CH 43

“I’d like that too, please.”

“You bite your tongue at this moment?”

“Oh, because I’m so nervous… Segawa-kun, how can you be so calm? I’m the only one who’s nervous… even though I’m a teacher.”

“I am nervous as well, but I am trying hard not to show it on my face.”

It’s amazing how my heart rate has been rapidly increasing since a while ago. If I’m not careful I might make some awkward movements.

However, as though she seemed to suspect that I was blatantly lying, Sakuramiya-sensei glared at me with half open eyes.

“Then, would you be thrilled if I did this?”

Saying so she held my left hand and then entwined her fingers with mine, like a lover’s hold.

“It will have little to no effect, as the one who initiated is much more embarrassed than me. So I’ll still stay rather calm.”

“Urghh… Isn’t that clearly unfair. I have no chance of winning that way.”

“Is this really a matter of winning or losing? Besides, the shy Sakuramiya-sensei is too cute.”

“Muu! Th-that kind of thing is unfair…”

“Haha, Sakuramiya-sensei is worth teasing.”

“I’m not really sure about this but, Segawa-kun are you a S?”

“I don’t really think it’s that way. Besides, for you I will be anything you prefer me to be.”

“Well, I don’t hate it… Rather it’s the opposite…”

“I like that kind of honesty.”

“…Tsu! Dare to say that again!”

Sakuramiya-sensei glared at me with an angry red face. However, contrary to that, the corners of her mouth were loosened in a smile as though she was enjoying the situation.

What should I do? Sakuramiya-sensei is even cuter this way. From the very first time I saw her, my opinion of her was that she was a beautiful and outgoing person, but now it seemed to have filtered even further. Looks like being lovers isn’t a bad thing.

While we were flirting without paying attention to our surroundings. Sakuramiya-sensei’s expression suddenly began to cloud over as though she remembered something.

“…Segawa-kun. Didn’t you come to the amusement park with Shinozuka-san?”

“How did you know?… Wait, were you also following us? Because it is too big of a coincidence for us to meet like this.”

“…No, that’s not true.”

“So you were following me.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Well, what’s done is done.”

When I said that, she let out a sigh of relief. After taking a few quick breaths to calm herself down, she continued.

“Seriously, I thought for sure that Segawa-kun was going out with Shinozuka-san, but… it looks like that wasn’t the case.”

“Why would you think something like that? I mean, I proposed to you and I couldn’t really do something that daring while I went to the amusement park with my girlfriend.”

“Yeah, that’s true… But you were holding hands and even feeding each other for lunch…”

“So, you were really following me, weren’t you?”

She accidentally revealed the information which she was intending to hide from the start. I smiled wryly when I heard her and in order to clear the misunderstandings, I explained the circumstances.

“––That’s why, I’m not dating Shinozuka-san.”

“I’m sorry for assuming things on my own.”

“It’s alright, you don’t have to worry about it much.”

“I see…”

“Ah…!”

“What happened?”

Suddenly, I remembered my current situation and became agitated.

I was supposed to be on a restroom break. I just came here to get a drink and I don’t know how long it’s been, but I have to get back soon or they will start to worry about me.

As I stood up from the bench, I spotted a familiar group of three girls from the corner of my eye. Perhaps they are looking for me. Perhaps they were looking in our direction.

Fortunately, they didn’t make eye contact with me, so they probably didn’t notice me as we are quite a distance away from them.

“Hey, what’s wrong with you all of a sudden?”

Sakuramiya-sensei asked me in an upset tone.

“I don’t want to say this at the beginning of our relationship, but please please just disappear somewhere Sensei.”

“That’s not something you say right at the start of a relationship… I can’t believe I am getting dumped right after I was confessed by Segawa-kun.”

“You’re wrong. I didn’t mean it that way, actually, Shinozuka-san and the others are here. If they saw you with me alone being close to each other, then it would be a really troublesome situation for me.”

After all, we are in a so-called teacher-student relationship.

The fact that we are dating is not something that can be publicly announced. It is possible to hide the fact that we have started dating from Shinozuka-san and the others, but there is still a possibility that we will get caught acting intimate with each other.

Therefore, it is better to go on separate ways for now.

In particular it would be bad if Shinozuka-san finds it out. 

I can’t deny the possibility that the whole school will get to know about it through Shinozuka-san… Well, she is not the kind of person who spreads rumors. But still, we shouldn’t take the risk of being found out.

However, now matter how long it took, Sakuramiya-sensei didn’t stand up from the bench.

“I’m so sorry Segawa-kun…”

“What happened? Why are you suddenly apologizing?”

“Actually, I accidentally sprained my leg, that’s why I can’t walk properly.”

“Are you serious…?”

It was a shocking revelation. 

Is that the reason she was sitting here alone on the bench? Was that the reason why she still stayed at the amusement park even though she could return home.

“I took a long break, so I feel much better. But, it will still be hard for me to walk alone…”

I was still sweating profusely because of our situation where someone could find us. Glancing around, I noticed that there was a haunted house nearby.

And there was no one in the waiting line, so we could enter without waiting.

“Please hold on tighter.”

“What?”

“Let’s go to the haunted house for now.”

I suggested that to Sakuramiya-sensei. I held out my hand and helped her to stand up, and then we walked quickly to our next destination.

I’ll think about what I’m going to do after entering the haunted house.

☆☆☆☆☆

PoV [Ayase Kaede] :

It all started when Shi-chan went to a flower shop, and when we returned Mi-kun was nowhere to be seen.

We couldn’t find him at the bench we had set as our meeting place. And he was not responding to any of our phone calls or messages.

We didn’t know where he was wandering around, so we looked around aimlessly. I, Shi-chan, and Mizuna-chan divided our search into two groups.

Suddenly, I found Mizuna-chan stopping in the shadows with a stunned look on her face. I wondered what was going on with her, and if he found Mi-kun or not.

“Ah, Mizuna-chan. Did you find Mii-kun?”

“…It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

“Huh?”

I was so surprised that she didn’t answer my question. 

When I followed her gaze, there I saw Mi-kun and Yumi-nee sitting on a bench, holding hands without fear of being seen.

Yumi-nee’s face was bright red. That was enough for me to understand the situation to some extent.

But before I could get upset, I couldn’t help but be concerned about Mizuna-chan’s condition.

She was chewing on her nails while her eyes had sunk like a deep abyss, her pupils were dilated as the negative aura emanating from her was painfully perceptible.

Combined with her gestures, she looked really scary.

I had an image of her as a cheerful person, who was always smiling, from the first time I met her, so I could not follow this sudden change of transformation.

While I was still stunned, Shi-chan who was standing next to me said,

“Now that’s a surprise…”