Published at 23rd of September 2024 2:04 pm

Chapter 2165: You can count on me

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Initially, I had every intention of following Hayashi-sensei's instructions to leave her office after I finished massaging her hand. My thoughts had already drifted toward Orimura-sensei and our impending trip to the clubhouse. There was no real reason for me to linger any longer here, or so I thought.

However, when I heard Hayashi-sensei murmuring something, I remembered what I was missing.

But just as my hand reached for the doorknob, I caught the faint sound of Hayashi-sensei murmuring something under her breath. It wasn't loud enough to make out the words, but it stirred something in me... I forgot I also want to hear her answers to some of my questions.

I halted in place and slowly turned back around, my eyes narrowing with a curious intensity as they locked onto her.

Sensing my sudden shift, Hayashi-sensei's brows furrowed in confusion, her earlier flustered expression still lingering faintly on her face. Having no idea what I was planning, she got caught off guard by the fact that I had stopped so abruptly.

Moments later, she noticeably stiffened as she unconsciously clenched her hands into fists, anxiousness apparent on her face.

Maybe it was the way the air around me changed that made her react like this. A certain pressure that I unknowingly exerted. Due to that, Hayashi-sensei swallowed hard as she braced herself for what might come next.

"You don't have to be alarmed, sensei. I won't jump at you. I'm only going to ask something." "You don't have to be alarmed, sensei," I said calmly as a faint smile tugged at the corner of my lips. "I'm not going to jump at you. I only have a question."

"I see... That's good then. What is it?"

Hearing my words, her tense shoulders relaxed only slightly, though her gaze remained wary. Most likely she already drew up worse scenarios in her head. If I had done something wrong, I might've gotten her foot on my stomach.

I paused for a moment and let the silence stretch between us. It was to build up anticipation.

And when that was done, I opened my mouth, my tone as casual as if I were asking about the weather. "Let's say someone from the Ichihara or Kujou family were to show up here one day... and demand my expulsion from the school. How likely would you be to accept that?"

Right. This was the question I wanted to ask her. Of course, if it was only a personal thing, she'd probably take my side. However, with the Ichihara Family being one of those who donate to this school, she might be put in a difficult situation when navigating through it. As much as I wanted to settle the problem of Ichihara Jun privately or just between us, the involvement of their families was already inevitable.

The instant the words left my mouth, I saw the shift in Hayashi-sensei's expression. The anxiety that had put her into a predicament moments earlier began to soften, giving way to something more contemplative.

She was still tense but her initial alarm receded greatly as she started processing my question. Noticeably, I even spotted a glimpse of her relieved smile albeit momentarily.

A few seconds later, with her brows knitting together as she seemed to have carefully considered her response, Hayashi-sensei blinked and exhaled before answering, "Without sufficient reason... I wouldn't," she

Her voice was steadier now. It was a simple answer but it did carry the weight of her conviction. She's been running this school for so long, after all. She wouldn't just let some other people undermine her authority. Or rather, she'd give it a fair trial.

Although that didn't surprise me as much as I thought it would, I kept my eyes on her, waiting to hear more of her insight into our situation.

Sensing my unspoken request for elaboration, Hayashi-sensei shifted slightly in her seat. I could still see the unease on her face but at this moment, her enigmatic presence as the Director returned as she fixed her glasses and fixed her posture.

"Look, Onoda-kun... I've been following your issues with them. Their names do carry a lot of weight. Influence like that can apply a lot of pressure. But even so, this is my school. I will decide what to do with my students."

After that, she hesitated for a second as her eyes flickered with something unspoken. Most likely, her personal view on our current situation.

"I'll be fair to you but Onoda-kun. Promise me you won't do something reckless like challenging their whole family. Your parents will be troubled."

"I understand. Thank you for your insight, sensei. And don't worry... I'm thinking of ending this issue next week. I'll report the good news to you."

"You brat. Don't act so overconfident." Hayashi-sensei berated me but at the next moment, she lowered her gaze and then murmured in sincerity, "If you need advice on something... Feel free to ask me."

"Mhm. I know I can count on you, sensei." I put on a grin that made her flustered again. Then, I left a closing statement, "Ah. Right. You can also count on me if you need some companionship, sensei. I feel bad being the one to always impose on you. I promise I'll behave."

Before she could properly digest my words, I quickly turned around and continued on my way out.

As the door behind me closed, I heard Hayashi-sensei's grating voice calling me a shameless brat.

Next time, I'll make sure to capture that in a frame.

-

As I descended the stairs of the Administration Building, my eyes immediately caught sight of Orimura-sensei's shadow lingering outside the entrance. She was standing there with a rigid posture. It's as if she was poised to leave at any moment. Her impatience was evident even from a distance.

At the moment, other teachers were also filing out of the building, most likely heading to their next class. There were only five minutes left before the start of the fifth period.

As always, I kept my movements inconspicuous, weaving through the small crowd of faculty members to avoid drawing unnecessary attention as I made my way toward her.

Even though I hadn't called out to her, Orimura-sensei seemingly had a sharp instinct. She turned around the moment she heard the sound of my approaching footsteps, her eyes locking onto mine with an almost knowing expression.

With a wry smile, I waved a hand in a casual greeting. "Sorry, sensei. I guess we'll only have time for a quick round trip. I'll explain everything to you on the way."

Orimura-sensei huffed in mild annoyance, her brow creasing as she crossed her arms.

"What are you waiting for then? Let's go."

Upon saying that, she didn't even wait for my response before turning on her heel and marching ahead, leaving me standing there.

I shook my head inwardly, a small chuckle threatening to escape as I followed after her. With my longer strides, it didn't take long before I caught up and began walking alongside

her. Glancing to the side, I noticed the slight pout on her lips.

What's this? She's becoming a bit too easy to read, isn't she?

Well, I had already anticipated her reaction.

After all, there was only so much time we had left. I'd spent most of it running around juggling different responsibilities. In reality, there was barely enough time for me to handle everything within a single hour.

Thinking about it, I had already spent nearly thirty minutes during lunch with my girls, which I had to rush through to maximize the time. Following that, another fifteen minutes with Ryouko-san, and close to ten minutes dealing with Hayashi-sensei. Not to mention, I lost more time simply moving between different locations.

If I wasn't paying close attention, it might've felt like time was slowing down whenever I was

with one of my girls.

Yet, somehow, I still managed to carve out these remaining minutes. Wasn't it more amazing that I still got an allowance of five minutes after all that?

In any case, as we walked past the School Building and made our way toward the quieter inner

part of the campus, I decided it was time to smooth things over with the woman at my side. I glanced over at her, watching her simmer in her mild frustration as I thought of ways to

appease her.

"Sensei, what do you think? Are you not happy to be appointed as our advisor?" I asked, feigning innocence in my tone.

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