"Koharu-sensei... Why are you here?"

I asked while looking at Koharu-sensei, who was standing in front of the room.

"I came to check on things."

Koharu-sensei answered like that.

"Enoki-kun, since you live alone, I thought it would be tough if something happened. So I brought you some drinks and fruits as a little gift."

I looked, and in her hand that was raised, there was a bulging plastic bag.

"But even when I rang the intercom, you didn't come out. I was worried you might have collapsed inside. Then you surprised me by coming out of the next room."

Koharu-sensei said to me.

"Enoki-kun's room is over here, room 204, right? Then, what about that person? Didn't you say you were feeling unwell today?"

"..."

This is bad. I never thought she would come all the way to my house. On top of that, she saw me leaving with Rui-san.

I had reported feeling unwell, but I don't show any signs of it now. I'm as healthy as can be. My complexion is also perfectly fine.

"I am from room 203. I am neighbors with Yuito-kun."

Rui-san introduces herself.

"Oh, thank you very much. I am Akesaka Koharu, Enoki-kun's homeroom teacher."

Koharu-sensei bows slightly.

"...Um, if you don't mind me asking, are you on good terms with Enoki-kun?"

"Why is that?"

"Since you were calling Yuito-kun in such a friendly manner."

"Well, you see, I'm getting along really well with Yuito-kun."

Rui-san said with a slightly enigmatic smile.

Koharu-sensei furrowed her brow as she sensed something unsettling in the way and atmosphere. Quickly trying to cover it up with a smile, she asked me.

"Could it be that your neighbor was taking care of you? And now that you're feeling better, are you on your way back to your room?"

She was interpreting it in a way that was convenient for us.

It has unintentionally turned into a situation where I am offering help.

I was saved.

All I had to do was nod and board the rescue ship, and everything would be settled. We could get through this situation safely. That's what I thought.

"We were watching a movie together."

Rui-san's words dropped like a bomb.

"We've been watching movies together since this morning. Snuggled up close. So many. Right, Yuito-kun?"

Rui-san seeks my agreement while smiling.

It is filled with pure malice.

It was a single word that shattered the rescue ship they were trying to board into pieces.

Koharu-sensei was speechless.

I was the same way.

What is she suddenly talking about? I don't understand what Rui-san is thinking. It's as if she's trying to deliberately put me in a difficult situation.

In any case, I can't cover it up anymore.

"I'm sorry. Saying I'm not feeling well is a lie."

I decided to be honest and confess.

"I made it up to skip the field trip."

"...R-really? I see."

Koharu-sensei seemed somewhat dazed. Perhaps the lingering impact of Rui-san's words was still affecting her. She seemed unable to express her emotions well.

"Hey, then, can I ask why?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you skip the field trip?"

"That is..."

"Because it was boring."

Rui-san answered in my place.

"Going on a field trip was less fun for Yuito-kun than watching a movie with me. That's all there is to it. Right?"

It was as she said.

Going on a field trip or skipping it to watch a movie with Rui-san. Weighing those two options, I chose to skip it and watch a movie.

There's no doubt about it.

But I hesitated to state it clearly in front of Koharu-sensei.

"...Um. Who are you?"

As expected, Koharu-sensei was visibly annoyed by what she said. She was openly expressing her displeasure towards Rui-san.

"Just a neighbor, you know."

Rui-san answers calmly.

"Even so, I think you've been out there for a while."

"Aren't you too?"

"I am Enoki-kun's homeroom teacher."

"The homeroom teacher barging into his house is quite an overstep, just so you know."

Koharu-sensei and Rui-san exchange glances with each other.

A small animal bares its teeth in a threat, while a large snake sticks out its tongue to sense the situation. Such an image suddenly crossed my mind.

I think it's strange. Koharu-sensei should be older than Rui-san.

After a brief standoff, Koharu-sensei relaxed her combat-ready stance towards Rui-san. She averted her gaze and spoke to me with a mix of exasperation.

"...Skipping work isn't something to be praised for, but I'm glad it wasn't due to health issues. I was worried about what to do if you collapsed in your room."

After saying that, she handed over the plastic bag.

"Here you go, a little something for you."

"But I'm not feeling unwell."

"I already bought it. It's heavy to carry back. It's not a problem to have oral rehydration solution and fruit, right?"

"Well then, excuse me. Thank you for this."

I decided to gratefully accept it.

"Even if I were to allow you to skip class a hundred times over."

Koharu-sensei said.

"Don't say you're still unwell when you're not. It makes me worry."

"How should I say it?"

"Think about it yourself."

"Something happened to a relative."

"Even if it's a lie, involving relatives is not a good idea, right?"

"I'll take a day off because I want to see the ocean."

"Poetic, but it doesn't justify taking a break, right?"

"At this point, I might as well say I'm slacking off because I want to."

"If you have the guts to say that, I'll acknowledge it."

Koharu-sensei said that,

"It's fine to slack off, but being lied to really hurts."

She muttered as if to inadvertently reveal her true feelings.

I felt like she had a slightly sad expression. It might have been a mistake. Seeing that made my heart tighten.

"Well then, take care."

Koharu-sensei said, leaving behind words that were hard to tell if she was sarcastic or joking, as she descended the dilapidated stairs covered in rust.

After finishing the field trip, she even went out of her way to stop by my house. She even bought snacks with her not-so-high salary.

Thinking about that, I felt sorry.

"That's the person, right?"

Rui-san asked me.

"The teacher who is having lunch with you behind the special building."

"That's right."

"She's a cute person."

"Then, why did you say something like that?"

"Something like that?"

"Even though Koharu-sensei was about to misunderstand that Rui-san was taking care of me, you went out of your way to reveal the truth."

"Lying is not a good thing."

"There's no way you actually think that, right?"

"Hehe. That's not true at all. Being honest is the best thing for a person."

Rui-san said that, and then continued with moreover.

"If everything ends without incident, it would be boring, wouldn't it?"

"That's definitely your true feelings, isn't it?"

"Yuito-kun skipped the field trip and spent the whole day watching movies with me. I also wanted to see the look on that teacher's face when she heard about it."

"You really do have a good personality, don't you?"

"I really dislike school teachers."

Rui-san says in a light tone.

There was a brightness that didn't make one feel the weight or humidity.

"But, Yuito-kun's flustered appearance was great. It was quite a sight to behold."

Rui-san said with a cheerful tone.

There were various things I wanted to say.

But when I saw that happy figure, everything else didn't matter anymore.

Dancing on Rui-san's palm isn't so bad. I thought so because her expression in front of me was so captivating.

Chapter 26: Fighting Scene