In the end, I decided to still go upstairs even though there were only a few minutes left before the bell rang.
Upon arriving at the door of Hayashi-sensei’s office, I lifted my arm to knock at the door.
However, before my knuckle hit the door, it opened from inside, revealing the resident of the office.
With one of her hands on her lab coat pocket, Hayashi-sensei looked at me with raised eyebrows. Her expression was unreadable but beneath her glasses, I could tell she wasn't amused at how late I showed up.
She took a step backwards and turned sideways, gesturing for me to step in.
When the door closed again, she shot her question.
“So, where have you been?”
I scratched my head before honestly admitting, “In one of the offices below. Time got lost on me, sensei.”
Hayashi-sensei scoffed, “Hah. I see… Forget it. Do your report tomorrow. Go back now.”
“Are you mad, sensei?”
“What’s there to be mad about? I don’t hold you by the neck. Just make sure nothing gets out. Whoever was with you would be in deep trouble if someone found out.” Hayashi-sensei waved her hand and made her way back to her table
“Was it that obvious to you, sensei?”
That was a foolish question. Given how I was increasingly growing close to her, suspecting the other teachers that I often deal with wouldn’t fly off her head.
I was the only one deluded enough to think that I was slick at hiding it from her.
“Do you believe I won’t notice your shameless intimacy with them? Onoda-kun, once someone gets to know you better, it is extremely easy to notice your habit. You’re awfully extra considerate to those you hold dear. Even if you try to hide it, it shows.”
I put on a wry smile, “Then, sensei. An apology is due from me. I’m sorry for deceiving you.”
“I’m turning a blind eye because it’s you. Don’t make me regret my decision. Your parents would be mortified if a scandal blew up with you in the center.”
“I’ll be extra careful, sensei.”
“I do not need you to tell me that. Just do it, shameless brat.”
Without looking at me, she picked up a folder from her desk and draped her stethoscope around her neck before walking back.
Clearly, she’s about to go back and fill the role of the mysterious school nurse again.
I bowed slightly in apology, but the moment she passed by me, I wrapped my arms around her from behind, stopping her in her steps.
“Sensei, how can I make it up to you?" I asked while fully expecting her to wriggle out of my grasp, but she didn’t.
Instead, she pinched the back of my hand locked on her waist, "That's for making me wait. Now, let go of me."
I winced from the pinch but endured it. I deserved that and more, after all.
"I realized my errors in my way, sensei. But can I hold you for a bit longer? Just until the bell rang."
"You... I'm being lenient to you and this is how you repay me?" Despite her stern tone, it lacked her usual strictness. One that would scold me mercilessly.
I guess that was the result of our growing closeness, huh? Should I really take advantage of that?
Yeah. This was me being scummy again.
I could feel her body tense for a moment before she sighed and leaned back slightly into my embrace.
"Once the bell rang, you're out of here." She said firmly as I could sense her pulse racing from our closeness.
"Yes. I promise." I swiftly answered before slightly loosening my hold on her. It was quite tight, after all. She might find it hard to breathe.
Hayashi-sensei didn't say anything else anymore and just waited. She also didn't turn her head to, at least, glance at me. She kept her sight in front of her, staring at the door.
Just , silence passed between us as the sound of the nearby wall clock acting like a ticking bomb counting down to the moment when I would release her.
There's no point explaining anymore since it would just sound like an excuse and Hayashi-sensei probably didn't want to talk to me either. So, I just held her from behind, feeling her warmth and the rhythm of her breathing. It was surprisingly comforting for both of us.
And soon, the dreadful sound of the bell rang, signaling the end of this moment.
Hayashi-sensei stepped away from my embrace, straightening her lab coat and smoothing down her hair.
As she reached for the doorknob, she said, "Go back to your class soon. I don't want to hear you skipping. There are only a few weeks left before the summer vacation. Behave."
"Yes, sensei. I'll be good."
"As if you're going to listen to me." Leaving that along with a sigh, she stepped out of her own office, leaving me behind. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ novel⟡fire.net
I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly as I watched her back disappear before my eyes. Clearly, the progress I made before put me a few steps back. She only let me hold her because she knew I wouldn't let go.
The afternoon classes also had nothing to write home about, and when the 7th period arrived to start with our class's initial preparation for the Cultural Festival, Nami and Mio headed the discussion again while Shimura, Chii and I assisted them.
Ogawa was put on the sidelines but the guy was also doing his part without looking grumpy. He's really turning over a new leaf but well, after everything was said and done, my pettiness toward him was still alive and kicking. I just wasn't acting on it.
Nami and Mio once again assigned the roles for everyone. With our theme, the Haunted Mystery Room, we were to split into groups to tackle different aspects of the setup. Chii became in charge of the group who would handle props and decorations while Shimura volunteered to take charge of those who'd brainstorm for the actual mystery that would be solved through puzzles or riddles.
As for the rest of us five representatives, Ogawa was put in charge of the male students who'd act as ghosts or any other role in the mystery rooms. Nami naturally took on the counterpart for our female classmates. She wouldn't be alone because all the girls would naturally help her.
As for me... Well, despite being one of the representatives during the workshop, I decided to be Mio's assistant instead. She's still our Class Representative so she'll be in-charge of keeping track of everything. From the budget that will be released from the committee and the disbursement of it. She'll also gather contributions from everyone if we get short on the budget. But considering we won that workshop and were promised additional funding, we might not need to fork out our money anymore.
As her assistant, I'll ensure that everything is correct or if she misses something, I'll point it out to her.
With that, our first day of preparation got our class divided into four different groups.
The props group, the brainstorm group, the male group, and the female group.
With enthusiasm still at the maximum, the classroom became buzzed with discussions.
I wonder. Will we be able to pull everything off?