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Chapter 63
Word's counted --- 1500
Enjoy~
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Hina sighed again, glancing at her watch, frustrated that Aki shijo and Anna yamada hadn't arrived at her office yet. "Break is going to end soon," she muttered, looking at the paperwork piled up in front of her. She leaned back in her chair, massaging her temples.
"I'll wait a little longer. If they don't come, I'll ask their last-period teacher to make them stay behind." With that decision made, Hina straightened her posture and resumed sorting through the exam schedules. She looked at the files in her hand. "I should announce the upcoming exams tomorrow," she thought aloud. The hum of conversation in the background blended into the ticking of the clock.
Despite trying to focus on her work, Hina's attention was drawn toward familiar voices echoing from the other side of the room.
"Tachibana Sensei should be at her desk," a teacher's voice said.
"Thank you, sensei," she heard two younger voices respond. Recognizing them instantly, she sighed once more. "Finally".
Aki and Yamada approached her desk, looking slightly apprehensive. Hina eyed them with mild irritation, crossing her arms as they stopped in front of her.
"You both arrived quite late, huh? Didn't I tell you to come the moment the lunch bell rang?" she asked, her voice tinged with a hint of impatience.
Yamada fidgeted, opening her mouth to speak, but her words faltered. "Sensei, that—" she started, but quickly fell silent.
Aki also remained quiet, avoiding her gaze. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, standing slightly slouched with a sheepish look. The room felt heavy for a moment, the sound of distant chatter from other teachers growing faint.
Seeing both students standing silently, Hina's initial annoyance softened. She could sense they felt guilty, and her expression eased as she let out a softer sigh, pushing her glasses higher on her nose. "Now, now, don't be sad. I scolded you because I was worried," she said, her tone gentler. "After all, I did take your lunch away... You must be hungry, right? Let's eat together, okay?"
Before yamada could respond. "Um, Sensei, we—ow! Shijo-kun, that hurt!" Yamada glared at Aki, rubbing her side where he pinched her.
Aki immediately gave her a pointed look. "Ah, Yamada did say she was hungry!" He quickly changed the subject. "Actually, Sensei, Sekine-san was looking for Yamada earlier. I think it might be urgent," Aki said with an innocent smile, though there was a hint of mischief in his eyes.
"Eh? Is that so?" Yamada asked, her confusion evident. She glanced at Hina for confirmation, unsure whether to believe Aki.
Hina sighed, pulling open her desk drawer. She took out Yamada's lunchbox and a few snacks, setting them on the table with a small, amused smile. "Here you go, Yamada-san," she said, handing them over. "And remember, no eating in class anymore, alright?" She smiled gently at Yamada, though her tone carried a firm reminder.
Yamada, still a little puzzled, took the lunchbox and snacks, her face lighting up a bit. "Thank you, Sensei..." she said softly.
"You can go now. I'll need to talk to Shijo-kun for a bit longer," Hina added, her voice warm but leaving no room for argument. Yamada glanced between Aki and Hina, her brow furrowing. She hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave Aki behind, but after seeing Aki nod reassuringly, she gave him a small smile and turned to leave.
As the door shut behind Yamada, Hina's expression turned more serious. She looked at Aki, her gaze soft but concerned. She rested her hands on her desk, leaning slightly forward. "Shijo-kun, I know you might find my class a bit... boring, and I get that," she started, her voice quiet and measured. "But I'm worried about you. You joined the class late by a few months, and it's important that you catch up."
Aki stood there awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. 'Where is this conversation going?' he thought to himself.
Hina's expression grew a little more pained as she spoke. "If my teaching style isn't working for you, please, let me know. I'm here to help you learn. And if you don't understand something, that's not your failure—that's mine. A teacher is only as good as their ability to make the material accessible, and if you're not getting it... then I'm not doing my job right."
Aki blinked, taken aback by her self-reflection. 'Is she blaming herself for this?' He glanced around the room, trying to figure out how to respond. His eyes landed on the clock, ticking quietly in the background, and the soft shuffle of papers from a nearby desk filled the otherwise quiet room.
Hina, now visibly a bit disheartened, averted her gaze, her lips pressed together in a thin line. She fiddled with the pen on her desk, tapping it absentmindedly as her shoulders sagged slightly. Aki could see the tension in her posture, the slight downward curve of her mouth, and the way she bit her lower lip in frustration.
'Oh no, she's spiraling,' Aki thought, sensing the shift in her mood. He could tell she was losing herself in the weight of her own doubts.
What's going on with her? Aki thought, feeling a wave of concern. Tachibana Hina was never the type to get depressed easily. She was always the lighthearted, carefree teacher in class. But now, seeing her like this, Aki couldn't shake the worry creeping in—why was she acting so down all of a sudden?
"Uh, Sensei…" Aki began, trying to interrupt her train of thought, but she continued.
"I just... don't want you to feel like you're wasting your time in my class," she said quietly, her hands now gripping the edge of her desk. "I want my students to succeed, you to succeed, Shijo-kun. And if that means changing the way I teach, then I will." Her voice wavered slightly, though she quickly composed herself, offering him a faint, almost sad smile.
Aki, still unsure how to handle the situation, scratched the back of his head again, awkwardly shifting his weight from one foot to the other. I wasn't expecting a therapy session… he thought. But seeing Hina like this—vulnerable and clearly struggling—he realized she genuinely cared, and he couldn't just brush it off.
Without thinking too much, he reached out and gently patted her head. "I'm sorry, sensei. I won't disappoint you again."
"Hah?" Hina blinked in surprise, her thoughts scattering. 'Did that sound flirty? Wait, why is his hand on my head? No, no, this is wrong! How long is he going to pat me?' Her mind raced as her cheeks flushed.' Who am I? Who is he? Oh right, I'm his teacher... and he's my student.'
She felt her emotions bubbling up, threatening to spill over. 'Why am I letting my personal frustrations out on my students?' Hina's heart clenched. She remembered the pain she had been carrying, the heartbreak over someone she cared for. 'Why did it have to be like this? Even though I loved him, he kept me in the dark… that he was already married…' She fought to regain her composure, shaking off the spiraling thoughts.
Finally managing to ground herself, Hina looked up at Aki, pouting slightly with her usual carefree demeanor returning. "Shijo, I'm your teacher. You can't just treat me like that," she complained, trying to sound stern but clearly flustered.
Aki chuckled softly, his hand still resting on her head. "Sorry, sensei, but I couldn't help it. Seeing you emotional like that hurts me too… I guess it shows I also care about sensei too."
"...I get it, but when are you going to take your hand off my head?" Hina asked, still flustered as she realized he was still patting her. "That's disrespectful, you know," she muttered to herself, feeling her face heat up.
With a reluctant sigh, Aki finally pulled his hand away. "Alright, alright. But you haven't eaten yet, right? How about we go grab a coffee or something? I'm hungry too."
Hina blinked, caught off guard by the sudden offer. "Huh… well, okay, but you should've eaten something before, if you were supposed to come late like this," she chided softly, her usual energy slowly returning. She felt guilty now, thinking that she'd made both Aki and Yamada miss their lunch.
"Let me just clean up my desk real quick, and then I'll treat you to a drink. But after that, go straight to class, alright? We only have ten minutes left."
"Sure, sensei," Aki replied with a grin.
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