12: Night with Sensei
“Ah, Nagiura.”
“Ugh, Takatsuki Sensei.”
After finally parting ways with the persistently clinging Kamidama, I headed home and ran into Takatsuki Sensei, whom I had earlier shaken off by sprinting. Oh no, do I have to run again? I thought, but my entire body was protesting, “I don’t want to run anymore!” so I decided to give up gracefully.
In life, giving up is sometimes crucial. Besides, I would see her tomorrow anyway.
Homeroom teachers are a hassle. Though, encountering her was still better than being found by a police officer.
“Oh, this time you’re not running away. Have you developed a sense of guilt?”
“Well, something like that. Should I just prostrate myself in apology?”
“Your sense of guilt is stronger than I thought… No, you don’t need to do that! Your head isn’t worth that much!”
I had stopped my bicycle and seamlessly knelt to the ground, prompting an exasperated response from Takatsuki Sensei. It seemed she preferred seeing people with higher status prostrate themselves. Such a bad taste… But this posed a problem.
If my best apology meant nothing, then all I could do was endure her scolding. She might even contact my parents.
Oh no… I really don’t want that.
Hoping she might let me off the hook, I looked at her pleadingly, like an abandoned puppy, and she sighed in exasperation.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that, as if I’m the bad guy here.”
“But you’re the one who caught me, so it’s your fault, sensei.”
“That’s quite a tricky way to shift blame… Are you sure about this? I have control over your grades, you know.”
“Abuse of authority…! You monster! Demon! Yokai!”
“And I can also call your parents right now.”
“Would seppuku suffice?”
“Why are you suddenly talking like a samurai…?”
Thinking it was my last resort, I saw Takatsuki Sensei giving me a look that said, “Your blood and flesh aren’t worth that much…”
“I wonder what Kamidama sees in you…”
“She likes me because I was her husband in a past life.”
“I heard that, but it’s just a joke, right?”
“…”
“…What?”
When she gave me a look that asked if I was serious, I returned her gaze with an expression that conveyed it was the truth, leading to a few seconds of silence.
Takatsuki Sensei’s expression turned into one of wanting to ask, “Why would that be…?” But that was what I wanted to know the most.
How did it come to this past life and husband setting?
It would be amusing if it were fiction, but unfortunately, it was non-fiction.
And I was cast as the husband.
What kind of choice was that?
“Hmm… Well, maybe someone that forceful suits you.”
“You sound like you understand me.”
“Maybe not understand, but I’ve seen you for a year, so I know a bit about you. Like how you’re a twisted loner—oh, anyone could see that.”
“Excuse me? I didn’t ask for an attack?”
While it was an undeniable fact, I wished she had sugarcoated it a bit. What if I got hurt?
As a teacher, she should treat her students more kindly.
“Damn, you’re an eccentric keeping a loser band guy who ate the String-String Fruit, Model Bandman…”
“I’m not keeping him! I’m just helping with his life a bit!”
“That’s what people call keeping someone…”
And it’s not just a bit. You’ve been living together for over two years, as you mentioned recently.
The image of competent people getting entangled with freeloaders definitely came from her influence. As you can tell, I had a bit of a rapport with Takatsuki Sensei.
But it was nothing that crossed the student-teacher boundary.
We had a small incident in my first year that led us to occasionally talk about personal matters.
That’s all. Hence, it was almost the first time I had run into her on my way home.
A teacher would go home at this time, too. Seeing her outside school made me realize teachers are ordinary people. Of course, there are no special people, so it’s natural.
But she looked different outside the school. Usually, her blonde hair was tied up, but now it was loose, giving her the look of a tired working woman. That’s exactly what she was.
The only difference was that the “I’m tired” aura she subtly exuded at school was now at full strength.
I felt a bit sorry for her and thought I should let her go home soon.
“Well, I’ll be off. Be careful going home, sensei.”
“That’s supposed to be my line… Hey, Nagiura.”
“Yes?”
I had already turned my back to her but stopped and looked back.
Takatsuki Sensei, somewhat back in teacher mode, spoke kindly.
“How’s home?”
“Same as ever, for better or worse.”
“I see, that’s good.”
“It is…?”
“As long as it’s not worse, maintaining the status quo is a positive. Especially for you, there’s no need to rush.”
With that, she told me to be careful and walked away, her heels clicking in the night.
After watching her leave, I resumed my walk home and soon arrived.
I put my bicycle in the shed and locked it.
Then I took out another key and opened the house door.
Footsteps pattered towards me, and two people appeared.
“Welcome home, Uraku.”
“Welcome home, Uraku.”
“Asahi, Sanae, I’m home. Sorry for being late.”
I bowed my head slightly and went to wash my hands in the washroom.
Aimoto Asahi and Aimoto Sanae.
They were my new father and mother.