1.24 - 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 24 On their days off, students might wander around that area or ride the train. Either way, the center of their activities was near the station. Walking was agreeable, especially when it came to acclimating a body still affected by alcohol. As I moved along, I looked for Togawa-san, scanning faces that passed by and glancing across the opposite sidewalk. I knew why I didn't encounter old friends in my hometown. It's because I lacked interest or concern. However, interest and curiosity could be keys to meeting someone again. Arriving at the station, several pigeons roamed among the people near the clock tower. The pigeons at the station were so accustomed to humans that they didn't flee at all. Would my pain similarly grow numb and fade away one day? I hoped to get used to it quickly, preferably within two seconds. As I lifted my head from my gloomy thoughts, a sweet aroma caught my attention. It came from a kiosk on the side of the station entrance. There was a small shop selling panda-shaped pastries, and as I passed by, the scent of caramelized sugar filled the air. I casually searched for Togawa-san among the crowd—groups of foreign tourists, young people waiting for friends, elementary school students on a day out. This town was a melting pot of different ages and backgrounds. I ventured a bit further away from the station to reach the main street. If someone was eating while walking down the street, they were likely tourists. Locals knew how the circling kites snatched food away. The birds were quite adept, precisely taking what they desired and discarding inconvenient wrappers onto the street. This town was abundant with birds. Perhaps it was a suitable place for them to live. Realistically, I wasn't expecting to run into Togawa-san after a short walk. I knew this. Yet, a part of me clung to the possibility of meeting her. It was that possibility that drove people. Not having exchanged contact information was inconvenient, yet it wasn't something I could simply change. Lately, I've felt on the brink of misunderstanding my relationship with Togawa-san. She was my student, a minor, and a high school girl. I was nothing more than her homeroom teacher. We weren't even friends. But it was unconvincing to describe our connection as merely that of teacher and student. Searching for a student on a day off was deviating too much from my role as a teacher. I should calm down a bit. Our interactions should be limited to the classroom. To just teaching. Isn’t that what being a genuine teacher is? Yet something refused to let my mind rest in that attempt to settle. A voice that shook both my calm and objectivity. "Sensei?" Lost in thought, I was walking by a vegetable stand when I heard Togawa-san’s voice. It came enveloped in the slightly green scent of vegetables, reaching me as she stood there waiting for the light to change. My dried-up sense of shock rooted my eyes downward. It was the first time I'd seen Togawa-san outside in clothes other than her casual home attire. My eyes were drawn to her long legs extended from blue shorts before I quickly lifted my gaze. "Hello," I said, half-heartedly curving my fingers into a friendly gesture. Accompanying her was another one of my students. "Oh, it's Ichi-sen," said a girl who belatedly recognized me, using a nickname likely coined among the students. "I guess outside of school, being called sensei isn’t necessary." I was about to correct them but reconsidered. I hated imposing the title of teacher. Perhaps I still lacked a sense of duty as a teacher. Or maybe I felt guilty. "Ichi-sen, you seem youthful when you do that. You could hang out with us, you know?" Satake-san, who was friendly with Togawa-san in the classroom, teased. "Thanks for the flattery. Enjoy yourselves, but make sure you get home before it gets too late." "Ichi-sen, do you think we’re elementary schoolkids?" Satake-san laughed cheerfully and waved her hand slightly at me. I reciprocated and glanced at Togawa-san. Meeting her was nice, but intruding when she's with friends was difficult. With a nod saying "I'll give up for today," I subtly lowered my head to Togawa-san. Yet she ignored the cue, closing the space between us in a way so natural and bold it almost made me step back. Like an unguarded pigeon, my student who was taller than me came nearer and whispered in my ear. "Wait for me at the vegetable stand." She set up an impromptu rendezvous and regrouped with her friends. I watched their lively backs and listened to their chatter, touching the earlobe she had just spoken into. Wait for me. Was she really planning to come back? I wondered as I walked toward the stand, as though under a spell to follow her command. The raw greenness of the vegetables felt stronger now. Had it ever been appropriate to so openly arrange meetings like this? There was nothing to hide, really. Well, except maybe my night at the hostess club. Beyond that, it was just a matter of a high school girl and her teacher. That's all we were. "That's all," I muttered, my neck stiff and voice dry. Who would take such awkwardness as the truth? The "vegetable stand" was actually referred to as something else officially, but everyone called it that. The site where local produce was sold wasn't frequented for meet-ups. I stood beside a white sign, blending in like another parked bicycle, and waited for Togawa-san. Lately, I seemed to encounter Togawa-san quite often. Perhaps it wasn't coincidence but rather a probability seemingly optimized by my intention to find her. Fate, indeed, might be swayed slightly by a person's will. "Sensei." From the way I was addressed, I could instantly tell who it belonged to. Having parted from her friends, Togawa-san returned alone. "..........................." With each step she took closer, my heart rose to a level where it might drown from its own rising tide. It was inappropriate for me, as her teacher, to feel this way. But. Compared to other high school girls, she was exceptionally cute. So cute, I nearly nodded twice acknowledging that fact. Isn't that insane? Togawa-san, isn't that insane? I was about to lose my way with my words. As I was hit head-on by Togawa-san's cuteness, my vocabulary dried up. Should a modern language teacher be left speechless like this? My consciousness felt light, like Styrofoam. Togawa-san in her casual clothes—a level of 'insane' that exceeded all bounds. Her charm in uniform partially blended in with the other students but in casual wear, it shone outright. Though I must admit the uniform has its own appeal. What do I mean by that, even? "Was it okay? You were with your friends." But outwardly, I managed to maintain a semblance of conversation. Inside, all I could feel was 'insane.' "Well, I can always hang out with Sa-chan and the others... Anyway," she said as she stepped out from the bicycle stand to stand beside me, looking into my eyes as if peering into my soul. "I prefer being with you, Sensei." For a moment, I felt myself blur into a string of hesitant emotions, like someone who'd grabbed something too hot and didn't know what to do with it. "Is it okay with you, Sensei? Do you have plans?" "My plans... I'm doing them now." "Hmm?" "I came to meet you, Togawa-san." This time, Togawa-san placed her hand on her cheek, as if she'd been burned. "Me? ...Seriously?"