Real teaching, hypocritical gray life

Fortunately, all the waiting while tossing and turning in bed was not in vain.

------

(From the perspective of fallen trees)

Scarf............?

After returning to the dormitory room, an extremely conspicuous red gift box was placed on the table. After opening it, the so-called "gift" was actually a scarf.

In addition, the box also comes with a message card (note: used to write blessings and names) with the words "Happy Birthday!" written on it and a picture of a birthday cake drawn underneath.

I gently stroked the scarf, and the soft lines wrapped around my fingertips. Looking closely, the scarf is about one meter long, with a light gray base and light white embellishments.

Although the style is a bit simple, there is no doubt that I am more suited to this scarf than the one that is as dazzling as the moon in the sky.

I think it is more appropriate to express gratitude in person, but I was so happy after receiving this birthday gift that I unconsciously sent a message on my mobile phone.

But Ichinose must have fallen asleep by now.

After all, the alarm clock had already gone off past midnight.

【Thanks. 】

Then, I was surprised by the prompt next to the chat box.

[The other party has read]

It was almost the moment the message was sent. Does that mean Ichinose has been waiting for my message?

【Happy birthday! Even though it’s already the second day. 】

Below the text, there is a cute white rabbit holding a cake with several candles.

Unfortunately, I can’t taste it myself.

I thank you again.

【Will it be a bit redundant? 】

[No. I don’t mind birthdays, I just don’t mention them because I think it’s troublesome.]

【That's great. 】

[But Ichinose, haven't you rested yet? Or am I disturbing you? 】

[No. I'm a little sleepy.]

[I heard about the photocopy incident.]

Although it showed [The other party has read] on my side, both of us fell into silence.

[If Ichinose is in a bad mood, I can chat with you for a while. ]

Ichinose stared at the screen intently.

I think that's about it.

[Can I go find Luo Jun now? ]

After waiting for a while, Ichinose sent me a request that took me a little by surprise.

I just had a midnight snack and I feel very energetic.

[Sure. If Ichinose doesn't mind.]

Next, there is a sticker of a white rabbit laughing.

【Haha, I'm just kidding.】

[I'm not in a bad mood. I just woke up suddenly. Luo Jun came back quite late, so go to bed early.]

I wanted to say something else, but the other party's "Good night" completely blocked the conversation.

In the end, I could only say hello.

How is Ichinose feeling right now?

I can't quite imagine it.

I tried the scarf around my neck and it was surprisingly comfortable and soft.

"......"

In terms of time, this is the first birthday gift I received in my life.

I was somewhat happy about this, but surprisingly reluctant to wear it.

Rather than using it, I want to keep it as a collection item, even though that won't have any practical value............

I refolded the scarf and put it in the gift box, and then I unexpectedly noticed another motto card at the bottom of the gift box.

This proverb card was prepared by the merchant, and I guess Ichinose didn't notice it.

Of course, the signature on the corner of the card also made me excited.

To save myself from getting carried away, I tucked the card into the bottom of my scarf.

【I love you forever～】

Chapter 1: Echoing Boundaries

It was very cold outside, and I could feel my toes starting to become stiff as I sat in Class A.

I pretended to be nonchalant and observed the toe movements of the students around me.

Although they said they were the students around him, in fact, it was only Ichinose.

The top area of ​​the outside of the indoor shoes was constantly undulating. Ichinose must have been enduring the cold and stiff feeling and was trying hard to move her toes to keep warm.

Although I won't do anything unbearable, both of us feel the same at this moment.

It would be great if the floor of the classroom could heat up, or if there was something warm that one could step on... maybe the smell of the classroom would change.

Even if the teacher's class is not a self-study class, my thoughts are still scattered and always develop in an inexplicable direction............

I was clearly aware of the problem of distraction, but unexpectedly allowed it to develop.

Perhaps, this is something that I care about.

Students need to change their indoor shoes after entering the school building. This is not a special thing in Japan. On the contrary, students have a long history of changing shoes.

In the past, houses were all made of wood. Traditional Japanese buildings had straw mats or wooden boards laid indoors, so people had to take off their shoes when entering the house from outside.

Even though the government improved the education system, a large number of temples and houses were requisitioned as schools, and the existence of traditional buildings still required students to change their shoes. To this day, the habit of changing indoor shoes to enter teaching buildings has been preserved.

Of course, there are other reasons, such as better maintaining hygiene in school, because indoor shoes are the uniform of the school, it can cultivate students' ideas of not comparing with others and not being vain............

In short, even if you can change into outdoor shoes, there is no guarantee that your toes can be kept away from the cold...

I cast my eyes out of the window again. I have seen similar scenery many times, but different times will bring different scenery. I care about this very much.

December is already halfway over.

The seasons change so fast, and the weather has turned completely cold. As a matter of course, the number of students wearing scarves, gloves, and long socks has increased.

Although the glass window next to the classroom blocked the cold wind for me, I didn't feel the slightest warmth. The white breath from my mouth mixed with the air and immediately disappeared without a trace.

It was hard to imagine myself being one of them. I wrapped myself in a scarf.

The sky today is also cloudy and it feels like it will snow at any time.

It’s snowing…

Looking back, I have never seen snow since I was born.

Based on the purpose of cultivating [Dark Alley], the so-called environmental simulation results in ice, which can only be called [ice flowers] at best. The material structure is different, but the effect is similar. Naturally, there are only rational results, and thinking about [beauty] is completely meaningless there.

Of course, I have seen it on TV, in books, or in photos, but I have never touched it with my hands or felt it with my skin. However, I have experienced the "pleasure" of being on the verge of death due to the cold, and it is a memory that is really hard to let go.

The words written with a paralyzed brain and fingers without feeling are indeed just as calm and indifferent. Unconsciously, even I don't know why it has become like this.

My consciousness is not here......

It was a strange feeling, as if it no longer belonged to me and became blank. That night, flashes of lightning flashed quickly through my mind. There might have been many phantoms in the flashes, but those phantoms disappeared completely before I realized it.

Then, something like a sharp feather arrow shot towards me, digging out the hazy part deep inside my heart and then disappeared. The part that was entangled with me and was judged to be redundant by them was completely hollowed out while I was completely unconscious - the world disappeared.

It was also from that time that the recognition function of my [memory system] began to suffer irreversible failure.

【Memory has become a mere image for me............】

It is still uncertain whether or not there will be snow in this area this year, but I would like to try it out.

I exhaled calmly, and even the white mist disappeared.

This year's cold snap may come at just the right time.

0

The dream bell rang, and it was time to go home. The special exam "Paper Shuffle" had just ended, and the students were discussing where to go in order to enjoy their own after-school life.

Ichinose cast a concerned look at me as usual.

I guess I wanted to find an opportunity to put an end to everything, but I chose effective means of escape, so my responsibility has not been investigated so far.

But judging from the look in Ichinose's eyes, there was no way to avoid her request today.

As I expected, Ichinose opened his mouth slowly, the words already in his throat.

"So dark blue is more suitable for wood, right?"

The sudden female voice made me stunned. It was obviously not Ichinose's voice, so it must be the off-field support who came to the rescue with a cross-body bag.

I met Himeno-san's gaze.

Recently, for various reasons, Jiye and I have become close friends. Although our relationship is pretty good and Jiye casually calls me by my name, I personally still resist this way of addressing.

As expected, I feel a little shy when other students in the class find out that we have a close relationship.

"It's almost the same as black. After all, scarves are just for keeping warm, so there's no need to spend too much time on color matching."

"When you go out, you should always pay attention to how other people view you. At least I feel much better about it."

Ji Ye came to my side, looked at me carefully, and spoke affirmatively.

"That sentence is very wrong, isn't it? Is it an eyesore before pointing at me?"

"Although it's a bit rude, I think you have really bad taste."

"As expected, it hurts............"

Although I had anticipated this situation, I didn't expect the other party to be so direct in his words, which made me really doubt my own taste.

It shouldn't be that bad, right?

"I want to go sit in the cafe for a while. Do you want to join me?"

Ichinose, who had been staying in her seat, had a look of urgency in her eyes, but she did not interrupt our conversation. After biting her lips lightly and a little hard, she forced herself to turn her body back and silently packed up her study materials.

Just from the back, Fanbo's movements were unusually stiff.

"I don't really have any plans, so...it should be okay. Anyone else?"

"No, we'll just chat aimlessly for a while and then go back. If there are more people, the party will be longer. One hour, two hours... It depends on the situation. It's okay once or twice, but I'm a little tired today, so I don't want to show off~"

"Then I understand."

Less than five people are acceptable. ——This is what Ji Ye wanted to express.

A gathering of two people would probably disperse in about thirty minutes, and a similar sense of pleasure would arise from a sudden impulse.

In addition, the future handling method should also be slightly changed, so that it can be delayed for a few days as much as possible............

It may sound strange, but I had some unhappy feelings about the arrival of [that day], so I kept making excuses again and again.

Destiny is not in our own hands.

This is the first time I have chosen a girl like Ichinose Honami since I started my career, and the target is a cute girl like this......

But thinking about it, it should be the case. After all, it was the first time, so psychologically, there were always indescribable emotions.

If possible, I don't want my feelings to be so complicated. This is my responsibility, so I must bear the consequences in the end.

After experiencing one thing after another, I made this decision.

Is it a little bit subtle, this kind of feeling that does not distort the normal feeling...