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

Chapter Three: "In The Sea Without Borders" - Part Seven 'Sensei, I'm seriously inviting you this time,' Togawa-san messaged me while I was in the midst of cleaning the bathroom. I set aside the disinfectant for a moment and looked at my phone, still crouched in front of the toilet. 'I want to go on a date.' "...Hmm," I murmured, considering. It was Sunday, and the poisonous humidity of the rainy season had given way to clear skies. The onset of summer made the outdoors less than ideal for a leisurely stroll. Yet, I could easily imagine Togawa-san looking out the window at this weather and thinking to ask me out. The truth is, we weren't in a relationship where we could casually walk side by side under the sun. Typing a response was difficult with rubber gloves on, so I removed the right one. 'It's dangerous outside,' I replied. We weren't the only ones off today — students, colleagues, and even students' parents were out and about. We had to be mindful of the many eyes that might be upon us if we roamed freely through town. 'Plus, exams start next week,' I wrote in a teacherly tone, urging her to study. But Togawa-san had a different perspective entirely. 'That's why. There won't be many kids playing outside right before exams, right?' For a moment, I was almost persuaded. Perhaps her reasoning wasn't entirely wrong. But no, it was absolutely inappropriate. Prioritizing a date over exam prep, even for a teacher, was out of the question. 'You shouldn't play before exams. Go study' 'Studying for just one day won't change anything at this point. Success is all about daily effort, Sensei.' She retorted with impeccable logic, even though her proposal was frivolous. She's right, of course. When it comes to cramming at the last minute, there's little difference in the outcome—I've been down that road myself. Yet I don't see it as entirely meaningless. The confidence gained from last-minute cramming can have a positive impact on exams. 'I'm just wandering around the station today.' My excuses were ignored. 'If we meet, let's consider it a date.' "...What a naughty girl." She had full confidence that I would indeed come. Her tactics were brilliantly effective. Just as I understood Togawa-san, she understood me — well enough to depend on my affection. Togawa-san would surely remain waiting at the station, indefinitely, if I didn't show up. Imagining her waiting alone, wondering about her feelings if I didn't show up, enveloped me in a cloud of despair. "Oh, seriously... ah…" I muttered, unable to suppress my frustration. I felt a surreal sensation of my fingers sinking into my face as if the very essence of me was unraveling. The intense, scorching sunlight served as an undeniable excuse for my actions. Wearing a hat and sunglasses to hide my identity, I traversed the familiar streets. My heart rate quickened at the thought of encountering someone I knew between the house and the station. How effective could these sunglasses possibly be in ensuring I went unrecognized? When I checked my disguise in the mirror, I realized it was over-the-top. My desire not to be found was so apparent that ironically, it might make me stand out. Despite the sweltering heat baring its fangs, tourists gathered en masse, flooding the station square and the main street. Even though the official beach season hadn't started, many seemed to be heading toward the coast. The scent of the sea was ever-present in this town where I have lived for so long. Togawa-san was sitting near the clock tower at the station square, observing pigeons wandering beneath her parasol. She had no real intention of wandering around, but seemed to be waiting for someone all along. At the sight of her, a powerless sigh of recognition escaped me. Happiness and relief swelled within at seeing her in her casual attire. When a pigeon nonchalantly walked away from her feet, she raised her head and spotted me instantly among the crowd. My disguise appeared utterly ineffective, as she recognized me in a heartbeat. She jumped up, and her white parasol spun elegantly like a pinwheel catching a pleasant breeze. Her laughter was so exuberant that it seemed to swallow me whole. Togawa-san approached extremely closely, peering into my eyes. "Hey, can I pick you up, miss?" she teased. "Let's catch the train," I proposed, taking her hand and heading toward the station entrance. Togawa-san offered no resistance. "The train? Where are we going?" "Anywhere. I reckon we're less likely to bump into students if we go somewhere far off." "Sounds good. A bit of a journey makes a date more exciting." As Togawa-san folded up her parasol, there was a sparkle in her eyes that I had seen before. Even through my sunglasses, her radiance was blinding; the light of realizing a dream and arriving at it. "Sensei?" "No, it's nothing." It was a date. Having come because she invited me on one, it was indeed, a date. The kind where a harmonious couple enjoys an outing together. "You look so grown-up with those sunglasses." "I'm always older than you." Togawa-san exuberantly swung the hand I had taken hold of, flaunting it. "With the hat and sunglasses... is this a disguise?" "Yes, that's the idea," I confirmed. Togawa-san glanced at my hat brim and chuckled, "It really feels like you're cheating, Sensei." "...There's nothing...," It was cheating, and it was long past the point where it could no longer be denied. In the act and in the heart. "...If you're married, it's an affair, not just cheating," I corrected her mistake quietly. "Will that be on the test?" "If it is, I'll kill someone." "Who?!" Myself. As we passed through the gate amid a group of foreign tourists, the station vicinity buzzed with a variety of languages, filling the air. What did we look like to them, I wondered, as we stepped out of the sunlight's gaze? "What did you tell your husband today?" Togawa-san asked with a mischievous glint, as if savoring the thrill of an affair. "That I'd be showing an out-of-town friend around and going out with them." I pondered how much longer such excuses would suffice. "A friend, huh?" Togawa-san mused, retracting her hand momentarily before intertwining her fingers within mine — the sensuous weave of a lover's embrace. Our hands are tighter than a normal grip. Perhaps this grip is born from the desire to connect without even the slightest gap. This clasping was unlike any I had shared, even with my husband, and the shared warmth between our palms tickled my senses. "If that's the case, I won't call you Sensei today, Itsuki-chan." It had been years since I was addressed that way, a name rising suddenly from the past. "Itsuki-chan..." she echoed. "It's rude to refer to an elder by their first name," I remarked. "Does using 'chan' make it any better?" I wondered aloud, recalling my role as 'Ichi-sen' and pondering my demeanor, which perhaps invited familiarity from younger individuals. As we approached the stairs leading to various platforms, Togawa-san surveyed them. "Where should we go?" "Anywhere..." I sighed, wishing for a remote island free from prying eyes. "In that case, let's ride the train, and when we see a place that feels right, we'll get off," she suggested.