As the lunch break was about to end, the three of them packed up their tea sets, sorted out their utensils, and returned to the class to sit down.

After the first Chinese lesson, the last session was home economics – cooking last week, tailoring this week.

Sitting on the sewing machine, Izumi Kurose followed the teacher's instructions to load the bottom thread and top thread into the sewing machine.

Then, the thread is threaded and the bottom thread is pulled out of the pinhole.

Although his technique was a little clumsy, it took about ten minutes to complete.

Shiraishi Chiren, who was beside him, had already begun to sew handmade bags with ease.

After she arranged and aligned the fabric to be sewn, she clicked as the fabric moved and the footrest stepped on it one by one.

In a few moments, however, the prototype of a briefcase with smooth lines and neat stitches was formed.

Izumi Kurose, who had been staring at Shiraishi Chire's stitching technique, was already dumbfounded.

He swallowed his throat and said in a dry voice, "Bai, Baishi, is there anything else you can't do?" ”

"Huh?"

Shiraishi stopped sewing, looked sideways, and said, "There are many who can't, and there are many, many more than they can." ”

"Why do I think you can do anything?"

Kurose Izumi scratched his head, looked around left and right, and said, "Shiraishi, you ...... It can't be Superman, right? ”

"What's that strange description?" Shiraishi Chiren laughed, "Because there are housekeeping sewing classes in elementary and middle schools, I learned it." ”

"It's amazing!"

Izumi Kurose gave a thumbs up and said, "Can you teach me?" I'm afraid that if I get a sewn on my hand, won't it hurt a lot? ”

"Kurose, are you stupid?" Shiraishi held his forehead helplessly, and sighed lightly: "How can it be possible to sew your hand?" ”

"I—I'm not afraid......"

"Okay, I'll teach you."

"That's great!"

After saying that she would help with the guidance, Shiraishi moved her chair to Izumi Kurose, almost shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

She pointed to the sewing machine and said, "Put the fabric you want to sew into the sewing opening and put down the pressing plate." ”

"Oh-oh...... Izumi Kurose complied, "and then?" ”

"Pull the pulley and pedal at the same time, if you don't know it, just come at once, don't worry."

But it's said that it's not in a hurry, but it's still involuntarily nervous.

Like a thief, Izumi Kurose carefully pulled the retracting pulley, and gently pressed the pedal with his foot, just like a person who has just learned to drive and stepped on the accelerator.

Click—After the pedal is pressed, the sewing maneuvers and a thread slips through the overlapping fabric.

Izumi Kurose was startled by the sudden movement, and subconsciously stepped on the pedal again.

Now, there were several clicks.

And then...... The clothes to be sewn ran smoothly and became skewed.

Chiren Shiraishi looked at the sewing machine, and then at Izumi Kurose, who looked embarrassed.

Even she was silent for a while before she asked, "...... Why are you so scared? ”

"I—Aren't I afraid that I will use too much force at once and the sewing will be crooked?" Izumi Kurose's face turned a little red.

He felt really ashamed, but he was still frightened cautiously.

However, this effect should be the same as that of the faint of heart watching horror movies, right?

Obviously, I was very focused and mentally prepared in advance, but I was still frightened in the face of sudden movements and terrifying pictures.

Originally, the fact that Shiraishi Chiren was sitting almost side by side with him made him very nervous and concerned.

"Alas, okay, you come at my pace."

Shiraishi sighed and put one foot on Izumi Kurose's pedal while putting her hand on his.

"White, white stone?!"

Izumi Kurose visibly felt that his voice had become shrill, and his eyes quickly looked around to see if anyone had noticed them.

I'm in class right now, wouldn't it be too bad to do such an intimate gesture?

He looked to his right and was relieved to see that they were all concentrating on sewing.

Then, he casually looked to the right, but he was surprised to find that Matake Hirasawa was looking at them with a strange smile.

Matake Hirasawa raised an eyebrow and gave a thumbs up as a way to show his admiration.

Izumi Kurose quickly withdrew his gaze and stopped looking at him, but instead looked at the sewing machine and Shiraishi Chiren beside him.

But at this glance, he was startled again.

I don't know when Shiraishi Chiren began to stare at him, her eyes unblinking.

And under his gaze, she pursed Min's shiny cherry lips again, and whispered, "Kurose, please don't look at others." Look at me, I want you to just look at me. ”

“？！”

Izumi Kurose's eyes widened slightly, stunned.

How is this - even a last home economics class can be so teased?!

Shiraishi Chiren said this kind of thing, so he could only say it obediently?

Seeing that Izumi Kurose was slow to respond, Shiraishi Chiren asked again, "Is it okay?" ”

This time, with a sense of urging, it seems to be dissatisfied.

"Yes, yes." Kurose Izumi nodded.

Of course you can.

Because his gaze has been on Shiraishi Qianren from beginning to end, and he has never looked away.

For him, the existence of Shiraishi Chire, like the protagonist of "Lolita", sees Lolita as the fire of the soul, the light of desire, the most special, above everything.

It is also in Dante's "Divine Comedy", Beatrice, who is desperate to pursue even if he pays his life to hell!

While this is an exaggerated metaphor, it is apt.

"Then please keep a good eye on me."

"Oh, oh......"

In this way, under the gaze of Izumi Kurose, Shiraishi Chiren folded the fabric in half and stepped on the sewing machine.

At the same time, her small hand covering the back of Izumi Kurose's hand also began to move.

Delicate, soft, and slightly cold to the touch, Izumi Kurose has no time to take care of anything else.

His eyes reflected Shiraishi Qianren's serious appearance with his head bowed slightly.

The delicate side face and snow-white and tender little face are close at hand.

Her seriousness combined with this stunning beauty is so charming that no matter how you look at it, Izumi Kurose has a feeling of being so cute and liking.

So, when Shiraishi Chiren sewed the prototype of the handbag and looked up at him who was a little sluggish, it instantly became clear - he hadn't learned!

"Stupid, are you? Let you look at me, not at my face, but at my sewing technique. ”

"I'm sorry, I saw ......it all of a sudden," Izumi Kurose subconsciously apologized, and just as he wanted to continue to say something, he suddenly paused.

Then, he changed his tune and said, "I was distracted all of a sudden. ”

"Got fascinated all of a sudden, right?" Shiraishi Chiren was helpless and lightly annoyed, and her tone had a feeling of 'I really can't stand you'.

"Have you been seen?" Izumi Kurose scratched her head and glanced at her face in embarrassment.

But in the next moment, his ears were a little itchy, and a soft voice sounded from his ears:

"But...... I'm so happy, Kurose is looking at me well, hum. ”

- Today, Izumi Kurose was defeated.