Chapter 10 The Misunderstanding Continues...

The Misunderstanding Continues…

Nakano, dressed in casual clothes, stopped in front of us.

When he glanced at me, he wore an awkward smile as he opened his mouth.

“W-Where have you been? You’re coming back at this hour, so you must’ve been somewhere, right?”

“Y-Yeah! We went to a café with delicious cake…”

“Wait… with Kyogoku?”

“Yeah.”

“…I-I see.”

An awkward silence hung in the air.

Nakano forced a strained smile, trying to smooth things over.

“You’ve gotten pretty close with Kyogoku, huh. I’m surprised. I never thought Akari would get along with any particular guy like this.”

“Y-Yeah! Now that I think about it, Kyogoku-kun might be my only guy friend.”

Am I really in such a rare position for Irara?

Well, considering how we met…

If things had been normal, I don’t know if we’d even be talking like this.

“H-Hee… So, is Kyogoku really that important to you?”

“…Yeah. He’s a really good person.”

“A good person, huh…”

Nakano stared at me suspiciously.

Or rather, it was more like he was glaring at me.

Just how wary is Nakano of me?

But I guess it can’t be helped.

After all, I’m hated by everyone in the school.

“Well, it’s not like I have the right to interfere with Akari’s friendships anymore.”

…That’s unexpected.

I never thought Nakano would say something like that.

Just the other day, he was butting in left and right.

“I mean, Kyogoku already told me off recently. So as someone who’s known Akari since childhood, I’ll step back. It can’t be helped.”

What’s with that “Oh well, I guess I’ll be the bigger person” vibe?

This guy still hasn’t shaken off his weird delusions.

“But hey, let me just clarify one thing. I know I did something terrible. I cheated, and I hurt Akari. …But, my feelings for Akari aren’t a lie. I mean it, as someone who spent so much time with Akari.”

Seriously, this guy doesn’t learn.

Every word he says is so full of contradictions.

At this point, his delusions are just exhausting.

“Well, that’s all I wanted to say. Right, Akari?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah…”

“Thanks.”

Nakano flashed a breezy smile before walking away.

As he passed by me, he leaned in and muttered near my ear,

“If you ever hurt Akari, I won’t let you off easy.”

With that, Nakano walked away.

He still doesn’t understand anything.

Why does he act like he’s Irara’s one and only guardian?

And besides, you’re the one who hurt Irara.

You cheated on her, remember? …Damn it.

Every time I see or talk to him, the frustration builds up inside me.

“Ahaha… S-Sorry about that. For everything…”

“—Don’t apologize, Irara.”

“…Huh?”

“Irara hasn’t done anything wrong. So please don’t apologize. And I don’t want you to feel even a little bit sad or guilty about any of this. Your smile is… too precious to waste.”

“…!!!”

The moment those words left my mouth, I froze.

W-What the hell did I just say…?!

“O-Okay! I won’t apologize! I won’t be sad either! I’ll keep smiling!!”

“T-That’s… that’s a bit much. I mean, it’s okay to be sad sometimes. Just… not about Nakano, or, well…”

My words stumbled over each other.

If I kept talking, I’d probably end up saying something really embarrassing.

“Anyway! J-Just don’t apologize, okay?”

“O-Okay!”

As if to escape the awkwardness, I started walking.

But then…

“Ah, we’re already at the intersection…”

What unfortunate timing.

We’d arrived at the point where Irara and I had to part ways.

If we said goodbye here, I’d be left with an uncomfortable sense of incompleteness gnawing at me all evening.

I wanted to linger a bit longer, to smooth things over, to leave on a more natural note…

But someone like me sticking around longer would probably just annoy her.

“Well, I guess I’ll—”

“…Are you going home already?”

“…!!!”

Irara looked up at me with wide, pleading eyes.

That soft, hesitant voice was enough to stop me dead in my tracks.

“…I’ll walk you home. I mean… it’s getting kind of late.”

“Really?! Ehehe, then I’ll take you up on that offer!”

“Y-Yeah…”

Making a clumsy excuse, I fell in step beside an overly cheerful Irara as we started walking again.

Honestly, Irara Akari is such a charming girl.

Not just in how she looks, but in her actions, her words, and her expressions too.

…It’s almost unfair.

And so, we chatted about trivial things as I walked Irara home.

One day, after homeroom…

Normally, I’d head straight home, but today I’d been called to the staff room.

Anytime I’m called here, it’s never for anything good.

Absolutely never.

“Excuse me.”

“Finally, you’re here, Kyogoku.”

A hand waved lazily from a desk near the window.

When I go towards the hand, I see rows of sake bottles lined up on, around, and even under the desk.

…Seriously, this person.

“You’re late. I finished grading all the quizzes while waiting for you.”

“Well, at least the work got done, right?”

“By the way, your face still looks scary. Are you getting enough sunlight?”

“That’s… an impressively smooth insult. And no, my face has nothing to do with sunlight…”

“I see. That’s unfortunate.”

…What does that even mean?

Honestly, she never fails to act completely un-teacher-like.

Despite this “female teacher,” sharp business suit and glasses, which make her look extremely competent, her personality is thoroughly rotten.

“I’m running low on a🬀cohol. Should I dilute hand sanitizer and drink it?”

“You’ll die!!!”

—Suzaku Mayumi 朱雀真弓.

My homeroom teacher.