Can I Still Be Your Heroine Even Though I'm Your Teacher?-Chapter 4Volume 3 .3 - To Continue or Not?

To Continue or Not? 3

At an okonomiyaki restaurant a few stations away from school, the Class 2-C pep rally was held.

It was a large group, half the class, but we managed to squeeze into the vacant tatami seats.

The tables naturally split into groups of boys and girls, so I couldn’t find a moment to talk to Akira.

Whenever I checked on Akira, I was teased with comments like,

“Oi, do you want to be with your girlfriend? This isn’t a date, you know.”

Before that, a table of hungry boys was a merciless battlefield.

Anything cooked on the hotplate was devoured in an instant, and if you weren’t careful, you’d never get full.

“Hey, that’s what I was cooking!”

“You’re eating too much by yourself”

“Ugh, it’s undercooked”

“You burned it, idiot!”

“Don’t use your own chopsticks!”

“I can’t use this spatula properly”

“Can we get another order, please?”

If you got distracted, you’d miss out on eating.

Realizing this, I gave up and focused on my meal.

I wasn’t used to eating with such a large, noisy group, so it felt fresh.

Finally, when things settled down, I stood up to go to the bathroom. When I returned, my seat had been taken by someone else, so I stepped outside the restaurant.

Touching the outside air, I realized that the smell of okonomiyaki had completely permeated my body.

【Yuunagi: Tenjō-san, I’m sorry about today.

Have you had dinner?

Because we ended up going out to eat with everyone, I couldn’t do my turn for dinner duty. Sensei was in the classroom, so she understands the situation, but I couldn’t contact you until now.】

I was reluctant to send a personal message to my homeroom teacher while surrounded by classmates.

The reply came quickly.

【Reiyu: There’s some beef stew left over from before, so don’t worry.

Enjoy yourself without concern.】

“Good...”

“Nikki, you were out here?”

Mayuzumi-san also came outside.

“Isn’t it cold outside? The summer was so long, but autumn is flying by.”

Mayuzumi-san then stood beside me.

“Contacting Akiaki? You don’t have to worry, I’ll make sure you two get some alone time later.”

“No, it’s from my stepsister. She’s planning to take the entrance exams for our high school, so she said she’s coming to the cultural festival.”

I quickly made up an excuse.

Now that it was known that Tenjō-san was my homeroom teacher, there was no reason to refuse Kaguya’s visit. She herself had said she definitely wanted to come during our meal the other day, so it seems she will show up on the day.

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“That cute stepsister, huh? I wonder if she and Akiaki will end up fighting again when they meet.”

“If that happens, I’m counting on Mayuzumi-san to mediate smoothly.”

“Isn’t that your job, Nikki?”

“Do you think those two will listen to me?”

“I don’t know about your stepsister, but I think Akiaki is different now.”

After a smile, Mayuzumi-san turned to face me with a serious expression.

“Nikki, thank you.”

“What for?”

“For becoming my accomplice.”

“It still feels like a heavy burden. It often makes my heart ache...”

It’s just the two of us now, so I can speak my true feelings.

“Is that what you were talking about earlier, Nikki? The guilt you feel towards the person you like?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you officially in a relationship with that person?”

“...If you ask me if it’s official, I might not be able to say for sure.”

“Nikki, rather than straining yourself with a painful stretch, it’s more enjoyable to notice the happiness that’s close by.”

“I wonder. Being too close can also bring a lot of trouble.”

That’s enough to deal with just with Kaguya’s case.

No, in reality, I’m not hardened. Ever since it was revealed that Sensei is my neighbor, these feelings of love began to take on a clear shape.

Even if it’s a relationship I can’t talk about publicly, these invisible emotions definitely exist within me.

“Nikki, you’re so cold. To neglect love, are you really a high school student?”

She speaks with a cunningness reminiscent of a certain politician.

“What’s with that tone?”

I burst out laughing involuntarily.

“Come on! Love is a compulsory subject of youth, and if you’re not careful, you might fail.”

...If that’s what it means, then I might as well say I’ve skipped a grade.

I’m always desperate to pass.

Because I’m serious, I can’t just settle for anything. If I get distracted, the possibility is cut off.

“I don’t understand the passing criteria.”

“Ririka doesn’t understand either. Actually, I have zero experience in love.”

She sticks out her tongue cutely with a “tehe.”

“Really!?”

Mayuzumi-san is cute, a good talker, and has a good vibe, so she should be able to charm anyone.

“Yeah. I don’t understand the feeling of truly liking someone. That’s why I want to watch and support everyone else’s love. Maybe then Ririka will be able to fall in love...”

Mayuzumi-san’s profile looked somewhat lonely.

“That’s why, Ririka wants to remain a spectator in the front row〜”

She quickly returns to her usual smile and wraps it up with a light tone.

Even though she watches others’ romances from close by, she never becomes a participant herself.

“Don’t you ever think about starting your own romance?”

“Not at all.”

Her response was straightforward.

I had always felt that Mayuzumi Ririka was the leading figure in youth events. She actively participates in events like the cultural festival, leading her class and involving everyone.

When Akira was in trouble, she would forcefully solve it, calling herself an accomplice.

“And to think you made me play the boyfriend role. It’s not fair. “

“Akiaki is Ririka’s oshi, so it’s special.”

“Oshi? Like the way fans use it for idols?”

The relationship between Kuhouin Akira and Mayuzumi Ririka had always been a mystery.

Mayuzumi-san was unilaterally attached, and Akira seemed to respond with a sense of annoyance.

I thought we were close enough friends to have casual conversations without reservations, but it seems slightly different.

“Yeah! Ririka has been supporting Akiaki since she was in the track and field club!”

She beams with pride about her long history as a fan, clearly someone who is passionate about her “oshi” activities.