Teachers pet (COMPLETE)

Chapter 71: The Morning After

Mailin’s POV

The sun filters through my window, but the warmth doesn’t reach me. My thoughts are tangled in the aftermath of last night. My heart is racing, my mind spinning with a thousand questions. What happens now? Will he regret it? Does he feel the same way I do?

I sit up in bed, clutching the scarf he gave me tightly. His scent is still there, comforting and familiar. I close my eyes and breathe it in, trying to hold onto the feeling of his arms around me, the intensity of his kiss.

I need to talk to him. I need to know what he’s thinking. But fear coils in my stomach. What if last night was a mistake? What if he wants to pretend it never happened?

I shake the thought away. No. It couldn’t have just been me. The way he kissed me, the way he held me... it was real. I know it was.

With a deep breath, I stand and make my way to the door. I can’t wait anymore. I need to see him. I need answers.

---

Aizawa’s POV

I didn’t sleep.

My head is a mess, my heart even more so. The memory of her kiss, the way she looked at me, the way I couldn’t stop myself from wanting her—it’s all too fresh. I can’t get her out of my head.

I sit at my desk, staring at nothing. What have I done? I’ve crossed a line that I can’t uncross. Mailin is my student. This can’t happen. I can’t let it happen.

But then why does the thought of staying away from her feel impossible?

A knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts, and I know instantly who it is. My heart skips a beat. Part of me wants to ignore it, to pretend nothing happened. But I know I can’t.

“Come in,” I say, my voice betraying the storm inside me.

---

Mailin’s POV

When I step inside his office, the tension between us is immediate. He looks tired, more conflicted than I’ve ever seen him. My heart sinks. What if he’s already decided that last night was a mistake? What if he’s going to tell me it can’t happen again?

But I can’t let him walk away. Not without knowing how I feel.

“I need to know,” I say, my voice trembling despite my efforts to stay calm. “Was last night a mistake?”

He looks up at me, his dark eyes filled with a mix of emotions I can’t quite read. For a moment, the silence is unbearable.

“I...” He hesitates, and my heart clenches. “Mailin, this... it’s complicated.”

---

Aizawa’s POV

Her eyes are searching mine, and I can see the fear there. The uncertainty. I want to tell her it was a mistake, that we can’t do this. But the words get stuck in my throat. Because the truth is, I don’t regret it. I can’t.

But I can’t tell her that. I’m her teacher. She’s my student. There are rules, lines we shouldn’t cross. Lines I’ve already crossed.

“I care about you,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “More than I should. But we can’t do this, Mailin. It’s not right. I should have stopped it before it went too far.”

Her eyes widen, and for a moment, I think she’s going to accept it. But then she takes a step closer, her voice soft but desperate.

---

Mailin’s POV

“I love you.”

The words slip out before I can stop them, but I don’t regret them. They’re the truth. I’ve been holding them back for so long, but I can’t anymore. Not after last night.

Aizawa freezes, his eyes locked on mine. I can see the conflict in him, the war he’s fighting with himself. But I can’t let him push me away. Not now.

“I know this is wrong,” I whisper, stepping closer to him. “But I can’t help how I feel. I love you, Shota.”

His breath catches, and for a moment, I see something shift in his eyes. Something soft, something vulnerable.

---

Aizawa’s POV

I’m losing this battle.

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and suddenly, everything I’ve been trying to hold back comes crashing down. I can’t do this. I can’t keep pretending that I don’t feel the same way.

“Mailin,” I say, my voice rough with emotion. “This is dangerous. For both of us.”

She steps even closer, her hands trembling as she reaches for mine. “I know. But we can be careful. No one has to know. Please... I don’t want to lose you.”

Her desperation breaks something in me. I can’t say no to her, not when she’s looking at me like this. Not when she’s telling me she loves me.

And the truth is, I love her too.

---

Mailin’s POV

I can see the walls he’s built around himself starting to crack, and for the first time, I feel hope. He hasn’t pushed me away yet. He’s still here. And maybe, just maybe, that means there’s a chance for us.

“We can make this work,” I whisper, my heart pounding in my chest. “We can be careful. I won’t tell anyone. I just... I need you, Shota.”

His name feels foreign on my tongue, but saying it makes this feel more real. More right.

He closes his eyes, his jaw clenching as he fights the battle raging inside him. And then, after what feels like an eternity, he finally nods.

“Okay,” he whispers. “But we have to be careful. No one can know. This... it has to stay between us.”

---

Aizawa’s POV

The second I say it, I know I’ve crossed the final line. There’s no going back now. I’ve agreed to something that could ruin both of us. But in this moment, with her standing so close, her eyes filled with hope and love, I don’t care.

I pull her into my arms, holding her tightly, like I’m afraid she’ll disappear if I let go. Her body relaxes against mine, and for the first time in what feels like forever, I feel... at peace.

“We’ll figure this out,” I murmur into her hair. “But we have to be careful, Mailin. We can’t let anyone find out.”

She nods against my chest, her arms wrapping around me in return. “I promise,” she whispers.

And as I hold her, I know that despite the risks, despite the danger, I can’t let her go.

---

Mailin’s POV

Relief floods through me as I bury my face against his chest, his arms wrapped around me like a protective shield. It’s not perfect. It’s not easy. But it’s us. And that’s all I need.

For now, I can be happy knowing that he’s mine. That we’ll find a way to make this work, even if it has to be a secret.

Because after everything, I know one thing for sure.

I love him. And that’s enough.