Published at 23rd of September 2024 2:04 pm

Chapter 2162: What are you doing here?

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"Hmm? Am I not supposed to be here, sensei?" I asked calmly, my voice steady as I faced the woman standing just outside the door. I made my expression unreadable, betraying no hint of the tension that might have otherwise given me away.

Orimura-sensei's eyebrows twitched slightly, a subtle sign of her suspicion as her gaze shifted past my shoulder. Her sharp, discerning eyes landed on her friend who was currently busily arranging materials for her lesson on the coffee table.

At the moment, Ryouko-san appeared completely absorbed in her task, her movements smooth and unhurried, as if she wasn't in my lap just moments ago. Occasionally, she would pause to take another sip from a can of iced tea, the cool metal glinting under the soft overhead light and making a soft thud whenever she placed it down.

Sensing Orimura-sensei's gaze landing on her, Ryouko-san glanced up at her. Like always, she put on her rare warm, welcoming smile that she only often showed to Orimura-sensei and me. Her expression was serene as if nothing out of the ordinary happened in this room despite her face still carrying traces of it.

Perhaps finding nothing unusual, Orimura-sensei's frown gradually relaxed as her gaze returned to me, the layer of suspicion gradually dissipating.

Orimura-sensei's frown began to ease as she took in her friend's usual smile, the layer of suspicion gradually dissipating. Whatever concerns she might have had seemed to lose their edge. In its place was a reluctant acceptance of the situation.

Nonetheless, she turned her gaze back to me, her eyes searching mine as if trying to find some hidden truth. Yeah. She just couldn't let it go.

"That's not what I meant... How come you're here again? And... shouldn't you be looking for me too?" That last part was said in a whisper as though she didn't want Ryouko-san to hear it.

Eventually, she had to stop prying with her eyes as she replied to my question.

"That's not what I meant..." She started, her voice soft as the tension in her shoulders seemingly eased up. A moment later, her expression shifted slightly, a shadow of uncertainty passing through it. "How come you're here again? And... shouldn't you be looking for me too?"

That last part was whispered, as if she didn't want Ryouko-san to overhear it.

I get it. She probably didn't want to alert her friend about her 'correction' on me.

Was she also waiting for me? So, did she come here because she lost her patience in waiting for my knock in her office?

I inwardly shook my head.

This woman... If only she could be completely honest with me, we wouldn't have to play these little games of guessing each other's thoughts. But this was Orimura-sensei we were talking about. She's as stubborn as she is proud.

.

Even though we'd already crossed the line twice, she still clung to the pretense that everything she was doing was solely for my benefit, to help me "correct" my path.

I appreciate that but since the first instance, she already strayed off the path of that 'correction' she's talking about.

"To answer your first question, I'm here as Ryouko-san's Student Assistant..." I began, maintaining my composed demeanor. "As for the other one, I was planning to look for you after I report to Hayashi-sensei. Don't we have a clubhouse to check?"

Orimura-sensei blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Huh? Wait... Why would I check that place with you?

"I'll explain later," I replied with a slight smile, keeping my tone casual and confident. "So, sensei, can I ask you to delay your nagging for now? Let me help Ryouko-san first...”

Orimura-sensei hesitated, her gaze flicking between me and Ryouko-san, who continued to work as if she hadn't heard a thing. After a brief moment of internal deliberation, she sighed in resignation. "... Fine. But tell me, why is this door locked? What are you doing here?"

So, she just circled back to that question, huh? She's not dumb. She already knew the answer but still, she insisted on interrogating me like this.

What's her deal here? To see flustered? Or to have an ammo for when we're alone together? Probably both.

"Hmm... Sensei, I believe you already have an idea why, right?" I said, my voice dropping to an almost inaudible tone. My lips curled up into a small, meaningful smile. "I won't say it explicitly, but let's just say... Shouldn't we also have some privacy like how we have ours?"

Orimura-sensei's eyes widened slightly as the implication of my words sank in. Her face immediately flushed as she processed the meaning.

For a moment, she looked like she was about to protest.

"Y-you...! Does that mean..." Her voice rose in alarm, but she quickly caught herself, glancing nervously toward Ryouko-san to ensure she hadn't attracted her attention.

In response, I simply inclined my head slightly, offering her a subtle yet unmistakable gesture of confirmation.

Orimura-sensei's eyes darted back to Ryouko-san then returned to me as though she was trying to confirm or find the traces of what I just implied.

Her lips parted as if to say something, but then she quickly pressed them together, biting back whatever remark had been on the tip of her tongue. After a long, tense moment, she exhaled softly, her shoulders slumping in helpless acceptance.

"Fine. I understand," She eventually muttered with her voice low and exhausted.

Sensing her mood dropping down, I stopped with what I was doing and stepped aside. After that, I grabbed her hand and pulled her inside.

"Alright. It's about time you stop standing there, sensei. Someone might see us like this. Come in. Should I get you a can of beer? You know... so you have something to drink while you

wait."

"Hmph. Don't bother. I'll just watch over you two. See what you're capable of regarding her lessons."

"Sure. But I won't take that rejection. Wait a moment. I'll get a drink for you."

Upon saying that, I turned around and sent a gesture to Ryouko-san that I got it covered

before moving near her table to get something from her fridge.

When I returned with a can of rootbeer - something that Ryouko-san added inside after my first visit here - I found the two women already sitting next to each other. Ryouko-san was speaking to Orimura-sensei in a rather cheerful tone while explaining her lesson for today.

And then, upon finding me approaching, the two of them parted, opening up a space for me to sit down.

I first handed the drink to Orimura-sensei who begrudgingly accepted it. Soon after that, she scooted away to the other end of the sofa, leaving me next to Ryouko-san.

Seeing that, Ryouko-san could only shake her head as she called her friend back but no matter what she said, Orimura-sensei remained there, occasionally commenting when we started

discussing the lesson.

Ah. She's mostly countering my points but since I wasn't just answering mindlessly, I managed to defend them, earning me looks of appreciation from my Ryouko-san who couldn't hold back in embracing whenever that would happen.

Orimura-sensei on the other hand would just click her tongue and avert her gaze. Whether she's acting jealous or not, I had no idea... but like always, she's refusing to see us getting

intimate with each other.

Just like this, my time in this office continued. We finished up when there were only fifteen minutes left for the lunch break.

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