1.10 - 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 Ten "Aren’t you working now? Is it okay to chat?" "I’m on break until the next customer shows up. ...So, you're quite popular at school, right, sensei?" She remarked while staring unabashedly at my face. "I’m not really sure myself." That was all I could say, regardless of what I truly thought or felt. "You look pretty different when you take off your suit and let your hair down. You're quite the beauty." Her voice and smile seemed to almost penetrate through my chest. "If you were to be interviewed, I'm sure they'd talk about the beautiful teacher on screen." "Thank you for the compliment." "You're humble, aren't you? But that's probably important for a teacher." I wondered if humility was also unnecessary for a rickshaw driver. "By the way, what’s that? A sporting goods store?" She asked about the bag I was holding. When I took out a brand-new glove to show her, Hoshi-san gave a casual "Ohh, neat." "It's a glove. Are you aiming for the Koshien?" Her thought process was akin to my husband's. Maybe it’s just reflexive—the kind of response you arrive at without really thinking. "There was talk about playing catch with a student... Togawa-san." I was disappointed with my own lack of expression beyond using it as part of student guidance. "Togawa... oh, you mean Rin. Ah, my sister, I mean." She added quickly, as if recalling the details. "It's alright; I already know you're not her older sister." With a laugh, Hoshi-san appeared utterly unrepentant. "What kind of relationship do you have with Togawa-san?" "Oh, asking about 'relationships' now, sensei?" She playfully bumped me with the rickshaw. An original experience, yet I was afraid this could lead to an accident. "What kind of relationship do you think it is?" "I'm asking because I don’t know." "Ha ha, fair enough." Her light, teasing laughter carried a hint of mockery towards my serious reply. "I'm just playmates with Rin. Though calling someone a playmate can sound a bit suggestive." "A playmate at night, perhaps?" "Ooh, that sounds even more scandalous." Seeming pleased, she shook her hair and shoulders. From my perspective, it wasn’t particularly funny. "It's true I meet Rin at night. During the day, she's at school and I'm working." "Togawa-san is... hmm." I realized that even if Hoshi-san knew about Togawa Rin’s circumstances, it wasn’t my place to ask. What right did I have when I was merely her homeroom teacher? I had to acknowledge that, and beyond that, there was a sort of unspoken fear of being disliked by Togawa-san. "We're just friends, really. I could tell you more, but I imagine it's not right to pry without permission, correct? Well, preserving that respect is important too." Hoshi-san quickly picked up on my stance from my demeanor. Though I was grateful, it meant I didn’t really have much to discuss with her. Asking her to dissuade Togawa-san from going out at night would likely be pointless. "So you're playing catch with Rin, huh. A nighttime game of catch?" "The ball would be hard to see; sounds scary." "You're going to such lengths, buying stuff just for a little interaction with a student." Choking slightly, I couldn't help but feel uneasy when she pointed it out objectively. Indeed, this was the case. If it were another student, I probably wouldn't have bought a glove. The nature of this special feeling I have towards Togawa-san. Thinking about it muddied my heart. Something dark and viscous seeped in. "Is that bad?" "Not at all. I just thought maybe Rin’s your favorite." "I don’t have any favorites... I’m a teacher, after all." "Is it love?" "What?" "If not, then you're an odd one." She delivered this extreme assessment in a completely serious tone. Surely there was a more decent term like "good-natured"... "Togawa-san said she’d stop going out at night if we played catch." "Interesting... So Rin said that." Hoshi-san looked at me out of the corner of her eye, as if narrating a story. Her narrowed eyes and lips held an expression that teetered between curiosity and gossip. "You're quite suggestive." "Strangeness and love bear a resemblance, don’t they?" She was adept at evasive conversation. Some might call it not listening. "Are we talking semantics?" “More like status effects—being skewed and about to tilt over.” She spilled what could be an insightful tale, and then repositioned her grip on the... handle? The proper name for that part of a rickshaw evaded me. Anyway, she grabbed it anew and started moving. "Rin is a good person, but be careful, sensei." "Careful?" Hoshi-san nodded once. "She’s got a heavy heart." Her smile, suggesting things unsaid, left a lingering impression. "Heavy..." "Plus, she's weak to good-looking women. Though that might be a universal human flaw." With those parting words, the beautiful woman waved and walked away. I gave a small bow. Hoshi Takasora. Though likely younger than me, there was a sense of worldly wisdom in her demeanor. Perhaps she was used to conversing with people, or maybe she simply didn’t care much about others. Her familiar face in town walked amicably up to potential customers at the station, trying to lure them. After all, her work thrives when others are on holiday. I’ve lived here for a long time, yet I’ve never used a rickshaw. And probably won’t, I suppose. I've heard they’re quite pricey, given the tourist rates. Putting the glove back in the bag, I ran a hand through my hair, heated nicely by the sun, and started walking. "Togawa-san..." I haven't yet felt the weight of Togawa-san’s heart. I only find comfort in the lighter aspects. Sometimes, though, engaging with that feels like stepping beyond the bounds of a teacher. How should I determine the appropriate distance with Togawa-san? Moreover, there was one more thing. "A... good-looking woman?" What did she mean by that? I pondered the thought on my way home. On Sunday night, even before getting into bed, I couldn’t help but feel restless. Even after crawling under the covers, my toes fidgeted impatiently. I couldn’t fall asleep and was frustrated with myself. Excited to show Togawa-san the glove, what was wrong with me? A teacher feeling like a friend to a student is disturbing. Maybe I shouldn’t bring it, I thought, wavering. But if seeing the glove made Togawa-san even a little happy, I felt like that alone would cleanse my spirit. After all, that’s why I bought it. ...Doesn’t that make me a pretty creepy teacher? It's genuinely not right—I shouldn’t show favoritism to any specific student. ...But why? Is it because favoritism breeds complaints? That's certainly not good. It risks creating dissatisfaction among other students, distancing oneself from being a good teacher. But is that all there is to it? What if abandoning being a good teacher makes favoritism okay? ...Wouldn’t that be turning a blind eye? Translating to words the ingrained notion that it's wrong was surprisingly difficult. But while mulling over such complexities in my mind, I eventually managed to fall asleep.