Chapter 539: I Can't Shake the Feeling That You're Bullying Me
After missing his stop by two stations, Hachiman finally got off the train.
He checked the time on his phone and saw it was only a little past five, so he walked leisurely toward his home without any hurry.
As he passed a small park near his house, Hachiman noticed a familiar figure.
It was Mafuyu Kirisu, sitting on a swing, swaying back and forth.
Since it was a day off, she wasn't wearing her work clothes but dressed casually. Even in ordinary attire, her refined features made her stand out.
However, Mafuyu seemed a bit down, gently swinging on the swing with a somewhat gloomy expression.
Seeing this, Hachiman walked over; they knew each other well, so if there was anything he could do to help, he felt he should.
When he reached Mafuyu, he greeted her with a smile, "Good evening, Mafuyu-sensei."
"Ahh!"
Hearing someone suddenly call her name, Mafuyu jumped in surprise, letting out a small yelp and instinctively leaning back.
Seeing this, Hachiman quickly stepped behind her, catching her with his body and supporting her shoulders.
"Are you okay, Mafuyu-sensei?"
Relieved that she hadn't fallen, Mafuyu exhaled a sigh.
Then she realized the voice sounded familiar. Looking up, she saw Hachiman's familiar face and gave him a mildly reproachful look.
"Honestly, Hachiman-kun, don't scare me like that."
"Haha, sorry, sorry. I didn't think you'd get so startled, Mafuyu-sensei."
Because of their familiarity, Hachiman didn't hold back and teased her a little.
"I-I wasn't scared."
Mafuyu instinctively denied his words, but remembering her reaction just now, a faint blush appeared on her face as she stammered an explanation.
"It's... it's only because you surprised me suddenly, Hachiman-kun, that I... got startled."
"Honestly, I'm your teacher, so show a bit more respect, will you?"
By the end, her voice carried a touch of unintended poutiness.
"Alright, alright. Good afternoon, Sensei," Hachiman greeted again with mock formality.
But at his response, Mafuyu slightly puffed out her cheeks in mild dissatisfaction.
"Hmph... I get the feeling you're teasing me."
Seeing Mafuyu's expression at that moment, Hachiman felt something stir within him.
He couldn't help but think how adorable she looked.
This must be what they call a "gap moe."
At school, Mafuyu was always strict and serious, keeping a cold demeanor to maintain her authority as a teacher.
Because of this usual facade, people often forgot that she was just a young woman of twenty-two or twenty-three, only recently graduated.
Girls at this age are usually in the brightest phase of their lives.
Yet, perhaps due to past experiences, Mafuyu lacked the youthful energy typical of her peers, seemingly without any private life or personal pursuits, solely focused on doing her job well.
But, for some reason, whenever she was around Hachiman, she couldn't maintain her usual coldness and would often reveal the genuine, youthful side of herself.
Sometimes Mafuyu wondered why she acted differently around Hachiman.
Maybe it was because, after he discovered her struggle with tidiness, she felt comfortable letting her guard down around him?
Or perhaps it was Hachiman's casual attitude towards her—unlike the deference shown by others—which eventually made her feel more at ease.
In truth, Mafuyu realized that spending time with Hachiman was much more relaxing than her usual routine at school.
And she found that she enjoyed it.
.....
As for Hachiman, after steadying Mafuyu, he released his hands and moved to stand in front of her with a smile.
"Mafuyu-sensei, were you thinking about something just now?"
"Eh? Just now…"
Hearing his question, Mafuyu was momentarily stunned, but quickly gathered her thoughts.
In fact, she'd been thinking about the pair ice skating voucher—the one she won when she and Hachiman went grocery shopping before.
The thought of skating stirred complex feelings within her.
Figure skating had been nearly her entire life before she turned sixteen. Training for competitions left her with little personal time and no friends.
And it was figure skating that shaped the person she was today.
When she decided to quit skating and become a teacher, her parents were furious and strongly opposed her choice. The fallout had been so intense that she practically left home to pursue teaching.
Seeing her resolve, her parents seemed to give up on her and shifted their hopes to her younger sister, Miharu Kirisu.
As it turned out, Miharu also had a remarkable talent for figure skating. In just a few years, she rose to become a celebrated skater, no less capable than Mafuyu had once been, while Mafuyu had long since abandoned the sport.
With no way to go back, Mafuyu felt she could only keep moving forward, dedicating herself entirely to teaching and striving to be the best she could be.
...
Just as Mafuyu was about to explain, Hachiman spoke up again.
"Could it be that you're worried about your messy room again, Mafuyu-sensei?"
"I… I am not…"
Hearing the playful tone in Hachiman's voice, Mafuyu instinctively denied it. But as she started speaking, she remembered the current state of her room, and the rest of her words got stuck in her throat.
"It… it's a bit messy, I guess."
"B-but that's not what I'm worried about!"
To Hachiman, though, her reaction was like trying to hide the obvious.
Amused, but keeping a sincere expression, he offered, "How about I help you tidy up your room, Sensei?"
After all, he'd already helped her clean up a few times, so what was one more?
Hearing his offer, Mafuyu hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.
"Really? Then… I'd appreciate that."
Hachiman already knew the state of her room well enough, so there was no need to pretend around him.
Seeing her agree, Hachiman smiled and nodded. "It's almost dinner time anyway. Let's have dinner first, then we can head to your place. Is there anything in particular you'd like to eat, Sensei?"
"Sweet and sour pork!"
Mafuyu blurted out her answer instinctively, only to realize what she'd done, her cheeks flushing.
Ahh… Why can't I control myself?
Mafuyu Kirisu, you're so embarrassing!
Hachiman hadn't expected her to respond so quickly and burst into laughter.
"Haha, sure, sweet and sour pork it is!"
"Let's go home."
"Mm… okay…"
Still embarrassed, Mafuyu nodded absentmindedly and followed along, her head slightly lowered.
As the sun set, their shadows stretched long and far across the path.
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