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

--- Chapter Two: "Looking Up At The Fallen Star" – Part Twelve It was the same as yesterday. There was a strange joy in being needed by Togawa-san so intensely. Her strong emotions resonated with me, shaking my heart fiercely. Such a simple resonance was incredibly fresh to me. Respecting others and being overly considerate are similar yet distinct. Perhaps what I've been doing so far was merely a kind of excessive consideration, not caring too much about the other person's will. A feeling of stepping back. But when it came to Togawa-san, I didn't want to step back. "Sweaty... feels gross," Togawa-san said, pushing her bangs away. "I'll get a towel. Kitchen or... washroom?" I confirmed the whereabouts, but Togawa-san, lying down, just stared intently at me. "Togawa-san?" Again, she covered her eyes with her palm, then said quietly, "Hey, sensei... can you wipe it off for me?" A crack. Her voice touched the outline of my teacher identity, causing a crackling sound. Amidst the trembling, time moved on. "Wipe... that's..." "My arms feel weak... please, sensei." Her flat voice and covered eyes concealed her accompanying emotions. My throat trembled, indicating longing. To wipe her sweat means directly touching Togawa-san's body. Directly. No, no, no—why am I so agitated? It's just a student's bare skin. I'm here to take care of a struggling student. I only came here to help as requested. Yet, my mind went blank beyond repair. A student's bare skin. Togawa-san's bare skin. My eyes, nose, and forehead felt dry and painful. Beyond the exposed skin, the significance of Togawa-san asking this of me stirred more emotions than anything else. Has Togawa-san stopped pretending not to see? Stopped entirely? "Togawa-san..." "It's hot." It was a short request, surpassing conversation. I came here out of goodwill, but now I'm faced with a great battle against instinct. My throat was parched, making speech difficult. The only coherent thing I could manage was... "I'll wipe it, so... take off your clothes..." My voice cracked. Something felt wrong, and I barely realized it. "Oh, I'll prepare a towel... can I borrow one?" Togawa-san slowly got up without saying a word, just looking at me with wet eyes. Avoiding her gaze, I stumbled out of the room. Almost missing the steps twice, cold sweat wouldn't stop. It was as if my life was flashing before my eyes. Quickly, I headed to the washroom to grab a towel. Avoiding the reflection in the mirror, I kept my eyes down and went to the kitchen. After borrowing the microwave, I prepared a steam towel. Watching the numbers slowly decrease, I felt my pupils dilate. Even though my eyes were dry and painful, my eyelids wouldn't close. A black substance gradually enveloping my daily life started closing in, aiming to cover me completely. With the microwave's completion chime, my tightly wound head felt like it might explode. Holding the prepared steam towel, I paused in front of the entrance. If I wanted to flee, now was the time. But fleeing felt wrong— it meant returning to the right path. On the street visible through the door, the remnants of daylight persisted, reminding me that I had indeed walked here. Step by heavy step, I dragged myself away from the light, heading upstairs. Because Togawa-san was waiting. I thought there were moments in life when I could foresee the future. Knowing that climbing these stairs would lead to ruin, I ascended anyway. The voice saying "sorry to keep you waiting" was as dry as the towel. As Togawa-san slowly got up to remove her shirt, screams seemed ready to escape—not from my mouth, but from my eyes. The shirt clung to her sweaty back, halting midway. Togawa-san's gaze turned towards me. "It's stuck, help me take it off." "O-okay." It was getting awkward. The voice of reason telling me not to think about it was far away. My fingers met hers on her shirt. Can I really undress her? Should I? Standing at the cliff's edge, I wavered. To see or touch what's beyond undressing her would mean truly falling. Danger gripped the back of my neck. Even the crisis warned me to stop beforehand. I had sold my goodness so much that I would even show kindness to the malice that mocked the world. Now, I was about to throw that away. With a feeling like throwing half my body away, I lifted Togawa-san's shirt. Just as I suspected from the outline, nothing was worn underneath. Togawa-san's upper body became fully exposed. Reflexively, I dropped the shirt from my hands. As a woman, I was used to seeing it, so I pretended to maintain composure while looking at her chest. Lacking confidence in my pretense. Facing Togawa-san, who was now bare above the waist on the bed, I found myself sweating too. There's nothing odd here. This is caregiving, a student, the same gender—all these obvious factors swirled with my perspective. Opportunities to closely view a seventeen… no, maybe only sixteen? year old's upper body are rare, perhaps causing the tension. Bathhouses... yes, the slight embarrassment, like at a public bath. Surely, that must be it. Moreover, with Togawa-san bashfully looking down, I became all the more self-conscious. "Then, let's start with... your back..." Lacking courage to face her, I fled the confrontation. "Mm..." When she wriggled to turn her back, I felt a slight relief. What was that about? Yet, even her back, smooth and revealing shoulder blades, presented its own danger. With the towel, I touched her back. My eyes twitched as if caught on something. Cautiously wiping her smooth skin, trying not to apply too much pressure, I moved my hand tentatively. Her soft and dewy sides made me breathless. "Yeah. It feels good... touch me more." "..." Perhaps a slight guilt lingered in my heart. Or maybe it wasn't slight. Not satisfied with just my heart, even in my throat and mind, lumps of blood pounded heavily. Regardless of circumstances, to see a sixteen-year-old student nude is indeed problematic — many more inappropriate than appropriate. Just brushing her long hair off her back made my heart race, feeling illicit, like uncovering something forbidden. Gradually, white swirls appeared on Togawa-san's back. I was too close, nearly drawn in. "S-sensei." Her call made my torso jump as if detached from my waist. "It feels odd being sweaty only in front... you know?" I felt like she was laughing at me as she implied, "Don't just focus on my back." My jaw trembled as I clenched my teeth while moving to face her. Gravity intensified beneath my eyes as blood continued pooling. "Sensei, your face is so red."