Thanks to Meerkat for helping with the translation
The Value of Gold
“I’ve been harboring resentment all this time. Frustrated, miserable… I became pessimistic about life–“
At an open terrace café, the two sat facing each other.
He poured out his pent-up feelings as if expelling suppressed thoughts. He knew it was necessary.
To start over, he had to clear away the black, stagnant sludge that had accumulated in the depths of his heart for years, or it would settle again someday. And in his breathless desperation, he would reach out his hand and resent others.
“It’s okay now. All that’s left is for you to decide how you want to live your life.”
Himiyama Misaki, sitting across from him, showed a gentle smile. To Okamoto Kazuhiro, those words seemed kind on the surface, but were actually quite harsh. To choose means to take responsibility.
That day when the reunion was suddenly held, the place that Kokonoe Yukito had created was dazzlingly warm.
He felt as if it was being flaunted before him. No, in fact, it probably was being flaunted.
The contrast with the gloomy, cold place filled with resentment that Okamoto Kazuhiro had been trying to create.
And then, a cruel decision was forced upon him–which world did he want to live in?
The choice to head toward mutual destruction. Okamoto Kazuhiro understood what kind of future that choice would bring. The struggle with emotions that couldn’t be rationalized. However, there was no need to deliberately find an answer to what emotion he had turned his eyes away from. He felt “envious” of himself for feeling that way.
And there was one more thing. Okamoto Kazuhiro was afraid. Of Sanjoji Ryoka’s resolve. Even though he had scorned her as such a pathetic, pitiful, diminutive existence, at that moment, Okamoto Kazuhiro was undoubtedly terrified.
The unwavering determination to show absolutely no mercy. Sweet responses were impossible. Those were such eyes. The first time intense hostility had been directed at him by an adult. The weak figure seeking forgiveness in the rain was nowhere to be found. He was overwhelmed, his fighting spirit crushed. He didn’t know what kind of change had occurred in Sanjoji Ryoka’s state of mind in such a short period. And the one who probably led her to that point was also that man.
His attempt to bring someone down with a trivial trap suddenly felt hollow. Waves of regret washed over him.
“You know, I’m thinking of aiming to become a teacher again.”
“…Is that so? Himiyama-sensei is going to be a teacher again…”
“Yes. I took a detour, but I’ve also decided to reclaim my life.”
His eyes widened at Himiyama Misaki’s words. He couldn’t hide his surprise at learning this fact for the first time.
“Will you cheer me on too, Okamoto-kun?”
“Y-yes! I don’t have the right to say this, but… please do your best!”
There was no reason not to cheer her on. Okamoto Kazuhiro was also one of the parties responsible for crushing her dream.
“It was a crushed future. But Yukito and you found what had been buried.”
“Kokonoe did?”
He didn’t understand. This didn’t match the past Kokonoe Yukito that Okamoto Kazuhiro knew.
But Kokonoe Yukito had also presented two futures to Okamoto Kazuhiro. Happiness and misfortune.
“It’s okay. You held your ground. And you’re still young, so you’re free, and any future depends on you, Okamoto-kun. So please, don’t do anything that would hurt yourself or others anymore, okay?”
“Yes.”
He nodded obediently to words that he would never have accepted before, spoken in an admonishing tone.
Either way, he strangely felt he couldn’t oppose Himiyama Misaki’s words. Having had little contact with adult women before, he felt embarrassed and couldn’t look directly at her face.
“You made a very valuable choice. You didn’t devalue yourself. That’s something to be proud of.”
Could he live with his chest held high? Could he believe in it?
The value of gold. To hold his shattered self-respect in his heart once more.
“From now on, if you’re troubled or have problems, anything at all. If there’s something I can help with, I’ll cooperate. You’re not alone. Oh, but it might be faster to consult with Yukito-kun?”
Not alone. Someone he could rely on was there for him. His chest grew warm at Himiyama Misaki’s sincere words.
That was what Okamoto Kazuhiro had been seeking more than anything else. The connection with trustworthy others that he had finally obtained. Interactions were gradually beginning to form with the classmates he had reunited with that day.
Could he return? Could he reclaim it? The brilliance of those days. His soot-stained youth.
As if to mask his emotions, he brought the coffee to his lips. Suddenly, a question arose.
“…Come to think of it, what kind of relationship do you have with Kokonoe?”
He voiced the smoldering question. When he had seen them before, they had looked quite intimate. Considering the circumstances at the time, it seemed like an absolutely impossible relationship. What on earth had happened…?
“My relationship with Yukito-kun? Well, hmm…”
After pondering for a while, Himiyama Misaki clapped her hands and answered.
“The next head of the Himiyama family.”
“Bfft!”
Coffee spurted out of his nose. The momentum made him cough violently.
“O-Okamoto-kun, are you okay!? Here, wipe it with this.”
He wiped away the coffee with the pretty handkerchief she handed him. The aroma of coffee lingered in his nasal cavity.
“You were related to Kokonoe!?”
“Well, not exactly related, grandfather’s successor, or something like that.”
“I don’t really understand, but…”
Complicated family circumstances. It seemed troublesome. Even if explained in detail, he didn’t feel like he could understand it.
Trying to calm his agitated feelings, he grasped the cup with trembling hands and took coffee into his mouth.
“My fiancé, or something like that.”
“Bfft!”
He spurted coffee out of his nose again. The shock was so great that liquid almost came out of his ears too.
“What’s wrong!? Are you feeling unwell somewhere–“
While Himiyama Misaki panicked, the mysteries about Kokonoe Yukito only multiplied.
(I should probably not dig too deep into this…)
Suddenly, an unpleasant premonition crept over him. Besides, he didn’t think that Kokonoe Yukito, who had been getting shocked looks at the reunion, was popular. That was like a rare animal in a zoo cage.
“Whoa! What kind of disaster scene is spreading here!?”
“K-Kokonoe? This is just spilled coffee–“
While wiping the table, the person in question, Kokonoe Yukito, showed his face.
Originally, Okamoto had something he wanted to tell Kokonoe Yukito, so they were supposed to meet here.
However, for some reason, he was holding a megaphone and holding up a placard. His message was intense.
“Hello, Yukito-kun. What’s wrong? You look like an activist or something…”
Kokonoe Yukito frowned and created a serious atmosphere. Everyone tensed up, wondering what was happening.
“Well, you see, there was a demolition demo or something nearby, so I joined in out of curiosity, but they seemed to like me and I ended up having to give a speech on stage. It was really tough. I don’t even know what we’re supposed to demolish in the first place. Bluefin tuna or something?”
“Yukito-kun. I think it’s better not to get involved in that. It’s dangerous in various ways.”
As usual, he had no idea what he was talking about. Why would he participate!?
“I thought you might ignore a contact from me…”
“It’s just a detour from the demo. You have something you want to talk about, right? First, Modern Monetary Theory is–“
“Yukito-kun, you’re being influenced by the demo!? Your priorities have switched too!”
“Huh!? What the hell was I…?”
Kokonoe sat down and ordered cheesecake and rare cheesecake. This guy…
He felt a headache coming on at the sight of him doing whatever he wanted right after arriving, but today’s main topic was different.
He had agonized over whether to tell him. Currently, nothing had happened. It would be too late after something happened, but that didn’t mean he could do anything about it himself. It was extremely sensitive content.
Would this also be betrayal? It might simply be self-preservation. However, if everyone was going to restart without worry in that warm place, he couldn’t pretend he hadn’t seen it.
“It’s about the AI I used.”
“I see. You’re talking about how the jobs that would disappear with AI proliferation were the opposite of initial predictions.”
“Wait, I’m not bringing up social issues like that!”
“Who would have thought it would be creative professions that got taken…”
Well, physical labor would be difficult for AI. No, that’s not the conversation I want to have!
“Just bring the conversation back. …I created fake images with AI.”
Using AI to bring someone down. If you wanted to do it, it was all too easy.
Okamoto Kazuhiro was asked by a classmate how to use AI, and he taught them. He didn’t know what they would use it for.
There was no need to know, and no reason to deliberately investigate. They didn’t talk at school. They weren’t friends, and they belonged to different groups. They were unrelated to Okamoto Kazuhiro.
However, he felt it was dangerous to leave things as they were.
“Okamoto-kun?”
Himiyama Misaki showed a suspicious expression. It would be fine if his worries proved unfounded. But,
“–there might be someone other than me who’s abusing AI.”
“Look, it’s true that I said I wanted to thank you. Yes, I admit that.”
As soon as she came out of the changing room, she immediately protested with anger marks twitching on her face.
Sanjoji-sensei was fidgeting embarrassedly, but it wasn’t hidden at all.
Her waist was curved, and her willful raw breasts that boldly asserted themselves seemed about to spill out.
No, restraint was forbidden. Let me dare to say it. They were spilling out.
Her well-fleshed legs, her glamorous and magnificent proportions that didn’t show her age.
Her trademark charming mole was also properly asserting itself.
The fabricated images were obviously fake. They were woefully inadequate to express sensei’s beauty.
“But, BUT! How exactly is this supposed to be thanks!?”
She pointed her index finger sharply at me. A poisonously beautiful scene was spreading before my eyes.
“But sensei, if you’re going to thank me, you need to do at least this much.”
“There should have been other more wholesome ways to thank you!”
“For example?”
“That would be… home cooking or something?”
Sanjoji-sensei’s confidence seemed to waver as she poked her fingers together and trailed off. Cute.
“Home cooking for me, who’s training under the master? Home cooking for me, who has a reputation for being good at cooking?”
“Guuuuh! Don’t thrust the reality of being defeated in feminine appeal at me!”
Though Sanjoji-sensei was frustrated, what was swaying magnificently was actually overwhelming in terms of feminine appeal.
What violent twin peaks. Honestly, their size was equal to, or probably surpassed, my mother’s.
In construction sites, the demolition method of destroying things with an iron ball suspended from heavy machinery is called mincing demolition, but sensei could probably demolish anything. Incidentally, mincing demolition is currently prohibited.
The prohibition is understandable. If reason were demolished by sensei’s assets, humanity would have no way to endure it.
“If it’s home cooking, please treat me to toast with jam spread on it next time.”
“Just because I live with my family, you don’t think I can’t cook for myself, do you?”
Sensei pressed forward with half-closed eyes, applying pressure. I averted my eyes and recited the periodic table.
Though I was curious about Sanjoji-sensei’s home cooking, let’s save that for next time.
I and Sanjoji-sensei were at an indoor pool. And it was reserved just for us.
“Besides, why a pool in this season!?”
“It’s heated. Since it’s the change of seasons, it would be terrible if we caught colds.”
“That’s not the problem! And this swimsuit is so tiny and thin–“
“Yukito GPT said you look so good in it that it’s surprising.”
“I can’t be genuinely happy about praise! Please delete such an improper AI immediately!”
What Sanjoji-sensei was wearing was a golden bikini. The golden bikini shone gorgeously against her tanned, wheat-colored skin. Since she was running with Inukichi, her healthy limbs were dazzling.
“What kind of circumstances lead to the idea of a golden bikini!?”
“Just recently, it was trending on SNS…”
I don’t know what circumstances made it a topic, but I wasn’t one to miss this opportunity.
Just in case something like this happened, I had secretly prepared it. How about it? It’s my confident work.
“Just because it’s trendy, you don’t have to immediately adopt it and make an old lady like me wear it…”
“But since I went to the trouble of preparing it, it would be wasteful not to use it, wouldn’t it?”
“Why do you prepare these things…”
That said, it was precisely because I had prepared it in advance that golden bikini sensei was born.
It’s a secret, but I also secretly sent one to Sayuri-sensei. I’m looking forward to her reaction.
“The fact that you’re wearing glasses with this creates sensei’s unbalanced charm, or something like that.”
“Um… it’s embarrassing, so could you not examine me so coolly?”
Sanjoji-sensei gave me a gloomy stare, but there was a reason for this.
“But sensei, don’t we need a swimsuit episode? Hinagi and the others already had theirs.”
“Is it a system where it comes around in turns!?”
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT gadgetizedpanda.net
Of course, that’s right. It wouldn’t be good to create differences over something like this.
Not just Hinagi and the others, but Mio-san, Tristy-san, the goddess-senpai, and the goddess-sensei had all shown off their swimsuits. For sensei not to have a swimsuit episode would be absolutely unacceptable.
In other words, it was like a duty. I had simply suggested it out of responsibility.
“It’s an equal world, after all.”
“I wish equality would just disappear!”
Sensei, who had fallen to the dark side, was mounting resistance against the world’s trends. How anarchic!
Though Sanjoji-sensei was pouting, her figure was just too good.
“Obviously we can’t play where people can see us.”
“That’s true, but…”
Now that the fake image incident was resolved, there was nothing to feel guilty about, but that didn’t mean we should be completely brazen about it. To avoid unnecessary prying, minimum consideration was necessary.
That consideration was the private reservation. This way we could enjoy ourselves without worry.
But if we weren’t going to meet privately like this, that would be somehow different, wouldn’t it?
“Sensei was pretty depressed too, so I thought this might be good for a change of mood.”
The mental strain that sensei had endured recently was unimaginable. Extraordinary stress.
She had looked so painfully distressed that it was hard to watch. No matter how bravely she acted, there were limits.
We managed to resolve it quickly, but considering the malicious nature of the incident, the situation was more likely to worsen or become prolonged. If that had happened, it would have become a major incident and difficult to keep hidden.
The fact that Totoki Akari was suspended was itself miraculous. If a police report had been filed, it would have been reported extensively in the media as an AI abuse incident, possibly developing into a social problem. Totoki and Okamoto would have faced punishments that made expulsion look lenient.
Truly a reckless act that could ruin one’s life. An enormous risk with no commensurate return.
And if such a situation had arisen, it would have left even deeper scars on sensei, who was the target.
Moreover, if the media had moved to dig deeper into the incident’s motives and rehashed the past, even Himiyama-san, who was trying to make a fresh start, wouldn’t have been able to stay uninvolved. The past was already over.
A bad ending that no one wanted, where everyone would be unhappy. That had to be avoided at all costs.
“Kokonoe-kun…”
“We were saved by a paper-thin margin of luck tilting in our favor. We were rescued at the very last moment.”
What Okamoto Kazuhiro’s decision saved was greater than he himself realized.
Sanjoji-sensei gently wrapped my hand with both of hers. They trembled slightly.
“–Thank you very much.”
“It was Okamoto who settled things with his own emotions.”
Okamoto had grasped a brilliant destiny with his own hands.
“If you hadn’t prepared that place, if you hadn’t gathered everyone, Misaki-san, his feelings would never have been reached. We couldn’t have overcome the despair…”
The coordination was difficult. But it was worth it. –This time we succeeded.
Tears welling up in sensei’s eyes. –Had I been able to settle my past mistakes?
The commotion caused by my reckless actions in the past. I was the one who created the cause.
Originally, I should have been the one to receive judgment more than anyone. Yet the ones who suffered were Sanjoji-sensei, Himiyama-san, Totoki, and Okamoto. Only I had been living peacefully.
“I’m sorry, sensei.”
I bowed my head. Even if I repent, I will never seek forgiveness. This is karma I must carry. So that I never make anyone sad again. I engrave it in my heart.
“I was the one being arrogant. The real you–you’re the most honest and kind child of all.”
Sanjoji-sensei’s hand caressed my cheek. A smile filled with the kind of compassion that anyone would be captivated by at first sight.
I was glad that sensei didn’t lose her smile. I was truly relieved. It was a result worth a thousand pieces of gold.
Worth a thousand pieces of gold… fitting for a golden bikini. Hehe. That’s right! I took something out of my bag.
“Well then, let’s put on sunscreen before swimming!”
I never got to apply it to Hinagi-chan and the others at the beach. So here’s its comeback appearance.
“But I’m already this nicely tanned…”
“What?! Sensei, why did you do something so reckless!”
She’s overflowing with vitality and it really suits her, but it’s way too bold a challenge.
A gorgeous body in a gorgeous golden swimsuit. Is Sanjoji-sensei… a celebrity?
“Haaaaaaah?! Don’t you dare say you forgot! It’s all your fault! Yours!”
“How rude! Don’t blame others! Ah, I remember now. It is my fault.”
“Could you please stop overwhelming me with your furious momentum?!”
However, the tanning salon’s effects are tremendous. The bronzed sensei is quite nice too. But since the incident has been resolved, I’m disappointed that the different-colored sensei’s appearance period is about to end.
“Damn! Is this the last time I’ll see her…? But such a loss to humanity…”
“What’s so serious about it! Besides, this is an indoor pool!?”
“I won’t give up until the end! That’s it, that! There should be a possibility of getting tanned by the lighting!”
“But it’s LED…”
Such a perfectly accurate counterargument cuts through. I got dejected.
“Waaah, she’s the type who thoroughly defeats me with logic!”
“Don’t put weird labels on me! I don’t like that type of person either…”
They exist, they exist. Logic punch men are a breed I’d prefer to avoid if possible.
However, I have something I can’t compromise on. An unwavering, solid conviction.
So I tried throwing a tantrum.
“No way, no way! I wanna put it on! I wanna put on sunscreen!”
“Don’t you have any shame or dignity?! Fine! I understand, so!”
The flustered, bewildered sensei easily gives in to my demands. I got worried.
I stop flailing around and sit up straight.
“Sensei, you haven’t been falling for door-to-door sales pressure, have you? When refusing, you need to be firm—”
“Don’t suddenly become calm!”
I always think she’s easily swayed, or rather, weak to pressure.
This is just playful teasing, a joke to lighten the mood.
Applying sunscreen to an unmarried woman of marriageable age is a brain-destroying evil act.
“B-besides, I’m only weak when it comes to you…”
“Huh?”
Sensei becomes flustered. Her cheeks faintly blush crimson, and her glasses fog up.
“Kokonoe-kun is my oshi, so when you say something, I mysteriously can’t resist… Fine. If you want to apply it that badly, then go ahead and apply it. I won’t run away or hide!”
Sanjoji-sensei puts her hand on the golden bikini’s ties. The golden bikini comes undone and falls.
“Um, well…”
“–This is my thanks.”
A sweet voice like a whisper. Through the gap in her fogged glasses, I caught a glimpse of her crystal-clear eyes for an instant.
“The contrast of the tan lines is way too sexy and alluring…”
“Uuuuh… What should I do? If anyone finds out about this, I’ll definitely get fired…”
Since sensei is naturally fair-skinned, the contrast between the tanned and untanned parts was quite striking.
Which sensei is more attractive? At this point, we’ll have to decide with a principal election…
We can’t keep taking damage on both sides forever. I dispel the wise atmosphere.
“Let’s have fun and swim, sensei!”
“Y-yes, that’s right. Somehow, I’m in the mood to move my body too.”
After properly stretching, we enter the pool. The warm water feels good.
“How about we have a swimming competition?”
This is just an indoor pool, not a leisure facility. There’s no water slide or anything, and even though we came to play, it’s just sensei and me. Surprisingly, there’s not much to do.
“I’m embarrassed to say, but I’m not very good at swimming…”
“Really?”
Hmm. I learned an unexpected fact. In middle and high school, subjects are divided, but in elementary school, when summer comes, the homeroom teacher sometimes handles swimming lessons as part of physical education.
I thought music and swimming practicals were required to take the teacher employment exam.
“Of course, I can swim the minimum amount. But more importantly, what matters is rescue methods and resuscitation techniques in case children drown. As long as you can swim averagely, there’s no problem. Besides, some municipalities leave it to specialized subject teachers…”
I see. That might be more rational. Everyone has things they’re not good at.
“Piano and everything else—it must be tough being expected to do everything.”
“That’s the job. I’m actually good at piano. But swimming… I haven’t been to the beach, and I haven’t been to a pool in years. I think I’m pretty rusty.”
Living normally, there aren’t many opportunities to swim, so it can’t be helped.
“What’s your specialty stroke, sensei?”
“I wonder…? I don’t really feel it, but if I had to say, maybe backstroke?”
If it had been butterfly, the golden bikini would have burst from the breast pressure.
“Then sensei can do backstroke. Since there’s a gender difference, I’ll wait five seconds before starting.”
“Eh, we’re really going to compete?”
“Why not? It’s not like it’s a serious match, it’s just part of playing around.”
Sanjoji-sensei suddenly gets flustered.
“Wait! Knowing you, if we have a swimming competition, the winner will definitely be able to make lewd requests of the loser—it’ll definitely turn into that kind of indecent, shameless development!”
What outrageous logic. Complete false accusation. Unforgivable!
“Don’t make fun of me! Then are you saying everything up until now has been wholesome?!”
“You’re fully aware of it!”
“You’re absolutely right.”
There’s no room for counterargument.
“Then how about this: the loser has to reveal one secret. How about that?”
Even I think that’s an appropriate compromise. It’s not always lewd developments.
“…A secret? Anything is fine?”
“Right. It could be past failures, weight, or revealing a dark history notebook.”
“This is a battle I can’t lose. But somehow hearing your secrets sounds scary…”
“I’ll make mine my securities account password.”
“With unauthorized logins rampant, please absolutely don’t do that!?”
Everyone should properly set up security like device authentication and smartphone authentication.
Sensei gets into backstroke position. The purpose is to have fun, winning and losing comes second.
“Alright then, let’s start. Ready?”
“Um, could you give me a little more of a handicap—”
“Go!”
Thus began our life-or-death serious battle.
Sanjoji-sensei kicks off the wall and advances with dolphin kick underwater until she surfaces.
Since there’s no diving, it’s difficult to gain distance with the starting dash.
I count a full five seconds. I’m doing freestyle, but considering the average time for fifty meters, it should probably be an even match. I take a big breath, dive underwater, and kick off the wall.
I mindlessly advance, parting the water’s resistance with my hands. Strangely, my mood calms down. The silence underwater.
For about twenty-five meters, one breath is sufficient. I catch a glimpse of Sanjoji-sensei beside me. We’re side by side, and I barely overtake her. Reaching the turn, I kick off the wall and turn around.
The distance gradually opens up. Putting winning and losing aside, I was absorbed in swimming.
“Made it!”
I reach the goal first and turn around. –At that moment, a chill runs through my entire body.
Intense fear. I panic in confusion. Even in that state, my sense of crisis works.
“Sensei, danger!”
I was desperate. I frantically try to move my legs to rush to Sanjoji-sensei. But in the water, I can’t advance as I wish. In my frustration, anxiety builds up. A life-threatening crisis right before me.
(This is bad, why is this happening?! What should I do… At this rate, Sanjoji-sensei will–)
Anxiety. My heart rate jumps up, and I have visions of the worst future. A fundamental invitation to death.
I desperately reach out my hand, but I only grasp at empty air, accomplishing nothing. I stagger and lose my balance.
“Oh no–“
My body, having lost control, is dragged underwater. Water enters my mouth, and I flail.
Even while this is happening, the crisis approaches. But my body won’t listen to me.
“Kokonoe-kun!? Are you okay, Kokonoe-kun!?”
Noticing that I’m drowning, sensei stops her backstroke and rushes over.
“Grab onto my shoulder!”
She pulls my body up from underwater and heads toward the pool side.
“Cough, cough!”
“At times like this–that’s right. First mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, then chest compressions!”
“Cough. I’m sorry. But at this rate– wait– wait–“
Sanjoji-sensei gives me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. So this is what it feels like when you’re conscious…
While thinking such pointless thoughts, my sluggish thinking starts working.
“I will definitely save you! Absolutely save you! I won’t let you die!”
“Pah! I’m fine, I’m alive. I’m fully conscious too– mmph–!”
She gives me mouth-to-mouth again. Fresh oxygen is sent into my lungs. Both sensei and I were confused.
“I can’t accept losing you in a place like this! Because you are my–“
“Pah! Hey there. As you can see, I’m completely fine– hey, can’t you hear me!?”
“Why, why won’t you regain consciousness!? I have words I want to convey, feelings–“
I’m back, sensei.
While being subjected to sensei’s third mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, I somehow manage to push my body back.
“There!”
With a light chop, Sanjoji-sensei comes back to her senses.
“Huh!? …Kokonoe-kun?”
“I’ve returned from the brink of the underworld.”
Having said something unnecessary, Sanjoji-sensei’s eyes well up with tears.
“Thank goodness… Really, thank goodness… I was so worried!”
She hugs me tightly. We stayed embraced like that for several minutes until she calmed down.
“By the way, you looked so pale earlier, what exactly happened?”
After regaining composure, I reflect on reality. Oh no. This isn’t the time to be relaxed!
“That’s right. We need to escape from here quickly! Sharks, there were two sharks!”
I remember the nightmarish scene I saw right after reaching the goal. I caught sight of approaching sharks.
“Sharks? Kokonoe-kun, this is a pool. There aren’t even fish here, let alone sharks.”
“That can’t be right! Because those were definitely sharks– hmm?”
I feel something odd about myself. No matter how you think about it, Sanjoji-sensei is right.
I cross my arms and tilt my head. I nervously peek into the pool, but of course there are no sharks.
However, the image of approaching sharks was vividly burned into my mind.
“For you to be so upset… Did you perhaps mistake something?”
“A mistake…? But what could I mistake for sharks in a place like this…?”
Brilliantly shining shark fins. The moment I saw them, I instinctively judged them dangerous.
“Wait? That’s impossible… but if that’s the case… no way, could such a thing!?”
I reach the truth and shudder runs through my entire body. I can’t breathe. I didn’t want to believe it.
“You figured out the cause?”
I take my smartphone, which I had set aside to keep dry, and carefully enter the pool.
“Sensei! From that position, please swim toward me doing backstroke like before.”
“Huh. I don’t really understand, but if it will convince you…”
Seeing my urgent state, Sanjoji-sensei cooperates without hesitation.
I film Sanjoji-sensei swimming backstroke with elegant strokes on my smartphone.
“Good god… Damn! Poseidon, god of the sea, is this your doing?!”
What was captured there were unmistakably two ferocious sharks.
“…I swam, but will this make things clear? Your face is pale…”
Sanjoji-sensei approaches with a worried expression. I show her the video I filmed.
“Please look at this, sensei.”
At my stern tone, sensei tightens her expression.
The incarnation of brutality approaches silently and quietly. We’re speechless at the massacre about to begin.
“Sensei’s breasts floating on the water surface as she does backstroke look exactly like shark fins–“
“I’m not a shark!?”
“You’re right, they’re not dorsal fins but pectoral fins.”
“That’s not the point! You dragged this out all this way just for this!?”
“Bu.. but they looked like sharks.”
“Even if you say it cutely with ‘but,’ it won’t work. Even if you pout, I won’t forgive you this time!”
It’s all because they’re too big. Who would have thought that what I mistook for a dorsal fin was actually her chest?
From my perspective, it looked like this from the water surface. Anyone would make that mistake!
“What are we going to do!? After all this commotion, nobody’s going to be satisfied with such a terrible ending!?”
Much ado about nothing. All because Sensei’s mountains caused such a stir… squeak
“The golden bikini was a mistake. With the reflection on the water surface, I couldn’t make a proper judgment…”
“This is all your fault! Sit in seiza right there!”
I got lectured. …Yes, it was my fault. Yes, I’m sorry.
***
Good grief, this child… While sitting by the poolside, she turns her gaze toward the boy next to her.
(Really. Do you have any idea how worried I was…?)
When I saw Kokonoe-kun nearly drowning, my heart almost stopped. My mind went completely blank, and all I could think was that I had to save him somehow. A world without him is something I can no longer imagine.
He brought me to this pool out of consideration for how exhausted I’d become from the series of incidents that had been happening lately. I’ve accumulated a debt I can never repay. Without him, I would have surely broken down long ago, my heart crushed. I would have quit teaching by now.
If that had happened, it wouldn’t have been just me. Totoki-san and Okamoto-kun would have also faced the inescapable consequences of their sins, their lives ruined. The worst possible ending. We avoided that fate thanks to him.
My tears had dried up, I was crushed, with nothing left to cling to. And yet, the one who extended his hand to me was—
“My marriage hunting isn’t going very well.”
“They’re all people with no eye for quality, aren’t they?”
Splash splash as he kicks the water with his feet. It’s strange to be discussing this with a student, but Kokonoe-kun is a good listener. Peaceful, harmonious time. …It feels like I’d forgotten what this was like for so long.
“…It’s probably my age. Nobody approaches me, and I’m constantly reminded of my worthlessness, my lack of value. I knew this would happen, but it’s harsh and depressing.”
Half of it was true, half was mixed with lies. Because there was a part of me that couldn’t get serious about marriage hunting. But perhaps that was just a boring excuse to protect myself.
“All the regrets I had have been resolved, and now I might be confused by the freedom I’ve been given. I feel like I’m floating, ungrounded. I’ve lost sight of what I should aim for, how I should live from now on. I’ve lost my purpose.”
About Misaki-san, about Okamoto-kun, and about—Kokonoe-kun. Years of accumulated sentiment.
It had always remained in me like a weight. I continued teaching out of inertia and a compulsive sense of duty. But now, none of that exists anywhere. I’m literally empty.
“And what remains is a worthless woman.”
I deprecate myself pathetically. Perhaps I want him to affirm such a self.
Because he’s always been someone who gives me hope, because it’s Kokonoe-kun, I want him to make me give up.
If he could tell me with his words that I have no future, if he could deliver that final blow with just one word.
Then I could remain the same unchanged me I am now. —Abandoning this sweet dream.
“Speaking of which, I heard that alchemy has been reproduced recently.”
“Alchemy?”
The ultimate goal was supposed to be creating the philosopher’s stone and achieving immortality.
That’s been reproduced? What a strange story, but Kokonoe-kun shows me an internet article.
“Is this… fact?”
“Amazing, isn’t it, science? The relentless human pursuit of truth.”
It was about using a particle accelerator to convert lead into gold.
“…I had no idea. I’m lacking in my studies.”
The world changes. History and common sense are constantly changing. There was a part of me that couldn’t keep up.
“There’s no such thing as a worthless person. Lead can become gold. If you have no value, then polish yourself.”
“Polish…”
I somewhat understand what he’s trying to say, but for an old lady like me to start now…
“Besides, I’ve been proving Sensei’s value all this time, but is that still not enough?”
His gaze, like one directed at a selfish child, makes me uncomfortable. I hugged my knees tightly.
“But someone like me—”
“That’s what the golden bikini is for, isn’t it?”
“You mean literally shining!?”
Armor to make dull me shine. Are you saying I have the same value as gold?
“Does that mean… that I’m attractive…?”
I ask tentatively. I want to know how I appear to Kokonoe-kun.
“You should learn a little from Himiyama-san.”
“Misaki-san is still young, and she’s beautiful even from my perspective as a woman… Besides, why are you always on the defensive with Misaki-san but always on the offensive with me!”
I throw out a question that had been bothering me. He’s somehow always been proactive toward me.
Rather than being evasive about this difficult question, he answers immediately with confidence.
“I learned that distance is important in human relationships.”
“That’s true. Everyone has their own comfortable distance.”
“Himiyama-san comes on strong, so if I came on strong too, it would be game over immediately.”
“Such a blatant reason!?”
It was incredibly convincing though. I think so too.
“Sensei is reserved, so I have to be the one to come on strong.”
“Isn’t your idea of distance management just constantly brewing forbidden fruit that creates dramatic situations…?”
“This apple is delicious. munch munch“
“You always start eating right away…”
His mental fortitude might be fine with it, but I’m constantly being made to feel nervous.
“Sensei, do you have any longing for marriage?”
“At my age, I’ve attended several acquaintances’ weddings. Everyone looked incredibly happy. Such wonderful days. Being blessed by all, wearing a wedding dress, standing next to the person you love, cutting the cake together—I think it’s natural for a woman to long for such things.”
Perhaps such a day might come for me someday. I’ve only recently begun to think that way.
I had always kept a lid on my own happiness. Perhaps there were chances in the past. Looking back, I had encounters too. But I pretended not to see them and let them slip away.
I had firmly believed that I wasn’t allowed to be happy. How could I pursue my own happiness when I had thrown my students into the depths of misfortune? God would never forgive such a thing.
But now— Even if God won’t forgive me, he forgives me. Then that’s the truth.
“This is perfect timing. I made this thinking we could eat it together.”
Kokonoe-kun stands up and takes something out of the cooler bag.
“A cake? You’re skillful as always. …Honestly, I’m jealous.”
It’s a small whole cake, but decorated with pale pink strawberries in the center.
“Since I was treated to homemade pudding, I prepared a handmade cake.”
“I didn’t treat you! Still, it has quite a unique shape…”
“It’s a nipple cake I made using Sensei’s pudding as reference!”
I silently raise my fist to smash the cake.
“Please calm down, Sensei!? Look, here! I was thoroughly particular about the color of the strawberries—”
“Why do you waste your cultivated skills on such ridiculous things!?”
“Without dreams and romance, human progress is impossible.”
“Don’t try to fool me!”
“I reproduced the mole with chocolate.”
“You’re not even trying to fool me!?”
Kokonoe-kun tries to cut the cake with a paper knife, then stops his movement completely.
“Sensei, would you like to cut it together?”
There’s no hidden meaning in those words. It’s because I said I “longed for it” earlier.
But those words are a sweet temptation like cake for me right now.
“…Is it okay?”
Hesitantly, I gently place my hand over his.
Feeling each other’s body temperature, we slowly move up and down together.
“Sensei’s nipple is becoming inverted…”
“It’s not inverted.”
Even such light banter seemed like something important before this sacred ritual.
This is a rehearsal. Will such a day, such a blessed moment, come for me someday?
A quiet moment. Emotions I can’t contain overflow.
“Giggle“
“Could it be that Sensei is the type who laughs when anger reaches its limit?”
“It reached that point long ago.”
“Eeeek!”
Kokonoe-kun backs away. This is fine for him. He’s brought back my smile like this.
“But let me say it as many times as I want. Thank you.”
I couldn’t help but say it, following my emotions.
“You’re more beautiful when you smile like that.”
“Without you, I might have become self-destructive and thrown everything away.”
That would have definitely happened. That’s what should have happened. My fate was changed.
“I’ve made everyone around me sad so many times. Their crying faces always remain in a corner of my mind, and I don’t want to see them anymore. Fun is better than sad, isn’t it? So from now on, I wish that at least within my reach, everyone could be smiling.”
An unwavering, strong belief. He’s continued to polish himself to fulfill that belief.
“I am…”
Him, who has lived with determination, and me, who has just drifted along. We’re complete opposites.
I’m disappointed in my own inadequacy. My rusted soul remains cloudy and dull.
I bite my lip in frustration. How could such an adult have any charm?
“Ah, I almost forgot. That swimming match earlier, I won, right?”
“I thought it became ambiguous…”
“I won’t let it. So, please reveal one of Sensei’s secrets right away.”
“I need mental preparation too—”
A secret. What kind of secret could I possibly have? My weight, or even my dark history from the past—if he asked me, I’d probably confess honestly. Nothing is worth keeping secret.
There’s nothing I need to hide from anyone, no secret I should keep—
“Yukito waku waku“
Kokonoe-kun was expressionlessly excited. Even though he’s expressionless, his emotions somehow come through.
(…There was one. I do have just one secret I can’t tell anyone.)
It’s not allowed to be spoken aloud. A forbidden word that must never be said socially.
“This cake is good, but the pudding wins…”
Obliviously munching on cake, unaware of my feelings.
I follow my unbridled heart. For the first time in my life, I step off the laid-out rails and derail. There’s no predetermined path ahead. What exists is freedom. And the reality called self-responsibility.
“I understand. I’ll go with this. I only have one secret anyway.”
“Saying it’s inverted is off-limits.”
“I told you it’s not inverted! If you’re going to keep saying that, do you want to touch and confirm it?”
“Sensei’s psychological barriers are gradually lowering…”
I smile at our trivial exchange. That much would always be fine.
Not as a teacher, but just as no one in particular right now. Because I am—
“Okay? I won’t say it, so please listen.”
I turn to face him and peer into those dark pupils. Jet black that seems to draw me in endlessly.
“An irredeemably foolish and unforgivable decision. But it’s okay. Already—”
In the end, it turned out just as Misaki-san said. She’ll probably laugh triumphantly.
“Kokonoe-kun, I lo—”
“Sanjouji-sensei?”
The naughty boy looking puzzled. Really, this is what happens when you tease adults.
[I love you]
“Ngh!”
I didn’t say it aloud. But he probably read my lip movements and understood.
This child is unusually skilled at such things. I want him to think it’s his own fault.
My secret that I can’t tell anyone. Only two people know it. A shared feeling.
Clear as day. I felt like my vision had opened up. What a refreshing feeling this is.
“I have a goal now. For the next two years, I will polish myself.”
To embody the shining value of gold. So that when I stand next to him, I will never fade.
“Two years—don’t tell me you’re taking Himiyama-san’s words seriously…”
“Speaking of which, Misaki-san was bragging about being cultivated and permanently owned. Kokonoe-kun, did you buy farmland or something? With the rice shortage, the importance of farmers really hits home.”
“Why are you bringing up that topic at this timing…”
“Is there something you feel guilty about?”
“Absolutely there is.”
“There is!?”
I need to get the details out of him. This could leave future problems for me too.
“Cultivation, you know.”
“You occasionally read my mind so casually.”
Until the day I can put it into words, I have sealed away those words.
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