What Kind of Studying is This?!
What kind of studying is this! But seriously, that guy... why isn't he leaving? Even when I'm trying to focus on my books, he keeps distracting me. In the end, Vita looked up and glared at Carlyle for a moment.
"So, when are you gonna leave?"
Carlyle stared at her impassively before breaking into a smile. A somewhat mischievous one.
"Once my clothes dry."
What a lame excuse.
"Why don't you just take 'em off and go?"
Vita shot back, and this time he shook his head.
"That'd be a bit embarrassing."
"I gave you clothes."
Vita had given him clothes—her own from before she'd become a girl, no less. But they didn't fit him at all, riding up to expose his abs in a pretty ridiculous way. Truth be told, that had irked Vita a little. Right now, Carlyle was shirtless, and Vita's pride felt a tad bruised.
"The clothes are too small."
I know, okay? You don't have to rub it in.
Unnecessarily buff guy...!
It was definitely not because she used to be a guy who was on the small side.
"But why do you have your brother's clothes here anyway?"
Vita panicked a bit but brushed it off casually.
"How should I know? They just ended up here somehow."
Carlyle tilted his head, but since it wasn't a big deal, he just pulled some ice cream from the fridge and chuckled to himself as he ate.
Vita, feeling a little sulky, turned her gaze away.
Embarrassed, my ass...
That thick-skinned jerk feeling shy? No way. Still, with the drizzle outside, she couldn't exactly kick him out. It was all because she was just too damn nice.
"I'm gonna study, so leave once your clothes dry."
In the end, Vita resolved to get back to studying. But then Carlyle threw out something totally out of left field.
"Let's do it together, then."
"Study... together?"
Carlyle nodded.
"That's ridiculous."
Vita was dumbfounded by the suggestion, nearly jumping out of her seat.
"Who studies with their rival?"
"...Huh?"
Carlyle looked a bit dumbfounded, pointing at himself.
"You mean me?"
"Yeah, you! We're already keeping tabs on each other—"
He grumbled, but it didn't sound like a joke. Bed battles she could understand, but competing over this?
"I'm your rival?"
"Y-Yeah!"
Bianca's face flushed as she insisted.
"Obviously you and me, who else?"
Of course, from Carlyle's perspective...
He didn't know the true identity of "Bianca Shama," after all.
Oh, right.
Remembering that, Vita shrank back a little.
"Anyway, that's how it is. I'm gonna beat you on this midterm!"
"Sure, whatever."
Carlyle chuckled. Her burning competitive spirit was so very Bianca Shama. To him, it was just plain cute. Especially since she'd lost almost every bed battle so far. Guess she was channeling that fire into weird places now. At the same time, he felt the tiniest bit absurd. Wait, no...
Then those photos she sent...
Were they meant to psych him out?
"You mean..."
Testing the waters with that thought, Carlyle's suspicions were confirmed by her expression. Shockingly so.
"What? Huh?!"
She was acting innocent, like her conscience wasn't pricking her.
Carlyle let out a disbelieving laugh. A taunt? That was the point of those contextless photos meant to provoke him? But in a way, they'd succeeded. Only one thought lingered in his mind now.
How do I win this girl over?
Pondering it, Carlyle came up with a good idea.
"If I'm your rival, shouldn't we study together even more?"
Bet she hadn't seen that coming.
Is this for real...?
Even as that thought crossed her mind, Vita ended up sitting at the desk with Carlyle. His logic had somehow swayed her, just a bit. Know your enemy and know yourself, right? That's exactly the argument that got her.
Seeing how he studied and solved problems could be useful, he'd said. And technically...
We already studied together earlier today...
Not that it was intentional. So now Vita was staring intently as Carlyle worked through problems. She'd even threatened to kick him out if he didn't study seriously.
Scritch-scratch—the sound of his pen, the veins standing out on the back of his hand.
It was oddly captivating, his focused expression. At first, she stared only at the workbook, but before she knew it, her eyes wandered. His sharp, high nose bridge, the clean line of his jaw. Those golden eyes, deepened by concentration. Manly? Yeah, he was definitely impressive.
Has this guy always looked like this?
Suddenly, Vita felt a strange twinge. Why was he so annoyingly handsome? Envy mixed with something oddly ambiguous.
Blinking, she stared at his profile before snapping out of it. She widened her eyes and shook her head vigorously.
No, what the hell!
What am I even doing right now?!
She felt like she'd lost her mind. Shaking her head didn't help much, but luckily, he was so absorbed he didn't notice.
Focus, focus.
Steal his trade secrets. Vita forced her eyes back to his moving hand.
He solves it like that?
It was fascinating. A pretty unique method—what you'd call a "hack," skipping basics for speed. Fast, no doubt. This was advanced magical studies, so his skill level shone through.
Why is this jerk so quick?
As Vita marveled, he'd finished the set.
"Pretty fast, huh?"
Carlyle smirked, and feeling caught, Vita denied it reflexively.
"F-Fast, yeah. But just solving them doesn't mean you get 'em all right..."
What? All correct?
Vita startled and hid the answer key behind her back.
"Lemme see the answers. Gotta check if I nailed 'em."
"We'll check later. Do the next set."
"Probably all right anyway."
His smirk made admitting it sting.
"What about this method?"
She couldn't ignore the proof right there, so Vita muttered reluctantly.
"K-Kinda...?"
"Just kinda?"
"...A little, yeah."
She finally admitted it, roundabout as it was. Solving that fast definitely gave him an edge in top-tier competition. Magical studies was always a time crunch.
"Wanna learn it?"
His sudden offer shocked Vita.
"F-For real?!"
Sharing trade secrets? Between rivals? But he was already showing her, and now explaining in detail. She swallowed hard.
"You're really gonna teach me?"
It didn't make sense. But Carlyle seemed unfazed.
"Why not?"
"O-Okay then!"
Of course Vita wouldn't refuse. Pride stung a bit, but she asked him to teach her. To beat him, she'd do anything. If he was handing over his weapon on a platter...
You're gonna regret this, idiot.
She'd make him rue spilling it. So Vita dove eagerly into learning Carlyle's method.
"Like this?"
"Nah, don't use that formula."
"Then what?"
In the process, their hands overlapped, bodies gradually pressing together—Vita didn't notice. Well, not entirely oblivious.
Do we really need to hold hands just to draw the graph...?
He was gently squeezing her hand. She thought it but focused on the problem.
"Graph goes like this."
"Uh-huh, got it."
Gotta steal those secrets! But Carlyle was shirtless, Vita in loose clothes. As bodies drew closer and touches multiplied, the room's atmosphere grew strangely charged.
Well, a young man and woman alone in a room—natural that increasing contact would make things feel... off. A weird tension building in her body.
"W-Wait a sec."
Vita sensed danger.
"You're acting weird."
"Huh? What's weird?"
His calm reply came as his arm wrapped around her shoulder. His low voice whispered right by her ear, flushing her face.
What the...?
When did they get this close? But not today. She had to study.
"Back off a bit?"
Brazen as ever, he didn't answer—instead, revealing his intentions outright. His hand brushed the soft, yielding swell of her breast, braless beneath her clothes.
Eek.
Vita froze briefly, took a deep breath, then grumbled reproachfully.
"Ugh, seriously..."
Her face burned, breath quickening.
"No, not tonight!"
The exam was the day after tomorrow. For real.
"I'll get mad if you keep it up."
"Because of studying?"
"Yeah, obviously...!"
Mid-reply, Vita shrank back. Her traitorous body was already heating up, goosebumps rising at his large hand's touch.
My boobs feel so natural to him...?
He groped so casually. But Vita wasn't immune to the subtle contact—her body warmed, and she barely pushed his hand away.
"...Seriously, not tonight."
A firm refusal, sort of. But her voice wavered with hesitation, like she'd forced it out.
This might work if I push a little.
Carlyle thought. Bianca Shama was soft-hearted, weak to persistence. His plan would pay off.
Glancing at him, Vita panicked.
"N-No..."
What are you doing? Shockingly, Carlyle wore a sulky pout—utterly mismatched, absurdly so.
"Why make that face? It doesn't suit you."
"Kinda hurts my feelings..."
His voice drooped, like a giant dog rejected by its owner.
His dejected look flustered Vita completely.
"What the heck."
It didn't fit at all. She felt like the bad guy. As she fidgeted, Carlyle finally smirked back to normal.
"No means no, Bianca."
"Wha—?!"
Now that flustered her for a different reason.
"You tease me like crazy, then bail? "
"When did I—?"
But then he shoved his phone screen in her face, silencing her.
"Then what's this?"
Carlyle Schultz's counterattack.
"You send pics like these and expect me to hold back? That's too much."
"You... too..."
Even Vita cringed looking at them. But they were just for psyching him out, right? How'd it come to this?
"No, those were..."
Seeing his smile, Vita finally realized. Oh crap. She'd let the beast into the cage.
B-But...!
Still, no meant no. But her lips were already claimed.
"Mmph... mmf—!"
Panic faded quick. His gentle movements drew her in inevitably. They'd done this plenty; familiarity amplified the pleasure.
"We can study after."
As lips parted briefly, his words left Vita baffled.
Vita knew her body too well. Knew she'd cave if Carlyle pushed. But the exam mattered—studying was non-negotiable. Carlyle understood that, of course.
"Fine, I'll settle for this."
He sat her on his lap, arms around her waist from behind. Burying his face in her slender white nape.
"Gotta study, right, Bianca?"
Studying amicably, after all.
"Hngh, what...!"
"Studying like this makes it stick better."
"Quit... your nonsense!"
What kind of studying is this?! Vita fumed inwardly. Held from behind, in his arms. His large hands roaming her body. Stealing kisses on her nape or ear in between.
"What's Charles the King's achievement? Tell me, Bianca."
Her eyes fixed on the history workbook. But it barely registered.
Vita's lips trembled as she forced out,
"...He introduced constitutional monarchy."
"And?"
"Abolished the class system...?"
"Nope, that's another king."
Just then, his hand squeezed her breast lightly—Vita let out a moan. Her panties were already soaked, noticeably so.
Trouble. No way she could study like this. But his low voice murmured by her ear, body pinned, hands toying casually. She couldn't think straight.
"Gotta memorize properly, Bianca."
Don't act all stern. You're no teacher.
She kept that thought internal.
"Hngh, who?"
"Manu King's achievements."
Oh, right.
Not like this though...
Unable to take it, Vita turned angrily. No more!
"Why? Can't memorize?"
His chuckle made her snap.
"What kind of studying is this—!"
But then her lips were claimed again. Bianca Shama loved kisses. Carlyle knew how to shut her up effectively.
"Hngh... mm..."
After the deep kiss, as lips parted, guilt nagged him for pushing too hard. He confessed honestly.
"I know. I'm being selfish."
"Th-Then...!"
"But I want you so bad. Can't hold back."
His serious expression poured out sincerity.
"So, can I?"
Stop teasing already. His genuine look left Vita speechless.
It's still selfish.
Totally unfair. But he always did this, making refusal tough. Why? Why?
Ugh... uun...
She agonized, but the answer was set. Plenty of time tomorrow anyway.
Nod.
She gave in.
"J-Just... a little, then..."
Averting her eyes, but he hugged her tight immediately. Truth be told, Vita's body was already aflame—embarrassed, she squeezed her eyes shut.