Inaba Tsukiyo, struck by the Twelfth Bullet, felt herself lose consciousness the moment the bullet hit, but this state quickly recovered.
When she regained consciousness, she was already back in Amamiya City, or more precisely, Amamiya City five years ago.
If Kurumi hadn't lied to her, then the current time should be the day before the Amamiya City fire. Looking at the current situation, it seemed to still be daytime.
"It seems Kurumi succeeded. Now, what I need to do is find Origami's parents, and then… then… Oh no!"
Suddenly remembering something, Inaba Tsukiyo's eyes widened. She clasped her hands to her head and squatted on the ground, her body trembling continuously.
She had forgotten. Her mind was so focused on going back five years that she forgot to ask Nia to help her find out where Origami's family lived five years ago.
Amamiya City is huge, and finding someone isn't that simple, especially since it's still daytime. Who knows if Origami's parents are at work?
"This is truly… a miscalculation. I actually forgot to think about these things. It would have been better if I had asked Kurumi to send me to the evening and then had Nia tell me where Origami's family lived."
She pressed her temples, feeling a headache. To forget so many things, it seemed she was still very immature.
Never mind. She could just search for Origami's family by their surname, right? The surname 'Tobiichi' is quite rare. With a bit of time, she should be able to find them.
As Inaba Tsukiyo continuously comforted herself and left to investigate the location of Origami's family, she heard a very familiar voice.
"So, I'll figure out a way to find a partner, okay? Mom, please stop calling me all the time to rush me, honestly."
"Huh? You said you want to arrange a blind date for me? No, every time you arrange someone, they're either older than me or they're deliberately approaching me because of our family's wealth. I became a teacher precisely so those people wouldn't know my true identity, to find someone who genuinely loves me."
"What? You said if I keep this up, no one will want me? No way! Your daughter is only twenty-four this year. I'm sure I'll find my ideal partner very soon."
The content of the conversation was typical, about parents urging their children to find a partner. It seemed this matter was the same no matter the country.
During school, they weren't allowed to find partners, but after graduating from university, parents would tell their children to find a partner as quickly as possible. She really didn't know what parents were thinking.
Also, wasn't this Ms. Kotori from their school? Ms. Kotori five years ago, at twenty-four, was still very young.
Wait, that made it sound like she wouldn't be young five years later. Ms. Kotori at twenty-nine was also very cute, okay?
But… was she really that confident she could find a partner quickly? How naive, Ms. Kotori.
If you really could find a significant other in such a short time, then in five years, you wouldn't still be an older single woman, a pathetic single dog.
Amused, Inaba Tsukiyo hid in the shadows, eavesdropping on Ms. Kotori's conversation.
The call ended quickly. Ms. Kotori, hanging up the phone, sighed heavily. Her face completely lacked its previous smile, replaced by deep sorrow.
She checked left and right to make sure no one else was around before speaking her true thoughts.
"Why? Why can't I find a boyfriend? Clearly… clearly, my friends who graduated at the same time are already married, and some even have kids old enough to run errands. Why don't I even have a boyfriend?"
"Huh? This aura… it's so strong."
The resentment emanating from Ms. Kotori startled Inaba Tsukiyo. Such strong resentment? Did she want a boyfriend that badly?
In Inaba Tsukiyo's judgment, Ms. Kotori's current aura was no less than the aloof Tohka when she first appeared, completely devoid of her usual classroom smile.
"Mo~ I want a boyfriend too! I want to go on dates with a boyfriend like everyone else! I want to go to fancy restaurants to eat! I want to show off my relationship with my boyfriend to my friends!"
"…"
Having witnessed Ms. Kotori's unexpected side, Inaba Tsukiyo lost much of her interest and simply slipped away.
I never expected that Teacher Kozu, who usually appeared gentle and kind, would have such worries. It's truly surprising.
I wonder to what extent this resentment will evolve in five years. Will even her own students become her targets? I always felt that Teacher Kozu's gaze at Shiori, who was dressed as a boy, was strange. Could it be that she's set her sights on Shiori?
"onee-chan! Hurry! Hurry up!"
"Ah~ mo~ Wait for me~ Kotori. If you run so fast, you might fall, you know."
"No way, hehe~ onee-chan underestimates Kotori. Kotori wouldn't be so careless."
A pair of sisters ran past Inaba Tsukiyo. Their conversation interrupted Inaba Tsukiyo's thoughts, causing Inaba Tsukiyo to widen her eyes and watch a blue-haired Little Loli chase a red-haired Little Loli with pigtails.
"This is... Kotori and Shiori when they were little?"
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