them. First, while I can't speak to knowing how big Nakai is, I can tell you that if Nishikata and I were to have sex today, that I would be satisfied, and not just because of any emotional undertones. Second, I have no idea what Nishikata has planned for me for Valentine's Day. He's keeping it a closely guarded secret so he can surprise me on the day. I would like for it to be kept that way. Lastly, instead of harassing Mano about her dream, listen to my dream I had about Nishikata and I. This dream I had was the reason I was blushing yesterday in class."

Mano quickly says, "You don't have to do th-"

Mano is cut off by Takagi giving her a smile, with just enough confidence…intimidation…(anger?) in her eyes to stop Mano in her tracks. She knows what Takagi is doing – shifting the focus away from Mano and onto herself. It is probably the right move, but that doesn't mean that Mano wants Takagi to embarrass herself to clean up her mess. In the end, Mano just sighs, thankful for the help and resigning Takagi to her self-chosen fate.

Takagi gives herself a moment to collect her thoughts before she starts. Out of the corner of her eyes, she can see Nishikata move to the corner of the room, away from where everyone is gathered.

Smart. He went into the corner to keep himself away from the chaos. I wish I could be in the same position. But I don't think Mr. Tanabe's coming back anytime soon so I really don't have a choice here. I wonder how much of a blush is going to come onto Nishikata's face when I tell everyone. I wonder if he'll relish in my blush as well. Okay, here we go.

Taking a deep breath, Takagi says, "Yesterday, after our English test, I had some thoughts about Nishikata and I. About our budding relationship, and I thought to myself about what we will be like when we're older. My thoughts then turned to him ravaging me in a sexual manner. Um, with my consent of course. After I started having these thoughts, I daydreamed about what exactly we would do. We would…"

Takagi pauses, biting her lips.

If I reveal exactly what I was thinking, I will calm the chaos down, but I would also lose the opportunity to act out such a fantasy later. Not to mention, depending on how this Valentine's Day goes, I would be responsible for planning the next one. Do I really want to lose the opportunity to act out the non-sexual part of that fantasy? I really am in-between a rock and a hard place right now, no pun intended.

Takagi looks at Nishikata, who is looking away from her.

I really wish I didn't have to do this. Sorry Nishikata. I really wish you could help me, but I don't think that's possible.

Just before looking back at the crowd, Takagi sees Nishikata look up, and their eyes catch each other's. Takagi's are begging for help. Nishikata gets the message, by some miracle, and a fire lights up in his eyes.

This is a pretty bad situation all around. Knowing what I do now, I can see why Nakai would be furious, but I really wish he would have talked to me in private about it. Now, all hell has broken loose, and I don't think any single person can control it. But, I think I may be able to with some help. I just need to play this right.

Nishikata gives Takagi a wink before somehow making it out the door, unseen. He goes into the hallway, and once he's in the clear, books it to his destination. Less than a minute later, he comes back into the room with three cups and a ball. Everyone looks shocked when he reenters the room, not having noticed he even left. Even Takagi looks surprised, not by his reappearance, but by what he's holding.

"Uh, Nishikata, what are you holding there?"

Nishikata smiles on the outside, but inside, he is a nervous wreck.

I hope this works. My horoscope did say I was going to be lucky today.

Clearing his throat, Nishikata says, "I know both Mano and Takagi have stories to tell about their sexual fantasies, but I don't think it's very fair that they are the only ones to share. So, I think we should play a little game. If I win, then my opponent must share a sexual fantasy of their own. And if my opponent wins, I will share one of my own."

This gets the class talking. With Nishikata being so easy to read, but being so guarded at the same time, they are immensely curious as to what his fantasies would even be. Still, would any of them pony up and reveal their own fantasies if they were to lose? After all, the only known person to consistently beat Nishikata is Takagi, and she's the one he's trying to protect here, so she's not going to challenge him.

While the class is thinking about the offer, Nishikata adds, "This may go without saying, but Takagi and Mano are banned from challenging me. Also, if I win, nobody is allowed to ask them about their fantasies, sexual or otherwise, for the rest of the year. Not the school year. The entire year."

Of course, if they bring it up themselves, that's a different story, but I'm not going to bring attention to that. Besides, that kind of goes without saying anyways.

The class discusses that for a minute or two, buying Takagi and Mano some relief. They each shoot Nishikata a relieved but worried look. Nishikata gives Mano a smile, and he sends Takagi another wink.

I think this is working. Either the class agrees to this, or they think about it for so long that Mr. Tanabe or another teacher comes back. Either way, I think we're safe for now. Even if I lose, I really don't have many sexual fantasies, so it's not like I'd completely embarrass myself anyways. Still, the one I had last night was quite the doozy. Especially the second half. If I have to tell them that one, then I'll leave out that part. Let's just say that Nakai really will kill me if it gets back to him.

Yukari looks at Nishikata and asks, "What if nobody steps up to challenge you?"

Nishikata anticipated the question and says, "Then you all lose. While you may not have to spill your own sexual fantasies, you also can't ask Mano or Takagi about theirs."

Sanae says, "Then I guess it all comes down to how curious we all are about this."

Mina steps up and says, "I don't really get the whole love thing, but even I've had a fantasy or two about having sex. I'll take that bet."

Yukari and Sanae look at Mina with wide eyes. The rest of the class, sans Nishikata (and, obviously, Nakai), Takagi and Mano included, look between Mina and Nishikata with intrigue.

Kimura says, "A game between the two most guarded people in class in terms of sexual fantasies, where the loser is forced to spill their own fantasy. This is going to be really interesting."

Takao says, "As much as I want to see Nishikata lose, I'm actually just as interested in what Mina has to say."

Mina blushes slightly at that statement but holds firm.

"So, what game did you have in mind?" asks Mina.

Nishikata sits on one side of one of the tables and asks Mina to take a seat on the other side, which she does so. He then unstacks the three cups and places the small red ball under one of the cups.

"This is one of those shell games scammers like to use to scam people out of their money. I have no intentions of using this like that, but I think it's the perfect game in this situation, nonetheless. The rules are simple. I'll place the ball under one of the cups and then quickly shuffle the cups around. You will have to guess the cup the ball is under. If you get it right, you will win the round. If you don't, you lose. We'll go best of three."

Mina nods and says, "Simple enough. Let's get started."

Nishikata nods, shows where the ball is at, then shuffles the cups. To everyone's surprise, he shuffles the cups so fast that no normal person can keep up. However, Mina is no normal person, with the fastest eyes that side of the world, so when Nishikata stops the shuffling, Mina knows exactly where the ball is at.

"The middle cup" she says.

Nishikata picks up the middle cup and gulps when the ball is revealed to be under said cup.

How the hell did she do that? She must have practice with this. I'm glad I made it best of three, but still, if this doesn't work, what will?

Nishikata hides the ball again and does a different shuffling technique this time. In addition to the new technique, he is switching the ball between cups, unseen in all the other fracas he is creating.

I don't know if that's considered cheating, but I don't care. If it was just my fantasy, I wouldn't care, but there is more on the line here than just that.

Nishikata stops his shuffling, and his gamble must have paid off, because Mina is having to actually take a moment to figure it out.

"The left cup" guesses Mina.

Nishikata prays that the ball isn't under the left cup. To his relief, it isn't.

Whew, that was close. Now we're tied. Just have to bring this on home.

Nishikata lifts up all the cups and finds the ball under the right cup. He resets the ball to be under the middle cup and does the same shuffle as last time. However, Mina anticipates this, and instead of following the ball with her eyes, she follows the sound of the ball moving. It takes a lot of talent to pull that off, but when she concentrates, she can pull that off with ease. So, this time, when Nishikata is done shuffling, she knows exactly where the ball is.

Mina points to the left cup and says "It's the le-"

Before Mina finishes her statement, she sees the look on Nishikata's face. He looks desperate and worried.

I don't think he's that worried about revealing his own sexual fantasy. He's probably worried about everyone ganging up on Mano and Takagi again. Maybe I should reconsider winning this.

Mina pauses for a moment, then points to the right cup.

"I think I made a mistake. It's under the right cup."

Nishikata, who is about to pick up the left cup, switches gears and picks up the right cup instead. He is relieved that the ball is not under it. His relief turns into confusion when he picks up the left cup and finds the ball under it.

"Wha-"

What just happened? Mina was clearing saying the left cup, then changed her answer to the right cup instead. Meaning she clearly knew where it was the whole time. So why did she change her answer? Was she protecting me? Or did she want to protect Mano and Takagi? Well, either way, I'm thankful. Thankful and very, very confused.

Nishikata isn't the only one confused by Mina's answer change. They all have similar thoughts about the whole affair as Nishikata.

Before anyone can think further on this matter, Mina clears her throat and says, "Well, I lost, and a bet is a bet. Nobody can ask Mano and Takagi about their fantasies, sexual or otherwise. As for my own, it rotates daily between everyone in this room, minus our teacher of course."

"Well, that makes sense" says Kimura.

"Yeah, it does. I'm kind of flattered" says Takao.

The boys and girls nod, until something dawns on Hojo.

"Wait a minute! Everyone in this room? Including us…girls?"

The girls jump and blush as everyone looks at Mina, confused and intrigued.

Mina blushes scarlet and says, "Y-Yes. Everyone. Don't misunderstand though. While some of my sexual fantasies are one on one with me and another girl, the ones involving me and another girl are usually threesomes with a boy involved as well. I'm not sure if that makes me bisexual or pansexual or if that's just a result of the typical teenage experimentation teens are known for, more girl experimentation than boy experimentation to be honest. T-That said, I have a lot more sexual fantasies involving me and boys than me with girls or me in threesomes, s-so take that for what it's worth. A-And while I still don't get the whole love thing, I'm not opposed for any boy or maybe even girl, asking me out on a date. I-I mean, Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and no boy or girl wants to be alone for that."

The girls blush at Mina's confession, while the boys, minus Nishikata (and of course, Nakai) quietly discuss maybe taking Mina out for Valentine's Day, while also thinking about her in a more adult light. Mina, still blushing scarlet, gives Nishikata, Takagi, and Mano a smile, while the three of them quietly whisper a "thank you" to Mina. Before any more discussion can be had, Mr. Tanabe walks into the room, a much calmer Nakai behind him. Everyone sees Mr. Tanabe and quiets down, returning to their seats. Nishikata, Takagi, and Mano look at Nakai, still nervous, and, in Nishikata's case, quite terrified.

Mr. Tanabe clears his throat and asks, "Nishikata, are you okay with Nakai getting a light punishment for attacking you?"

Nishikata look at Mr. Tanabe in surprise.

Nakai's punishment is on me? That's a surprise. It's not like I got hurt, although if Takagi didn't step in, I probably would have. Man, if I say no, Nakai's going to be even more mad than he was earlier. Still, it's not like I want to be put in danger. What do I do here?

Nishikata looks at Mr. Tanabe, then at Nakai. He asks, "I'm not still in any danger, am I?"

Mr. Tanabe says, "No. Nakai has expressed regret for what happened, and he said he's never going to do that again."

Nishikata looks relieved.

Nishikata says, "If that's the case, then I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. Obviously, the school will have something to say about this, but I'm fine either way."

Nakai shoots Nishikata a grateful smile, regret still written on his face.

Mr. Tanabe says, "In that case, the principal and I have agreed that Nakai will have detention for the rest of the month, but it will not go on his permanent record."

Seeing the disappointed look on Mano's face, Mr. Tanabe adds, "Of course, I get to decide when to administer them. So, as long as Nakai behaves himself, I won't give him one on Valentine's Day."

Mano's face lights up, happy that things have settled down and that her and Nakai can still go out on Valentine's Day. Provided, of course, that her and Nakai can work out their own issues. This dims Mano's mood just a little bit, but a smile is still found on her face.

Mr. Tanabe says, "Okay, Nakai, switch to Table 6 and let's finish up the experiment. Be grateful I'm not taking away your Valentine's Day plans."

Nakai nods, grabs his stuff from Table 1, and switches to Table 6. Nishikata, feeling lucky today, shoots his shot.

"Mr. Tanabe, speaking of Valentine's Day, can I speak with you after school today to discuss something?"

Mr. Tanabe looks at Nishikata in surprise.

Sighing, Mr. Tanabe says, "Sure. Might as well. It not like today been normal anyways."

Unsure how to take that statement, Nishikata says "Thank you". Mr. Tanabe nods and class continues on as normal. Slowly, throughout the day, the nervous energy in the room disappears, and things return to normal.

At lunchtime, Nishikata expects to be bumrushed by his friends, or confronted by Nakai again, but to his surprise, Nakai leaves the room. His friends, specifically Kimura and Takao, are currently talking to Mina, Sanae, and Yukari. Hamaguchi, having heard the chaos from the next classroom over, is talking to Hojo, who has a tremendous blush on her face. Overall, it seems pretty peaceful. Having had enough drama today, Nishikata just eats his lunch at his desk.

Just as he's about to take a bite of his orange duck he prepared that morning, he hears Takagi say, "That was pretty crazy huh? Who knew everyone was so interested in sex and our love lives?"

Nishikata nearly chokes on his bite of duck, having to pound his chest to get it to go down. Taking a sip of his white grape juice, Nishikata takes a moment to recover before responding.

"I knew that we were going to talk about it eventually, since we are all getting older, but I thought that in this moment, that you and Mano were the only ones actively thinking about it."

Nishikata gives Takagi a nervous look, a blush spreading across his cheeks. Takagi gives Nishikata a smile back, her own cheeks still a little red.

Thinking for a moment, Takagi says, "That's true. All of us are growing up. Still didn't expect to be hounded like that. Thank you, Nishikata. Not only did you get my silent message when I looked at you earlier, but thanks to your gamble earlier, me and Mano are safe from interrogation."

Nishikata take a bite of his potatoes before saying, "You're welcome."

Takagi, taking a bite of her own lunch, consisting of a pulled pork sandwich, an orange, some kind of beet, and a can of soda, gets a teasing smile on her face. She looks at Nishikata with her teasing look and says, "Speaking of earlier though, I can't help but wonder what your own sexual fantasies are like."

Nishikata blushes scarlet now and is only able to suppress the urge to shout thanks to the otherwise awful day he's already been having.

Unable to come up with anything that might get Takagi off of his back, Nishikata just silently eats his lunch, thankful that he took the time to prepare himself one. Takagi giggles.

"That good huh? Maybe in a few years' time, I'll have to properly let you play those fantasies out."

Nishikata stops cold at that statement. Takagi laughs at the look on his face.

Once he resumes having brainpower, Nishikata grumbles, "If this is how you treat your heroes, remind me never to save your ass again."

Takagi gasps at Nishikata actually swearing in class, having not expecting it. Mano, on her way over to say a proper thank you to Nishikata, having not found Nakai, shakes her head at his statement.

"Aw, don't say that. Takagi isn't the only one you've saved today. Besides, what kind of hero doesn't want to get laid as a reward?" asks Mano.

Nishikata just groans.

On some level, Mano is right. Still, I wish I wasn't being double teamed by them right now. At least not in this way.

Mano and Takagi both see the look on his face morph from embarrassed to embarrassed plus intrigued.

Mano can't help herself. She says, "Based on that look, I'd say that Nishikata took my comment about a two-for-one special to heart."

Nishikata immediately lifts his head up and looks around. Mano, seeing the worry on his face, says, "Nakai isn't in the room, and even if he was, he's not stupid enough to try something like that again. Besides, like Takagi said, nobody can control what they dream about. Although, I must admit, knowing that you can see me in that light makes me a little happy… and a little worried about your future with Takagi."

Nishikata moves his lunch aside, and bangs his head on the desk, lightly of course. Mano and Takagi laugh at Nishikata's action.

Nishikata lifts his head up and says, "This day's never going to end, is it?"

Takagi can't help herself and says, "Nope. Less you forget about your after-school meeting with Mr. Tanabe as well."

Nishikata bangs his head again and says, "Just kill me."

Mano and Takagi giggle again.

Taking mercy on the poor boy, Takagi picks up a piece of Nishikata's lunch with her chopsticks and says, "Nishikata."

Nishikata raises his head up, and when he opens his mouth to respond, Takagi sticks the chopsticks into Nishikata's mouth, feeding him his orange duck. Nishikata's eyes go wide.

"Consider this my way of saying thanks for everything today, Nishikata. I figured you wouldn't mind being fed by me, even if we're not officially a couple."

"Yet" Takagi can't help but add in her mind.

Mano laughs and says, "Well, I can't feed you, but I can say thanks for everything as well, Nishikata. You really are the hero today."

As an afterthought, Mano adds, "So, if me and Takagi are ever in trouble again, please be our hero again. Well, if Nakai's not around to be my hero anyways."

Nishikata, chewing and swallowing the bite of food Takagi fed him, says, "I'll think about it."

Mano smiles and goes off to converse with Mina, to thank her as well, while Takagi giggles.

"You'll be properly rewarded every time you are, with the royal treatment now, and some extra fun when we're older."

Nishikata blushes again, as Takagi feeds Nishikata another bite of his lunch, much to his further embarrassment. Much to Takagi's relief though, he doesn't fight her on it, and slowly embraces the idea. Once all eyes are off of them, and once their lunches are finished, Takagi gives Nishikata another kiss, a much softer and quicker one than before (only because Takagi doesn't want to embarrass Nishikata again by awakening "Nishikata Jr."). For the rest of the school day, nothing can wipe the smile off Nishikata's face. Even Takagi's teasing can't erase the happiness Nishikata is feeling. Takagi's face sports a teasing grin for the rest of the school day as well, a happier grin than normal. In what feels like no time at all, school ends for the day. To no one's surprise, Nakai is the first out the door, to upset and embarrassed to interact with anyone. Giving him some space, Mano decides to leave with Mina, Yukari, and Sanae. It's uncommon, but not unheard of, for all of them to hang out. Hamaguchi has picked up Hojo to walk home together. Takao and Kimura are discussing amongst themselves their plans for Valentine's Day, which Nishikata can't help but overhear include Takao possibly asking Sanae out and Kimura asking Mina out, now that he knows Mina is open to the idea. It's funny to Nishikata, as he thought it would be the other way around, with Kimura asking Sanae out and Takao asking Mina, or both of them warring over Sanae, considering they both have a crush on her. If Nishikata is correct, that just leaves Takagi and himself in the room. Considering that Nishikata is going to talk to Mr. Tanabe about his Valentine's Day plan, and that he wants to keep it a surprise from Takagi, it kind of puts him in an awkward position. Even if he told Takagi that he needs to talk to Mr. Tanabe alone, Takagi is smart enough to figure out that it's probably about his plans. Hell, even asking to speak to Mr. Tanabe earlier might have tipped her off, but with all the chaos that happened earlier, it was the best time to bring it up.

Takagi, sensing Nishikata's plight, says to Nishikata, "Nishikata, after your talk, lets walk home together. It looks like a nice day outside today. I'll wait by the picnic tables outside. Give you and Mr. Tanabe some privacy."

Nishikata looks at Takagi with his signature look that just screams, "She knows!". Takagi has an inkling of what Nishikata want to discuss but has no details about it. She feels bad that Nishikata knows that she knows something but intends to make it up to him somehow. Besides, she still wants to give Nishikata the satisfaction of surprising her. Takagi picks up her stuff and leaves the room. Nishikata waits for the sounds of her footsteps to disappear before collecting his own stuff, double checking to make sure he has everything, before making his way over to the teachers' lounge, where Mr. Tanabe is waiting.

Nishikata knocks on the door, and he hears a firm "enter" from Mr. Tanabe. Nishikata nervously enters the room.

Luckily for Nishikata, the room is empty except for Mr. Tanabe. All the other teachers, and even the Principal and Vice Principal, have either gone home or are otherwise preoccupied.

Taking a deep breath, which does absolutely nothing to calm his fiery nerves, Nishikata says, "Mr. Tanabe, I'm going to get right to the point. I wish, on Valentine's Day, to have a private picnic with Takagi on the roof of the school. Not only do I wish to reserve the roof for ourselves, but I also wish to take one of the class periods to set it up for us. I promise to make up the class work some other time."

Mr. Tanabe closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

Opening his eyes, Mr. Tanabe says, "After everything that has happened today, I should deny this request outright, but over the last few days, you have been interrupting class less and less. In addition, your test scores and homework have been greatly improving. Before I give you my answer, may I ask why that is?"

Gulping, Nishikata says, "Yesterday, I gave Takagi a note saying that you were getting fed up with my shouting and interrupting class, and that if she has to tease me as she has claimed before, that she should do it on our own time. With her teasing me less and less, I have interrupted class less. In addition, I have had more focus on my classwork and homework. I'd like to say that I won't interrupt class from now on, but I can't make that promise. I am who I am after all."

Mr. Tanabe smiles at that statement.

"That's true. That's something you should be proud about, and never let go of. As for her teasing, I expected you to say something like that. I've noticed that as well, I just wanted to confirm my suspicions. I can assume that today was something nobody saw coming, so I'm willing to let that go. I'll make sure to tell that staff that the roof is now reserved for Valentine's Day. As for the classwork, you can make that up later. I don't want any more work on my end either. Besides, I might give you all a free day on Valentine's Day. I know from last year that trying to make you learn on that day is kind of pointless. Is there anything else I should know about?"

Nishikata sighs a sigh of relief before saying, "I have some flowers and balloons being delivered one minute before lunch. I was going to use them to ask Takagi out for the lunch date, but those plans have changed. I figured one minute before lunch wouldn't interrupt class too much."

Mr. Tanabe laughs at that.

"Now that's some smart thinking there. Man, if you applied yourself in your studies like that, you'd be a straight A student."

Nishikata blushes at the unexpected compliment, much less the unexpected laughter and kindness from his otherwise hardass teacher.

Mr. Tanabe calms down and says, "Nishikata, your request is approved. Now go make Takagi happy. It's never a good idea to keep a lady waiting. Oh, and I heard that you were fed by her at lunch. It may be a good idea to return the favor on Valentine's Day. Now get out of here."

Nishikata blushes, bows, and leaves the room, racing down the hallway, then down the stairs, happy that his horoscope was right on the money today.

This day may have started out good, then got bad, but I'm glad it's back to being good now. I never thought I'd get Mr. Tanabe's permission, especially after all that ruckus earlier. Now, I just need to make sure it all goes right on Valentine's Day and I'm golden.

Nishikata reaches Takagi in record time, and they go off towards home, while having an interesting conversation of their own.