Am I an idiot? Why am I blushing? Why do I need to blush?!
Wouldn't it be better to act more nonchalant? Pretend to be mature, show a calm and indifferent reaction instead of being so flustered and embarrassed, and then fleeing in panic!
Isn't that, in a way, admitting that I feel shy because of him?
He must have noticed it! He might even be secretly laughing at me!
Kazusa lay on her desk, appearing still, but her toes, wrapped in black stockings, were awkwardly tapping out a pattern in her white indoor slippers.
She was reflecting on her actions.
Even after the second and third periods, when Chisato initiated a conversation, she didn't respond at all. She completely shut herself off from the outside world, pretending to be asleep.
She hoped that if she just didn't bring up the incident today, he would forget her embarrassment.
She planned to quickly escape through the back door after the last period.
She had resolved to do this, and indeed, as soon as the teacher announced the end of the fourth period, she grabbed her backpack with just a few books and headed for the exit.
But Chisato was already waiting and stopped her.
"Move aside."
"Wait a minute, Touma. I need to talk to you."
"I don't have anything to say to you."
Kazusa avoided looking at him and turned her gaze away.
"It's important. Give me a little time; let's talk properly."
We… two…
You're saying, alone together…
Do you know what kind of ridiculous thing you're saying right now?
"I don't have time…"
Kazusa, extremely shaken, was about to give in but managed to control herself and refuse again.
Just then, the teacher, who had already left, returned with teaching materials.
"Chisato, could you come to the office with me for a moment?"
The teacher waved her hand gently and smiled warmly.
"Okay!"
Chisato replied loudly, then turned back to Kazusa, and briefly explained,
"Wait for me here. I'll be back quickly. Don't leave."
After saying this, he stepped aside and walked toward the waiting teacher at the front door.
"…"
Kazusa watched his figure leave the classroom and silently exited through the back door.
Why would I follow his ridiculous request? That would make me look as foolish as him.
Kazusa stomped down the stairs with heavy steps, changed her shoes, and walked toward the school gate.
Her previously firm resolve and steps began to waver as she neared the school gate.
When she reached the gate, just a step away from leaving, she stopped. After a few breaths, she slowly turned around and walked back in the direction she came from.
…
Chisato's homeroom teacher, Ms. Yuki, who teaches classical literature, was happily shaking his right hand.
"The results from the recent test are out, Chisato. You did great—sixth in the grade!"
To achieve sixth place was unexpected.
Chisato was surprised, not because he was bragging, but because the previous owner of this body had only average academic knowledge and had ranked below average in the first year.
Since taking over, he had been studying diligently. Although he expected his grades to be decent, he was still surprised to have made it into the top ten.
With a bit more effort, maybe he could aim for first place.
"Here's your report card. It was supposed to be distributed tomorrow morning and posted on the school bulletin board, but since this is good news for you, I'm telling you early."
"You must have worked hard during the break, so show it to your parents and let them reward you with something nice."
Chisato took the report card from Ms. Yuki and glanced at it.
The scores in modern literature, classical literature, world history, and geography were so high that they seemed like cheating compared to math, English, and physics.
The talent he got from Utaha was truly effective; being a top student was incredibly useful.
"Keep up the good work. If you maintain these results, you'll definitely get into a great university after graduation."
"Thank you, teacher."
Ms. Yuki encouraged Chisato a few more times and advised him not to become arrogant about his results before signaling that he could leave.
As he bent to leave, the history teacher, a stern-looking middle-aged woman with glasses, called him.
She had also taught him in the first year, and seeing his remarkable improvement from a lower-middle rank to the top ten was astonishing.
"Ms. Uezu…"
Ms. Yuki showed a hint of discomfort, probably sensing the history teacher's intentions. She stood up, ready to say something.
"It's alright, Ms. Yuki."
Chisato, unafraid, remained calm. There was nothing to worry about if he was on the up and up.
Moreover, on his way to the office, he had seen Kazusa walking toward the school gate.
Since she had left before he could return, he would just schedule another meeting with her tomorrow. For now, he could focus on dealing with the challenging teacher.
…
Kazusa sat in the classroom.
The setting sun's orange light streamed through the window into the empty classroom where only she remained.
The floor, freshly cleaned, was a bit damp, and a faint, unpleasant smell lingered in the air.
"He said he'd be back soon."
"…"
Does "soon" really mean this long? Kazusa wondered.
She checked her phone for the sixth time. It was now five o'clock.
She had been sitting in the classroom, which she only came to out of obligation and didn't particularly like, for a full hour.
Three times, impatiently waiting, she stormed out the back door, only to circle the hallway and return to where she had started.
Her frustration was steadily building up.
She looked to her right, where the disorganized books had once been.
When she had waited for thirty minutes, she had even tidied up his notebook and textbooks and carefully placed them into his backpack, zipping it up.
Looking back now, why did that idiot deserve such consideration?
He left with just a careless remark and didn't even come back as promised. An hour had passed!
Is there anyone more annoying than him?
"Bang!"
Growing angrier, Kazusa stood up and kicked the desk on the right side with force.
The classroom echoed with a loud noise.
The desk fell over, and the backpack hanging on the side hit the floor.
Afterward, Kazusa grabbed her own backpack and, without a second thought, left through the back door. The force with which she closed the door even made the windows shake.
…
Chisato thought that perhaps the original owner had offended the history teacher in some way.
He suspected this because the teacher didn't exchange any pleasantries but instead handed him world history and Japanese history exams to complete on the spot, with a rather overbearing attitude.
Recalling the school nurse, Ms. Kumikawa, and homeroom teacher Ms. Yuki, Chisato reflected on the differences among teachers.
But despite his reflections, he followed the instructions, knowing that students naturally had a lower standing compared to teachers and didn't want to create any trouble.
Chisato's speed and approach to solving problems were efficient, but it still took him nearly an hour to finish both exams, and another ten minutes for the grading.
When the history teacher showed her disbelief after grading the papers, Chisato felt more amused than satisfied.
As he was about to leave, the teacher quietly apologized, and she gave a polite bow before leaving the office.
With the noise from the playground subsiding and students gradually leaving, he considered going home to change clothes before heading to his part-time job.
However, since time was tight, he decided to have a quick dinner, planning to get a beef bowl with the money from the crows.
He would also buy some chicken breasts on his way home to improve their diet.
"Chisato."
As he pondered these little things, a voice came from behind.
"Ms. Yuki."
"Here, take this."
Ms. Yuki didn't mention what happened earlier in the office.
She simply took Chisato's hand and placed a piece of chocolate in his palm.
"Eating something sweet will make you feel better. Also…"
She stood on tiptoe and gently patted the top of his head, which was much higher than hers.
"It's better if you smile more often. Don't always have a serious face; it makes you less handsome."
Chisato couldn't help but smile.
"Alright, head home now. Be safe on your way. If you can keep your top ten ranking, I'll treat you to a meal next time."
"I'll do my best."
After bidding farewell to his homeroom teacher, Chisato walked toward his classroom, examining the chocolate in his hand.
It was a rich milk chocolate, which he found somewhat unpalatable, but someone who liked sweets might enjoy it.
He pocketed the chocolate, planning to give it to her tomorrow.
As he pushed open the classroom door and walked in, the evening breeze lightly ruffled his hair.
He looked at the girl slumped over her desk, momentarily lost in thought.
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