Chapter 515: Sensei

Mashiro walked into the café holding her sketchbook. Her face was serious and her posture careful, almost like she was walking proudly with her head held high.

Mashiro plopped down right next to Himekoji, making him instinctively straighten up too.

The three stared at each other. One teacher, two students. The atmosphere suddenly felt a bit strange.

This subtle, hard-to-describe tension was too much for the female teacher first. She quietly tugged on the sleeve of Himekoji’s arm resting on the coffee table.

“What’s going on?”

She asked softly.

I don’t know! Who knows? Don’t ask me!

Himekoji felt speechless inside and looked just as confused on the outside.

He hadn’t told Mashiro about the private meeting… um, about meeting Hiratsuka-sensei at the coffee shop today. From the look of her with her sketchbook, she didn’t seem to be there to catch him cheating. So it must just be coincidence, right?

Just as Himekoji thought this, Mashiro’s clear gaze moved between Himekoji and Hiratsuka Shizuka.

“Who is that woman?”

Then came a question that left both Himekoji and the female teacher speechless.

After a slight pause, the female teacher seemed to understand, putting on an expression like she’d suddenly figured everything out. She gave a proper self-introduction.

“I am Hiratsuka Shizuka.”

“Seems she’s my homeroom teacher, your parents’ friend, and your guardian in Japan.”

Himekoji added immediately.

“Ah… is that so?”

Mashiro nodded like she was accepting this, playing along quite well.

She couldn’t possibly not recognize Hiratsuka-sensei. She was just showing a bit of unfriendliness, like someone might steal her Baumkuchen.

“Yes, exactly.”

Himekoji looked serious but couldn’t help feeling amused inside. Mashiro was jealous of the female teacher? How surprising. She was a bit of an envious grudge holder.

“Then… that’s…”

Mashiro’s gaze landed on Hiratsuka Shizuka’s hand pulling at Himekoji’s sleeve. Her tone changed, and once again, her words were shocking.

“Cheating on me!”

“Cough! Cough!”

Himekoji, who’d just taken a small sip of coffee, nearly choked on her words. What was scary was, from Mashiro’s tone, she seemed completely serious…

He wasn’t trusted one bit!

“It’s absolutely not that! How could you twist it like that?!”

Mashiro ignored Himekoji’s explanation. She put the sketchbook aside, grabbed his elbow tightly, and pulled it towards her hard. “Hurmph!”

“Eh? Wh-what?!”

Before Himekoji could react, his arm was caught firmly in Mashiro’s hold. At the same time, the female teacher’s grip on his sleeve naturally slipped away.

That troublesome contact between teacher and student that didn’t please Mashiro was finally gone.

“Hmph.”

Mashiro wrinkled her nose slightly, looking a bit pleased and satisfied.

Now it was the female teacher’s turn to look between Mashiro and Himekoji carefully.

“Got together?”

At that moment, she seemed to get it instantly.

“…”

Himekoji’s face flushed crimson. He felt awkward and didn’t speak, but the meaning was clear to anyone who saw him.

The female teacher wasn’t about to let him off easy. She pressed further anyway.

“So… is she your girlfriend now?”

“K-kinda, I guess… cough! cough!”

For some reason, acknowledging this to the female teacher felt deeply embarrassing. Himekoji struggled, forcing the words out almost painfully.

“Mmpphh!”

This uncertain answer didn’t seem to please Mashiro. Himekoji felt an unusual pressure from the girl sitting beside him.

Yes or no?!

Mashiro complained in her own way.

Himekoji gritted his teeth and decided to just say it—

“M-Mashiro is definitely, absolutely, unquestionably my girlfriend!”

“That’s right!”

Mashiro puffed out her chest a little, looking somewhat proud and pleased with that statement.

“Ha… I see now…”

The female teacher’s expression was complex as she smiled.

Himekoji felt awkward, but also a sense of relief, like he’d finally gotten it out. He scratched the back of his head with a sheepish “heh heh,” joining in the forced smile.

“Shhee~”

Mashiro’s small face relaxed. She leaned her head against Himekoji’s shoulder, sweet and affectionate. A rare smile appeared on her face, simple and cute like a drawing.

Everyone smiled, creating a picture of harmonious, happy togetherness.

Hiratsuka Shizuka stood up quickly, still smiling.

“Then… I’ll head off first. Come pick me up at half past eight.”

She paused mid-sentence. The female teacher looked at Mashiro, then at Himekoji. Thoughts like “youth really is lovely” flashed through her mind. She shook her head.

“…Hmm. Actually, I’ll probably just take a taxi then. Nevermind, don’t worry about coming to get me. You two have fun.”

Before Himekoji could say anything more, the female teacher turned around with a carefree smile and walked away.

Only after she had left the shop did she pause for a moment, looking slightly downcast. Hiratsuka Shizuka lifted her face. It was still young and beautiful, untouched by time, yet it carried the journey of over twenty years.

Over thirty, single, no longer young – while Himekoji and Mashiro were only sixteen or seventeen.

Youth indeed seemed wonderful.

Hiratsuka suddenly remembered fragmented scenes from a few weeks ago—

Mashiro’s thin silhouette dragging her suitcase towards the hotel, Himekoji standing alone and adrift in the suddenly empty apartment.

Mashiro sad and upset about losing her sketchbook, Himekoji running desperately through streets searching everywhere.

The two yelling and fighting in the hotel lobby, and after, both crying their eyes out like a huge mess.

And now, here they were, sitting in a café, being shy, awkward, and sweet.

Youth was probably something like this: they could cry over love, and laugh together again because of it. They could quietly give, patiently wait, and silently endure anything for the one they liked. Or they could disregard everything, accept the label of ‘pervert,’ and shake the entire school for someone.

Unfortunately, Hiratsuka knew she’d passed that age. Never doing what one should do at that age, perhaps had become a unique, lasting regret.

Now, even if she finally found something or someone who made her heart flutter, her first reaction would always be hesitation. Her first impulse was thought – thinking too much about ability, status, age, and others’ stares and opinions.

The more she thought, the harder it was to decide, and eventually, she’d give up thinking altogether.

Students saw her as a mature adult. Colleagues saw her as a mature friend. So she constantly made her “matureness” bind herself.

Yes, mature. The price of that maturity seemed to be losing the heart young enough to boldly chase what it desired.

But what else could be done?

She was day by day getting older. Some things were inevitably, day by day, going away.

All she could do, while she still had something left, was be a responsible and mature teacher.

The comforting thought was that guy… that foolish student had finally…

Started dating.

And his girlfriend? Was another equally foolish kid.

As a teacher, all she could offer was quiet blessings, silent protection, and watching over them from afar.

So—

Give it your very best!

Don’t leave any regret for your future, older, more mature self.

…