Chapter Text
⋆ Hot and Not ⋆
That Saturday morning had started off all wrong for Maki. She’d slept through her alarm, wasting precious minutes—but the worst was still to come. Toge had decided to hog the bathroom far longer than usual, caught up in one of his bizarre morning rituals. Today’s experiment? A “super-concentrated” shampoo-and-conditioner combo… which had turned the floor into an ice rink.
Maki had practically performed a slalom between wet slippers and slippery bottles.
Result? She was running late.
And, as if that weren’t enough, she hadn’t even had her coffee.
For her, that ritual was sacred—a small boost to survive a morning. Without it, the day was basically doomed.
And today? She had to supervise the promotion tests for the first-years. She knew exactly what she was in for: normally, even though the dojo was open to the public, parents dropped their kids off like a daycare and disappeared. But test day? Absolute chaos.
Suddenly, everyone remembered they had children and spent the entire session recording every move for their social media.
Maki hated it. She loved teaching—but she loathed how these parents made their kids feel self-conscious. Kids who would’ve gladly buried themselves under the tatami if they could.
Still… nothing technically banned parents from watching.
She’d tried, honestly.
But the giggles, awkward comments, useless questions… all part of the “from-hell” package.
Without coffee, this was already tragic.
She decided not to dwell. Maybe, by some miracle—or a benevolent deity finally taking pity—the parents would behave better than usual. A few out-of-place remarks, sure, but Maki could handle that.
Some had even learned that making noise during her classes was a bad idea. Almost all of them.
Because in one corner, a guy kept snickering at his phone like he was in a café, ignoring the unspoken “silence during class” rule.
Maki recognized him immediately: the older brother of one of her most… challenging students. Takumi, she thought.
She’d seen him before, and unfortunately, this wasn’t his first stunt.
At first, she tried to ignore it, but the muffled “pff!” and loud chuckle finally broke her patience.
She strode over, arms crossed.
“Hey, pretty boy. If you’re just here to distract, the door’s behind you.”
He blinked. “Huh? Me?”
“Who else? You’re the only one who can’t keep quiet.”
For a second, he seemed to remember where he was. Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his neck.
“Sorry… didn’t mean to.”
Maki was about to walk away, but he added, half-smiling, “By the way… for that move earlier, next time you should place your right foot a little more forward.”
She stopped, holding back a sigh.
“How?”
“Not bad… but for someone who knows their way around, you’re still a bit stiff. You need to loosen up.”
Maki stared at him.
Alright. He had crossed the line.
She really wanted to smack that smug face with her staff, but instead… she opted for public humiliation.
She turned, sizing him up.
“You talk like you’re an expert.”
“Well… not to brag, but I’ve done martial arts. I know a thing or two.”
From the back, his younger brother Keiji—hiding behind taller kids—covered his face with his hand, red as a tomato. Maki caught it instantly, one eyebrow raising in amusement. Then back to the blond, a look promising trouble.
“Perfect. Show me. Quick demo.”
The kids murmured excitedly, forming a circle. The younger brother stared wide-eyed, terrified.
The guy hesitated, all eyes on him, then nodded.
“Alright… though I don’t really like hurting a girl.”
Maki gave a sidelong glance, sharp smile.
“I won’t break you too many bones.”
They stepped onto the tatami. A few parents started recording—but strangely, she didn’t mind.
She didn’t even give him time: two quick, precise moves later, he was unbalanced and slammed to the ground in under five seconds. The thud echoed. “Oooooh!” the kids gasped.
Blond on the floor, eyes wide: “What the—”
Maki, hands on hips, smirk of disdain: “Next time, laugh quietly at your phone.”
The kids burst into laughter. She turned back to the group, as if nothing happened.
“Alright, back to tests. Keiji, you’re up. I’m sure you’ll do better than your brother.”
With that, she walked off. The older brother stayed on the floor, rubbing his side, unable to tear his eyes away from her.
⸻ ✧ ⸻
At the end of her students’ exams, Maki finally let out a long sigh.
A few parents came over to congratulate her, praising either the kids or how she had handled the day. She had to admit, it wasn’t so bad after all when everyone stayed in their place. And the kids, despite everything, always seemed happy at the end of lessons, with tired but satisfied smiles.
“Maki-sensei.”
Maki turned and saw Keiji, his gaze lowered, cheeks still a little pink.
“I just wanted to… apologize for earlier. For how Takumi acted.”
She regarded him for a moment, a small smile slipping onto her lips. Maybe because, in part, she could understand how it felt. Even if her own experience was different, that empathy struck her.
“It’s not your fault. You can’t choose your family, Keiji. I know that from experience.”
Her words seemed to hit him. He opened his mouth to reply, but his older brother nudged him back.
“Hey! I hope you didn’t say anything embarrassing about me!”
Maki sighed, bending slightly to pick up some training sticks to put away.
“No need. You already humiliated yourself earlier.”
She stepped aside, and only then noticed Yuta at the door. She blinked, surprised, a small shiver running down her spine.
“So… this is where you work?” he asked, stepping inside, looking around with the curiosity of a kid in a playground.
Maki gave a faint nod, shoulders slightly hunched, almost as if protecting herself. “Why are you here?”
The question came out a little sharp; for a moment, she worried something had happened at home.
“Right…” Yuta held out a to-go cup of coffee. Maki blinked, caught off guard.
“What—?”
“This morning, with all the yelling at Toge, I realized you didn’t get your coffee,” he said, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. “So… I thought I’d bring it. Unless you already got one.”
Maki’s cheeks warmed, but she snapped back quickly.
“Even if I had, I wouldn’t have wasted it,” she said, voice firm.
She leaned toward the cup, glancing at Yuta for just a second. And—of course—a knot twisted in her stomach, mocking her.
Just coffee.
Really.
Nothing else.
No reason to think twice.
He’s just… being nice. Like with everyone.
That’s all.
“Fine,” she admitted, taking a short sip. “But don’t tell me you came all the way here just to bring me coffee.”
Yuta froze for a beat, then fumbled for his phone, a little embarrassed. “Toge found it in the kitchen this morning. You must’ve left it behind in the rush.”
“Ah… thanks,” Maki murmured, eyes lingering on the screen for a moment.
A quiet pause settled between them. Since the couch incident, words had been scarce. Neither seemed ready to touch the topic. Maybe they never would. After all… nothing had happened.
Just then, a parent stepped out, their daughter giving Maki a polite bow.
“Parents’ day?” Yuta joked, trying to break the silence.
“Something like that,” she replied, shrugging with a tired but gentle smile. “Someone has to make sure the kids don’t break themselves.”
He chuckled softly, noticing she was holding some equipment to put away.
“Want a hand?” he offered, trying to help.
She blinked, a faint blush rising to her ears. “No, it’s fine. And didn’t you have an interview today?”
“Already done. They’ll let me know in a few days, so…” He shrugged, trying to look casual. “…I’ve got free time.”
“Suit yourself.” Maki gestured toward the scattered sticks and gloves. “Then put that stuff away.”
“At your service!” Yuta replied with a small bow, then went off to organize the equipment.
That’s when a voice behind her made her stiffen, sending a chill down her spine.
“Hey, Maki-chan.”
She spun around, eyebrows furrowed and arms tensing as if to push him away… and nearly choked on her coffee in the process. “Don’t you dare call me that.”
Takumi raised his hands in surrender, a mischievous smile on his face.
“Uh… okay! Maybe… Zenin-chan?”
“Not even.”
“Coach?”
Maki sighed, massaging her temple lightly. The blush on her cheeks didn’t fade, and her eyes betrayed a flicker of irritation.
“What is it?”
“Oh, well…” Takumi scratched the back of his neck, embarrassed. “…I wanted… your number.”
For a moment, Maki froze. Her heart beat a little faster, her hands clenched almost to grab something nearby. Her face tinted faintly, but she tried not to show it.
“Excuse me? And why on earth would I give it to you?”
“Why?” he laughed, tilting his head with a cheeky grin. “To ask you out.”
She stared, too incredulous to even notice the students passing by.
“When you took me down earlier, I was speechless. No girl’s ever caught me off guard like that.”
Maki narrowed her eyes, holding back a half-smile, trying to regain her composure.
“Really? Strange. I’d have thought a guy like you would be comfortable around girls.”
Takumi tilted his head slightly, eyes sparkling with challenge.
“In a way. So? How about it? I’ll take you out later—if you’re not busy, of course.”
Maki watched him, arms crossed, cheeks still warm, unable to look away from this unusually bold guy.
From the back of the room, Yuta was putting the last pair of gloves in the locker. At the voice behind her, he spun around, and for a moment, his usual easy smile faltered.
He had caught part of the conversation between Maki and that guy, and even if he didn’t want to admit it, a twinge of annoyance ran through him.
He tried to hide it by meticulously folding a mat, nervously nibbling the inside of his cheek.
When he finally went back toward Maki, the smile he gave her was a little tenser than usual.
“I’ve put everything away,” he said softly. “Want me to do anything else?”
Takumi watched him closely, while Yuta tried to meet his gaze, keeping calm. Maki tilted her head slightly, noting Yuta’s small efforts to tidy up.
“That locker’s faulty… are you sure you closed it properly?”
The other started to respond, but a sudden crash cut him off.
Maki sighed, stepping aside. “I’ll handle it.”
She walked off, leaving the two guys alone in the room.
Yuta, slightly uncomfortable, forced a smile.
“Uh… hi. I’m Yuta.”
“Takumi.”
He shook Yuta’s hand with more force than expected, nearly making him jump. He looked like the type used to being noticed.
The blond nodded toward a kid in the background. “Do you have a little brother to bring along too?”
Yuta blinked, surprised. “Oh, no… I just came by to drop something off for Maki.”
“I see.”
Takumi glanced at Maki, giving a smile. “Your friend’s really cute.”
Instinctively, Yuta nodded, then realized what he’d just agreed to and blushed.
“W-what? I mean… y-yeah, but… you…”
“I asked her out, but she didn’t seem too keen.”
Takumi shrugged, as if a closed door didn’t bother him.
A pang of irritation tightened Yuta’s stomach—an irrational impulse he tried to hide behind a wobbly smile.
“Well… Don’t take it personally… Maki’s just… Maki.”
Takumi chuckled softly, but the confidence in his eyes didn’t sit well with Yuta.
“Oh, don’t worry. I like a challenge.”
He ran a hand through his hair, adding, “I usually go for girls who are a bit… easier, let’s say. But she impressed me—in every way. And I want to go out with her.”
Yuta tried to smile back, but it came out stiff, too tight.
“Maybe find out what she wants first before writing the end credits.”
The words were sharper than he intended, and Takumi seemed to notice. He studied Yuta for a moment, then raised an eyebrow.
“Tell me… are you her boyfriend, by any chance?”
At those words, Yuta’s face heated instantly. “W-what?! N-no!”
Right then, Maki came back, stepping into the scene just in time to hear the last lines. She froze, eyebrows slightly raised.
Yuta, flustered, tried to find the right words. “I mean… w-we just live together…”
Takumi looked between them, confused. “Live together?”
“Yeah, but…”
“... You’re roommates, then?”
“Kind of… at the moment I’m on her couch.”
Maki rolled her eyes and smacked him on the shoulder, a faint blush on her cheeks. “What nonsense are you talking?!”
She turned to Takumi, gaze firm.
“Yuta is a friend of my roommates.”
Takumi studied both of them, sensing a strange tension in the air.
“So… you’re not together?”
Both jumped slightly, cheeks a little red.
“Of course not!” Maki snapped.
Takumi smiled again, brazen as ever, showing no hint of defeat. “Perfect. Then it’s just you and me.”
Maki studied him for a moment, wary, and felt a strange urge to hit him. But there was something in his attitude that left her strangely unsettled.
Takumi wasn’t unattractive at all. His slightly messy blond hair, easy smile, and bright hazelnut eyes gave him that like-the-world-was-at-his-feet kind of vibe. The way he moved, confident and effortless, made everything seem easy for him.
And maybe that was exactly why she wasn’t buying it. That kind of confidence and charm didn’t intimidate her—it irritated her.
Meanwhile, Yuta watched, unsure what to feel. A mix of annoyance and curiosity knotted his stomach, but one thing was clear: over time he had learned enough about her to know a guy like this would never catch her interest. At least, he hoped.
“You’re pretty confident…”
Takumi looked up, ready to respond, but she beat him to it, unshakably firm:
“The answer is no.”
“W-what?” he stammered, surprised.
“I don’t date my students’ brothers. That’s the rule,” she cut him off, decisively.
“What kind of rule is that?”
“Mine. And it works.”
With that, she walked off, glancing briefly at Yuta.
“Y-yes!” he replied, following her.
Takumi watched them leave for a moment, brow slightly furrowed, then a small half-smile appeared. No defeat, no offense—just amusement.
Yuta caught Takumi’s smile out of the corner of his eye and felt a flicker of irritation… quickly replaced by relief. Maki had said no.
He didn’t need to know why—her no was enough.
Finally, for the first time that chaotic afternoon, he could just breathe.