After getting off the bus, I looked up at the sky inadvertently. The sun had completely set, and the moon began to show its face.
"... Um."
I kept staring blankly at the sky. At this moment, the bus honked a light horn and drove past from behind. The wind pressure of the departing bus stirred up a gust of wind around, and the dust it raised made me lower my head and narrow my eyes involuntarily.
"Teacher, what's wrong?"
Paul, who was walking in front, noticed that I had stopped and looked back at me. Paul's voice was exceptionally loud in the silent space.
"Ah, sorry..."
I hurriedly ran towards Paul who had stopped. For some reason, I was suddenly hugged by him around the shoulders.
"A kiss and I'll forgive you."
"Are you an idiot, you guy?"
I patted Paul's head with an obvious teasing smile on his face. He let go of the hand he had placed on my shoulder with a smile.
"However, they actually agreed here. Indeed, the amount is quite large."
Looking up at the stately hotel that I hadn't seen for a long time, I couldn't help but sigh. It looks magnificent no matter how many times I see it. The number of zeros filled in on the document submitted to the finance department now seems reasonable when I think about it.
"This, it's impossible through normal negotiation, right? It's through connections, connections."
Paul gave a wry smile towards me who was staring up in a daze and shrugged his shoulders, then walked towards the side of the hotel without hesitation.
"Connections?"
"Yes, through relatives' connections."
Paul narrowed his eyes as he looked at me who was tilting my head, and slowly lifted one side of his cheek. The question marks above my head were increasing. But this doubt was quickly dispelled.
Paul walked into the back door, raised his hand slightly to the guard at the window as a greeting, and then passed through there. Without hesitation, he pulled open the inner door further inside.
"Is anyone there?"
Paul stuck his head inside the door and shouted inside. A loud voice came from inside.
"Oh, Paul? Long time no see."
"Yo, Sori, you're still so tall."
"Paul, don't call me that nickname anymore."
Accompanied by Paul's laughter, a somewhat helpless voice came. I tilted my head and watched. Suddenly, I was pulled by the hand and brought inside the door. It should be the changing room inside. Long benches and lockers were placed closely together.
"Well, um? Who is this?"
Hearing the voice, I raised my head and saw a young man looking at me curiously. He was wearing a chef's uniform. Just as Paul had said, he was extremely tall. The tallest person around me is Abel. Probably he is even taller than Abel. My neck hurts from looking up.
"Ah, this is a teacher from our school."
"So. Then you're also Blake's teacher. Nice to meet you. I'm Soren. Please take care of me."
"Ah, nice to meet you. I'm Ben."
I shook the hand he extended to me in a friendly manner. Suddenly, he vigorously shook my hand up and down. But when I looked at him in surprise, Paul's hand covered mine to stop him.
"Hey, you're going to break the teacher's hand."
"Sorry, sorry. Ah, the manager is looking for you, right?"
Soren gave a light-hearted smile towards Paul who was narrowing his eyes, let go of my hand, and opened another door in the room and shouted loudly.
"Manager! Paul is here!"
"Soren, you're so noisy. Come over if there's something."
"Oh, Ryan is getting angry."
The moment the voice rang out, the reply that followed immediately made Soren shrug his shoulders and give a wry smile. Then he scratched his head helplessly, gave me and Paul a wink, and beckoned us to walk towards the door he had just opened.
"Our chef is very scary. He seems a bit busy now."
"Still such a troublesome old man."
Although Paul sighed, he still walked into the door without hesitation. I still didn't understand the situation and had to follow behind him. Paul walked through a corridor and disappeared into the open entrance on the opposite side.
"It's okay. You won't be caught and eaten."
Under the urging of the grinning Soren, I walked inside. It seemed to be a kitchen there. People wearing the same chef's uniforms as Soren were bustling back and forth. Among them, I also saw a familiar back.
"Yo, Paul. You came just in time. Come and give us a hand."
"Ah? Who wants to do such a troublesome thing."
"I'll pay you for your work... Ah, eh? Who is this?"
I stared blankly at that back. The man who was talking to Paul noticed me and came over with wide eyes.
He had slightly long bright brown hair, and the striped suit suited his slender figure very well. For a moment, I thought he was a male host from somewhere, but upon closer look, he looked very much like someone.
"Is he Paul's... brother?"
"Hm? Yes. Ah, could it be that you're Teacher Ben?"
Paul's brother looked at me in confusion. Suddenly remembering something, he pointed at me and lifted one side of his cheek. The face he showed when smiling was exactly the same as Paul's—they were indeed brothers.
"Is that so, is that so. Thank you very much for taking care of my lovely sister and stupid brother. I'm Chris."
I shook the hand he extended to me. He held my hand with both of his hands and showed a very delighted expression. I tilted my head in confusion, and he responded with an even brighter smile.
"Jenna often says there's a teacher that Paul rarely likes."
"Er? Is that so."
I replied vaguely while recalling the faces and names of the students. He was probably talking about Jenna. She did look a bit like him. They were indeed siblings.
"Soren, come and take over for a while."
"Ah, Blake-kun?"
I was hesitating about what to do with the hand that was being held when suddenly I was pulled by another hand that grabbed my arm.
"Blake?"
Before I could even be surprised, I was half-dragged out of the kitchen. Instead of going towards the changing room, I turned left into the platform of the emergency staircase. The iron door behind Blake closed with a dull sound.
"Er, um, Blake?"
I spoke carefully to Blake who was standing still with his head lowered. He heaved a heavy sigh.
"I'm sorry. I lost control a bit."
I murmured softly and looked up at Blake's face with his front hair brushed aside. Suddenly, he avoided my gaze, and all I could see was his slightly flushed cheeks.
"Well, sorry. I came over suddenly."
"No, it's me who suddenly pulled you out. I'm sorry."
Blake's murmuring made me unable to resist smiling. But when I gently stroked his lowered head, he frowned slightly and raised his head.
"Ben?"
"I don't know why, but when I'm with Blake, I feel at ease."
"Did something happen?"
"Er?"
Blake's gaze suddenly became sharp, and he grabbed the hand that was stroking his hair. The strength with which he held my hand surprised me. Then he pulled me closer with his arm around me.
"Ah, um, Blake..."
I looked at him in confusion. His soft lips landed on the corner of my eye and my cheek.
"Nothing, nothing. It's just, how should I put it, I just felt something a bit. Paul has that kind of personality. When I'm with him, I don't need to worry too much. It's very relaxing. But... indeed, being with Blake makes me feel the most at ease."
"Is it really just like this?"
"Ah, ah, just like this."
Blake gave me a sullen look. He tilted his head slightly and stared at me. I didn't understand what he meant. When I grabbed Blake's arm, he hugged me tightly with both arms.
"As long as it's nothing. It's just that when Ben wants to touch me, I always feel like you seem to be a bit uneasy. So I'm just a bit worried."
"Ah..."
Blake's words made my chest sting slightly like being pricked by a needle. The emotions deep in my heart that I hadn't even noticed myself were brought up from the bottom of my heart by his words.
"That. I know it's very strange to ask this."
"What is it?"
Blake looked at me worriedly. His eyes were extremely gentle. Clearly I shouldn't have asked this, but my mouth moved involuntarily.
"Blake, what do you think of Paul?"
You've been staying by his side all this time. Have you sensed his feelings?