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

Chapter Three: "In The Sea Without Borders" – Part Twelve “Oh...” Fragments, like remnants, my high school memories returned in bits and pieces. I remembered attending an idol handshake event with a girl on the far left. We grew closer for a time, but rumors started, and we drifted apart. I finally recalled the trigger for why I couldn’t deeply remember my high school days. For students, being ostracized at school is critical—and something to be avoided—when those narrow classrooms and halls were the world’s entirety. But, looking at my high school self. My hair was dyed bold, and my skirt was scandalously short. "Wow... what a kid." “Uh... do I really have to send this...?” Having just been complimented on my hair, sending this was a bit embarrassing. Still, I wanted to see Togawa-san’s middle school days. I wanted to know everything about her. So, I took it and silently sent it. The reply came quickly. 'Is the second one from the right you, Sensei?' 'Yes.' 'You look so sexy!' 'How exactly?' 'Your skirt is super short.' 'That was the trend back then... The other girls are wearing theirs just as short, aren’t they?' 'And you dyed your hair too, huh.' 'Everyone did it...' 'Hm, I prefer your hair now.' 'Does that mean you like me now better than then?' 'That’s not it at all. You doubt yourself too much, Sensei. Even after I’ve said how much I like you.' 'Since I have a thing for younger girls, I wondered if it’s the same for everyone.' 'Ah, I see, yeah, that makes sense.' 'But it seems I prefer older ones.' “...Then... I guess that’s fine.” To Togawa-san, I will always be her older companion, and to me, she’ll always be younger. An odd match, yet somehow it felt right. 'But I’d like to see you in a school uniform.' 'Send yours quickly, Togawa-san.' I ignored her prompt and returned one of my own. I tapped the screen repeatedly without reason. 'Here’s the old me~' I scrutinized the screen. Zooming in, whoa. In what seemed like a selfie, there was Togawa-san in her middle school uniform, smiling faintly. She was visibly shorter, with a more youthful face. Her uniform, worn with a hint of awkwardness, hinted at the innocence of someone who not long ago probably had been carrying a school backpack. The slightly oversized winter uniform suggested it was anticipated she’d grow into it, which contributed to her adorable image. Her glossy black hair was still undyed, tucked behind her ear, from which a peculiar allure seemed to emerge. As she had mentioned before, perhaps it was due to her outdoor activities, her skin was a bit more sun-kissed than it is now. Her tan had a lively air, a reminder of youthful innocence. Honestly, why am I staring so intently? I must be creepy. 'I took this right after the entrance ceremony.' "I knew it..." An eerie feeling built within me after recognizing when it was taken. “Ah...” I let out a sigh as I came face to face with this hopeless creature. I was tempted to reach out my hand. If I'm being honest, I always wanted to meet her. Yet, we both had our lives to maintain, tests to take, and I was busy too. We couldn’t allow our relationship to unravel if we wanted it to last. We have to distinguish between what to discard and what not to. Though, truly, there's nothing I couldn't part with, and I end up discarding things anyway. So, when summer began, and the exams ended, I found myself at Togawa-san’s house. I chose the narrow back roads to avoid the eyes of others. But, I knew if someone saw me, it would be the end. After work, I gently tapped on the back door. She opened it promptly, still in her uniform, greeting me. Her face bloomed like a flower, a moist and fresh smile. It was a flower of the same kind that had rooted and flourished in my heart. "Welcome home, Sensei." “... Yes.” It had been a long time since we last spoke like this. I say long time, but it had only been two weeks. Though it felt so far away to me right now. Time is nothing more than a measurement created by humans. It was only natural that there were individual differences in how we experienced it. There was no one in this world who lived in the same time as me. “How were the exams?” “Wouldn't you know best, Sensei? Since you’ll be grading them?” Togawa-san took my hand, smiling warmly. She guided me into the house, where the town and scent of the sea gradually faded. Outside, the rainy season was over, July’s sea huts and tourists were just starting. Even dropping by after work, a faint light still painted the distant horizon. We sought our own darkness, even amidst this brightness. The way our fingers intertwined had changed, one of the things brought back from that sea. We used to hold hands normally, but now our fingers meshed, like lovers. 'Sensei, finished grading?' 'Yes, good work.' 'Wanna come over?' Her straightforward invitation left me unable to refuse. Deceiving my husband about work when I’m just prolonging returning for an affair. Leading me by hand, we climbed the stairs together. They were narrow in the well-worn house, wide enough for only one person. Despite the cramped feel, we held hands tightly, neither willing to let go. She took me to her room upstairs. This time, her scent was strong, unaffected by alcohol. I noticed it now, taking stock of Togawa-san’s room, aware of every detail in a way I hadn’t when distracted by hangovers or mishaps. This nervousness was unexpected at my age. “Sit, sit.” Togawa-san gently pressed my shoulders to sit me on the bed. She sat beside me, closing the distance without hesitation. Sitting beside each other, the difference in height and eyeline reminded me that our age gap was the reverse. I set my bag down, chuckling inwardly at being led directly to the bed. Our mutual desires were clear. I nearly laughed at seeing the stuffed dolphin’s eyes next to the bed. “Hmm.” Togawa-san snuggled into my arms, her cheek brushing against mine. In this peculiar setup, where a person larger than me sought affection, I couldn’t help being flustered. Bigger, younger, teacher, student, my mind wavered, my recognition turned upside down. But she was cute, unbearably so. So much so, I wanted to embrace her, to claim her entirely, shield her from every gaze. I didn’t want any boys or girls who fancied Togawa-san to get any closer. Regarding her, I become excessively narrow-minded. My negative traits emerge. But that was my true self, something I hadn’t faced before. “I always wanted to do this with Sensei.” “... Me too.” I had glanced over at Togawa-san, who was interacting intimately with the other students in the classroom. 　Realizing that I was feeling jealous of the students, I stomped my foot hard several times in the hallway to endure the pain. 　I had come here almost in tears, thinking that my career as a teacher was coming to an end. “Sensei, I’m in my uniform, you know?”