Chapter 55: Tracksuit

Pathetic.

The living room was cluttered with heaps of dirty clothes, cups of cupped noodles littered the tables, and the sink, filled with unwashed dishes. The apartment may be new and it had only been a few months since Akamine-sensei started residing here, but right now, it might as well be abandoned, or at the very least someone who couldn't care less about cleaning lived here, marking its territory with the uncleanness that abounded within.

Akamine-sensei never wished for his living quarters to be this way, nor did she want any of this to happen. Back when she still lived under her parents' roof, she never experienced the disorderly way of her current living quarters. Well, that was probably thanks to her mom who kept things in check especially when she forgot to clean up before herself. And now that she lived independently from her parents after getting her job as a teacher, she realized that she really doesn't clean up a lot before herself.

It was easy at first since she had the motivation after moving into a new apartment. Also, she had enough time for herself whenever she wasn't working as a teacher. That changed after a few months, however, since she got busier and busier as time went on. She never signed up for the busy teacher life but surprise surprise, she was assigned as a homeroom teacher. And to top it all off, she got one of the most problematic high schoolers as her student. It was one stress after the other, leaving him no leisure for herself... or at least that's what she wanted to believe. Since she couldn't blame anyone but herself for the mess that is her living room, she decided to blame it someplace else, her work as a homeroom teacher, exactly.

"Looks like I'm out of cupped noodles. Should I stop by at the convenience store this late at night?" Akamine-sensei contemplated, weighing out the danger and the benefit of her trip. She kind of overlooked the former and decided to go out anyways despite the dangers of the night. It would be much harder for her to through the rest of the week without the cupped noodles. Furthermore, this was the only free time she had after checking some test papers for the day.

"Right, I guess I'll stop by at the convenience store." Akamine-sensei made up her mind, heading towards the door to her apartment when she noticed, or rather, felt something amiss. That feeling made her stop short, and she began glancing around, inspecting every nook and cranny of the room while trying to figure out what it is that she felt was wrong.

That's when she noticed that she was just in her undergarments. How shameful! She almost got out of her apartment wearing nothing but her undergarments, and they weren't matching in color as well.

"Kyaaa~!" She screamed, rushing towards her cabinet after climbing the pile of dirty clothes strewn all over her living room. After making a mental note that she should actually pack those dirty clothes and send them straight to the laundry shop, she opened her wardrobe, hoping that there are still a few sets of clothing available there.

Well, long story short, there was nothing there except the tracksuit she had back when she was still a high school student. Fortunately, it could still fit so she put it on without a second thought and donned wide-rimmed sunglasses to cover half her face. She dreaded the thought of meeting someone she knew on her way to the convenience store. That would be embarrassing, especially since she was wearing something that only high schoolers would wear. She was well past that age, and the fact that it could still fit her is something that she wasn't proud of.

Bearing those thoughts in mind, she pursed her lips and got out. Holding her breath, she quietly closed the door to her apartment and then slinked her way to the streets, glad that not one of her neighbors noticed her. The fight was just starting, however, since she still have to cover the entire street while crossing her fingers in hopes that no one would notice her. That's why she decided to stick in the shadows, just in case she met someone she knew— which could totally happen.

Akamine-sensei shivered in the slight cold even though she was wearing a tracksuit. From time to time, she checked her phone, just so no one would actually talk to her. The night was still young and there were a lot of people up and about. She didn't want to engage any of them in a conversation.

A few minutes later, she reached the convenience store, celebrating in her mind before she entered. As she paused, however, she noticed a familiar face, walking the opposite way. The person stopped just as she did, and by the time she realized that the familiar face recognized her, it was too late for her to turn around and continue on her way to the convenience store.

"Hajime?" She muttered, startled.

"Sensei?"

"What are you doing here? And why are you still in your uniform?" Akamine-sensei asked, totally forgetting that she was wearing nothing but a tracksuit in front of her student. The sight of Hajime completely surprised her to the point where she revealed herself in the open. She was worried that Hajime was just going home when she had dismissed them a couple of hours ago.

On the other hand, Hajime was equally surprised at seeing the ever-composed, ever-dignified Akamine-sensei wearing such a ridiculous outfit. It's not like he expected her to wear something of high quality when she was just strolling about, but what she wore wasn't something that a normal middle-aged person would wear. His gaze shifted up and down, examining her from her feet to her head. At this point, Akamine-sensei finally realized why Hajime was acting weirdly, and she hugged herself in an awkward attempt to cover what she was wearing, embarrassing herself even further.

"Sensei? What are you wearing?" Hajime asked, perplexed.