Chapter 13: The Two Sides of a Beautiful Teacher

“Excuse me.”

Lunch break── After finishing my meal in a hurry, I made my way to the faculty room.

Come to think of it, this is my first time setting foot in the high school division’s faculty room.

A teacher seated near the entrance nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw my face.

“Wh-what is it, Kiyomiya?”

“Ah, pardon me. I was wondering if Reizen-sensei is here?”

It’s not as though I’m a problem child, but being the son of the Kiyomiya family seems to make me a handful for the teachers. It’s precisely because I get reactions like this that I try to keep a low profile.

“Umm… Ah, yes, she is. Her desk is the one by the window. You can go on ahead.”

“Thank you very much,” I said, bowing politely before crossing the room toward the designated spot.

“Reizen-sensei.”

“Yes?” she replied, looking up as I called her name. Unlike the teacher who had been so startled, she greeted me with a warm, welcoming smile.

“Ah, Kiyomiya-kun. Hello.”

This was my homeroom teacher, Reizen-sensei. Her long black hair was elegantly tied in a bun, framing a gentle, beautiful face accented by red-framed glasses. Though she had a slender build, her chest was noticeably full. Her typical attire consisted of a navy jacket, a crisp white blouse, and a tight miniskirt. She was known for being a kind teacher, always wearing that gentle smile, which made her incredibly popular with the students. In fact, she was so beautiful that other classes were openly envious of us, but──

“Is something the matter? Was there something in class you didn’t understand?” she asked, her tone full of concern. “Ah, or perhaps you need some life advice? It’s quite all right. I’ll listen for as many hours as you need.”

“N-no, it’s nothing like that.”

She’s just… unusually meddlesome.

“Ah, Mama! You have to listen to my problems next time, okay?”

“Me too, me too! Mama, my boyfriend hasn’t been paying any attention to me lately.”

“I’m not your Mama!”

Two female students passing by called out to her familiarly.

 

Her tendency to meddle was so pronounced that the nickname “Mama” had already taken root among the first-years, even though we had only just entered the high school. She was apparently only twenty-four, and, as one might expect, seemed to dislike the moniker.

“…You’re not going to call me ‘Mama’ too, are you, Kiyomiya-kun?”

“I don’t think the boys use that name much,” I replied. “More importantly, there’s something I’d like to ask you about.”

“That’s a relief,” she said, visibly pleased. “Well then, please follow me.”

Reizen-sensei stood and began to walk, and I followed close behind. We left the faculty room, proceeded down the corridor for a short distance, and she opened the door to the Guidance Office, ushering me inside. We then sat facing each other across a small desk.

“I know you must be busy, so I’ll try to make this quick.”

“There’s no need to rush,” she insisted. “There is no job more important than listening to my students.”

“Isn’t it because you say things like that so earnestly that everyone calls you Mama?” I mused aloud.

“Eh?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

I really do feel bad about taking up her time, so I should just get straight to the point.

“It’s about Hisaka Sayaka from our class.”

“Ahh… Come to think of it, I’ve heard you two have been getting along well lately, Kiyomiya-kun. Thank you for that.”

“Eh? Thank you?”

“Ah, yes. You see, Hisaka-san is a bit of an outcast, isn’t she? As her homeroom teacher, I’m truly grateful that you’re being friendly with her.”

“I see, so that’s what this is about…”

This meddlesome Mama can’t help but worry about any student who isn’t fitting in.

“Reizen-sensei, have you heard Hisaka’s story?”

“Oh…? So you’re close enough to hear that story from her, Kiyomiya-kun? That changes things a little.”

“Hm?”

Did the eyes behind her red glasses just flash for a second?

“No, it’s nothing you need to be concerned about. More importantly, could you tell me what you’ve come to discuss?”

“It’s about the special scholarship.”

“Hmm, so it is about that… Now, listen. The only reason I’m aware of this is because I’m Hisaka-san’s homeroom teacher; most of the other faculty members don’t know. So, if you could, please keep this confidential.”

“I understand.”

“Yes, I’m sure I can trust you not to spread it around, Kiyomiya-kun. A girl as smart as Hisaka-san wouldn’t make the mistake of confiding in the wrong person.”

“What’s with this absolute faith you have in Sayaka?”

“Sayaka…?”

“Ah, well, she told me to call her by her first name, without honorifics…”

“Eeeh?”

Reizen-sensei suddenly took off her glasses, her gaze fixed intently on mine.

Whoa, she’s even more beautiful without them…!

“For that prideful girl to… allow a boy to call her by her first name, without honorifics. No, that’s impossible…”

“Is it really that surprising?”

“…You’re right. I overreacted,” she said, composing herself. “More importantly, we were discussing the special scholarship, weren’t we?”

Reizen-sensei put her glasses back on and let out a soft sigh.

This teacher has been acting suspiciously for a while now. Her reactions are a bit too dramatic.

“Just between us, it is indeed a ridiculous situation. It’s normally unthinkable to suddenly revoke a special scholarship.”

“Exactly. What about its legal validity?”

“I believe they’ve been quite thorough in that regard. Sōshūkan has excellent legal counsel, after all.”

“L-Legal counsel?”

This school has a legal department?

“However, even if there are no legal issues, I personally question it from a common-sense standpoint.”

“That’s what I mean. Sayaka is on that scholarship because paying tuition is difficult for her. To suddenly revoke it and demand a million yen is just too cruel. And what’s more──”

“It seems the one million yen is just for this fiscal year. From the next year onward, it will be the standard tuition fee.”

“That’s a pretty demanding amount for an ordinary family, isn’t it?”

“I certainly can’t say it’s cheap.”

“…”

I still haven’t heard the details of Sayaka’s family situation.

But no matter how optimistically I look at it, I can’t imagine her family is in a position to suddenly pay one million yen this year, and even more from the next.

“This is also just between us, but…” Reizen-sensei began, letting out a rather blatant sigh. “Apparently, the abolition of the special scholarship slot has been pending for several years.”

“Is it because there haven’t been any scholarship students in a long time? But that shouldn’t be a problem for the system itself, right? Surely our school has enough money to cover one student’s tuition.”

“That’s true, but it seems the topic of ‘abolishing the special scholarship’ has come up many times in the past.”

“Why…? Oh, I see.” I was about to ask again, but the reason dawned on me before I could. “They want to crush any possibility of a commoner getting in on academic merit alone, all to preserve this school’s status for the sons and daughters of prestigious families.”

“Cultivating the children of the upper class is Sōshūkan’s founding concept, after all, haaa” she said.

It seems she doesn’t think very highly of this completely snobbish philosophy.

At Sōshūkan, even most of the teachers hail from prestigious families, but perhaps she’s different.

“Sōshūkan is, for all intents and purposes, an educational institution, so they had maintained a stance of accepting any excellent student, regardless of lineage or wealth. However, in recent years, it seems the administration has shifted to the idea that such a pretense is no longer necessary.”

“I suppose they can come up with any justification they want,” I muttered under my breath. “That Sōshūkan is having financial difficulties due to the recession, or that it’s precisely because lineage isn’t valued as much anymore that they must make a point of educating only the children of good families.”

In any case, Sōshūkan is a private school. The general public can’t do too much about its management policies.

“I personally have my doubts about this policy as well,” Reizen-sensei confessed. “The Reizen family was once prestigious, but now we’re much closer to commoners. I have a cousin who just became a high school student, and she doesn’t even know her family’s history.”

“Heh…”

If anything, there are far more cases of prestigious families falling into decline than there are of commoner families rising to prominence. The fact that Reizen-sensei possesses a commoner’s sensibility is a blessing in this situation, but…

She seems very understanding of Sayaka, and in the first place──

“…Hm?”

“What’s wrong, Kiyomiya-kun?”

“Reizen-sensei, you just became our homeroom teacher this spring, correct? You seem to know Sayaka’s personality awfully well.”

“……!”

Her gaze darted around the room. “Th-there are handover notes from the middle school division. That’s how I know about the students’ personal matters.”

“What about me, for example?”

“That’s… I-I can’t say. It concerns how a teacher evaluates a student.”

“That’s true.”

Well, I suppose it’s not that strange for her to know Sayaka particularly well. She’s the only special scholarship student, a stunning beauty, and on top of that, an outcast in the classroom.

“More importantly, what do you intend to do, Kiyomiya-kun?”

“There’s no doubt that this is too sudden. At the very least, it should be changed to take effect from the next fiscal year.”

“Is that your stance as a student of Sōshūkan? Or as the son of the head of the Kiyomiya family?”

“As a student, of course.”

I’m in no position to represent the Kiyomiya family.

If I did something like that on my own initiative, who knows what the Kiyomiya clan would say, even over something so trivial.

“Besides, would it even be effective if I, as the ‘eldest son of the main Kiyomiya family,’ were to protest?”

“It might cause a controversy… No, it would definitely cause one. The school would likely find it quite troublesome.”

Even though she’s young, as a teacher at Sōshūkan, she seems to be well-informed about the internal affairs of my family.

“Maybe I should cause them some trouble, then…”

“You should stop, Kiyomiya-kun. You’re the one who might end up in the most difficulty afterward.”

“I’m already in a tough spot to begin with. A few more problems won’t make much difference.”

“You know, the most troubling part about you is that tendency to give up on life so easily.”

“You think so?”

Reizen-sensei is misunderstanding. It’s not that I’ve given up on life. If anything, I desire a comfortable life more than anyone.

I just have no intention of living as the heir to the head of the Kiyomiya family.

“Well then, I will protest to the chairman on my end. Let’s fight this to the bitter end.”

“Heh?”

“Legacy media is susceptible to pressure from Sōshūkan, so appealing to the public likely won’t be very effective. A modern approach would be an attack via social media, perhaps. There are conscientious families among the prestigious ones, so it’s worth trying to ask for their cooperation. You’d be surprised how many good-natured people there are.”

“R-Reizen-sensei? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden…?”

“I’m Hisaka-san’s homeroom teacher, you know,” she declared, her voice filled with conviction. “There’s no reason for me not to protect her.”

That may be true, but… is it really okay for her to go against the school like this?

“I’ve heard what you had to say.”

““Wha!?””

Suddenly, the door to the guidance office slid open with a rattle── and the one who entered was none other than Hisaka Sayaka.

“Y-you shouldn’t be listening in, Hisaka-san! This is the one place in school where eavesdropping is least permissible, you know?” Reizen-sensei stammered.

“And you two say that after having a consultation without the person in question?” Sayaka retorted coolly.

“…”

Unfortunately, she had a point.

“Especially you, Kiyomiya-kun, you’re just my classmate. There’s no reason for you to file an objection on my behalf.”

“…”

That, too, was exactly as she said.

I’m just a good-for-nothing slacker. Going against the school isn’t my style at all.

But, even so──

“Sayaka, listen. Even I──”

“But, Kiyomiya-kun, I’ve seen you in a new light,” she interrupted, her voice softening. “To do all that for my sake── thank you very much.”

“……!”

Before I could process what she was thinking, she closed the distance between us and suddenly wrapped me in a hug. Her arms went around my back, her body rubbing against mine as if seeking affection as she pressed herself tightly against me. Her large breasts crushed against my chest, and a sweet, captivating scent wafted from her brown hair. With her usual black-rimmed glasses still on, she buried her face in my chest.

“Y-your glasses… they’ll break.”

“Is that all you can say?” she murmured against me. “I might have been wrong to see you in a new light.”

“…”

Sayaka slowly moved her hands from my back, lacing them together behind the nape of my neck.

Wh-what is this? Is this some kind of reward… for protesting to the school?

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing in front of me, Saya!?”

“…Ah, that’s right. You were here, Miyabi-san,” Sayaka said, not bothering to look up.

“H-hugging a boy is shameless! If you want to hug someone, you can hug me anytime! Come on, give your Miyabi-onee-san a tight hug!”

“…Hm?”

Saya? Miyabi-san?

And somehow, Reizen-sensei’s tone just now was… really rough, wasn’t it?

Come to think of it, her full name was Reizen Miyabi.

What in the world is going on…?

 

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