#44 Naive

Yuichi went back to Horikita with a slightly darkened expression.

"What is it?" Horikita asked with slightly surprised expression after seeing Yuichi's face.

"I am going to the Staffroom, just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't wonder where I disappeared to." Yuichi said with a toneless voice.

"Huh? Wait! What exactly happened?" Horikita stopped him from leaving by grabbing his hand.

"That's what I am going to find out." Yuichi replied without even turning at her but he wasn't trying to slip out of her grasp.

*sigh* Horikita knew that she wouldn't get any more answers from Yuichi so she let go of his hand and let him leave.

The entire way to the Staffroom, Yuichi kept having stoic expression, maybe slightly angry.

When he arrived in front of the door, he knocked a few times before sliding the door open without waiting for a few seconds. He walked in and scanned the entire room with his eyes, unfortunately, he found only Hoshinomiya-sensei at her desk, resting her head on the desk.

"Hm? Oh! Iwamura-kun! Is there something I can help you with?" Hoshinomiya quickly woke up from her drowsy state when she noticed Yuichi standing in the doorway with a stoic expression. Despite seeing his stoic expression, she was sure that he was currently very angry.

"Good morning, Hoshinomiya-sensei, do you know where I can find Chabashira-sensei?" Yuichi said without smiling a bit.

"I-I wasn't sleeping! As for Sae-chan...she should arrive soon so how about you remain here and we can talk in the meantime." She said, slightly flustered when Yuichi said "Good morning".

"Will do, thank you" Yuichi nodded his head and sat down on the chair designed for students in case they had to wait here. He folded his arms and closed his eyes, he currently wasn't in a mood to deal with this teacher in front of him.

"Iwamura-kun? May I ask what made you so angry?" She asked and when Yuichi heard her question he sharply opened his eyes, revealing a cold glint.

"Not sure yet...Chabashira-sensei or the entire school" Yuichi released a faint cold smile and said while glancing at her.

"Hmm...So you are angry with Sae-chan, huh? I don't think she would do anything unnecessary to make one of her students hate her." She said with a slightly unconvinced expression.

"I haven't said that it's necessarily her, maybe she is just following rules like we all do, right?" Yuichi's smile once again disappeared as he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Following rules here, is very important indeed, Iwamura-kun. Even for us, teachers." She said with a comforting smile and closed eyes.

"Is it really the truth though? Why should teachers be unable to slightly bend the rules even if it's just by a bit? Anyway, may I ask something, Chie-sensei?" Yuichi asked with a bit improved mood, still, once he would see his homeroom teacher, it would quickly change.

"Oh? Finally, someone who has the balls to use my first name! Ask right away, I will try my best to give you a satisfactory answer." She said cheerfully.

'Is it really alright for her to use that kind of language? Well, I guess it's more about morality than rules...And considering her morals...yeah, it's fine' Yuichi thought.

"Are you perhaps thinking something rude about me, Iwamura-kun?" She asked while pouting.

"Of course not. I was just glad that you aren't angry with me for using your first name. Anyway, I was wondering if the student and his homeroom teacher can cooperate on something..." Yuichi replied without any delay as if he truly did what he just made up.

"Eh? There is no way I would be angry with someone cute calling me by my first name~! Anyway, your question is rather odd, what do you mean by cooperation? Unfortunately, an unhealthy intimate relationship between teacher and student is prohibited." She said in a flirty manner before replying slightly more seriously before once again acting all flirty.

'Unfortunately? Seriously, how can she still be a teacher when she says such things outright?' Yuichi thought inwardly with a confused expression.

"What I meant is...can teachers sell information about other students?" Yuichi asked with a relaxed smile while observing her reaction.

Hoshinomiya's eyes widened a bit before she opened her mouth to reply but before she could say anything, someone walked in the Staffroom.

"No, this is a prohibited act."

"Sae-chan? Well, here you have your answer Iwamura-kun. Still, it's not nice to eavesdrop on people talking, especially not when it is the conversation between 2 people of different sexes." Hoshinomiya exclaimed in surprise before turning to Yuichi with a bright smile and finally turning back to Chabashira, reprimanding her for eavesdropping on them.

"I am not the one who was eavesdropping on you..." She replied before giving a particular look towards Yuichi.

"...Horikita?" Yuichi rolled his eyes and asked.

"Oh! So you knew, huh? Don't worry, I have sent her back to the classroom, anyway, what are you doing here?" Chabashira asked with a curious expression and folded arms.

"Just a wild guess...I happened to be with her during lunch so it was my first suspect. I am here to ask sensei something important." Yuichi's relaxed smile disappeared and his tone once again turned a bit more aggressive.

"Then ask right away, you better hurry because the lunch break is ending in a few minutes." Chabashira said but Yuichi glanced at Hoshinomiya.

"Haha, no need to be so cautious, Iwamura." Chabashira laughed after seeing this which prompted Hoshinomiya to point at her face as if to say "Why am I the problem here?!"

"All right, then since there is not much time left from the lunch break, I will be blunt. When are you planning to share with us that very crucial information?" Yuichi got up and asked with a stoic face.

Chabashira was a bit confused by his words so Yuichi decided to help a bit since there must be more things she is hiding so she doesn't know exactly which one he means.

"The midterm exam's topics" Yuichi said.

"The midterm exam's topics...? Oh?! I forgot to inform you, thank you for reminding me, Iwamura. Can you please inform everyone else?" Chabashira played like she completely forgot about it but Yuichi observed this woman more than enough to know that she would have never done such a mistake.

Yuichi narrowed his eyes and looked at Hoshinomiya who had the same expression which meant that she already knew about this.

"Are you telling me that I tutored Sudo for numerous days for nothing?" Yuichi questioned.

"It wasn't for nothing, or was it? I think that by learning something new, he only gained. There is no way you can say that it was all for naught." Chabashira replied, narrowing her own eyes at Yuichi.

"There is only a week before the midterms...It's impossible." Yuichi said with folded arms.

"One week should be more than enough for anyone to learn everything necessary." Chabashira denied his words.

"Anyone who is not already falling behind... Chabashira-sensei, may I ask you whether this was your own decision to make this harder for those falling behind, or was this actually the school's plan right from the beginning." Yuichi asked with a stoic expression.

"I don't understand what you are talking about...I already told you that I forgot and the time you have left is more than enough."

'Do you really think Sudo will like the idea that he has to study once again something completely different? Even I might not be able to convince him to do that.' Yuichi thought, he had a good idea why was this happening, however, he couldn't accept this, because it was reminding him something from the past he wanted to forget by coming here, to this isolated school.

"There is only one thing I regret not being able to finish before leaving Junior High...I came to this school, thinking that things might change here but even in this school established by the government...it is the same. I understand the concept of superiority, I understand that superior people should be favored but those who are inferior to them shouldn't get disadvantage instead." Yuichi looked at his right palm while saying this before closing it into a fist.

"That's just how society works, Iwamura. If you thought otherwise, you are still too naive to advance further." Chabashira dropped her act after hearing Yuichi's words.

"Eeh...I will go to the kitchen to make myself a tea." Hoshinomiya excused herself awkwardly but Yuichi completely ignored her.

"N-Naive...?" Yuichi muttered with his head down, making it hard for Chabashira to see his expression but she could feel the tension rising up in the air.

"Heh, maybe you are right, sensei." Yuichi released a short laugh with a ridiculing smile but she wasn't sure whether he was ridiculing himself or someone else.

"Maybe it wasn't enough...yes...Thank you for your advice, sensei." Yuichi muttered something before he raised his head, revealing a soft smile with dull green eyes while looking at sensei with gratitude.

"...No need to thank me. I am your homeroom teacher after all." Even Chabashira flinched a bit after seeing his expression. She herself couldn't believe the fact that someone who can release a genuine soft smile with half-dead eyes can exist out there, yet it was happening right now, right in front of her.