Chapter 504: Caught in the Act
Chapter 504: Caught in the Act
Himekoji didn’t mind standing outside in the hallway. In fact, fiddling with his phone out there felt way more comfortable than doing it inside the classroom.
No need to hide. No teachers watching.
— [Oh right, staying away from radiation is important too! I remember my husband bought me an anti-radiation apron then. Wearing it normally to protect the baby is perfect.]
An anti-radiation apron?
Reading the message, Himekoji nodded, mentally filing it away.
— [Thanks, sis.]
He quickly typed out a grateful reply.
She was a senior he’d just added in a moms’ community forum. Helpful and chatty, Himekoji felt he’d already learned a lot from their few exchanges.
— [Don’t mention it, little sis. It’s what I should do.]
Little sis…
Seeing the term, Himekoji got a bit embarrassed.
But this misunderstanding was kind of his own fault. When setting up his forum account, like an idiot, he’d used Yukinoshita’s photo as his profile pic…
Just as Himekoji considered explaining and changing it, she sent another message, breaking his train of thought.
This one, however, confused him.
— [Look back.]
What did that mean?
Baffled, but he did it out of habit.
Himekoji turned his head.
Right there, standing behind him, arms crossed and looking seriously annoyed, was Hiratsuka-sensei.
Whoa! Scary!
He jumped, barely holding back a yelp.
— [Thanks for the warning!]
Even at this critical moment, Himekoji remembered to thank the kind “big sister” who’d tipped him off. Common courtesy was key.
Thumbs flying, he typed fast and hit send!
The moment the message went through—
“You’re welcome!”
A woman’s voice, forcing the words out through gritted teeth, thick with anger.
“Huh?!”
Wa-wait!
Hearing the sharp tone froze Himekoji in place.
He’d been thanking the senior mom in the forum group! Why was the reply coming from the teacher standing behind him?
Did that mean…?
Himekoji frantically checked his message logs.
— [Look back.]
Sender: Shizu-chan.
His face went stiff. Stuffing his phone deep into his pocket, Himekoji turned fully towards the female teacher. Standing ramrod straight, he finally looked like someone being punished.
“Are you here to serve detention, or to play on your phone?”
“Sensei, I’m sorry.”
Himekoji considered himself a man who knew when to bend. Seeing how Hiratsuka-sensei had seemed upset ever since yesterday, he wisely decided to surrender immediately.
“Follow me to the office!”
Sadly, apologizing didn’t win him any mercy.
“W-Why?”
Himekoji asked weakly.
“To write a self-reflection essay!”
“But… next class…”
“Next class is my say!”
The female teacher stated firmly, pulling out her homeroom teacher authority.
……
By the time Himekoji left the office, his hands aching and numb, all his morning classes had ended.
Approaching the classroom, he almost bumped into Yuigahama on her way out.
Noticing the bento box in the girl’s hands, Himekoji quickly called out to her.
“Yuigahama, are you going to the Service Club?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Wait a sec!”
“Huh?”
While Yuigahama stood confused, Himekoji dashed eagerly into the classroom.
He’d been agonizing over how to give Yukinoshita the Carp Soup for Pregnancy Care.
Too shy to go directly to her classroom, and clueless about where she usually ate lunch. Did she go to the cafeteria? The snack shop? Or somewhere quiet, eating her own bento?
The question solved itself the moment he saw Yuigahama.
The Service Club!
…
Post-bell classroom.
Himekoji pulled two portions of Carp Soup for Pregnancy Care out of his bag and set them on the desk.
Nanami, seated in front, was packing up her books. Looked like she was heading to the cafeteria.
Himekoji glanced around slyly. Some classmates were drifting out in groups; others pushed desks together to eat their bentos together. Nobody seemed to notice him.
Stealthily, he poked Nanami’s shoulder and whispered,
“Made extra soup this morning. Here.”
Since Nanami moved out of his place and back to the dorm, Himekoji worried she might be penny-pinching on food especially, skimping on meals. Making that extra soup? Pure paranoia about her neglecting herself. It was meant for the baby with Yukinoshita, but for Nanami? Pure care, fueled by worry.
Juggling part-time work, studies, seiyuu training – she never stopped. He worried she’d run herself ragged.
Warmth spread through Nanami’s chest at his concern. Then she remembered their classmates’ teasing earlier that day, and her face flushed red.
“Th-thank you…”
She reached out shyly to take it, but then—
“Ewwww~~~~~”
A perfectly synchronized teasing chorus erupted throughout the classroom.
Those little fakers! Pretending to be busy just a second ago? Total act! From the second Himekoji stepped inside, those drama kings and queens had been slyly watching him.
Busted. Utterly busted.
Himekoji’s thick skin let him pretend nothing happened. But Nanami? Face thinner than paper. She instantly yanked her hand back, plunged her burning face into her palms, let out a muffled “Mph!”, and fled. A total escape.
Himekoji shot after her, but Nanami, flushed and mortified, had vanished.
Stranded in the empty hallway, Himekoji stewed with awkwardness. This extra pregnancy care soup? Now it was just a heavy, unwanted souvenir in his bag.
“Akito! What are you doing? If you don’t hurry, I’m leaving without you! Yukino-chan’s waiting!”
Only when Yuigahama’s voice reached him from further down the hall, where she’d been waiting way too long, did Himekoji snap back to reality.
He mumbled an awkward apology, grabbed his bento and the remaining soup, and hurried after her.