"Hoshino, I think it's best if we keep a proper distance between us."
Inside the classroom, I finally said those words to her.
The pink-haired girl looked up, tears shimmering at the corners of her asymmetrical eyes, gazing at me with the pitiful charm of a lost kitten.
"Sensei, why? You just told me something completely different yesterday. It's only been one day, and now it doesn't count anymore?"
"I didn't..."
"No, you did."
Hoshino closed her beautiful heterochromatic eyes, clasping her hands to her chest. Her voice trembled with the sorrow of someone abandoned.
"I knew it. Someone like me, with a troublesome personality and a hopeless body. Compared to your other students, I'm not cute at all. Even if you have… unusual tastes, it was only a matter of time before you got tired of me. I was ready for that. But I didn't think it would happen so soon…"
"…Hoshino."
"Uhee… Sensei, this poor Oji-san is being bullied so terribly… boo hoo…"
I rubbed my temples, already feeling a headache coming on, and pleaded helplessly.
"Hoshino, can you please get off me first? Everyone's watching."
Inside the Foreclosure Task Force's activity room at Abydos, the atmosphere was heavy. The juniors all stared in silence at their senior, who was sitting on Sensei's lap, flailing about like a child.
"No way, no way, no way! This is my special seat! If you try to kick me off, I'll cry right here, I swear!"
Hoshino squirmed in my arms, her small, soft body wriggling wildly, like a restless pink-haired puppy.
…Why did that metaphor come to mind so naturally?
My hand brushed against her silky hair, and I found myself lost in thought.
"Hoshino-senpai, if I remember correctly, your last 'special seat' was my lap pillow, wasn't it?"
Nonomi tilted her head with a sweet smile, but her tone carried a hint of danger.
At those words, Hoshino froze mid-movement. After a long pause, she stammered awkwardly,
"Uh, well, no one ever said a special 'seat' had to be only one, right…? Nonomi... You, Sensei, and everyone in Abydos are all precious to me!"
"…Hoshino-senpai, do you still remember why we gathered here today?"
Ayane adjusted her glasses, the lenses glinting coldly as she spoke in a low voice.
Hoshino's expression turned even more awkward. She shrank into herself, kicked off her shoes without any grace, tucked her legs up, hugged her knees, and pressed her sock-clad feet against the chair.
She mumbled nervously, "Eh? Of course I remember! I-it's the reflection meeting about how I disrespected Sensei, acted on my own against everyone's advice, right?"
"And bullied your kouhais. And damaged club property."
"Eh? That counts too? I was just trying to do some hands-on training! Eek! O-okay, okay, I get it! Uhee… fine, it's a reflection meeting about all that!"
Hoshino looked thoroughly deflated under Ayane's stern tone. She really had no defense this time.
You reap what you sow.
The more arrogant you are when teaching kouhais, the more miserable you become when they start teaching you.
"Hoshino-senpai," Serika said coldly, her brows slightly furrowed and her eyes sharp as knives. "Since you know what this reflection meeting is for, then what exactly are you doing right now?"
"Ah?" Hoshino blinked, feigning confusion.
"Don't play dumb! You're sitting on Sensei's lap right now like it's no big deal. You're doing this on purpose! You clearly have no intention of reflecting at all!"
"Ah, Serika-chan, that's where you don't get it∼" Hoshino waved her hands defensively. "See, I know Sensei actually likes this kind of thing! He looks serious, but deep down he's totally enjoying it, right~?"
Then, rubbing her head happily against my chest, she grinned mischievously.
"See? See? Having a young maiden do this to you... feels exciting, doesn't it∼? So, Serika-chan, you understand now, right? I'm just indulging Sensei's secret preferences! That's what I call true respect for my Sensei!"
"Hoshino-senpai."
It was Shiroko who finally spoke after a long silence.
"Oh? What is it, my sweet daughter? You want to sit here too∼?"
Hoshino tilted her chin proudly. "Sorry, but this seat's already taken!"
Shiroko ignored the childish boast and said slowly, each word deliberate.
"Or is it that you've reached that time in your life where you start trying to flirt with the one you have a crush on?"
For a moment, Hoshino didn't understand. She just stared blankly at Shiroko.
Then her eyes went wide. Panic spread across her face.
"Th-that's not! No way, I didn't...!"
She remembered now. Those were the exact words she'd once used to tease Shiroko back in the desert.
Serika let out a mocking laugh. "Why are you getting so worked up? What's wrong? Did I hit a nerve?"
"Uhee! Even you, Serika-chan?!"
Her face flushed crimson as she covered her ears and shook her head wildly, making strange noises as if to drown out the shame.
But then, a pair of small, deceptively soft hands. Hands that carried surprising strength, firmly pulled her arms away from her ears.
Nonomi took a deep breath.
"Hoshino-senpai! We all know, okay?! You're sitting in Sensei's lap like it's no big deal! You've barely known him that long and you're already this close? Does touching him make you excited or something? How shameless!"
Her voice was so loud it made even my ears ring. Hard to believe it came from the usually gentle Nonomi.
"Waaah, Nonomi! How could you say that to me! Sensei, my heart is breaking!"
Hoshino was truly on the verge of tears now.
"Hoshino-senpai, I've noticed something," Ayane said at last, the final judge in this impromptu trial. Her tone wasn't loud, but it pierced straight to the heart.
The usually shy and quiet girl now spoke like the coldest of arbiters, declaring Hoshino's downfall.
"You look at Sensei ten times a minute. After every glance, you immediately look at us. Why? What's the point of that? Think we wouldn't notice you blushing? If you want to throw yourself at him, just say so... oh, wait, my mistake."
Her lips curled faintly.
"You already did. Impressive, senpai. You've achieved what we never could."
"Uheee!"
Every accusation she'd once thrown at them came back like a boomerang, striking her pride dead-on.
Whimpering, Hoshino buried her face deep between her knees, too mortified to rise again. Only the tips of her flushed red ears betrayed her feelings.
Shiroko sighed. "Honestly, how are we supposed to rebuild the academy with a shameless creature like this around?"
The girls all nodded, sighing with the same weary expression.
"Uhee… Sensei…"
Hoshino lifted her head, eyes glistening with tears, voice trembling in mock-pleading. "All these cute kouhai used to be so sweet, but now they've all turned so mean… They're ganging up on me, Sensei! Please, do something about them!"
[Secret Technique - Tattletale!]
I patted her head gently and said with a kind smile,
"Just take it. You've earned this."
Hoshino froze. "…Huh?"
The others burst into laughter, and only Hoshino's annoyed protests filled the room.
The Foreclosure Task Force's activity room brimmed with warmth and laughter once more.