Sinbad x Hakuei - Student/teacher AU
It wasnāt as though Ren Hakueiāstep-sister to the business tycoon Ren Kouen and easily the smartest girl in her gradeāhad any problem with her teacher.
Sinbad was nice enough, and certainly smart enough, and her friends liked him well enough, too. He had achieved a lot, graduating from one of the best universities in the country, a year early, and then getting a teaching job at a school as elite as hers.
But there was something not quite right about him, and it irritated her to no end.
"Is everything alright, Ren-san?" He asked, purple hair falling across his neck as he turned in concern. Hakuei blinked and nodded rapidly, saying everything was fine as she returned to diligently scribbling down notes.
When the bell rang and the chairs scraped against the floors, Sinbad cleaned the chalk off the board and turned just in time to catch Hakuei as she was leaving the room.
"Ah, Ren-san. Would you stay behind a moment?"
"Oh." She gestured to her friends to continue to the cafeteria without her, before turning back to her teacher and giving him her most polite smile. "Something I can help with, Sinbad-sensei?"
Sinbad sighed as he walked over to shut the classroom door, and the hustle and bustle of students running up and down the hallway became muffled.
The moment he turned back to her, any teacherly air he had was gone, and his eyes twinkled with mischief. Sinbad lifted a hand to his face and removed his black-framed glasses, smiling graciously at Hakuei.
"Still onboard for our deal, then?" He cocked his head to the side, and Hakuei almost scowled.
"Of course." She said. "As much as I hate making deals like this, Iāll do anything for Kouenās company. Even if that meansā¦" Hakuei trailed off, casting her gaze downward.
"Now now, Hakuei-chan." Sinbad took a step forward, leaning over so they were eye-level. "Iām sure youāve enjoyed our time together."
"Iā" She really did want to deny it, but as he leaned closer and his warm hand cupped her face, all her words left her. Sinbadās warm breath tickled against her lips and her eyes drifted shut, and she leaned closer into his hand.
"So I saidā" The door slammed open and Hakuei jumped back, and Sinbad stood up straight abruptly as a group of three boys filed back into the classroom.
"As I thought, Ren-san!" Sinbad boomed loudly. "You should go to the nurse. Your fever is really quite bad!"
Hakuei nodded quickly, face burning hotter and hotter with each passing second, āT-thank you, Sinbad-sensei. If youāll excuse meā¦ā
She hurried out of the classroom, folders clutched tightly to her chest.
And she realized then what she found about him that was so unsettling, irritating, almost alarming.
Somewhere down the line of their little game, playful as it was meant to be, Sinbad had made Hakuei fall for him.
And worst of all, was that she really didnāt seem to mind.
