"Yeah... it's hard to go into detail. Just keep your guard up," Tazaki said, then fell silent. Alistair didn't push him.
Being the Class Rep in a miniature capitalist society like this school already proved Tomomi Sakurazawa wasn't simple. As for why she'd "given herself up" so fast, it was likely a perfect storm of conditions.
Suppressed desire was universal here. Combine that with Alistair's looks, his [Pheromones], and the fact that she was physically suffering from being "full"—it made sense why progress was so fast.
Poor Tazaki, though. He'd been kicked and stomped by Izumi, while Alistair, despite being "caught," had enjoyed a very pleasant release.
"Finally here. I almost fell asleep." Alistair got off the train and stretched his stiff body.
"You get used to it. But you only have to do this for a couple of months. I have two more years. I should have gone to your school," Tazaki complained.
"Let's go. Looks like there's a check at the gate. Better not be late," Alistair said, spotting the tall, shapely blonde nun at the entrance.
"It's fine. Sister Anna isn't that strict. She's only in her early twenties, so she's like a big sister to us. As long as you don't break the commandments, she won't give you trouble. She looks like she's inspecting people, but she's really just saying hello. As long as your uniform isn't a mess, you're fine."
"That lax?" Alistair was surprised.
"Well, she's a nun. Her whole thing is 'the Lord will forgive.' Just don't get caught doing 'reproduction' stuff on campus. Some students were caught and expelled immediately. She seems like just a nun, but she actually holds a lot of power." Tazaki explained as they walked toward the gate.
"And don't worry about being late. Sometimes being late actually protects us."
"Protects you? This is a prestigious school; shouldn't they be stricter?" Alistair asked.
"For the young ladies, sure. But for us guys? We're just accessories. I only came here because my parents forced me to sign up," Tazaki grumbled.
Why do they even admit boys if they don't care about them? Alistair wondered.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down Alistair's spine. He felt a burning gaze.
It was Sister Anna. But her look was... strange. He looked toward her, and she was smiling—a specific smile that made his skin crawl.
Are you ready?
She didn't say a word, but her eyes seemed to transmit that exact message.
Did she find out about yesterday? That was the only reason she'd target him. Anna didn't stare for long, just a few seconds more than usual, so it didn't draw attention from others.
"What are you looking at? Sister Anna? She's beautiful, but she's a devout nun. She's way older than us too. The most you can do is look," Tazaki said with a sigh of regret.
Alistair just shook his head and followed the path back to his classroom.
Ding-dong~
The bell rang, ending the morning classes.
"Hey, Alistair, want to have lunch together?" Tomomi Sakurazawa asked as she packed her books.
"Sure, let's go." Alistair grabbed his bento box and massaged his temples.
[Life Return] was incredibly versatile. Besides physical changes, he could use it to buff his brain. He'd discovered two modes:
Enhanced Learning: Boosts memory and processing power. High efficiency, low consumption.
Overclocking: Full mental acceleration. His consciousness moved faster than his body—a sort of "pseudo-time stop." However, he could only sustain this for a minute or two before needing a long rest.
As he pondered the development of his skill, he followed Tomomi. Before he knew it, the halls were empty. They had walked quite a distance.
"We're here. Let's eat here." Tomomi stopped.
"Isn't this place a bit remote?" Alistair asked, looking around.
"Not at all. This way we won't be disturbed. Hey, Alistair... before we eat, how about some 'milk' to wet your whistle?~"