Chapter 65: Feeding Play, Nanami
Chapter 65: Feeding Play, Nanami
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“First, write a twenty-thousand-word self-reflection essay. After finishing it and waiting until class ends, go back to the Classroom to pack your things.”
“Another self-reflection essay?”
Hearing this, Himekoji instantly slumped his shoulders in frustration.
Seriously, Hiratsuka-sensei, couldn’t you come up with a more creative punishment?
“Oh, right. Am I the only one writing? What about Miura?”
Himekoji suddenly thought of something and asked without thinking.
If he was suffering, why should he suffer alone? Better to drag someone else down with him.
“Oh, then you can write Miura’s too. Hand in both copies by the end of the second class period.”
“Huh? Why should I?” Himekoji Akito immediately protested. “For real, how many times do I have to say it? Miura kissed me first! If two copies are needed, she should write them!”
“Are you even a man? You already kissed, so what’s wrong with writing two essays? Stop whining and get moving!”
Hiratsuka-sensei didn’t bother listening to Himekoji Akito’s excuses. She just tossed the pen and paper in front of him.
Himekoji: “…”
…
“Hmm, also, my sink has been clogged again lately. So annoying. Plus, my air conditioner broke down.”
Hiratsuka-sensei, thinking who knows what, suddenly started chatting about daily life while Himekoji was writing furiously.
“Did you hear me?”
After talking a lot, she saw her student wasn’t reacting. So she walked over with a look that screamed “Do you not understand human words?” She lightly kicked Himekoji’s pant leg with the tip of her High Heels twice.
“Huh? What did you say?”
Himekoji was completely absorbed in copying the essay and only looked up with a confused face.
“I said—there’s something stuck in my sink again! And the air conditioner broke down!”
“Oh.”
Why tell me all this? Is Hiratsuka-sensei’s brain working properly?
Himekoji brushed her off casually and buried his head again.
“Stop playing dumb! Since you’re going home anyway to reflect and have nothing better to do, fix my sink and air conditioner later!”
Without caring about her student’s wishes, Hiratsuka-sensei slammed her house keys and apartment entry card in front of Himekoji.
“Huh?”
Unclog a sink and fix an air conditioner?
What the heck!
Even if you’d rather not call the professionals, just dumping this mess on a student?
Don’t make it sound as natural as giving homework, jeez!
I’m your student! Just a student! How am I supposed to be some kind of all-purpose handyman? Am I your Doraemon?
“Why that face? Isn’t that your specialty?”
Listen to that! Hiratsuka-sensei actually said that so boldly and confidently. How impressive!
“Not my specialty at all…”
“You’re lying!”
Hiratsuka-sensei completely ignored his words and nodded with total certainty.
Huh? Though he didn’t know why she sounded so sure about this, Himekoji still instantly felt caught in his lie and backed down.
“Uh, fine, maybe I’m good at it… but still! If your sink gets clogged or major stuff breaks, you should call professionals for repairs, right?”
“What are you saying? Didn’t you see the news? The plumber fixes the pipes and then forces himself on the lady of the house… super dangerous, I tell you!”
“What news?! That’s not news, Sensei! That’s straight out of an adult movie!”
Himekoji was beyond done with her.
“Quit the nonsense! All I want to know—are you taking the job?”
Hiratsuka-sensei seemed to have hit her limit and cracked her knuckles so loud it sounded like breaking glass.
Wait, was that a threat?
“Fine, fine… I’ll go, all right?”
Himekoji sighed helplessly and rolled his eyes.
He shook his head and finally tossed Hiratsuka-sensei’s keys into his pocket.
Okay, to avoid any misunderstandings, let’s clear this up right here—
It wasn’t that Himekoji gave in because he was scared of Hiratsuka-sensei’s scary behavior!
He just had a rare moment of kindness and decided to help as a good deed.
Yeah! That was it.
Mhm.
Pretty definitely…
…
When Himekoji finished the essays and returned to the Classroom, no one was there. Probably because music class just ended and everyone was still coming back from the multimedia room.
But it sure made things easier for him.
Getting sent home and packing your stuff all alone would’ve been embarrassing with people pointing fingers.
Hey, actually, he wasn’t alone…
Where’d Miura go? Had she already sneaked out early?
Probably. That prideful Queen must’ve been fuming after getting punished like that.
Well, deserved it—don’t mess with me!
Don’t get the wrong impression, but Himekoji actually held grudges.
What? You thought I looked like that kind of person?
Nope! That was totally Yukinoshita’s character!
But anyway, back on track—
He said he needed to pack up and go home, though there wasn’t much to pack. Himekoji just grabbed two books, threw his bag over his shoulder, and strolled out of the Classroom.
Between classes, the hallway chattered nonstop. As he walked alone with his backpack through the crowd, gazes kept landing on him.
Himekoji wrinkled his nose slightly in annoyance and purposefully took a path with fewer people.
He picked the stairs farthest from the main entrance, away from all the noise, giving him peace and quiet—just like he wanted.
But hey, didn’t he just say there was no one?
By the time he got to the third floor, he was proven wrong immediately. A familiar figure stood near the landing, curled into a ball.
Aoyama Nanami?
How did she get here?
Himekoji was surprised.
“Gurgle—”
A loud, clear sound from her stomach suddenly broke the silence in the stairwell.
Following the sound, Nanami bent over even more, one hand clutching a completely empty bread wrapper, the other hand pressing hard on her stomach.
“Sigh.”
Himekoji stood behind Nanami and sighed.
“Who’s there?”
Nanami turned her head cautiously, hearing the sound.
Then, Nanami saw a lunchbox.
Its lid was slightly open, and a delicious smell kept wafting out.
“Gurgle—”
So, her stomach made another loud sound, drawing attention again.
“Eat.”
Himekoji handed her the chopsticks.
“H-Himekoji?”
Only after hearing his voice did Nanami quickly look away from the bento.
Then, she finally saw the uninvited guest’s face clearly.
“W-What do you want?”
Nanami swallowed softly, took one last reluctant glance at the tasty bento, and then immediately looked away as if shocked.
“How many days have you not eaten?”
Himekoji asked.
“None of your business! Dieting… Gurgle—”
She was cut off by her stomach’s embarrassing growl.
Nanami’s face turned bright red.
But she stubbornly finished her weak excuse— “C-Can’t I be dieting?”
“Suit yourself.”
Himekoji shook his head and chuckled.
He crouched down and neatly placed the bento and chopsticks beside Nanami.
“This bento was meant for my lunch at school today.
But, you heard, right?
I got a notice to go home and think about what I did wrong.
Sigh, it’s better to eat something nice at a restaurant to cheer myself up!
This cold bento?
I was about to throw it out.”
“I’m off.”
Himekoji walked past her.
“I’ll pay you back for the bento by working part-time!”
He hadn’t gone far when Nanami’s awkward but firm voice came from behind.
“Oh, don’t worry about this time.”
Himekoji waved his hand without turning around, sounding casual.
“What do you mean, ‘don’t worry about this time’?
I’ll pay back everything I owe from before too!
I won’t owe any favors to a pervert like you!”
“Hey!
That last part wasn’t needed!”
Nanami was starving again.
As expected, that meant it was the end of the month, right?
Himekoji quickly went down the stairs.
He didn’t look back.
But he knew—he had always noticed Nanami.
She was the most hardworking Nanami, the most diligent one.
She dreamed of becoming a seiyuu but her family opposed it.
She worked part-time to cover her living costs and seiyuu school fees.
Every end of the month, she got so poor she couldn’t afford lunch.
Her stomach often growled noisily like that.
Nanami, this Nanami, was really a—hardworking and diligent fool!
Nanami, full for the first time in a while, hugged her belly happily.
She stared blankly at Himekoji’s lunchbox.
But the next moment, she suddenly realized something— “Huh, wait!
These chopsticks are Himekoji’s, right?
Ehhh?
That means we had an indirect kiss?!
Ah… he must have planned this all along!
No wonder he seemed so kind!
Gross!
Pervert!
Pervert pervert pervert!”