Chapter 391: Am I Akito’s Trouble?

“She said she would listen to you, Himekoji-kun.”

“Is that so? Then… Mashiro, I leave her to you.”

Himekoji lowered his head slightly and said softly to Miss Iida.

“Hey! Wait!”

Hiratsuka-sensei, who had been quietly watching from the side until now, suddenly cut in.

“Huh?”

Himekoji looked at her questioningly.

“Are you really okay with just deciding something like that for Mashiro?”

“Didn’t she tell me to decide?”

“She definitely didn’t want you to decide this! See? This is why you just don’t understand girls… a woman’s heart!”

Something seemed to have annoyed the female teacher. For no reason, Himekoji found himself on the receiving end of her anger.

“What exactly are you talking about, Sensei?”

Himekoji’s face didn’t look good either.

His nerves had been fraying for a while now, though he hadn’t realized it. He was teetering on the edge of losing control, and anything related to Mashiro instantly made him upset and flustered.

That was why he’d been avoiding Mashiro intentionally or unintentionally these past few days.

So right now, he thought maybe it was for the best if Mashiro moved out and stayed with Miss Iida for a few days.

At least it would give him a little time to calm down, to think clearly about just what he should call the feelings he had for Mashiro.

“I’m saying, you are really awful!”

“Me? Awful? How am I awful?”

He was being scolded for no reason.

Although getting yelled at by Hiratsuka-sensei happened regularly, this time felt totally different.

It felt terrible!

“I thought you’d at least hesitate a little! Didn’t expect you to be so decisive. Can’t wait to get Mashiro far away from you now?”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying? Isn’t Mashiro moving out temporarily the only option? Didn’t Miss Iida just say it? They’ll take good care of Mashiro.”

“Mashiro would want you to be the one taking care of her! Especially right now!”

Hiratsuka-sensei’s voice suddenly became sharp. This also made Himekoji angry.

“Right now? Because it’s right now, it’s more necessary for Miss Iida to take care of her, right? Aren’t things unusual right now? There’s no choice.”

“If there’s no way, you find one!”

“I thought about it and there is no way!”

“You didn’t think at all!”

“Huh?!”

Himekoji’s right hand shook, almost unnoticeably. He stared at the female teacher in shock, not understanding why she would say something like that.

“The feeling I get right now is that you can’t wait to shake off the ‘trouble’ right next to you!”

Hiratsuka-sensei’s merciless words were like a sharp, hurtful thorn stabbing straight into Himekoji’s heart.

“Trouble?”

Himekoji repeated the word blankly.

At the same time, his right hand shook even more violently. He clenched it tightly into a fist instinctively, but it still wouldn’t stop trembling. He quickly covered it with his left hand.

“Yes, trouble. Trouble that’s blocking you from getting closer to Nanami!”

The moment he heard those words, a loud boom echoed in his mind, leaving his thoughts blank.

…

When had he started hiding from Mashiro?

Was it after that night? After his “date” with Nanami?

Hiding from Mashiro, avoiding Mashiro, and even…

Afraid of Mashiro?

Was Hiratsuka-sensei really right? Had he already started seeing Mashiro as trouble?

Hindrance blocking him from getting closer to Nanami?

No, that wasn’t it, that wasn’t it, that wasn’t it…

By the time he snapped back to reality, only this denial filled his mind.

Refute her! Refute her now!

Say something! Say anything!

Anything is fine! Just say something!

But no matter how much his lips moved, the effort was useless. Not a single proper sound could come from his throat.

He felt like he was drowning. The air around him was thick and heavy, pressing down, making it impossible to lift his head, making his shoulders slump.

A long time passed.

“Hah–”

A heavy sigh escaped him.

“Sensei… how did you know? About me… Shiina… and Aoyama…”

Himekoji’s voice was weak, like he’d just been pulled out of water.

“You…”

It seemed like Hiratsuka-sensei still wanted to lecture him a bit more. But seeing him like this, the female teacher seemed to lose all interest in continuing.

She shook her head helplessly.

“You… at least don’t hurt Mashiro.”

“I… I never meant to…”

The words stopped abruptly halfway. Himekoji suddenly realized he might not even have the right to say that.

“I’m sorry.”

So, in the middle, he changed it to a dry, useless apology.

“Don’t apologize.”

The female teacher, frustrated by his perceived failure, clenched her fist tightly and punched it hard onto Himekoji’s slumped shoulder. Himekoji let out a muffled grunt of pain.

“…You’re terrible.”

Hiratsuka Shizuka whispered the insult at Himekoji.

She shook her head and turned to leave.

For the female teacher, there seemed to be no more point in staying. She had only come today as Mashiro’s guardian to sign in anyway.

Her hand on the door handle, just before opening the door, she remembered something and tossed back one last sentence –

“Although… you seem to have become even more complicated and messed up than before… but… maybe that counts as growing up?”

After she spoke, there was a soft click as the female teacher opened the door.

But then –

“…Mashiro? Why are you here?”

Hiratsuka, about to leave, suddenly froze.

Outside the study stood Mashiro.

The moment the door opened, the first person Mashiro’s eyes searched for was Himekoji.

She stood timidly, looking at him timidly.

Like a child who knew she’d done something wrong.

“I…”

“Am I Akito’s… trouble?”

That was Mashiro’s first sentence.

She was asking Himekoji.

“Y-y-you… Th-then, did… did you hear everything?”

Looking at Mashiro standing outside the study, Himekoji stumbled over his words.

He never imagined Mashiro would be at this place, at this time, in this situation.

“Am I Akito’s trouble?”

But Mashiro didn’t seem to hear Himekoji’s question. She repeated it carefully again, her voice faint and timid.

She didn’t want to be Himekoji’s trouble.

She didn’t want Himekoji to be troubled because of her.

Because, she liked Himekoji.

…

“N-no… ”

There was no way Himekoji could say the other answer.

“You… Shiina… how could you be trouble?”

Looking at Mashiro standing before him, Himekoji’s heart felt like it was being crushed by a great force, hurting over and over as it contorted into different shapes.

He forced out a smile. It twisted grotesquely under the intense pain.

“Akito… is lying…”

The moment Himekoji spoke, Mashiro’s eyes were already red.

Like a little bunny with red eyes.

So scared she wanted to run back into the forest.

…