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

Chapter 2: "Looking Up At The Fallen Star" Part 5 I couldn’t comprehend how we ended up here. It was an obscure question, one that seemed to bypass any logical path to pierce right into the depths. The unexpected directness of it shook me to my core. When confronted with the statement, “I like women,” my mind flashed with faces that I quickly blinked away. “No, no. I’m married, you know?” I raised my left hand, displaying my wedding ring. Mori-san glanced at it and responded with a disinterested “oh.” “Hm...? Is that so?” Mori-san tilted her head, puzzled for some reason. Was it just my imagination? Everyone reacted like this upon hearing I was married. Why was it so surprising? “So, well, I'm not interested in women... as romantic partners...” Even as I tried to make my point, my words felt stilted and uncertain. Like I was hiding something, or betraying someone, leaving me feeling uneasy and unable to look straight. The engagement ring I held up blurred and disappeared from my sight. “Sensei, do you also...” The important part was the "also." That meant Mori-san too. “Oh.” Memories from the hostess club, Mori-san's appearance, and her stature clicked into place. Although I was reluctant to point it out, I couldn’t ignore the connection. “By any chance, are you and Hoshi-san...?” Before I finished, Mori-san blushed and lowered her head slightly, embarrassed. Ah, that Hoshi Takasora. I was about to lament, "How dare she make a move on a high school girl?" But before I could, an even larger shadow appeared. The shadow was in the shape of Togawa-san, and I opened my eyes wide. No, I'm not like that... Huh? “But I get the feeling that Sora might be seeing someone else too... It’s just a hunch, based on behavior and how often we meet. So, sensei, are you...?” “No, no, not at all! We're just friends.” I’m not sure when we became friends, but if she calls us friends, then we must be. Probably. “It's not really my place to say this, but she seems interested only in shorter girls.” Hoshi-san and I are of roughly the same height, which would put me out of her usual type. “I’ve heard that before, but...” Even with her usual piercing gaze, Mori-san’s skepticism hadn’t subsided. “Well, proving otherwise might be tough...” Finding evidence to refute her would be tricky. “But you know, I think you’d be better off asking Hoshi-san directly.” Frankly, I’m not involved in this, and being badgered won’t change anything. Though I called her a friend, I don’t even have Hoshi-san’s contact info. Mori-san snorted in response to my explanation. “She’ll just deny everything, saying, ‘It doesn’t mean anything’ or something like that.” “I suppose you're right... Hmm, what should I do?” Lacking experience in being interrogated like this, I was drawing a blank. “Mori-san, what would make you believe me?” I turned the inquiry back on her. Unfazed, she replied stubbornly. “Prove it’s not true.” “That’s the problem, I can’t prove something like that...” I chuckled awkwardly, sensing she might be difficult to deal with. Is this how love narrows one’s vision and thoughts? “So, once more: I’m married, you know.” “Affair.” She seemed poised to deny whatever I said, making me sigh. As a teacher, thinking this of a student is unbecoming, but being wrapped up in this while Mori-san shows no signs of progress is getting tedious. I was also starting to feel annoyed at Hoshi-san. But since she’d covered my hostess club expenses, I couldn’t complain much. Settling back in my chair, I resignedly threw out an offer. “Alright then. If it ever becomes clear that I’m involved with Hoshi-san, you can come and kill me.” “What?” As expected, Mori-san was taken aback. But without such drastic measures, she wouldn’t listen. Since proving anything was impossible, wagering my life was the next best thing. “I’m convinced it's not true, so I can make any outrageous promise. If it turns out I’m wrong, come kill me. I'm telling you now—it’s absolutely not the case.” As the words left my lips, I thought if Hoshi-san ever jokingly admitted it, I might as well be dead. I believe in her sincerity enough to assume she wouldn’t, but if it happened, I’d accept my poor judgment. “If you hesitate to commit murder, I’m willing to take my own life. How about that?” The consultation I ignored promises with Togawa-san to attend was trivial, adding to my frustration. Honestly, I wished I hadn’t taken this on, glancing at the gloves on my desk out of the corner of my eye. Fixing Mori-san with a steely gaze, she finally seemed a bit intimidated, averting her eyes awkwardly. I decided to wrap this up. “Once you’re satisfied, let’s end it for today. Also, you should talk with Hoshi-san directly. Letting suspicion fester will only corrode your heart. Of course, today’s consultation remains between us.” “Yes...” Her response was faint, lacking conviction. Continuing this here wouldn’t benefit anyone. To begin with, the suspicion was unfounded, leaving nothing at stake even if resolved. Turning my back to Mori-san, I exhaled deeply. Dealing with such a sensitive issue, compounded by familiar faces getting involved, left me without a place to settle my thoughts. So she really was getting involved with our school’s students? The audacity to mess with high school girls was baffling. Nothing good came from associating with her. “What am I thinking?” A fleeting thought crossed my mind—thank goodness Togawa-san wasn't Hoshi-san’s type. Why was that my concern? “As expected, Sensei doesn't have any prejudices against love between women, right?” Standing up, Mori-san asked with a hint of curiosity. As a teacher, it’s a hard question to answer directly. “Honestly, I don’t know. I haven’t really given it much thought.” Avoiding eye contact, I answered while letting my eyes unfocus. Without a relevant environment or people around, neither prejudice nor a norm could form. Yet with recent acquaintances in mind, I had more to consider. Personally, I had no particular resistance. The only problem was that whenever I tried to think about such things, Togawa-san's image immediately popped into my mind and my mind drifted away. Or rather, lately, no matter what I tried to think about, Togawa-san's image would flash through my mind.