Chapter 409: Hiratsuka Shizuka's Unreliable Upperclassman
Kasugano Sora had only one thought running through her mind: what a disaster. After swapping her outdoor shoes for indoor slippers and trudging back to her classroom, the moment she collapsed into her chair, the solid wood of the desk felt like the most wonderful sanctuary in the world.
Her classmates glanced over, their expressions a mixture of curiosity and concern, as they watched her slump over her desk the second she walked in. The student sitting in front of her turned around. "Kasugano-san, what's wrong?"
"Ah... nothing..." Sora mumbled, her voice muffled by her arms. "I just... ran into Hiratsuka-sensei this morning..."
"Yikes! That sounds like a rough start to the day," the girl sympathized. "But you were almost late again today, Kasugano-san. Do you live really far away?"
Sora's reply was a faint murmur. "Not far... I just got the time wrong. I thought today was the weekend..."
The girl blinked, startled, before a giggle escaped her lips. "It sounds like you had a little too much free time before starting here," she said with a smile. "You'll probably get used to it after a while."
"Mmm... I feel like my battery's completely dead..." Sora groaned. "Why did first period have to be Hiratsuka-sensei's class... There's no way I can sneak in a nap..."
"Eh? A nap... Ah! Class is starting!"
The ringing of the school bell was a sound of pure agony to Sora. A moment later, just as she'd feared, Hiratsuka Shizuka strode into the classroom. Her eyes immediately found the listless girl.
"Kasugano-san, show some energy!" she called out, her tone exasperated.
Sora genuinely wished she were in the second year. Kure Yakusha seemed so much more reasonable than Hiratsuka Shizuka. At the very least, she wouldn't drag a student along on a dead sprint to school just to avoid being late.
By the time the class ended, Sora felt strangely less tired. She wasn't sure if it was because her physical fitness had improved or if Shizuka's energetic teaching style had somehow shocked her system back to life.
The moment the bell rang for the break, Hiratsuka Shizuka vanished. Sora stared at the empty doorway with the dead, fish-like eyes of the utterly defeated. "How is Hiratsuka-sensei so full of energy every single day...?"
"It's because you're too laid-back, Kasugano-san," her classmate chuckled. "Ah, I need to go return some books. See you later!"
At that very moment, the "disappeared" Hiratsuka Shizuka was leaning back in her office chair, leisurely reading a manga while popping macarons into her mouth. Tachibana Rimi, another teacher, walked in, rubbing the back of her neck.
"Shizuka, you're certainly taking it easy..."
Shizuka grinned, not looking up from her book. "Rimi, I've only got three classes today. The schedule is a dream."
Tachibana Rimi slumped into a nearby chair and took a long sip of water from her bottle. "Must be nice," she sighed. "I have five periods today. I think I might actually die from exhaustion. I was planning to buy the new manga volume after work, but I think I'll just go straight home and pass out..."
Shizuka finally looked up, a flicker of sympathy on her face. "You should be grateful. Don't you only have one class on Tuesday afternoons? A busy Friday is a small price to pay."
Aina Rumiwa entered the office, her movements carrying a languid air. "I'm doing alright. I average about three classes a day. But Shizuka, with all this free time on your hands, hasn't your family arranged any blind dates for you?"
A muscle in Shizuka's cheek twitched. "Don't say that as if you two have boyfriends! Haven't you both been single since the day you were born?!"
The comment was a direct hit. Tachibana Rimi visibly flinched.
Aina Rumiwa, however, remained unfazed. "Maybe," she said with a sigh, "but at least our families aren't calling us about marriage interviews. And we had guys pursue us in high school and college."
Shizuka's eye twitched violently. Damn it! Were all my classmates in high school and college blind?! A beautiful, financially independent woman like me, and not a single one made a move?! Even that ice queen Shion had a whole line of suitors! This is just unfair!
Kure Yakusha, who had been quietly sipping her tea, spoke up, her voice soft. "That is true... but it is rather strange that your family hasn't been calling you about blind dates lately, Shizuka."
Shizuka let out a triumphant little chuckle. "I told my family I was going to see a male friend tomorrow, and they immediately went silent. It's been wonderfully peaceful. And for the record, I'm not going on blind dates every day! It's three... four... five times a month, at most!"
The other teachers collectively sighed. Tachibana Rimi tilted her head, a skeptical look on her face. "Wait, Shizuka, you have a male friend? That's... unexpected."
"It's Shion... I mean, it's the President's boyfriend. Shion is just having me over to his place for dinner on Saturday."
"Oh! So that's what it is," Rimi said, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. "And here I thought you'd finally made some progress..."
Shizuka's mouth twitched again. These verbal jabs were relentless.
Kure Yakusha's eyes opened slightly, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "Ah, so it's the President. Her boyfriend is a very fine young man. His character and appearance are both excellent. He's also quite considerate, his cooking is delicious, and he certainly isn't lacking for money."
The three other teachers stared at her, stunned. The President's boyfriend? How do you know him?! And what's with that detailed review?!
Just as Shizuka was about to demand an explanation, her phone began to ring. She pulled it out and saw an unknown number. Frowning for a moment, she answered it anyway.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Eh? Eh?! Chi... Sengoku-senpai?! How did you get my number?!"
"No... that's not what I mean. It's just, Senpai, you've been completely out of touch for years. Why are you suddenly calling me now?"
"Eh? Shion? Ah, Shion is the President."
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
"Seriously?! Your cousin? An exchange student... I see. What time does your flight get in?"
"I'm really fed up with you... Alright, alright, I'll pick you up. I guess I can take your cousin to Shion's place first to get her acquainted with the environment."
"What?! Sengoku-senpai! Are you serious?! Fine, I get it! Honestly, you are unbelievable. Try to be a little more reliable! Just how much do you trust this cousin of yours, anyway...?"
After hanging up, Shizuka pressed her hand to her face, a look of complete helplessness washing over her. Why was she cursed with an upperclassman like this?
Tachibana Rimi looked at her, startled. "Shizuka, do you actually have a male friend?"
Shizuka looked up, confused. "Sengoku-senpai?"
Everyone in the room nodded.
Shizuka let out a long, weary sigh. "No, Sengoku-senpai is a woman. Her name is Sengoku Chihiro, and she's been single even longer than I have. She's also completely unreliable. I met her when I was in graduate school; she was an art major."
Kure Yakusha tilted her head. "You were a Japanese literature major, and she was in the art department. How did you two meet?"
Shizuka answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I ran into her when I went to buy manga, and we just got to know each other. Senpai said she was changing jobs again, and that 'again' part... I have a bad feeling she's up to her old, unreliable tricks."
Kure Yakusha nodded slowly, then a thought occurred to her. "Eh? Is your upperclassman coming to Koyo Academy to be an art teacher?"
Shizuka nodded grimly. "As unreliable as Senpai is, she has good genes. Her undergraduate degree is from a very prestigious art university. After that, she said she felt like she'd started working too early and hadn't figured out what she wanted to do, so she just casually took the graduate school entrance exam... and got in."
"Casually..." Aina Rumiwa murmured, impressed. "That's actually incredible... What time is her flight?"
"Three in the afternoon."
Tachibana Rimi's eyes widened. "Eh? Don't you have the first class in the afternoon session?"
"That," Shizuka said through gritted teeth, "is why I was trying to talk her out of it..."
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