Chapter 302: The Answer Everyone Wanted to Know

Oh, that class bell!

Perfect timing! Saved him!

Got an idea, Himekoji hurriedly skipped over the previous topic.

“A-ah, that, I need to get back and get ready for class. Mmhmm, right… I can’t just skip all my classes for the whole morning, can I? I’m off!”

The words barely out of his mouth, Himekoji tried to dash away.

Being a pervert, he was skilled at fleeing. Unfortunately, fate wasn’t kind today. Himekoji the Fleeter actually slipped! Well, actually, stumbled!

He accidentally stepped on two paintbrushes. Who would be so careless, leaving art tools lying around? As his foot slid, he missed his best chance to escape.

Mashiro stood right in front of him.

“Akito is cold to me.”

Saying this, Mashiro puffed out her cheeks slightly, clearly showing unhappiness on her face.

“Cold? What? No way,” Himekoji denied flatly.

“Yes, way. To Yukinoshita, Eriri… no, to Yukinoshita you’re so sweet.”

“Huh? Wh-what are you talking about! And hey, why did you mention Eriri at first, then drop her name later?! It feels like she was looked down on…”

He just needed to say anything, anything to change the subject. Himekoji’s gaze dodged, avoiding Mashiro’s eyes.

But his heart was still pounding.

Hard. Harder!

Like it was trying to burst out of his chest.

“Lately, it feels weird here.” Mashiro’s small, soft hand pressed firmly against her chest.

She stayed like that, unmoving, looking at Himekoji. Only at Himekoji.

Her easel, knocked over during her hurried stand, lay forgotten on the floor. She didn’t even glance at it.

At this moment, Himekoji was the most important thing. More important than any painting.

Mashiro stared at him intently, not blinking. She was afraid if she lost focus for even a second, that person would run away, vanish, disappear.

“When I see Akito, it feels weird here.”

Her gaze lifted to meet his, filled with a faint confusion.

“I don’t understand at all. Sometimes happy, sometimes flustered. It hurts.”

Despite her words, Mashiro’s expression didn’t show pain. Instead, her cheeks were slightly red, shy and very cute.

“Shiina, you…”

For the first time, Mashiro’s delicate face displayed such vivid, strong emotions.

It was like a black and white line-art, abruptly flooded with thick colors from a paintbrush. The visual shock made Himekoji’s heart race—

Mashiro was different today.

Totally different!

No longer the pale, expressionless painting machine, she was now a beautiful girl filled with color and warmth. Still cute. Still like a fragile, dreamlike piece of art. But now, far more captivating.

…

“That’s why I decided to paint.” The girl lightly pursed her lips, forming a beautiful, focused curve.

“I believe if I paint Akito, I will definitely understand what this weird feeling is.”

Mashiro searched for her answer earnestly.

Even though she understood nothing.

She didn’t understand why her heartbeat became heavier, faster, hotter, even piercing when she saw Akito.

She didn’t understand why her chest suddenly felt tight, making it hard to breathe, clogging her throat, making her gasp for air.

She didn’t understand why her blood moved faster, leaving her dizzy-headed and blank-minded.

She understood nothing. All she understood… was painting. Only painting!

Mashiro wasn’t good with words or expressions. Mashiro drew her feelings.

That strange, sometimes stifling, sometimes sweet feeling… she would express it through her painting!

“Right now… I only want to paint Akito.”

In the spacious Art Classroom, every person besides Mashiro unconsciously held their breath.

As if suddenly caught in an inexplicable magic spell. Seeing Mashiro speak, none could make a sound.

Mashiro’s voice was clear and pure, ringing through the room like a sudden bang. Though not loud, it crashed in Himekoji’s ears like thunder and lightning.

Right now… I only want to paint Akito…

The words echoed endlessly in Himekoji’s mind… nowhere to flee.

“I…”

Pathetically, Himekoji started huffing and puffing again.

Perhaps what he was about to say was important. So he needed to suck in lots of oxygen, gathering energy.

Compared to Himekoji’s heavy breathing, the gossipy trio holding their breath was the opposite extreme. Not daring to exhale at all. Clenching fists tightly, sweaty palms, eyes fixed intently, waiting for Himekoji’s answer.

Their immersion as bystanders was intense.

Every breath Himekoji took tugged at their hearts, made them anxious, excited their curiosity a little more. Their hearts sped up one more beat.

Until that answer finally burst out from Himekoji’s lips—

“I-I get it! Fine! Paint! I’ll let you paint me, alright?!”

Mashiro was moving forward in her own way. Himekoji might not be able to meet her stride, but he also couldn’t run away irresponsibly.

Besides, that answer, for Himekoji too, held deep meaning.

However—

“Not during class hours. Only after school.”

After some haggling, Mashiro finally nodded.

“Me and Akito… after school.”

“Please! Don’t word it so H!”

“H?”

Mashiro tilted her head in confusion. She stared at Himekoji for a long moment, seeming to grasp something.

“Akito is H. Really, truly H.”

…

Nanami followed Hiratsuka-sensei step by step into the staff room, her heart uneasy.

She sort of guessed why the female teacher called her to the office—

She messed up the exam this time.

For her best subject, math, she almost handed in a blank paper.

Falling asleep during the exam because she was too sleepy, tired, and exhausted was one of the few silly things in her over ten years of life.

How should she explain to the teacher?

Anyway, the embarrassing thing about falling asleep during the test, she likely couldn’t bring herself to say it no matter what…

“Aoyama.”

“Ah… here!”

In the middle of worrying deeply about her thoughts, suddenly called by her name, Nanami jolted in surprise, instinctively straightened her back, and hastily replied.

Her eyelashes fluttered lightly, the girl nervously waited for the scolding.

“Are you dating Himekoji?”

“Huh?”

But the turn of events was a bit different from what she imagined.

Dating Himekoji?

Wait, what kind of meeting was this!

“If you don’t deny it, I’ll take it as you admitting it.”

“No! Of course not! Why would the teacher ask such a weird question?”

“No?”

The female teacher gave a probing look, up and down over Nanami,

“You often exchange glances and pass little notes in class, don’t you?”

Exchange glances?

“What? Never!”

Nanami shook her head like a drum right away.

“Really not?”

She wouldn’t give up until she was cornered.

The female teacher shook her head, so she had to pull out her trump card.

She picked up her phone, opened the album, went straight to one photo, and handed it to Nanami.

It was a snap of the moment when the two were passing notes during class.

“Sensei, y-you took that secretly!”

Nanami never expected Hiratsuka-sensei would use such a trick!

The girl’s face turned bright red, both ashamed and angry.

Now there was solid proof, so no matter how hard she tried to deny it, it was hopeless…

“I’m the teacher, recording my class this way for review and lesson prep—how is that secret at all?”

Total nonsense! Nanami totally didn’t believe that kind of lie.

“Sensei, what about these few? They’re clearly not taken during class, right!”

The photos Nanami pointed to—

One was of Himekoji shining brightly at a soccer game, one was of Himekoji looking focused while fixing a sewer, one was of Himekoji enjoying his ramen while squinting…

As Nanami flipped through the album, she felt more and more off—why were there so many photos of Himekoji in Hiratsuka-sensei’s phone?

“Huh? Hey, why are you poking around like that!”

The female teacher’s face turned red for once, and she snatched back her phone.

“Don’t try to change the subject—I’m just asking, did you pass notes with Himekoji during class?”

“Well, yes, I did, but…”

But the content of their notes was nothing beyond things like, “What groceries to buy after school today?” or “What’s left in the fridge?” or “Should we grab something on the way home from the store?”.

In no way did that look like dating!

It was more like an old married couple… no, that was way off!

“Well then, so you are dating.”

Hiratsuka-sensei completely ignored Nanami’s explanation, having already made up her own mind.

If they weren’t dating, why did Nanami suddenly show up to cause trouble that night during the School Trip?

Not just ruining her “wedding,” but in the end, she even snatched the teacher’s bouquet too…

Just thinking about it made Hiratsuka Shizuka grind her teeth in anger.

“Aoyama, I, your teacher, am not some old-fashioned, strict person—you two date however you want, and I can turn a blind eye. But, there’s one condition: you can’t let this dating stuff affect your schoolwork. Now that your grades are out, I think you must know what I mean, so I won’t say more.”

“Also, I’ve already handed your problem over to Yukinoshita, so go to the Service Club to find her after school.”

“Huh? F-find Yukinoshita?!”

What did she mean by her problem being handed over to Yukinoshita?

What kind of problem—study or romance—was Hiratsuka-sensei talking about?

School stuff?

She was fine there!

Love stuff?

Going to Yukinoshita would cause way bigger problems…

…