Boku no Kanojo Sensei Volume 9 Chapter 4

If you like our work, please follow us on our social media, join our discord and consider supporting us on Patreon:

https://discord.gg/e4BJxX6 
https://www.patreon.com/CClawTrans

Farewell, My Girlfriend-Teacher

Now then, let me comment on my previous words. Inside the hallway of the flat, the phrase I muttered towards Maka-sensei—That’s right, I said ‘Wait a bit longer’. Maybe ‘a bit’ was not the right choice there.

I know that what I’m saying is ridiculous, but I really didn’t mean to make her wait that long. Not to mention that I acted all cool about it, calling it my ‘last battle’ and whatever. It felt like I would be able to properly end everything soon, and yet…

“And yet, it’s October now…It’s fall…despite everything I said back in spring…”

I completely messed up. Just as my homeroom teacher said, time passes terrifyingly fast. Faster than anything I had ever felt. As I was busy with solving the problems in front of me, I blinked once, and fall arrived. I didn’t even get to go on a BBQ this summer, nor did we visit a hot spring or the river. Most of my summer break I spent at the library, studying. With no plans of studying at an outsider university, I was fine with Tenka-san and Enri helping me out here and there.

As I figured, studying all on my own with nobody around is pretty tough. If I have a partner with me, I can focus much better. Especially with these two strict teachers. I’d rather not wrap Miharu into this, since she’s busy with her remote studies, and she’s even a year beneath me. Not like Tenka-san or Enri lose much if they help me, since it’s good practice for them. Not to mention that they’re properly studying on the side. And yeah, my last summer in high school practically ended with me studying like my life depended on it.

“Ah, it’s Onii-chan.”

“Oh, Makoto-san.”

Right as I headed to the room I was aiming for, I ran into my little sister and Enri in the hallway.

“The new and old student council president, both together huh. You still haven’t finished the last procedures?”

The other day, at the end of the student council election, my own little sister Saigi Miharu was elected as the new student council president. Of course, with her achievements as the vice president, it ended in an overwhelming victory for her.

“They have been finished already, but…your little sister just couldn’t bring herself to get motivated.”

“Miharu never really wanted to become the student council president after a..”

“I mean, you would have won even without caring about the election. Can’t just betray their expectations now, Miharu.”

“Hmpf, Miharu is supposed to be the carefree character.”

I guess that even Miharu would feel bad betraying such an excessive amount of expectations put on her.

“Well, it’s fine. Becoming an influential person once in a while doesn’t hurt…”

“S-Scary. I’m worried to leave you in control here…”

Just like the former student council president she respected, Enri seems to be intent on not being too involved with the new student council after she retires. But, with the reformation Miharu pulled through as the vice president, it might be a bit dangerous to leave her alone. I’m just glad to know that Enri’s taking care of her.

“So, what are you doing, Onii-chan?”

“I was called to the future counselling guidance room.”

“W-What did you do!? Are you both siblings trying to wear down my mentality!? Is my high school life a game of sorts?!”

“You say some cruel stuff, alright. If I did anything, I’d be sent to the student guidance room.”

“Ah, that’s right…But, why the future guidance room? And at this time? Is it related to that from earlier?”

“Well, somewhat…”

“How beautifully vague…” Enri narrowed her eyes as she looked at me.

No clue how I should explain this to her except being clear.

“Onii-chan, you’re staying inside Seikadai for the university, right? You told our parents about that as well.”

“Yup, no change in that.”

I’m not Karen-senpai after all. Nobody would call out to me to offer me to study overseas. I did work hard with my studies—but not so that I can study outside Seikadai.

“Yet, you were called there? It’s Fujiki-sensei, right?”

“Future guidance is the job of the responsible homeroom teacher after all.”

“Hmm…”

“What is going on? Am I not getting something?”

Enri observed both our faces, and tilted her head in confusion. That’s right, Enri doesn’t know anything about my relationship with Maka-sensei, nor about the organization that only has a single member right now. I don’t like the idea of hiding something from a long-time friend, but…

“…One day I’ll tell you, Enri.”

“…If you say so. Curiosity killed the cat, as they say, so I won’t pry into it any further.”

“Sorry about that.”

I heard that Enri plans on staying at Seikadai as well, which means that we’ll spend the next four years together as well. During that time, I’ll tell her eventually. About everything so far—and today as well.

“Onii-chan, you okay? Can you go alone?”

“Why are you this worried about me…”

As a matter of fact, and a very obvious fact at that, I’ve known Miharu the longest out of the bunch. She probably can guess what I’m going to do today, this time without her OPS.

“I feel like our relationship switches completely. Even though I wanted to raise you instead of our parents.”

“That’s right, you were the one who raised Miharu, Onii-chan. But, she chose to live on her own now, so she’ll stay as your little sister. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“…Yeah, I appreciate that. Please stay as my cute little sister.” I put my hand on Miharu’s head, and did the same for Enri as well, on a whim.

“Hey, I’m not your little sister!”

“People will get the wrong idea, Onii-chan. Not to mention that Enchan-senpai is way too easy.”

“Who is easy!? Can you not put some prejudice on me, like a blonde-haired tsundere rich lady!?”

Well, that is an attribute that’s known to be easy…

“But, I’m feeling a bit better now. I’m glad I ran into you two here.”

“E-Even if you say that, you won’t win me over that easily!”

“That’s the words of someone who falls easy with the simplest approach. Not to mention that you’re always hanging around Miharu.”

Well, siblings like us, in different school years, would usually be a bit more distanced, I guess. Then again, Miharu and I aren’t normal siblings, in a good way though!

“Then, I’ll be on my way. Thanks a bunch, Miharu, Enri.”

I turned my back towards the two, and walked down the hallway. My destination was the future guidance counselling room, and my girlfriend-teacher was waiting for me.

I knocked on the door, and a response came. With a short ‘Excuse me’, I walked inside. I’m honestly more used to the student guidance counselling room, and Maka-sensei’s castle, also known as the English preparation room. Even now, this future guidance room feels odd. I’m pretty sure I’ll graduate from here without ever getting used to it. I figure that most students are like this.

“Maka-sensei, what business do you have—Huh!?”

“Take a seat.”

Ignoring my surprise, Maka-sensei pointed at a chair for me to sit down. Next to a desk filled with documents was a single chair, and she was probably telling me to use that, but…

“What are these clothes…?”

“There’s no deeper meaning to it. It’s not anything weird, right?”

“Y-Yeah, but…”

She wore a suit as usual, just as she had the past two, three days, so there’s nothing weird with that. However, today’s suit wasn’t her usual navy blue one, but rather a formal black suit. Her skirt wasn’t the usual short one to play with the boys’ hearts, instead one that reached down to her knees. How do I say this…it’s weird.

“Hm? Weren’t you wearing casual clothes just a few minutes ago?”

During the morning and afternoon homeroom, I’ve seen wearing a casual long-skirt plus cardigan combination, so why…

“I always wear these clothes when I’m talking about something serious.”

“First time I heard of that setting…”

Is that Maka-sensei’s battle version? Or the final bout version? SSR? Seems like Miharu’s hunch was on point.

“You don’t have to be so scared. I’m not going to talk about something evil.”

“I-Is that so?”

Honestly, I feel like an adventurer who just walked into the Demon Lord castle’s throne room. Not to mention that I only arrived here by sheer luck.

“First, congratulations. During the other day’s midterm exams, you got into the top 10.”

“Ah, yes. Though, it feels like I barely got 9th place.”

Right after getting into October, we immediately had third-term midterms. The results were announced today, and inside the top 50 which were hung out in the hallway, I actually made it into the special top 10.

“Looking at it, the top 10 of Seikadai is a relatively high level on a national scale. Thinking about your average grades in your second year, this is some amazing progress.”

“Of course, it’s all thanks to my private tutor Shiya-chan, and Tenka-san helping me out as well.”

“Looking at all your subjects, the one where you raised your grades the most is English, I see.”

“…Yes, it’s thanks to my English teacher, who taught me everything necessary to know.”

Methods for entrance exams are also methods for the tests. Especially when you move up to your third year, the tests and exams aren’t just revision from class, but also in preparation for entrance exams. Although most students here decide to stay at Seikadai, you will never know when you need to change your future plans, so there’s barely any students who complain about this system. Well, at least not publicly.

“We’re off topic now. Getting into top 10 is an amazing feat. Tenka and Shinbou-san are protecting the top 10 with all they have, but the others all plan on studying outside Seikadai. Every single year, they occupy most of the top 10 without fault.”

“That is to be expected.”

Although the people who stay at Seikadai aren’t exactly slacking off.

“A few friends in my class are aiming to study outside, but since they missed their chance, they’re now plotting to get me killed so that they might get a spot.”

“Did I raise a class of assassins?”

No, they are a bunch of passionate fans of yours. They were all aiming for my life ever since you started working on my correction.

“Well, that’s fine. If they started to act seriously, Miharu-san’s net of information would warn us. More importantly, it turned into quite the hot buzz with the teachers.”

“D-Don’t tell me, are cheating doubts going around…!?”

“I haven’t seen you be this doubtful in a while, but rest assured. The teachers have a lot of fantasies about you, but that’s not the case.”

“I-I see…I’m glad…I think?”

I’m used to being treated like a problem child, so this isn’t as bad, I guess.

“Even with the end-of-term exams back in the first term, you reached up to 21st place, which was enough of a shock, and now you’re in the top 10.”

“It’s not exactly my taste to shock people to enjoy their reactions, but once in a while sure doesn’t hurt.”

On a side note, during the first midterms in my third-year, I got 36th place. If it was me before my third year, I would have accepted this as my limit, and given up. For someone like me, who was always average at best, reaching such a high rank is like a dream.

“And, to get to the main subject.”

“Can you not say it in such an ominous way…?”

Maka-sensei crossed her arms, emphasizing her well-endowed chest. It must be subconsciously, but she really puts out poison for the eyes.

“What is going on with these grades?”

“What, you ask…? You know that I’m not cheating, right?”

That wasn’t the question I expected.

“I told you before, you’re not an idiot. Yet, you studied like your life depended on it, and raised your grades. On top of that, you haven’t changed your future plans, right?”

“That’s right, you warned me several times to talk to my homeroom teacher early enough if I had a change of heart.”

Then again, I heard that there’s a good number of students who change their mind during the second term. Makes sense that the school would be troubled because of that.

“Then, what are these grades here for? You wouldn’t study like this for nothing. And…I’ve been watching you ever since I first saw you, you were always planning ahead about something. As your homeroom teacher, I need to confirm this. Tell me, Saigi-kun, what are you plotting?”

“S-Sensei…!” Maka-sensei stood up, and approached me across the desk.

Her face was right in front of me.

“Calling it ‘plotting’ makes me seem like some criminal.”

“I don’t care, I’ve been holding back this entire time.”

“H-Holding back?”

“You started studying like crazy with Tenka, told me to wait and put faith in you…But…I can’t wait any longer!”

“…R-Right, I knew that I was making you wait after all.”

I don’t think she’s wrong. She held back all this time. While she believed in me, I made her wait several months.

“Since I made it into the top 10, I think that might be a great chance.” I took a bit of distance from Maka-sensei’s face. “Since I wrapped up Tenka-san in this, I have a goal of course.”

“My little sister doesn’t have that much time, okay.”

“Is that so.”

“Anyway, since Tenka will stay at Seikadai, she doesn’t need to study too much, and I don’t see a problem in her helping your studies.”

“You sure have a lot of trust in each other, as expected.”

You wouldn’t expect them to have gotten separated at a young age. Or, maybe it’s because they were separated for so long.

“You used Tenka to your advantage, and reached the top 10. Would it really hurt you to reveal your goal to me now?”

“Making me sound like a villain again…It’s pretty simple, actually.” I stood up from my chair.

There’s really no reason to stand at all, but it felt like I shouldn’t be saying this while sitting.

“It was necessary to show my determination, not just with words.”

“Saigi-kun’s…determination?” Maka-sensei showed me a dubious gaze.

I wanted to do this a long time ago, so now isn’t the time to hesitate.

“I do respect you as a teacher, Maka-sensei, but I don’t have any special feelings for you as a woman. That being said, me respecting a teacher…is something amazing. That’s why I want you to continue teaching me, and my juniors as well.”

“…Saigi-kun.”

Maka-sensei didn’t seem too shocked. Or, maybe she’s too shocked for her voice to come out. It’s one of the answers she must have expected, but hearing about it is totally different.

“…Of course, there’s no way I can say that. You’ll surely figure me out if I say something I don’t mean.”

“W-Wait, Saigi-kun…!?”

I know I should be serious about this, but seeing Maka-sensei this flustered, I can’t help but giggle.

“I’m sure that this kind of story happens in manga or dramas. But, I don’t like this farce.”

“Then…will you tell me your honest feelings?”

I nodded. Both lies and farce, I decided to erase.

“Let me tell you my answer…for your graduation exam.” I tightly formed fists with my hands, so much that blood could come out any second.

Say it. Tell her of the feelings you kept bottled up inside of you all this time.

“Maka-sensei—I love you.”

Even though I had them stuck in my throat all this time, they came out much easier than expected. The words were so simple, yet probably more difficult to say than anything else in my entire life. Which makes sense—because these words will change my life forever…as well as Maka-sensei’s, of course.

“…Saigi-kun, are you really sure about this? I will turn 25 this year. I’m an adult, seven years older than you. Of course, I kept my youthfulness to a level where I can still wear my high school uniform, but our age difference is nothing to be joked about.”

“You really start questioning that this late into the game?”

I mean, it’s not like I can just ignore this age difference, but it’s not that big of a deal at all. The bigger problem is, of course—

“More than anything…I’m a teacher, you know?”

“Yes. That’s why—Please quit teaching.”

“…!?” Maka-sensei almost tumbled from her chair in shock.

At the very least, she seems more bewildered than with my fake answer before. Then again, that’s to be expected. She should have realized it as well. I have hesitated all this time because I don’t want her to quit as a teacher. It’d be even more of a shock if she wasn’t in a state of confusion when I suddenly told her to quit.

“S-Saigi-kun…are you serious about this?”

“Of course. I like you, which is why—Let’s both die together.”

“What kind of yandere route is this!?”

“I’m only joking. The people around me tend to joke during every situation, so I’ve gotten influenced perhaps.”

“I wonder which organization can be blamed for that…”

Honestly speaking, a yandere route sounds pretty interesting, but not for now. After all, I need to head on the true end of Maka-sensei’s route.

“Of course I’m serious. I wouldn’t joke about this.”

“But…you do understand, right?”

“Naturally. Or, were you just making up things when you said you’d be quitting?”

“I would never do that!” Maka-sensei stood up, and gave me a sharp gaze boiling with anger.

I’m shocked she could keep up her act of the Unobtainable Flower for this long if she’s that easy to provoke.

“I’m serious. Being a teacher is an important occupation I inherited from Fuuka-sensei, and something that had to do no matter what. There’s no other choice but to quit.”

“…Makes sense.”

One last time, I confirmed Maka-sensei’s determination. As it turns out, these words she told me a year about weren’t a fluke or anything. These words came back playing to me countless times, ever since I became aware of my feelings for her.

‘That’s why, if Saigi-kun were to say yes, I will resign as a teacher and atone for that as long as I live.’

“Seriously, you were just playing along with me that entire time. Now I’m not even your ‘normal student’ anymore.”

I became a student that fell in love with her.

“Maka-sensei, you were always selfish. Saying you’d quit teaching if I gave my OK to your confession. You’re threatening me with that. It’s the same that happened at my kindergarten before…the same cycle.”

For a moment, I remembered those distant days. I’ve already forgotten most of it—as it doesn’t matter anymore. When I was young, I cursed that woman. Then again, I met Kouko-sensei shortly after, and we’re getting along just fine right now.

“I’m different from Shinju Kouko-san. But, I can’t blame you if you feel the same way. I don’t plan on betraying you, nor to threaten you…”

“That’s right—That’s why I will be acting selfish as well.”

“You were plotting something after all, right…?”

It’s not that big of a deal compared to what I did before. There’s no real calculations, nor much controlling. This time, it’s different. I set this up with a lot of time.

“I made up my decision in spring, and prepared myself these past few months just so that I could say these words to you. My determination never wavered. It’s weird, I never once considered quitting.”

“So that’s how you got into the top 10, right?”

“You can say that…But, my goal wasn’t necessarily the top 10. I’m not a grade school nor middle school student. I decide my own path, and I think it’s thanks to you, Maka-sensei.”

“I still don’t get it…what are you aiming for, Saigi-kun?”

I guess that even the clever Maka-sensei can’t figure out what I’m playing at. I guess I should say it without hiding anything.

“Maka-sensei, let me say it again. I’m fine with you quitting as a teacher, so let me tell you of my feelings. I—love you, Maka-sensei.”

“Even though I had always wanted to hear these words, it feels weird. It doesn’t feel real at all…” Maka-sensei showed a complicated expression, like she didn’t know if she should laugh or cry.

You say that, after pushing this graduation exam on me?

“Now that I’ve fully fallen in love with Sensei, you will quit the school, right. If so, I will take responsibility.”

“Responsibility? There’s no need for you to—”

“I know that Maka-sensei is a teacher necessary for Seikadai, and still prioritized my own feelings. Even if you yourself are okay with it, I need to take responsibility.”

“…There’s no way for you to do that, right?”

“No, there is one single method I could come up with.” I smiled, and shook my head.

That’s right, even with my sometimes underdeveloped brain, if I used them at their full power, I could come up with something. There might be a smarter method there, but it’s the only one I could arrive at myself.

“I remembered the time during the past culture festival. You said to take responsibility for my actions, right.”

“…I sure did. But, that was in regards to your rebellious attitude towards teachers. This time around, there’s no reason for you to take responsibility.”

“There is. I am stealing such a great teacher from this school. Not to mention that I fully ignored Fuuka-sensei’s feelings which you inherited.”

“If you can’t ignore them, then what? Can you tell me?”

“It’s easy…I will inherit those feelings.”

Of course, it’s not that easy. Actually pulling it off is very difficult. Listening to my words, Maka-sensei’s mouth was open in shock, unbefitting of the Unobtainable Flower. Since she didn’t seem convinced yet, I finished it all with my following words—

“I will become a teacher in your stead, Maka-sensei.”

The method to becoming a teacher is as follows:

In my case, I’m aiming for the position of a high school teacher, so I need to take the full four years at the university. Once I’m starting at my university, it’ll be ‘Teacher Curriculum’. Normally, you would focus on special subjects at your university, or other more exotic things. I heard about that when I went to check out the university with Karen-senpai and Shiya-chan before. If I pass the exams and reports of the curriculum, it shouldn’t be too hard.

Of course, that sounds more simple than it is. Studying at university isn’t that easy of a child’s play as it might seem like. Or in other words, just playing around won’t get me graduated. Not to mention that the lectures for my teacher curriculum are additional to my normal ones. I can imagine that following with these, and keeping up the schedules is what’s really hard. Can’t forget about the actual field training as well.

Sadly, only by following this strict university teacher curriculum you get your teacher’s license. But, that’s about that. Just because you have the teacher’s license doesn’t mean you immediately start working. If you want to teach at a public school, you need to take the prefectural employment exam, and pass that. At the same time, if you want to attend a private school, you need to pass their specific employment exam.

With public schools, you might get transferred to another school, but with a private one, you most likely will stay at the same school, and since I only care about Seikadai, I’m not too bothered by that.

I only found out about this curriculum thanks to the help of Shiya-chan. I could find some information thanks to the worldwide web, but having an actual university student with you is much more convenient.

“That reminds me, Karen-senpai told me I was made out tobe a teacher.”

“Was the Prez-san a prophet instead of a nun?”

—I somehow made it through the afternoon, as night arrived. I sat inside the Saigi Houshold’s living room, enjoying some after-dinner dessert with my cute little sister. Because I fully mentally exhausted myself today, the cheesecake pudding sinks right into my body…!

“Ah, right now Miharu is the student council president, right. She keeps forgetting.” Miharu commented, and ate a bite of her tiramisu pudding.

Naturally, these two sweets came from our lifeline, the Galaxy Market. It’s a reward for my stress today. Not to mention that Miharu is working hard as the student council president, so this is a reward for her as well. I even gave Kagome some more luxurious food. There’s no discrimination here after all.

“Still, Onii-chan as a teacher, huh. Miharu somewhat guessed what you and Shii-chan were plotting though.”

“I should have known…”

Despite her leaving SID, she still uses the OPS at times, right? Yet she doesn’t leak me any information at all.

“Miharu is busy, so she can’t look after Onii-chan all the time. Can’t even follow her own hobby…”

“You were doing that as a hobby!?”

I’d rather have you be addicted to mobile games, okay!

“Then again, being a teacher isn’t half bad, don’t you think? You always complained about teachers, and now you’ll become one yourself, it’s some delicious irony.”

“Yeah, I agree with that.”

I wonder what kind of face Kouko-sensei would make?

“Ah, got an incoming message from Mom and Dad.”

“Eh, you told them?”

Miharu ate her pudding with one hand, operating her smartphone with the other. Hey now, that’s bad manners!

“Hmm…I see.”

“Maybe I’m deciding to fast, despite me not even being a university student?”

“No. ‘That’s some rather serious future choice coming from Makoto’, they said.”

“I got some rude parents, I see!”

What kind of occupation did they think I would take?

“Phrasing’s a bit iffy, but doesn’t this mean they agree?”

“I guess so, it’s a respectable occupation after all. That means it’s only up to my own efforts.”

“You’re Miharu’s older brother, so they probably think that you might be able to do it if you set your mind to it. Miharu has faith in Onii-chan. Surely everybody else does as well.”

“…I’m shocked to hear about all of this trust people have in me.”

The expectations are pretty heavy, but it doesn’t feel as bad.

“Phew, thanks for the food. Galaxy Market’s sweets really are delicious. One day, Miharu wants to buy the entire thing.”

“Are you aiming for the seat of CEO?”

What is that little sister of mine trying to do…Now I’m feeling pretty average…

“So, what did Fujiki-sensei say after she heard about your plans?”

“Something along the lines of ‘So you’ll be going to Seikadai University then’, and that’s about it.”

“As cool as always. There were probably many other things she wanted to say.”

I agree with that, but even after hearing about my determination, she still kept the face of a homeroom teacher. I really didn’t expect that response at all…

“You don’t seem too satisfied, Onii-chan.”

“…No, that’s not the case. I found my future path, so I’m sure that Maka-sensei didn’t want to complain about that, right?”

“Maybe…”

If anything, Miharu seemed to be the one not satisfied. She should know Maka-sensei by now. There’s no way Maka-sensei would just be silent about me wanting to become a teacher. Even I’m not fully convinced…

“…Hey, Miharu? Can you hear sounds next-doors?”

“We don’t need to worry about sounds, Miharu can just check the security on her PC, and check who walked in and left.”

“That’s a serious crime, isn’t it?!”

We’d definitely get kicked out if the landlord finds out about this.

“Well, with Fujiki-sensei, you can hear her footsteps, and the door opening. I guess she’s still at school?”

“Probably.”

Before, I heard a clear sound coming from her home, when she accidentally dropped a frying pan.

“…I forgot to buy something, so I’ll head over to the Galaxy Market for a second.”

“Onii-chan, if you’re going to lie, at least come up with a better one, okay?”

“I’ll try my best.”

I guess it was too easy to see through. But, I really can’t accept this. Towards the response I came up with, her reaction was way too soft, and small. For someone like Maka-sensei, it’s an irregularity. That’s why, unless I resolve this, I won’t be able to sleep. I finally came up with my response for the graduation exam, so I want to at least get a good night’s sleep for once.

I confirmed that no sounds came from the Fujiki Household, which seriously made me look like some stalker, and stepped out of the flat. Waiting for Maka-sensei to come home is one thing, but I just can’t sit still.

I stepped out of the entrance, where I could see the Galaxy Market across the street. Naturally, I’m not going over there to shop, it’s just that Maka-sensei only has this one entrance to use, as the back entrance is locked. Though, I don’t know when she’ll be coming back, since Seikadai is treating her like a slave.

“…Ah, I see.”

I forgot something important. This flat has an underground parking lot, and I won’t be able to see the entrance there if I stay here. Did she go to school with her favorite car today? I don’t know, so staying here in wait might lead me to miss her after all. I could corner her at school, the trains are still running…

“Guess I’ll check out the fiat for now.”

If possible, I’d rather not seek out this red nightmare out of my own desire, but it can’t be helped tonight. Hence, I walked down the underground parking lot I usually try to avoid. Said underground parking lot was filled with silence. It sure feels weird being down here…Then again, people who don’t live in the flat won’t be able to get in here, so I don’t have to be afraid of getting jumped.

“Ah.”

Of course, the fiat always parked in the same spot. When I checked that very spot, I found the car in question.

“So she’s using the train today…Then I should probably wait at the front—”

Right when I was about to walk away, I saw a shadow sitting on the driver’s seat. With both their hands on the steering wheel, it looked like they were ducking down. Even from this distance, I could see a cardigan on that person. Beneath that was covered by the car’s door, but it was probably a long skirt. She actually changed from her black suit again?

“……”

Silently, I moved towards the fiat, and gently knocked on the window of the driver seat. Shortly after, the window opened.

“Maka-sensei, what are you doing?”

“The inside of the car is completely isolated from the outside, so it’s the perfect space for me to be alone.”

“…You really say some weird things at times. If a resident from this mansion saw you, they’d probably report you.”

“It’s fine, I’ve been here for the past three hours, and no police came.”

“T-Three hours…? So you finished your job early?”

She’s more and more suspicious…Also, isn’t she…

“…More importantly, Saigi-kun, why are you here? You don’t have a driver’s license yet, right.”

“I was searching for you, Maka-sensei.”

Since hiding it wouldn’t end well anyway, I just answered seriously. As a result, Maka-sensei glared up at me. I was wondering before, but…isn’t she emitting killing intent for some reason? It’s a different kind of dark aura compared to when she’s jealous.

“I can’t blame you. You must be dissatisfied with today.” Maka-sensei was honest as well, and sharp as always.

She already figured out what I was feeling.

“What should I say to you, I wonder?”

“…I don’t mind you thinking about that, but how about we go inside first? You can be alone in your own room as well, right?”

“I like this narrow space. But…you’re right, I’d rather not get reported.” Maka-sensei stepped out of the car, and walked away on staggering feet.

Is she going to be fine…Yeah, no way she is. Because of me, she’s been worried ever since this Spring, and my response only made that worse.

“Maka-sensei, try to walk straight, okay?”

“Yes…”

I took Maka-sensei’s hand, and pulled her along with me. I know that you’re going to laugh at me for saying this, reminiscing about what I did during last Christmas with her, but just taking her hand took a lot of courage. To my surprise, her hand was smaller than expected, and even more soft…yet warm at the same time. Maybe her head burned up because she was thinking about it too much…

We used the elevator to leave at our floor, and walked down the hallway—passing the Saigi Household. In a daze, Maka-sensei took out the key from her bag, and opened the door. I followed after her inside, and Maka-sensei didn’t say anything towards that.

“Sorry for intruding.”

“Come on in. You were searching for me after all, so I can’t let you go home without saying anything.”

Maka-sensei and I entered the living room, where she threw away her bag and cardigan.

“Could you just wait a moment? I need to freshen up my head.” Maka-sensei slowly walked out of the room.

Since the layout is practically the same as ours, I was pretty familiar with this apartment. Over there is—

I stood still in the living room, when I heard the rustling of clothes, and the sound of water spraying.

“Eh, is she taking a shower?”

I thought she just went to wash her face, but…I guess that would be the best to freshen up. But, to think she’d take a shower with me here…I won’t question the fact of her not seeing me as a man, but isn’t she too defenseless?

For now, I picked up the cardigan she threw off, and put it on the sofa. Can’t relax if there’s clothes loitered around. Looking over, the key had fallen out of her bag as well. The key had a human shape—which totally looked like me.

“She was staying three hours in that fiat…?”

Did she talk with Fuuka-sensei during that time? No, Maka-sensei is the type of person to think about her own choices. She wouldn’t ask the deceased for help—

Slam!

“……!?”

Right as I picked up the key, I dropped it again.

“W-What was that just now?”

For a second, I thought an earthquake happened—but there were no aftershocks. It was more like a dull sound, like it came from the bathroom, right…?

“S-Sensei? Did something happen?”

I stepped out of the living room, and headed towards the changing room. Inside the bathroom, I could hear sounds of water spraying, and a silhouette was visible through the door. She seems to be fine for now…

‘More than a half of the people who passed away in their own home actually died in the bath, you know?’

Oh come on, did I really need to remember that right now?

“Um, Maka-sensei? Can you say something? You’re okay, right?” I approached the glass door, and tapped on it.

No response came—

“Wah!?”

Or so I thought, but the door suddenly opened, as I was hit with damp warmth.

“M-Maka-sensei…!?”

“Saigi-kun…”

Thankfully, Maka-sensei was safe. She had one hand on the wall of the bathroom. Her hair was wet from the water, her skin slightly red from the heat around her, and even her two large breasts were shining from the water. Her slender waist, plump behind, and white thighs were all in plain sight. No matter how many times I see it, I can never get tired of her naked body.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to peek…!”

“This isn’t you peeking. I knew you were there, and still opened the door.”

“W-Why did you open it then…!?”

“Because I wanted to see your face.” Maka-sensei said, and gently rubbed her own right hand. “I can’t calm down at all.”

“S-So that loud sound just now was you banging your hand on the wall…?”

Since I could hear that through two doors, wasn’t that with quite the force?

“I just felt like hitting something…But, hitting myself was too much, so the innocent wall had to suffer.”

“…Why not hit me instead?”

I guess that this killing intent I felt wasn’t just a hallucination. This is the first time I’ve seen Maka-sensei this agitated.

“I’m not Fuuka-sensei, so hitting a student would go against my principles.” Maka-sensei tightly formed a fist, and opened it again.

Now that I took a better look at it, her right hand was quite red.

“Maka-sensei, we need to cool your hand. I just hope that nothing is broken…”

“I held back, which only makes me hate myself more for holding back even during such a time.” Maka-sensei showed a troubled smile. “Hey, Saigi-kun.”

“Wah…Don’t just suddenly face me like that…!”

Just because of a slight movement of hers, her two bulges swung around wildly. No matter how many times I see these 88cm mountains, I can never get used to them. Not to mention that I could see a pink tip on them—Thankfully, the steamy air covered the rest of her important parts.

“I fully understand your determination. The reason you worked to get into the top 10 is so that you could become a teacher of my level, right?”

“D-Do we really need to talk about that here? Y-Yes, I might not be able to adapt Fuuka-sensei’s violence, but if I don’t at least reach your talent and academic level, I won’t be able to inherit anything.”

“I’m perfectly aware of how hard you were working. Pushing aside the ones aiming to study outside to reach the top 10, that is some great effort after your grades had barely been average last year.”

“I figured that you wouldn’t understand how serious I was if I didn’t at least do that…”

“Indeed, I really understand how serious you are about this. And, you were even searching for me…I had enough to think about myself, and you considered my feelings.”

“I-I didn’t want to trouble you, so…”

“You’re a great child after all. Compared to that…”

“M-Maka-sensei?”

“That’s exactly…why I had to hit something no matter what.”

This time, she slammed her left hand against the wall, which led her chest to shake again.

“W-What are you doing!? You’ll break a bone for real this time!”

“I don’t mind. In the end, my selfish decision and feelings cornered you in the end, right? I’m sorry.”

“……!”

Maka-sensei left the bathroom, and walked towards me as she staggered left and right.

“S-Sensei, let’s just calm down. It’s definitely my fault as well, so…Just dry off your body, and get some sleep…”

“No, let me say this. Thank you for giving me your answer. And, thank you for coming all the way here…But, there’s more.” Maka-sensei spoke like she was telling herself, and not me.

She gently closed her eyes.

“I never wanted you to inherit my own will. Then again, I’m sure the same goes for Fuuka-sensei. And yet, oddly enough—this goes on and on.”

“The oddest thing here is this situation…”

I stood inside the changing room with my naked homeroom teacher. I mean, I’ve experienced these kinds of odd situations with her before, but this is definitely a top-class irregularity.

“Saigi-kun, there are things that I can’t give up on as well.”

“…Eh?”

“Falling in love with a student, ending up in a mutual love, I’m a failure as a teacher. Quitting as a teacher once you confessed to me isn’t something I learned from Fuuka-sensei, but rather what I decided for myself.”

“…I’m well aware of that.”

“I work according to my own rules. And I know that it might seem crazy from your point of view.”

“This entire situation right now is even more crazy…”

I know that I should be paying attention to her words, but this situation is just too much for me to handle. Not to mention that Maka-sensei is under the impression that she forced this change in my life onto me.

“But, because of these rules I decided on, the rules that restricted me, I now restrained your own future. What a blunder, really…”

“…If not for your confession, I wouldn’t be here. If not for you, I wouldn’t have had this much fun in my second year. That’s why—don’t call it a mistake, or a blunder.”

“Saigi-kun…you are way too kind.” Maka-sensei showed another troubled smile.

I mean, she really must be troubled. She pointed my life in a direction she didn’t expect.

“But, this was my mistake…I don’t regret the time I spent with you. It was really fun. I could take back all the things I left behind in my own high school days, slowly got rid of my Unobtainable Flower facade. The reason that I fell in love with you doesn’t even matter anymore. Your kindness, and your will to find your own answer—is what I respect the most about you, and love about you.” Maka-sensei slowly approached me.

Ah, my heart is racing, faster and faster. It felt like it would explode any second. I don’t think I can stop this anytime soon.

“When you first told me about your feelings, Maka-sensei…I was shocked for the most part of it, but now I’m happy. Because of these feelings, I can proudly say that I like you, Maka-sensei.”

“Thank you, Saigi-kun. I might not be able to change my feelings of having committed a mistake, but…For just tonight, I will take your feelings to heart.”

“Maka-sensei…it won’t just be for tonight, I will always…”

With none of us instigating it, we embraced each other. Two hearts racing, their heartbeats overlapping. Maka-sensei’s body was drenched, and yet burned with heat. Her lips were equally warm, and soft enough to make mine melt.

That night, I didn’t go home. Only the passionate sensation of skin filled my head, like it was reality, but also a lie. Once, I heard Kagome’s meowing through the wall.

I tightly pulled up the necktie of my uniform. Reflected in the mirror of my home was my familiar face, and my body wearing the familiar uniform. How many more times am I going to fix my necktie while standing here? I would be able to tell if I counted, so I refrained from that. Early in the morning, I returned to my home. Miharu rarely had been awake, and yet she didn’t say a thing as we ate breakfast together. I’m sure she must have figured out what happened that night, but I’m glad she saved us both the awkward conversation.

“…Alright.”

I fixed my hair one last time, and stepped out of the bathroom. Once I’m a teacher, I can’t be looking careless. I’d probably just get bullied because I’m so small of a man. If my hair was messy, that’d only be much worse. Wearing a suit, I put on a fitting necktie as well, as tight enough as to not strangle myself…But, I’ll have Shiya-chan take a look at it as well. I guess she’s still useful in some way.

“Miharu, I’m going on ahead. You’re the student council president, so try not to be late.”

“Aye~”

I called out to my little sister in the living room, and received a proper response. Today, I’ll just leave without looking at her face, yeah. I stepped out of the mansion, and looked at the cloudy Fall sky. It suddenly got fairly cold, but the breeze was still comfortable. Maybe it’s because it was a morning after a fresh start in life. But, nothing much changed in the end. I haven’t changed much, and I’m not a member of society yet either. I can’t even find the proper words to express this feeling in my chest.

If I was Tenka-san, I might be able to come up with some fitting expression, but I can’t tell anybody of these feelings, I guess. Hence, I just gave up on this idea, took the train at the train station, and headed towards Seikadai Academy. At this point in time, I could reach my school with my eyes closed—which might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I’ve been walking this same way ever since grade school.

The university campus is close to it as well, so I’ll be walking this same path for the next four years as well. If I succeeded with plans of getting into Seikadai, maybe even tens of years later…? Thinking about it that way, my life might be full of trouble, but there’s some stability as well.

Since I arrived at school earlier than usual, barely any students could be seen in front of the gate. Sometimes, and depending on the school, the teachers greet the students in the morning. Of course, not every student would be happy about that, but now it doesn’t feel half bad. I mean, a greeting is important, right? And, since all students enter through the main gate, it’s the best way for a teacher to confirm if something odd is going on with them. Or so I think to myself like an actual teacher would.

I passed through the school gate, and immediately headed over to the classroom. I greeted the few people that were already present, and put down my bag. Tenka-san and Enri seemed to be still away. Then again, Enri might be checking out the situation in the student council office, as the former student council president and all. She’s pretty diligent when it comes to that.

“…Alright, let’s do this.” I muttered into the emptiness around me, and stood up from my seat.

Going there directly would have been an option as well, but I needed to at least visit the location once—so that I could relax for a moment. Without talking to anybody, exchanging glances with anybody, I stepped out of the classroom again. Using the same usual route as always—

“Excuse me!”

“…Come in.”

Since I used a bit more energy in my voice than usual, the response that came back had a bit of bewilderment inside of it. The first place I visited this early in the morning was the English preparation room—which Maka-sensei called ‘My Castle’.

“Good morning, Maka-sensei. And…Ruki-sensei as well.”

Maka-sensei was currently operating the laptop on her desk. Facing her was the new English teacher we got, Ruki-sensei.

“G-Good morning…? Saigi Makoto-kun? The problem…No, the third-year, right?”

“Yes, I’m the third-year Saigi. I have something to talk about with Maka-sensei.”

I’ll just ignore the part where she was about to call me a ‘problem child’. Even though I was already turned into a proper student, are the newcomers still terrified of me?

“I’m sorry, Ruki-sensei, could I ask you to leave us alone for a few minutes? Dealing with him can be quite troublesome at times.”

“S-Should you really be saying that in front of him, Fujiki-sensei…” With uneasy movement, Ruki-sensei left the room.

Because of her small stature, she already looks cute and adorable, but when she acts like a terrified animal, it just makes me want to protect her.

“…Aren’t you staring a bit too much?”

“Not at all. I was just seeing how a new teacher would act…for future reference.”

“What a skilled excuse that was. But, no need to worry, I’m sure that you’ll be plenty popular in the future, Saigi-kun. Being handsome and clever is important, but a teacher you can tease is fairly popular as well.”

“Wouldn’t that just make me a toy?”

Thankfully, we could talk just fine, after what happened last night…

“Teachers are like the MCs of variety TV. You can’t just read the contents of the workbook, but also try to get the teachers engaged with stories related to it. Make them participate in class—and have them come up with the answer naturally. You need to think of class as a session, rather than something to get through and move on to the next topic. A classroom is a stage in which you need to be in sync with your students.”

“………”

That sure was a lot of information—and spoken so fast as well. Not to mention that her ears were slightly reddened. I guess she’s a bit embarrassed after all…Now even I’m feeling weird. But.

“Maka-sensei, I’m glad to hear so much crucial advice as a soon-to-be teacher-in-training, but let’s talk about that another time. I came with something else to talk about.”

“…What is it?”

Maka-sensei seemed to be wary. She probably didn’t expect me to talk about it right after last night. Of course, I agree with her here. However, if I hadn’t gone to meet her last night, she might have spent even longer solitude inside her fiat. Even after what happened yesterday, I can’t just call this a happy end yet. There is still something I need to talk about with her.

“Maka-sensei, I believe I showed you my determination. Though, this is only the starting point.”

“I fully understand what you are talking about. Since I’m a teacher, I verified your efforts.”

“I’m glad to hear that…However, I’m not the only one who needs to show my determination in actions, right?”

“…What might you be talking about?” Maka-sensei put one hand on the drawer of her desk.

…I see.

“Maka-sensei, you’ve always called this preparation room ‘my castle’, right. I thought it didn’t have any deeper meaning to it.”

“Eh? It doesn’t, yes. Not a big difference to call it my own residence or something like that.”

“Then, was it subconsciously? A castle is something to protect an object or a person until the bitter end, is it not? You are keeping something very important hidden in here, right?”

“That’s…Of course, I have some things that are important to me. Like texts for student guidance, or grade papers.”

“That doesn’t matter right now. When it comes to something important to you, you wouldn’t lie, right. Not try to cover it up, right.”

“Of course. Teachers need to be sincere first and foremost.”

“That’s right, and I know that you have always done that.” I said, and pointed at her desk. “Is it in that drawer? That’s fairly careless of you, Maka-sensei.”

“…Cheeky as always.” Maka-sensei seemed less flustered than I would have expected.

She opened up the drawer I was talking about, and put the object she took out on the desk. It was a single envelope.

“I’ve seen it in dramas before, but I didn’t think letters of resignation actually existed.”

“I never imagined I would have to write one myself.”

With beautiful handwriting, the words ‘Letter of resignation’ were written on the white envelope. Not to mention that the paper seemed a bit worn down, so I guess she must have written this a year ago—the day before she confessed to me.

“Maka-sensei, do you plan on handing that in today?”

“Of course.” She responded with no hesitation whatsoever.

“Were you sitting in your fiat all the time yesterday because you were thinking about that?”

“It’s vexing, but I was planning on sleeping in the fiat, and hand in my letter of resignation first thing in the morning.”

“That would have shocked the principal by quite a bit.”

That’s Maka-sensei for you, she greatly surpassed my expectations. But, it makes sense. Now that our relationship had progressed to such an extent, there should be no reason for her to hesitate. She will leave this school behind. I knew that this moment would come, but now that it’s happening right in front of me, my chest still hurt.

“I know it might sound weird coming from me, but…wouldn’t it trouble the school if you suddenly quit?”

“As someone who is tied with a student, and left the path of being a teacher, I can’t teach anybody anymore.” Maka-sensei said, tightly grasping the envelope. “I wanted to take care of a few things first, but maybe I should prioritize this instead. Saigi-kun, you have no complaints either, right?”

“Of course not. I’ll be taking over after your leave after all. Though it will take a few years. It’s just sad…because I wanted to spend the last bit of time as a student together with you, Maka-sensei.”

“My, that makes me happy to hear. That being said, even if I hand in my resignation, I won’t be gone right away. I will still continue as a teacher for another month.”

“I guess even leaving your occupation can be quite troublesome.”

In this world, everything needs some sort of procedure. Even after this passionate night, there won’t be some heart-wrenching movie-esque farewell, I guess.

“Thank you for coming to meet me, Saigi-kun. You can go to your classroom now. I can’t hold you up here.”

“…Yes.”

Maka-sensei stood up from her seat, and stuffed the letter of resignation into her pocket. Like that, she passed me by.

“Sensei…Maka-sensei!”

Before I even realized it, I grabbed Maka-sensei’s hand. Right a few meters as she passed after me, she stopped in her tracks.

“Let go, Saigi-kun. We never know when Ruki-sensei will be back.”

“She can come back for all I care…I don’t care if it’s the vice principal, or the principal himself. You plan on quitting, right?”

“Quit in order to find my calling in life, or get fired for being found guilty in a scandal with a student, I can guess which would be the better choice I wonder…”

“You were planning to enter the cloister, right? Sister Eva would accept you no matter how dramatic your dark is.”

“Running away from reality, huh…Honestly speaking, I would feel awful working next to the place Fuuka-sensei is buried, considering what I did.”

“Isn’t that what a cloister is for? They will accept whatever sins you committed.”

“I wonder…Becoming the successor of the cat cafe wouldn’t be half bad either…It seems like I have better knowledge of business rather than Pa—My father.”

“Sekiya-san would be happy, I’m sure. Her goal is to make Nekoranya grow even more, you know?”

“…Who cares about that?”

“Nobody indeed.”

Not like Sekiya-san’s future aspirations are unimportant, but this isn’t the time to be talking about that.

“But, I don’t care who might interrupt us. Maka-sensei, I—”

Our backs towards each other were too bothersome. That’s why I turned towards her. We held hands, and Maka-sensei turned towards me as well. In a result—

“M-Maka-sensei…”

“I’m sorry, Saigi-kun…”

Sensei was crying. Her strong, confident eyes—were now red and drenched from the tears.

“Your answer to the graduation exam is correct. No, no matter which answer you might have given to me, you wouldn’t have been wrong at all.” Maka-sensei tightly grasped my hand, to the point where it started to hurt. “The one who is wrong is me after all. And, I’m the one doing the mistakes in the future as well. I shouldn’t have restrained your life like that. I knew that, and yet…and yet…” She bit her lip.

Even now, she shows such strong will. I know that it’s important. But, she’s restraining herself all the same. Towards the job she treasures so much, towards the route she decided on. The absolute determination Fujiki Maka held towards being a teacher is now shaking at the very end. It felt like I had managed to free Maka-sensei…but is this really okay?

“…Tell me, Sensei. Let me hear your true feelings…!”

“I want to stay as a teacher. I want to stay here at this school, teaching Saigi-kun and everyone else—”

I wasn’t surprised to hear these words, nor was I disappointed. These words that could be seen as the greatest form of betrayal towards anybody involved—they had me shaking in joy. That’s right, that’s it. Maka-sensei has to be a teacher. Not for anybody else’s sake, but simply for her own.

“After saying so many times that I would quit, troubling you with the graduation exam these past few months, now I’m only acting for myself again…But, even so, I want to stay here. Not to inherit Fuuka-sensei’s will, but because I want to keep teaching.”

“…The same goes for me. I always wanted the same thing for you!” I let go of Maka-sensei’s hand, and turned my body around.

Following that, I grabbed both of her hands, and pulled her closer.

“It’s October already—in my third year. The time I can spend together with you is growing less and less. But, even that time will be gone if you hand in that letter. I want Maka-sensei to stay here. Even if you retract your words, even if the graduation exam will be nullified, I want you to stay at this school, Maka-sensei!”

“Saigi-kun…”

“I don’t even know why I came here today…Maybe to see you as a teacher one last time? No, of course not.” I looked up at her. “You can quit teaching. And, I will be your replacement, as I made you quit. That may be the correct answer—But I won’t accept that. My answer betrays both my feelings, and yours, Maka-sensei.”

“…My problem had been wrong from the very beginning. You were right.” Maka-sensei walked up to me, shedding tears as she did.

We were at a distance close enough for our bodies to touch—but in the end, only our hands stayed connected.

“My high school life will end in less than half of a year. However, if you were to stay here at this school even after I’m gone—then I can leave without any regrets. Because I know that the teacher who has given me such an enjoyable student life will remain.”

Karen-senpai, Nui, and Shiya-chan left this school already. Once I’m gone next year, Miharu will soon follow. Three years later, Kuu will enroll. I want Maka-sensei to stay here this entire time. Even though I know that it’s selfish. Maka-sensei has to decide her future for herself. But, I was the one who gave her the possibility to quit. Not to mention that I’m the one making her rethink it. However…I don’t care. Even if I’m wrong, that must be the true answer that can free Maka-sensei.

“To me, Maka-sensei is a teacher. From the moment I met you, and even in the future, I want you to stay a teacher. That is my answer.”

“But, I love you, Saigi-kun. I can’t…”

“I feel the same way. That’s right, I like Maka-’sensei’. You appeared in front of me as a teacher, and became my girlfriend as well as my teacher. I want you to stay that way.”

What am I even saying. Maybe I’m just twisting around Maka-sensei’s creed. Even so, I won’t deceive my own heart any longer.

“If you hand in that letter of resignation, and quit your job to become someone else—I don’t want to see that Sensei. That’d just make you—pitiful.”

Maka-sensei hates sympathy more than anything else in this world. I know that. But, what’s wrong with showing sympathy? I can’t watch the person I love set foot in a path she doesn’t wish for. How can I deny the feelings that come up when I think of her.

“…That’s right, I’m sure that I must be pitiful right now. It’s weird, really. I didn’t want to be treated that way, polished myself as the Unobtainable Flower, and lived while forcing myself…and yet I feel happy to hear you say that.” Maka-sensei took one more step forward, and embraced me.

It wasn’t the usual hug from an Onee-san that tried to cheer me up, it felt like we were finally equals.

“I don’t mind receiving sympathy from you. Are you really fine being betrayed by a teacher again? Me changing my feelings now will definitely mean that…”

“Please, betray me. Make the words you told me before, the statement that you would leave me if we ended up in a mutual love, a lie.”

That’s right, I wish to be betrayed. Maka-sensei admitted that she is pitiful right now. We both should accept what we are, who we are, and move forward. Well, that sounds way too vague for what it actually is.

“I want to be together with the Maka-sensei I love. So please, stay as my girlfriend teacher.”

“Then…what will you do? What about becoming a teacher like me?”

“This entire life, I’ve been involved with teachers, and I doubt I can escape from them anytime soon. But, that wasn’t just fate being cruel on me, but rather a natural flow of events. That’s why I’ll keep aiming to become a teacher.”

“…That’s right, it’s rare to see a child with such a profound connection to teachers.”

As we were talking, Maka-sensei’s tears tried up. Instead, she was smiling now.

“You don’t need to become a teacher like me. Of course, neither like Fuuka-sensei. You have to become your own kind of teacher.”

“…You sure sound like a teacher.”

“That’s because I am!? Didn’t we just talk about that!?”

“I was joking.”

I hugged Maka-sensei as well. It wasn’t a strong, passionate hug, but a reassuring one. Like we were both supporting each other. I don’t know when I’ll fully be able to help her, but for now—

“For now, I’m looking forward to spending these last few months with you, Maka-sensei.”

“Fufu, what luxury. Being able to stay a teacher with you as my student at this school, and even after you’ve graduated—there’s no greater happiness.”

There’s not many months left, that’s why I want to enjoy every single moment.

“I guess I don’t need this anymore, then.” Maka-sensei moved away from me, and took out the white envelope from her pocket, ripping it apart. “Thinking about it, it was so simple, and yet I took such a detour to realize it.”

“I’ll have you give me a perfect grade, since I took the elaborate way to solve the problem.”

“My, how cheeky. But, you’re right.” Maka-sensei said, and scattered the shreds of the white envelope.

It definitely is bad manners to dirty the room like this, but just for today, I won’t say that. Because I managed to avoid a future without Maka-sensei. As I thought, Maka-sensei really has to be a teacher. Becoming the successor of Nekoranya doesn’t fit her at all.

And at the same time, when I was confessed to by her, I was only some rebellious, unfriendly student. However, thanks to the time we spent together, thanks to the efforts I compiled, I think I might have become a bit more of a proper student, and human being as well. Will I be able to become a teacher like she is right now? I don’t know, but that’s a question for the future. For now, I want to enjoy that last bit of time I have left here.

“I guess I should call back Ruki-sensei then. I don’t know what kind of teacher you will become, but I need to take responsibility with her at least.”

“I’m kind of jealous, to be honest.”

“It feels great being on the opposite side for nce.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing how you raise her.”

Maybe she’ll be the one teaching me in the future. I guess I can only keep walking down my own path, and see where it leads me. So that I find the way for both me and Maka-sensei, me and my girlfriend teacher to become happy.

…No, wait a second. I do want Maka-sensei to always stay a teacher—but can she really be my girlfriend forever? I just found the future the two of us should be aiming for. Didn’t that already cross the relationship of being teacher and student? If so, I should be stepping onto a new route instead—

“Maka-sensei, can I make one last request?”

“Eh? Sure. I feel like hearing out whatever you may ask for.” Maka-sensei smiled, awaiting my next words.

I nodded, and opened my mouth.

“Please marry me.”