I am a teacher at a girls' school in Tokyo

As soon as the words fell, in an instant, the autumn courtyard and the outdoor wind seemed to stop temporarily, time also stopped in an instant, and everything froze.

Shinohara's mother's gentle demeanor froze.

There was no sound in the reception room.

Only two teacups were left on the table, emitting mist.

……

Hirakawa Tetsufumi let out a light breath.

He looked at Shinohara's mother in his field of vision. Under the effect of the system, the young lady had a dull look in her eyes, a frozen expression, and no movement, like a puppet waiting to be given orders.

However, the exquisite kimono and the noble aura, even at this moment, give people a feeling of being far away and not approachable.

"Sorry, I offended you."

Tetsufumi Hirakawa just took a look and lowered his head to express his apology.

Today's use of the system can be said to be his most willful one.

This was different from the legitimacy he had upheld in the past. This time - because he was going to resign, and no matter what, Shinohara Shiori's affairs had to be dealt with - he was using the system simply out of personal feelings for Shinohara Shiori.

Pretty bad.

Moreover, if you think about it, because of the relationship between him and Shinohara Shiori, Shinohara's mother is now waiting for his order in front of him...

The relationship is inevitably a little subtle.

"Sorry." Thinking of this, Tetsufumi Hirakawa apologized again with full of apology.

Of course, even though I feel very sorry for Shinohara's mother, it's impossible to stop the action now that it has come to this.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa stared at the teacup in front of him, thought for a moment, opened his mouth and gave the order.

"Please, once again, listen carefully and consider Shinohara-san's wish not to quit the wind orchestra."

……

"Wow—"

In the corridor, Shiori Shinohara, who was leaning against the wall and thinking about something with her head down, heard the sound of the wooden door next to her being opened.

She raised her head and looked towards the door.

The person who appeared was Tetsufumi Hirakawa.

Then, noticing her location, the teacher looked at her with a hint of apology in his eyes.

Shinohara Shiori responded to the teacher's gaze with some unknown emotion.

Sorry... failed?

As soon as this thought came to my mind, I heard his words float into my ears.

"Shinohara-san, it's over. Now, go in and talk to your mother."

"..."

It was a very familiar voice, just like what they said at that time, as if they had made an agreement. So, they asked her to walk into the living room and tell her mother her wish.

This time again.

But why does it carry a sense of apology?

Shinohara Shiori didn't have time to think about it.

"...Thank you, Mr. Hirakawa."

"It's okay, please go ahead."

A soft reply.

……

"Tap tap tap."

With the sound of gentle footsteps on the tatami, Shinohara Shiori walked into the living room again.

Her mother was still kneeling beside the table, waiting for her arrival with a gentle posture.

She walked forward, pressed down her skirt, and knelt down opposite her mother.

"..."

There was silence between the two for a moment, and then.

"Mother, Shiori is back." Shinohara Shiori lowered her head and spoke first.

Her mother looked away from her teacup.

"Yes, Shiori."

"..."

"..."

"Shiori wants to tell you..."

"You don't want to quit the brass band, do you? I've thought about it, Shiori, it's up to you to decide."

"..."

"Why, you don't want to?" I asked when I saw she didn't respond.

"...No, I haven't." Shinohara Shiori came back to her senses and immediately shook her head, "Shiori is willing."

"That's it."

"Ah."

……

It is still the same, a completely dreamlike scene.

Shinohara Shiori stood up and walked towards the door, thinking about her mother's reaction. Although it was the second time she had witnessed it, such a scene was still surprising.

As her mother's daughter, no one knows better than her how difficult it is to change her mother's wishes.

It can be said that once she has made a decision, it will absolutely, absolutely not change.

As it turned out, the only two exceptions were both due to her teacher.

What method did she use to make her mother change her mind so easily?

It's arousing curiosity.

"Shinohara-san, what's going on?"

When I walked out of the reception room, I heard concerned inquiries.

Shinohara Shiori raised her head from her deep thought.

"already solved."

"Oh, that's good."

Although the result was already determined after he made up his mind to use the system, Tetsufumi Hirakawa still felt relieved until now when he got the definite answer from Shinohara Shiori.

Maybe...liberation?

Everything... is over.

With mixed feelings in his heart, Hirakawa Tetsufumi perked up and smiled slightly under the gaze of Shinohara Shiori.

"Well, that's it, then? I'll take my leave now."

"Yeah." Shinohara Shiori nodded.

She took a step forward, walked in front, and led Hirakawa Tetsufumi to the door.

The sound of footsteps interlaced with each other, echoing in the huge residence, extending step by step towards the door.

There was no communication between the two, and they were both quiet.

Until the door.

"Goodbye, Shinohara-san."

The light from the sky was already very dim.

Tetsufumi Hirakawa glanced at the gray sky, stopped at the door, turned around, and said his final goodbye to Shinohara Shiori.

Then, in the dim light, he saw Shinohara Shiori in silence, with a somewhat... confused expression on her face.

"Huh? What's wrong?" Tetsufumi Hirakawa asked at the right time.

Shinohara Shiori stared at him, their eyes meeting, as if she wanted to see through him.

"Teacher Hirakawa, why?"

After a moment, with an inexplicable premonition - it would be too late if she didn't ask - with such an inexplicable premonition, Shinohara Shiori chose to ask.

"Well, what why?"

"——Why do you want me to return to the orchestra?"

"This one……"

"Mingming, it doesn't matter now."

"..."

As the girl continued to question him, Hirakawa Tetsufumi avoided her gaze.

"Ah...how do I put it?"

"..."

Shinohara Shiori waited for his answer.

Hirakawa Tetsufumi, who had been dragging out the last syllable of his words for a long time, finally shifted his gaze back to Shinohara Shiori after a long sigh of helplessness that rose with the evening autumn wind.

"Well...it's already this late. Indeed, it's better to make it clear."

This is the opening.

"Actually, Shinohara-san, I am about to resign as a teacher."

"Immediately means...tomorrow."

"After tomorrow's Moriya School Festival, I will resign from Moriya."

"So, I was thinking... Didn't Shinohara-san say before that she decided to quit the brass band because she was disappointed with me?"

"I understand Shinohara's determination to keep playing wind music, and I don't want to see you give up because of me."

"Besides, I'm about to resign, so there's no need for Shinohara-san to give up because of me."

"It's my fault. I don't want to affect you like this anymore."

"So, before I officially leave tomorrow, I want Shinohara-san to not quit the wind band. That way, I can leave with peace of mind."

"Ha... I know that this idea of ​​leaving the job so that I can feel at ease is really too selfish."

"To be honest, today was the most willful I have been in a long time."

"Ren Xing is... Never mind, I won't say more about this."

His lingering feelings for Shinohara Shiori forced him to act against his previous principles.

Only this time, absolutely, he used the system for personal gain.

But if he didn't do this, he really couldn't let go of Shinohara Shiori. This girl gave up her favorite wind music because of him. He absolutely couldn't leave peacefully like this.

"As for why you resign..."

“The reason is quite complicated.”

"In short, I feel that I am no longer suitable to continue to be a teacher."

"That's all."

"Anyway, that's it. Tomorrow is the day I officially resign."

"Goodbye, Shinohara-san."

"..."