Chapter 54: Public
When the two returned to the classroom, it was just as the afternoon’s second class was about to begin. Although Kazumi was directly called out by the homeroom teacher Ishiryu Daito, Sato Shinichi’s abrupt departure caused the surrounding classmates to gossip, further fueling the rumors that were already circulating in class.
As the two walked into the classroom together, although everyone dared not speak due to the presence of the teacher on the podium, the scene of dozens of eyes staring intently at them was quite spectacular.
However, Kazumi didn’t mind. Having lived two lives, she wouldn’t be intimidated by the gazes of these little brats. She calmly reported to the teacher on the podium and walked directly towards her seat below, completely unfazed by the somewhat childish glances around her.
…
The teacher’s lecture was as brilliant as ever. Kazumi, still wanting more, closed her textbook and gazed longingly at the teacher with the slicked-back hair on the podium, hoping he would stay and lecture for a few more minutes.
But it was clearly impossible. Shikoku High School, as one of the nation’s top high schools, had teachers who were leaders in their fields, even in ordinary departments. Some with excellent teaching skills were even qualified to teach students in the Hero Department.
At the very least, their time management skills were solid. As soon as class dismissal time arrived, they walked out of the classroom with their lesson plans.
The melodious class dismissal bell sounded, accompanied by the scraping of stools and the clamor within the classroom. After the second class of the afternoon, it was time to go home.
Usually, Ishiryu Daito, as the homeroom teacher, would say a few things, but today he seemed to have something else to do. He merely conveyed a message through the teacher on the podium, and let everyone go home.
Of course, for the students, this was like a heavenly sound. They didn’t have to endure the homeroom teacher’s long-winded lectures with his perpetually dark expression, which felt like a New Year’s celebration.
As for the person involved in this matter, Sato Shinichi, who had gone for a walk with Kazumi earlier, was not as happy as the surrounding classmates.
As they were walking back, before he could even comfort his girlfriend, he heard the bell for class. They then hurried back to the classroom.
Once seated, Sato Shinichi’s mind was filled with what had happened before, and the last words the young girl had spoken.
Undoubtedly, the young girl had been bullied. Even Sato Shinichi found the words of the Hero Department student named Hishiyama Minako hurtful. Kazumi’s retort, however, surprised him.
He had never realized that his seemingly cold girlfriend could be so sharp when she retorted, directly provoking a potential hero who had taken an emotional management class.
Although it was also partly because the other person was a fire-attribute heteromorphic with even less control over her emotions, Kazumi’s counterattack, in Sato Shinichi’s eyes, was quite satisfying.
But the subsequent reaction made Sato Shinichi worried. The other party had suddenly attacked. He had been prepared to protect Kazumi, but at that moment, the teacher’s arrival was also expected, and it was good that nothing unexpected happened.
And when Teacher Ishitang seemed intent on having Hishiyama Minako apologize to them, the young girl, with an indifferent expression, pulled him away and later said those words to him. Although he didn’t quite understand the meaning of Kazumi’s words, her tone didn’t sound very happy.
After listening to the lesson with some anxiety, before the teacher could even leave the classroom, Sato Shinichi couldn’t help but stand up. He dodged a few classmates who wanted to gossip about what had happened before and quickly walked to Kazumi’s desk.
“Ka… Kiyomizu-san, are you okay!!!”
He spoke with a slight tremble, but realizing they were in the classroom, Sato Shinichi quickly corrected himself and asked with great concern.
This action naturally drew the attention of everyone still in the classroom. They all wanted to see what these two classmates who hadn’t been back for a whole class had been doing, and what their relationship was.
“Hm? I’m fine.”
Kazumi, who had been packing her books on her own, turned her head with some confusion. What she saw was Sato Shinichi with a worried expression. She replied faintly and then turned back, continuing to put the books on her desk into her bag.
“But, Kiyomizu-san, you…”
At this moment, Sato Shinichi didn’t have the luxury of caring whether they were in the classroom or how many people were around. The young girl’s current state truly worried him. Had she been hurt by what happened before? Or was she feeling very wronged but unwilling to say it?
“Alright, don’t worry. We’ll talk on the way back.”
Before Sato Shinichi could finish speaking, a cool little hand held his excited palm, and a cold, aloof voice sounded by his ear, but it seemed to carry a different tone.
“Ohhhhhhhhh!!!!”
Not to mention Sato Shinichi, who hadn’t reacted yet, but the surrounding classmates, upon seeing Kazumi holding Sato Shinichi’s hand, erupted in an astonishing cheer. Even the exaggerated Sobakada Asada excitedly hugged the classmate next to him, feeling more excited than Sato Shinichi himself.
“Kiyomizu… Kiyomizu-san… you…”
Kazumi’s actions made Sato Shinichi’s face turn red “swoosh.” Coupled with the teasing from the surrounding classmates, Sato Shinichi was completely stunned.
Although he had envisioned that since Kazumi also agreed, they would slowly announce their relationship to the people they were familiar with in class, he hadn’t expected Kazumi’s move to be so bold as to make such an intimate gesture in front of more than half the class.
Instead, Kazumi looked at Sato Shinichi with amusement. She probably understood the thoughts of this fifteen or sixteen-year-old virgin perfectly. In fact, if even the teachers knew and approved of their relationship, whether the classmates knew or not wouldn’t matter at all. Rumors and gossip from ignorant children had no effect on Kazumi.
Throwing her bag towards Sato Shinichi, Kazumi walked out of the classroom expressionlessly, unfazed by the gazes of the onlookers. Only two cool words echoed in Sato Shinichi’s ears.
“Take this bag and take me home.”
(PS: I’m not… I’m not updating because you gave me monthly votes!)
(Another PS: No amount of incense burning will make me update!)
