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

Chapter 2: "Looking Up At The Fallen Star" - Part Six I keep trying to figure out what Togawa-san is, but every path I take just leads me back to her. I'm trapped in a mysterious paradox—I can't contemplate Togawa-san unless I resolve Togawa-san first. "Hmm." "…By the way, what do you mean by ‘as expected’?" When it comes to romance with women, it baffles me why a student I've hardly spoken to thinks this way. Mori-san confidently and bluntly blurts it out, without any hesitation. "There's a rumor that you have a suspicious gaze towards girls." Another dreadful rumor surfaces. "Eh…?" "People say you often look at girls’ skirts and legs." "Eh… e-eh? Wait… eh?" All I can muster is confusion. A story about an unconscious, unknown side of myself. That I would be inadvertently gazing at girls' skirts... I have no recollection of such a thing. If I am unknowingly doing it, well, of course, I wouldn't be aware. But I don't… I shouldn't. "And also, who was it again… I forgot their name, but you were holding hands with a girl, right?" Ugh, Mori-san's words pierce me deeply—and accurately—as expected. Right, in that case, if I just carry on as if nothing happened, it’s no surprise it would turn into more than just a rumor. "That's… true." "See?" "Well, it's true, but… there are other things…" I couldn't come up with anything and decided to just muddle through it. "…Was I just now looking at Mori-san’s legs?" "No, not really." "Then… I don't understand." Regarding girls' legs… certainly, I had looked at Togawa-san's legs in her casual outfit for a bit, but someone would naturally look at them because they were beautiful, showed a lot of skin, and were long, right? "So that’s the kind of rumor…" Is that why my wedding ring draws suspicion? Does Togawa-san believe such rumors too? If I become overly conscious about them, it might only draw my eyes even more, trapping me further. Being teased for walking hand in hand with Togawa-san might not have been teasing at all; maybe people were genuinely saying those things. It's remarkable how this hasn’t caused any more trouble. "Even if that's true, I don't think it's good to connect things so easily…" Though it's pointless to say this to Mori-san, I murmur as if talking to myself. Mori-san merely responds with a vague "well" and prepares to leave. Apparently, she just wanted to get it off her chest. As a teacher, I should advise against relationships with adults, but for some reason, I feel as though it’s not my place to say this. "Sensei, um." Before opening the door, Mori-san turns to me, bows her head, and says, "I'm sorry." "…Give my regards to Hoshi-san." I’d rather not meet her for a while. If possible, forever. As soon as Mori-san steps into the hallway, she suddenly stops. "Sensei, someone’s there." Mori-san points by the door and lets me know. Muttering with a frown, she says, “Why’s she glaring like that?” and walks away. Whoever had come by. I get up and rush to check. Just as I expected, I find a tall figure in the hallway. "Togawa-san?" Back pressed against the wall, glaring straight ahead, was Togawa-san. She didn’t seem inclined to laugh at all. Her profile resembled the expression of Mori-san, whom I had just faced. "What is it? Today of all days." "I saw that girl go in here." "I see…" Whether or not there was an actual reason, her voice didn’t sound pleasant, and I’m left bewildered. Did something unpleasant happen in the classroom, causing her to run away? Momentarily dumbfounded, a thought strikes me. We might not have much time, but since she’s already here, maybe we should play catch today too. However, before I could suggest that, Togawa-san tosses a reproachful look my way. "What were you talking about?" "Togawa-san?" "Weren’t you working?" She was angry. I realized that her rapid-fire questions set the blame squarely on me for her unhappiness. Having such negative emotions directed from Togawa-san left me feeling unstable from the waist up. "Work… it was work, you know? I was counseling a student." "What kind of counseling?" Could it be jealousy? Is she jealous? Togawa-san, of Mori-san. "That's personal, so I can’t say…" It would be so much easier to explain if I just mentioned the mutual acquaintance involved. Frustrated, Togawa-san, apparently annoyed by my silence, moves away from the wall as if she wants to leave. "Togawa-san, wait." As I try to pursue her, she runs down the stairs at full speed. She rushes down several steps at a time, without any intention of slowing down, and I worry she'll hurt herself. "Togawa-san, it’s dangerous!" I shout loudly out of instinct. Togawa-san disappears from sight without stopping. Realizing I can't mimic her, I descend the stairs in haste, trying to catch up. By the time I reach the second floor, she’s nowhere to be found, and I’m stumped by which direction to run. Stopping to think, I decide for now to head to her classroom. In the school, I can't think of another place Togawa-san would be. Checking her classroom, I see her seat is empty with some commotion around it. At that moment, it’s clear what likely happened to Togawa-san. "What happened?" Feigning a casual stroll into the classroom as if discovering the disturbance by chance, I try to inquire with the students. A male student, knocking on the vacant desk, answers. "Togawa just grabbed her bag and left all of a sudden." "…Togawa-san?" Feigning ignorance, I confirm my suspicions. It seems she has left the school. That’s not good, but beyond that— I don’t want her to be alone. "I’m not sure what happened but… hmm, adolescence, eh…" Playing the role of an uninvolved teacher, I leave the classroom. I’m about to descend the stairs to the first floor when I pause with my toes still pressed against the step. "Ah, geez!" I nearly give in to ditching afternoon classes to chase after her. I can’t do that. It's not time for that yet. Why did visiting Hoshi-san end up like this? In the midst of all this upheaval, I almost began to despise everything. "…Jealous…" That’s the only conclusion I can draw from Togawa-san’s demeanor. To get so angry over such a small issue... Mori-san was the same way, but is jealousy always this powerful? My experience with jealousy has been scant, both in feeling it and being entangled in it. Now, feeling Togawa-san’s jealousy all over me, I realize— "Dummy." I smack my own cheek, trying hard not to feel pleased by her emotions.