Can I Still Be Your Heroine Even Though I'm Your Teacher?-Chapter 2Volume 1 .3 - The Neighbor Agreement
The Neighbor Agreement 3
“Tenjō-sensei. I know I’ve invited you to meals several times, but maybe it’s better if we don’t meet too much in private.”
She’s a person of deep emotions. I appreciate it, but I also feel somewhat guilty.
“Now that I know, I just can’t remain indifferent. If you feel hesitant to discuss with your homeroom teacher, then rely on me as your neighborhood Onee-chan.”
She said this with a bright voice and a smile.
While people might focus on her beauty, her most charming trait might be her natural kindness.
Setting aside the complicated circumstances, she certainly had the gentleness of an adult who is concerned about a high school student living alone.
“Beautiful and yet so gallant, that’s just being too greedy.”
“I feel like I can’t leave you alone because you remind me of my younger brother.”
She added this as if it was an afterthought.
“Sensei’s brother… He must be quite the handsome guy too.”
If the sister is like this, the brother must undoubtedly be good-looking as well.
“I don’t know about looks since that’s subjective, but mentally, you’re far more put-together than he is.”
“I don’t really feel like I’m all that put-together.”
“I’m the same way. Society may consider me an adult, but I don’t feel like one at all.”
“The line between adults and children seems to be vague.”
Age, experience, titles——these alone don’t make the distinction.
I guess Yuunagi Nishiki and Reiyu Tenjō are equals as human beings long as we are in this apartment.
If that’s the case, I’m happy, and I’ll try to push myself to be worthy of that.
“That’s right. I’m also a working adult with mental limitations, a woman who ended up crying in front of you.”
She says this jokingly.
“You like to act cool, don’t you, Sensei?”
“Adults hate to be embarrassed, so they don’t want to show their weaknesses. Well, it’s too late for that with you.”
“Sensei looked cute even when looking weak.”
“See, you shouldn’t tease adults like that.”
“Feeling that the beautiful Onee-san next door is attractive is a natural thing for a man.”
I say this with a romantic notion.
The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.
“Anyway, leave the moving matter to me. I’ll somehow manage to move during the summer break. Until then, I’m sorry, but we’ll have to endure living as neighbors.”
Sensei concludes.
“I’ve been living here without any problems even before I knew my neighbor was Sensei. So, there’s nothing for me to endure.”
“The sound of my alarm clock has been bothering you every morning, right?”
Sensei looked a bit guilty.
“In exchange for asking Tenjō-sensei to move, I have a suggestion too.”
“A suggestion? What is it?”
“I’ll take care of your meals from now on, Sensei.”
The words came out more easily than I expected.
“I’m surprised at how nice you are.”
Sensei looked utterly astonished.
“It’s not a big deal, just something simple for myself. I also enjoyed having Sensei eat the meals I prepared.”
“Well, that’s good, maybe?”
Sensei seemed unsure how to react.
“I get more motivated when there’s someone else’s reaction involved, rather than just cooking for myself. But please don’t expect every meal to be so moving that it makes you cry.”
“Forget about the crying!”
It seems it was quite an embarrassing incident for her.
As for me, I was glad I could see this rare side of Reiyu Tenjō.
“Sensei. Just like you, now that I know, I just can’t remain indifferent. If work is tough, I at least want you to eat properly. If you push yourself too hard and break down, it’ll be even harder to recover.”
Neglecting one’s physical and mental health is counterproductive.
Rather than worrying half-heartedly, it’s easier for me to just help out.
“That’s a really tempting offer, but no.”
Sensei regretfully declines.
“The effort to cook for one or two is about the same.”
“Having a student take care of my meals is definitely going too far.”
“No, you’ve already eaten my cooking, seen crying and sleep here. Moreover, we’ve spent a night together in the same room, right?”
I try to shake her up a bit with my suggestive wording.
“Hey, watch how you say that!”
“Isn’t it too late to be shy or pretend now? Our relationship as neighbors is only until you move out.”
“But it’s still April. There’s nearly three months until the end of the first term.”
The woman in front of me looks troubled as if feeling guilty.
“I’ve been helping my mother since I was little, so I’m used to household chores.”
Until my mother remarried, I used to cook dinner to make her happy when she came home.
“I’m not doubting your cooking skills, but…”
“I just can’t leave a working woman exhausted like that.”
“Ugh, I almost fall for you, Nishiki-kun.”
Tenjō-sensei covers her mouth with her hand.
“I don’t mind if you fall for me.”
“That’s a joke. But being there for someone in need is super attractive to a woman.”
“So, you agree to my suggestion, right?”
“It’s not fair to leave everything to you. How about we take turns?”
“You’ll definitely get worried if you can’t do it. Increasing your work is counterproductive.”
For better or worse, she’s stubborn, so I gently chide her.
“Ugh, you see right through me.”
“If Sensei gets more tired and the quality of your lessons drops, that’s a big loss for the students.”
“But it’s too much for you to do it alone.”
“It’s just part of my household chores, so it’s no problem.”
“I can manage both too… I think.”
The fact that she hesitates shows she’s an honest person.
She’s stubborn, but it’s obvious that trying to do more is unreasonable.
Her quality of life has plummeted, evident from her crying over simple curry rice. Pushing herself further is impractical.
What she really lacks is time for herself, including rest.
If I take over some household chores, Sensei can use her time for things she enjoys.
“Your personal life is in shambles because you can’t do that now. The added mental strain of your neighbor being a student and the upcoming move. Helping someone in that situation isn’t wrong.”
I list objective facts, trying to convince her.
