“Ken!” his mother called from the stairs. “Your tutor’s here!”

She reached the top with a few light steps and opened his bedroom door. “And she’s really cute!” she whispered, covering the side of her mouth with one hand. Did she always have to be so melodramatic?

“Okay mom, I’m going.” *Whatever.* It was probably some college upperclassman who needed extra money for spring break and would never be interested in a clueless high school senior anyway. Ken shook the thought from his head and plodded down the stairs. Girls were partly the reason he’d fallen far enough behind that his mom had the nerve to hire a freaking *tutor* in the first place. And besides, whose business was it anyway whether or not he found someone–

Ken’s stomach leapt into his mouth as he reached the bottom of the staircase. Before him, in the small foyer, stood the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen in his life.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration. He’d seen her before, after all–in passing at school and giving speeches at assembly–but being in her presence for the first time filled Ken with a sense of awe nonetheless. *Her? At *my* house??* Ken gaped for a moment before managing to speak.

“H-hi.”

“Hi, you must be Ken Nishihara,” she said, arms clasped in front of her. In them she held her bookbag, a small satchel that stood out as just a little out of place against her slim, attractive figure. She wore his school’s uniform–a blue girl’s blazer over a white button-down, and a pleated skirt just short enough to draw attention, but not quite enough to get in trouble for dress code. Although knowing who she was, Ken was sure she could’ve gotten away with wearing her underwear to school if she wanted.

“Hi! Yeah, that’s, that’s me. Nice to meet you. And you’re ah–”

“Amy Matsumura. Nice to meet you too.”

It was impossible to be a student at Kaneko Academy and not know the name Amy Matsumura. She was a straight-A student, vice president of the student council, popular, attractive, and apparently–if she was gracious enough to pretend Ken didn’t know her name–humble. *And she’s even a math tutor.*

Years ago some upperclassmen had coined the nickname “the princess of Kaneko Academy” for Amy as the charming, pretty girl who ignored the guys lining up to date her in favor of studying in her little tower–or rather, corner of the library. Ken had always thought the moniker a bit exaggerated, but as she stood before him he couldn’t help but agree with it. There was something almost radiant about her smile, as if it had a mystical heat source that kept her from being bothered by the winter air she’d just emerged from.

“Ready to learn some calculus?” Amy brushed a long strand of dark hair out of her eyes as she took off her shoes.

“Y-yeah.”

“Ken!” His mom called to him from the kitchen as he shut the front door. “Your father’s working on a project in the basement, is upstairs okay?”

Ken looked at Amy for approval, and she nodded sympathetically and mouthed *it’s fine.*

“Is your room suitable for a girl to sit in for an hour?”

“Um… yeah?” Truth be told, Ken’s room was pretty nondescript. He’d never had the nerve to put up posters of gravure models, and he’d mostly stripped it of other identifiable nerdy interests at the start of this final semester as an effort to keep himself focused on school.

“Your mom seems nice,” Amy said as Ken led her up the stairs.

“Yyyeah. Yeah… she, uh, likes guests. But, you know, she’s also my mom who hired a tutor for me, so…”

“Oh! I hope I’m not here against your will or something.”

“No! No, I could use the help. Here, you can take a seat.” Ken produced a folding chair from his closet and placed it next to the desk. “And if all you do is make my mom happy, that would be a relief too.”

“I see.” Amy smoothed out her skirt and sat down gingerly. “Sorry I’m still wearing my uniform. I had student council after school, and then I was in the library all evening.”

Kaneko’s uniform didn’t show any skin, but judging solely by its effect on Ken, you wouldn’t have guessed. The thin, red tie that dangled over her breasts… the way her thigh highs rose so far up her legs they only showed a couple inches of skin below her skirt… everything about the way Amy wore her outfit seemed designed to highlight her curves.

“Oh it’s, it’s fine. I just feel a little underdressed, that’s all.” The truth was Ken felt much more than just underdressed. Being in Amy’s presence in his post-shower t-shirt and shorts felt like being in the presence of a celebrity. If math was already a challenge for Ken, math sitting next to Amy Matsumura was going to be impossible. His heart raced. The session was supposed to be how long… an hour?

“So what class are you in?” She scooched her chair next to his. “Your mom didn’t say much on the online form. Just… ‘calculus.’” She made a sweeping motion with her hands.

“Introductory calculus with Mrs. Furukawa. Do you know her?”

Amy’s eyes lit up, a striking shade of purple. “Oh my god I *love* Mrs. Furukawa! What are you studying?” Mrs. Furukawa was a nice person but a notorious hardass as a teacher, the kind who would smile while giving you an F. It wasn’t surprising that Amy liked her. *Overachievers…*

“Well… right now we’re learning about limits.”

“Ooh, let’s see.” Ken reached for his textbook the same time Amy did, and their hands touched. “Oh! Sorry. I got a little excited.” She giggled a little out of awkwardness.

“It’s–it’s okay,” Ken said, heat rushing to his cheeks. He flipped the book open to near its midpoint.

“So are you having trouble with the concept itself, or… are there some problems you don’t understand? As a tutor of course I can’t tell you the answers–Mrs. Furukawa would kill me–but I can try to guide your thinking in the right direction, if that makes sense.” Amy had begun running a hand through her silky hair that rested on the edge of his desk.

“Okay, to be honest, class isn’t going that bad.” Ken lowered his voice. “It’s just, my mom *really* wants me to get an A. I fell pretty far behind last semester for uh, reasons that–let’s not get into it–and I think she wants some reassurance that I’m actually gonna graduate.”

Amy put a hand on his shoulder, and Ken had to fight not to recoil at her touch. *She’s just trying to be friendly.* “Ken I *totally* understand–especially about the mom part. And I would *never* pry into your personal life. I’m just here to tutor you, don’t worry. Why don’t I watch you do a homework problem, and we’ll see how it goes? If you get stuck, we can go over it. Math builds on itself, so if you’re shaky on the core concepts it can be hard to catch up.”

Ken opened his notebook and worked on a few basic problems with Amy looking over his shoulder. Having her out of his field of vision calmed him down, as did Amy’s soft, gentle tone the few times she interjected. He pushed on through the homework, knowing that the better he focused, the less he had to worry about holding eye contact with a girl so intimidatingly beautiful. But finally he stalled on a particularly difficult one involving a graph with two parabolas.

Ken sighed. “I’m honestly still not sure I understand limits.”

“Hmmm.” Amy put her elbow on the corner of the desk and pursed her lips against her pen, then began to suck it absentmindedly. “You’ve been doing pretty well so far. What’s up with this one?”

“Those were easy. This… like I’m not sure where to even start.” He glanced at her. Just the brief image of Amy’s lips on her pen drove his imagination wild. Did she even realize she was doing that? *Shit…* She had definitely noticed him staring. Ken turned back to the paper.

"Here, turn and face me,” Amy said. “I want to do a demonstration. Put your fingers out like this, ok?" Amy sat up and held her index fingers out in front of her about a foot apart, and Ken followed suit. Ken struggled not to look beyond her fingers to the slope of her chest, pushing out against her blazer.

"Now I want you to pretend that the tips of your index fingers are on either side of a number line, ok?"

"Ok…" Ken wasn't sure where this was going, but Amy sounded confident that this would help, and she hadn’t been wrong so far.

"And then I'd like you to imagine there’s a strong magnet on each finger, pulling them toward each other."

"In fact the magnets are so powerful you'll find that, without really even thinking about it, your hands start to move toward each other. It’s like they automatically start to attract each other."

Nothing happened for a moment, but then sure enough, Ken's hands slowly began to draw together.

Amy's voice took on a soothing cadence. "That's it, just like that, let those magnets pull harder and harder as I continue to talk.

"Now the *limit* is simply the point on the number line where your fingers meet. And they *will* meet, because the closer they get to each other the harder the magnets pull them together. Closer and closer, that's it, feeling those magnets becoming stronger and stronger, and–" Almost as if they had a will of their own, Ken's fingers touched.

"Perfect," she purred. “So now, the limit of *this* would be…” Ken turned back to the graph, and again Amy sidled up next to him.

“Ah… um…” He stared at the two parabolas. The answer felt like it was on the tip of his tongue, but it was almost dizzying trying to concentrate with Amy’s warm thighs rubbing up against his… her blazer brushing against his upper arm… “I’m still a little confused…”

“That’s totally understandable,” Amy said. She rested a hand on his thigh and gave him a concerned look. “Ken, you’re so tense… are you okay?

“I don’t know, it’s like my mind keeps… going blank…”

“Take a deep breath for me, ok? In and out. That’s it, in… and out…” Amy began subtly rubbing his thigh with her thumb with each breath he took. Ken followed along with her words, still trying to look at the graph but unable to help noticing the way her chest rose and fell out of the corner of his eye as he breathed.

“There you go,” she continued. Sometimes when I get… *stuck…*” She put an unusual emphasis on the word, “I like to do a little breathing exercise. It really helps ease whatever stress I'm feeling. Would you like to try it? I think it’ll be much easier to work after you take a moment for yourself.”

“Yeah… sure…” Ken replied, dazed. He took another breath. Amy seemed to breeze through school with hardly any effort at all. If anyone was an expert at navigating stress, it was her.

“Here, face me again.” She patted her thighs, and Ken marveled at the small strip of bare skin that squeezed out just a little over her thigh highs… it looked so soft and pillowy… perfect to rest his– “Now put your feet flat on the floor, and keep your back straight.

“Keep taking slow, comfortable breaths for me. In, and out, in a regular rhythm. And then as you breathe I’d like you to focus on your feet. Think about the muscles in your toes and ankles… all the stress they must have accumulated from a long day… and as you inhale I’d like you to gather up all that stress… and as you exhale–” Amy mimed a deep breath out–”I’d like you to release all that stress… leaving all the muscles in your feet and ankles completely relaxed. How does that feel?”

“Pretty good, actually.” Ken wasn’t convinced this was anything more than confirmation bias–any guy would relax if a pretty girl told him to–but he couldn’t deny that his feet felt a *little* better than they did a moment ago, like a weight had been lifted off of them.

“And now what we’re going to do is work all the way up, focusing on every muscle group, until your entire body feels just as good as your feet and ankles do now. It’ll only take a couple minutes. Sound good?”

“Yeah.”

“Great.” Amy’s voice softened into a rhythmic patter as she led Ken through relaxing his knees, hips, and torso. He had to admit, she was pretty good at this. But then again, was it really a surprise? Amy was good at everything. Ken let the thought go and turned his attention back to her beautiful voice. It didn’t really matter anyway. Not nearly as much as letting his muscles relax, and his thoughts go numb.

“...Just enjoying that feeling, of being here with me… relaxing with me… listening to my voice,” Amy was saying. “And as you breathe out, and allow the tension in your arms and hands to fall away, I’d like you to focus on the muscles in your neck. People can hold *so* much tension in their neck without even realizing it. So I’m going to count from three to one and say the word ‘relax,’ and when I do you’ll let allll that stress and tension go, and your neck will relax so deeply that your head will fall forward. Imagine how that might feel, to breathe in the very last of the tension in your body, and then to breathe out and let it *all* go for me in 3... 2... 1, and relax.”

Ken’s head fell forward, and he felt a little jolt of surprise at the unexpected movement. Amy continued her patter, even more insistently now. “That’s it, neck going completely limp as you become deeper relaxed… deeper… deeper down for me now.” She said it as a command, not a suggestion, but Ken hardly noticed her shift in tone. She’d taken him this far, and he felt so wonderful listening… he’d love to go deeper. His back started to slump forward too, but Amy caught his shoulders in her hands.

“Deep, deep sleep for me now as you notice that a wonderful relaxation has taken over your entire body. Just following along… listening to my voice… obeying my suggestions… that’s all you have to do.”

“And find you can continue to sit up, even as your neck remains utterly relaxed, and the tension drains from your face, and you let my words become the only thing inside your head. Nothing else matters. Nothing at all…” She held Ken firmly and began to move his upper body in slow, subtle circles. The motion disoriented him even more, making it impossible for Ken to focus on anything other than his tutor’s smooth, persuasive voice, and she’d relaxed him so deeply he barely gave it a thought.

“No more thoughts. Just the bliss of relaxation from my words and my touch. You feel so wonderful following my suggestions… obeying my commands… happy to be in my thrall…”

At these last few words Ken’s eyes fluttered. In her thrall? Commands? What was going on? He moaned a little in confusion and began to open his eyes.

“Shhh sh sh relax, Ken. You must be *so*, so confused, just relax down into my arms, that’s it. Allow your back to loosen, just like your neck. Limp and loose…” Amy relaxed her grip and Ken fell forward, right into her upper chest. The sudden falling sensation hit him again, and Ken closed his eyes. It really was comforting to have a girl as beautiful and intelligent as Amy cradling him in her arms, Ken thought as the world fell away once more.

“Eeeven deeper relaxed for me, that’s it.” Slumped against her, Amy was whispering into Ken’s ear as his head rested just above her prominent bosom. “I know it’s so very difficult to think right now… you were concentrating so, so hard on that calculus problem. So much easier to focus on my voice instead, isn’t it?” Ken let out a muffled moan. “I know, I know… you were trying really hard as you looked at that graph… watching that line approach the number zero and just curving down… never quite reaching it, going deeper and deeper… even deeper relaxed for me now, that’s it… and you realize that you can follow that line even deeper… and in a moment I’m going to count you down from 10, and when I reach zero you’ll find yourself lost in a blissful, obedient state of limitless relaxation.” The word ‘obedient’ didn’t wake Ken up this time. His head felt so warm against Amy’s chest. He wished he could curl up into this feeling forever. She was right… nothing else mattered.

Amy ran a hand through Ken’s hair and began to count.

“10… think about that graph… and with every number notice your consciousness slowly slipping away…

“9… losing track of where you are, and what you’re doing…

“8… and ever so slightly dropping down deeper, following that line…

“7… deeper and deeper as it curves lower and lower…

“6… loving this feeling of bliss and relaxation…

“5… that only I can give you…” Every few words Amy gently stroked Ken’s head with her fingers.

“4… and the line arcs downward as you find yourself wanting to go even further…

“3… to obey my words, even more…

“2… to sink into my limitless control…

“1… because the line never really reaches the bottom. It just goes deeper and deeper, into–

“0. Unlimited relaxation…”

And Ken’s sense of time melted away. Amy continued speaking and cradling him, but he no longer consciously cared about the words. Every single one felt so calming that he let them wash over him like waves on a beach. He wished he could float in the perfection of Amy’s voice forever.

“You love listening to me… obeying me… serving me…” Of course he did. Who wouldn’t want such a wonderful, beautiful tutor?

“You want to schedule more sessions so you can learn exactly how to please me…” Ken didn’t even manage to murmur a response.

“And every time you hear me say the words ‘relax for me,’ you can let yourself sink down to this peaceful state that you love so very much. The words ‘relax for me’ quickly and easily trigger this blissful relaxation, whenever I say them. You want to hear me say these words… you want to let more and more of yourself go… you want to give in completely to me. And the more tutoring sessions you have… the more you’ll learn… how to feel even better than this…” Ken could have sworn he heard a pencil scribbling, but he felt so floaty and dreamy that it barely registered. “Relax for me… ah… good boy…” The world dissolved again as Amy cooed affirmations into his ear.

Ken had no idea how much time had passed when a low rumble caught his ears. He blinked groggily. Was that a noise? Or–it happened again, and this time he not only heard it but *felt* it in his skull.

Amy Matsumura’s stomach was growling. Wait–*the* Amy Matsumura? But that meant… was his head resting on *the* Amy Matsumura's chest?!

Ken jumped upright. "Oh my god! I'm sorry, I must have fallen asleep! I don't–"

"Ken, it's okay," she laughed. "It was only for a moment. Relax." Ken twitched a little at the word. Did it have some sort of significance he wasn't aware of? He wiped the grogginess from his eyes.

“Was… was that your stomach? Because I can get you some food if you want.”

“Oh, it’s–it’s fine. I was just busy after school, so I didn’t have time to eat yet. I’ll grab something later.”

“No, really. We have plenty of leftovers… I think it’s beef stew?” Amy perked up momentarily, then looked away, blushing.

“Don’t tell my mom but it’s really good,” Ken said in a stage whisper. “Way better than anything you’d get at a convenience store on the way home.”

“I… need to be on time for the train, and I really…”

“Well think about it, at least. I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”

Ken held his head in his arms on the toilet, lost in thought. What the hell had Amy been saying to him? Something about relaxing, and limits… and then he’d basically passed out, and woke up in her arms. He could feel himself blush remembering how her chest felt… and her school uniform… even up close, everything about Amy was so god damn distracting.

*Focus, Ken!* He still had one more problem to solve, and it was that stupid graph. The parabola that curved down on one end and up on the other. The two curves never met up. So the limit… wasn’t she saying there is no limit? Wait–the limit does not exist!

Ken found Amy at their kitchen table, bookbag at her side, scarfing down a bowl of beef stew that his mother, having overheard their conversation, heated up. *That was fast.*

“Amy I got it!”

“Whub?” She raised her head from the bowl, mouth dripping stew. Somehow even Amy the messy eater managed to be cute.

“I got the last question! The limit does not exist.”

“Oh my gob! Kem!” She swallowed. “You did it!”

She put the finished bowl down with a clatter and gave him a quick side hug. Ken’s thoughts swam. She was such a nice tutor… and alluring… and pretty… and–was this what it was supposed to feel like when a pretty girl hugs you? Ken couldn’t remember.

“Amy dear, are you sure you don’t need a lift home? ” Ken’s mom asked. “It’s quite late… You two were up there studying for a while.” Ken detected a hint of satisfaction in her voice.

Amy stood up and found Mrs. Nishihara’s hand ready to take the empty bowl. “That’s so kind of you but I’ll be okay! I’m used to taking the train for school.”

She rose to leave, then bowed to Ken and his mother, bag held in front of her. “Ken, I’m *so* glad I was able to help! I hope you had fun! And thank you both so much for the food! You’re a lifesaver Mrs. Nishihara, really!”

“Of course, Amy. You’re welcome any time. Have a safe ride home!”

“I will!” Amy beamed, then turned and waved goodbye.

Ken said goodbye and watched Amy leave at the front door before closing it, shamelessly watching the way her ass swished in her pleated skirt. Back and forth… back and forth… and way her long, black hair bounced with every step. It was almost… what was the word?

“I think she likes you,” Ken’s mom whispered. Ken jumped a little in surprise.

“Mom, come on!”

“I’m just saying.”

Suddenly it came to him. That’s right. *Hypnotic.*