1.7 - A Story About a Married Teacher Who Becomes Obsessed With Her Female Student

Chapter 1: 'The Scent of the Sea Doesn't Reach Me' - Part Seven Despite trying various approaches, ultimately, there was no choice but to directly address the matter. Togawa-san narrowed her eyes slightly, curling her lips into a sarcastic smile. "Is it because you'd be troubled if the students in your charge caused issues?" "That's not what I'm saying." A sudden surge and resistance sprang up from within, as if needles were shooting out from my back. My skin flushed hot, a sensation that had been lurking deep down, like something crawling out from beneath the earth. What was this feeling? Togawa-san's eyes widened in surprise, and her shoulders seemed frozen and pulled back. Even I was internally panicking, not expecting such a sharp tone to come from me. "I'm just worried about you, Togawa-san. It might not come across, but—" "No, I'm sorry. I believe in you." Togawa-san didn't just stop at words. She placed her hand over mine. Leaning forward again, her hair almost brushed against mine. "I'm sorry." Togawa-san, who is taller than me, shrank herself to peer into my eyes. "Ah, no, there's no need to apologize so much, but…" Togawa-san's fingers, seemingly delicate enough to melt on contact, remained resting on the back of my hand. "I worry about you getting involved with strange people, or encountering danger…" I hate it. "…I'm worried." The struggle between genuine feelings and chosen words ensued. What kind of emotional expression makes my eyelashes seem like they might tremble? "I want you to take care of yourself." "…Okay." Receiving my carefully chosen words, Togawa-san withdrew her hand and sat back down. Then, she rested a hand on her chest as if to steady her heartbeat. "I was surprised." Before I could ask, "By what?" "Because I've never seen you get angry, sensei." Her remark caught me off guard, making me react with a surprised "Eh?" Angry? Me... Is what I felt just now anger? Was this what it meant to be angry? A strong feeling of not being able to forgive something. The wish for my feelings to be conveyed without distortion. A part of my heart that seemed to have been lost, as if it had been cut off for some time. Was this what it was like? Did I get angry? I was perplexed. "I'm not angry… well, probably not." I wasn't confident myself. Biting my lip and munching on the remaining food, I used it as an excuse to stay silent. A strange atmosphere lingered that couldn't easily be ventilated. Maybe I was just overthinking things. Togawa-san seemed to absent-mindedly gaze at the materials and teaching aids on the desk. Almost as if being rushed, I hurried to finish eating and closed my lunch box. Overall, I was too distracted by other things to savor the taste. As if waiting for me to finish, Togawa-san stood up. "Sensei, there's still some lunchtime left." "Well… oh, since the discussion's over, you can return to the classroom if you'd like…" Just as I was in the middle of saying that, Togawa-san flashed a grin. "I've been thinking that there's something good up there." Togawa-san reached for something on the desk. It was a rubber ball, about the size to fit in the palm of one’s hand, pink in color with black soccer-ball-like patterns. I hadn't brought this into the room; it had been here all along. Togawa-san picked it up, feeling its texture with her fingers as if testing it, and then turned to me. "Let's play catch, sensei." "…Catch? With me?" Togawa-san nodded, showing me the ball, stepping closer. "Who else is there to play with?" With a sense of determination, she grabbed my elbow and urged me to stand. Confused, I stood up and found myself being led out of the staff preparation room, not even locking the door behind us as I was hurried along, down the stairs, and out into the grounds after putting on my shoes. Under the noble, brilliantly shining sun, it had been a while since I'd been out on the playground. While I'm in a suit, would that be alright? I watched as Togawa-san ran to create some distance. As I waited, I glanced back at the school building and felt as if I made eye contact with some students at the windows. "Sensei, here it comes!" Togawa-san, waving animatedly as if she were a child, signaled with her hands. "Take it easy, just lightly." A strange laugh escaped me as I thought, "Are we really doing this?" With the sun warming her hair, I let out an awkward chuckle. When was the last time I engaged in a ball game? In middle school, I was in the culture club, and in elementary school, I didn't participate in dodgeball... Wait, am I inexperienced? No, I must have thrown something during high school fitness tests… A past so distant, it’s nearly forgotten… Maybe I played with my parents. I caught the gently tossed ball, scooping it up with both hands. The ball was slightly deflated, making it almost painless to catch. I let out a sigh of relief at having caught it. The ball was small enough to grip with one hand and soft for me to squeeze. Contemplating throwing it back, the unfamiliar motion caused a bit of tension in me. Given that it was lunchtime, clearly no one else was on the grounds but us. Under two glowing suns—the real one and Togawa-san's brightly lit smile from afar. "If you play with me, sensei, I won't get bored!" "Eh… is that so?" I tossed the ball back to Togawa-san. My awkward throwing was atrocious. The suit didn't help, restricting my elbows, preventing smooth movement, almost slamming the ball into the ground. The ball barely held onto my fingertips, veering away from Togawa-san's direction. She ran to retrieve it. Due to its material, the ball didn't roll much on the dirt. "I don’t have any experience with ball sports!" I excused myself, and Togawa-san, still smiling, tossed it back at me. Her throw had a gentle arc yet accurately targeted my spot, revealing her familiarity. "Are you in any club activities?" "I'm just a ghost member of the art club." Not what I expected. Holding out her hand like a fluttering butterfly, she signaled for the ball. Taking into account the elbow's immobility, I intentionally made larger shoulder movements this time. Although it was a bit smoother, I still ended up almost hitting the ball into the ground due to the late release. I realized controlling a throw’s strength was difficult. Even though my throws never reached Togawa-san, she seemed to enjoy chasing them. For a brief time, we communicated through the ball's passage. I didn't really feel joy from the ball game itself, but watching Togawa-san's cheerful demeanor occasionally brought a smile to my face. Pointing to the large clock on the school wall to show the time, Togawa-san halted her throw, looked up at the clock, closed her eyes with a wistful smile, and then ran towards me. "It’s been a while, but having the ball come back to me was fun!" Though it’s a rude notion, seeing her bring the ball back looked a bit like a happy puppy. Togawa-san’s endearing nature seems to break into my heart often. "We didn’t have much time today, so next time, let's do it earlier."