The tension in the room was unreal. I felt like I could puke at any moment. Aunt Marika and I sat in front of Shiori-san, and the conversation began.
"So it's you, Shiori-san. May I ask how my dear nephew performs in school?" Aunt Marika started with a sweet-but-deadly tone.
"It's going well, don't worry," Shiori-san replied casually, like she didn't feel the daggers in the air.
"Is that so? I hope Haru's performance won't be affected, right? Because I heard that Haru is flirting with one of the teachers here…" Aunt Marika said with a sly smile.
Oh no. She said it.
"May I clarify what you're implying, Aunt Marika?" Shiori-san countered, keeping her tone polite but with a hint of sharpness.
"Damn, don't call me Aunt! And don't play innocent, you shota-con teacher!"
"Okay, okay, I won't… Then, it's fine for me to call you Aunt, right? After all, I call Haru's mother 'Mom,' and she doesn't mind that."
Aunt Marika clenched her fists. She was clearly pissed, while Shiori-san stayed calm, even smug. Her relaxed attitude was clearly getting under Aunt Marika's skin.
"Listen, Shiori, can you stay away from Haru? You know the risk of a teacher dating her student, right? It's not just your reputation but Haru's too. If this gets out, it'll ruin both of you."
"You're assuming too much, Aunt Marika. Haru-kun and I aren't dating. We're just playing games together. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that."
"Besides, if we were to become a couple… Of course, I'd make sure our relationship stayed a secret."
"You damn woman! So you do plan to go out with Haru!" Aunt Marika yelled, finally losing her composure.
Wait, Shiori-san plans to? Should I feel happy about this or scared?
"Enough with your inquisition, Aunt Marika. Can you show at least a little concern about Haru's future instead of grilling me?"
She had a point. We were supposed to be discussing my career plans, but Aunt Marika had been hyper-focused on interrogating Shiori-san.
"Fine, Shiori, you win," Aunt Marika said with a sigh. "Let's just finish this parent orientation so I can leave."
Thankfully, Aunt Marika calmed down. Shiori-san turned her attention to me, her tone softening.
"Haru-kun, after high school, do you plan to go to college?"
"Yeah, I do. I'll probably go to the local college here in Yokohama. I want to be a programmer like Mom, so I'll take a programming course."
"Well then, I think you'll do great. Programming is skill-based, so grades aren't everything. And it's an in-demand career in Japan. Who knows, you might land a work from home job like your mom…"
She leaned closer with a teasing smile.
"And then we could be together all day if we became husband and wife~"
I blushed. That caught me off guard.
"As if I'll let that happen!" Aunt Marika yelled, slamming the table.
"Oh, Aunt Marika, don't tell me you're jealous? What would happen if the public found out the great idol Marika had an incestuous desire for her nephew?"
"Shut up, you shota-con sensei!"
Shiori-san just laughed, clearly amused by the chaos she was causing.
"I'm done here, Haru. Do what you want. I'm leaving," Aunt Marika said, standing up abruptly. "And I'll tell your mom about this!"
No need for that. Mom already knows about Shiori-san. But I didn't dare say that out loud; it would just make things worse.
As Aunt Marika stormed off, Shiori-san turned to me with a soft smile.
"Sorry about all that, Haru-kun. She's just looking out for you in her own… intense way."
"Maybe she see you as her little brother or something..."
To think that Shiori-san would be this understanding. So that's why she didn't argue with my aunt more.
"It's fine," I said, sighing. "But she's going to sulk for days now."
Shiori-san leaned in and whispered, "You know, she's right about one thing. Us dating isn't a great idea…"
I felt a pang of disappointment.
"But," she continued, smirking, "forbidden relationships are exciting, don't you think?"
She's dangerous. I needed to get out of here.
"Uh, I'm going to check on my aunt. She's probably really upset," I said, standing up quickly.
"Go ahead. Besides, your mom and I can always discuss your future later… anytime we want."
As I stepped out of the classroom, I was met with a swarm of students. Apparently, my connection to Aunt Marika, the famous idol, had made me the talk of the school. Everyone wanted to ask me questions about her.
"Hey, is Marika-san really your girlfriend?" one student shouted.
"No, she's my aunt!" I yelled back, desperate to clear up the misunderstanding.
The crowd froze in shock, and I used the opportunity to escape. Once I was out of the school grounds, I called Mom to check on Aunt Marika.
"Hello, Mom? Is Aunt Marika there?"
"Ara, yes, she's here, but she's sulking in my room. What happened?"
"I'll explain when I get home."
With a sigh, I decided to stop by the convenience store to grab some ice cream. Maybe that would help cheer her up.
---
**Shino's POV**
I'm Shino, and today is parent orientation day. But I woke up late. Damn it.
Not that it's a big deal. Shiori-san's got my back. She's the girlfriend of my childhood friend, Haru, after all. She wouldn't rat me out.
Plus, I could totally talk her into keeping quiet about me skipping a few assignments… probably.
**After the parent orientation**
"What's this, Shino? You're not doing your assignments?" Mom scolded.
"I'm sorry, Mom…"
"Sorry isn't good enough! Maybe I should confiscate your SFO account."
"No, Mom! Please! I'll do my assignments, I promise!"