Chapter 63: Hoshinomiya chie
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"Chabashira-sensei's dormitory room is on the fifth floor, room two."
Rin Matsuoka stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for the floor, following the room number Chabashira Sae had given him. Just as the doors were about to close, a soft, sweet voice suddenly came from outside.
"Wait a minute~ Don't close the door yet, I haven't gotten in!"
Rin pressed the button to keep the elevator doors open. The woman who had called out quickly stepped inside.
"Huh~ I made it just in time." Hoshinomiya Chie, holding a dark plastic bag, let out a long breath of relief before turning to Rin and thanking him. "Thank you… Hey! Why is it you?" She looked at him with surprise.
It was because Rin had been called up by Sakayanagi Narumori during the entrance ceremony that Hoshinomiya Chie remembered this handsome boy who had gotten zero points in all subjects.
"Senior, do you know me?" Rin asked politely.
Although Hoshinomiya Chie, like Chabashira Sae, was nearing thirty years old, she dressed in a very youthful style, and her pretty face had no signs of aging, making her seem more like an older student than a teacher.
The word "senior" made Hoshinomiya Chie's face light up with delight. She eagerly patted Rin's shoulders with her slender hands.
"Oh my, I'm not a senior, my name is Hoshinomiya Chie~"
"Hello, teacher," Rin responded, though he couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly. This teacher looked young, but her hands were stronger than they appeared, and it actually hurt when she slapped his shoulder.
"Rin, do I really look that young?" Hoshinomiya Chie asked expectantly, her eyes sparkling.
"Well, yes, you do. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mistaken you for a senior," Rin replied.
Hoshinomiya Chie's smile widened even further. As Rin looked at her beaming face, he recalled seeing her before—standing next to Chabashira Sae during the entrance ceremony.
After the initial joy settled, Hoshinomiya Chie asked curiously, "Rin, why did you come to the teachers' dormitory?"
"Chabashira-sensei asked me to come," Rin answered.
"Really?" Hoshinomiya Chie raised an eyebrow slightly, her expression shifting from sweet surprise to a hint of suspicion behind her smile.
In that moment, Rin felt something strange about Hoshinomiya Chie—like honey that seemed sweet but had spoiled underneath.
At the same time, another girl came to his mind—Kushida Kikyo.
Rin had felt a similar dissonance when he saw Kikyo Kushida's sweet expression. The disconnect between appearance and reality was undeniable.
But the sense of disharmony Rin felt with this teacher was even stronger than the one he had with Kushida Kikyo.
If Chabashira Sae was the adult version of Horikita Suzune, then Hoshinomiya Chie was definitely the adult version of Kushida Kikyo!
With curiosity still brimming in her eyes, Hoshinomiya Chie asked, "Why did Sae call you to her dormitory?"
"I'm not sure," Rin replied, lying with ease. "Chabashira-sensei didn't tell me the reason."
Because Rin Matsuoka felt an intense sense of unease around Hoshinomiya Chie, he decided not to tell her the truth.
In fact, even if Rin hadn't felt that strange discomfort, he still wouldn't have intended to share the real reason why he was going to Chabashira Sae's room.
Rin was trying to protect Chabashira Sae.
After all, the school had strict rules against students contacting the outside world, but what about teachers? Were they restricted in the same way?
Rin wasn't certain whether Chabashira Sae had violated the school's regulations by acquiring the test papers from an outside source.
If her actions did break the rules, revealing the true reason for his visit could harm Chabashira Sae.
Hoshinomiya Chie, however, wasn't so easily convinced. Her beautiful eyes filled with doubt, she gave Rin a suspicious look.
"Rin-kun, I'm pretty perceptive. I can sense that you're being guarded around me."
"…I'm not being guarded against you."
"You even hesitated before you spoke, and you still say that?"
Rin clicked his tongue in annoyance. She had caught on to his hesitation just from that brief pause.
Her instincts were sharp.
"I'm really not," he said, maintaining his stance.
Without warning, Hoshinomiya Chie grabbed Rin's arm with the hand that wasn't holding the plastic bag and shook it. Like a girl acting cute with her boyfriend, she leaned in and spoke in a playful, sweet voice, "Sae and I have been best friends since high school."
"We're so close that we call each other 'Sae-chan' and 'Chie-chan'!"
Rin's lips twitched. He didn't believe it for a second.
Even though he hadn't spent much time with Chabashira Sae, Rin knew she had a cold and distant personality.
How could someone with Chabashira Sae's reserved nature call anyone "Chie-chan" in such an affectionate manner?
Also, why was the elevator so slow? They still hadn't reached the fifth floor!
"So, Rin-kun, tell me, why did Sae-chan ask you to come to her dorm~?"
As Hoshinomiya Chie finished her sentence, the elevator finally reached the fifth floor. Rin immediately pulled his arm out of her grip, slipping away like a loach.
During that brief moment, his arm seemed to brush against something soft, but he didn't think much of it as he quickly exited the elevator without looking back.
"I'm here, Hoshinomiya-sensei. See you later!"
"…"
Hoshinomiya Chie remained in the elevator, looking slightly stunned. She placed her free hand over her chest, as if in thought.
Did his arm just brush against her...
"Wait, did I just lose something or gain something?" she muttered to herself, a hint of confusion showing on her pretty face.
In terms of gender, it felt like she had lost.
But in terms of age, maybe she'd gained something…
Still feeling conflicted, Hoshinomiya Chie stepped out of the elevator. Meanwhile, Rin had already pressed the doorbell for room number two on the fifth floor.
"Coming."
Chabashira Sae, who had been waiting for Rin inside her dorm room, came over to the door. When she opened it, she was surprised to find not only Rin standing there, but Hoshinomiya Chie as well.