>Be Joker.
>Awaken abruptly in the middle of the night by a crawling sensation traveling up my neck just till right above the jawbone.
>Look to my right.
>It's Futaba.
>What is she doing here.
>Why is she dressed like her Shadow was in the palace.
>Her right arm is wrapped over my midsection.
>What the hell is going on here.
>Feel that sensation once more, this time traveling downwards rather than upwards.
>"H-hey..." she breathes provocatively into my ear, "tonight, you're going to be the Pharaoh's personal s-slave... You should feel grateful..."
>What.
>Notice my hands are over my head, bound by the pink fuzzy handcuffs from before.
>Ooooooh.
>"I've been waiting for this for so long..." she whispers, the words tickling my ear as she does so. "Tonight, I'm going to put you in your place. You're mine, and mine only. That is but your lot in life, slave. R-rejoice!"
>I think I'm starting to get the big picture here.
>"I'm just going to make sure there aren't any...interruptions this time," she says, boldly, getting in-character. "You better not move from here, servant, lest you incur the Pharaoh's wrath! Then again..." she giggles lowly and gazes at my restraints, "I don't think you could. After all," she swirls her finger on my chest, "You. Are. At. My. Mercy".
>She heads downstairs.
>All right, it's showtime.
>I bend my arms at the elbows and shift my body upwards, trying to get my head as close to my hands as possible.
>My fingers dig through the back of my head, and I grab a hold of it.
>The lockpick I wear as a hairpin, concealed under the rest of my messy bangs.
>It doesn't take long to release the simple lock of the cuffs that bind me.
>I slip out the window before Futaba, no, the "Pharaoh" can return.
>Tonight's escape training was a big success.

>I AM THOU, THOU ART I...
>YOUR VOW HAS BECOME A BLOOD OATH...
>NEW SKILL
>Great Escape: Allows all party members to automatically escape hostage situations and immediately make a free counter-attack.
_____________________________________________________________________
>Walk into my room.
>Phone starts ringing.
>Futaba just texted me.
>"I was in your room earlier, and took a shower while I was there".
>"Seems I left my underwear over there though. Can you bring it back for me?"
>Sure.
>"I'll be waiting..."
>Sure enough, there's a discarded pair of panties crumpled on the floor, next to my bed.
>As I approach the discarded garments, an unrecognizable yet alluring aroma wafts into my nostrils.
>Pick the panties up, get them straightened out.
>They're black and very frilly, like french maid get-up frilly.
>Damp, too.
>I pack the article into a plastic bag.
>Leave Leblanc
>When I arrive at the Laundromat, Morgana, who for some reason had decided to stay back with Kawakami as she ran the wash, glares daggers at me.
>What is wrong with this cat.
>I'm not tired, it's not time to sleep yet.
>Kawakami asks me what I'm doing here, being that I asked her to help with laundry to save time.
>Explain the situation to her, and ask her to teach me how to handle washing female undergarments.
>Now both her and Morgana are staring at me with disdain.
>What the fuck.
>Grumbling, Kawakami gives me pointers, with very little enthusiasm.
>Spend the night washing panties.
>Head to the Sakura household.
>Ring doorbell
>Sojiro walks out, surprised to see me.
>Hand him the plastic bag. "It's Futaba's laundry".
>Once I get back to Leblanc, I text her.
>"Mission Complete".
>She never replies.
>Huh.
>Must be asleep.
_____________________________________________________________________
>After School
>Get summoned to Faculty Office via PA System
>Kawakami awaits me in the office.
>"Due to your...special situation, you're being assigned a tutor".
>Eh?
>I had the highest score in class, if not the whole school, during the latest exams.
>"Just go to Classroom 2-B tomorrow evening".
>Guess it can't be helped...

>Tomorrow comes, as does the time for me to see my tutor.
>Get in through the back entrance, which was left unlocked for me.
>Head into the classroom.
>Futaba is there.
>What.
>She looks different though.
>For starters, her hair is not down as usual, instead it's arranged in a loose chignon updo.
>She's wearing smaller, rimless glasses.
>A black miniskirt with a suit jacket and high heels to match.
>And a sleeveless white blouse that's unbuttoned from the top up to right above where her navel should be.
>Yet she's wearing a necktie.
>Weird.
>Not the weirdest thing in this situation, though.
>"S-so you finally came, student. It's rude to keep the teacher waiting," she says as she smacks a meter ruler she's holding into her palm.
>The eyebrow I raise probably threatens to fly off my face.
>"Futaba, you aren't even in high school yet. And I'm a second year".
>"T-that's...that's not the point here!" Her cheeks puff out. Cute! "I'm the teacher, and you're the student here!"
>Okay then.
>"So what are we supposed to study?"
>She sits on the teacher's desk. "Oh, we should probably start with Sex Ed..."
>"But Futaba..." I add,
>"...that's not part of the curriculum".
>She seems taken aback, recoiling as if struck by an invisible blade, but quickly gets her bearings back. "W-well..." her grip on the meter tightens, "w-what about Biology"?
>"Hey, yeah, that's a good idea!"
>I'm glad you agree, pretty boy..." she purrs. "How about we start with the Reproducti-"
>"I would like to know more about brain functions and how they correlate to cognition," I point out. "It could help our work in the Metaverse".
>Silence hangs in the air for what seems like minutes.
>Futaba finally lets out a long sigh.
>"All right," she says flatly.
>I feel I'm becoming even more knowledgeable.
>RANK UP!
> Intelligence MAX + 1
>I decide to walk Futaba home.
>But man,
>I knew she would want to get a job after Kana-chan started working part-time,
> And yet I never imagined she'd end up tutoring students older than her.
>My girlfriend really is a genius, and not just with computers.
>I'm so proud.