Chapter 279: How Do You Knows Hikari?

However, Takamine Ayako was, after all, a teacher and her homeroom teacher at that. She couldn't, nor was it possible for her, to let her thoughts run too wild.

Meanwhile, Takamine Ayako, who had just been startled, had now calmed down and quickly regained her usual stern and composed demeanor as a homeroom teacher.

With an expressionless face, she said to Serizawa Yukiha, "Mm, I've received these assignments. Just leave them here. I'll correct them later. You can go back to the classroom now."

Hearing Takamine Ayako's return to her usual authoritative tone, Serizawa Yukiha still had many things she wanted to say to Hikari, even to continue what they couldn't finish that night.

But with Takamine Ayako still present, it was clearly not the right time.

So Serizawa Yukiha secretly stuck her tongue out at Hikari and then quickly turned and left.

Seeing Serizawa Yukiha leave, Takamine Ayako also let out a sigh of relief.

After all, having a student suddenly appear and witness her holding hands with Hikari was quite awkward.

Just as Takamine Ayako felt a sense of relief, she suddenly noticed her hand being held again by a warm one.

Hikari had once more taken hold of her fair and delicate hand, asking with a natural yet concerned expression, "Ayako-chan, were you burned? Do you need me to apply some medicine for you?"

Hearing Hikari's concerned question and feeling the warmth of his hand, the only man who had ever connected with her and left an indelible mark in her heart, Takamine Ayako felt a warmth in her chest.

She instinctively wanted to express her gratitude and respond.

But she quickly regained her composure and stopped the words that were about to escape her lips.

Instead, she reverted to her usual stern expression reserved for other students.

While quietly withdrawing her hand from Hikari's grasp, she whispered to him, "Hikari-kun, at school, you should still call me 'teacher.' We need to maintain some distance."

"After all, although we aren't strictly in a teacher-student relationship, my identity is that of a teacher, and you're a high school student. We should be more careful."

"That night, something unexpected did happen between us, but we agreed to forget it, didn't we? You promised me."

Seeing Takamine Ayako suddenly become serious, Hikari was momentarily taken aback.

But he quickly understood her concerns. After all, they were in the office, and he could somewhat relate.

Hikari soon smiled and said, "Mm, we should maintain some distance."

"Then, could you please go somewhere else to eat your breakfast? Sorry...", Takamine Ayako said with a slightly apologetic expression.

"Alright," Noticing the unnatural look of apology on Takamine Ayako's face, Hikari agreed.

He understood her desire to avoid suspicion.

Although what happened that day had indeed been a very intimate experience, making it impossible to completely return to how things were before, and Hikari had grown somewhat more attached to Takamine Ayako.

That incident had, after all, been an accident, and before that, the two had barely interacted.

Moreover, given Takamine Ayako's position and the fact that they were still in the office.

Her suggestion that they maintain some distance, though it might feel a bit painful, was actually very rational and appropriate.

Hikari could understand, so he didn't say anything more.

Picking up his half-eaten breakfast, he quickly left Takamine Ayako's desk.

Watching Hikari's retreating figure, a complex expression flickered across Takamine Ayako's fair and pretty face, some regret, some reluctance, but she still didn't call out to stop him.

However, the direction Hikari headed next surprised Takamine Ayako.

She had assumed that when she asked him to leave, he would return to the classroom to eat.

But instead of heading out of the office, Hikari walked toward another desk not far away in the teachers' office, approaching a certain teacher's workstation.

Takamine Ayako saw Hikari walk up to a female teacher's desk, sit down seemingly quite familiarly, and begin chatting with her in a rather intimate manner.

After a moment's thought, Takamine Ayako recalled that the not-so-familiar female teacher was named Shirakawa Miwa.

Watching Hikari and Shirakawa Miwa sit together at the same desk, eating breakfast and chatting with smiles on their faces, even sitting closer than she and Hikari had been earlier, Takamine Ayako was stunned by the sight of them getting along so well.

Of course, at that moment, while Hikari was indeed having breakfast and chatting with Shirakawa Miwa, it wasn't as harmonious as Takamine Ayako imagined.

In fact, it was more... tense.

"You brat, how did you get involved with that pretty teacher from the next class over, huh?", Shirakawa Miwa's exquisite and beautiful face leaned in close to Hikari's, their noses almost touching, as she angrily interrogated him in a low voice.

Feeling her warm, fragrant breath on his face, Hikari answered matter-of-factly, "What do you mean 'got involved'? Shirakawa-sensei, what are you talking about? I was just passing by the office, planning to have breakfast with you, when Takamine-sensei called me over to ask about some academic matters. I don't know what you're implying."

Shirakawa Miwa sneered, "Oh, really? Hikari, do you think I'm blind? I noticed you the moment you walked into the office!"

"And you were coming to have breakfast with me? I clearly saw Takamine-sensei giving you the extra breakfast she bought."

"You damn flirt, now you're even messing around with teachers from other classes, huh?"

"The female classmates in your class, the seniors and juniors in your club, they're not enough for you? Now you're into older women and teachers, is that it?"

"Secretly getting cozy with other female teachers behind my back? You shameless brat, out with the truth now!"

Shirakawa Miwa grew angrier as she spoke, even reaching out with her slender fingers to pinch Hikari's ear.

But since it wasn't an attack from Lady Mira, Hikari relied on his agility to dodge.

Then he suddenly stared at Shirakawa Miwa's lovely face with a surprised expression and asked, "Wow, Shirakawa-sensei, your eye makeup today is so pretty! Your eyes look huge, how did you do it?"

Hearing this, Shirakawa Miwa instinctively retorted, "Trying to change the subject? Wait... you really think my eye makeup looks good today? Haha! You have good taste! I learned this from a tutorial online just the other day! Pretty, right?"

"Mm, super pretty. You look even younger than a high school girl, like a celebrity," Hikari nodded.

"Hahaha! Hikari-kun, you really have an eye for beauty, keeping up with me," Shirakawa Miwa said, patting his shoulder, unable to suppress a smile.

Though she'd received plenty of compliments from other men before, they never affected her, she'd just assume they had ulterior motives or were being slick.

But when Hikari praised her, even if it was smooth-talking, she couldn't help but feel happy.

However, after her moment of joy, Shirakawa Miwa suddenly sobered up and asked, "Trying to distract me? I'm not falling for it! Why did Takamine-sensei give you breakfast? Spill it now."

Seeing that he couldn't charm his way out of this, Hikari explained, "I just helped her with something before, so she treated me to breakfast as thanks. It's nothing."

Though Shirakawa Miwa still felt something was off about his explanation, she didn't press further.

But recalling how Hikari had seemed to get along well with Takamine Ayako earlier, and considering the beautiful girls always hovering around him, Shirakawa Miwa pondered for a moment.

Suddenly, she grabbed Hikari and said, "Hikari-kun, the May holiday is coming up. Don't just stay home playing games alone. Come study with me instead. With all the flirting you've been doing lately, your grades must be slipping."

Caught off guard by this, Hikari asked, "The school will be closed for the holiday. Where would we study?"

Shirakawa Miwa thought for a moment and said, "Is anyone at your place? If not, we could go to your house. Or mine. Or a café. There's always somewhere to study if you're serious."

She smiled and patted his shoulder.

Hikari, however, felt somewhat speechless.

Was this really about studying? It sounded more like a date.

Was Shirakawa-sensei secretly after him?

Given their relationship and his gratitude for her frequent favors, Hikari didn't actually mind.

After all, Shirakawa Miwa, though older than him, was quite a beauty.

With an especially great figure.

Curvy in all the right places.

So voluptuous it was almost overwhelming.

She was practically the goddess in the hearts of many male students and teachers.

Hikari wasn't blind to beauty.

But when it came to the May holiday...

He remembered he'd already promised Lady Mira to accompany her back to her hometown to visit the aunts Miyuri and Sayoko she'd known since childhood, as well as Aunt Touka and her two daughters, whom he'd played with as a kid.

So, facing Shirakawa Miwa's invitation, Hikari could only shake his head and decline, "Sensei, sorry... I already have plans for the May holiday..."

"Huh? What plans? Can't you cancel them?"

"Can't..." Hikari shook his head.

"So you're rejecting me?"

"Sorry..."

"Humph!"

Shirakawa Miwa, seeing Hikari's stubbornness, couldn't help but get angry.

Crossing her arms over her ample chest, her soft cheeks puffed up as she turned away, ignoring him.

"Shirakawa-sensei? Shirakawa-neechan? Shirakawa bishōjo?"

Hikari called out a few times, but Shirakawa Miwa kept her head turned, refusing to acknowledge him.

Left with no choice, Hikari decided to leave the office first.

After interacting with her for most of the semester, he knew her temper well, once she got like this, it was hard to coax her back.

Trying further would be pointless; it was better to leave her be for a few hours until she cooled down on her own.

After apologizing a few more times and giving her a few pats, Hikari turned and left the office.

Not long after he left, Shirakawa Miwa uncrossed her arms.

Though her pretty face still showed some displeasure, she wasn't as furious as before.

———

Shirakawa Miwa gritted her teeth and muttered to herself, "I finally invite him out, and Hikari-kun outright rejects me, not giving me any face at all. How outrageous!"

"After all the favors I've done for him, even Kyoko thinks I've been too lenient. This is so frustrating."

"What does Hikari-kun even mean by this? He's always mooching off me, and now he acts like this, does he think I'm too old for him?"

"Humph! I already called off my engagement. Don't think you can escape me!", Shirakawa Miwa didn't believe Hikari could slip away from her grasp.

Originally, she planned to make her move after he graduated, since they were still technically teacher and student.

"But since this brat is being so ungrateful, refusing even a simple outing, I'll have to teach him a lesson, give him a taste of a mature woman's charm and show him what he's missing."

Shirakawa Miwa began plotting carefully in her mind.

Suddenly, she glanced at Takamine Ayako, who wasn't far away.

In fact, ever since Hikari had left, Takamine Ayako had been stealing glances at Shirakawa Miwa from time to time.

Their eyes met briefly in the air.

Noticing Shirakawa Miwa's gaze, Takamine Ayako quickly averted her eyes.

Though the other woman's glance had been fleeting, Shirakawa Miwa caught it.

Sensing something odd about Takamine Ayako's behavior, Shirakawa Miwa couldn't help but wonder, "How exactly does Hikari-kun know Takamine-sensei? She doesn't teach his class, does she?"

Curious, Shirakawa Miwa stood up and walked over to Takamine Ayako.

"Good morning, Takamine-sensei~", Shirakawa Miwa greeted politely as she approached.

"Good morning, Shirakawa-sensei," Takamine Ayako responded quickly.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shirakawa Miwa cut to the chase, "Takamine-sensei, how do you know Hikari-kun? I'm their homeroom teacher, and I don't think you teach his class. But you two seemed pretty close earlier."

Takamine Ayako forced an awkward smile and hurriedly explained, "No... not that close. It's just... we have a bit of a connection. I actually substituted for their class a few times before, so we're acquainted."

"But mainly, there was a female student in my class who was almost assaulted, and Hikari-kun bravely stepped in to stop it. So earlier, I was just praising him for that. That's all..."

[T/N: NEW NOVEL ALERT— "Fate: Emiya the Host". A friendly neighbourhood man reincarnates as Emiya, gets a funny system and builds a harem of Illya, Miyu, Ritsuka, Mash, Rin, Saber and all. But, there are many twists and turns, take a look, add to collection and give some PS.

— Also, if you all help it reach TOP 5 in Collection and Powerstone Ranking, I will give 2 Bonus Chapter of every single novel Tommorow.]

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