Kissing My Student, It's Over if We're Caught-Chapter 2Volume 1 .3 - Things I Dislike: Cheating, Thieving Cats

“Hajima-sensei, do you drink a lot?”

“I like drinking, but I’m quite a lightweight… but I don’t get drunk off one or two drinks.”

“Oh, that’s a bit disappointing. You like it but can’t handle much.”

“What about you, Kurei-sensei?”

“You’ll see on the day. It’ll be fun.”

…This means she probably drinks quite a bit.

Seeing her smirk confidently, I had that gut feeling.

“By the way, they’re collecting fees for the day in advance, right?”

“You don’t have to pay, Hajima-sensei.”

“Really? Is that okay?”

“Of course, you’re the guest of honor.”

“…Is that really okay?”

“It’s fine. You’ve worked hard this semester, so please enjoy without worrying.”

“I wonder if I really did well…”

It feels like I mostly just troubled Kurei-san for help.

“Neither the principal nor I praise someone who hasn’t worked hard, you know?”

The mention of the principal’s name probably comes from the meeting involving Kurei-san and me the other day.

──You’ve worked hard this semester.

──We’re grateful you’ve been here without taking any days off. You did well.

──Your responsibilities will gradually increase, but let’s keep working hard.

That was the gist of the conversation.

Kurei-san also mentioned, “You managed to create the exam questions properly, and there were no issues with how you conducted your classes.”

“Being humble is important, but being too humble can be troublesome for those around you.”

“…I’ll be careful.”

“Hehe. Whether praised or not, the next challenges will come soon anyway. In fact, it feels like you’re already facing them.”

“…You mean managing the class, right?”

Before the final exams started, a little problem had arisen in my class.

“The plan for the school presentation day isn’t decided yet, right?”

“That’s right…”

At Mori Kawara Academy, right after the summer vacation starts, there’s a presentation day for middle school students considering our school and their guardians.

The students also plan mock shops and events to liven up the presentation day. It’s somewhat like a cultural festival.

Each class receives a budget from the parents’ association and uses it to do something. What they do is up to the students to decide.

“You still can’t get the opinions to come together?”

“…I really want to decide during tomorrow’s homeroom.”

“Right. Considering the preparations, tomorrow is the deadline.”

“I shouldn’t interfere, should I?”

“Preferably not. If things get too messy, you might have to step in—but the students who didn’t have their opinions favored will be unhappy.”

…Hmm, I scratched my head.

“Make sure to decide within time so you can come to the drinking party feeling good.”

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

“And if we can’t decide?”

“You have to decide.”

“…Yes.”

I’ve always been bad at resolving conflicts.

…It would be best if the students decided on their own.

●●●

The next day. All the final exams were finished.

Normally, classes would end at noon, but only my class was scheduled to stay in the afternoon for a homeroom session.

The agenda was what to do for the presentation day.

Opinions were split right down the middle.

“So, it’s gotta be a maid café,” argue a few boys.

“No, we should do something more reliable like a mock shop,” counter a few girls.

Both sides include members of the class’s top caste. The boys are led by Azuma. The girls, by Kasahara.

Students who don’t actively speak up just silently watch the debate unfold.

Thanks to several days of discussion, opinions have started to converge somewhat.

Initially, besides the maid café, there were suggestions like a haunted house or a dart bar causing a clutter.

After much debate, it was narrowed down to two options.

But they can’t seem to settle on one. Kasahara, representing the girls, passionately argues.

“Are we going to do a maid café for the presentation day and then the same thing for the cultural festival? Won’t that get boring? Why not go with a standard mock shop this time? Though we won’t know which one until we draw lots.”

The school can provide equipment for takoyaki plates, yakisoba or okonomiyaki plates, and cotton candy machines.

All of them are relatively easy profit-makers as long as the cost of ingredients is managed.

Classes without their unique ideas almost always apply for mock shops.

And the profit from the summer presentation can add to the budget for the autumn cultural festival.

In essence, it’s possible to save up in the summer and go all out for the festival.

The girls opposing the summer maid café are focusing on this point.

“But there are people who do the same shop in summer to improve the quality for autumn, right?” argue the boys.

“You guys just want to see us in maid outfits, don’t you?” accuses Kasahara.

“That’s not it,” defends Azuma, the boys’ representative.

“Anyway, what do boys even do in a maid café? Dress up with us?”

“That could be fun. It’d make for a good laugh.”

“Who would want to see that?”

Ultimately, Azuma and Kasahara end up arguing, and the discussion hardly moves forward.

“Is a maid café even that interesting?”

The discussion doesn’t progress but seems to regress.

“If it’s a café, you’re going to prepare tea and snacks, right?”

“Just some random snacks and boxed juice are fine.”

“Wearing clothes we don’t usually wear, serving whatever, and that’s it? Isn’t that just boring?”

“Well, we could set up a stage in front of the blackboard, sing songs or something…”

With no consensus in sight and the atmosphere turning sour…

…I’m tired.

…I want to go home.

Everyone feels that way.

“…So, what do you think, Sensei?”

Pushed by the girls, Azuma seeks my help.

“Um… I’d rather not interfere too much. We’re encouraged to let students decide.”

The moment I voiced my honest thoughts, I could feel the entire class cooling off.

Suddenly, the face of my former company’s boss flashed through my mind, and I tried to connect my words.

“Well, since it’s not decided yet, that’s why you’re asking me, right?”

Right, right, students nod here and there.

Both the heated debaters and those eager to leave turn their attention to me.

…What should I do?