After knocking and hearing a response, he entered.
The guidance office was spacious, about three-quarters the size of a classroom.
But it was simply furnished with a few desks and chairs.
In the center of the guidance room, Ms Hyoudou sat on a chair with a stern expression that was the same as in class.
The slender arms in professional attire were wrapped around each other, holding the soft and heavy thing that was obvious at a glance.
This posture made her sit with her back straight and her chest out, highlighting her slim waist and hourglass figure.
From her waist down, her plump, rounded hips formed a striking curve that made Sasaki think of a thrilling roller coaster ride.
Perhaps because she was facing the door, her tightly clad legs were crossed naturally.
But what caught his attention most was her arm-crossing posture.
It wasn't just visually striking.
But he was familiar with this gesture.
Among the girls Sasaki knew, except for Rinka, all liked to do this.
Because it helped relieve shoulder pressure when it was inconvenient to do otherwise.
So, in Sasaki's eyes, her so-called serious demeanor wasn't all that intimidating.
Imagining her gritting her teeth with exhaustion beneath her composed exterior, he found it rather amusing.
Ms. Hyoudou, who was very sensitive to gazes, naturally noticed the boy sizing her up.
But since she didn't feel any disgusting desires in his gaze, she didn't rebuke him.
Although she didn't feel disgusted, she saw a smile in Sasaki's eyes.
That kind of look reminded her of how he seemed to look at her before she started the class.
At that time, she was preoccupied with the thought that Sasaki was up to no good, so she didn't pay any attention.
But now, that he was in front of her and she could think it through, she suddenly realized it was the first time someone looked at her with such an expression.
The looks other men gave her were either filled with hot desire or creepy covetousness.
Those kinds of gazes full of overwhelming lust that seemed to want to devour her made her nauseous.
But Sasaki's gaze... was it kind of like the amused smile one has when a friend makes a fool of themselves?
She wasn't sure if that was an accurate description, but indeed, she didn't see any malice in Sasaki's eyes.
However, rather than figuring out how to describe that smile, Ms. Hyoudou was more concerned about why he was laughing at her.
Was there something amiss with her attire or hairstyle?
Or was there something on her face?
She hadn't eaten anything after arriving at school...
Unable to understand the reason and unable to check with a makeup mirror, she was about to find an excuse to go to the bathroom to tidy up when she noticed that Sasaki's lips were merely pursed, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes, and then he returned to normal.
That fleeting amusement made her think he had laughed because he remembered something... not because of anything unseemly about her attire or appearance...
Facing this situation for the first time, she couldn't help but scrutinize Sasaki as he approached her.
Dressed in the school's uniform black blazer, he had a well-proportioned and slender build, appearing not bulky but distinctly dapper.
Underneath the sunlit, slightly golden-brown hair that reached his eyebrows, was a handsome face highlighted by a faint white sheen.
His features were soft yet masculine, which appealed universally to girls.
Although she harbored some initial prejudices against him, she had to admit that his appearance was flawless.
Plus, her adverse impressions of him were gradually changing, so by the time Sasaki sat down in front of her, her tone of voice, while not exactly soft, was not harsh either.
"Sasaki kun... you know why I asked you here, don't you?"
Sitting in the chair opposite her, Sasaki glanced at the test paper on the desk facing him, marked with red check marks, and nodded lightly: "Because of the grades."
Hearing that he understood the reason, Ms. Hyoudou pushed the test paper forward on the desk, but before she could speak, the boy took the initiative:
"Teacher Hyoudou thinks this grade is abnormal, too low, right?"
Hearing his words, her arms, which were crossed over her chest, tightened slightly, causing her already snug blouse to strain further as she frowned and asked, "Did you do this on purpose?"
"I have my own reasons, which I can't disclose to the teacher, but I won't cause any trouble for the teacher. This shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"
By acknowledging her suspicions, Sasaki looked at his paper and felt that she probably wouldn't ask further.
After all, these minor tests organized by the teacher herself don't really affect anything; they're just for gauging students' progress.
And he also knew that she didn't like interacting with males.
She called him here just to understand his thoughts.
Although Sasaki greatly admired her appearance and figure, he wasn't fond of unreciprocated efforts.
After all, there were plenty more fish in the sea for him.
And he didn't think Ms. Hyoudou, who disliked men, would be easy to pursue.
Sasaki felt that the time it would take to chase her, he could seduce three girls like idiot Chifuyu to warm his bed.
Although she was attractive, so were Tsukimi, Serizawa, Kasumi, and Natsuha, and they were easier targets.
However, if she showed interest in him, he obviously wouldn't push her away.
After all, her appearance really piqued his interest.
Listening to Sasaki's words, Ms. Hyoudou's initial shock turned into confusion.
After all, based on her assumptions, he was most likely to pretend, 'I failed the exam, but I tried my best', and then, leveraging his attractiveness, request her to tutor him.
This wasn't because she was being conceited.
Rather, it was based on her three years of definitive experiences at this school.
As a teacher for several years, she had encountered numerous students who offered money for extra lessons, but their goals weren't to improve their grades.
So she was surprised when Sasaki openly admitted that he did it on purpose.
Because the opening remarks of those students before were not like this.
Those students either pretended to be pitiful or flaunted their wealth, assuming they had her wrapped around their fingers.
But Sasaki was the only one who openly admitted that he deliberately performed poorly.
And his subsequent remarks left her even more puzzled.
What reason did he have to deliberately get such a low score?
While she was puzzled, since Sasaki mentioned it was inconvenient to tell her, she didn't feel it was appropriate to pry.
So after pondering for a moment and ensuring that Sasaki wasn't joking, Teacher Hyoudou said, "Since you've put it that way, I won't interfere with your personal matters, but the major exams must be recorded, so I hope you can distinguish the importance by the upcoming midterms."
"I understand."
"If there's nothing else, teacher, I should get back to class,"
Sasaki nodded, guessing there were about three or four minutes left before class began and suggesting it was time for him to leave.
Seeing that he clearly did not wish to prolong the conversation, Ms. Hyoudou nodded lightly in agreement.
After Sasaki left, she relaxed her shoulders and placed the bulging folder on the desk, exhaling deeply.
Then, she stretched her shoulders and picked up his test paper covered in red marks.
Without paying much attention to the meaningless incorrect answers, she tapped her cherry-coloured nails against the name "Sasaki" printed on the paper.
Honestly, in her years of teaching, Sasaki was the first student she encountered who was so peculiar.
He had preempted her questions by explaining everything clearly, thus avoiding any misunderstandings on her part.
Afterwards, he didn't speak more than necessary, clearly indicating that he wanted to maintain a professional distance, as if to say, "Do not bother with me, I will not trouble you."
'He really is a strange one.'
Although curiosity about Sasaki flickered within her, she decided not to pursue it further.
Afterall, his attitude had been clear, and there was no need to make herself unpleasant.
With these thoughts, she picked up her materials and the test paper, and walked back to her office with graceful steps.
Upon entering the nearly empty office as classes were about to start, she placed her materials down,
But did not sit because , suddenly, a figure with pink hair slid on a chair next to her.
"You smell so nice, Ms. Hyoudou"
Feeling the embrace around her waist from the pink-haired figure, she twisted slightly, freeing herself: "Ms. Sakashiro, you shouldn't slide around in chairs in the office, the principal might scold you."
After showing a moment of affection, Sakashiro Kurumi, dressed casually, released her and moved back a bit, speaking casually yet advisingly:
"That old man, he can scold all he likes, I won't listen. He's always leering at people, keep your distance from him, Hyoudou-san."
The latter, who also knew that the dean looked at them with something wrong, nodded in response, but she did not answer her rude words.
After all, there were only the two of them here, so she could just listen to what she was saying.
But if she really had a heart-to-heart discussion with Sakashiro Kurumi, and if other people in the office overheard it, their future life would not be easy.
She was quite satisfied with this job and naturally did not want to change her job.
Kurumi, accustomed to her style, did not mind afterall, her reason for visiting wasn't to discuss the principal.
Having sensed Sasaki's scent on Ms. Hyoudou, she casually glanced at the test paper sandwiched in the textbook:
"You're preparing to discuss the test already? Didn't you just give it yesterday? You didn't stay up all night grading, did you?"
After taking a sip of water from her thermos, Ms. Hyoudou, seated comfortably, shook her head with a smile:
"This is one student's test. He scored poorly, so I spoke with him to understand the situation better."
Sakashiro Kurumi, noticing the name visible on the test paper amidst the red checks, teasingly read out loud:
"Sasaki, huh? How many points did he get?"
As she spoke, the plump little buttocks wrapped in blue jeans sitting on the sliding chair moved forward a little, as if she wanted to confirm that she had seen it correctly.
Hearing the familiarity in her tone, the latter paused, then quietly responded: "Take a look yourself, do you know him?"
Pulling the test paper from the textbook, Kurumi held up the bright red paper, leaned back in her chair, and remarked, "Not really, just heard Takamine-san, mention him."
"You know he's new here, right?"
"She mentioned that his parents were in a car accident last semester, and he's been disengaged for a while, hence his sporadic school attendance."
"And he himself was in an accident recently; I heard he just got out of the hospital not long ago."
There was a hint of pity in she soft voice, as if she felt sad because of what happened to Sasaki.
And as a woman, Hyoudou is also emotional so after learning about Sasaki's life experience, her heart felt a little sore.
Looking at the red marks on the test and his deliberate low score, although initially deciding not to probe, now she couldn't help but ask further:
"Who's his guardian now?"
"Guardian..."
If Sakashiro Kurumi had been just any teacher, she might not have known such details.
But because she had taken an unusual interest in Sasaki, due to prior investigations, she could answer her question without difficulty.
With a secretive thought in her mind, Kurumi put down the test paper she was holding and said, "His guardianship is with his distant uncle, but he filled out his original home as his residential address."
Upon hearing her introduction of Sasaki, Ms. Hyoudou straightened slightly,
Her round and plump hips pressed against the swivel chair, creating an enticing curve as they sank into the seat like a water balloon, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she asked, "He lives alone?"
Although her words were devoid of any ulterior motives, for her own well-being, Sakashiro Kurumi, who wanted her to have some thoughts, crossed her beautifully curved legs, leaned forward, and teasingly looked at her, saying:
"Really, Hyoudou-san, what do you mean by that?"
"Does Hyoudou-sensei like that type? Come to think of it, you are at the age to get married, huh~"
"Sakashiro-sensei shouldn't say such things. The age difference is too much, and besides, I'm a teacher, and he's a student."
With her arms crossed and subconsciously pushing against her bulging chest, she shook her head, her cheeks slightly red as she spoke ..words of refusal.
"Huh?"