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

Chapter Two: "Looking Up At The Fallen Star" Part Seven Togawa-san left school without returning to class or the homeroom session after school. Her usual seat, which was occupied in the morning, was now empty, catching the notice of nearby students. When they asked if she left early, I had no choice but to say that I hadn't received any such notification. From the uneasy looks of her friends, it seemed Togawa-san hadn't contacted anyone. Aware of this, I continually questioned myself. Did I really have any right in this situation? As her homeroom teacher, I'm responsible for my students while they're at school. But extending my concern beyond school grounds, focusing on a specific student, may cross a line. Taking such missteps can lead to irreversible consequences. Perhaps, as a mere teacher, I have no such right. Nonetheless, I was genuinely worried about Togawa-san. I didn't want to leave that girl alone in her anger. And more than anything, I didn’t want her to dislike me. Grabbing my phone, I tried to get in touch. Standing alone in the deserted corridor near the faculty room, I tried to connect with Togawa-san. 'Where are you?' 'I'm not upset about you skipping class.' 'I'm worried about you.' I hesitated, my mouth half open, wondering whether to continue typing or not. 'I want to see you.' After sending the message, I instinctively covered my eyes. A warm liquid, different from tears, continued to gather between my eyes and forehead. It resembled the quiet exhilaration felt when offering a prayer. 'I really want to see you.' After sending it a second time in desperation, a reply came shortly after. 'At the café by the station.' "Ah," I let out a loud, short cry. The taste of happiness slowly seeped out from the back of my mouth, spreading to the depths of my being. 'Understood. I’m coming now.' 'But I might leave before you get here.' 'Why? Please wait for me.' 'I'll stay until I finish my drink.' 'I'll buy you as many as you want, so keep drinking.' Though it seemed unlikely I could catch up to Togawa-san, I sprinted as fast as I could—through the corridor, past the faculty room, and out to the shoe lockers. I didn't care if people around me looked at me strangely. My focus wasn't on the distance between me and them, but rather on preventing a gap or wall from forming between me and Togawa-san, so I ran with big strides. Without distinguishing which items belonged with me, I carried a heap of documents along with my bag and ran toward the station. It might have been since gym classes in school that I last ran such a long distance. The faint remnants of my not-yet-adult self were driving me forward. As my breath became short and my jaw began to droop, students heading home glanced over at me. I thought I heard someone call out to me, but I casually brushed it off with a vague response. How I wished to simply abandon my shoes so unsuited for running. The more my stamina waned, the more apparent my clumsiness became. Nonetheless, as I gasped for air, inhaling deeply and exhaling, I felt something slowly being restored within me. Maybe it was a sensation of euphoria born from oxygen deprivation, but it urged me straight towards Togawa-san. Finally, slowing to a brisk walk, I arrived before the same café as yesterday. Last time, Hoshi-san had been covered in sweat, and now it was my turn. Before entering, I placed my hands on my knees to catch my breath. The feeling of sweat running down my face was annoying, likely ruining both my makeup and hair. Though tempted to fix myself up, I couldn't afford to get sidetracked after coming directly to see Togawa-san. I shouldn't lose sight of the reason I had come running. With that resolve in mind, I wiped my sweat with a sleeve and entered the café. Still breathing heavily, I ordered a coffee and made my way toward the back of the shop. Alone, Togawa-san sat on a sofa seat, coincidentally the same seat where Hoshi-san had sat yesterday. Togawa-san seemed to notice me immediately, and blatantly turned away. Shee seemed healthy, and her slight pout was adorable, so I couldn't help but relax a little. "To—ga—wa—san," I called, circling around to look into her averted face. Her eyes widened as we made eye contact. Any surprise I felt was overshadowed by relief at seeing her non-angry expression. "Is there something I can do for you, sensei?" "Can I sit with you?" Noticing my sweat and heavy breathing, Togawa-san looked down before answering. "I ran all the way here." "In case you tried to run away." As I set up my chair, I spotted an almost empty glass with melting ice and some colored liquid, possibly juice, in front of her. Taking a seat, I finally caught my breath. My arms resting on the armrests felt heavy. "Would you like another drink?" Her head softly shook side to side. "Don’t worry about it. I’m going to have something too, and it would be lonely if you didn’t join me." Her head continued to move slightly, most likely out of discomfort. For some reason, this awkwardness from her gave me a sense of assurance. It felt like, for the first time in a while, I could maintain my composure as her teacher. There had been too many instances before where I was thrown off balance by her antics to act like the older one. "Have you calmed down a bit?" "Not really, I wasn't in a bad mood or anything..." As I laughed, realizing it was a bit forced, Togawa-san seemed to give up and looked at me. "Aren't you supposed to scold me, sensei?" "I should, but..." I can't bring myself to get angry at Togawa-san because she's so cute when she gets jealous. I wonder what kind of face Togawa-san would make if I say that. "I skipped class." "Yeah, that’s not good." "For the first time. I've never done it before now." "I know. You're a good kid, Togawa-san." "I'm only a good kid because you say so…" A gloomy look crossed Togawa-san's face. Surely her parents had never told her that. Sympathizing with what she must have felt, a pang of heartache welled within me. As this feeling lingered, my coffee arrived. Taking a sip of iced coffee slightly dulled the image of her mother. "Sensei, you've never skipped class, have you?" "Actually, I have." Togawa-san's eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe her ears. "Really?" "Yes, a few times. I never left the school grounds, though." Not out of disdain for anything in particular, but simply to try it, I’d sometimes skip class. Stealthily finding hideouts to avoid teachers, I eventually concluded that the infirmary was both the easiest and safest spot, before the novelty wore off and I graduated without doing so again. "That's surprising." "I was a teenager once too." That's why it was difficult to chastise Togawa-san while pushing aside my own past. However, there was definitely something I needed to warn her about. "Togawa-san, don’t go down the stairs in such a dangerous manner anymore. It was really frightening..." Just watching her made me fear she’d hurt herself, causing my vision to spin from worry. "I’m sorry." Togawa-san looked away as she apologized. With coffee in one hand, I nodded affirmatively with a simple "It’s okay." "It was my fault. I did it on my own, like an idiot." Her hands rubbed her eyes as if wiping away invisible tears. "Sensei was alone with another student... and we made a promise... and then......" Her whispered words were laced with shame as she tried to hide her emotions, but I could sense all of it. This girl's quiet passion was trying to drag a savage part of me out into the open. "Was it really work-related with that other student?" She looked up at me, trying to confirm, a hint of fear in her expression. The doubt pricking at her was not lost on me, sending shivers across the skin hidden beneath my suit. Even though I knew it wasn’t right. The way her eyes sought me left me trembling.