Volume 1 - CH 55

It is earlier than usual at school.

The main gate, which is usually full of students coming to school during normal hours, is quiet at this time.

We went to the shoe box without incident and went straight to our classroom. As soon as I entered the classroom, an unbelievable sight met my eyes.

It was still early in the morning, and there were already people in the classroom, which I thought was empty.

Moreover, they had notebooks and textbooks out on their desks and were studying. This is a normal scene for a person who usually studies.

But it is Takayama who has his notebook open.

He sent me a message late at night yesterday, but he was already in the classroom. I involuntarily look over to Himekawa, who is standing behind me, and with eye contact, I tell her that there is someone in the classroom.

Himekawa sneaks a peek into the classroom from my side and looks just as surprised as I am.

Oh, just like me. She doesn’t have the image of Takayama studying in the morning, does she?

Then Himekawa slipped by me and walked straight to Takayama.

Since my seat was in front of Takayama, I inevitably followed Himekawa.

“Takayama-san. Good morning. Studying in the morning?”

Takayama takes his eyes off his notebook and looks up.

I was about to laugh when I saw the look on his face.

I almost laughed.

“Hi, Himekawa-san! Good morning! Yes, this is Takayama, studying hard from this morning!”

Your language is strange, Takayama. Are you still sleeping?

I sit down on my seat while listening to their conversation, take out my textbooks and notebooks from my bag, and shove them into my desk.

“Yes. Good luck with that. Also, could you give me a few minutes for lunch today? I’d like to talk to you about the movie.”

“Yes! I understand! I can have lunch with me! Thank you very much.”

Himekawa glances at me.

Oh, you’re swinging it at me? Wouldn’t it be weird if I said something here?

“Um, does that mean I’m in on it?”

Takayama’s expression switches from sunny to cloudy and shadowy, and he looks at me.

Perhaps Takayama wanted to have lunch with Himekawa alone?

“Yes, that’s right. I’ll bring the girl I invited to the movie with me, so let’s talk a little on the rooftop.”

“I understand! I will bring lunch and wait on the rooftop! You got it, Tendo! Dash, dash!”

Takayama’s excitement is suddenly high. He is a man of ups and downs.

His lunch schedule was set, and Himekawa went to his seat early.

Takayama kept watching Himekawa’s back.

“I knew it was good. I’ve been approached. And she wants to have lunch with me!”

Oh no. Takayama’s excitement is about to reach its limit.

I’m not sure if it’s okay if we go into homeroom like this. Oh well, it’s Takayama.

Gradually, the classroom is filling up with students.

It’s still early in the morning when I usually go to school. I’m surprised that so many students are coming even at this time of the day.

“I’m going to the nurse’s office. I’ll be back before homeroom.”

“What’s wrong, Tendo? Are you sick?”

“No, it’s just my finger.”

I showed Takayama my finger. It is the finger that was slightly injured yesterday.

It doesn’t hurt as much as it did yesterday, but I’ll have the health teacher take a look at it just to be sure.

“Are you in pain? Did you put a compress on it?”

“It hurts a little bit. I put a compress on it.”

Takayama looked at my finger seriously.

What is it? Are you that concerned about it? Is he worried about me?

What, he’s as nice as I thought he’d be.

“Is this handkerchief a woman’s handkerchief? It’s very feminine for Tendo…”

Damn it, I was wrong!

“Well, I’m off to the infirmary.”

As I was leaving the classroom, Himekawa and I looked at each other.

I told her in my mind, “Don’t worry about it. I told her, don’t follow me.”

I wonder if she got the message.

—rattle—rattle—rattle

“Excuse me.”

When I opened the door to the infirmary, I could smell a little disinfectant on my nose.

“What’s up?”

A teacher in a white coat walks up to me from the back of the room. The teacher’s figure is so big that it is talked about among the students. He was swaying while walking toward me.

“Well, yesterday I did something to my finger”

“Let me see.”

We both sat down on the chair and he took a handkerchief from my finger and peeled off the compress.

He touched, rubbed, and stretched my fingers while looking at them closely.

Then, through a gap in his white coat, I see his shirt, which is now panting.

Buttons that seem to be about to fly off. I wonder if the shirt is not the right size.

“Does it hurt?”

“It hurts a little.”

“How about this?”

“That hurts!”

The doctor got up from his seat and brought something.

“Then, this will hurt a little, but bear with it.

Ouch! It hurts a little!

I was told earlier, but it hurts more than I thought it would!

He pulls, bends, and gouges his fingers.

Oh, I don’t usually bend in that direction!

“I’ll be taping it up, I guess. So come back after school.”

“I understand. Thank you very much.”

—

When I return to the classroom, almost all the students are there.

It is almost time for the homeroom teacher to arrive.

Strangely enough, the pain in my finger has subsided considerably.

As expected from a health teacher, she’s doing a great job!

“Is your finger healed?”

“It won’t heal that fast. She told me to come back after school. But the pain is pretty much gone.”

“Kuma-san, he’s good at what he does. I heard that he has a good reputation even in the athletic club.”

Kuma-san. The nickname of the teacher in the insurance office.

He has a face like a bear and a beard. And a flabby belly. When he walks, his belly shakes.

He always wears a tight-fitting shirt, so his buttons are always screaming.

However, contrary to his appearance, he is very easy to talk to and skilled.

I have heard that he often goes in and out of Kuma-san’s infirmary to consult with students about their problems. He is a very popular teacher.

—rattle—rattle—rattle

“Ah, you’re all here! Let’s start homeroom!”

My homeroom teacher shouts loudly.

My school day begins again today. I hope nothing happens at noon.