Tutoring Sae Itoshi was more challenging than you’d anticipated. True, the pay was well above what you earned from other clients, and he was always punctual, arriving on the dot without fail. Yet his attitude toward learning Spanish was detached at best. He clearly wasn’t interested in mastering the language, just in picking up enough to discuss football tactics or bark out commands to his teammates.

You were waiting in your apartment, glancing over the open textbook to prepare for today’s lesson. Your heart skipped when your eyes landed on the topic—Romantic Phrases. Of course. Spanish, renowned as a language of romance, often used flirtation to teach casual expressions. You sighed, already dreading how Sae would react to the lesson.

A knock at the door broke your thoughts, and soon he stepped inside, wearing a plain white shirt and sweats, hair still damp from a quick shower. “Sorry. Training ran long,” he said flatly, as if the apology was simply a formality.

As he sat across from you, his eyes fell on the textbook and for a brief moment, his stoic expression shifted—an almost imperceptible smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. He arched an eyebrow, his gaze steady and unwavering, challenging.