After finishing the chat exchange with sensei, I started preparing for class when suddenly the two girls sitting nearby stood up and timidly called out to me.
"Uhmmm... Umihara-kun we've been thinking that we should write our answers to the assignment that was given to us yesterday on the board now since it's our turn to do it today."
"Hmmm? Oh! It's fine if you answer it on your own."
"I... I'm sorry I said unnecessary things."
"Miki, Umihara-kun is waiting for us to do it."
"Yea... yeah, that's right. Sorry for bothering you, Umihara-kun."
There's a limit to the number of people who can stand in front of the blackboard and solve the problems at the same time, but right now there's still some space in front of the board. Still, even the most cheerful girl, whose bright laughter can resound in the classroom, is also afraid of me.
Is the way I talk to them wrong? I believe it's perfectly normal. No, I should be more careful about how I talk to them from now on.
After all, my presence in this room is like a deity no one wants to approach, which is why I'm grateful to Jun, who didn't care about the atmosphere of the classroom when I walked in and immediately spoke to me...I'm sure even if I said that to him, he wouldn't care at all.
...
During the time where we needed to change classrooms, We passed Kishikawa-sensei on our way to the gymnasium.
The people around me became nervous as Kishikawa-sensei stopped in front of me and Jun, then she called us out.
"You two boys over there, your collars are crooked, and your uniforms are too loose."
"Y... yes!"
Jun shivered and immediately straightened his collar. Mine was certainly bent a little too, so I straightened my collar while Kishikawa-sensei stared at me.
"Thank you for pointing that out, Sensei."
Kishikawa-sensei didn't say anything after that; she just nodded and walked away. After a while, the sounds of her footsteps on the linoleum faded away, and when we went down the stairs, I could no longer hear it.
"Ahhh... that's really nerve-wracking. Seriously, Umihara, what exactly did you do in order to catch the attention of Female Knight-sensei?"
"If I remember correctly, you said yesterday that you want to negotiate with Sensei in order to watch the swimming clubs practice, right?"
"You know there's a saying that yesterday's enemy is your friend today, right? Though I realized just now that I shouldn't joke on things like that, I'm sorry."
After Jun had said that, he tapped me on my shoulder as if to sympathize with me. He must have thought that Kishikawa-sensei and I were on bad terms.
"As expected of the intellectual yakuza, you can compete head-on with Kishikawa-sensei."
"I wonder why Umihara-kun is getting the attention of Sensei? Are the rumors true after all?"
I then heard my classmates ask questions like that among themselves, and since it's not my concern anymore, I started walking towards the gymnasium again; after a while, Jun hurriedly followed me.
"Seriously, it's really amazing to see Female Knight-sensei today, and if I see Moriyama-sensei today too, then I feel like I'm the luckiest person alive."
There are two goddesses at this school who are greatly admired by all the boys.
One of them is Kishikawa-sensei, just like Jun, from my point of view, she's an existence that you can say is above the clouds and is unreachable.
"I guess Female Knight-sensei must be leading a strict life, as she's always so uptight. I wonder what kind of man can get along with someone like that?"
I also think that Kishikawa-sensei is leading a strict life. When Jun asked what kind of man can get along with Sensei, I thought that he probably meant a different kind of relationship from my current one with Sensei. As between Sensei and me, there's an absolute relationship between a teacher and a student rather than between a man and a woman.
However, I know the different side to the image that the people around me have of Kishikawa-sensei.
She's a really good cook, a caring woman; in fact, she's just like any other woman around me, but she's always so serious about what she's doing that I can't help but admire and respect her sincerity.
"Well, I'm happy just to be looked at with Sensei's cold eyes like that. Don't you think so too, Umihara?"
"She's not that cold; she just gave us a normal warning."
"It's amazing that you can say that with a straight face and be so calm when Sensei confronted us... Oh, it's a friend from the club I belong to. Go ahead, and I'll catch up to you soon!"
When Jun talked to his friend, I was alone again. After a while, my smartphone vibrated again.
Kishikawa-sensei: I'm sorry but I really want to see your face this morning.
Kishikawa-sensei: I want to fix your collar, but since there are other people around I can't do it.
First, if there are other people around us, don't be overly familiar so that we don't stand out.
Second, limit the chat conversations to three times a day. The number of messages sent by each party will be determined by the nature of the conversation.
Third, if we have any problems, we should consult each other as much as possible in order to solve them.
Those are the promises between me and Kishikawa-sensei. It's normal for us to be casual when we pass each other in the hallway, and it's not because we have something to hide.
Normally, a relationship between a student and a teacher like ours might be unusual.
But as long as Sensei and I understand each other, follow our promises, and set our boundaries, I don't think there's anything strange about it.
Even if our relationship is a bit unusual, at the end of the day, there's nothing special about it.
Also, no matter how much kindness Kishikawa-sensei shows me, I will never misunderstand it for something else.
I believe an adult woman like Sensei, will not have any special affection for her students.