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

Chapter 1: "The Scent of the Sea Doesn't Reach Me" - Part Nine "A glove like the one used in baseball?" "Yes." "Have you started advising the baseball team?" My husband put down his controller for a moment and turned to face me. "I’ve been asked to play catch with the students." "Really?" My husband responded eagerly. "Are you aiming for the Koshien?" Why does he seem so excited about this? "Were you made the advisor for the baseball team?" "Not exactly. It's part of student guidance... or something like that." I expressed it in that same manner again. "Rehabilitating delinquents? With a game of catch? Great idea!" "You might be cut out to teach Japanese history." I said this as I watched my husband tilt his head in confusion, then picked up my phone, wondering if I should search for something. When I searched for sporting goods stores in the area, I found one close by. Realizing it was along my usual walking route was a new discovery. It seemed to be located on the second floor of a building. Looking out the window again, the weather was perfect for a walk. I pushed herself up from the sofa. "I'm going to go buy something." "Shall I come with you?" "No, you don’t like long shopping trips." "You’re blunt about that!" My husband laughed cheerfully, completely in agreement with my words. It was so like him not to pretend otherwise. I left the house with just my wallet and phone, deciding to skip makeup this time. After leaving the apartment and starting to walk, a sense of worry belatedly crept in. What if Togawa-san isn’t actually keen on the idea, and I’ve just misunderstood her enthusiasm... It would be quite disheartening. To be the only one excited, and then end up with a glove that has no use. Conflicted, my feet continued moving forward as if propelled by habit. Without thinking too hard about it, I kept heading towards the destination, which meant I probably haven’t decided against buying it. Leaving things to the natural flow, I occasionally checked my phone while squinting my eyes against the bustling main street on my day off. Amidst the flood of tourists flowing from the station and bus stops, I briefly scanned for Togawa-san's figure. Of course, I couldn’t find her. Confirming the name of the building at my destination, I looked up. It was a rundown building that could easily be mistaken for an apartment, with a sign on its wall and drab-colored curtains hanging, though the lettering of the store name was quite small. Climbing the narrow staircase at the side, I could hear the sound of a television from the back of the sports store, which wasn’t very spacious. Apparently, it was broadcasting sports news. The floor was covered in turf-like material, with spikes and shirts on the shelves to the right and neatly arranged gloves on the left. The person who seemed to be the store manager noticed me immediately and seemed slightly surprised. Perhaps it was rare for a customer like me to come alone. When I asked if there were gloves suitable for playing catch, they introduced several options. Among them, I chose a glove that caught my eye with its design and color scheme, which cost around seven thousand yen—not as expensive as I had expected. I also received a detailed explanation on how to care for gloves. During this process, the manager brought out various related products, including conditioning oils, creams, and conditioners, which impressed me with their sales tactics. Although it was impossible to determine which were essential and which were important, having all of them should cover any shortages. So, I bought all of them as recommended. Fortunately, I didn’t have any extravagant hobbies to spend money on frequently. So I thought it was acceptable to splurge a little this time. "Are you playing catch with your child?" The store manager, having neatly packed everything into a bag, asked conversationally. I pondered whether I appeared to be of an age to have children. "Yes, with a child..." A student who was taller than her. I left the building, holding the bag, deciding to run other errands before heading home. Contacting my husband, I checked what might be needed for the fridge. From his report, it seemed they were out of milk and mozuku. Since he heard it was healthy, my husband had mozuku at the dining table every day. 'I’ll pick them up on my way back.' 'Sorry to trouble you. Did you get a good glove?' 'Probably.' But I’d be relieved... happy? Just a bit, if Togawa-san is sincerely interested, and not just being polite. Reflecting that waiting until the school week started to confirm with her might have been wiser, the realization that I might be over-interested led to a hint of embarrassment. As it felt like I was overextending myself towards a student, I considered self-restraint necessary. Taking the long way round towards the station, I dropped by the supermarket to pick up milk and mozuku. I had hoped to find some meat on sale, but it was too optimistic for early afternoon on a holiday. Disappointingly, I exited the supermarket. Outside, right in front of me, stood a large torii gate and guardian lion-dog statues, the model for what my husband had crafted in his game. Under the torii stood a crowd of tourists, including foreigners, waving smartphones. It was also a frequent spot where newlyweds were seen taking commemorative photos. Amid this crowd, there was a woman pulling a rickshaw, addressing the tourists with an upbeat voice. Her attire, the rickshaw she pulled, and her whole demeanor were outlandish, grabbing attention. She crossed the street, likely heading toward the station, and our eyes met nearby. Her dazzling blonde hair seemed to radiate like the sun itself. "Aren’t you the teacher I met the other day?" It was the self-proclaimed older sister who had been with Togawa-san previously. She immediately recognized me and redirected the rickshaw my way. Perhaps having finished a job, she was sweating healthily. It seemed even the drops of sweat would turn golden when catching the sun between her hair's strands. "Hello..." "Hello there! I've saved the seat at the back just for you." "What? Ah... sorry, I'm not good at banter." Apologizing for my lack of a clever remark, I was met with hearty laughter. Despite the wide grin, her elegance remained intact. Perhaps her hair’s delicate hue afforded her an aura of sophistication. "May I ask your name?" Though I recalled seeing her face on TV, I couldn’t remember her name. It was supposed to be a very unique name. "Did I not introduce myself? I'm Star High Sky." "Excuse me?" Framed by the blue sky, her smile blended in like a midday moon. "Hoshi(star) Taka(high) Sora(sky). See, it’s exactly as it sounds." Star, High... oh, yes. She finally recalled. "...Ichigohara Itsuki." Our names were similar, in a way, mutually? The sound of "Hara" lingered a bit in my thoughts. But putting that aside, it seemed her name was separated at "Hoshi" and "Takasora." While peculiar, the name had a pleasantly resonating quality. "Itsuki-chan, huh? Guess I'll call you Sensei." "Um..." Regardless of what my name was, it seemed that conclusion would be the same. Speaking of which, we'd only made eye contact, so why did she engage me in conversation? "You’re a teacher, right? At a high school." "Yes. I’ve seen you on TV, Hoshi-san." "Oh, I’ve been interviewed before, so yeah." With a playful gesture, Hoshi-san picked at her hair. But looking at her face, it was clear it wasn’t just the hair that caught attention. Hoshi-san's appearance was strikingly beautiful, even from a woman's perspective, and her flamboyant hair color wasn't at all off-putting. "Would you like to grab some tea, Sensei? It's my rule to invite a beauty when I see one." The reason she approached me was something I never would have imagined.