Chapter Text
In the deserted school, the sound of footsteps echoed down the corridors.
Perhaps the students' prayers had been answered, as a clear blue sky stretched above during the day, and the breath of spring seemed to drift in from somewhere. It was a perfect day for a graduation ceremony. Amidst the students who were embracing each other and crying, reluctant to part, Shouto simply waited quietly for it to end.
Now the sun had completely set, and a veil of pink hung over the remaining blue sky. The school, bathed in the light that only appears for less than an hour each day, felt like a different world.
Turning the corner, he finally saw a room with its lights on. Shouto's face broke into a smile at the thought of the person he was expecting to see, and spurred on by the rapid beating of his heart, he hurried down the corridor.
With practiced ease, he closed the infirmary door behind him and exhaled. His gaze wandered, searching for the unseen person he was looking for, and he called out their name in a hushed voice.
There was no reply, but he felt a gentle breeze blowing in from somewhere, and he was drawn to it, walking forward. At the very back of the row of makeshift beds, the light streaming in from the large window illuminated a silhouette visible through the partition.
"Katsuki?"
He called the name again and peered behind the partition, seeing a man sitting there with his hands in the pockets of his white coat, his cheeks puffed out and looking displeased. The combination of his shirt, which showed off his figure nicely, and the white coat, which made his pale skin look even paler, made him feel a little sad, knowing that today would be the last time he'd see it. Peeking out from the collar was a bandage wrapped around his neck, as white as wax. The contrast with the ascetic atmosphere was dizzying.
The breeze rustled the curtains, creating the illusion that Katsuki might melt into the twilight outside the window.
"You're late."
"Sorry, I got caught up in something."
"They took all your buttons too."
"I can't refuse when they ask me to."
He glanced at him for a moment, but his gaze quickly returned to the window. He sulked, pouting his lower lip, feigning indifference, and Shouto didn't voice the faint hope that Katsuki might be a little jealous.
He sat down beside him and tried to put his arm around his slender waist, but he slapped it away, leaving his hand to wander aimlessly.
"Still no good...?"
"Of course not, a teacher can't lay hands on a minor."
"But Katsuki likes me too."
"That's a different matter."
Since the day he learned everything, there hasn't been any significant change in their relationship. It was none other than Katsuki who insisted on maintaining a clear line between teacher and student, even though they were mates.
Knowing they cared for each other, the inability to even touch was more painful than they had imagined. He couldn't count how many times his outstretched hand had been slapped away. Yet, he endured, his self-control tested by Katsuki's unwavering commitment as a teacher.
The hardest time was during his heat cycle. Considering Katsuki's health, and after discussions with the school, the hospital, and Shouto's guardians, he was granted special permission to touch him. But only his hand.
Faced with Katsuki, who had become a mess during his heat cycle, Shouto desperately clung to the threads of his reason. His hand, the only thing he was allowed to touch, was damp with sweat, and he could feel the rising heat through his palm. Restraining him was a condition to prevent him from attacking him in case of an emergency, and perhaps this was the right decision. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to resist the feast laid out before him and would have pounced like a beast.
The six months he spent unable to do anything while the Omega, gripping his sweaty hand and calling his name, masturbated using his anus, was hell.
The long-awaited graduation ceremony. Without even bothering to finish the teacher's speech, Shouto packed his belongings and hurried out of the classroom, only to be blocked by a crowd of female students. There were classmates and younger students he didn't even know. They glanced at him for a while, then one of them stepped forward.
Seeing her face bright red, desperately trying to find the words, he saw a reflection of his past self. That's why...
He knew all too well that it would be cruel not to tell her the truth here.
"Is it... not okay?"
The girl looked up at him with large, dark, teary eyes. But what Shouto craved was a blood-red.
"Sorry, my mate is waiting."
After saying that and hurried out of the classroom, it was said that the room shook with cries of surprise.
It was all to go and meet his Omega. Thinking of him, he could endure anything. Compared to the four years Katsuki had spent alone, this was nothing.
And now. In a space where the pure white lab coats and sheets were tinged with the pink of a pink carnation, the two of them stood as dusk fell.
"It's graduation until we get home. Or what? You can't wait any longer?"
"I can't wait another second."
"Is that so?"
A feeling of affection welled up inside him as he watched Katsuki's eyes crinkle and smiling carefree. Driven by impulse, he reached out his hand again, and this time it wasn't rejected.
His fingers passed over his chin and reached his neck. When his fingernail caught on the knot, the bandage came undone easily and fell softly to the floor.
He could feel the small bumps and indentations as he traced them with his fingers. Fate had begun to go awry since that day, but his heart wasn't trapped. It might not be a finale filled with applause, but that's okay. We can just weave our story together, even embracing the pain we've experienced up until now.
He cupped his cheek and pulled him closer, his face showing tension.
It's okay, I'll never let you go again.
He took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the sweet, rich scent, then closed his eyes and leaned closer.
The two shadows, stretching to the partition, merged into one, and the breeze that blew through signaled the curtain to rise again.