Can I Still Be Your Heroine Even Though I'm Your Teacher?-Chapter 2Volume 3 .6 - Interlude - Disqualified as a Teacher
Interlude 2
Disqualified as a Teacher 2
“Yeah.”
Yuunagi-kun let out a grand sigh.
“Sensei, you really do care about your student. To make such a painful decision again, even though you can’t come to terms with it. Still, If you push yourself too hard, Tenjō-san will be the one to break.”
“And on top of that, I’ve dragged you into this mess. It’s the worst, isn’t it?”
“That’s right. If it were any other guy, they would either be furious or blatantly taking advantage of the situation.”
“Taking advantage?”
“Isn’t it like giving permission to openly cheat?”
“That’s not it at all!”
I stood up, vehemently trying to deny it, and lost my balance with too much force.
My legs were numb from sitting in seiza.
I fell to the floor, collapsing into his arms.
“Um, let’s just say this was an accidental fall.”
Yuunagi-kun tried to pull away immediately, attempting to remove his arm from around my back.
“…I swam too much today.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll probably have muscle soreness tomorrow, and I haven’t eaten dinner, so I’m too famished to move.”
“That means…”
“I can’t move.”
“————I’m also tired from preparing the meal, so I’ll take a little break.”
He understood my roundabout wish and relaxed his strength.
Feeling his body warmth and touch, I almost felt like crying.
“You didn’t understand what you were agreeing to, allowing infidelity like that.”
“——Ugh.”
The idea of granting permission for cheating had never crossed my mind due to my immense trust in him.
My own words added insult to injury.
“…I trust you, Yuunagi-kun.”
“Your face doesn’t look like you trust me. It’s full of anxiety.”
“But, you know…”
He gently wiped away my tears with his hand.
“If you’re going to pretend to be strong, do it more convincingly. I’m about to die of guilt here.”
“I can’t have Yuunagi-kun die on me. I don’t want to be a widow〜”
I threw a childish tantrum.
Even the premature worry of not being married yet made me sad just imagining such a future.
I want to be together as long as possible, forever.
That is the eternal love I yearn for.
“With this, it’s hard to tell who’s the older one.”
“If only you were the adult, I wouldn’t have to worry like this.”
“I think that every day.”
His agreement made my cheeks loosen.
“But if we weren’t teacher and student, we wouldn’t have met.”
“If my family situation hadn’t been problematic, I wouldn’t be living alone, and I couldn’t have become Tenjō-san’s neighbor.”
“If I hadn’t shared food with you, we wouldn’t have noticed each other’s existence.”
Life is strange.
Even if there are unpleasant or painful things, they can lead to new happiness and joy.
A current failure doesn’t mean everything is over.
“If I catch a cold, you take care of me, and when I was troubled with my relationship with my stepsister, you took me to the sea and pushed me forward, suppressing your own feelings. And now, you’ve made me lie about being a classmate’s boyfriend—something you hate the most.”
“————Ughh.”
His kindness, understanding everything, tightened around my heart.
That he supports me, full of flaws, without abandoning me, makes this younger man too good of a person.
“That’s why I worry and can’t leave you alone. It’s because Tenjō Reiyu is so straightforward and uncalculating that Nishiki Yuunagi fell for you.”
“…You won’t change your mind for another girl, will you?”
A lingering insecurity made me ask such a trivial question.
It was probably because of the conversation with my best friend the other day.
『Honestly, he might drift towards a classmate with potential rather than an older woman who won’t let him do anything.』
So if we have a physical relationship, will that keep the feelings tied down?
That’s probably not the case.
My parents gave birth to me and then went to be with other partners without looking back at each other.
Is eternal love just an illusion in this world?
An unattainable dream?
A convenient lie?
Will the feelings in my heart one day change like my parents’ did?
I’ve never felt this way about anyone before, so I’m scared because I don’t know what will happen.
——While seeking eternal love, it’s actually me who’s doubting it.
“Tenjō-san?”
“I’m sorry. I asked something stupid.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll just keep lying as hard as I can.”
“Making a student lie… what a failure as a teacher.”
“Teachers are human too, so it’s impossible for them to be perfect.”
“That kind of kindness might lead others to misunderstand…”
Sometimes, his charm becomes frightening.
“It hurts to hear that.”
“It’s only natural for Kaguya-chan to fall for Yuunagi-kun.”
“It’s thanks to Tenjō-san that the broken family relationship I couldn’t fix on my own was mended. I can’t imagine anyone else but you.”
“How can you say such things so casually!”
I sit up from his chest to plead my case.
My face is hot. Surely, my ears must be bright red by now.
“On the contrary, Tenjō-san, you don’t express yourself enough. This is a good opportunity, so please tell me. What do you think of me?”
He looks up at me with a full-faced smile, seeking an answer.
“Um, well, that’s, you see…”
I become flustered.
“Huh, what’s that? Sensei, I can’t hear you very well. Please speak up clearly!”
“Don’t talk like we’re in class! Stop teasing an adult!”
“I don’t want to be told that by someone who plays with the innocence of students.”
“What!? I’m not doing anything like that!”
“It’s happening right now as we speak.”
“Ah?”
At that moment, I realize I’m straddling him on the floor.
A close friend had pointed out something similar to me.
The words echo in my head.
『You’re not seriously enjoying toying with the innocence of young people, are you?』
Is this what it was all about!?
I had again unknowingly done something shameless.
“It’s like I’m being attacked.”
“That’s not itー!”
I jump back, quickly putting distance between us until I reach the edge of the bed.
“Are we continuing this on the bed?”
“Just eat dinner! Let’s have dinner!”
I put on a brave front, trying to gloss over what just happened.
He forgives me with a laugh, as he always does.
We exchange honest words and share a delicious meal.
Just that is enough for me to regain my true self.
For now, this is fine.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by freēnovelkiss.com.
It’s okay, it’s only until the cultural festival is over.
Surely, everything will work out.
But reality isn’t so simple that it goes as one wishes just by praying.
The next day, when I go to school, shocking news hits me.
***
“Hey-hey, Tenjō-sensei, did you hear? Kuhouin-san and Nishiki-kun have started dating!”
The lie we had crafted yesterday had spread as if it were the truth.
