Real teaching, hypocritical gray life

"Ichinose, do you want to come with us?"

I tried to invite Ichinose, who was sitting in front of us, staring at the empty table in a daze, but it was obvious that she was caught in an emotional knot that could not be seen by the naked eye.

Himeno boldly reached out and poked Fanbo's tender cheek.

"Hey, ah, ah...what's wrong, Xiaoxue?"

"Are you okay, Captain Ichinose?"

"I, I have no problem. I was just thinking about something else... Is there anything I can help you with?"

Ichinose put one hand on her chest and smiled at us. Her eyes were a little evasive, and this situation seemed familiar. She was like this when I confessed to her in the first semester.

It’s just that the meaning of the reasons is not the same.

"Final exams are over, and although the second semester is still going on, Himeno and I want to rest in the cafe after school. Would Ichinose like to come with us?"

"Ahahaha, um, would you like some coffee......?"

Ichinose used to have a cheerful and lively personality, and now it seems to be so on the surface, but at this time the tone of his voice is getting lower and lower, and it even seems to be gradually losing its vitality.

"Yeah, that's right. If there are three of us, it would be more suitable for casual conversation."

"......"

Fan Bo was rarely silent for a while.

"May I?"

"I think there's nothing wrong with that......"

I looked at Ji Ye who was standing beside me. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a slight reluctance, and said in a slightly rough tone:

"For three people, it's a little troublesome, but it's still acceptable. But it won't last two or three hours like usual."

"............Sure enough, let's forget about it today. I want to go back to the dormitory and rest early."

Ichinose finally shook her head and bit her lower lip hard, in a field of vision where she thought I couldn't see her. She bit her lower lip so hard that even when she recovered, there was still a faint mark.

Of course, I was also a little surprised by Ichinose’s answer.

"Well, shall we just go back to the dormitory and rest?"

"Hmm... maybe I was too tired before the final exam. I've been sleeping a lot lately."

This is the fact. Ichinose's level of effort before the final exam was really unacceptable. In the end, his score of 709 surpassed all the top students in the class and became the first in the grade.

"Then Ichinose, have a good rest, and take care of your health."

I gave my blessing, Himeno nodded beside me, and Ichinose also accepted our kindness.

"Honami~can you come over here for a moment?"

The girls' group called out from the other side, which triggered the panic hidden deep inside Fanbo's heart.

"Ah, uh, sorry, I think I need to go over there. I'll be leaving now."

"Goodbye, Captain Ichinose."

Ichinose hurried over before he could finish his words, seemingly not wanting to stay here for even a second.

Ji Ye's feeling of pity was clearly revealed on his face, along with a level of uneasiness and worry.

"............I think I'm going too far."

"You knew your behavior was too much, but you still said it? Himeno is really a contradictory person - ah, no, what I just said was actually nonsense."

Ji Ye glared at me, and a bad aura spread all over the floor, so I hurriedly tried to make up for what I had said.

"What do you mean I'm a contradictory person? You clearly arranged for me to do this. I put a lot of effort into making myself say these twisted words in front of you."

"Indeed. This style of speaking is indeed not what Ji Ye should do."

"Sending a distress signal, and somehow making me talk about scarves... What's going on here?"

"In fact, I hesitated for a long time at the Beech Shopping Center. Should I choose a black scarf or a dark blue one?"

"Don't tell me such boring things."

Didn't you ask it yourself?............Although I want to say this, I don't know what kind of violent and terrible behavior Ji Ye will do after he loses his temper in the classroom.

Please be patient for a moment.

I swallowed.

"Huh - so are you still going to the cafe?"

Ji Ye slowly exhaled a breath of white air and spoke to me calmly.

"Didn't we agree to have a cup of coffee? If you want to go back on your promise, you might have to bear a price that you shouldn't have to pay. Besides, I don't really have any other plans for life, so it might be nice to chat for a while............"

With the end of the final exams, teachers have slowed down the assignments, and the academic workload on students has become much lighter.

As for my friends.

Okabe excitedly told us about his favorite Sailor Moon. Even though none of the three of us were interested, he still expressed his anticipation with great enthusiasm and rushed back to his dormitory room the moment the school bell rang.

The other two accepted dates with seniors from their junior high school days. Takashima went to the dinner party, while Shiratori went to watch the archery of the Kyudo Club.

All three have their own things to do.

Whether it's interests or socializing, both are contrary to my growth.

Until the end, I comforted myself alone.

"It seems like there's always something wrong with wood... Then I'll waste some time chatting with you."

"That's true, but Himeno is just sitting there with nothing to do."

"Even so, I'm just feeling sorry for you."

"How sad, my existence............"

I knew it was just a joke, so I didn't take it seriously. After I packed my study tools, I put on my messenger bag and walked out of the classroom.

Ichinose had already disappeared from the classroom, so there was no point for him to stay any longer.

I recalled that helpless look again, or rather - I don’t know how to describe the heartache.

Although Ichinose was in a bad mood, it made sense.

Because I made her unhappy on purpose.

Misunderstanding that I had an intimate relationship with the opposite sex other than Fanbo.

It's such a mess... When I realized this, even I felt a little dazed.

"............Won't it hurt if you do this?"

On the steps, Ji Ye couldn't hold back his inner confusion and continued to ask me questions.

"What are you referring to?"

"I'm asking you about what you're doing to Captain Ichinose right now. Don't you feel heartbroken when you go against your own feelings and hurt him?"

"Wasn't it Himeno who took the initiative to talk to me? Ah, I was just fooling around like before."

She seemed to be glaring at me again.

"You're like this again... and you're hurt. Can you just ignore it?"

【I’m not thinking about anything.】

I want to say something cruel like that, but considering the other person's character, it would be more appropriate to respond in silence.

I was not designed to have emotions and was designed to have nothing, so even if I was really hurt, I wouldn't feel any pain.

Because of this, I can act freely towards my goal.

I don't hate this freedom.

"Many boys in school want to be liked by class leader Ichinose. But you are just playing with his feelings... You are really a bad person."

"Then Himeno is also terrible as my helper."

"Be careful or I'll kick you."

"Sorry, I don't want to be kicked."

She showed an expression that she really couldn't accept it.

In the lobby of the teaching building, I was thinking while changing my room shoes.

[Are you really not thinking about anything? ]

I was so absorbed in this thought that I subconsciously muttered [Taboo].

"I like Ichinose Honoki............"

"what."

So, this sentence was heard by someone accidentally.

Chapter 2: There's no harm in bluffing!

Although this matter is not important, I still want to mention it.

Japan's climate is another major source of the "shoes-taking-off culture". The ground is often very muddy and slippery, so the soles of shoes are often covered with dirt. As a result, ancient people naturally formed the habit of taking off their shoes when entering warehouses. Especially after warehouses were converted into living quarters, Japanese people would always lay straw mats on the floor whether they were sitting or sleeping.

I guess it was a thought like "It's really unhygienic to step into the room like this!"

How did this habit of keeping clean and tidy and loving hygiene come into being?

I also cannot understand the common idea of ​​"differentiation between inside and outside". Society and home, campus and teaching buildings... emphasize that family and friends are "inside", and those who are connected to oneself but at a certain distance are "outside". Psychological distinction is also part of etiquette.

In the final analysis, whether it is a habit or a thought, the existence of [shoe removal culture] is inevitable. If the [taboo] is noticed by others, it is actually your own problem.

With my ability, I naturally noticed the girl next to me, but I couldn't control my own mumbling and the voice in my heart that was talking to me across the air.

"Gulong——"

The sound of the shoe cabinet where indoor shoes are stored slamming shut is definitely not thunder above the clouds. Of course, I wouldn't mind if it was just an auditory hallucination.

I really want to pretend nothing happened and just walk away...

As a result, after the single swing door closed, Wang Cang's eyes widened and her mouth slightly opened in surprise. She stared at me for a while, then looked at Ji Ye who was still busy changing her room shoes behind her, tilting her head to show an incomprehensible emotion.

"Luo Jun...did you just say something?"

Did you hear it, but not understand it? If so, that's great.

After all, if an unconscious confession made in private is heard by others, one would feel a little shy.

However, my frankness was shattered by Wangcang the next moment.

"Raku-kun likes Ichinose Honami or something... I guess I heard it right?"

"......"

"Now that I think about it, it seems to be like this......"

As I spoke unclearly, the confusion in Wangcang's eyes became more and more intense, and his brows, which were originally relaxed, wrinkled slightly.

"What kind of answer is that... No, I should say, why did Luo Jun suddenly say such a thing? Even if he was confessing, he should have done it in front of Fanbo-chan..."

"It's not done yet—uh, pockmarked boy?"

At this moment, Ji Ye behind him also tied his shoelaces completely and joined the [battlefield]. Before he could explain, Wang Cang ended his wonderful thinking and covered his mouth in surprise.

"Could it be that Xiaoxue confessed her love to Luojun!!!"

"Huh? There should be a limit to how much you can joke around. How could I possibly like a guy like that? And what weird topic did you two just talk about?!"

Faced with the sudden suspicion, Ji Ye could hardly remain calm. His flushed cheeks instantly tore through his poorly disguised face, and his rude attitude directly expressed his frank thoughts.

Although this sentence is a bit hurtful, I am more concerned about the risk factors caused by accidents. In short, we should try our best to control the existence of the network warehouse variable.

The other person's current thought is probably that... because Himeno confessed to me and I rejected her, and used the excuse that "I like Ichinose Honami."

There shouldn't be any other way to think about this......

I couldn't calm down a bit.

"Eh, isn't it? Then why............"

Halfway through his words, Wangcang gasped in disbelief, his expression of surprise quickly turning into horror.