Work. Work. Work? Fork? Soup? Hope? Alyssa is distracted yet again at her work by the thought of food. She's been like this for an hour already, although she's an amazing woman that's very likeable to others and very cute.
I tap on the period key on my keyboard.
Hm… That sounds about right.
Writing about yourself on what supposedly is a work document is something that sometimes you should think to try. It's a great way to motivate yourself to continue on living. Just… don't write too deep. It might backfire.
Just saying.
Stomach grumble SFX coming out of me.
Ha… I should have brought an extra chocolate bar today.
I just couldn't continue my work in this state. Oh well, let's just stop for now. I should appreciate myself before the work, anyway. I don't believe in Kaizen shit.
Pulling my fingers off my laptop, I throw my back against the seat.
…
And now I'm bored.
Nothing to do.
I stare at the dark ceiling.
Hello there, my name is Alyssa, an English teacher at Black Book High School. Current status, very bored. Favorite color, yellow. Everything about me is yellow, in fact I'm thinking of dyeing my hair from brown to yellow. That'd be perfect. Hobby, talking to myself. As now I'm doing. Most people say I'm pretty… rude. But I think otherwise, I'm just honest with myself and others. Lying is bad, remember kids.
…
Ehem.
Anyway… that's enough introducing myself to the mind reader.
I look around the dark, lonely office. Just a few minutes ago, there were forty teachers eating papers and doing their best to live — ah, I counted them wrong. There were thirty-nine in the office. One of us is still not coming back from his clubroom duty. His duty…
Sob.
I can cry right now… releasing out the tears of pride. To think that the worthless science teacher is actually doing something that can be called 'duty' after doing nothing but 'trying'… I feel like a mother now.
But don't call me that. Calling a woman in her twenty a mother is just outright rude, even if you're honest. In fact, it's in the ten commandments of women's rights.
It was the right call from me. Forcing him to take the club as a homeroom teacher is the best thing a friend like me can do. Well, maybe this is me justifying my action, but anyway.
Normally, teachers would be back from their assigned club early. Not much to do. The existence of the club is for the students to handle. Our job is to just appear as if we're watching what they're doing… maybe 'try' to prevent something stupid happening. But really, teenagers are stupid. You can't do anything about it.
The question is…
I glance at the desk beside me.
His bag is still here.
The question is, where the hell is he? The school was over ten minutes ago. I'm staying here only to watch out for his thing. There's a thief around the school. I really am a good friend. But the more I wait, the more I think of myself as a waiting stay-at-home parent.
I mean, I don't mind if it's him.
Ehem.
"Alyssa?" says with a familiar guy voice I've known for two years.
Ah, speak of the devil.
Senpai squints his eyes at me, "Why is the light turned off when you're still her—oops!" It seems his elbow hits on something, making a stack of documents fall on the ground. Not only that, he even kicks a ball. Steve's ball.
I say, "Steve wouldn't like that." I get up to help him put the stack back on… Steve's desk. "And he wouldn't like this as well."
Senpai opens his phone and uses it to light the floor and sigh, "What luck I have today? Steve. He likes nothing as far as I know except you."
Normal young, unmarried women (which I am) would get their cheeks flushed, but I just ignore his comment. It's not that I'm different. It's just... Steve. "He likes his balls, too." I say, "and you just kick his balls."
He looks at the volleyball on the wall. "I 'accidentally' moved his ball. That's the story."
"Balls."
"I—you're making it sound weird. It's not plural."
"I'm an English teacher, Senpai. Just believe me."
Senpai sighs, crouching down, and starts picking up the papers. I love the way he sighed. If I am to make a tier list of people's sighs, I'd put him in the S tier. The same row as my mother.
"It's not like he's here to see this."
I smile. "That's where you're wrong, Senpai. You should pay close attention to your colleagues. Steve and his balls are inseparable. If someone touches his balls, he could feel it even if he's on the moon. He would moan."
"O… kay? I don't think I want to pay close attention to Steve now."
"You'd learn. He's easy to exploit."
"I'm not evil, Alyssa."
"Me neither. It's just funny."
There's only one more paper on the floor. When I try to pick it up, Senpai's hand touches mine. Oh, this looks like one scene you can find in K-Drama. Except, Senpai has a deep eye bag dragging his eyes down.
I couldn't help but to point it out. "Looks like you've been worrying about something these days." I touch my eye bag to show his.
Senpai rubs his eyes, "Yeah... I am. It has been a rough week."
I recall something I saw in the occult clubroom yesterday, "Is this about the girl in your clubroom?"
"Huh?"
"A girl. White hair. I saw."
"A—ah… her..." Senpai closes her eyes and smiles. An unconfident smile. "That's Remelia," he says.
We put the stack back on the desk.
"Remelia? Is she a member of the occult clubroom?" I ask.
Senpai glances away, "She is... She is there."
"What do you mean? She still isn't a member?"
Senpai scratches his back head, ruffling his messy dark hair. "It's hard to explain the full story but… Well, let's just say she's just hanging out there for now. Though she's a real hassle and likes to complain about everything… I just let her be. She's not harming anybody... for now."
I feel a smile on my face. Senpai is talking about someone I don't know is a SSR thing to happen. He doesn't talk about anything that much. This kid, Remelia, she might be someone I have to meet. "Now you're just making me want to see her."
Senpai bites his tongue, "Na—naw, you don't have to dawg."
"You're making a weird reply."
"It—It's nothing, haha."
Hm, he sounds really suspicious. He's hiding something. But I just shrug it away. Senpai's not a bad guy. A person who's always bringing me a chocolate bar every morning just because you ask to, would never be the bad guy. "It's a good thing, this Remelia, right? At least you're not alone in the clubroom now."
"Good thing?" Senpai repeats with a hint of doubt, "Well, I wouldn't say that. How's your grandfather doing lately? Is he good? Alyssa? Alyssa-san?"
I ignore his question and go back to my desk.
Senpai follows.
We pack our things.
Hm, I'm still hungry.
I glance in Senpai's direction. He's packing faster than usual.
Maybe I should ask him to dinner or something, like the good old times. But I doubt he'd accept. His little sister is far more important than my request. I wish I had a sibling to love. Hm.
Senpai caught my glance. "Is something wrong?" I didn't answer, and he continues, "Anyway, why are you still here, Ayane?"
I overwrite his question with mine, "Immediately going back home?"
I point my eyes toward his hanging bag.
Senpai nods his head with a small laugh. "I'm going back home late. I guess I should text that to my little sister."
His little sister, Xin, wouldn't like his brother coming back home late. That's why Senpai texted and not call.
He takes out his phone and texts, "Will… come… home… late… also…. no… need… to… cook… dinner…. for... me."
Tap.
From now then he'd not read whatever her sister texted back, would come back home late and say, 'Sorry. Read message not.'
He said something about dinner. I ask, "You're eating outside today?"
"Yeah, to a ramen store."
"Alone."
"I—No, with a student."
"Are you having an illicit relationship now?"
"No."
"All right."
Senpai hangs his bag over his shoulder. "All right." He slightly bows at me. "Good work today. See you tomorrow."
I get up. "What are you saying?"
"Huh?"
I look at him as if he should have known when he said something about eating outside, "I'm coming with you."
And that ends with stomach grumbling SFX.