CH 11

Chapter 11 – Yandere and Imitation

“Oh my, hello, Takenaga-sensei.”

“Hello, Asai-sensei. Have you gotten used to your part-time job?”

“I’m still getting used to it. At first, getting called ‘sensei’ was…”

“I know, I used to be like that. It’s embarrassing to be called a teacher when you’re a part-timer.”

“Heh~, so Takenaga-sensei too. That’s a little surprising.”

Asai-sensei is a new teacher at the cram school where I work part-time. She’s a tall, slender, serious, and pretty woman with a neat ponytail. She’s a third-year student like me, and has started working part-time to earn money to attend law school.

“How is Mina Saito-san’s class? She doesn’t listen to me very well.”

“Ah, you can only chat with her moderately. She’s a serious girl at heart, but she loses her concentration easily.”

“I see… Even now I’m learning.”

Although Asai-sensei tends to be modest, she conducts her classes so carefully that it’s hard to believe that she’s been working part-time for only a month. Unlike me, who is a bit absent-minded, she seems to be a really serious person. I must learn from her.

“Asai-sensei is in the Law Faculty, right? Why are you in the Education Faculty building?”

“Um, that’s because…”

As I waited for Asai-sensei’s reply, I felt murderous intent from behind me. Ah, I have a bad feeling.

“Senpai? Who is that woman?”

“She’s a colleague from work. Rather than that, stop glaring at someone you’ve never met before.”

Tsubaki stared at Asai-sensei through the gap in her unnecessarily long bangs. Does she not know anything about etiquette and such?

“Hmm, is she Takenaga-sensei’s girlfriend?”

“No, you’re wrong! We’re not like that!”

“I’m not his girlfriend, I’m his fiancée. We’ve been bonded since our previous life.”

“You’re complicating things, so shut the h**l up!”

As expected, Asai-sensei looks doubtful. That’s no wonder. I don’t understand Tsubaki’s behavior either.

“Uhh, her name is Honjo Tsubaki, and she’s kind of my stalker.”

“We’re spouses.”

“You’re so persistent!”

I got angry when I saw Tsubaki laughing goofily even after being yelled at. Asai-sensei caught me in a pathetic moment, and I felt strangely embarrassed.

“Hmm, I see. Thoughts of yearning accumulated, and this is how it turned out…”

“Um… Asai-sensei?”

“Rest assured, Takenaga-sensei and his girlfriend. I will save you both.”

“What?”

I don’t understand. Save? Who? Who are you trying to save? And why?

“Let me tell you clearly. Honjo-san, you are possessed by an evil spirit.”

Asai-sensei pointed at Tsubaki with a wry smile on her face. Tsubaki, on the other hand, looked at Asai-sensei’s imposing figure with a blank expression on her face.

“Ah, right… You may be perplexed to hear this all of a sudden. But, you know, there are things in this world that are beyond human understanding. Honjo-san, I can only assume that your overly strong affections are the work of evil spirits.”

I feel like it’s somehow way off. Tsubaki’s abnormality is unquestionable, but it never occurred to me that it was caused by a spirit or a ghost.

“Hey, senpai. What is really going on with this crazy woman?”

Even Tsubaki says she’s crazy.

“No… I don’t get it either. Until yesterday, she was a normal part-timer. I thought she was not only normal, but an honor student.”

“I think she would definitely be an honor student in an occult study group or something. The way she looks at me is ‘the real deal’.”

While we were whispering to each other, Asai-sensei took out some mysterious bill from her bag and began praying towards it. What is this…? It’s a mysterious sight, but I don’t appreciate it at all.

“Come on, Honjo-san. Take this bill in your hand.”

“Eh… I don’t normally do this.”

“Just take it!”

Pressured by Asai-sensei’s unusual atmosphere, Tsubaki reluctantly took the bill in her hand. Asai-sensei’s hand rested on top of it.

“Oh my kin who rest deep in the depths of the earth, manifest within these hands which hold my spear. Leave the vast meadows and quell the wandering thistle. If you do not obey, then you cannot lament your destruction. If you do not obey…”

Tsubaki looked at me with a very uncomfortable expression, but since I didn’t want to get involved, I looked away.

Before I knew it, a crowd had gathered around us, and everyone was paying attention to the bizarre scene unfolding before their eyes.

“Gugh~~~!!! Huaa! Hah… Hah… Now, I’m sure you’ll be fine, Honjo-san. Good job.”

When the sweaty Asai-sensei relaxed her hand, Tsubaki immediately shook off her grip. She glared at Asai-sensei with a sharp look on her face.

“Just what is all of this about, really? I feel terrible today, being made such a spectacle of.”

“How is it, Honjo-san? Do you feel any different?”

“It’s like the number of people I want to kill has just increased by one. I don’t know why I’m in this mess at all…”

Tsubaki glared around angrily, and the crowd moved away like spiders scattering. At the same time, I tried to run away, but Tsubaki blocked my way.

“I’m sorry, Honjo-san. You must be upset because of the rough treatment. Let’s talk again slowly.”

“I have nothing to say to you. Please go back to the land of the radio.”

“I suppose you’re right. I’ll be going home too since I’ve exhausted my spiritual energy… See you later, Takenaga-sensei, Honjo-san.”

Feeling dizzy, Asai-sensei left, almost bumping into the few remaining crowd. What the h**l was that…? Theater practice?

“…I’m sorry, Tsubaki. That was a disaster.”

“Good grief, I’m tired today, so I’m going home. Ah, senpai. Please come visit me later. The address is written in senpai’s notebook.”

“No, I’m not going!”

“It’s really the worst, that damn radio b***h… I’ll make her regret it…”

Tsubaki also left, mumbling. I don’t know what happened, but Tsubaki went away, and Asai-sensei’s exorcism(?) seems like a success? Well, from Tsubaki’s appearance, it looks like she was just upset because she was humiliated, not because of the spiritual stuff…

When I came back to my senses, I noticed that people around me were talking in hushed tones, keeping their distance from me. I wonder if I might be counted as one of the unusual people too.

…Maybe I should go home too.