章 195: Thank you so much
[What did the teacher say in the last P.E. class, Ayato?] 12:42 "Read"
After finishing their meal, Sasaki saw Momo looking drowsy from fatigue, so he took her back to the classroom.
Afterwards, by the vending machine next to the school building, he bought a bottle of grape soda and sent a message to Haruno Ayato.
The message was read immediately, indicating that the boy was on his phone.
[No, he didn't even show up. Our class turned into free time. (Great.jpg)] 12:42 "Read"
Having never seen the P.E. teacher, Sasaki asked out of curiosity,
[What does our P.E. teacher look like? Is he strict?] 12:42 "Read"
[...] 12:43 "Read"
Seemingly at a loss for words, Ayaro sent a series of ellipses.
After some time of switching between his name and 'typing...', he finally sent another message.
[It's not about being strict or not; he's really one of those rare types...] 12:45 "Read"
[His eyes look like triangular pieces of charcoal. You don't even want to make eye contact with him, fearing your eyes might get dirty.] 12:45 "Read"
[And, sometimes, the way he looks at girls is really scary. It's not just in our class; girls in neighboring classes also have very bad opinions about him.] 12:46 "Read"
Opening the soda can with one hand, Sasaki drank and typed a reply.
[Is he that bad? What's his name?] 12:46 "Read"
[Tougou Toshizuo.] 12:46 "Read"
[He's the P.E. teacher for our class and a few neighboring classes, and also the baseball coach.] 12:46 "Read"
[There are rumors that he caused some scandals at his previous school and got transferred here because of that.] 12:47 "Read"
[The school still hired someone like that?] 12:47 "Read"
[They say he's really good at training students...] 12:47 "Read"
After chatting a bit more with him, Sasaki threw the empty soda can into the recycling bin next to the vending machine.
Remembering the name Tougou Toshizuo murmured when he left the guidance office, Sasaki thought for a moment, but felt it necessary to warn Nanao.
After all, there wasn't a shortage of scums in this world and ..now such a beautiful girl was being targeted.
This was the girl he had a good impression of, so why not.
Warning doesn't hurt and it's always better to prevent rather than rather than regretting it afterwards.
Although he didn't know Nanao's class, a girl with her looks and figure was known by almost every boy in the same grade.
So, it didn't take long for Sasaki to find Nanao Akane's classroom.
Sasaki, being tall and unfamiliar, naturally drew some attention when he stood at the classroom door.
People tend to look in the same direction when someone suddenly turns to look elsewhere.
This included Nanao Akane, who was chatting softly with the student behind her.
Following her classmates' gazes, she turned and made eye contact with Sasaki, who was scanning the room.
Realizing he was there to see her, the girl excused herself to the restroom and walked out of the classroom through the front door.
Walking towards Sasaki, who was waiting at the stairway, she felt a bit puzzled.
After all the two did not have a deep relationship so, the girl couldn't find a reason why he was here.
Facing her bright, sky-blue eyes beneath her auburn hair, Sasaki smiled and said,
"Sorry for coming suddenly. I didn't have your contact information."
"Let me introduce myself. I'm Sasaki Fuyumi from class 2-B. If you have time, I'd like to talk to you about... Tougou Toshizuo."
Initially, Nanao Akane thought Sasaki was approaching her for two reasons.
The first was that he liked her and wanted to get closer to her, so he would say that he wanted to understand the baseball team and then he would eventually confess to her.
This wasn't her being a narcissist; most boys who approached her did so.
But because Sasaki was unique different from other boys, there was a second possibility: his hand injury from being hit by a baseball had worsened, and he wanted to hold the responsible ones, her, accountable.
What she didn't expect was that his reason was about that gorilla looking, lecherous coach.
Honestly, she didn't want to know anything about that creepy coach.
But her boyfriend was on the baseball team.
Knowing about that coach might help her boyfriend, she thought for a whe before nodding.
"Okay."
At this school, the bell signaling the end of the fourth period rang precisely at noon.
The fifth period begins promptly at 1:30 PM, giving students an hour and a half for lunch and a break.
It was now 1:03 PM, with over twenty minutes left before the next class.
The school courtyard was dotted with couples who had just finished lunch, whispering sweet words to each other.
Nearby, on the shaded slope by the sports field, groups of boys lay with their hands behind their heads, enjoying the midday breeze.
From the trees above, the laughter of girls playing could be heard.
The weather was perfect, with a clear blue sky making everything look harmonious and beautiful.
Surveying his surroundings, Sasaki found a relatively quiet and secluded spot under the trees by the sports field and sat on a bench.
Nanao Akane sat at the other end, her sky-blue eyes reflecting the boy's image, filled with curiosity.
Sasaki wasted no time on small talk.
Meeting her gaze, he asked softly, "Nanao san, do you have a boyfriend in the baseball club? Or perhaps a close male friend named Shouya?"
The girl's relaxed posture stiffened at his words.
She glanced around to ensure no one could overhear them before raising an eyebrow and asking seriously, "Sasaki-san... why are you asking this?"
Her white blouse, pulled tight across her chest, created a graceful curve.
Due to school rules, her shirt was tucked into her skirt, but the fullness of her blouse meant it took up a lot of space.
To comply with the rules, she had pulled her skirt higher, making her blouse nearly invisible from the boy's angle, who could almost see the curve of her chest resting on her lap.
Though her posture was enticing, Sasaki, knowing she might have a boyfriend, maintained his composure and looked away.
"Don't worry, I have no other intentions. I have a girlfriend. Just hear me out first."
The rule against dating in the baseball club was well-known, and Shouya being the star player was also easily verifiable.
So, Akane Nanao's concern about Sasaki using this information against her was quite understandable.
After all, she was very well aware of her looks and the attention her exaggerated figure attracted.
If another boy had said this, she would have been skeptical about their motives.
However, since it was Sasaki, whom she had a good first impression of, she felt a bit more trust.
So she did not speak further, and waited for Sasaki to continue.
"I don't know Shouya's full name; I only learned this morning that he might be your boyfriend. I overheard something while hiding in a cabinet..." Sasaki recounted what he had heard and continued, "I think Tougo put something in his tea, probably a drug to increase desire. Given his reputation and what he suggested to Shouya..."
Nanao wasn't the kind of top student who only knew how to study.
She might not be very smart, but at least she wasn't stupid.
Through what Sasaki said and her own understanding of that gorilla coach, who gave her disgusting looks, she could already imaging what would happen next.
She could imagine Shouya-kun meeting her privately, unable to control himself due to the drug, and then being caught red handed by Coach Tougo, while they were doing intimate acts, leading to her being blackmailed ...and forcing her to lose her virginity... then falling into the abyss...
The terrifying thought was like a bucket of ice water poured all over her.
Her green eyes trembled with fear, and she crossed her arms over her chest, trying to steady her nerves.
"I need to report this to the school..."
"And what about your boyfriend?" Sasaki interrupted calmly.
"A baseball team won't reach Koshien just because of one person.
If Tougou is replaced, your boyfriend might not make it to Koshien.
"Different coaches have different styles, and your boyfriend might not be favored by a new coach.
Tougou might favor him because of you, but what about a new coach?"
"Well..if your lover is an all-around top player, then it doesn't matter."
And his words made her realize that she needed to protect her boyfriend's future.
She wasn't dumb; she knew she couldn't just get rid of Tougo; the only solution she could think of was to prevent him from catching anything wrong between her and her lover that would give him any leverage.
"Shouya-kun will probably ask me to meet him at the storage area this afternoon."
"But now there's still time. I can take a sick leave from the club to avoid this."
After sharing her plan, the girl looked at Sasaki, who was sitting on the other end of the bench, gazing at the school building.
Meeting her gaze, the boy nodded, agreeing with her idea.
"That's a good excuse, but what about the future?"
"In the future, I'll just have to avoid meeting Shouya-kun in private as much as possible. If there's anything important, we can talk over the phone.
We'll have to maintain this state until the competition is over..."
It was the only way to ensure her safety.
Having made up her mind, Nanao stood up, her pretty face showing a sense of relief after narrowly escaping disaster.
She bowed to Sasaki, thanking him earnestly:
"Thank you, Sasaki-kun. If it weren't for you... I don't know what would have happened. Thank you so much!"
Sitting on the bench, Sasaki waved his hand with a warm, bright smile that was as dazzling as the sunlight:
"It was the right thing to do. I have a girlfriend too, and this kind of thing disgusts me."
Standing straight, the girl took out her phone from her skirt pocket and said:
"Can I add you on LINE, Sasaki-kun."
"Sure."
After exchanging contact information, they continued chatting about various topics.
Akane Nanao praised Sasaki for being thoughtful and gentle, to which the boy laughed and explained that he avoided calling her by name at her classroom door to prevent any misunderstandings with her boyfriend—it was nothing worth praising.
Their conversation became more harmonious, and they grew closer.
At 1:25 PM, Sasaki suggested:
"If you need anything, just message me. It's time to head to class."
"Okay~"
Nanao Akane was in Class 2-E, while Sasaki was in Class 2-B, which were in opposite directions.
After saying goodbye, they each headed to their respective classrooms.
But before entering the hallway, Sasaki glanced back at the girl's retreating figure and her classroom.
Now he had become more sensitive to being watched.
Even through electronic devices, he could sense when someone was looking at him.
After he and Nanao left the school building, he noticed someone had taken a photo of them walking side by side.
The person who took the photo didn't seem to have ill intentions towards him, but it was related to her.
Sasaki deduced that someone was trying to stir up trouble between her and her boyfriend.
Taking a photo of a girl walking with a boy, especially if the girl had a boyfriend, would easily lead to misunderstandings.
However, this didn't concern Sasaki.
He had warned Nanao because he believed a girl's youth shouldn't be ruined by someone like Tougo.
As for her relationship problems... that wasn't his concern.
He was kind-hearted, but he wasn't a matchmaker.
If he were more malicious, he might use this situation to get closer to Nanao.
But there was no need for that.
If Nanao and her boyfriend truly loved each other, a small misunderstanding could be easily cleared up.
If not, then it wasn't Sasaki's place to interfere.
After putting this matter out of his mind, he returned to the classroom before the bell rang.
Having recently had an encounter with a little succubus, Sasaki's gaze first landed on her.
The sky outside was a brilliant blue, like an inverted sea, transparent with a greenish hue, and the clouds were like fluffy cotton candy.
The sunlight streamed through the windows, bright but not scorching.
In the occasional breeze, her long black hair shimmered like a waterfall, gently soothing her tired body as she lay on her desk, like a sleepy kitten basking in the sun—cute, small, soft, and fluffy.
She would purr like a boiling kettle when touched.
Sasaki was sure she could be brought to a boil.
After briefly looking at the sleeping succubus, he scanned the classroom.
This was something every student did unconsciously before entering a class.
There was no particular reason, except maybe to see if they were the last to arrive, or to catch a glimpse of someone they liked...
The reasons are many.
But looking around after entering the classroom is something many students do.
After glancing at the nearly full class, Sasaki was about to turn back to his seat when he noticed the empty seat near Shinomiya Natsuha.
If he remembered correctly, that seat belonged to Masaru Oga, the donkey-faced yellow hair.
Recalling how he took secret photos of him and Shinomiya last week, Sasaki sat at his desk, took out his phone, and opened the chat with Nogami.
[This afternoon after school, you four immediately come over.
Each of you guard a gate. Once Shinomiya leaves, follow her and report her movements at all times!] 13:28 "Read"
[Got it, boss! We'll ensure the lady's safety!] 13:28 "Read"
After he finished giving instructions, the time was now 1:30 PM, the start of class.
With the sound of the bell, the crisp tapping of high heels also approached, growing clearer.
Saya Takamine's smooth azure hair was tied at the back with a white band.
Most of it was tucked behind her cheeks, leaving only a small fringe at the front.
Although it was just a simple hairstyle, it made her look much older because her hairline seemed high.
Combined with her heavy-bottomed half-frame glasses, she was very skilled at making herself look older.
Despite her great facial shape and skin, even letting her hair down would make her look much younger.
But to think about it, becoming a teacher so soon after graduating from university, she must either have exceptional teaching skills or a strong background.
Sasaki wasn't sure about her background, but her teaching skills were undoubtedly excellent.
At least in her classes, Sasaki wouldn't sleep.
There was no other reason—he simply didn't want to be questioned the entire class.
She was serious and strict but reasonable regarding grades.
Knowing that he had been absent for a long time and that his grades would be poor, she didn't call him for a talk despite his low scores in the recent exam.
However, her frequent glances his way during class showed she was still concerned about his performance.
She likely refrained from questioning him directly, aware that a single wrong word could have severe consequences for a child who had endured hardship.
....
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