I am a teacher at a girls' school in Tokyo

"..."

Shinohara Shiori faced Hirakawa Tetsufumi silently.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa stated his reasons.

"Since this is your only interest, don't give up so easily. At least, if you are disappointed in me... please, please reconsider it."

He is about to resign and will no longer be associated with the wind orchestra, so there is no need for this young lady to quit because of him.

Moreover, he owed Shinohara Shiori something. If, before she left, she gave up the interest that she had lasted for so long and was unwilling to give up even though her mother tried to stop her because of him, she would do so.

Then, there is absolutely no way he could leave peacefully like this.

So, before leaving, he has one last thing.

"This is my final request, please consider it seriously, Shinohara-san."

"..."

Shinohara Shiori pursed her lips.

In front of her, Tetsufumi Hirakawa bent down and bowed deeply.

"..."

"My last request..."

'at last. '

The words of Amamiya Ye once again came to mind.

"Teacher Hirakawa's time is running out."

"..."

Ridiculous, how could such a thing happen?

Shinohara Shiori denied Amamiya Yo's statement.

It's just like what she said at the beginning, "the last decision" and "the last time, I want to attend a festival with Mr. Hirakawa".

A very cunning way of saying it, one that's hard to refuse.

Because once the word "last" is used, the words are always filled with a strong sense of prayer.

"..."

Hirakawa Tetsufumi, who was bending over, finally heard Shinohara Shiori's reply after a moment of silence.

"I have already promised my mother that my decision to resign from the ministry cannot be changed."

"..."

It turns out that the girl's determination to play wind music is not so easily extinguished.

Maybe it was because of what he said, or maybe it was some other reason, anyway, he could hear that Shinohara Shiori was shaken.

She did not say that her own decision was irreversible, but that her mother's will was irreversible.

Hirakawa Tetsufumi straightened up, faced Shinohara Shiori, and affirmed almost without leaving any room for doubt.

"I don't think what I said is irrevocable."

"Because, if I can convince you once, I can convince you a second time."

"..."

Chapter 249 Departure (Part )

At dusk, under the light of the setting sun, Tetsufumi Hirakawa followed Shiori Shinohara into her family's car.

Whether it is the time or the event, it reminds people of that initial moment.

Looking out the car window at Shinohara Shiori, facing her reflection in the mirror, suddenly, the reflection turned into the memory that lingered in the sea of ​​memory for a long time.

In the third semester of the first grade, the nosy teacher said to her at sunset, "You know it's impossible but you still do it." Then he broke into her home with her and faced her mother, from whom she could never get away.

This time too.

This teacher really knew her. He was right, and it was no mistake to say that he was the one who knew her best.

The guess made was not wrong at all, it was exactly true.

Because she failed to meet the standards in the national competition, her mother once again wanted her to give up.

In the past, she would never give up so easily, but because of her disappointment in a certain teacher, she began to think about returning everything he had fought for.

——Playing music, to a certain extent, is her connection with this teacher.

If it hadn't been for that first thing, perhaps nothing would have happened afterwards.

But now, the relationship between the two has ended. It seems that the so-called connection no longer has any need to exist.

So facing the pressure from her mother, she agreed this time.

Then, under this circumstance, the teacher came to her again.

Before this, it was hard for her to imagine that she would be so easily persuaded.

I have clearly made up my mind to give up playing wind music completely.

but……

Once a person's hidden thoughts are seen through by others, it is much easier to persuade them than you think.

And just as he said, her persistence in playing wind music would not die so easily.

The determination to not give up playing wind music was reawakened.

The teacher next to her will go to her home again to persuade her mother to change her decision which was made out of disappointment.

...To be honest, it's really hard to explain why she agreed to this.

Perhaps, the most important reason should start from nine months ago?

"Is it really okay?" When she came to her senses, Shinohara Shiori asked the reflection in the car window.

"Of course you can." replied Tetsufumi Hirakawa.

This was the only conversation between the two during the journey.

It is understandable that Shinohara Shiori's current opinion of Hirakawa Tetsufumi is very complicated...I am afraid that even she herself is not clear.

Now, the agreement that Tetsufumi Hirakawa had successfully made with her mother nine months ago, that she would "no longer interfere with the wind orchestra", had been broken by her herself.

Now, the agreement between her and her mother in this regard was made by her own words a few days ago - "I agree to withdraw from the wind orchestra."

Although her thoughts were shaken today, she knew what kind of person her mother was.

Her mother's will was definitely stronger than hers, and it was not easy to change her.

Therefore, Shiori Shinohara now has very complicated feelings towards Tetsufumi Hirakawa.

It is true that he is disappointed with the teacher around him, and it is also true that he wants to quit the wind band, but.

It is true that deep down in my heart, I don’t want to give up playing wind music. Now, I put my hopes on him, thinking - "Maybe, this time, he can successfully change the status quo." This is also true.

Disappointment and expectation intertwined to form Shiori Shinohara's current emotions.

……

We have arrived at the Shinohara family.

After getting out of the car, Hirakawa Tetsufumi once again stood in front of the door of the Shinohara family, looking at them with emotion.

The last time he came was in February, the third semester of his first year. He had just obtained the system and was full of energy and enthusiasm.

'It is a teacher's duty to teach students well.'

'Even if he possesses an unknown and seemingly wonderful power, he cannot taint his identity as a teacher for personal gain.'

However, today, things have completely changed.

He has failed in his duty.

Moreover, it is hard to say that this visit was not out of selfish motives.

After all, the relationship between him and Shiori Shinohara was no longer just a simple teacher-student relationship.

Tsk.

After laughing at himself in his heart, Tetsufumi Hirakawa sighed with great complexity in his heart, and finally let go of all his thoughts.

It’s the last day before I resign, and there’s nothing to worry about.

After finishing the last thing, he can resign.

He followed Shinohara Shiori and walked in.

"Shinohara-san, your mother, what's going on now...?"

"In the drawing-room."

"Ok."

……

Nine months have passed, but everything here is not much different from before.

A traditional Japanese room with a tatami floor. On the other side, through the open door, you can see the garden in the autumn evening.

Everything is the same as before.

It was in such an environment that Tetsufumi Hirakawa met Shinohara's mother again.

Mrs. Shinohara was wearing a red kimono with her hair tied up in a bun. Although there was a gentle smile between her eyebrows, her demeanor as a superior from a famous family still showed that Shinohara's mother was definitely not as easy to get along with as she looked.

——I knew this during our last meeting.

"Mrs. Shinohara, I'm deeply sorry for coming here to bother you without telling you in advance."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa knelt in front of the tea table and lowered his head slightly.

Shinohara's mother knelt opposite, her posture calm and proper.

"It's okay. I think it's something important that made Mr. Hirakawa take the trouble to come here specially, right?"

The soft, spring-like tone of his speech was truly comforting.

"Please." Shinohara's mother poured a cup of tea.

"Thank you."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa took it.

Ok……

Shinohara's mother's dignified demeanor is still impressive.

"The matter I want to discuss with you this time is related to Shinohara Shiori."

"Is that so?" Shinohara's mother smiled. "So this time, is it about the wind band again?"

"Yes, indeed."

"What exactly happened?" Shinohara's mother glanced at Shinohara Shiori who was sitting at the table.

Shinohara Shiori, who was kneeling in silence, only looked up and faced her mother at this moment.

For her, the pressure from her mother could be transmitted to her with just a glance.

It was indeed difficult for her to escape from her mother's control.

However, now that she has come this far and the teacher beside her has already made an agreement, there is no reason to back down.

It's true that I'm disappointed in him, but not in this way.

The teacher will definitely fulfill the promise that has been made - even though their relationship has reached its current point, Shinohara Shiori may not even realize it herself, but she still believes this in her subconscious.

So she spoke.

"Mother."

"Yeah." Shinohara's mother nodded.

"Shiori... doesn't want to quit the wind band anymore."