Lilac Petals (Classroom of the Elite)

Chapter 1

People can come to know warmth by touch. And that is precious.

Those were her words. One of the primary ways that humans perceive warmth is through the sense of touch. When you touch something warm, your nerve endings would send signals to the brain, which allows you to interpret that sensation.

Of course, I knew that she was talking about human warmth. However...

"I don't get it. How can someone experience human warmth through physical contact?"

"Hmm."

Sakayagi placed her bishop in F3. I placed my pawn in F5.

"It's rather difficult to put into words," she began. "When you're in the company of someone you deeply trust and hold dear, you experience this... connection."

"Connection?"

This sensation is usually related to the release of Oxytocin. People like to call it the "love hormone" or "bonding hormone," which is released during interactions like hugging, cuddling, or even engaging in friendly conversations.

Even if I was well-versed in the psychological basis behind it all, it wasn't enough for me to truly understand its importance. I saw it as a weakness that could be easily exploited. For example, you can threaten to expose someone's darkest secrets to the public, or take advantage of their trust to steal something valuable from them.

"Ayanokouji-kun." She paused for a moment, before continuing. "Close your eyes, and picture yourself enveloped in a soft, warm blanket on a cold day."

"What?"

"Just do it."

I didn't know what she was up to, but I followed her instructions anyway. I closed my eyes and imagined the scene.

As I did so, I felt something warm wrap around my left hand. The sensation felt like wearing mittens on a chilly evening, cradling my hand with a comforting touch.

I visualized myself inside my dorm room, tucked in a cozy blanket in the middle of a snowy day. The muffled chatter of students echoed through the walls, talking about this and that as they walked past my room.

It felt... calming.

After several seconds, I opened my eyes again.

"...What are you doing?"

Sakayanagi slowly moved her fingers in a massaging motion, caressing my hand.

"Do you feel anything that comes with this touch?" she asked.

"No, I don't."

"Hmm, that's perfectly fine. Shall we continue our game?"

"Uh, okay..." After hearing my answer, Sakayanagi let go of my hand. I asked, "By the way, what was that for?"

"Fu fu~, don't worry about it." She let out a giggle.

Strange...

And so, the game continued with neither of us talking. We were so focused that we didn't realize it had gotten dark outside.

====

"It appears I've lost once again."

She moved her rook to A7. I moved my queen to D4.

"Checkmate."

No matter how you looked at it, there was no way she could escape.

"It seems I wasn't wrong in my evaluation of you." She let out a quiet sigh as she stood up from her seat. "Thank you for the game, Ayanokouji-kun."